The shaking table with laminar box of the University of Messina

A new shaking table apparatus has been set up in the laboratory EUROLABCERISI
of the University of Messina (Italy), consisting of a shaking table, a large laminar
box and an automated system for soil deposition. A servo-hydraulic actuator can excite the
shaking table in one direction reproducing both real and artificial seismic motions. A 6mlong,
1.5m-wide and 2m-high laminar box has been assembled to replicate the plane strain
conditions. The soil deposition system consists of a hopper that can be moved above the soil
container. The velocity of the hopper, the width of its lower opening and the soil falling height
can be adjusted to attain the desired relative density in the soil model. The paper provides
details of this experimental facility and describes the results of static tests, aimed to demonstrate
that plane strain conditions are actually verified, as well as of dynamic tests, aimed to
characterize the performance of the equipment.