Using a small-scale shake table for teaching typical problems of structural dynamics

A small-scale shake table is a very useful tool for studying structural models' dynamic behavior under real forces and for investigation of active and passive structural control systems' efficiency. Theoretical principles, forming a basis for numerical modeling of structural dynamic response, should be consistent with real behavior of structures. 'Hands-on' experiments demonstrate basic concepts in structural dynamics and provide undergraduate students with an opportunity to develop deep understanding of structural response to different dynamic loads. A shake table platform with programmable motion is used to create and apply real loads to structures. The load can be programmed as impulse or continuous, stochastic or prescribed in time and in magnitude. Changing the platform's position is used for creating dynamic loads acting in different directions, including a vertical one. The forces can be applied to an investigated structure by shake table acceleration and they can have a form proportional to the structural element's mass. Another possibility is to apply the loads directly to the structural elements.