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Supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, the CEES is part of a multi-university collaborative for centrifuge earthquake testing. Watch Video  (req. windows media player)» Constructed to Rensselaer's specifications, the Acutronic Model 665-1 centrifuge is the 3rd largest academic centrifuge in the nation.

Overview

Accelerating the speed of research

For over 15 years, the Center for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (CEES) at Rensselaer has been using the geotechnical centrifuge for pioneering experiments in: the behavior of soils and foundations under cyclic and dynamic loads; design methods to accommodate natural and man-made vibrations; geostochastics; and earthquake engineering; the control of leachates; groundwater contaminant transport, the performance of landfill liners and covers, and site remediation; landfill siting and design; the effects of freezing and thawing on landfill covers and liners; the use of waste sludges as landfill covers.

The centrifuge tests enable researchers to create high-gravitational fields, resulting in drastic time compressions; 1 day of modeling is equivalent to 50 years real time! This compression allows researchers to capture enormous amounts of data that would otherwise take years to generate.

A new era of collaboration

Rensselaer’s CEES now includes an upgraded geotechnical centrifuge, several labs, and a state-of-the-art computer operations center and teleconferencing room where consortium members will interact in real time and perform integrated research via the NEES network called the NEESgrid. The facility upgrades were funded through NSF grants totaling more than $3 million.

Rensselaer will share resources with other sites while participating in remote observation and operation, of experiments through the NEESgrid, said Ricardo Dobry, director of CEES and professor of civil and environmental engineering.

“The collaborative research will help lead to better, safer, and more economical designs for our country’s infrastructure, while creating a national resource for earthquake research and education,” said Dobry.