LaboratoryGeomechanics Laboratory

Advanced soil testing, characterisation, and element-scale experimentation The UC Geomechanics Laboratory provides advanced soil testing facilities for UC students, staff, and external collaborators. Supported by a full-time Research Engineer, the laboratory facilitates high-quality teaching, research, and consultancy across geotechnical engineering, soil mechanics, environmental geoscience, and natural hazards. INDEX, DENSITY & COMPOSITION TESTING Capabilities for routine and advanced characterisation of soil materials, including: · Water content, Atterberg limits, solid particle density, and particle size distribution · Universal Proctor/CBR automatic compactor — Controls 33-T3712 · Maximum and minimum dry density of coarse-grained soils, including JGS 0161 & 0162 methods for sands and gravels · Pumice content estimation test (UC-developed method; see Soils and Foundations, 2019 - www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038080619300873) ELEMENT TESTING FOR TEACHING High-throughput equipment for undergraduate and postgraduate laboratory classes: · 8 × Direct shear apparatuses (100 mm square) · 8 × Static triaxial apparatuses (38 mm OD) ELEMENT TESTING FOR RESEARCH & CONSULTANCY A comprehensive suite of static and dynamic cyclic element-scale testing systems: Consolidation · Constant Rate-of-Strain (CRS) consolidation apparatus (50 mm OD) — GDS CRS Triaxial Testing (5 systems) · Static triaxial apparatus (≤50 mm OD) — GDS Motorised Triaxial Cell · Static/dynamic cyclic triaxial apparatus (50 mm OD) with bender elements & small-strain gap sensor — Seiken DTC-367 · Static/dynamic cyclic triaxial apparatus (61.3 mm OD) with bender elements — CKC ATTS · Static/dynamic cyclic triaxial apparatus (≤100 mm OD) — GDS ELDyn · Static/dynamic cyclic triaxial apparatus (300 mm OD) — GCTS STX-600 Simple Shear & Torsional Testing · Static/dynamic cyclic simple shear apparatus (63.5 mm OD) with active cell pressure — GDS EMDCSS-CON · Static/dynamic hollow cylinder torsional shear apparatus (100 mm OD, 60 mm ID) — GDS HCA Specimen Preparation · Laboratory coring machine for frozen soil tube samples (50 mm OD) — Controls 45-C0330 PARTIALLY-SATURATED SOIL CHARACTERISATION Instrumentation for soil-water retention behaviour and suction measurement: · 15-bar pressure plate extractor system (3 bar & 15 bar plates) — SoilMoisture 1500F2 · WP4C dewpoint potentiometer — Meter WP4C · HYPROP2 soil-water release curve system — Meter HYPROP2 · 4 × Tempe cells (0.5 bar & 1 bar plates) — SoilMoisture TM5 ENVIRONMENTAL SOIL TESTING Capabilities for contaminant mobility and leachate generation: · 3 × column leaching apparatuses (UC-designed; ASTM D4874 method) INSTRUMENTATION & BESPOKE TESTING The laboratory maintains a wide range of instrumentation and equipment for custom test setups, including: · Load cells · Pressure transducers · Displacement transducers · Accelerometers · Additional fixtures and auxiliary equipment for bespoke experimental design

MORESEE MORE (opens in a new tab)

• Soil laboratory testing
• Geotechnical earthquake engineering
• Advanced triaxial testing
• Advanced simple shear testing
• Pumice content estimation testing

• Sean Rees

• Civil and Environmental Engineering

• Civil and Mechanical Building

• Available for internal & external use