Geotechnical Investigation Laboratory | Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Gdańsk University of Technology

Geotechnical Investigation Laboratory (Laboratorium Badań Geotechnicznych)

The Structure of the Laboratory

Geotechnical Investigation Laboratory is a part of the Department of Geotechnical and Hydraulic Engineering, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Gdańsk University of Technology. The Laboratory is located in the room 119, Building No. 21 (,,Żelbet") in Gdańsk Wrzeszcz, Poland.

The Purpose of the Laboratory

The purpose of the Geotechnical Investigation Laboratory is in fact in threefold: to conduct scientific research, to carry out commercial contracts commissioned by the industry, and to educate the future generations of engineers.

The Scope of the Investigations

The scope of research carried out in the Laboratory consists of testing mineral and organic natural soils, as well as anthropogenic soils, soil-structure interaction investigation with a focus on both shallow and deep foundation and other geotechnical structures. The research results are presented as scientific papers, expert opinions for business or judicial purposes, technical designs and patents.

Soil investigation:

• shallow boring, soil sample collection
• CPTU static soil probing
• DPL dynamic soil probing
• DMT soundings
• in-situ soil density checks

Laboratory testing of natural and anthropogenic soils; A wide range of tests towards physical and mechanical properties of soils:

• water content and density testing
• granulometry testing
• density index of coarse-grained soils and Atterberg limits of fine-grained soils
• soil strength testing in direct shear apparatus (for both fine-grained and coarse-grained soils), in triaxial apparatus (CD, CU and UU procedures), in universal testing machine (unavailable until completion of Centrum Ekoinnowacji building)
• soil-structure interface investigations using direct shear apparatus (interfaces with concrete and steel structures)
• soil stiffness and consolidation testing in oedometer
• water permeability testing for soils
• Proctor compaction testing of soils

Geosynthetic materials testing:

• testing of strength and deformability of geosynthetics (unavailable until completion of Centrum Ekoinnowacji building)
• testing of geosynthetics-soil interaction (unavailable until completion of Centrum Ekoinnowacji building)
• testing of physical properties and hydraulic properties of geosynthetics (unavailable until completion of Centrum Ekoinnowacji building)

Field testing of foundation piles:

• static load tests of piles
• static load tests of piles with measurements of force distribution along the shaft
• dynamic load tests of piles

Scale modeling of foundation and geotechnical constructions:

• calibration chamber with a controlled stress and strain conditions (unavailable until completion of Centrum Ekoinnowacji building)