Apr. 16, 2009 A one-story masonry structure survived two days of
intense earthquake jolts after engineering researchers at the
University of California, San Diego put it to the test. The
series of tests, performed at UC San Diego's Englekirk
Structural Engineering Center, which has the largest outdoor
shake table in the world. The tests were part of a collaborative
research project between the University of Texas at Austin, UC
San Diego, Washington State University, and North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University. Researchers
subjected the reinforced concrete masonry structure with clay
masonry veneer to a series of simulated earthquakes, starting
with a 5.0 magnitude and ending with an 8.0. The jolts were
based on ground motions measured during the 1994 Northridge,
Calif. earthquake, which registered a 6.7 magnitude. Researchers
used this test to study the different types of shear
reinforcement and different types of veneer connectors and how
they react to earthquakes. Concrete masonry with cl