Engineering Research Equipment Grant: A High Capacity (30,000 psig) Cubical Device

岩石、木材、混凝土、复合材料等各向异性固体在三维荷载作用下的变形特性试验研究对许多工程学科具有特殊的意义。由于某些固有的限制，传统的实验室设备可能不足以确定所需的本构定律的材料常数。该项目的主要目标是设计和制造一个高容量（30,000 psig）立方体设备，用于上述和其他固体的三维测试。该装置将由四个主要部件组成：(1)带有六个端板的刚性立方体空间框架（“压力室”），(2)变形测量系统，(3)（液压）加载系统，(4)数据采集系统。立方体框架和端板将在当地制造，而其他部件将从供应商处采购。该设备可以在三维应力空间中沿着任何所需的应力路径进行测试，并具有任意数量的加载、卸载和重新加载序列。电子控制和全自动加载机制，以及变形测量和数据采集系统，将允许在缓慢循环压缩载荷下进行测试。

Experimental study of deformation characteristics of anisotropic solids such as rocks, timbers, concretes, and composite materials under three- dimensional loading has special significance to many engineering disciplines. Because of some inherent limitation, conventional laboratory devices may be inadequate for determining material constants for desired constitutive laws. The main objective of this project is to design and fabricate a High Capacity (30,000 psig) Cubical Device for three-dimensional testing of aforementioned and other solids. The device will consist of four major components: (1) a rigid cubical space frame with six end plates ("pressure chamber"), (2) a deformation measuring system, (3) a (hydraulic) loading system, and (4) a data acquisition system. The cubical frame and the end plates will be fabricated locally, while the other components will be procured from vendors. Tests along any desired stress path in the three-dimensional stress space, with any number of loading, unloading, and reloading sequences, can be performed by the device. An electronically controlled and fully automated loading mechanism, as well as a deformation measuring and data acquisition system, would allow testing under slow cyclic compressive loading.