Equipment and Apparatus / Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture

Equipment and Apparatus

Conducting research and teaching activities is possible thanks to the equipment facilities of the Laboratory and the entire Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture. Below is a description of selected devices constituting the laboratory equipment.

WalterBai concrete and steel testing system
The device is equipped with three frames:

frame with a pressure of up to 3000 kN for testing the compressive strength of concrete elements with maximum dimensions of 200x200x200 mm,
a frame with a pressure of up to 250 kN for testing the bending strength of concrete elements in the three-point loading scheme (with a maximum spacing of supports of 800 mm),
frame for testing the tensile strength of steel with a force of up to 600 kN.

The machine works with extensometers used to test the modulus of elasticity of concrete and deformations during the tensile test of reinforcing bars, as well as a strain gauge bridge with the possibility of reading deformations at 8 measuring points.

Example application

Testing the modulus of elasticity of concrete using the Proteus program and an extensometer with two-sided measurement of deformation.

Dynamic axial-torsion system MTS model 319.25

The device, which is unique on a national scale, is designed for dynamic and static operation. Works parallel axially and torsionally. It allows you to declare the load as a function of: force, displacement, torsion angle and torsional moment. The system has the ability to connect additional input and output signals and measuring devices by means of which it is also possible to control the process of loading the tested sample. Specially extended columns allow the testing of very long samples, up to 1m long. Selected system parameters:

force range: +- 250 kN,
piston stroke: +- 120 mm,
rotation angle: +- 55 degrees,
torque: +-2200 Nm,
maximum load frequency 100Hz.

Structures rarely experience only static loads and therefore knowledge of the material's fatigue properties is very important. The axial-torsion system meets all the accuracy requirements for this type of device by domestic and foreign standards (ISO, DIN or ASTM).

Advantest 9 concrete and mortar testing system (manufactured by Controls)

The machine is equipped with three frames:

a frame with a pressure of up to 3000 kN for testing the compressive strength of concrete elements with maximum dimensions of 200x200x200 mm,
a frame with a pressure of up to 250 kN for testing the bending strength of mortars (samples 40x40x160 mm),
a frame with a pressure of up to 250 kN for testing the compressive strength of mortars, as well as elements with maximum dimensions of 100x100x100 mm (e.g. standard samples of aerated concrete).

The system works with a strain gauge bridge with the ability to read deformations at 4 measuring points. Additional inserts enable testing the tensile strength of concrete elements, e.g. standard cylindrical or cube samples, or finished products in the form of paving stones.

QUANTA FEG 250 scanning electron microscope

The laboratory has a scanning microscope QUANTA FEG 250 by FEI - SEM, in which the electron beam, focused on the surface of the tested sample into a spot with a very small diameter (up to 0.1 nm), sweeps a selected rectangular area of the surface with a scanning motion. The electrons of the beam penetrate the sample to a small depth, some undergo the so-called backscatter; most of them, however, remain in the sample, losing energy in various kinds of interactions, accompanied by the emission of secondary electrons, Auger electrons, X-rays, light and others. The use of dedicated detectors allows to obtain selected information about the tested material.

Example application

Chemical analysis on thebasis of the entire surface of the photo

Chemical analysis of crystal composition - dimensioning

Instron impact tower

The device is used to simulate puncture, dynamic compression, Charpi impact strength measurements, Izod impact strength measurements, and others.

Selected operating parameters:

maximum range of forces 15kN,
maximum speed 5m/s,
registration of current operating parameters during the test.

Example application
Material testing of vehicle windshields.
View of a spherical indenter placed over a safety glass sample.

Sample after testing at a speed of 1 m/s.
Visible radial cracks

Aramis system

Aramis is a system for non-contact 3D strain measurements. Analyzes, calculates and documents deformations. And the graphical presentation of the measurement results gives the possibility of a fuller understanding of the behavior of the tested object. Based on images taken with digital cameras, ARAMIS recognizes the surface structure of the measured object (each pixel in the image is assigned appropriate coordinates). After recording all the images, ARAMIS compares them and calculates displacements and strains. It is particularly useful for measuring three-dimensional deformations caused by static or dynamic loads. Most of the functions of the entire measurement system are controlled by the software, e.g. measurement, calculation, printing.

System features:

Can be used for 2D and 3D measurements.
Compares photos with each other by assigning square or rectangular small planes (e.g. 15x15 pixels) called facets to characteristic points, and then searching for these characteristic points in subsequent photos.
Automatically compensates for possible changes in lighting conditions in subsequent photos.
Simple sample preparation for testing. As in the raster method, the sample must be prepared for testing by applying a regular or random pattern only if the surface of the sample is too homogeneous - Very large measurement field. All objects - large and small (from 1mm to 2000mm) can be measured with the same sensor. Relative strains can be measured in the range of 0.01% to several hundred percent.
Full measurement field and 3D representation of measurement results and dense raster of measurement collection.
Better understanding of the behavior of the tested elements thanks to the graphical presentation of the measurement results.
High mobility of the system.
Quality control: Calculations and measurement results can be presented in standard and user-selected colors.

Applications:

Material research.
Determination of strength.
Part dimensioning.
Study of non-linear behavior.
Characterization of creep and aging processes.
Determination of the boundary pressing curve.
Checking models made using the Finite Element Method.
Determination of material characteristics.
Analysis of the behavior of homogeneous and heterogeneous materials during the deformation process.
Calculation of deformations.

Charpy's Hammer

The Charpy impact hammer enables the measurement of the energy needed to break the sample in a dynamic bending test and the impact strength, i.e. the ratio of the work needed to break the sample to the cross-sectional area of the sample at the fracture site.
The hammer is used to test the impact strength of synthetic, composite and natural materials such as wood.
Charpy hammer tests are performed to obtain information on the resistance to failure of materials and structural elements exposed to impact loads.
The maximum energy released by the hammer is 50J, energy measurement during the test is recorded electronically.
The measuring range of the device allows for high measurement accuracy for both materials with high and low impact strength.

Universal hardness tester

The hardness tester allows you to determine the hardness of materials according to Brinell, Rockwell and Vicers scales using standardized indenters - steel balls of various diameters, a diamond cone or a diamond pyramid. The measurement and loading of the sample is automatic, the reading of the result is electronic or using the attached precise measuring microscope. The reading accuracy is 0.1 degree. The hardness tester allows you to test the hardness of a wide range of materials, from wood and plastics to very hard ceramic composites. Hardness is a property of solids corresponding to resistance to concentrated forces.