Soil Mechanics

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This laboratory is part of the
Geotechnics Department.
It began operations in 1958.
The laboratory is run by
Dr. Osvaldo Flores Castrellón and
Dr. Miguel P. Romo Organista.
It is located in the
Building 4, "Raúl Marsal Córdova"
II UNAM. Ciudad Universitaria

SCOPE

Identification and classification of soils, as well as the assessment of static and dynamic properties of both cohesive and granular soils in undisturbed and compacted conditions. Numerical modeling of piles and earth structures under static and dynamic conditions, in order to study the soil-structure interaction, and the characterization of granular soils to estimate their potential for liquefaction.

ACTIVITIES

• Determination of mechanical properties of marine soils for construction of off-shore drilling platforms.
• Mechanical properties of compacted soils.
• Mechanical properties of clays in the Valley of Mexico and behavior of liquefiable, expansive and collapsible soils..

MAJOR WORKS AND RECENT PROYECTS

• Static and dynamic behavior of expanded polystyrene (EPS).
• Dynamic behavior of a retaining wall-compressible inclusion-soil.
• Design and construction of a system for measuring shear wave velocities and soil compression.
• Design and construction of a unidirectional shaking table to test models of up to 100 kg of mass.
• Design and construction of a triaxial pneumatic chamber for anisotropic triaxial tests at low strain.

EQUIPMENT

• Resonant columns
• Cameras for dynamic triaxial specimens of 3.6 and 7 cm in diameter.
• Dynamic triaxial equipment for specimens of 10, 14 and 15 cm in diameter.
• Triaxial chambers of controlled static displacement.
• Triaxial equipment for static anisotropic consolidation.
• Dynamic cyclic-torsional equipment.
• Leverage consolidometers .
• Rowe cells for one-dimensional consolidation.
• Consolidometer dimensional consolidation.
• Unidirectional shaking tables
• Testing equipment to determine soil indexes