Large_Scale Structures Testing Facility

The large-scale structures testing facility consists of a universal testing machine (UTM), and a 13.7m-high reaction buttress equipped with a horizontal hydraulic ram. A combination of 4.5 MN horizontal force and 53 MN compressive vertical force may be applied to large-scale specimens.

The UTM portion of the facility is a hydraulically operated machine of 53.4 MN capacity and is the largest in the world. It is used to test large structural components and to calibrate very large capacity force-measuring devices. It can apply compression forces to column sections or fabricated members up to 18 m in height. The reaction buttress will resist horizontal forces of 4.5 MN at a level of 12.2 m from the floor.

A testing program was conducted to evaluate the performance of concrete columns 1.5 m in diameter and up to 9.1 m high. Another test series evaluated fracture propagation in steel plates 1 m wide and 0.1 m and 0.15 m thick. Low-cycle fatigue tests, destructive or ultimate loads, earthquake simulation in two dimensions, and complex loading of components may all be accomplished in this facility.