Acquisition of an Axial Servo Hydraulic Test System (Universal Testing System) for Research and Teaching in Civil and Mechanical Engineering at Clarkson University

Clarkson University, Potsdam NY

Investigators

Abstract

This award funds the acquisition of an axial Servo Hydraulic Test System, consisting of a closed loop control-loading frame with the appropriate electronic interface. The specific Test System requested by this proposal is manufactured by MTS with the following components: Model 810.25, 220,000 lbs (1000 kN) System Model 505.60 (60 GPM, 3000 psi) Hydraulic Power Unit MTS TestStar IIm Digital Control System and Software MTS Load cell, COD gage, grips and testing fixtures Desktop Pentium III Computer The test system provides a broad range of testing capability for performing load or displacement controlled testing. Testing capabilities include tension, compression, shear, flexural and cyclic testing of most materials and structural components. This test system was selected in order to fulfill the testing needs of not only the proposed research projects but also the current and future undergraduate and graduate laboratories in the area of materials and structural mechanics for the Civil and Mechanical Engineering programs at Clarkson University. The awarded equipment will be used in the following research activities: - Characterization of the Interfacial Crack Propagation in Reinforced Concrete Beams Strengthened by Externally Bonded FRP Laminates. - Time-Dependent Cleavage Fracture of Ice. - Conditions for Localized Deformation in Rock. - Testing of Composite Materials for Model Validation. Acquisition of the testing system will also strengthen the following undergraduate and graduate courses at Clarkson University: Introduction to Design, CE212; Fracture Mechanics of Concrete Structures, CE 401; Reinforced Concrete Design, CE 441; Structural Steel Design, CE 442; Advanced Design of Structural Concrete, CE 544; Manufacturing Processes, ME 390; Analysis of Materials Processing, ME 393; and Composite Mechanics and Design, ME 457. The awarded equipment will provide a critical enhancement to both the research capability and pedagogical scope of faculty as well as the relevant educational experiences of students. Moreover, these enhancements will affect students and faculty across several academic units as well as interdisciplinary work that cuts across customary departmental lines.