The Mechanics of Solids laboratory is a facility dedicated to the structural testing and design of components and materials.
There are three strands of activity:
- Teaching experiments - predominantly undergraduate
- Research - predominantly staff and postgraduates; and
- Contract research, consulting and investigations for industry.
Our capabilities include:
- Instron 3369 universal testing system with ±50 kN load capacity
- Instron 8804 uniaxial servohydraulic dynamic testing system with maximum fatigue-rated capacity ±500 kN
- Instron 8852 biaxial servohydraulic dynamic testing system with ±100 kN axial force capacity and ±1000 N.m torsion capacity
- Instron 8872 uniaxial servohydraulic dynamic testing system with maximum fatigue-rated capacity ±25 kN
- Hydraulic Mutiaxial Test Bed with 16-square-metre envelope and four 100 kN dynacells
- Small scale ADMET eXpert 5951 dynamic testing system with fatigue-rated capacity ±4 kN
- Instron CEAST 9350 Drop Tower high-energy and high-velocity impact test machine
- 3D full field strain measuring equipment (ARAMIS)
- Advanced video extensometer
- Environmental chamber (-150 to 250 deg C) compatible with Instron testing systems
- Industrial grade autoclave for composite material manufacture
- Dynamic and quasistatic strength testing of materials
- Fracture mechanics and fatigue crack growth testing of materials
- Testing facility for composite materials
- Strain gauging
- Pressure testing
- Finite element stress analysis
- Structural design of components and capital equipment