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==Value of Centrifuge in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering==
[[File:Schematic Piles In Centrifuge Model.jpg|thumb|Schematic of a model containing piles in sloping ground. The dimensions are given in prototype scale. For this experiment the scale factor was 30 or 50.]][[File:BrandenbergSoilexcavation.jpg|thumb|Excavation of a centrifuge model after liquefaction and lateral spreading.]]Large Earthquakes are infrequent and unrepeatable but they can be devastating. All of these factors make it difficult to obtain the required data to study their effects by post earthquake field investigations. Instrumentation of full scale structures is expensive to maintain over the large periods of time that may elapse between major temblors, and the instrumentation may not be placed in the most scientifically useful locations. Even if engineers are lucky enough to obtain timely recordings of data from real failures, there is no guarantee that the instrumentation is providing repeatable data. In addition, scientifically educational failures from real earthquakes come at the expense of the safety of the public. Understandably, after a real earthquake, most of the interesting data is rapidly cleared away before engineers have an opportunity to adequately study the failure modes.
Centrifuge modeling is a valuable tool for studying the effects of ground shaking on critical structures without risking the safety of the public. The efficacy of alternative designs or seismic retrofitting techniques can compared in a repeatable scientific series of tests.
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