Contributions of the Large-Scale Earthquake Simulator to Shaking Experiments Over Fifty Years

Abstract

The Large-scale Earthquake Simulator at the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience was established in 1970 as the first facility in Tsukuba Science City and remained in operation until 2022. Over its more than 50 years of operation, the facility conducted a total of 447 experiments, playing a vital role in advancing seismic engineering. This article summarizes the contributions of the now-decommissioned facility by outlining its updates over time and providing examples of the experiments conducted to adapt to evolving needs.