An automated plane-strain apparatus that incorporates transparent soil and particle image velocimetry

一个平面应变实验室测试装置将被构建并用于量化在广泛的岩土工程应用中使用的土壤的非线性力学特性。这些应用包括加固土墙和斜坡、滑坡、埋管、箱形涵洞和深地下储存。需要一个平面应变试验装置，以便土壤特性符合在现场许多这些结构中普遍存在的平面应变边界条件。该装置将包括测试透明土的能力，以直接观察试件内的土壤变形和剪切带发展。该装置还将具有非饱和土和循环测试能力。然后，土壤特性将可用于开发先进的数值模型，以研究这些岩土工程在静态和地震荷载条件下的应用。

A plane strain laboratory test apparatus will be constructed and used to quantify the non-linear mechanical properties of soils used in a wide range of geotechnical applications. These applications include reinforced soil walls and slopes, landslides, buried pipes, box culverts and deep underground storage. A plane strain test apparatus is required so that the soil properties correspond to the plane strain boundary conditions that prevail for many of these structures in the field. The apparatus will include the ability to test transparent soil to directly observe soil deformations and shear band development within the test specimen. The apparatus will also have unsaturated soil and cyclic testing capabilities. The soil properties will then be available to develop advanced numerical models to investigate these geotechnical applications under both static and earthquake loading conditions.