Description
The swell (or collapse) test can be run in two ways. The first is to load a sample to a pre-determined load where the specimen is inundated with water and the displacement (up for swell, down for collapse) behavior is monitored. The second is to inundate the specimen and determine the load that prevents the specimen from swelling, the result is the swell pressure of the soil. Typical parameters obtained from this test, depending on the method run, are either the “free swell/collapse” or the “swell pressure” for this soil. The swell/collapse test is run for an engineer to determine if the soil at the site will be compatible with the project they are designing.
Frequently Asked Questions
The LoadTrac II is a versatile load frame that can easily be upgraded to perform additional test types by purchasing required software and accessories. Incremental Consolidation, Swell, Unconfined Compression, and California Bearing Ratio are popular tests performed on the load frame alone. Constant Rate Consolidation is an option with the addition of one FlowTrac pressure & volume control flow pump. Triaxial (UU, CU, CD) and Stress Path testing is possible with one to two FlowTrac flow pumps. For those interested in cyclic/dynamic testing, addition of a Cyclic/RM controller and hardware allows for Resilient Modulus testing, and then combined with a FlowTrac allows for Cyclic Triaxial testing. Contact one of our sales team today to discuss all available configurations and options.