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Geotechnical Engineering Lab


Geotechnical Engineering laboratory is equipped with state of the art equipments required for undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes. The laboratory is also an active venue for consultancy services. The laboratory facilitates the students to formulate, identify and analyze the Soil mechanics and foundation engineering problems pertaining to Civil Engineering. Fully functional equipments, in order to find the index and engineering properties of soils are available in the laboratory. Field test equipment for doing Standard Penetration Test is also available. As part of curriculum, the laboratory also hosts for various student experimental projects from the core and inter-disciplinary areas. The dimension of the laboratory is 108.34 m 2 , with provision for additional instruction area. The obsolete equipments and methods are periodically replaced or upgraded with latest arrivals and methods. Major equipment using for the research work is triaxial testing machine and consolidation test equipment. These equipments are attached with digital data acquisition systems. Calibration and maintenance of the test equipments in the laboratory are done periodically. Standard operating manual is available for the experiments. To ensure the safety of the people and the equipments, safety rules are formulated and displayed in the laboratory. Fire fighting equipments, first aid facilities are facilitated in the laboratory. The laboratory has a senior Professor in charge who is assisted by an Associate/Assistant professor. Two full time technical staff with expertise in geotechnical experiments is available in the laboratory.


List of Experiments

The list of experiments undertaken as part of the curriculum include:

  • 1. Determination of Water Content, Specific Gravity and Shrinkage Limit
  • 2. Field Density determination and Sieve Analysis
  • 3. Atterberg Limits (Liquid Limit, Plastic Limit and Shrinkage limit)
  • 4. Hydrometer Analysis
  • 5. Direct Shear test
  • 6. Standard Proctor Compaction Test
  • 7. Permeability Test and Unconfined Compression Test
  • 8. Consolidation Test
  • 9. Swelling Test
  • 10. Heavy compaction
  • 11. California Bearing Ratio Test


SI.No Name of Equipment Capacity Model No. Supplier Year Purchased
1 Triaxial Compression Testing Machine 20kN SLF1 AIMIL 1978
2 Triaxial Compressi on Testing Machine [MODROB] 16Kg/cm AIM 081 - 1 AIMIL 2009
3 Direct Shear Testing Machine 1200Kg SDS 2 AIMIL 1982
4 Direct Shear Testing Machine [MODROB] 1200Kg AIM 104 AIMIL 2009
5 Unconfined Compression Testing Equipment 250 Kg ALS 204 1984
6 Automatic Compacting Machine 2>6Kg AIMIL
7 Consolidation Test Equipment 20 Kg/cm AIM118 AIMIL 1984
8 Consolidation Test Equipment 20Kg/cm AIM0081 AIMIL 1986
9 Determination of Atterberg's Limits
Casagarande's Liquid Limit Apparatus
Cone Penetrometer
Shrinkage Dish
10 Liquid Limit Apparatus [Casagrande's] [MODROB]9 AIM041 AIMIL 2009
11 Cone Penetrometer 98cc 018 AIMIL 1990
12 Permeability Test Equipment 100 cc AIM121 AIMIL 1996
13 Universal Extruder [Screw jack Type] 38 mm to 100mm dia CM 074 Lawrance &Mayo 1978
14 Electronic Precision Balance (accuracy 0.01mg) 120gm CY 1049 CITIZEN 2009
15 Electronic Balance(accuracy 0.5 gm) 30Kg A1 TRANSWORL D 2013 2013
16 Electronic Balance (accuracy 10mg) (TEQIP) 300gm HJ 26 HERCULES4 2014
17 Thermostatically Controlled Oven 250 Volts KEMI 250 2KEM 2007
18 Thermostatically Controlled Oven 230 Volts 050 MODERN SCIETIFIC APPARATUS 1960
19 Consolidation Digital Unit (TEQIP) 20 Kg/cm² AIM 129-2 AIMIL 2013
20 Relative Density TestEquipment (MODROB) 3000cm³ and 1500cm³ Aim 115 AIMIL 2009
21 Sieve Shaker Motorised ¼ Hp AIM 025 AIMIL 2001
22 Constant PressureSystem [MODROB 16 Kg/cm AIM 081 - 1 AIMIL 2009
23 Vane Shear Apparatus (Motorised) 230N SVS 2 AIMIL 1986
24 Specific gravity Determination
a) Pycnometer
b) Density Bottle
25 Field Density of Soil Determination
a)Sand Replacement method
b) Density bottle
26 Proctor Compaction Apparatus
a)Light Compaction
b) Heavy Compaction
c)Proctor Needle
27 Grain size Determination of fine Grained Soil
a) Hydrometer
b) Stirrer
c) Pipette
28 High Speed Stirrer 6647 AIMIL 1986
29 HEICO - HS 16.05 HYDRAULIC EXTRUDER
30 HEICO HYDRAULIC & ENGINEERING INSTRUMENTS
1) PNEUMATIC CONTROL PANEL, 2 LINES
2)ELECTRONIC DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEM
DIGITAL DATA OADER
LOAD CELL
LVDT
PWP TRANSDUCER
1 MOUSE
31 AIR COMPRESSOR WORKMAN
32 ILUMINOUS-CRUISE 7500 INVERTER
33 MPOWER-150 Ah TUBULAR BATTERY


Major Consultancy activities
  • 1. In field soil testing using Standard Penetration Test and preparation of Soil report with recommendation for foundation.
  • 2. Soil classification tests such as specific gravity, sieve analysis, hydrometer analysis and Atterberg limits tests.
  • 3. Determination of compression and strength parameters by consolidation test, direct shear test and unconfined compression test.
  • 4. Evaluation of drained parameters and soil constants (Modulus of elasticity and Poisson’s ratio) using Advanced Triaxial test.
  • 5. Determination of compaction characteristics of soils in roads and embankments using standard and modified Proctor tests.

Research Activities in the Laboratory

Various research activities are carried out and special testing setup are also developed in the laboratory for doing the research activities. The research activities in the lab include:

  • UG students utilize laboratory for undertaking design projects, mini projects and the main project
  • PG students utilize laboratory for undertaking thesis
  • Ph. D scholars carry out their research work. The On-going Ph. Ds are
    • 1) Structural Aspects of Stabilized Mud Blocks (AICTE-NDF)
    • 2) Implications of wave and sediment dynamics on the Carrying capacity of the coastal zone- A case study in the coastal stretch of Kollam(AICTE-QIP)
    • 3) Flocculation and settling behaviour of suspended sediments in estuary(AICTE-NDF)


The laboratory is actively involving in consultancy work for various government and non-government organisations. The major clients are:

  • 1. Harbour Engineering department
  • 2. AsianetSatelite Communication LTD, Kollam
  • 3. KMML, Chavara
  • 4. Irrigation department
  • 5. GKG Consultancy Service Pvt. Ltd,Eranakulam
  • 6. Mangad Service Corporative Bank, Kollam
  • 7. Malayil Buildings Pvt. Ltd, Kochi
  • 8. Care home project second stage, Grama Panchayat, Alappuzha
  • 9. Telcon Infrastructure, Thiruvananthapuram
  • 10. IDECK,Kollam
  • 11. Inland Navigation, Varkala
  • 12. LSGD Section, Grama Panchayath
  • 13. Kavalakkat Construction Pvt. Ltd. Aluva
  • 14. Kerala State Construction Corporation
  • 15. Kollam Municipal Corporation
  • 16. Kerala Water Authority
  • 17. Care home project second stage , Grama Panchayat, Pathanamthitta
  • 18. KILA, CHRD, Kottarakara
  • 19. Supplyco Project, Kollam
  • 20. Department of Cooperation, Govt of Kerala, Alappuzha
  • 21. Department of Cooperation, Govt of Kerala, Pathanamthitta


Contact Information

Lab in Charge : Prof. Sulphia Beevi U, Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
Contact No : 8157823471
Email Id : sulphia@tkmce.ac.in
Assistant Lab in Charge : Dr. Sreeja Balakrishnan, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
Contact No : 9987022091
Email Id : sreejabalakrishnan30@tkmce.ac.in