Centrifuge Facilities

CU's geotechnical laboratories include state of the art centrifuge facilities used for research, industry design, and instructional purposes. The facilities include three geotechnical centrifuges. The largest of these centrifuges is a 400 g-ton centrifuge. In terms of g-ton capacity, this centrifuge is one of the most powerful in the world. It is capable of accelerating a 4000 lb payload to a maximum of 200 g in about 14 minutes, and can simulate earthquake motions in flight by utilizing a servo-hydraulic shaketable. The machine is used for numerous research projects investigating the static and seismic performance of retaining structures and slopes, seepage mechanisms, contaminant transport, and offshore foundation structures.

The facilities also include a 15 g-ton centrifuge It has a symmetrical arm comprised of aluminum sections carrying swing-baskets at each end. The 15 g-ton centrifuge accommodates experimental payloads up to 18 x 17.5 x 23 inches and will accelerated a payload of 300 pounds up to 100 g.

The most recent addition to CU's centrifuge laboratories is the instructional centrifuge, housed in the undergraduate geotechnical laboratory. Although this centrifuge has been in operation since 1996, during the summer of 2004 it was completely re-worked to accomodate symetrical swinging baskets, video data acquistion system, and a high performance AC drive motor. This centrifuge is primarily used as an instructional tool in undergraduate geotechnical engineering labs to introduce simple concepts of slope stability, active and passive earth pressure conditions, and bearing capacity taught in class.