PITSCO W30718 EQs Tremor Table User Guide

: June 9, 2024
: PITSCO

Table of Contents

PISCO W30718 EQs Tremor Table
Cautionary and Warning Statements
Introduction
Placing the Structure on the EQs
Operating the EQs
Record Mode
Ideas for Structure Building and Testing Activities
Documents / Resources

PISCO W30718 EQs Tremor Table

PITSCO-W30718-EQs-Tremor-Table-PRODUCT

Cautionary and Warning Statements

This kit is designed and intended for educational purposes only.
Use only under the direct supervision of an adult who has read and understood the instructions provided in this user guide.
Read warnings on packaging and in manual carefully.

Introduction

You now have the ideal tool for the equal testing of structures – the EQs Tremor Table. The EQs can be operated manually, or it can record up to eight minutes of a shake sequence and play it as many times as needed. This feature makes the EQs ideal for repetitive testing and for structure-building contests because it eliminates all variables except for the structure being tested. A control box with an LED display reports the cycles per second in a range similar to that of an earthquake’s P-waves. The EQs can also be used for soil liquefaction experiments.

Materials Included

EQs Tremor Table
Control box
5 bolts and nuts
5 wood floor plates
50 mass plates
Pitsco Earthquake Engineering book

Block Base and Foundation Block

Structures tested will need to be built on or attached to a foundation block, which will then be attached to the block base. These can be purchased from Pitsco, or you can make your own.

To make your own, use the following specifications:

Foundation Block – Construct this from 3/4″ wood such as pine, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), or plywood according to the dimensions in Figure 1.
Tower Block Base – Construct this from 3/8″ plywood according to the dimensions in Figure 2.

Setting Up the EQs

Before setting up the EQs, be sure to select a solid surface free of debris. On some surfaces, the tester might move a bit. The ideal place for setup is on the floor. However, if using on a table or countertop, you can clamp it to the surface. Before doing that, remove the screwed-in rubber feet on the bottom of the EQs, so the unit lies flat on the surface.

To set up the EQs, first plug the control box cord into the six-pin jack on the side of the tester (Figure 3 ). Place the control box where the cord is not pulling against the jack and where the operator can easily reach and see it.
Plug the EQs power cord into a standard 120 V outlet. The LED display on the control box should light.

Placing the Structure on the EQs

If you are conducting soil liquefaction experiments with a bigger platform, you will need to use the anchor holes that are closer to the sides of the EQs tabletop (Figure 4 ). For the 4″ x 4″ foundation block and tower block base, use the anchor holes toward the center of the EQs tabletop. PITSCO-W30718-EQs-Tremor-Table-FIG-4 Caution: When conducting soil liquefaction experiments, make sure no water falls or splashes into the motor area of the EQs.

Place the structure attached to the foundation block and block base on top of the EQs tester. Line up the cutout slots in the base so you can see the anchor holes underneath the base.
Place a washer over each hole and thread the anchor through it and into the EQs tabletop (Figure 5). Screw the anchors into the anchor holes – but do not overtighten the anchors. Overtightening the anchors could strip the threads in the anchor holes.

Operating the EQs

Caution: When testing a structure on the EQs Tremor Table, anyone near the tester should wear safety glasses. There are three modes for the EQs Tremor Table: Manual, Record, and Play (Figure 6).
Manual Mode

Make sure the switch on the front side panel of the control box above the LED display is in the middle position. Move the Rate slide control to the bottom (or minimum) position.
Note: The Rate slide control does not directly determine the LED reading – this is communicated from a sensor on the tremor table to the LED display.
Hold down the Start button on the control box. While doing this, move the Rate slide control up (toward the LED display) to increase the frequency of cycles per second or down to decrease the frequency (Figure 7).
To stop testing, release the Start button. The tester will stop and the frequency at the time the Start button was released will appear on the display. The frequency will remain on the display until the Start button is pressed again.

Record Mode

Figure 7 – Moving the Rate slide control changes the frequency.

Move the switch on the side of the control box above the LED display to the left – this direction is also indicated on the control box where it says “Rec.” The LED display will blink. Make sure the Rate slide control is in the minimum position.
old down the Start button on the control box – the EQs start to record the shake sequence and the LED will stop blinking. As with the Manual mode, hold down the Start button while moving the Rate slide control up and down to the desired frequencies. The EQs will record a sequence of up to eight minutes long.
To stop recording, release the Start button. The Record light will be blinking. To use this recorded sequence, follow the directions in the Play Mode section of this guide.

Play Mode

To use this mode, move the switch on the front side panel of the control box above the LED display to the right – this direction is also indicated on the control box where it says “Play.” The Play light will blink.
Press down the Start button and the recorded sequence will play as you hold the Start button (the Rate slide control will not work in this mode). The LED display will stop blinking. Release the Start button when the structure is destroyed. The LED display will show the frequency at which you released the Start button
the reading will remain until Start is pressed again.
Follow Steps 1 and 2 for all the tests you need to run at that sequence. The EQs will remember the sequence even if the tester is unplugged or switched back to Manual mode. Just plug it back in or switch it back to Play, and the tester will play the same sequence until you record a new sequence.

Storage

Make sure the EQs is not left in direct sunlight for long periods of time. Unplug the unit when it is not in use for long periods of time.
When storing the unit, make sure to store the unit in a clean, dry area. Do not store the EQs in extreme temperatures (such as below freezing).

Ideas for Structure Building and Testing Activities

Record a structure testing activity with a video camera and have the class evaluate the video to see if they can identify the weaknesses and strengths of the structures.
Record a shake sequence and play it for your students. Have students study engineering concepts and design a structure to withstand the recorded sequence. Test the structures they build.

Notes