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Reaction wall

Description

The static piston reaction wall was installed in 1986 and is used in quasi-static and pseudo-dynamic testing of structural elements where force or movement is imposed. It is placed in various experimental setups.

The system allows the imposition of movements or loads. It consists of the reaction wall, the hydraulic piston MTS 244.41, the pump and the control system MTS 458.10. The load capacity is up to 500kN and the stroke of the piston +-200mm.

Data can be collected using a 32-channel data acquisition system. Testing and data collection are performed using National Instruments Labview. Two of the 32 channels used to record applied force and displacement of the piston. The rest can be connected to displacement meters, to electromechanometers in quarter, half and full Wheatstone bridge connections, to force sensors and to other sensors with a voltage output.