Below is an inclusive roster outlining the range of testing methodologies at your disposal.
A comprehensive list of the provided testing methodologies for soil samples.
The water content of soil is expressed as a percentage of the mass of water to the total mass of solids and water.
The specific gravity of soils is a measure of the density of a soil material compared to the density of water.
The determination of liquid limit, plastic limit, and plasticity index is performed using the Atterberg limits test using a Casagrande device and rolling soil threads.
Particle-size analysis of soils is a fundamental test used to classify soils and assess their engineering properties. The particle-size analysis is done by sieve and hydrometer analysis.
The determination of bulk unit weight of cohesive soils involves a specific method known as the Paraffin-coated Method.
One-dimensional consolidation testing with incremental loading, i.e., stepwise application of vertical stresses to a soil sample s in order to observe its settlement behavior over time. This process helps to develop a consolidation curve and determine the consolidation properties of the soil. The tests are conducted using a series of bespoke consolidometers.
The one-dimensional swell or settlement potential of cohesive soils measured the response of fine-grained soils to changes in water presence based on volume change behavior of soil along a single axis.
The shear strength of cohesive soils under axial loads without radial confinement is measured in a Technotest 50 kN load frame.
The test provides information on the shear strength parameters such as cohesion (c) and internal friction angle (φ). The test involves applying a horizontal force to a soil specimen, shearing it along a defined plane, and measuring the resulting shear displacement. The apparatus can apply up to 5kN shearing forces and a wide spectrum of shearing displacement rates for unconsolidated and consolidated samples.
The triaxial compression test determines the strength and stress-strain behavior of soil specimens (high quality sample preparation practices for a wide range of soils) under different confining pressures. A high productivity set up uses multiple confining pressure cells with 50kN load frames.
The standard effort (12,400 ft-lbf/ft3, 600 kN-m/m3) proctor compaction test is used to determine the maximum dry density and optimum moisture content of a soil or aggregate, using standard effort by manual and automatic means.
The modified effort (56,000 ft-lbf/ft3, 2,700 kN-m/m3) proctor compaction test is used to determine the maximum dry density and optimum moisture content of a soil or aggregate, using standard effort by manual and automatic means.
California Bearing Ratio (CBR) test evaluates the strength of subgrade soils for pavement design by performing a penetration test on the compacted samples.
Our Soil Mechanics and Rock Mechanics Laboratory offers a wide range of services aiming to advance the state of the practice of geotechnical engineering.