Pressure Control

GCTS offers three solutions for controlling the pressures required for triaxial tests on soil specimens. For pressure control during rock testing, click here.

The PCP-200 is a table-top, manually-operated, pneumatic pressure control panel for controlling the confining, pore, and back pressure in soil specimens. The system meets ASTM D3999-91 and D5311-92 pore water pressure measurement compliance requirements and has a pressure capacity of 1,000 kPa. The system can be upgraded to computer-control of some or all of the pressures if required.

The PCP-2000H consists of a pressure panel, a large cabinet, and either two (for standard triaxial and permeability tests) or three (for unsaturated or hollow cylinder tests) pressure-volume intensifiers. The intensifiers are made of stainless-steel and are used for controlling the confining pressure, pore water pressure, or pore air pressure in a specimen. A variety of intensifiers are available for 1, 2, or 3.5 MPa pressures and 300, 800, or 2,000 cc volumes. The intensifiers can be controlled hydraulically or pneumatically and are capable of dynamic application of pressures at up to 10 Hz. This setup is computer-controlled and allows for a full range of stress-strain paths to be pre-programmed for testing.

The ePVC Series of Standalone Pressure / Volume Controllers provide independent control of hydraulic pressure or flow for a variety of applications. These controllers are electromechanical and only require standard 100‐240 VAC, 50/60 Hz power for operation ‐ no hydraulic power is needed! They are capable of closed‐loop servo‐control of the pressure or volume and feature a large volume capacity and stroke with a direct, integrated transducer for precise volume measurements. This is done to prevent control errors caused by gear backlash commonly found in other systems that use a motor encoder. The ePVC includes interface programs for PC or mobile devices (iOS, Android and Windows) to remotely set pressures or flow rates. Multiple units can be linked through our CATS software for simultaneous control as required by triaxial, permeability, and other testing applications. All models can be upgraded with continuous flow capabilities with no recharge pause. This allows for true continuous flow with no pressure spikes.