Okaw Valley Middle School

MAE Center graduate students Lisa Cleveland, Susan LaFore and Oh-Sung Kwon presented an earthquake awareness PPT presentation and dollhouse retrofit demonstration to fifty 8th grade students at the Okaw Valley Middle School in Findley, IL on April 21, 2006.  A two-story dollhouse was tested on the shaketable to illustrate the benefits of retrofitting.  The dollhouse is constructed of plexiglass to allow students to see through the house during the demonstration, and remain self-supporting. The structure is modeled as a typical dollhouse, except for minor adjustments. The dollhouse is split into two sections, virtually cut down the middle. Only one side of the house is retrofitted so students can witness how the two separate sides react differently in a simulated earthquake. There are two exterior walls, front and back, while the sides of the house are left exposed. There are no sidewalls because their presence would provide unnecessary stiffness. For the same reason, all interior walls that are in the plane of motion are not connected to any adjacent walls or the ceilings. Also, there are a small number of in-plane interior walls in order to maximize motion.