ABSTRACT
The principles of dynamic centrifuge modelling are well understood. Earthquake and blast are the two areas which have dominated the use of the centrifuge for modelling dynamic problems. Thus in a centrifuge model the period of the dynamic perturbation is reduced by N bringing immediate conflict with the alternative standard interpretation of time in the centrifuge model based on diffusion, where time in the model is apparently reduced by N2. Centrifuge model tests using a shaking table in flight, however, provide an opportunity to observe the overall soil-fluid-structure response with a versatility that is completely unattainable in the field or in cyclic or dynamic laboratory element testing. One potential alternative to centrifuge tests is the shaking table, which is widely used for dynamic structural research. A device which is unique to dynamic testing is the PVDF total stress gauge, which has been used successfully to measure dynamic pressure directly.
