Development of structural testing equipment for impact and complex loading

ABSTRACT This paper summarizes the author’s work of developing various impact testing equipment and equipment for simulating complex earthquake loading for structural research. The equipment include large diameter split Hopkinson pressure bars (SHPB), large-scale drop-weight testing equipment, field-test facility of truck collisions and multi-axes seismic loading equipment. Several types of building and bridge components were tested under axial or lateral impact loads, simulating vehicular impact actions, sudden collapse and blasts. For vehicular impact action, a procedure of establishing simulative equivalent vehicular frame is proposed, making the vehicular loading tests much easier. Fundamental tests on concrete cylinders and confined concrete cylinders under high-strain rate impacts were also carried using the large-diameter equipment. Large to full-scale reinforced concrete or steel structures were also studied experimentally, using the developed equipment.