Geotechnical Centrifuge Modeling

Looking at this fantastic work of mechanical art, one must wonder, what does it do? This machine is a type of centrifuge that can be confused with similar machines at NASA, in which Astronauts simulate to withstand gravitational forces or g-forces. However, to call this machine, a NASA machine is an oversimplification and factually inaccurate.

If we ever looked at buildings or bridges, we may not realize that it is next to impossible to stress structural test materials unless we have the space and budget to replicate the said building and bridge at another location. This method would be counter-productive and economically nonsense. One creative way to test materials and simulate such forces is called Geotechnical Centrifuge Modeling.

These laboratory centrifuges allow the simulation of increased gravitational acceleration. In layman’s terms, this would allow us to simulate forces on bridges such as natural disasters and even how long these structures can last under different loads. It is humanity’s tool to project the usability building materials before using them on a full-scale project.

For more knowledge on the subject, please refer to the Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geotechnical_centrifuge_modeling