Excellent research facilities exist for laboratory experimentation, field testing, math modeling and analytical work in soil mechanics and geosynthetics. There are two graduate research labs with uniquely innovative experimental equipment that includes state-of-the-art control and data acquisition systems. In order to design, build and maintain this type of advanced testing equipment, the department has its own precision machine shop and electronics support facilities.
The current inventory of laboratory testing capabilities, most of which have been equipped with computer-controlled loading/data acquisition, include the devices for:
- Static and cyclic triaxial (stress/strain path) testing;
- Static and cyclic hollow cylinder torsional shear (stress/strain path) testing;
- Static and cyclic simple shear testing (both NGI and Cambridge types);
- Ring shear testing;
- Gradient-ratio testing for hydraulic conductivity measurement of geo-synthetic interfaces;
- Static and dynamic geo-grid pull-out testing.
Most of the test equipment and instrumentation has been designed and developed using the expertise of in-house personnel supported by the excellent workshop facilities both in relation to mechanical and electronic aspects.