Development of Ultra-Light Composite Material to Build the Platform of a Shaking Table

Based on the developments of the last decades in the area of ultra-light materials, their application in the construction of the platform of the new one direction hydrau- lic shaking table was proposed, with capacity of one ton and frequency range from 0.4 Hz to 4.0 Hz for the Geotechnical Laboratory of the Institute of Engineering, UNAM. The aim was to replace the heavy conventional steel platforms, used in shaking tables, by a composite material based on wood and Kevlar, hence reducing its weight and optimizing the hydraulic equipment capacity available in the labora- tory. Accordingly, an experimental investigation was conducted to characterize the stress-strain behavior of composite materials under monotonically increasing load. This research involved the determination of the adequate proportions of the different constituent materials and manufacturing techniques that best suit the needs and available resources.