Construction of a new Panel Element Tester
Steps of the construction © 2024 CONSTRUCT
The Laboratory CONSTRUCT designed a next-generation version of a testing rig to study reinforced concrete and other materials
The first Panel Element Tester was developed by Vecchio and Collins at the University of Toronto in the late 1970s. This apparatus enables mechanical testing of concrete elements under combined in-plane normal and shear stresses, providing important experimental insights into the behavior of reinforced concrete and leading to the development of the Modified Compression Field Theory (MCFT).
The Laboratory CONSTRUCT designed a next-generation version of this testing rig to study reinforced concrete and other materials subjected to general, non-proportional load trajectories.
This new Panel Element Tester (currently under construction at the Structural Engineering Platform - GIS at EPFL) features enhanced hydraulic capacity and servo-actuator control, allowing CONSTRUCT to have real-time, independent command of shear and normal stresses applied.
This will enable testing at CONSTRUCT reinforced concrete elements with a broader range of protocols.