UB Tests 70 Ton Bridge With Earthquake

The ground was shaking at the University at Buffalo's North Campus, where engineers were putting a 70 ton bridge to the ultimate test.

A scheduled 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck this 70 ton bridge at UB's Structural Engineering and Earthquake simulation laboratory.

Amjad Aref, Director of Graduate Studies at UB's Department of Civil Structure and Environmental Engineering, said, "This shaking is consistent with very soft soil and pushing the abutment very easily."

The purpose of this simulation was to help engineers evaluate if a fast new construction method formally known as "Accelerated Bridge Construction" would be strong enough to withstand seismic activity.

A 7 magnitude quake is considered a major earthquake on the Richter Scale. To put it in perspective, the 6.9 magnitude Loma Prieta Earthquake that rocked the San Fransisco Bay area in 1989 took down bridges and buildings, killing 60 and injuring close to 4,000.

The type of bridge being researched at UB did quite well after two 7 magnitude quakes were simulated. Only a few cracks and chips were evident, but the most importantly, the bridge came back to its original position.

Director of Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Andre Filiatrault said, "But the good thing is the structure came back to where it started. So you don't have a lean, you don't have a permanent deformation, and that is very important because you want that bridge to be drivable immediately after the earthquake so you can start the emergency response."

Next the data will be analyzed. The goal is to come up with a Federal Guide to better our country's infrastructure. And not only is this type of bridge quick to put together, it demonstrated through this test that it could withstand seismic activity, too.