Oyerview of Structural Testing Facilities at the University of Alberta

1.1 Description of I.F. Morisson Structural Engineering Laboratory

The main floor of the laboratory consists of a tall crane bay with adjacent workshop, office,
washroom and miscellaneous rooms. On the second floor are a computer room, three graduate
student offices and a common room.
The main crane bay is 110 ft by 62 ft (33.5 m x 18.9 m) with a clear height of about 29 ft (8.8
m). The centre part ofthe floor is a load bed.
1. 1. 1 Load Bed
The load bed, commonly called the strong floor, is a three cell reinforced concrete box girder
with plan dimensions of 35 ft (10.7 m) by 70 ft (21.3 m). The exterior webs are 24 in (610 mm)
thick, the interior webs 12 in (305 mm). The top slab of the load bed is 2 ft (610 mm) thick plus
2 in (51 mm) of topping (total 26 in). The topping is unbonded over parts of the floor. There are
holes through the top slab at 2 ft (610 mm) on centres each way. The holes are lined with 2-112
in (64 mm) standard pipe with an inside diameter of 2.4 in (61 mm). The smallest distance
between a web and the centre of a hole is 6 in
(
152 mm).
The drawings of the lab state that the following loads may be applied with a factor of safety of at
l east 1. 5.
o
Loads acting downward
1) Three loads of990 kN at any three adjacent holes in the slab with no other downward loads
on the load bed within a radius of 6 m.
2) Three loads of 490 kN at any three adjacent hoLes in two or all panels of the slab with no
downward loads within 6 m longitudinally in the panels calrying concentrated loads
.
Loads acting upwards
The maximum allowable loads shall not be sreater than half the allowable downward loads
described above.
.
Uniform loads
Any combination of 480 kN/m2 downward
combination of these and concentrated loads
described above (2).
o
Horizontal loads
The maximum horizontal load at any one panel point is 490 kN applied at 9i4 mm above the
floor surface combined with i50 kN/m'uoward or downward uniform loads.
1.1.2 Cranes
The crane in the main test area ofthe 1ab has a capacity of 10 tons (89 kN). It spans approximate
17 m and is operated by a control box that hangs from the crane. This crane is to be operated
only by lab technicians unless special permission is given by the head technician. A smaller
overhead crane services the machine shoo area.
al.td 240 kN/m' upward uniform loads or any
o1 490 kN downwards or 145 kN upwards as
The lab is equipped with a battery driven forklift and a propane powered forklift. An air-operated
hoist is used around large test set-ups to provide vertical access for one person.
1.1.3 Machine Shop and Concrete Batching Facility
There is a machine shop in the lab that can be used for small steel fabrication and woodworking
jobs.
Large
jobs
and
jobs
requiring precision machining are normally handled either through
machine shops on campus or commercial machine shops off campus.
An old pan type concrete mixer with a maximum batch capacity of about 7 ft3 is located at the
south-west comer of the lab. A high performance concrete mixer. which has a capacity of mixing
fibre reinforced concrete, has been purchased. However, it has not been installed yet.
1.2 Testing Machines in Structures Laboratory
1.2.1MTS 6000 (6200 kN MTS Closed Loop Hydraulic System)
This is a high capacity universal testing machine. It is capable of applying static or very slow
applied cyclic loads. It operates in either load control or stroke control and can follow an
internally generated ramp flmction or an external control signal. Switching between load and
stroke control dudng a test is not possible.
Capacities:
.
Compression: rated capacity
=
6200 kN (1a00 kip$. The compression head is a spherical
seated head of 610 mm in diameter.,
.
Tension: rated capacity
=
4000 kN (900 kips). Tensile loads are transmitted by clevis grips
or hydraulic grips.
o Two sets of clevis grips are available: one set using 89 mm pins and rated at 2900
kN, and the other using 50 mm pins and rated at 980 kN.
o The hydraulic grips have a 4000 kN capacity. Installation or removal of the hydraulic
grips takes about half a day.
o
Load Ranges: 667 kN, 1334 kN, 3336 kN and 6612 kN. In lower ranges, load is measured
by load cell; in upper ranges, load is based on measured hydraulic pressure. For any load
range, maximum load corresponds to an output voltage of 10V DC.
o
Stroke: Total stroke is 300 mm (+150 mm from zero position). Available ranges are t25
mm, +50 mm and +150
mm. For any stroke range, the corresponding voltage output is
+10
V DC. Note that stroke measures the movement of the piston and does not measure the
movement ofthe loading head relative to the base.
Test Space:
The MTS 6000 is prestressed to a reinforced concrete load bed that is 3.66 m wide by 13.1 m
long, which seryes as the lower platen of the machine. The load bed has bolt holes 62 mm in
diameter at 610 mm on centre in each direction. The bolt holes were misaligned during
construction and not symmetrical about the centre of the machine. The actual positions of the
holes are shown in the attached drawing.
.
Height: 7300 mm with the ram at the midpoint of its travel.
.
Width between columns: 1700 mm between column base connections. 1829 mm betvr'een
columns.
1.2.2 MTS 1000 (1000 kN MTS Closed Loop Hydraulic System)
It is a universal testing machine which can apply static or slowly applied cyclic loading in
tension or compression. It can operate in either load or stroke control and is capable of switching
from one to the other during a test. The load is measured with a built-in load cell.
The MTS1000 and the MTS2700 share the same confol panel. Only one of these machines can
be used at any time. Load and stroke ranges are selected with plug-in caftridges.
Capacities:
.
Comprglqen and ilgnsiap: 1000 kN
o
Load Ranses: +100
kN,
+200
kN, +500
kN and
+1000 kN all conesponding to output
voltages of+l0 V DC.
.
Stroke: Maximum shoke is 300 mm (+150 mm). Available stroke ranges are
+100
mm,
+50 mm, +20 mm and +10
mm. All stroke ranges correspond to an output voltage of
+10
V
DC.
Test Space:
o
Height: Clear vertical space is 2057 mm without specimen grips; with grips is 1250 mm.
(With carefu1 manoeuvring, a 1400 mm to 1500 mm might be fitted into the machine.)
o
Clear horizontal distances between columns ale 406 mm by 711 mm.
1.2.3 MTS 2700
This is a compression testing machine which can apply static or lowly applied cyclic loads in
compression. It is intended primarily for testing concrete cylinders and prisms. The maximum
bearing capacity on the spherically seated compression platen is 200 MPa. It can be operated in
load or stroke control and can switch from one to the other durins a test. Load is based on
measured hydraulic pressure.
Capacities
o
Compression: rated capacity:2670 kN in compression.
.
Load Ranqes: 1200 kN and 2670 kN. Maxirnum compressive load conesponds to a
voltage output of+10 V DC.
Test Space:
Ma,ximum vefiical clearance is 1000 mm. A set of spacers are used to accommodate smaller
specimens. The spherically seated compression platen conforms to ASTM standards for test 100
mm and 150 mm diameter concrete cylinders.
1.2.4 Pegasus Fatigue Loading System
This fatigue loading system consists of two pumps totalling 140 gpm, servo control valves, hoses
and fatigue rated actuators. It is necessary to build a load frame to react against the forces from
the actuators. Load measured with load cell.
Rams: Two at 530 kN capacity, i50 mm stoke; and two at 340 kN capacity, 150 mm stroke.
Loading rates: variable. The rate of loading depends on the amplitude of the stroke cycle and
also must be chosen to avoid resonance with test frames and specimens. A typical rate is 5 Hz at
25 mm deflection.
The Pegasus system's pump andjacks are leaking and may require complete overhaul.
1.2.5 New X' lex-Frame
A reaction frame system set up along the east wal1, call Flex-Frame, can be used for simple test
(such as light beam tests) up to 600 kN.
1.2.6 Hydraulic Rams
There is a wide assoftment of hydraulic
jacks
available in the structures laboratory. Some of
these are listed in Table 1. Most have interchangeable hose couplers.
1.2.7 Hydraulic Pumps and Load Maintainers
a) Hydraulic Purnps
There are four hand-operated pumps and two electrically operated pump in the laboratory. The
electronic pump has a reservoir ofabout 4litres and a maximum pressure ofabout 55 MPa (8000
psi). although il is rated at 10000 psi.
b) Air on Hydraulic Oil Pressure Systems (Blue Panels)
There are two "air over oil" hydrauiic pressure systems, generally referred to as the- "blue
paneis".
-
Each panel has an air driven pump. The pumps axe driven off of the 100 psi shop air supply
hose. The pumps pressurize hydraulic fluid to a maximum pressure of 10,000 psi.
-
Each panel has one air pressure supply. One panel has five hydraulic pressure outlets; the
other has two.
-
The outlets can be controlled to deliver equal pressures by opening both outlet valves and
controlling the air pressure supply with the regulator. Under these conditions the test would be
"load controlled" in that the hydraulic pressure would be kept constant.
-
While it is possible to control the outlet pressure in each outlet separately this is sometimes
difficult to do. If you require independent conffol at two different pressures, you would be
better offusing two control panels with different air supply pressues in each panel.
Outlet pressues are measured with mechanical pressure gauges and can provide an
independent non-electronic check ofthe
jack
load.
-
Pressure readings during unloading stages are inaccurate and should not be used to determine
the load on the sfucture.
1.3 Load Frames in Structures Laboratory
A steel reaction wall system was build and donated by a local steel fabricator and can be used as
a vertical reaction wall system. When combined with the sfong floor, a 2-D loading condition
can be easily set up without additional vertical framing systems.
There are six gravity load simulators, each have a 200 kips (-900kN) capacity, are available in
the laboratory. They can maintain a gravity load condition while accommodating a limited
amount of horizontal displacement.
A series of "mechano-set" frame components are availabie in the laboratory to build reaction
frames for loading specimens.
.
Standard Columns:
12W85 (Imperial Units) with a series of 1-1/8 in holes in each flange at 3 in o.c. vefiically and
6 in o.c. horizontally. First holes are 9 in diameter holes, one foot each way from the centre-
line of the column. Column heights range from 16 to 22 ft (4877 mm to 6706 mm).
r
Large Columns:
Six WWF columns with 349 mm x 32 mm flanges and 286 mm x 19 mm web. These also
have 1-1l8 in holes in each flange at 3 in o.c. vertically and 6 in o.c. horizontally. The 2-1/2 in
baseplate has eight 1-112 in bolt holes arranged so that either 2 or 4 can be bolted to the floor
at any given time.
r
Distributing Beams:
Welded beams with milled lower flanses.
r
Cross-Channels:
A series of 18 Channel 58 (Imperial Unit) suitable for column spacing up to 8 ft and up to 14
ft. These have rows offive 1-1/8 in bolt holes soaced to match the holes in the columns.
.
High Strenglh Rods:
% in, UTS 145 ksi (1000 MPa),2,4, and 8 ft long, thread ends
l-I/4 in, UTS 145 ksi (1000 MPa),2, 3.5, and 6.5 ft long, thread ends
1.4 Testing Machines in the NREtr'
There are thee testing machines in the NREF that may be used for research. Two machines are
used in undergraduate course work so that scheduling research tests during the fall and winter
terms may be difficult. The third one is in concrete research lab and is mainly used by graduate
students. An MTS1000 universal testing machine is located in NRE L2-020. This machine is
essentially identical to the one in the structures lab except that it is equipped with a compressron
platen instead of a set of hydraulic grips. An old Baldwin cylinder testing machine is located in
NRE 1-106. This machine has a maximum capacity of 1350 kN. The lower platen is 200 mm in
diameter and the maximum specimen height is about 330 mm. An MTS 2700 compression
testing machine is located in NRE 1- 108 has a maximum compressive capacity of 2700 kN.
1.5 Computers and Instrumentations
The Structural Group subscribes site licences of finite element programs of ABAQUS, SAP2000,
S-Frame, etc. to be used in PC's. You will need an access account to use ABAQUS. The CNS
Computer Labs in NRE 2-117 and NRE 2-718 are available for students who need ro use
SAP2000 and S-Frame structural analysis and design programs.
A number of PC's are also located on the main floor of the structures lab. These computets are
used mainly for control ofthe data acquisition systems. There are three data acquisition systems
cunently being equipped in the I.F. Morrison Structural Lab, two HBM, MGC Plus system and
one HBM,
Quantum
X system. Each system consists of 16 high level (DC) channels and 48 low
level (strain) channels.
There are two camera strain measuring systems, each with four sets of camera, in the lab. A total
of six lens are equipped for the system. The systems have the capacity of measuring strain
distributions on a deformed specimen.
There is an Impact (Drop Weight) Testing Machine equipped with two high speed cameras in the
Laboratory.
1.6 Technical Staff
Two technicians are employed by the Deparlment to work in the Structural Laboratory. The
curent staff are Greg Miller (Senior Technician) and Cameron West. Students doing
experimental research should contact Greg Mil1er (2-37 04) well in advance of when they expect
to do their work. Meetings to discuss scheduling are held when needed. Floor space, machine
time and technician time must be scheduled well in advance. Technical help in the area of
electronics is available from Dale Lathe and Peter Altobelli located in NRE 7-130.
1.7 Safety
In the structural laboratory, students work with relatively little supervision, have access to a wide
variety of power tools, and work with large forces in sfuctures whose behaviour is not always
understood. In these circumstances, it is particularly important that a high level of safety be
maintained. A summary of the safety rules for the 1ab is posted near the north overhead door.
Greg Miller is the final authority with respect to safety practices. He will advise any user if their
procedures do not meet the requirements. His decisions with respect to matters of safety are
final. You will be issued a set of Lab Rules. It is your responsibility to read and follow the Lab
Rules. Failure to do so could result in the loss oflab use privileges.
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