Multi-axial subassemblage testing of large-scale structures

Principal investigator: Dr. Giuseppe Abbiati

The fidelity of Hybrid Simulations (HSs) strongly depends on the correct application of the interface boundary conditions between the numerical and the physical subdomains. Nevertheless, the need for reducing costs and efforts related the experimental setup usually forces the partial relaxation of coupling conditions e.g., discarding interface rotational degrees-of-freedom. In this scenario, re-usable Multi-Axis Subassemblage Testing (MAST) systems represent a convenient trade-off between achievable coupling degree and experiment cost. An 8-actuator 6-DOF MAST setup, which is based on a 15.12 m x 11.52 m steel crosshead, is being developed within this project to support large-scale HS at ETH Zürich.