This article presents the authors' experience with large-scale shaking table tests conducted in Japan using the E-Defense shaking table. The discussion focuses on four criticisms often addressed regarding the utilities of large-scale shaking table tests. Potential solutions to mitigate such criticisms are discussed based on shaking table tests conducted for a pair of three-story wooden houses. The first criticism is that the test specimen anchored rigidly to a rigid shaking table is not a reproduction of actual structures supported by soils and foundations. A model ground was developed in a large sandbox, which occupied about 85% of the total specimen weight, supported the house, and the entire soil-structure system was shaken. Considerable sliding occurred, having lessened the earthquake forces exerted and resultant damage to the superstructure. The second criticism is that a single specimen test, regardless of its size, cannot provide sufficient information for generalizing the behavior and performance. Empirical equations between the maximum story drift and the change in the natural frequency were developed from a series of shaking table tests. Using such empirical equations might promote quick damage assessment of individual houses when suffering from actual earthquakes. The third criticism is the importance of public appeal and eventual support from the general public to secure the budget to operate large-scale testing facilities. The example test featured two nearly identical specimens placed on the table with different support conditions. The apparent difference in response revealed the effect of support conditions on seismic performance. The fourth criticism is the importance of increasing the number of experimental projects to balance the operation budget. Most of the preparation in the example test was accomplished in an open yard adjacent to the shaking table, and the test specimens were quickly assembled on the table using indoor cranes. The table occupation was four out of 35 weeks of the entire test duration.

Masonry arch bridges are characterised by three-dimensional (3D) behaviour when subjected to external eccentric loading (e.g., vehicle loads). The arch ring, abutments, backfill and spandrel walls may interact with each other in a complex manner, leading to a 3D mode of response that can have a significant impact on the initiation and propagation of damage. However, there is a dearth of experimental data from tests designed to investigate the 3D behaviour of masonry arch bridges, particularly under loading levels below those required to cause failure. This paper presents results from tests on a large-scale brickwork masonry arch bridge subjected to low- and mid-level static loads under laboratory conditions. Point loads of increasing magnitude were applied at different locations on the top of the backfill in order to investigate 3D response and damage accumulation. Details of the experimental setup, material characterisation, and the results obtained from static and repeated load tests at low- and mid-level load magnitudes are presented herein. Results demonstrate that the bridge exhibited a 3D mode of response under eccentric point loads. Loading at the mid-span resulted in greater deformation of the arch barrel compared to loading at the quarter- and three-quarter-span points, due to the shallower backfill depth over the crown. Under the mid-level loading, stiffness degradation was observed during the testing regime, suggesting an accumulation of damage in the bridge. Moreover, when loading was applied close to a spandrel wall, measurable out-of-plane deformation of the spandrel wall was observed, with this deformation increasing significantly as the load was increased from 150 kN to 250 kN. This results from a combination of increased lateral soil pressure and decreased shear resistance at the arch-spandrel wall interface.