The SRL UW Panel Element Tester will be the first machine of its kind to be available on the west coast of the United States, anticipated to be operational by summer 2017. It is unique among similar testers for its flexibility in terms of stress states that it can generate. The tester is an advanced apparatus that can apply arbitrary combinations of in-plane stresses to thin membrane specimens. The testing rig includes a stiff steel reaction frame, 37 60-kip hydraulic actuators and three rigid links. It is served by a 10,000 psi hydraulic pump. The device is equipped with four hydraulic lines (channels), each comprising banks of 10 actuators. Its independent controller uses proportional valves to regulate the pressure in each line. Load cells and pressure transducers are used to control forces and pressures that develop in the actuators. The machine allows the determination of realistic constitutive models for URM subjected to multiaxial loading conditions.
