International Parallel Tests on Bender Elements

The Geotechnical Laboratory (LabGEO) of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP) is one of the participants of the INTERNATIONAL PARALLEL TEST ON THE MEASUREMENT OF Gmax USING BENDER ELEMENTS, organized and supported by the Technical Committee TC-29 of ISSMGE. This initiative promotes the participation of institutions and laboratories worldwide currently using this state-of-the-art technique, in a series of bender element tests using the well-known Toyoura sand (from Japan), according to pre-established specifications. The aim of the International parallel tests using bender elements is to disseminate the experience of different practices (in terms of data acquisition, analysis and interpretation of results) used worldwide and to develop the recommendation for procedures referred to bender elements test.
The present report describes and details the results obtained for a short series of tests carried out at the Geotechnical Laboratory of FEUP, under the specified testing procedures.