MTS Systems Logo Contact Us
  • Industries
    • Automotive
      • Passenger Cars & Light Trucks
      • Driver Assisted & Autonomous Vehicles
      • Electric & New Energy Vehicles
      • Heavy Trucks & Commercial Vehicles
      • Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV)
      • Racing & Motorsports
      • Recreational Vehicles
      • Motorcycles
      Automotive

      Automotive

      320 kph

      flat-belt roadway enables precise replication of motorsports cornering maneuvers

      Read the Case Study
    • Materials
      • Metals
      • Composites
      • Plastics
      • Rubber & Elastomers
      • Adhesives
      • Concrete & Rock
      • Ceramics & Glass
      • Textiles
      • Wood
      • Paper Products
      • Universities
      Materials

      Materials

      1500 degree Celsius

      solutions for testing high-temperature alloys, composites, ceramics and polymers

      Read the Article
    • Aerospace
      • Fixed Wing Aircraft
      • Helicopters & Rotary Wing Aircraft
      • UAM (Urban Air Mobility)
      • Delivery Drones
      • Supersonic Aircraft
      • Space Structures
      Aerospace

      Aerospace

      20% increase

      in testing speeds using state-of-the-art cross-coupling compensation technology

      Read the Article
    • Biomedical
      • Orthopedic
      • Medical Devices
      • Dental
      • Hospitals & Universities
      Biomedical

      Biomedical

      1 in 1,000 children

      will need corrective scoliosis surgery

      Read the Case Study
    • Civil Engineering
      • Multi-Hazard Engineering
      • Seismic Engineering
      • Structural Engineering
      Civil Engineering

      Civil Engineering

      1.32 million pound

      force capacity enables the testing of very large specimens all the way to failure

      Read the Case Study
    • Rock Geomechanics
      • Fossil Fuels
      • Geothermal Energy
      • Mining
      • Construction
      • Carbon Sequestration
      • Research
      Rock Geomechanics

      Rock & Geomechanics

      3x stronger

      concrete materials make it possible to carry higher loads

      Read the Case Study
    • Energy
      • Wind Energy
      • Oil & Gas
      Energy

      Energy

      56 MNm

      overturning moment capacity enables testing of the largest wind turbine drivetrains

      Read the Article
    • Rail
      • Commuter Trains
      • Freight Trains
      • High-Speed Trains
      Rail

      Rail

      550 kph

      test system enables lab-based studies of high-speed rail operating environments

      Read the Article
  • Applications
    • Materials Applications
    • Test Type
      • Tension
      • Compression
      • Fatigue & Fracture
      • Flexure & Bend
      • Shear, Peel & Tear
      • Torsion
      • Non-Contacting Strain Measurement
      • High Temperature
      • Bi-Axial & Multi-Axial
      • High Rate
      • Dynamic Mechanical Analysis

      Material Applications by Material

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Test Standard
      • ASTM Test Standards
      • ISO Test Standards
      • EN Test Standards

      Material Applications by Material

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Materials
      • Metals
      • Composites
      • Plastics
      • Rubber & Elastomers
      • Adhesives
      • Fasteners & Welds
      • Concrete & Rock
      • Ceramics & Glass
      • Wood & Paper Products
      • Additive Manufacturing

      Material Applications by Material

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Automotive Applications
      • Full Vehicle
      • Axle & Suspension
      • Steering System
      • Drivetrain
      • Dampers
      • Elastomeric Mounts & Bushings
      • Tires
      • Exhaust System
      • Body Mounted Components
      • Cooling System Components
      • Transportation & Packaging
      • Motorcycle
      • Farm, Construction, Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV)

      Automotive

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Aerospace Applications
      • Complete Full-Scale Structures
      • Sub-Assemblies
      • Sub-Systems
      • Flight Control Systems
      • Airframe Components
      • Rotary-Wing Components
      • Gas Turbine Component Fatigue

      Aerospace

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Biomedical Applications
      • Orthopedic
      • Biomechanic
      • Medical Device
      • Biomaterial

      Biomedical

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Civil Engineering Applications
      • Civil Structures
      • Structural Sub-Assemblies & Components
      • Non-Structural Systems
      • Oil Rig Stay Cables
      • Construction Materials

      Civil Engineering

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Energy Applications
      • Wind Turbine Testing
      • Oil & Gas Pipeline

      Energy

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Rock Geomechanics Applications
      • Fossil Fuels
      • Geothermal
      • Nuclear Waste Storage

      Rock Geomechanics

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Rail Applications
      • Rail Car Suspension Components
      • Rail Car Coupler
      • Rail Car Wheels & Rail
      • Rail Car Axles
      • Rail Car Bogies
      • Complete Rail Cars
      • Rail Car Pantographs
      • Railway Track & Road Bed
      • Catenary & Trolley Wire

      Rail

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

  • Products
    • Automotive Systems
      • Full Vehicle Test Systems
      • Subsystem & Component Test Systems
      • Tire Test Systems
      • Damper Test Systems
      • Elastomer Test Systems
      • Hybrid Simulation Solutions
      • Modular Components

      Automotive

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Materials Test Systems
      • Static Materials Test Systems
      • Dynamic Materials Test Systems
      • Extensometers
      • Grips
      • Fixtures & Platens
      • Furnaces, Chambers & Fluid Baths
      • High Temp Subsystems & TMF
      • Load Cells / Force Transducers

      Materials

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Aerospace Systems
      • Turnkey Control & Data Acquisition
      • Turnkey Hydromechanical Power Distribution
      • Test Article Safety Solutions
      • Series 261 Structural Pressure Test Controller
      • High Force Test Systems
      • Modular Components
      • FlexDAC Data Acquisition Systems

      Aerospace

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Biomedical Systems
      • Orthopedic Test Systems
      • Biomechanic Test Systems
      • Medical Device Test Systems
      • Biomaterial Test Systems

      Biomedical

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Civil Engineering Systems
      • Seismic Simulators & Shake Tables
      • Multi-Axial Subassemblage Structural Test Systems
      • Hybrid Simulation Solutions
      • Seismic Isolation Bearing Test Systems
      • High-Force Test Systems
      • Modular Components
      • STEX Pro Software

      Civil Engineering

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Energy Systems
      • Wind Turbine Blade Fatigue Test Systems
      • Wind Turbine Blade Static Test Systems
      • Wind Turbine Blade Rain Erosion Test System
      • Wind Turbine Bearing & Drivetrain Test Systems
      • Oil & Gas Pipe / Coupling Test Systems
      • High-Force Test Systems
      • Modular Components

      Energy

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Rock & Geomechanics Systems
      • Rock Mechanics Test Systems
      • Polyaxial Rock Test System

      Rock Geomechanics

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Rail Systems
      • Air Spring Test System
      • Railway Damper Test System
      • Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF) System
      • 4-28 Channel Bogie Frame Test System
      • Bogie Vibration & Characterization System
      • Pantograph Wear & Performance System
      • High-Force Test Systems
      • Damper Durability Test Systems
      • Elastomer Test Systems
      • Modular Components

      Rail

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Test System Components
      • Actuators & Servo-Valves
      • SilentFlo™ Hydraulic Power Units
      • 295 Hydraulic Service Manifolds
      • Stands & Frames
      • Load Bearing Components
      • FlexTest® Controllers
      • FlexDAC Data Acquisition
      • SWIFT® Evo Wheel Force Transducers

      Test System Components

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

    • Software & Monitoring
      • RPC® Connect Software
      • TestSuite™ Software
      • AeroPro™ Software
      • STEX™ Pro Software
      • Elastomer Testing Software
      • Damper Testing Software
      • MultiPurpose TestWare® (MPT)
      • First Road Interact Software
      • Multi-Pump Control Manager
      • Equipment Monitoring

      Software & Monitoring

      Solution Finder

      Search by Test Material, Test Type, or Test Standard to find relevant products fast.

  • Services
    • Services
      • Calibrations & Metrology
      • Consulting & Engineering Services
      • Equipment Monitoring
      • Routine Maintenance & Fluid Care
      • Repairs & Remanufacture
      • Relocation Services

      Services & Support

    • Plans
      • Software Support Plans
      • Technical Support Plans
      • Service Plans
      • Extended Warranty

      Services & Support

    • Training

      Training Courses

    • Parts

      Parts

    • Support

      myMTS Portal

  • Company
    • Our Company
      • About MTS
      • Global Presence
      • History

      Our Company

    • Careers

      Careers

    • Sustainability

      Sustainability

    • Suppliers
      • Supplier Home
      • Products & Services

      Suppliers

  • Solution Finder
  • Contact Us
  • R&D Test Systems
  • E2M Technologies
  • myMTS Portal
  • Global Sites
  • Search
Home > Getting Around the Bend

University of Nevada, Reno: Getting Around the Bend

MTS  - University of Nevada, Reno
MTS helps seismic researchers better understand curved bridge behavior during earthquakes.

CUSTOMER CHALLENGE

Historically, civil engineers have had limited insight into how horizontally curved bridges respond to earthquakes. As part of a larger project funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to study the seismic resilience of highway systems, the University of Nevada, Reno NEES Equipment Site (UNR-NEES) was utilized to thoroughly characterize the behavior of curved bridge segments under seismic conditions. The goal of the research was to establish guidelines for designing curved bridges that better withstand major earthquakes.

Due to their irregular shape, curved bridges have unique requirements for large-scale seismic simulations. Traditional uniaxial test systems installed in trenches below the strong floor do not offer positioning flexibility to accommodate these test specimens. At the time FHWA funded a research project at UNR-NEES, no large-scale structural seismic simulations had ever been performed on curved bridges in the test lab.

UNR-NEES set out to investigate seismic impact using a 2/5-scale model of a three-span curved bridge, measuring 44.1 meters (145 feet) long with a 24.4-meter (80-foot) radius at the model’s centerline.

“This was the biggest bridge test we had ever attempted, involving high payloads and a large and uniquely shaped specimen,” said Patrick Laplace, Ph.D., Large Scale Structures Laboratory Manager at UNR-NEES. “So for us, the major challenge was finding a way to accurately simulate a seismic event on a curved bridge at this scale and with the forces involved. We only get one of these scale models to work on, so we knew everything had to be right the first time.”

Laplace also knew why the FHWA selected UNR-NEES for the curved bridge study: because of the facility’s one-of-a-kind test setup with unprecedented flexibility to accommodate large and uniquely shaped specimens. “We got the project because we were the only test facility capable of generating the required forces and motions virtually anywhere across our lab floor,” he said.   

MTS SOLUTION

Over a period of 20 years, UNR-NEES has worked closely with MTS to integrate multiple shake table systems for large-scale, high-force seismic testing, primarily on bridges and bridge components.

The facility currently includes three biaxial shake tables, along with a fourth, 6DOF shake table added in 2009. Each table measures approximately 4.25 meters (14 feet) square, has a 445 kN (50-ton) payload, and sits atop a 780-square-meter (8,400-square-foot) strong floor in a high-bay laboratory with two overhead cranes. MTS also custom-designed a hydrostatic bearing for the shake tables that prevents uplift, roll, pitch, and yaw without requiring a trench, making it possible to install these systems directly on the strong floor.

The shake tables can be operated independently, in phase or differentially with the other tables, and can be positioned to address the unique space requirements of a test specimen. All four tables were used for the curved bridge seismic simulations, including the 6DOF table set in biaxial mode.

“That is exactly what UNR wanted: multiple shake tables that can be moved across the floor and operate individually or in tandem,” Laplace said. “To my knowledge, we were the first lab to use large shake tables in an array like this.”

This arrayed, portable configuration allowed UNR-NEES to test the curved-bridge scale model in numerous unprecedented ways. Six different tests were performed to examine various components under earthquake conditions. Tests included column design with and without conventional columns; abutment design with and without backfill; seismic isolation with and without response modification; and live load, with and without trucks positioned on the superstructure surface.

“Our ability to study differential motion fills a longstanding void for curved bridge seismic testing,” Laplace said. “For example, we can now simulate an earthquake wave hitting one pier before the next, or with one pier on soil and the other on rock. Such realism cannot be achieved with a single table, no matter how big it is.”

CUSTOMER BENEFITS

UNR-NEES seismic testing for the FHWA was completed in March 2012 after nine months of continuous experimental activities, equipping the U.S. government with a wealth of test data on curved span bridge behavior under earthquake conditions. At the time of this writing, FHWA was well on its way to establishing industry design guidelines, benefiting civil engineers and citizens around the world.

UNR-NEES is currently undergoing a major expansion that includes construction of a second, larger test facility located next door to the existing facility. The 3,658-square-meter (12,000-square-foot) expansion will house all four shake tables, opening the existing facility for other large-scale floor tests. MTS is again providing the new lab’s hydraulics engineering, shake table relocation and current system upgrades.

According to Sherif Elfass, Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor and NEES Site Operations Manager, UNR-NEES researchers are constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. He attributes the facility’s partnership with MTS as a major contributor to this confidence to explore uncharted territory.

“Our attitude is to say, ‘Yes we can do it,’ knowing that we will collaborate with MTS to figure out a way together,” Elfass said. “Having this backup of MTS expertise is key, especially as we expand. We consider MTS to be a pillar of our success, and our future is tied to this ongoing relationship.”

Laplace agrees. “Once MTS hands over the keys, that’s definitely not the end to the story,” he said. “There’s always a lot of interaction going on involving upgrades, maintenance and technical questions. MTS has a lot of extremely knowledgeable people, in a lot of different areas. You just can’t find such broad and applicable knowledge anywhere else."

 

MTS  - University of Nevada, Reno

MTS helps seismic researchers better understand curved bridge behavior during earthquakes.

Download Case Study
Also of Interest:
  • Static Materials Test Systems >
  • Wind Turbine Test Applications >
  • Materials Tensile Test Applications >
Stay Connected
  • INDUSTRIES
  • Automotive
  • Materials
  • Aerospace
  • Biomedical
  • Civil Engineering
  • Rock Geomechanics
  • Energy
  • Rail
  • SALES & SUPPORT
  • Sales Offices
  • Services
  • Training
  • Parts
  • Customer Portal
  • SUPPLIERS
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Products & Services
  • Expectations
  • Workmanship Standards
  • Packaging & Labeling
  • Routing Guide
  • COMPANY
  • About
  • News
  • Careers
  • Culture
  • Sustainability
  • History
  • SOLUTIONS
  • Applications
  • Test Standards
  • Products
  • RESOURCES
  • Learning Center
  • Solution Finder
  • Quality
  • Product Safety
  • Patents
  • CONTACT US
  • SUPPORT: 952-937-4000
  • Online Request
  • Request A Quote
  • Sales Offices
  • BUSINESSES
  • MTS Systems
  • E2M Technologies
  • R&D Test Systems
  • MTS SANS China
    • © MTS Systems. All Rights Reserved
    • 952.937.4000
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms Of Use
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Sales Offices
    • Cookie Preferences
We use necessary cookies to make our site work. We'd also like to set up optional analytics cookies to help us improve it. We won't set optional cookies unless you enable them.
Decline Accept
We use necessary cookies to make our site work. We'd also like to set up optional analytics cookies to help us improve it. We won't set optional cookies unless you enable them.
Decline Accept