MTS 316 Load Frame - Manual (Page 30)

Series 316 Load Frame Product Information 30
Direct Shear Configuration
Operation
Direct Shear Specimen Preparation
1. Locate the two specimen shear boxes.
2. Place the lower shear box on a clean, flat surface. Use a sealant such as
modeling clay to seal around the inside edges of the box to prevent leakage
of the filler. Typical filler material is Hydro-stone plaster. Hydro-stone uses
a weight mix ratio of 32/100 (water/plaster), or a mixture of 0.326 liters of
water per kilogram of Hydro-stone.
Note Water weighs approximately 0.98 kg/liter (8 lbs/gallon).
3. Place the specimen in the box such that the desired specimen shear plane is
horizontal, and located vertically in the center of the gap between the two
halves of the box. If necessary, support the specimen with a block of wood.
Fill the cavity of the box with the appropriate filler.
Note Large spaces around the specimen may be filled with pieces of filler from
previous tests.
4. Place the specimen box spacers on the corners of the lower shear box.
5. Place the spacer material on top of the lower shear box. For reference, wood
is often used for this material with a nominal thickness of about 25 mm.
This material will have to be cut to accommodate the specimen and
specimen box spacers.
6. Using a sealant such as modeling clay seal the edges of the upper inside
specimen box.
7. Place the upper shear box on top of the box spacers. Attach the front handle
to the upper and lower shear boxes. Once the handle is bolted in place, the
upper and lower shear boxes will be correctly positioned with respect to
each other.
8. Fill the upper shear box with the filler material.
9. Let the filler set. A typical set time is 12 hours.