LoadTrac-II is a versatile and intelligent system composed of a load frame and a computer with monitor. The load frame houses a high speed, precision micro stepper motor that moves the load platen and thereby applies a vertical load to the soil specimen. An embedded control board with a dedicated CPU uses readings from the force and displacement transducers to determine what signals should be sent to the stepper motor. The control board is capable of applying a new vertical load increment within one second and accurately maintaining that load while monitoring the displacement.

The computer and monitor are used for displaying test results in real time, and for editing test results and producing a report after the test has been completed.

Manual control of the LoadTrac-II load frame is achieved with keypad and easy-to-use menus. The software which runs a test allows the user to define the conditions for running a particular test by way of self-evident information entry windows. LoadTrac-II requires no special skills to operate, other than those used in conventional consolidation testing. A person familiar with soil testing can learn to use the system confidently within a few hours. Familiarity with using Windows NT/2000/XP can significantly reduce the learning time