LEST FACILITIES

LEST occupies three floors of approximately 200 m² each one, totalizing a area of about 600 m². These spaces are organized in test zones and areas for the preparation and post-inspection of the test specimens. The floor of PAV1 is made by a heavily reinforced concrete slab of 450 mm thickness with a grid of holes of 90 mm diameter to clamp steel profiles and other devices, in order to serve as a reaction slab. Thick reinforced concrete walls at the contour of PAV1 give partial clamped support conditions to this RC slab, resulting a very stiff structure. PAV1 also includes a RC reaction wall, where specimens can be submitted to multiaxial load configurations. A room for the technical staff is also part of PAV1. PAV2 is the basement of the laboratory and is dedicated, mainly, to the accommodation of materials and test specimens. Finally, PAV3 includes the most recent equipments and is planned to have an area where students can carry out tests within the ambit of the lessons. PAV3 also includes rooms for the technical staff, researchers and to accommodate equipment of high precision.

The laboratory is equipped with several servo-controlled equipments for tests that need to be executed under force or deflection control. A servo-controlled biaxial machine (2000 kN in compression and 200 kN in tension), a load frame for servo-controlled compression tests (2500 kN) and a modern fatigue machine (+/-1000 kN) are some of the equipment available on LEST. A climatic chamber, a furnace and a carbonation chamber are also part of the LEST equipment.