The Norwood, Mass.-based Instron Corp., provider of testing equipment designed to evaluate mechanical properties of materials and components, recently introduced its 9000HLX Universal Testing Machine, designed to test compression and tension of concrete, reinforcing steel and structural components.
Used to test materials for the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge East Span Seismic Safety Project—known as the East Span Project—this custom-made testing system has the capacity to test 2 million lbf in compression and tension.
The East Span Project is part of Caltrans’ Seismic Retrofit Program. This multibillion-dollar program enables engineers to modify the seismic behavior of several state-owned bridges in the Bay Area and throughout the state to make them less susceptible to damage in an earthquake.
The 9000HLX is located at the Structural Materials Testing Lab in Sacramento, Calif. The lab is the only state transportation testing lab accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation.