Development and Performance Evaluation of a Cylindrical Cam Shaking Table for Dynamic Centrifuge Modelling

Anurag Sahare; Kazuya Itoh; Naoaki Suemasa; Tsuyoshi Tanaka

Publication Title
Development and Performance Evaluation of a Cylindrical Cam Shaking Table for Dynamic Centrifuge Modelling

Abstract

This paper presents an operationally simple, cost-effective cylindrical cam shaking table developed for dynamic geotechnical centrifuge modelling and installed on the Mark III beam centrifuge at Tokyo City University. The actuator converts cam rotation into linear table excitation, enabling controlled ramped sinusoidal motions without requiring user-defined input time histories. Building on the underlying mechanical concept, the study emphasises practical characterisation for experimental use, including (i) the cam-follower working mechanism responsible for the ramped sine waveform, (ii) a calibration framework linking applied control voltage to achievable excitation frequency and peak acceleration for different centrifugal accelerations and payload masses, and (iii) frequency-content assessment using first-harmonic representation and time-frequency (Stockwell) analysis to identify the dominant excitation component and secondary higher-frequency content. A capability map is then established in terms of f_exc- PGA-payload at 20 g and 50 g, with the stroke limit overlaid, providing users with an experimental operating envelope for designing parametric centrifuge studies that require reliable sinusoidal base shaking.

Authors
Anurag Sahare; Kazuya Itoh; Naoaki Suemasa; Tsuyoshi Tanaka

Published In

11th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ICPMG2026)

Theme

Session 1: New facilities, new equipment, and measuring techniques