Development of Cyclic Triaxial Apparatus with Broad Frequency and Strain Ranges

Abstract

A cyclic triaxial testing system capable of measuring very small to large strain properties on a single specimen has been developed by combining a wide variety of existing instrumentation, including piezoceramic bender elements, internal displacement measurement devices (both contact and noncontact), local displacement measurement devices, a sensitive internal load cell, and an external load cell. The bender elements provide information on soil properties in the nearly linear elastic (very small strain) range. Local and noncontact internal displacement measurements provide information about small strain range properties, whereas more traditional internal displacement measurements provide information in the small to large strain range. In addition, this apparatus can be used over a wide range of loading frequencies to investigate the effect of frequency on dynamic soil properties. By combining this equipment in a single testing system, a number of tests may be run on one specimen, eliminating the effects of variability. The broad variety of displacement measuring instruments also allows direct comparisons of these techniques on a single specimen.