Modern technology to enhance data integrity for small strain testing
Soil Mechanics is set to extend its use of triaxial testing into other areas, as it launches fully computer controlled small strain testing, specifically to help designers understand the finer complexities of load bearing.
Clients of Soil Mechanics will be able to benefit from knowing the stiffness of soil for the very small to large strains required for, in particular, the accurate modelling of soil behaviour in foundation and retaining wall design.
Too often standard triaxial apparatus have proven unreliable in measuring shear strains of less than 0.1% – where for example, compliance or movement issues disrupt the results. This development will add a new dynamic by enabling small strains to be measured using bender elements and on-sample Hall effect transducer based strain measurements.
The new test combines the information technology, instrumentation and data acquisition techniques which hitherto has been seldom used in commercial practice (often considered the realm of specialised academic laboratories), but which can now be carried out automatically and made more readily available.
The new system which uses state of the art, fully computer controlled advanced triaxial testing instrumentation supplied by GDS Instruments will translate into improved client service for small strain testing in terms of data quality, repeatability of results and turn around times.
November 2007
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