Load Testing |
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| Load Testing |
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| Written by Administrator | |
| Sunday, 18 June 2006 | |
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LOAD TESTING
Load Testing means testing the capability and strength. There are different types of load testing. We do load testing on different structures. Those are: 1- Load Testing of building 2- Load Testing of bridge structure 3- Load Testing of car park barriers 4- Load Testing of cladding system 5- Load Testing of crowd barriers 6- Load Testing of foundation and components 7- Load Testing of glass panels 8- Load Testing of lighting column 9- Load Testing of web site
1- Load testing of building: Load Testing of building components or elements is a popular means of demonstrating a structure's capabilities when a simple analysis is not practical. Typical situations that arise include: - Load Testing of building components or elements is a popular means of demonstrating a structure's capabilities when a simple analysis is not practical. Typical situations that arise include: -1- Strength unknown 2- Change of use 3- Bomb or fire damage 4- Materials defect (cube failure) 5- Suspect performance 6- Routine verification of lifting equipment A variety of loading techniques can be applied according to the weight required, the condition of the building and logistical limitations. Water and Kent-ledge are the most popular methods. Monitoring of deflections is undertaken either electronically or using dial gauges, other qualities may also be measured such as crack widths, strains and temperature. 2- Load Testing of bridge structure: When a bridge fails its assessment for 40 tone vehicles one of the available options is supplementary load testing. This procedure can identify hidden strengths in the structure arising from a variety of sources to contribute towards avoidance of the need to conduct costly and disruptive strengthening works. When a bridge fails its assessment for 40 tone vehicles one of the available options is supplementary load testing. This procedure can identify hidden strengths in the structure arising from a variety of sources to contribute towards avoidance of the need to conduct costly and disruptive strengthening works.The main elements of such a test involves: - 1- Theoretical analysis 2- Instrumentation 3- Monitoring during application of load 4- Analysis of results The theoretical analysis will determine the anticipated behavior under any proposed loading regime and is likely to determine the optimum selection and position of instrumentation as well as providing the basis for appraisal of results. Careful planning is crucial if the test is to achieve a constructive solution. Instrumentation is likely to involve a combination of strain, deflection and temperature measuring sensors positioned to suit appraisal of the structure's performance in respect of critical stress and deflection criteria. Loads may be applied using Kent-ledge, laden lorries or a rolling load according the specific circumstances and the need to limit disruption. 3- Load Testing of car park barriers: Failure of inadequate barriers has resulted in cars falling from car parks. Barriers should be designed and installed in accordance with the requirements of BS 6180:1999 ‘Code of Practice for Barriers in and about Buildings'. Failure of inadequate barriers has resulted in cars falling from car parks. Barriers should be designed and installed in accordance with the requirements of BS 6180:1999 ‘Code of Practice for Barriers in and about Buildings'.The only means of ensuring that all components of an installed barrier work together to achieve the required performance is to conduct in-situ testing on the completed system. Test requirements are specified in BS 6180. Depending upon the barrier type, test loads of up to 150kN per 1.5m run may be required. These high loads require purpose built equipment for loading and monitoring of deflection. Fixing bolts for barrier systems can also be tested independently prior to the installation of a new or refurbished barrier. 4- Load Testing of cladding system: Cladding panels on the outside of a building may be subject to impacts from a wide variety of sources; accidental human impact, maintenance and cleaning (cleaning cradles), wind blown debris and vandalism (stone throwing). Cladding panels on the outside of a building may be subject to impacts from a wide variety of sources; accidental human impact, maintenance and cleaning (cleaning cradles), wind blown debris and vandalism (stone throwing).To ensure that cladding panels are not at undue risk of failure from typical impacts they should be tested for both hard and soft body impact resistance in accordance with the relevant British Standard. A hard body test involves dropping a 0.5 or 1 kg steel ball onto a cladding panel, whilst the soft body test swings a 50 kg leather bag filled with glass beads against the panel. The drop height defines the energy of the impact and can be adjusted to simulate different impact types. There are many apparatus available for carrying out hard and soft body tests. The tests are undertaken in accordance with the methods of BS 8200:1985 Code of practice for design of non-load bearing external vertical enclosures of buildings. It is recommended that the soft body test are carried out on all facades, but particularly those incorporating panels of stone or other brittle materials, where failure from an accidental impact of a cleaning cradle could lead to fragments falling from a significant height. 5- Load Testing of crowd barriers: Crush Barriers and other structures play an essential part in crowd control and safety at Sports Stadia. Stringent testing and inspection is therefore essential to ensure that their performance satisfies the Home Office requirements. Crush Barriers and other structures play an essential part in crowd control and safety at Sports Stadia. Stringent testing and inspection is therefore essential to ensure that their performance satisfies the Home Office requirements.Guidelines for testing and inspection are given in many Guides, where we will get many details of the test and performance requirements. Twenty five percent of all crush barriers, handrails and perimeter walls are required to be tested annually, with different barriers tested each year over a four years cycle. There are many testing services provided which is in strict accordance with the Home Office and Institution of Structural Engineers' procedures and accuracy requirements. Qualified personnel, conduct testing with experience in this field, using electronic load measuring cells and high precision dial gauges to monitor deflection. The work is carried out for the Club itself or for its professional adviser. Also required is an annual detailed inspection of all boundary walls, fences, gates and all components and installations. Services in this broader field are provided by Building Inspection Department. 6- Load Testing of foundation and components: Load testing of safety fences and safety barriers supporting posts and anchorages is required by DTp Specification for Highway Work Park 1 Series 400. Post foundation testing involves in situ loading and monitoring of the angular rotation of the post and its support. A high degree of accuracy is needed requiring skilled personnel. Load testing of safety fences and safety barriers supporting posts and anchorages is required by DTp Specification for Highway Work Park 1 Series 400. Post foundation testing involves in situ loading and monitoring of the angular rotation of the post and its support. A high degree of accuracy is needed requiring skilled personnel.Many Departments offers this service as part of a comprehensive range of testing on safety fence components. Other component testing services offered include Laboratory load testing of box beams and barrier lap joint testing. Also offered is material testing of components, including tensile testing, zinc coating thickness, strain ageing, bend testing, bolt testing and weld examinations 7- Load Testing of glass panels: Glass barrier panels forming part of balconies, balustrades or parapets are required to meet the impact test requirements as laid down in BS6180:1999, ‘Barriers in and about Buildings' and BS6206:1981 ‘Impact Performance Requirements for Flat Safety Glass and Safety Plastics for use in Buildings'. Glass barrier panels forming part of balconies, balustrades or parapets are required to meet the impact test requirements as laid down in BS6180:1999, ‘Barriers in and about Buildings' and BS6206:1981 ‘Impact Performance Requirements for Flat Safety Glass and Safety Plastics for use in Buildings'.Impact properties of glass infill panels are very important where people may come into contact with them, especially when moving, such as running down a stairway. On site and laboratory testing services are provided to ensure the integrity of the panels. Testing is conducted in strict accordance with the British Standards including the use of specially constructed leather Impactor Ball. The test involves the panel resisting specified impact loads, which are applied by swinging the special lead shot filled Impactor Ball from predetermined heights. Panels are examined for signs of damage or for safety of fracture as appropriate. 8- Load Testing of lighting column: Recently there has been a significant increase in failures of lighting columns, in one recent case tragically resulting in a fatality. Load Testing of lighting column: Recently there has been a significant increase in failures of lighting columns, in one recent case tragically resulting in a fatality.The problems detected during our testing programmes are often well concealed, to the extent that a less technical inspection, such as that carried out by an Authority's Term Maintenance Contractor, should not be expected to discover significant defects. As an example, loss of section is often difficult to identify since it can occur just below ground level. Furthermore the corrosion may be hidden by a non-structural decorative skirt or be most prevalent on internal surfaces which are difficult to access. This testing recently included a new innovative method for determining the integrity of these columns. The system involves the non-destructive testing of the column and assessing the integrity of the column's base section, both above and below the ground. This rapid in situ load test is carried out with minimal disruption. The results form a useful part of our appraisal of the column's condition. In conjunction with other testing procedures such as ultrasonic and visual inspection, our reports identify which columns are most at risk, and recommend which columns should be removed. The testing can also immediately identify those columns at risk of imminent failure. This programmer can include management of the condition of the lighting column stock. This interfaces the results of our testing programme with the type and age of the existing stock. The report can include a decision tree identifying where action is best placed. From our testing programme we are able to recommend a maintenance approach designed to avoid peaks and troughs of Authority spending. 9- Load Testing of web site: Are done by testing the website using the load that you expect to have on your site. This is something like a real world test of the website. First you have to define the maximum request times you want the customers to experience, this is done from the business and usability point of view, not from a technical point of view. At this point you need to calculate the impact of a slow website on your company sales and support costs. Then you have to calculate the anticipated load and load pattern for your website, which you then simulate using Webserver Stress Tool. At the end you compare the test results with the requests times you wanted to achieve. You know you have some work to do when requests take longer then time out or even generate error messages!
Author: Anuradha Panda
Load Testing means testing the capability and strength. There are different types of load testing. We do load testing on different structures. Those are: 1- Load Testing of building 2- Load Testing of bridge structure 3- Load Testing of car park barriers 4- Load Testing of cladding system 5- Load Testing of crowd barriers 6- Load Testing of foundation and components 7- Load Testing of glass panels 8- Load Testing of lighting column 9- Load Testing of web site
1- Load testing of building: Load Testing of building components or elements is a popular means of demonstrating a structure's capabilities when a simple analysis is not practical. Typical situations that arise include: - Load Testing of building components or elements is a popular means of demonstrating a structure's capabilities when a simple analysis is not practical. Typical situations that arise include: -1- Strength unknown 2- Change of use 3- Bomb or fire damage 4- Materials defect (cube failure) 5- Suspect performance 6- Routine verification of lifting equipment A variety of loading techniques can be applied according to the weight required, the condition of the building and logistical limitations. Water and Kent-ledge are the most popular methods. Monitoring of deflections is undertaken either electronically or using dial gauges, other qualities may also be measured such as crack widths, strains and temperature. 2- Load Testing of bridge structure: When a bridge fails its assessment for 40 tone vehicles one of the available options is supplementary load testing. This procedure can identify hidden strengths in the structure arising from a variety of sources to contribute towards avoidance of the need to conduct costly and disruptive strengthening works. When a bridge fails its assessment for 40 tone vehicles one of the available options is supplementary load testing. This procedure can identify hidden strengths in the structure arising from a variety of sources to contribute towards avoidance of the need to conduct costly and disruptive strengthening works.The main elements of such a test involves: - 1- Theoretical analysis 2- Instrumentation 3- Monitoring during application of load 4- Analysis of results The theoretical analysis will determine the anticipated behavior under any proposed loading regime and is likely to determine the optimum selection and position of instrumentation as well as providing the basis for appraisal of results. Careful planning is crucial if the test is to achieve a constructive solution. Instrumentation is likely to involve a combination of strain, deflection and temperature measuring sensors positioned to suit appraisal of the structure's performance in respect of critical stress and deflection criteria. Loads may be applied using Kent-ledge, laden lorries or a rolling load according the specific circumstances and the need to limit disruption. 3- Load Testing of car park barriers: Failure of inadequate barriers has resulted in cars falling from car parks. Barriers should be designed and installed in accordance with the requirements of BS 6180:1999 ‘Code of Practice for Barriers in and about Buildings'. Failure of inadequate barriers has resulted in cars falling from car parks. Barriers should be designed and installed in accordance with the requirements of BS 6180:1999 ‘Code of Practice for Barriers in and about Buildings'.The only means of ensuring that all components of an installed barrier work together to achieve the required performance is to conduct in-situ testing on the completed system. Test requirements are specified in BS 6180. Depending upon the barrier type, test loads of up to 150kN per 1.5m run may be required. These high loads require purpose built equipment for loading and monitoring of deflection. Fixing bolts for barrier systems can also be tested independently prior to the installation of a new or refurbished barrier. 4- Load Testing of cladding system: Cladding panels on the outside of a building may be subject to impacts from a wide variety of sources; accidental human impact, maintenance and cleaning (cleaning cradles), wind blown debris and vandalism (stone throwing). Cladding panels on the outside of a building may be subject to impacts from a wide variety of sources; accidental human impact, maintenance and cleaning (cleaning cradles), wind blown debris and vandalism (stone throwing).To ensure that cladding panels are not at undue risk of failure from typical impacts they should be tested for both hard and soft body impact resistance in accordance with the relevant British Standard. A hard body test involves dropping a 0.5 or 1 kg steel ball onto a cladding panel, whilst the soft body test swings a 50 kg leather bag filled with glass beads against the panel. The drop height defines the energy of the impact and can be adjusted to simulate different impact types. There are many apparatus available for carrying out hard and soft body tests. The tests are undertaken in accordance with the methods of BS 8200:1985 Code of practice for design of non-load bearing external vertical enclosures of buildings. It is recommended that the soft body test are carried out on all facades, but particularly those incorporating panels of stone or other brittle materials, where failure from an accidental impact of a cleaning cradle could lead to fragments falling from a significant height. 5- Load Testing of crowd barriers: Crush Barriers and other structures play an essential part in crowd control and safety at Sports Stadia. Stringent testing and inspection is therefore essential to ensure that their performance satisfies the Home Office requirements. Crush Barriers and other structures play an essential part in crowd control and safety at Sports Stadia. Stringent testing and inspection is therefore essential to ensure that their performance satisfies the Home Office requirements.Guidelines for testing and inspection are given in many Guides, where we will get many details of the test and performance requirements. Twenty five percent of all crush barriers, handrails and perimeter walls are required to be tested annually, with different barriers tested each year over a four years cycle. There are many testing services provided which is in strict accordance with the Home Office and Institution of Structural Engineers' procedures and accuracy requirements. Qualified personnel, conduct testing with experience in this field, using electronic load measuring cells and high precision dial gauges to monitor deflection. The work is carried out for the Club itself or for its professional adviser. Also required is an annual detailed inspection of all boundary walls, fences, gates and all components and installations. Services in this broader field are provided by Building Inspection Department. 6- Load Testing of foundation and components: Load testing of safety fences and safety barriers supporting posts and anchorages is required by DTp Specification for Highway Work Park 1 Series 400. Post foundation testing involves in situ loading and monitoring of the angular rotation of the post and its support. A high degree of accuracy is needed requiring skilled personnel. Load testing of safety fences and safety barriers supporting posts and anchorages is required by DTp Specification for Highway Work Park 1 Series 400. Post foundation testing involves in situ loading and monitoring of the angular rotation of the post and its support. A high degree of accuracy is needed requiring skilled personnel.Many Departments offers this service as part of a comprehensive range of testing on safety fence components. Other component testing services offered include Laboratory load testing of box beams and barrier lap joint testing. Also offered is material testing of components, including tensile testing, zinc coating thickness, strain ageing, bend testing, bolt testing and weld examinations 7- Load Testing of glass panels: Glass barrier panels forming part of balconies, balustrades or parapets are required to meet the impact test requirements as laid down in BS6180:1999, ‘Barriers in and about Buildings' and BS6206:1981 ‘Impact Performance Requirements for Flat Safety Glass and Safety Plastics for use in Buildings'. Glass barrier panels forming part of balconies, balustrades or parapets are required to meet the impact test requirements as laid down in BS6180:1999, ‘Barriers in and about Buildings' and BS6206:1981 ‘Impact Performance Requirements for Flat Safety Glass and Safety Plastics for use in Buildings'.Impact properties of glass infill panels are very important where people may come into contact with them, especially when moving, such as running down a stairway. On site and laboratory testing services are provided to ensure the integrity of the panels. Testing is conducted in strict accordance with the British Standards including the use of specially constructed leather Impactor Ball. The test involves the panel resisting specified impact loads, which are applied by swinging the special lead shot filled Impactor Ball from predetermined heights. Panels are examined for signs of damage or for safety of fracture as appropriate. 8- Load Testing of lighting column: Recently there has been a significant increase in failures of lighting columns, in one recent case tragically resulting in a fatality. Load Testing of lighting column: Recently there has been a significant increase in failures of lighting columns, in one recent case tragically resulting in a fatality.The problems detected during our testing programmes are often well concealed, to the extent that a less technical inspection, such as that carried out by an Authority's Term Maintenance Contractor, should not be expected to discover significant defects. As an example, loss of section is often difficult to identify since it can occur just below ground level. Furthermore the corrosion may be hidden by a non-structural decorative skirt or be most prevalent on internal surfaces which are difficult to access. This testing recently included a new innovative method for determining the integrity of these columns. The system involves the non-destructive testing of the column and assessing the integrity of the column's base section, both above and below the ground. This rapid in situ load test is carried out with minimal disruption. The results form a useful part of our appraisal of the column's condition. In conjunction with other testing procedures such as ultrasonic and visual inspection, our reports identify which columns are most at risk, and recommend which columns should be removed. The testing can also immediately identify those columns at risk of imminent failure. This programmer can include management of the condition of the lighting column stock. This interfaces the results of our testing programme with the type and age of the existing stock. The report can include a decision tree identifying where action is best placed. From our testing programme we are able to recommend a maintenance approach designed to avoid peaks and troughs of Authority spending. 9- Load Testing of web site: Are done by testing the website using the load that you expect to have on your site. This is something like a real world test of the website. First you have to define the maximum request times you want the customers to experience, this is done from the business and usability point of view, not from a technical point of view. At this point you need to calculate the impact of a slow website on your company sales and support costs. Then you have to calculate the anticipated load and load pattern for your website, which you then simulate using Webserver Stress Tool. At the end you compare the test results with the requests times you wanted to achieve. You know you have some work to do when requests take longer then time out or even generate error messages!
Author: Anuradha Panda |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 21 June 2006 ) |
