Design, construction and control of a unidirectional tele-operated seismic simulator for testing small scale structural models

Abstract

This paper presents the design, construction and control of a unidirectional seismic simulator for testing small-scale structural models. The design of the components and the construction process of the entire prototype are described in detail. A mathematical model of the simulator dynamics is found using an identification procedure in the velocity loop and validated using the frequency response. The identified model is used to design controllers with velocity and position loops that provide the required system performance. Finally, experimental test results of the seismic simulator are presented and a description is given of the remote control interface developed in Java®, which allows the user to define excitation signals, display data obtained during tests and watch online video over the Internet.