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 : Dr. Muhammed Siddik A, Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
Contact No : 9446162589
Email Id : muhammedsiddik@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