Syllabus

Dr. John T. Germaine

Laboratory Sessions

• Scheduled for two hours on Wednesday but this will change after the first lecture.
• Perform laboratory assignments in small (3 to 5 person) groups.
• Will meet in various rooms depending on experiment.
• We will send you email when the lab material is available.
• Read the material before the laboratory and be prepared to do the work.

Objectives

• Make measurements of behavior of various materials used in Civil Engineering.
• Provide physical observations to complement concepts learned in 1.030.
• Introduce experimental procedures and common measurement equipment.
• Exposure to a variety of established material testing techniques.

Conduct of the Course

• Each of the ten assignments will be done in small groups.
• Data will be made available electronically after each lab.
• Each person will use the data and prepare an individual report.
• The report will be due about one week after the lab session. (We will provide specific dates.)
• The report will be graded based on clarity, data interpretation, and presentation.

Requirements

• Attend lectures (short description of experiments).
• Ten laboratory assignments (90%).
• Participation, preparation, subjective evaluation, etc. (10%).

Laboratory Safety

• You must sign the safety form in order to work in our laboratories.

Reference Materials

• Each lab assignment will include specific reading assignments.
• American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Annual Book of ASTM Standards (post 2000).

No. 1: Data Acquisition and Instruments

• 30 minute group (Monday or Wednesday) session for overview
• 90 minute subgroup session to make measurements
• Take all the data at the end of your session

No. 2: Tension I - Elastic Behavior

• 30 minute group session to learn about machine
• 60 minute (maybe less) subgroup session to test
• 30 minute individual unscheduled wrap up
• Data posted at end of each session
  

No. 3: Tension II - Failure of Common Materials

• 90 minute subgroup session to test
• 30 minute individual unscheduled wrap up
• Data posted at end of each session
  

No. 4: Direct Shear - Frictional Behavior

• 30 minute group session to discuss equipment
• 90 minute subgroup session to test
• Data posted at end of each session
  

No. 5: Concrete I - Early Age Properties

• 2 hour pre-scheduled group session (wear old cloths)

No. 6: Compression - Directionality

• 30 minute group session to discuss equipment
• 90 minute subgroup session to test
• 30 minute individual unscheduled wrap up
• Data posted at end of each session
  

No. 7: Concrete II - Compression and Indirect Tension

• 90 minute subgroup session to test
• 30 minute individual unscheduled wrap up
• Data posted at end of each session
  

No. 8: Soil Classification

• 2 hour group session to test
• All data posted at end of week
  

No. 9: Consolidation Test (Partial Experiment)

• 90 minute group session to test
• All data posted at end of week
  

No. 10: Tension III - Heat Treatment

• Five subgroup lab visits the week before to heat treat the specimens
• 90 minute subgroup session to test
• 30 minute individual unscheduled wrap up
• Data posted at end of each session

Civil Engineering Facilities
 
Room 1: Machine Shop
 
Room 2: Loading Frames: 200,000 lb Balbwin, 60,000 lb Baldwin, 20,000 lb Instron

Room 3: Concrete Fabrication Lab
 
Room 4: Soil Structure Interaction, Earth Dams, Centrifuge
 
Room 5: Perini Lab - Structural Elements, etc.
 
Room 6: Compaction, Grain Size, Ovens
 
Room 7: General Open Space, Permeability, Scales
 
Room 8: Triaxial, Constant Rate of Loading, Permeability
 
Room 9: Hand Tools, Calibration Equipment
 
Room 10: Humid Room / Soil Sample Preparation
 
Room 11: Consolidation, Direct Shear

Laboratory Rules

• Read Safety Precautions and sign the list.
• Return all equipment and tools to storage areas when not in use or at end of day.
• Ask when in doubt; an incorrect guess may be dangerous or expensive.
• Do not alter any item without explicit permission of the instructor.

Learning Objectives

Top Learning Objectives

You should learn about:

• Planning an experimental program, selecting the test configuration, selecting the test specimens and collecting raw data.
• Documenting the experimental program including the test procedures, collected data, method of interpretation and final results.
• Operating the laboratory equipment including the electronic instrumentation, the test apparatus and the data collection system.
• Measuring physical properties of common structural and geotechnical construction materials.
• Interpreting the laboratory data including conversion of the measurements into engineering values and derivation of material properties (strength and stiffness) from the engineering values.
• Observing various modes of failure in compression, tension, and shear.
• Observing various types of material behavior under similar loading conditions.

Measurable Outcomes (Assessment Methods; Laboratory Reports, 1.030 Quiz, Personal Evaluation)

You should be able to:

• Calibrate electronic sensors
• Operate a data acquisition system
• Operate various types of testing machines
• Configure a testing machine to measure tension or compression behavior
• Compute engineering values (eg. stress or strain) from laboratory measures
• Analyze a stress versus strain curve for modulus, yield and strength
• Identify modes of failure
• Describe the frictional behavior of soils
• Classify soils according to the USCS system
• Proportion a concrete mix to meet specific design requirements
• Describe the directional strength variation of an anisotropic material
• Evaluate the time rate of deformation of fine grained soils
• Specify the necessary heat treating to obtain the desired steel properties
• Write a technical laboratory report

Laboratory Ethics

Here are some practical applications of OUR Golden Rule:

1. If you open, close it.
2. If you turn it on, turn it off.
3. If you unlock it, lock it.
4. If you break it, repair it.
5. If you can't fix it, call in someone who can.
6. If you borrow it, return it.
7. If you use it, take care of it.
8. If you make a mess, clean it up.
9. If you move it, put it back.
10. If it belongs to somebody else and you want to use it, get permission.
11. If you don't know how to operate it, leave it alone.
12. If it doesn't concern you, don't mess with it.

Laboratory Precautions

• Wear Eye Protection when working with power tools or testing specimens in compression.
• Ask when in doubt - mistakes are expensive.
• Do not apply higher input voltage to transducer than rated value.
• Do not apply input voltage to output leads (green and white) of transducer.
• Check input voltage before plugging in transducer.
• Disconnect transducer before turning on or off power supplies or voltmeters.
• Never close a valve connected directly to a transducer.
• Monitor transducer output when making physical connections.
• Do not wash plexiglass in detergent, use kerosene.