Geotechnical Triaxial Soil Testing within Virtual Environment

This paper presents a computer-based innovative instructional approach for training potential users of the geotechnical triaxial device. The proposed approach provides the user with a tool to gain a thorough understanding of soil testing as well as the resulting soil behavior. The proposed approach is based on the concept of virtual reality environments and attempts to “realistically” simulate many of the essential characteristics of a real laboratory setting. The particular virtual environment being employed is referred to as the interactive visualizer (IV), which was developed by researchers at the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. The concept of machines, cameras, lights, and medium are described as the entities that, when properly combined, create a virtual world. In this context a geotechnical triaxial laboratory has been developed that models the nonlinear stress-strain behavior of soil specimens. Soil properties and confinements levels constitute the initial settings that are controlled by the user, followed by the shearing stages of the test that also respond to the interactive participation of the user. The mechanical response of the virtual soil specimen is displayed in a graphical format using the concept of a “classroom” blackboard. This initial version of the virtual laboratory has shown some very promising results. Additional planned developments will further enhance the usefulness of this application that, in turn, will benefit the geotechnical engineering educational community.