BGS's rock deformation laboratories provide an integral and essential
part of the BGS science strategy, particularly within the energy,
minerals and waste, land use planning and development, climate change
and groundwater science areas. The laboratories are managed through
several facilities including: physical properties, fluid processes
research and microscopy.
BGS is a member of the European Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage
Laboratory Infrastructure now operating as a European Research
Infrastructure Consortium (ECCSEL-ERIC), and of the European Plate
Observing System (EPOS-ERIC). BGS is also one of the UK’s largest
providers of postgraduate research training in the applied geosciences,
with three main programs: the Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)
studentships, the Collaborative Awards in Science and Engineering CASE
studentships and the BGS University Funding Initiative (BUFI).
The Rock Mechanics and Physics Laboratory (RMPL) undertakes research on
the physical properties and behavior of rock specifically for: planning,
design and construction within the civil engineering sector; extraction
and storage within the energy sector; developing our understanding of
near–surface to shallow crustal earth processes in order to help predict
and mitigate the effects of small and large scale geohazards.
RMPL is equipped with a range of apparatus to study rock mechanical and
physical properties from the field to the coupled processes. It is home
of BGS’s large scale rock deformation apparatus, a versatile MTS Rock
Testing System 815 with 4.6 MN capacity, computer-controlled,
servo-controlled, hydraulic load frame capable of three configurations:
-
uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and deformability on 38 – 100 mm
diameter, cylindrical specimens (76 – 250 mm in length)
-
indirect (Brazilian) tensile testing configurations on 50 – 100 mm
diameter, disc specimens
-
triaxial compressive strength and deformability on 50 - 54 mm
diameter, cylindrical specimens (100 – 135 mm in length)
Testing undertaken in RMPL includes:
-
index (density, effective porosity, and water content)
-
uniaxial compressive strength and deformability (static elastic
moduli)
-
single- and multi-stage triaxial compressive strength and
deformability (static elastic moduli, Hoek-Brown and Mohr-Coulomb
failure envelope calculation)
-
cyclic testing (in uniaxial and triaxial conditions)
-
indirect tensile strength of weak rocks (Brazilian Disc, FRACKiT)
-
transient permeability in triaxial compression (moderate to high
permeability specimens)
-
P- and S-wave velocity in triaxial compression (including dynamic
elastic moduli)
-
Acoustic emissions
-
direct shear strength (using sliding holders in triaxial
compression)
-
point load strength index
-
Schmidt rebound hardness value
Please find further information here:
https://www.bgs.ac.uk/sciencefacilities/laboratories/engineering/mechanics.html
