634 Nedderman Hall
Box 19019
416 Yates Street
Arlington, TX 76019-0019
Advanced Geomechanics Laboratory
The Advanced Geomechanics Lab facilitates the early exposure of civil engineering graduates to basic and advanced concepts of soil mechanics and its applicability in the analysis/design of geotechnical infrastructure.
The lab houses an array of instruments and devices for advanced testing of unsaturated and expansive soils under simulated foundation, traffic and earthquake loads. A resonant column device, including a dynamic signal analyzer, will be available for measuring dynamic properties of soils. One triaxial setup, with self-contained piezoceramic bender elements, will be available for measuring stiffness properties of soils.
A complete set of tensiometers, psychrometers, and pressure plate extractor devices will also be available for measuring suction potential and water-retention properties of unsaturated soils. A servo-controlled, true triaxial device has recently been installed to test cubical specimens of unsaturated soils under controlled pore-water pressures. A state-of-the-art, ring shear testing device is also being installed to study unsaturated soil response under large deformations.
Personnel
Laureano Hoyos, Ph.D., Lab Director