Overview

The geotechnical engineering laboratories include research facilities for static and dynamic testing of soils. Key equipment includes a variety of consolidation devices, saturated and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity cells, and triaxial apparatus with data acquisition systems, a computer-controlled triaxial device for stress and strain path testing, a Geonor Direct Simple Shear apparatus, resonant column device for measuring soil dynamic stiffness and damping, a servo- hydraulic controlled cyclic device for simulating repeated loads from highway and rail traffic, and a horizontal vibrating table for modeling earthquake effects on soils and structures. In situ testing equipment includes a Marchetti Dilatometer, a Nilcon vane shear device, a Borehole Shear tester, an electric cone, and a pressuremeter.

A national geotechnical experimentation site (NGES) located on campus is maintained by the Geotechnical Group for the purpose of research and teaching. In situ tests, full scale foundation testing and instrumentation demonstrations may be performed at the site. Microcomputer systems have been added for the development and use of computer programs for geotechnical engineering research and instruction. In addition to these facilities, the laboratories have a moist storage room for soil samples, a large triaxial cell for coarse granular soil testing, instrumentation for soil stress, strain, and moisture monitoring, and an aggregate durability test apparatus. Special devices have been developed for evaluating railroad ballast performance. The Civil and Environmental Engineering capabilities are supplemented by excellent facilities for material identification in the Geology, Polymer Science, and Plant and Soil Sciences Departments.