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Environmental and Engineering Geoscience

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A New, Highly Portable Point Load Test Device for Extreme Field Areas

¹ Terracon Consultants, Inc., 1360 Greg Street, Suite 112, Sparks, NV 89431
² University of Nevada, Reno, Mackay School of Earth Science and Engineering, Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering, MS 172, Reno, NV 89557

The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below.

Background

Recent field work conducted on Mount Rainier and Mount Adams, Washington, and Pico de Orizaba, Mexico (Bowman et al., 2003; Zimbelman et al., 2003) has concentrated on assessing volcano rockmass strength for use in edifice stability studies. Preliminary rockmass strengths of these volcanoes have been measured using a combination of point load index testing, direct shear testing on discontinuities, uniaxial compression testing, and vane shear testing on discontinuity fillings. Because of the extreme height of several of these volcanoes and the difficulty in transporting loads to and around the edifice areas, it is imperative to use equipment with the least possible weight and size.

A point load index test device for use in these conditions of high altitude, temperature extremes, and difficulty in transporting loads should be light, small, field repairable, and easy to operate, particularly with the use of gloves. This has necessitated the development of a new point load index device for use in these conditions. This new device must be significantly lighter than previously available units to be useful in these difficult conditions.

Existing commercial point load index test devices currently or previously available are both too heavy and bulky for transport to the edifices of many volcanoes. Many of the units weigh in excess of 20 kg. At these weights, one person can only carry the point load index device, not including other field supplies, equipment, and climbing gear. Table 1 lists the specifications of several commercially available point load index devices currently or previously available.

At the start of our investigation into a lighter, more portable point load index device, we modified a commercially available ELE International unit to reduce the weight of the device by removing the base plate and using a smaller pressure . . . [Full Text of this Article]