STRUCTURAL TESTING LABORATORY

Lecturer in Charge                :           Dr. H. M. Y. C. Mallikarachchi

Technical Officer in Charge    :           Mr. D. M. N. L. Dissanayaka

The Structural Testing Laboratory houses both data acquisition and hydraulic testing systems that are used in undergraduate teaching and research as well as in postgraduate research.

A variety of tests can be conducted in the Structural Testing Laboratory, ranging from concrete test cubes to the evaluation of full scale structural components such as wall panels, framed structures, transmission poles, precast concrete products, manhole covers, welded rails etc.

The main feature of the structures testing laboratory is the reaction floor consisting of a 1.0 m thick reinforced concrete slab to which the testing rigs can be attached. The laboratory is equipped with manual and servo-controlled jacks ranging in capacity up to 100 tons, together with associated measuring devices such as load cells and deflection gauges, and loading frames.

The laboratory is equipped with a 5-ton overhead crane to be used in erecting loading frames and positioning specimens, a 200 Tons compression machine, 30 channel high performance data logger, load cells (tension and compression), proving rings (3 tons, 10 tons, 30 Tons, 50 Tons and  200 Tons), prestressing wire jack, creep testing rig and LVDTs. The laboratory is also equipped with non-destructive testing facilities such as PUNDIT, rebound hammer, cover meter and concrete surface resistivity meter.