Geotechnical Laboratory

Providing specialised geotechnical and characterisation tests including soil and rock characterisation, with state-of-the-art testing equipment, for complex infrastructure, decommissioning and rehabilitation projects.

The University of Melbourne’s Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory has had significant investment over the past 10 years on equipment and staff to support our research activities.  Explore details of available equipment below or by downloading our brochure.

Geotechnical Lab Brochure

Our testing capabilities

  • Laboratory Tests
    • Triaxial tests (including stress paths and cyclic)
    • Simple and direct shear tests
    • Consolidation tests
    • Swell tests (constant load and constant volume)
    • Rowe cell test
    • Universal testing machine (UTM) including static and cyclic testing of soil, aggregate and rock
    • Dielectric permittivity and P & S wave velocities
  • In situ Tests
    • Geophysics (GPR, EM, Seismic, LWD)
    • Thermal conductivity (laboratory and in situ TRT)
    • Field plate load tests
    • Field monitoring using optic fibres (strain, temperature)
    • Field moisture content (including remote logging)
    • GEMS (Geothermal Energy Mobile System up to 120 kW)
    • Underground services and utilities locator
    • Pavement modulus