A penetration testing apparatus for testing the bearing strength of ground, soil layers, base-courses, subbases and subgrades without the need for much manual operation, includes the following components operatively connected together, comprising a frame support (5) which supports an actuating apparatus (7), power supply apparatus (9), movable carriage assembly (13), ground penetrating member (15), carriage drive mechanism 17 and ground stabilizing means (18), operatively connected together to carry out a ground test. The movable carriage assembly (13) movably supports one ground penetrating member (15). The movable carriage assembly (13) is movably supported by the frame support (5) such that power from the actuating apparatus (7) slidably and mechanically moves the carriage assembly (13) up and down with the ground penetrating member (15), on a portion of the frame support (5), to cause the ground penetrating member (15) to contact or penetrate the ground when the carriage assembly (13) moves down and be slidably moved back up the portion of the frame support (5) to repeat the sliding down movement again.

A system is provided, including a remotely operated machine having: a coiled rod with a probe to be penetrated into subsurface by uncoiling the rod; a tracking unit determining a position of the machine; and adjustable support legs for stabilizing and levelling the machine; a remote workstation having a user interface for data input and output; a tracking control unit for tracking movement of the machine based on its position; a levelling control unit for controlling the support legs; and a deployment control unit for controlling uncoiling of the rod and penetration of the probe into the subsurface; the tracking control unit, levelling control unit and deployment control unit configured to communicate with the remote workstation allowing operation of these units to be monitored, initiated and/or controlled via the user interface; and the tracking control unit, levelling control unit, and deployment control unit configured to transmit a signal indicating successful execution of its operation.

Disclosed is a wireless detection device for quickly positioning a throw-fill stone falling depth and long-term settlement in blasting silt-squeezing construction, including a gravity ball and a signal receiving, processing and controlling system. The gravity ball is internally provided with test mechanisms, signal collecting and transmitting apparatuses and batteries. Also disclosed is a wireless detection method implemented using the above wireless detection device. The device and the method can detect the throw-fill stone falling depth and distribution situation in a blasting silt-squeezing construction process in real time, so that the effect evaluation and quality control of blasting silt-squeezing can be monitored in real time, the situation that the falling of throw-fill stones is incomplete can be acquired in time, monitoring data support can be provided for corresponding processing measures, and long-term settlement and other monitoring can be carried out.

An in-situ dynamic settlement test bench and method for the foundation soil is provided. The in-situ dynamic settlement test bench includes a vibration table system, a sensor embedded in the foundation soil, and a water injection trench around the foundation soil. A horizontal vibration load is applied to the lower foundation soil at an in-situ testing site by means of a vibration table, and the dynamic response of the foundation soil is measured through the sensors embedded in different positions, to reflect the seismic settlement deformation of the soil body. Dynamic settlement tests on soils include indoor dynamic simple shear, triaxial and torsional shear tests. A method is proposed for measuring the dynamic response and settlement deformation of the foundation soil by using a vibrator's vibration action on an in-situ soil column. Measurements of the acceleration response and seismic settlement deformation are taken for the foundation soil under in-situ condition.

A damping ratio measuring device for consolidation equipment includes a bracket, a consolidation pressure device and a sleeve. The consolidation pressure device is set at the top of the bracket, and the output direction of the consolidation pressure device is directly below. The bottom of the consolidation pressure device is connected with a pressurized piston. A displacement sensor is set on the pressurized piston. The sleeve is set directly below the consolidation pressure device, the pressurized piston extends from the top of the sleeve, the diameter of the pressurized piston is the same as the inner diameter of the sleeve, the bottom of the sleeve is sealed with a support plate, and there are two bending element sensors at the top of the support plate and the bottom of the pressurized piston.

A method (400) and a control unit (210) for ground bearing capacity analysis. The method (400) steps include determining (401) a shape of the terrain segment (130) ahead of a vehicle (100), based on sensor measurements; predicting (402) a distance between a sensor (120) of the vehicle (100) and the ground (110) at the terrain segment (130), before the vehicle (100) moves into the terrain segment (130); measuring (403) the distance between the sensor (120) of the vehicle (100) and the ground (110) when the vehicle (100) has moved into the terrain segment (130); and determining (404) that the terrain segment (130) is to be avoided due to insufficient bearing capacity when the predicted (402) distance between the sensor (120) and the ground (110) exceeds the measured (403) distance between the sensor (120) and the ground (110). Also, a method (600) and control unit (210) for route planning of the vehicle (100) are described.

This invention belongs to the field of ocean engineering technology. The present invention relates to a free fall ball penetrometer with a booster, which is a kind of free-fall penetrometer. The free fall penetrometer with a booster is dynamically penetrated into the seabed through its kinetic and potential energies without any loading devices, hence the operation process is simple. The main measuring instrument is the ball penetrometer at the tip of the free fall ball penetrometer with a booster. The ball penetrometer is subject to end bearing resistance, drag force, and buoyancy of the soil during the dynamic penetration process within the soil. Based on the measured data from the accelerometer and load cell, the soil strength parameters including the soil undrained shear strength and strain-rate parameter can be back-analyzed. The added booster can effectively increase the penetration depth of the ball penetrometer and hence enlarge the range of measured penetration depths. Moreover, the booster can improve the directional stability of the penetrometer during the falling process, avoiding the ball from rotating. A load cell is added in the present penetrometer. The force data measured from the load cell, together with the acceleration data from the accelerometer, can further improve the measured accuracy.

This invention belongs to the field of ocean engineering technology. The present invention relates to a free fall ball penetrometer with a booster, which is a kind of free-fall penetrometer. The free fall penetrometer with a booster is dynamically penetrated into the seabed through its kinetic and potential energies without any loading devices, hence the operation process is simple. The main measuring instrument is the ball penetrometer at the tip of the free fall ball penetrometer with a booster. The ball penetrometer is subject to end bearing resistance, drag force, and buoyancy of the soil during the dynamic penetration process within the soil. Based on the measured data from the accelerometer and load cell, the soil strength parameters including the soil undrained shear strength and strain-rate parameter can be back-analyzed. The added booster can effectively increase the penetration depth of the ball penetrometer and hence enlarge the range of measured penetration depths. Moreover, the booster can improve the directional stability of the penetrometer during the falling process, avoiding the ball from rotating. A load cell is added in the present penetrometer. The force data measured from the load cell, together with the acceleration data from the accelerometer, can further improve the measured accuracy.

Provided are a testing instrument and method for checking the degree of saturation of a pressure sensor unit of a piezocone.

Provided are a testing instrument and method for checking the degree of saturation of a pressure sensor unit of a piezocone.