PERFORMANCE BASED DESIGN AND MATERIAL SELECTION RESEARCH
An integrated approach has been adopted in majority of our research to combine fundamental and engineering lab characterization with physics based mechnistic modelling and principles of life cycle assessment.
Please visit publications page for latest papers and on-going and past research project pages for listing of externally funded research projects.
RESEARCH FACILITIES
UNH offers a 1,000 square foot materials laboratory located in Kingsbury Hall S124. Within the laboratory are the following equipment and capabilities:
Mix Design and Processing Lab
- Aggregate testing (gradation and gravity)
- Asphalt mix design equipment (Gyratory compactor, forced draft ovens, weighing scales, hot-plates, bucket mixers, Corelok device, specific gravity bench)
- Sawing and coring equipment (water cooled masonry saw, band saw, core drills)
PERFORMANCE TESTING LAB
- Specimen Fabrication Equipment (Coredry device, gluing jig for attaching gage points and testing platens, specimen temperature conditioning chamber)
- TA Instruments Dynamic Hybrid Rheometer
- Binder testing at intermediate and high temperature (DSR)
- Binder testing at low temperature (0 to -40 C)
- Mixture and mastic testing using torsion bar geometry (Low to high temperature range)
- Two Servo-Hydraulic Testing Systems
- 100 kN/22 kip load frames
- 8 channel test controllers with closed-loop test control
- Four loose-core LVDT, four magnetic displacement gages (for E* and IDT), three crack opening displacement gages (for fracture tests)
- Environmental chamber (-50 to 300 C range)
- Asphalt mixture test fixtures and gages (Dynamic modulus, Disk-shaped compact fracture, Semi-circular bend, Single edge-notch beam, Indirect tension)
- Asphalt Mixture Performance Tester (Instrotek)
- Self-contained testing system with full close-loop control and temperature chamber
- Four channel gage inputs (Loose core and spring loaded LVDTs)
- Asphalt mixture viscoelastic and fatigue characterization capabilities (Dynamic modulus and Simplified Viscoelastic Continuum Damage characterization)
TEST ANALYSIS & MODELING CAPABILITIES
- ABAQUS (Finite Element Analysis Software)
- MATLAB (for laboratory data reduction and processing)
- RHEA (Rheology Analysis) Software (RHEA is registered trademark of ABATECH Consulting Engineers)
- MTS Multi-Purpose Elite Testing Suite (For test control and data acquisition)
- IPC Global Testing Program (For test control and data acquisition
