Vzero complete hydraulic actuation system


VZERO has successfully delivered a Complete Hydraulic Actuation system to one of the reference Technical Universities in CHILE.

 

This structural testing system, completely designed and manufactured by VZERO, will be used in a Shear Wall Testing System in future stages of the project.

It features the following key points:

  • Vertical static servoactuator. Able to develop up to 700 kN in compression mode. Its purpose is to simulate the weight supported by the shear wall.

  • Horizontal quasistatic servoactuator. Able to develop up to 250 kN both in tension and compression. Its purpose is to impose to the wall, the displacements caused by an earthquake.

  • Hydraulic Power Unit. Thanks to its portable design, it can be used not only in the Shear Wall Testing System, but also with other structural testing systems.
  • VZERO’s Advanced Digital Real Time controller: MADC. Completely developed by VZERO, this controller is based on a FPGA architecture, from National Instruments, able to achieve extremely high loop rates (> 15 kHz).

 

  • VZERO MADC Software Suite. Entirely programmed by VZERO with National Instrument’s LabVIEW, constitutes a top end application to easily define and execute tests and quickly review, analyze, treat and generate reports from tests data.
  • VZERO Pseudodynamic Testing Module. Enables the user to easily program tests according to Classical Pseudodynamic Testing Method. Therefore, allowing for accurate reproduction of structural damage in the event of an earthquake but in “slow motion”.

 

With this advanced structural testing system, the CUSTOMER will be able to accurately reproduce damages in certain types of structures due to earthquakes, thus gathering important information to improve structural design and increase seismic resistance of Chilean buildings.