Experiential Learning about Seismic Performance of Buildings through Shake Table Competitions

Understanding the seismic behavior and performance of structures under earthquake ground shaking considering the various factors like structural stiffness, building period, soil properties and frequency of ground shaking becomes effective if lectures are supplemented with actual demonstration through model testing and videos. Experiential learning through shake table testing and competitions are opportunities to understand more about earthquakes. The introduction of shake table activities in schools can enhance students’ comprehension of earthquake-resistant designs. These activities also stimulate students’ creativity in seismic engineering.

“Experiential learning is an engaged learning process whereby students “learn by doing” and by reflecting on the experience.” Examples of ELE activities are hands-on laboratory experiments, internships, practicums, field exercises, study abroad and undergraduate research. Through ELE activities, the teacher aims to apply Kolb's theory on ELE which consists of a spiral of learning involving four phases (https://www.bu.edu/ctl/guides/experiential-learning/):

1. Concrete Experience – Engaging directly in authentic or real-world situation
2. Reflective Observation – Relating observations to past experience and knowledge
3. Abstract Conceptualization – Generating ideas and distilling perceptions
4. Active Experimentation – Testing new ideas and designs, honing new skills

To maximize and test the capability and performance of the shake table, a hands-on group exercise, “Shake the Tower Challenge” is introduced as a fourth hour activity in the undergraduate course on earthquake engineering with course code, STERQUA. A fourth hour activity is a student-centered learning activity which is accomplished outside of the regular class meetings at their own time and place. The main objective of the exercise is for the students to develop an understanding and an intuition regarding the dynamic nature of structures when subjected to ground shaking. The “Shake the Tower Challenge” is a group exercise where the students construct a 24-inch tall tower made of sticks glued together by glue stick. The shake table exercise as an experiential learning strategy is described as follows: 

Watch the Video of a Group Shake Table Construction and Testing

Through this exercise the students observed the swaying of the tower at different frequencies and the change of the swaying with respect to frequency and amplitude as the tower is damaged. The student feedback on the exercise is positive, to quote one student: “The Shake the Tower Challenge was a very interesting activity because I was able to view various towers and how they performed under various shake table settings. It helped me understand and appreciate the concepts related to structure stiffness, period, frequency, and displacement. It was fun building towers and experimenting with the shake table to create the competition parameters because I was able to apply the lessons learned (in structural dynamics). I noticed that the best towers were the ones that had designs that minimized the number of joints while still being able to provide bracings. This helped reinforce my understanding of building retrofitting and the design of earthquake resistant structures. I would definitely recommend this type of activity for future reference.” 

Related link: https://animociv.blogspot.com/2023/11/dce-faculty-presents-papers-at-icee.html

Reference: "Experiential Learning about Seismic Performance of Buildings through Shake Table Competitions" by Jade Vanessa Ching,  Aldrei Ong, Vicente Raphael Chan, Rei Kevin Tungcab, Rodolfo Mendoza Jr., and Andres Winston Oreta. Presented at the 9^th International Conference on Engineering Education Philippines (ICEE-PHIL) 2023, UPLB on Nov 10-11, 2023, Hosted by the Phil Association of Engg Schools (PAES).