One of the  ExDSR main objectives is to be a bridge between the UPRM and the community of Puerto Rico, as we can illustrate and teach them about these extreme hazards and introduce them to the options for hazard mitigation. In this tab you will find the current projects, those under development and our future outreach modules.

 

  1. “Seismic Chair – Experiential Education and Outreach Module for the community of Puerto Rico”

 

This idea was first considered by Dr. Daniel Wendichansky, for many years the Structures Laboratory Director. The concept was to create a “chair” where the students or community could  seat and bucke in to experience dynamic loads from sinusoidal to random motion (earthquake loads). This concept was modified and built for an undergraduate research course for two Mechanical Engineering students, Jonathan J. Lopez Badillo and Sebastian Rivera-Mongil, and supervised by Dr. Cortes Delgado.

 

The objectives for the Undergraduate Research Course (INME498) Project are:

  • Construct a rigid chair with the purpose of experiencing the real dynamic forces applied to a structure.
  • Test the rigid structure (chair) applying sinusoidal and random dynamic loads.
  • Implement outreach module for the community of Puerto Rico.
  • Integrate this module to an experimental course under development by Dr. Cortes-Delgado for undergraduate and graduate students.
  • Introduction of structure dynamics to intermediate/high school students by experiencing the different dynamic loads.

Figure 1. Seismic chair prototype created in Siemens NX11.

Figure 2. Seismic chair- Prototype #1.

  • Prototype Description:
  • Rigid Structure (chair) made of galvanized steel 1”x1” tubes (1/8” thickness)
  • Dimensions of 19.25”x19”x 52”
  • It will have specialized security belt

 

  • Education and Outreach Module:

Two “Seismic Chair” will be built and mounted on the UPRM uniaxial shaking table. There will be an introduction on dynamics of structures and the different types of waves and dynamic loads. The purpose of this introduction is for the students or community to understand what they are about to experience.  The students or persons from the community will seat on the two chairs at a time, will fasten their security belts and a series of dynamic loads will be sent to the actuator that controls the simulator platform. The series of dynamic loads include:

  1. Sine wave
  2. Triangular wave
  3. Ramp wave
  4. Square wave
  5. Random wave – (historical earthquake records)

After the simulation have been run, there will be an informal discussion with the participants on their experience.

Figure 3. “Seismic Chair” Prototype#1 mounted on shaking table.