NEES Earthquake Simlulation Lab at the Universi...

In a nutshell: we build big things and break them with earthquakes. Doesn't it sound like fun?

If you're interested in the technical info: A Large-Scale Structures Laboratory is a high-bay laboratory with a strong floor that is used for testing man-made structures under extreme loads up to failure. Both dynamic and quasi-static loads can be used to simulate the effects of earthquakes. To accurately capture failure modes, specimens are built as large as possible (preferably full scale). But in many cases the cost of working at full scale is prohibitive in terms of space and loading requirements, and reduced scale models are used instead, usually between ¼ and ½ scale. Even at this scale, bridge and building specimens are large and can occupy the entire length and width of the laboratory. The LSSL at the University of Nevada, Reno is one of only a few such laboratories in the United States that can work at this scale.

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