World’s Largest Earthquake Shake Table Test

shakeearthquteteas

Simpson Strong-Tie is participating in an unprecedented research event to highlight the importance of earthquake-resistant construction around the world. Colorado State University along with four other U.S. universities, the National Science Foundation and Simpson Strong-Tie are recreating a series of earthquakes similar to the 1994 Northridge, California, earthquake on the world’s largest shake table.

The project, known as the NEESWood Capstone tests, features a full-scale seven-story, 40- by 60-ft. condominium tower with 23 one- and two-bedroom living units and two retail shops on the ground level. In June, the tower was lifted onto Japan’s massive E-Defense (Earth-Defense) shake table, which simulates the ground motions of an earthquake.

The seven-story building is being subjected to three tests—from 6.7 to 7.5 magnitude earthquakes.

Full Article with Video

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NPR’s Audience Picks 100 Best Beach Books Ever

Here’s the top ten:

1. The Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling
2. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
3. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
4. Bridget Jones’s Diary, by Helen Fielding
5. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
6. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, by Rebecca Wells
7. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
8. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
9. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, by Fannie Flagg
10. The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver

And here is the full list.

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Bag of Randomness

  • There’s a show on the Food Network hosted by former Double Dare host Marc Summers called Unwrapped, and it has a segment on Blue Bell Ice Cream.  It stated that even though the ice cream is only sold in 16 southern states, it’s the third best selling ice cream in the country.
  • But the company’s website says 17 states.
  • I think the show also said that pasteurization of milk only takes about twenty seconds.
  • I didn’t know that Marc Summers and Burt Reynolds got into it on the Tonight Show.
  • I like to follow people on Twitter more than I like to tweet.
  • Lance Armstrong was tweeting from the U2 concert yesterday.
  • Flip flops may kill you
  • Farve returns to play against the Packers for a noon kickoff on Nov 1.  The Cowboys will also be playing at that time slot, which means I will be ‘forced’ to watch the Cowboys game since I no longer have the NFL Sunday Ticket.
  • But I have a feeling the Vikes/Packers game will get moved to a better time slot.
  • There are some new laws that go in effect come September in Texas that I wasn’t aware about.  For instance:
    • HB 537 requires all occupants of a vehicle, no matter their age, to be secured by a safety belt, no matter where they are seated in the vehicle.
    • HB 55 makes it illegal to use a wireless communication device in a school zone unless the vehicle is stopped or a hands-free device is used.
  • Here’s the list of the new laws, but here’s one more that caught my attention:
    • HB 2730 amends numerous provisions regarding concealed handgun licenses (CHLs), including eliminating student loan defaults as a disqualifier
  • I ate lunch at the Pei Wei near the Toll Way yesterday, in that trendy upscale area of Dallas.  In Lewisville, the menu boards are just plastic and lit from behind.  At this Pei Wei, they were large LCD screens.
  • They finally are serving sesame chicken, but it tasted nasty.  It had a very strong citrus taste, and I don’t like eating meat that taste like fruit.  Hence, I can’t stand orange chicken.  I went back to the register to order something else, and the cashier wondered why I was ordering again.  I told him I really didn’t like the taste of the sesame chicken, and he was nice enough to not charge me anything for my second meal.
  • An interesting article about Fiji Water, it starts off slow but picks up.
  • One thing I love about Parliament is how the prime minister actually engages in a public conversation with other elected officials.  I wish it was something that we would do over here.  In this clip, it’s interesting to see Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s hand shake, as if he was caught up in emotion.
  • One food that taste better as leftovers – Hamburger Helper.
  • Watch with caution:  race car runs into a wild horse
  • Shaq is one fun individual.
  • Total Eclipse of the Heart flow chart
  • Funny but true chart that makes you think: Child’s Estimate of Parents’ IQ
  • Proud mama shows off her baby
  • You may remember back in February of this year that four men, two of which were players in the NFL, got lost at sea.  Only one survived, and I think he was found three or four days after their boat capsized.  HBO’s Real Sports interviewed the loan survivor, and it was just heart wrenching.
  • Grace
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