Large Universal Shell Element Tester (LUSET)
The project deals with the design and realisation of an experimental facility for the testing of shell elements.
The Large Universal Shell Element Tester (LUSET) will enable large scale tests on reinforced concrete shell elements with dimensions of 2.0 x 2.0 m and a variable thickness. The setup will enable the application of well controlled arbitrary load combinations at the four edges of the specimen (8 independent stress resultants) by means of 100 hydraulic actuators. The reaction forces of the actuators will be brought into equilibrium by a reaction frame consisting of an in-plane frame with external dimensions of 9.6 x 9.6 m and an out-of-plane frame that extends ca. 2.8 m in the out of plane direction. In addition to reinforced concrete shell elements, the setup will also enable the testing of fibre reinforced concrete, masonry elements, concrete hinges and/or parts of retaining walls.
The construction and commissioning of the LUSET including the performance of the first pilot test took place from May 2016 to June 2017. The following two film sequences show a time lapse video of the construction and commissioning over one year and the failure of the first specimen, a reinforced concrete element subjected to pure shear, respectively.