UNR wins $12.2M grant to expand earthquake lab

RENO (AP) - A new $12.2 million federal grant will allow the University of Nevada, Reno to more than double the size of its earthquake research center, making it the largest quake simulation facility in the country, school officials said Thursday.

Construction of a new 23,000-square-foot Shake Table Laboratory will allow for seismic tests on much bigger models of buildings and bridges than have ever been tested.

The lab has been conducting earthquake research for 25 years on shake tables, simulating seismic waves propagating through layers of soil beneath foundations to see how different structures react. The expansion will make it possible to house five 50-ton-capacity shake tables instead of the present four.