One of the most important aspects of constructing a structure is safety. Will it be able to stand the weight of such a large-scale project? Can it withhold the natural calamities? The answer to all such questions is a strong foundation. One that can face challenges over and over again and still stand solid as a rock.
And there lies an array of things to consider, calculate, analyze and finally design to build such a robust structure. Be it a building, bridge or a residential complex, every structure needs a powerful team, flawless strategies and the data they can rely on, for its construction.
But it all starts with the foundation and this is where Load testing comes into play. Load testing is done to determine the strength of the foundation upon which the structure will be constructed. Load testing is not only important but the basis of any construction.
Loads are of many different types but they can be broadly categorized into dead and live loads. Dead load comprises of the material used for construction such as tiles. Every other load except for the ones that come under dead load, is known as a live load. From humans to furniture to forces led by winds and temperature modification falls under live loads.
Dead loads can be measured accurately to a great extent but this is not the case with live loads. It is so because live loads also include accidental loads. Consequently, it becomes extremely difficult to measure live loads exactly as accidental loads can be caused due to fire, earthquakes, etc.
Nevertheless, engineers consider numerous load combinations to make a decision and load testing proves to be really helpful in this regard. There are different techniques and equipment to carry out load testing, and one of them is using load cells.
Load cells are geotechnical instrument used to measure weight. They are in almost all measuring devices; you can even find them in a grocery store or maybe at your home. There exist various types of load cells depending on the application. They can be used to measure a packet of sugar or used in structural health monitoring. That is why they are of different shapes, sizes and types.
Some of the different types of load cells are, hydraulic load cells, strain-gauge load cells, Pneumatic load cells, magnetostructive load cells, etc. All the load cells, irrespective of their type, perform one common basic function. They convert the mechanical force into electrical units that the human mind can comprehend.
With the help of the information gathered from these load cells via data loggers, engineers determine the strength of the soil, materials, among other things and conclude their analysis for the construction.
Load cells can be used in pre and post construction process. Before defining the potency and later monitoring it. Let’s not forget that these load cells are a part of the bigger picture - load testing.
So, now can you say load testing is the foundation of the construction of structures?
