Equipment
1D Large Laminar Box
The laminar box consists of a stack of up to 38 rectangular rings separated by linear roller bearings, arranged to permit relative movement between rings in the long direction with minimal friction. The rings are 9.35 mm in height. A relative displacement of up to 3.13 mm between adjacent rings is possible, and the design permits an overall shear strain up to 20%. These large strains are provided to accommodate for post liquefaction-induced soil lateral deformation. Most of the box is made of high strength aluminum alloy. The total weight of the box is 80 kg and has internal dimensions of 35.5 cm (W) × 71 cm (L) × 35.5 cm (H).
Bearings are placed between the rings to permit motion of the rings and to reduce friction. A clamp fitted with bearings is placed on top of the stack to prevent uplifting of the rings during shaking. Each ring is separated from the upper and lower adjacent rings by a total of 86 rollers. Bearing cages are used in order to maintain proper alignment and spacing of the rollers within the rings. The cages are separated from the top and bottom of each adjacent bearing by tiny Teflon pads glued to the cages. A coefficient of friction of 0.006 was measured between the rings under 8 kN vertical load.
| Container Type | Shear beam |
| Name | 1D Large Laminar Box |
| Transparent walls? |  |
| Container mass | 80.00 kg |
| Container spin on a centrifuge? |  |
| Max. g rating | 100.00 g |
| Container shape | Rectangular |
| Interior Dimensions | |
| Length | 710.00 mm |
| Width | 355.00 mm |
| Height | 355.0 mm |
| Top of the container | Completely open |
1D Small Laminar Box
| Container Type | Shear beam |
| Name | 1D Small Laminar Box |
| Transparent walls? | |
| Container spin on a centrifuge? | |
| Max. g rating | 100.00 g |
| Container shape | Rectangular |
| Interior Dimensions | |
| Length | 460.00 mm |
| Width | 370.00 mm |
| Height | 264.0 mm |
| Top of the container | Completely open |
2D Laminar Box
The 2D Laminar Container is designed specifically for use with RPI's new 2D shaker. The container is constructed from 45 twelve-sided lightweight aluminum alloy rings arranged in a stack. Each ring is 8.9 mm (0.35 inches) in height with a 594 mm (23.4 inches) mean inside diameter, and is separated from the rings above and below by 60 roller bearings, especially designed to permit translation in the two horizontal directions with minimal frictional resistance. Relative displacements of up to 2.5 mm (0.1 inch) between rings are achievable. An adjustable restraint utilizing low-friction linear-rotary bearings is provided to maintain downward force on the ring stack. This restraint is moveable to permit testing with different numbers of rings (container height). The laminar container is designed for use at centrifuge accelerations of up to 100 g.
The design of this new RPI 2D laminar container is based upon a similar container, previously designed and manufactured by PVL Technologies for the centrifuge at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). To date, that container has been used successfully in dozens of dynamic modeling experiments with the large centrifuge and biaxial shaker at HKUST. The new 2D laminar box incorporates several design enhancements, including a more rigid base plate and a modified “open top” restraint system, so as to facilitate access to the model surface by cameras and by the RPI in-flight robot.
| Weight (empty) | 129 lb (58 kg) |
| Weight (filled with saturated soil) | 600 lb (212 kg) |
| Overall Height | 21.5 inches (546 mm) |
| Overall Length | 35 inches (890 mm) |
| Overall Width | 27 inches (685 mm) |
| Min. Interior Diameter | 23 inches (533 mm) |
| Max. Interior Diameter | 23.8 inches (605 mm) |
| Mean Interior Diameter | 23.4 inches (594 mm) |
| Max. Operating Centrifugal Acceleration | 100 g |
| Container Type | Shear beam |
| Name | 2D Laminar Box |
| Transparent walls? | |
| Container mass | 58.00 kg |
| Max. mass of soil that can be contained | 154.00 kg |
| Container spin on a centrifuge? | |
| Max. g rating | 100.00 g |
| Container shape | Cylindrical |
| Interior Dimensions | |
| Diameter | 594.00 mm |
| Height | 546.0 mm |
| Top of the container | Completely open |
