The "halle Margeriaz" structural platform is designed to test the mechanical behavior of structural elements from scale 0.4 to 1. It is equipped with several test benches. A horizontal test rig used to load large parts in tension or compression, and a 3.15 m wide, 4 m high gantry used for various types of test: bending, shear, tension, compression.
This equipment has been designed to ensure that deformations remain low up to 300 kN of force. They can be fitted with various instruments, including 2 electric cylinders (120 kN each) and 1 hydraulic cylinder (300 kN), all of which can be controlled in terms of force or displacement, depending on the needs of the test being carried out. Acquisition equipment also includes accelerometers and a high-definition camera for image cross-correlation.
Displacement comparators are also used to check the validity of the image correlation and verify safety against possible instabilities (out-of-plane, tilting, etc.).
The whole system is simultaneously controlled by an acquisition unit. This makes it possible to link the non-linear behavior obtained during loading to the appearance of localized defects in the structure under test, by means of image correlation. This equipment is used to study the quasi-static and vibratory behavior of masonry walls, in both conventional and non-conventional materials, and of connections of reinforced concrete elements in particular.