Exploring the seismic behavior of buildings through shake table testing

Shake table testing has become an indispensable tool in seismic research, enabling accurate simulations of earthquake effects on structures. Shake table testing has enabled the experimental investigation of seismic behaviors for a wide range of building materials: reinforced concrete, steel, and masonry. It gives in detail both the methodology's advantages and disadvantages related to accuracy, cost, and scalability. Further, a review of key research works executed during the past twenty years emphasizes the development of shake table technology and its application to different structural systems. Geographic mapping shows the major shake table test facilities existing in Europe, while the technical characteristics of these systems are presented in detailed tables. The paper also incorporates findings from personal research work, summarizing the results obtained and outlining some future developments that can be done in order to further optimize shake table testing. With more than 30 scientific references cited, this study underlines the importance of shake table testing in improving seismic safety and structural resilience.