Applied Geology and Geophysics Laboratory

APPLIED GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS LABORATORY

Keywords 

Geotechnics, Soil mechanics, geophysics, seismic investigation, electrical tomography, georadar.

The Applied Geology and Geophysics Laboratory is used for educational, research and commercial activities.

It is equipped for the physical and mechanical characterization of soils and in-situ geophysical investigation. Lab equipment allows the measure of soil geotechnical parameters such as: density, specific gravity, grain size, shear stress, breaking strength and compressibility.

Seismic prospecting, electrical tomography and ground penetrating radar are among the tools used for underground geophysical investigation.

Available equipment

Besides the basic equipment that includes sieves, assorted glassware, analytical scales, soil drying oven, water distiller, the Applied Geology and Geophysics Laboratory is equipped with:

• Direct-shear test apparatus;
• Ring-shear test apparatus;
• Triaxial test apparatus
• Oedometric compression test apparatus;
• Uniaxial compression test;
• Proctor and CBR apparatus;
• Grain size analysis and consistency limits of soils;
• Thermostatic bath for hydrometric test;
• Sieves shaker;
• Cone penetrometer;
• HYPROP apparatus for characteristic curve of soils (scales and tensiometers);
• Guelph permeameter;
• Electrical-tomography instrument;
• 24-channel seismograph instrument (sledgehammer or balistic energization);
• Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) (Cobra Dual 10 GPR (©Radarteam Sweden AB)).

Educational, formation and research activity

Bachelor and master students in earth sciences have the opportunity to experiment the notions learned in the courses and to carry out experimental activity for their final thesis.

Practical activities allow the students to get a better understanding of soil properties at the scale of the specimen which constitutes an essential basis to study the behavior of geomaterials at the bulk scale, main task of the Applied Geologist.

The laboratory allows the students to carry out Thesis Internships (Bachelor and Master) and allows PhD students and Postdocs to characterize soils that are frequently the subject of their research work in Applied Geology.

Services and consultancy

Consultancy and third party activities are ruled by a fare. The laboratory offers typical soil mechanics services and field investigation work including detailed geomorphological surveys and field geophysical prospections.