Full-Scale Shake-Table Testing of Light-Frame Timber Structures
Lead Undergraduate Researcher · Cal Poly · April 2026–Present
Industry-sponsored research supported by The Home Depot and Simpson Strong-Tie
Overview
Led experimental testing and dynamic-response analysis of a full-scale, two-story light-frame timber structure subjected to earthquake and white-noise excitation.
8 Full-Scale Tests
6 Earthquake Tests
2 White-Noise Tests
Accelerometer + displacement fixtures
Testing & Instrumentation
Test planning and shake-table operation were supported by accelerometers, displacement transducers, NI DAQ hardware, and sensor calibration on a secondary shake table.
Data Analysis
MATLAB and Python workflows for acceleration and drift time histories, signal filtering, FFTs, transfer functions, double integration, and SDOF response modeling.
Key Finding
Identified changes in the structure’s fundamental period as drift increased, revealing amplitude-dependent structural behavior at low displacement levels.
Research Output
Research abstract submitted to the World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE).
Journal manuscript in preparation on dynamic identification of light-frame timber structures.