Development of Shear Vibration Model for Education Using Permanent Magnets and Ball Bearings

Abstract

A new shear vibration model for architectural education using permanent magnets and ball bearings was developed. In the model the restoring force is generated by magnetic interactions, causing long natural period and stable performance comparing to existing models. Additionally, the model has a lot of features: inexpensiveness of materials, variable natural period, visible shear wave propagation, multiple applications to represent soil and building structures, and so on. In this paper, basic characteristics of the model are revealed by analyses and experiments.