Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering

LABORATORY OF TESTING MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES

Civil Engineering Department – Coimbra University

1. GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Laboratory of the Civil Engineering Department University of Coimbra is divided in two areas: Part A for testing of structures (Figure 1) and Part B for testing of materials (Figure 2). In part A there are two reaction walls to allow the applications of horizontal forces on the experimental models; in the adjacent area, the slab has 1.00 m thickness and is perforated to allow the anchorage of reaction frames and the application of forces of high magnitude. Adjacent to part A of the laboratory there is an external zone for storage of materials.  Both parts of the laboratory are equipped with cranes.

In the laboratory are developed three main types of activities:

i) Research work in several fields: steel and composite structures; concrete structures, steel and composite joints; fire tests in structures and components, among others;

ii) Specialized services of civil engineering to the industry: tests for mechanical characterization of concrete; tests for mechanical characterization of steel; tests on steel and concrete components; tests on wood structures, among others;

iii) Educational support to classes, through the realization of experimental tests.

2. PLANTS

Figure 1 describes part A of the laboratory of testing materials and structures. This part has 1280 m² of area with 8 m height aprox. The area of the storage zone is about 300 m².

In the Figure 2 is described part B with an area of 325 m² and 6 m height aprox.

Figure 1 - Plant of Part A of the laboratory

Figure 2 - Plant of Part B of the laboratory

3. EXISTING EQUIPMENT

The laboratory is equipped with several equipments which to allow the realization of a large number of tests, including complex tests such as cyclic tests and fire tests in structures or components; the principal equipments are listed below:

§  Cranes (2 un., with capacities 200 kN and 60 kN);

§  Dynamic Loading Jacks (4 un. with capacities of 300 kN, 600 kN and 100 kN (2 un.));

§  Steel frames (several);

§  Load cells (several, with capacities between 50 kN and 1000 kN);

§  Linear displacement transducers – LVDT’s (several);

§  Furnaces (2 un.);

§  Universal testing machines (3 un. with capacities of 1000 kN (2 un.) and 300 kN);

§  Machine for test concrete (2 un.);

§  Data Logger TML and accessories (2 un.);

§  Climatic chambers (2 un.);

§  Cement mixers (several).

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