User:Herko60/First Project

Project Preference
''Your class was given a list of projects to choose from. Please list the three projects you want to work on, from highest to lowest.''

Problem Statement
In This first Project, the goal is to build or implement a manual "Shaker table" that was already conceived by a previous team. A Shaker Table is an oscillating platform that can be used to test structures by simulating earthquakes.

Project Plan
'To implement this project, our team crafted the following plan for the first week. -Discuss and acknowledge the Shaker Table -Purchase the material needed to build the shaker table. -Start to assemble the table and do some preliminary testing on the table

Week 1 Narrative
My first week was to get acquainted to the Manual "Shaker Table" and along with team members, assign the duties of respective members. I reviewed the documentation by watching the video on the design of the shaker table. I helped assemble the main frame of the shaker by cutting and joining the different PVC pipes to the required measurement.The assembly was pretty basic and based on a design of a previous team. Three issues arose after the main frame was assembled: the main frame was slightly warped and I suggested to  gently heat up the 4 elbows and lay the frame on a flat surface with a heavy weight on it.We couldn't find some knex in the CL159 to build a real structure to test on the table. I also suggested to use some velcro to help secure the structure to be tested on the platform. My team will ask the teacher what we could use as a knex replacement on the platform since we could not get any knex.

Week 2 Narrative
For the second week into the shaker table project, I drilled 4 holes into the PVC main frame to insert some stoppers(functional dowels) so that the platform could easily have translational movement in the X and Y axis, thus simulating a more realistic earthquake scenario. A total of 8 holes about 7inch apart were drilled,4 on the right side and 4 on the left side. My other task was to do some research on P and S earthquake waves and damage associated with earthquake scale.This will enable my team to asses at which frequency the table can be oscillated to simulate various earthquake magnitude.My team was finally able to get some K'nex and I built a simple tower to be tested on the platform.Using the decision matrix, my team opted to use some velcro to secure the tower to the platform even though we still have an inclination for duct tape. Here are some pictures of the k'nex structure I participated in building this second week.

Week 3 Narrative
Due to some constraints on the dimensions of the table supporting the shaker table assembly,the width of the shaker table main frame had to be resized to 2 feet. My task for this third week was to purchase velcro to secure the k'nex tower on the platform, to help my team with resizing the main frame and to perform some testing on the shaker table with a k'nex structure  secured on the platform. I first had to disassemble the main frame (PVC pipes) and shorten the two pipes making the width of the frame from 2 feet to 20.5 inch so that the total width with the 2 elbows attached will be 2 feet; the plywood platform was also reduced from 25" to 20" in the width direction. Next, I had to drill 4 holes( 2 holes in each PVC pipe in the width direction) to attach the 4 hooks holding the bunjees. I then drilled the 8 holes (4 holes in each Pipe in the length direction) to insert the stoppers  which are holding the dowels in place while the platform is oscillating. When the resizing of the table was done, I helped apply the velcro bands on the platform and along with my team, I built various k'nex towers with different base shapes (rectangle and triangle) and I secured the tower on the platform with some velcro stripes(male) and performed some testing on the shaker table. The testing was quite conclusive and the next step is to get some feedback from the Teacher and see if we can finalize the shaker table. Here are some pictures of the different steps for this third week.









Week 4 Narrative
My Fourth and final week into my first project was to finalize the shaker table ,to do some real time testing and prepare a presentation for the Engineering Seminar. I helped reassemble the shaker table after the PVC frame and the plywood platform were painted to be more attractive. I also helped and gave some guidance on how to apply the Velcro fastener on the platform to secure the K'nex structure. I then performed along with my team, some real testing at different frequencies to see how the k'nex towers behave on the platform. The testing was done at low and high frequency. During the testing, we found that the platform was curvy and the Professor suggested to put a heavy weight (about 60lbs) on the platform for a few hours to straighten it. Then, my team and I made some powerpoint slides for a presentation and demo on the manual shaker table for the weekly engineering seminar. As for improvements on the shaker table, I suggested adding 4 suction cups on the PVC main frame to have a more steady structure. After browsing the web for a more suitable suction cup, I found that the brand zesco with the part #015-D-368 was the best that could fit the frame.