Facilities
Laboratory facilities
The Geotechnical Laboratories occupy nearly 4,000 square feet of floor space and
have standard testing, advanced testing and full-scale testing facilities. The facility
includes equipment for preparing field samples and fabricating artificial soils
by vac-air extrusion. Soil index testing equipment, 1-D oedometers, direct shear,
unconfined compression and constant- and falling-head are available. Advanced testing
equipment includes a CKC automated triaxial testing system, a MTS driven compression
frame capable of performing computer-controlled cyclic triaxial tests, and a GDS
digitally-controlled testing system capable of performing flow-controlled hydraulic
conductivity and soil/water characteristics tests. Two nine-column pressure panels
allow for six fully independent cells to be pressurized. The advanced laboratory
also contains a resonant column/torsional shear device to determine dynamic properties
for earthquake studies. The full-scale facilities consist of a soil test pit, 5
m x 5 m x 3 m deep, surrounded by a reaction system. Large-scale testing is supported
by a 10-ton capacity overhead crane, a 700-pound capacity LNG forklift, and access
through a 10-ft wide by 14-ft tall roll-up door with access to the street.
