Project Title
A Multiple Camera System to Determine The Absolute Volume of Soil Specimens During Dynamic Triaxial Testing (Yr 1)
Researcher(s)
Xiong Zhang, PI, Missouri University of Science & Technology
Jenny Liu, Co-PI, Missouri University of Science & Technology
Project Description
Triaxial tests have been widely used to evaluate stress-strain behavior for geomaterials. In the past few decades, several methods have been developed to measure the volume changes of unsaturated soil specimens during triaxial tests. Literature review indicates that all existing methods can only measure relative soil volume and it remains a major challenge for researchers to measure the absolute volume changes of soil specimens during dynamic triaxial testing. The research will develop a computer vision/photogrammetry-based multiple camera system for measuring the absolute volume change for soil specimen during dynamic triaxial testing. Methodology will be developed to analyze the videos taken from multiple cameras by combining deep-learning techniques and modern close-range photogrammetry. Three-dimensional models of the soil specimen with high accuracy will be constructed using the videos and will be compared and validated using different methods. Post-processing algorithms will be developed to automatically calculate the absolute volume, titling, eccentricity, as well as localized displacement/strains at any arbitrary locations. This method for 3D reconstruction will provide us a non-contact, high accuracy, low cost, and easy-to-operate tool for absolute volume measurements for soil specimen during dynamic triaxial testing.
Project Visuals
Xiong Zhang, PI, Missouri University of Science & Technology
