New 5MN dynamic testing machine for ISOLAB

Full designed, built and assembled by the FPC ITALIA and ISOLAB team, the new bi-axial testing machine ‘5MN’ has been commissioned on July 2017. A new strength for the ISOLAB laboratory, for FPC Italia and for the Soletanche-Freyssinet group.

The ISOLAB test laboratory, belonging to Freyssinet Products Company Italia, is located at Montebello della Battaglia (ITALY) plant. ISOLAB, thanks to its numerous test equipments and thanks to its team of engineers and expert technicians, is able to carry out acceptance tests and qualification tests on bearings and seismic devices in accordance with the main international standards (EN 1337, EN 15129, AASTHO, BS, AS 5100, NCh2745, etc.) as well as tests for the Research and Development of Freyssinet products.

The new 5MN dynamic test machine has been designed to test the following types of devices with dimensions up to 700mm width:

-        High damping rubber bearings (HDRB);

-        Lead core bearings (LRB);

-        Single Curved Surface Sliders (Sliding pendulum);

-        POT / SPHERICAL bearings.

Fully controlled by a PC with Real Time Control technology, the following dynamic loads and displacements can be applied to the test samples:

- Vertical load up to 5000 kN
- Horizontal load up to 400 kN
- Vertical displacement up to 40 mm
- Horizontal displacement 1300 mm with speed over than 1 m/s

The machine is equipped with n. 30 channels acquisition system capable of recording up to 1000 Hz data from the sensors of displacement, force, pressure, temperature and deformation.

The new 5MN adds itself to the many testing equipments already present in the ISOLAB laboratory, including the following:

- Bi-axial testing machine with vertical load up to 70MN and horizontal static load up to 20MN (Work in progress to make it dynamic up to 2,5MN);

- Bi-axial dynamic machine with vertical load up to 50MN, horizontal dynamic load up to 2MN and horizontal static load up to 20MN;
- Single-axis dynamic machines with load up to: 20MN / 5 MN / 1.3 MN / 1MN / 750 kN / 500kN;
- Single-axis static press with load up to 8MN.

The next goal set for September 2017 is the 5MN test certification according to ISO 7500 and ASTM E4 standards.