The bi-axial testing system in Tainan laboratory of Taiwan NCRee

Abstract

The bi-axial testing system (BATS) is one of the major facilities constructed in 2017 in the Tainan laboratory of Taiwan National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering (NCREE). The multi-axial testing system (MATS) constructed in 2008 in NCREE’s Taipei Laboratory has allowed a large variety of structural tests successfully conducted with fruitful results. However, the longitudinal actuators adopted in MATS are static type with small servo valves. In view of this, NCREE’s team took the opportunity of constructing the Tainan laboratory in National Cheng Kung University to include the high performance BATS. In order to meet the requirements of the high-speed and long-stroke tests, BATS was designed to allow simultaneous applying horizontal forces, with high horizontal velocities, large displacements, and large vertical forces on the test specimen. The specimen can be anchored between the top cross beam and the bottom rigid platen within a 2-meter tall and 3.1-meter wide clear space. In addition to the four horizontal dynamic actuators in the longitudinal direction, a total of 15 servo-hydraulic actuators are connected to the rigid platen. The design, construction and the key features of BATS are described in this paper. ? 11th National Conference on Earthquake Engineering 2018, NCEE 2018: Integrating Science, Engineering, and Policy. All rights reserved.