The Soil-Foundation-Structure Interaction (SFSI) testing facility at the Advanced Technology for Large Structural Systems (ATLSS) has small, medium and large-scale soil boxes. Each soil box has a reaction frame that allows for connecting one and/or multiple actuator(s) with different sizes to a testing specimen (e.g., foundation). The small soil box has dimensions of 0.9× 0.65×0.75 m, the medium box has dimensions of 1.8×1.8×1.8 m, whereas the large box has dimensions of 4.6×3.65×3.65 m (length × width × height). The small box has loading capabilities that allows for uni- and multi-directional lateral loading. The medium soil box capabilities allow for uni-directional axial and lateral loading, whereas the large-soil box has unique reaction frame that allows for simultaneous application of multi-directional loading including axial and lateral loads, and overturning moments to a physical testing model.
The SFSI facility also includes control/instrumentation room equipped with advanced control system, data acquisition system, Speedgoat real-time (computational) machine, desktop computers and video acquisition system. Moreover, the facility includes electric and hydraulic actuators with different sizes and a wide range of sensors for realistic evaluation of SFSI. These sensors include: load cells, displacement transducers, soil and pore pressure sensors, flexible shape acceleration arrays (SAAs), strain gauges, bender elements, tilt/clinometers, accelerometers and soil moisture-density gauges.
The facility is also prepared with soil preparation/raining equipment including: soil storage tanks, moving system (e.g., crane and a clamshell bucket), soil pumping system, large sieving systems and soil compactor. Moreover, the facility is equipped with analytical tools for analytical and numerical amylases of SFSI systems including: LPILE, APILE, TZPILE, ABAQUS, ANSYS and GROUP.
The capabilities of the testing facilities allow for performing experimental testing to study the SFSI of different systems under :(1) monotonic loading (i.e., slow loading rates), (2) short- and long-term cyclic loading with wide range of excitation frequencies (e.g., up to 5Hz). (3) realistic dynamic and cyclic loading for real-time hybrid simulation (RTHS) applications. The capabilities also allow for various loading configurations including simultaneous application of axial and lateral loads, and overturning moments in all spatial directions (X, Y and Z) to a physical testing specimen.
Contact
Inquiries regarding the use of the Soil-Structure Interaction Facility should be addressed to:
Joseph Saunders
Associate Director of Operations, ATLSS Engineering Research Center
Phone: 610-758-3223
Email: jms815@lehigh.edu
Technical inquiries can also be addressed to:
Muhannad Suleiman
Professor, ATLSS Engineering Research Center
Phone: 610-758-2592
Email: mts210@lehigh.edu