Experimental Dynamics Laboratory

The laboratory

The Experimental Dynamics Laboratory of the LEDA Research Centre (Laboratory of Earthquake engineering and Dynamic Analysis) is equipped with a series of important scientific equipment that allows to perform dynamic tests in a wide range of frequencies and payloads, fully involving the civil, mechanical and aeronautical engineering sectors, the transport industry and the energy and defence sectors.

The main research infrastructure of the Experimental Dynamics Laboratory is the system of two six-degree-of-freedom vibration tables measuring 4 m by 4 m (Figure 5) built by Bosch-Rexroth specifically for LEDA.
The activities of the Experimental Dynamics Laboratory are aimed at developing research and teaching activities and third-party consultancy services in the fields of Building Science, Structural Engineering, Structural Dynamics and Seismic Engineering.
The topics of interest include the definition of the dynamic behavior of traditional and innovative materials and of full-scale and scale structural models, the development of techniques for the mitigation of seismic risk and for the control of vibrations, the calibration of finite element models of complex structures, the study of methods for structural monitoring and for the identification of incipient damage and the study of intelligent structural systems.
The topics covered are transversal to all degree courses included in the educational offer of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture of the University of Enna “Kore” and the laboratory facilities are available to students for internships, degree theses and research doctorates.
The Experimental Dynamics Laboratory is also active in the provision of testing services and technical-scientific consultancy in the field of Structural Engineering and in the sectors of Electrical Engineering, Energy, Defence and in support of companies and industries in the Civil Engineering sector.

The research

The Experimental Dynamics Laboratory is engaged in various theoretical, numerical and experimental research activities briefly described below. On these topics, training courses, degree theses or research projects can be activated on active PhD courses:

Techniques and algorithms for static and dynamic monitoring of critical structures and infrastructures;
Structural identification techniques, model updating and damage identification;
Vibration control and mitigation strategies, in industrial and seismic fields;
Random Dynamics techniques and methods on linear and nonlinear systems;
Analytical modeling and synthesis of accelerograms and power spectral density functions consistent with the response spectra;
Vibration Mitigation and Seismic Protection of Cultural Heritage and Museum Contents;
Numerical techniques and theoretical investigations on the measurement and evaluation of structural reliability.

Equipment

The experimental activities of scientific research, teaching support and third-party consultancy of the Experimental Dynamics Laboratory are carried out within different environments in which the scientific equipment described below is present:

Selection of experimental activities

Seismic qualification test on a high-voltage hybrid switch (joined-board configuration): test object volume 8.35×7.32×7.64 m3, mass 11.9 t, peak acceleration 0.5 g.
Seismic qualification test on a high voltage hybrid switch (single-table configuration): volume of the test object 5.16×5.50×5.96 m3, mass 5.1 t, peak acceleration 1.0 g. Seismic qualification tests on instrument transformers (single and joined table configurations): a) height 13.5 m, mass 7.5 t, peak acceleration 0.5 g; b) height 9.5 m, mass 3.5 t, peak acceleration 1.0 g.
Seismic qualification tests for toxic gas sensors for HVAC, actuators and fire doors for Mochovce Nuclear Power Plant (SK), units 3 and 4. Vibration test on a high voltage switchgear for a wind turbine: volume of the test object 2.37×1.77×2.51 m3, mass 3.1 t, 3D endurance test lasting 2.5 hours with peak accelerations equal to 2.5 g.

Services

The Experimental Dynamics Laboratory offers technical-scientific consultancy services for the experimental validation of construction techniques, devices for the mitigation of vibrations or for the seismic protection of structures and components, for the execution of structural response measurements on site and in the laboratory.

Furthermore, the Laboratory offers certification services according to the following international standards.

IEEE Std. 693 IEEE Recommended Practice for Seismic Design of Substations;
AC156 Acceptance criteria for seismic certification by shake-table testing of nonstructural components;
ASTM D4169 Standard Practice for Performance Testing of Shipping Containers and Systems;
CEI 45-86 Guide for the seismic qualification of low voltage systems and components;
IEC 60068-2 Environmental testing – Part 2: Tests;
IEC 60721-3-2 Classification of environmental conditions – Part 3: Classification of groups of environmental parameters and their severities – Section 2: Transportation;
IEC 61166 High-voltage alternating current circuit-breakers – Guide for seismic qualification of high-voltage alternating current circuit-breakers;
IEC TS 61463 Bushings – Seismic qualification;
IEC 61869-1 Instrument transformers – Part 1: General requirements;
IEC 62271-207 High-voltage switchgear and controlgear Part 207: Seismic qualification for gas-insulated switchgear assemblies for rated voltages above 52 kV;
IEEE Std. C37.98 IEEE Standard for Seismic Qualification Testing of Protective Relays and Auxiliaries for Nuclear Facilities;
IEEE Std. 344 IEEE Standard for Seismic Qualification of Equipment for Nuclear Power Generating Stations;
IEEE Std. 382 IEEE Standard for Qualification of Safety-Related Actuators for Nuclear Power Generating Stations;
IEEE IEC 60980-344 Nuclear facilities – Equipment important to safety – Seismic qualification;
ISO 13355 Packaging — Complete, filled transport packages and unit loads — Vertical random vibration test;
ISO 4180 Packaging — Complete, filled transport packages — General rules for the compilation of performance test schedules;
ISO 2631 Mechanical vibration and shock – Evaluation of human exposure to whole-body vibration;
UNI 9614 Measurement of vibrations in buildings and criteria for evaluating disturbance;
UNI 9916 Criteria for measuring and evaluating the effects of vibrations on buildings;

Customer portfolio and agreements

ANAS SpA (National Autonomous Road Company), Regional Directorate for Sicily, Via Alcide De Gasperi, 247, Palermo, Italy.
Anti-Seismic Innovative Solutions and Materials (ASISM) Srl, Academic Spinoff, Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria, Italy.
Hitachi ABB Power Grids Italy, Via Vittor Pisani, n.16, Milan, Italy.
Hitachi ABB Power Grids Sweden, Lyviksvagen, 4, Dalarnas Lan Ludvika, Sweden.
Italian Institute of Technology (IIT), Via Morego, 30, Genoa, Italy.
National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), Via di Vigna Murata 605, Rome, Italy.
Monsud SpA, Industrial Area Via Pianodardine, Avellino (AV), Italy.
Powerflex Srl, Via Campitiello, 6, 82030, Limatola, Benevento, Italy.
Trench Italia Srl (Siemens Group), Strada Curagnata, 37, Cairo Montenotte, Italy.
Trench France SAS (Siemens Group), 16 Rue du Général Cassagnou, Saint-Louis, France.
Somma International Srl, via Carlo Mirabello, Rome, Italy.