Development and application of large–scale continuous pseudo–dynamic testing techniques

This paper reviews the latest developments made at the European Laboratory for Structural Assessment (ELSA) of the Joint Research Centre to extend the spectrum of applications of the pseudo–dynamic (PsD) methodology. After decades of development, a variety of new testing procedures and numerical schemes have been proposed to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the PsD method. Nevertheless, due to the expanded time–scale of the tests with respect to the real seismic events, the conventional PsD method is not appropriate for structures incorporating materials with significant strain–rate sensitivity. Our main objective is to illustrate the advantages of the continuous PsD testing system developed at ELSA and to show its potentiality to test structures fitted with anti–seismic protection devices constructed with strain–rate sensitive materials. Two specific typologies of seismic protection were tested. The first experimental activity aimed to validate the continuous PsD procedure and was conducted on a scaled five–storey frame structure isolated by means of high damping rubber bearings, which had been tested on the shaking table of ISMES (Italy). A second experimental campaign was conducted on a large–scale reinforced–concrete civil building protected by rubber–based energy dissipators.