Laboratory for Foundation Engineering and Soil Mechanics
The laboratory for foundation engineering and soil mechanics of the Civil Engineering department uses modern laboratory and field equipment for testing and exploration purposes. All standard subsoil investigations can be carried out in accordance with DIN standards. In addition, the Geotechnical department offers consulting services in all areas of geotechnical and environmental engineering.
The laboratory for foundation engineering and soil mechanics is recognised as a test centre for carrying out soil tests in road construction. In the fields of geotechnical and environmental engineering, the following can be carried out: subsoil investigations, foundation investigations, contaminated site assessments, contamination analyses.
Utilisation
The foundation engineering laboratory works mainly in the fields of teaching, further training, applied research and consultancy as well as testing and investigation (P+U). For employees of authorities, engineering offices and construction companies, we offer further training events on topics such as "Compaction control in road and sewer construction – avoiding damage". We also carry out investigations and consultations in the fields of geotechnical and environmental engineering. The investigations include all essential field and laboratory tests, such as plate load tests (static and dynamic), pile-driving core and dynamic probing, determination of grading curves, condition limits, frame and triaxial shear tests as well as pressure settlement tests.
Teaching
Laboratory exercises are offered as part of the lectures Grundbau und Bodenmechanik I bis III, in which students familiarise themselves with the main laboratory experiments presented in theory in the lecture in groups of a maximum of eight people. The exercises are offered as electives in the summer and winter semesters and each concludes with a certificate of completion. In addition, an elective course " Bodenmechanisches Laborpraktikum" is offered, in which the laboratory practice can be deepened. These exercises in groups of a maximum of six people, which are also attended by students from the department of CITY | BUILDING | CULTURE, allow students to carry out and analyse important laboratory experiments in depth and independently. The soil mechanics laboratory practical course is based on several lectures at the beginning of the semester followed by a laboratory practical course.
Furthermore, the Department of Geotechnics offers the subjects Specialised Civil Engineering and Tunnelling and Dam Construction as compulsory elective subjects.
In addition, the course "Ausgewählte Bauverfahren des Grund- und Wasserbaus" is organised in cooperation with the Hydraulic Engineering department, which allows students to visit construction sites in Berlin and Brandenburg from the water during a three-day block course by boat. The compulsory excursion "Grund- und Wasserbau" traditionally takes place in the winter semester.
Further education
The laboratory for foundation engineering and soil mechanics offers a further training event for employees of authorities, engineering offices and construction companies on the topic of "Compaction control in road and sewer construction – avoiding damage".
The aim of the one- to two-day seminar is to give a group of up to 15 people a practical understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the main soil mechanics tests for compaction control in road and sewer construction. Laboratory tests, which can be carried out and analysed by the participants themselves, alternate with lectures, which focus in particular on the limits of application and the evaluation of results using case studies.
Examination and investigation (P+U)
The laboratory offers investigations and consultations in the fields of geotechnical and environmental engineering. The investigations include the following excerpted field and laboratory tests:
Laboratory services:
- Determination of grading curve, state variables, density, loss on ignition, water absorption capacity according to Enslin, pore count in the loosest and densest bedding, Proctor densities on cohesive and rolling soils, water permeability and lime content.
- Compression test with constant superimposed load as pressure and time setting
- Compression test with simultaneous determination of water permeability
- Uniaxial test
- Frame shear test
- Triaxial test
Field performance:
- Plate load test (static and dynamic)
- Hand-drilling
- Ramming core probing
- Dynamic penetration test DPL-5 or DPL-10
- Dynamic penetration test DPM, DPH
- Density determination in the field (e.g. sand replacement method, balloon method)
- Collection of undisturbed soil samples
- Gauging (steel ramming filter)
- Water sampling
- Determination of infiltration capacity insitu
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