NUST INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
Department: Geotech Department Lab Facilities Geotechnical Lab.

Lab Facilities Geotechnical Lab.

Geotechnical laboratory of NICE, NUST is well furnished with all sort of geotechnical testing equipment including equipment for surface and subsurface exploration. It has basic soil mechanics equipment for tests like Natural Moisture Content, Grain Size Analysis, Atterberg Limits, Compaction, Direct Shear, Unconfined compression, Consolidation as well as advance equipment for tests like Seismic Survey, Geophysical investigations (Electric Resistivity test and Refraction Test) etc.

Testing Facilities

  • Natural Moisture Content
  • Sieve Analyses
  • Hydrometer Analysis
  • Atterberg Limits
  • Bulk and Dry Density
  • Specific Gravity
  • Compaction Test (Standard/Modified Proctor Test)
  • Permeability Test (Constant Head/Falling Head)
  • Unconfined Compression Test (Soil)
  • Unconfined Compression Test (Rock)
  • Direct shear test
  • Consolidation Test (for cohesive soil)
  • Relative Density Test
  • Triaxial Test (UU,CU,CD)
  • Electric Resistivity Test
  • Seismic Analysis (Cross Hole, Down Hole, Seismic Refraction, Seismic Reflection)
  • Chemical analysis of soil (SO4 -2, Cl-, Organic content, pH)
  • Chemical analysis of Ground Water Samples (SO4 -2, Cl-, TDS, pH)

Focal Persons

  • Dr. Badee Al Shameri
    Head of Geotechnical Department
    Tel: +92-51-90854633
  • Dr. Zain Maqsood
    Officer in Charge, Geotech Lab
    Tel: +92-51-90854638
  • Engr. Muhammad Jawad Hassan
    Lab Engineer, Geotech Lab
    Tel: +92-51-90854583
  • Engr. Syed Haider Ali Sherazi
    Lab Engineer, Geotech Lab
    Tel: +92-51-90854583

List of Equipment

  • Fully Automatic Digital Direct Shear Testing Machine with Pneumatic Loading
  • Fully Automatic Consolidation System
  • Triaxial Test Apparatus
  • Unconfined Compressive Strength Apparatus
  • Rotary Rig Machine for Soil Drilling and Investigation
  • Motorized Earth Auger
  • Borehole Camera
  • Digital Rock Index Apparatus
  • Electric Resistivity Test Apparatus
  • Seismic Test Apparatus
  • Electric Oven
  • Motorized Casagrande Apparatus
  • Menard Pressure Meter Test Apparatus
  • Electric Soil Compactor
  • Permeability Test Apparatus
  • Hydrometer Test Apparatus
  • Sieve Set

Purpose of Equipment

  • Fully Automatic Digital Direct Shear Testing Machine with Pneumatic Loading

Apparatus is used to find shear strength parameters (cohesion and angle of friction) of soils in consolidated drained and, also undrained conditions.

 

  • Fully Automatic Consolidation System

Apparatus is used to find swelling potential, and settlement parameters of soil samples.

 

  • Triaxial Test Apparatus

Apparatus is used to find shear strength parameters (cohesion and angle of friction) of soils by the following methods:

1. Consolidated Drained
2. Consolidation Undrained
3. Unconsolidated Undrained

 

  • Unconfined Compressive Strength Apparatus

Apparatus is used to find the unconfined compressive strength and undrained shear strength of cohesive soils.

 

  • Rotary Rig Machine for Soil Drilling and Investigation

A rotary rig machine works by using a rotating drill bit to bore into the ground and collect disturbed and undisturbed soil samples at various depths. This data is used for the geotechnical site investigation.

 

  • Motorized Earth Auger

The motorized earth auger is used for the purpose of drilling boreholes into the ground in order to perform subsurface soil investigations.

 

  • Borehole Camera

A borehole camera is used to inspect the inside of a borehole during the geotechnical site investigation. The camera provides a visual representation of the borehole’s subsurface profile and helps to identify the soil/rock strata.

 

  • Digital Rock Index Apparatus

This apparatus is used to determine the mechanical and physical properties of rocks and other geological materials. This information is important for understanding the behavior of rocks under various conditions, such as stress and pressure.

 

  • Electric Resistivity Test Apparatus

Apparatus is used for geophysical site investigations. Soil properties are determined using the resistance offered by soil to the electric current. The test is used to evaluate the subsurface soil strata and, also to check the depth of groundwater table.

 

  • Seismic Test Apparatus

Apparatus is used for geophysical site investigations. Methods include cross-hole and down-hole seismic surveys.

 

  • Electric Oven

The electric oven is used to dry the soil samples before conducting various tests and, also to find out the moisture content of a soil sample.

 

  • Motorized Casagrande Apparatus

Apparatus is used to find the liquid limit of soils which along with the plastic limit is used in soil classification.

 

  • Menard Pressure Meter Test Apparatus

Apparatus is used to find in-situ soil properties like soil stiffness, resilience modulus etc.

 

  • Electric Soil Compactor

Both Standard and Modified Tests can be performed in this Apparatus. The tests are used to find the Maximum Dry Density and Optimum Moisture Content of Soil.

 

  • Permeability Test Apparatus

Apparatus is used to find the permeability of soils. Test methods are:
1. Constant Head Test
2. Falling Head Test

 

  • Hydrometer Test Apparatus

The hydrometer test is a sedimentation method to measure the particle size distribution of fine-grained soils like clay and silt.

 

  • Sieve Set

The sieve analysis test determines the gradation (the distribution of particles, by size) within a given soil sample.

 

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