Geotechnical Centrifuge Draft
Our geotechnical centrifuge facility at CIEST provides one of the premier large-scale physical modelling laboratories in North America, with three centrifuges including a 400 g-ton research centrifuge, a 15 g-ton research centrifuge, and an instructional centrifuge, dedicated to research, industry collaboration, and education. These systems are used to predict and improve the performance of soil and soil-structure systems under elevated gravitational fields, so that reduced-scale models reproduce prototype stress states, deformation patterns, and failure mechanisms under realistic mechanical, hydraulic, and thermal conditions.
Equipment & Facilities
400 g-ton Centrifuge
A 5.5-m radius centrifuge with a shaking table used for high g testing of soil and structural models, offering strong control, stable operation, and advanced data monitoring.
15 g-ton Centrifuge
A 1-m radius centrifuge that accelerates 300 lb payloads up to 100g with programmable speed control and stable closed loop operation
Instructional Centrifuge
A teaching centrifuge used for hands on learning, allowing students to observe realistic soil and structure behavior through small scale experiments.
Sand Pluviator and Containers
A set of specialized containers and dedicated precise specimen preparation designed for soil and structural tests. Containers offer different sizes, drainage setups, and boundary conditions for varied experiments.