ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Peter is right about the potential forces a big earthquake table can create-
Questacon has one the size of a small house, and you can feel the vibrations on most floors of the building.
However, the folks at Science Alive (Christchurch -New Zealand) have made several which are about as portable as you are likely to get. Their standard version is about the size of 2 phone boxes, and is rattled by an electric motor driving a linkage to the "house" which can hold 2 people. Not certain if this unit has to be bolted down, or if a pad of waffle rubber under it would stop it walking around.

I seem to recall they have also made a park bench version.


 if you want to chase the details up check their website
http://www.sciencealive.co.nz/
and follow the leads to their workshop pages.
hope this helps.

Stuart Kohlhagen
manager 
New Concepts
Questacon
The National Science and technology centre
Canberra
Aus.



-----Original Message-----
From: Informal Science Education Network on behalf of Peter A. Anderson
Sent: Sun 5/16/2004 4:09 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: earthquake table
 
ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

Paul,

Generally, earthquake tables are violent things.  I doubt that any portable
earthquake table would give the powerful experience that you would probably
like.  Strong accelerations are involved, and these require very secure
anchorage to a building structure. Conceivably, you could build up enough
weight (?with water tanks?) to anchor one, but I don't believe that this
has been done, and there could be floor load problems.  Our experience at
The Tech confirmed these points, and tallied with others' experiences.

I hope you get  helpful answers from the listserv, but if you don't,  these
are probably the reasons.

Good luck!  Peter Anderson

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