Triaxial test

MOS Grondmechanica has 13 triaxial configurations at its disposal. With the triaxial test the strength behaviour of a soil layer is determined; how does the soil deform under loading and unloading? There are several types of triaxial tests, characterized by the test conditions, such as compression versus extension, unconsolidated versus consolidated, undrained versus drained; the most well-known are the consolidated drained and undrained (compression) tests, better known as the CD and the CU test (on sand and cohesive material / clay, respectively). The software for conducting and elaborating the tests has been developed in-house.

The test is traditionally conducted at three different stress levels. This is done to determine effective strength properties, phi and c value. When the test is conducted on the same sample with three steps, this is referred to as multi-stage and on three homogeneous samples it is called a single-stage. From the comparison of the strength and deformation of the soil samples with these different loads the behaviour of the soil can be determined in regards to load changes (loading and unloading). One step tests that are added to a test collection are carried out for the undrained shear strength of shallow cohesive soil layers.