Bringing current research to the classroom using the Linked Column Framed system in an undergraduate structures lab

Abstract

This paper describes a hands on and demonstration driven learning opportunity at the undergraduate level for the students to understand and experience the design philosophy of relying on "plastic deformation" of structural members in seismic design of buildings. This research was brought to a junior level structural analysis, design, and experimentation classroom at a predominantly undergraduate institution with a i) design project, ii) scaled demonstration models developed by students and iii) structural testing of scaled down models. The design project introduces newly researched novel structural system as an alternative to moment frame, as a lateral load carrying system in a typical multistory building. The students built scaled structural models of the Linked Column Framed (LCF) system, a recently developed structural frame system, using vinyl materials for gravity members and metal replaceable clips for the yielding links as an instructional tool to explain the general concepts of ductility and the mechanism behind the new seismic resisting system. These models were placed on a small instructional shake table and excited by earthquake records. The tests were developed to demonstrate how the LCF structure deforms at pre-designated weak but replaceable links (via inexpensive paper clips of the models), while retaining the gravity load carrying capacity of the frames. Students are able to grasp the concepts of not just the new lateral load resisting system (Linked Column Frame), but also learn to understand the intended inelastic response of structures caused by seismic shaking through a hands-on model in general. Through the multistory building design project, undergraduate students see the big picture of how a new lateral load resisting system can be used as an alternative to a conventional lateral load carrying system. This paper documents details of the course as well as the course assessments conducted. © 2011 American Society for Engineering Education.