About Us
Analysis, design and testing of steel structural components and structures has been one of the challenging research areas to the researchers across the globe. In order to understand the behavior of various hot-rolled and cold-rolled steel structural components and structures. Research activities in the area of steel structures was started at CSIR-SERC about 3 decades before. A number of pioneering contributions were made by the scientists of Steel Structures Laboratory including the formulation of number of guidelines to IS:800-2007 and IS:801-Draft codes of practice.
Apart from the desktop and laptop computers to meet the computational requirements of the scientists, SSRF also has a test floor for conducting experimental investigations upto 250 kN of loading. Steel Structures Laboratory has a fatigue-rated 50 kN actuator with a stroke of ±125 mm. To augment the research related to steel-foam concrete composite panels Steel Structures Laboratory has an automatic foam concrete mixer machine. For health assessment of steel buildings and structures, non-destructive testing & evaluation (NDT&E) equipments/tools such as coating thickness gauge, hardness tester, thickness gauge, dye penetrant test, ultrasonic flaw detector, magnetic particle testing and 3D disto are available at Steel Structures Laboratory. Steel Structures Laboratory also has an electochemical modular workstation (Autolab) with potentiostat/galvanostat for induced corrosion simulation and measurements. IR camera and pyrometer available at Steel Structures Laboratory can be used for elevated temperature simulation and measurements.
50 kN Fatigue-Rated Actuator
- Capacity 50 kN; Stroke ±125 mm ;
- Working pressure 210 bar
- Load or displacement control
- Useful for static and fatigue testing of structural components
Uniaxial Shake Table
- Size 2.5 x 2.5 m; Capacity – 100 kN; Stroke length ±75 mm
- Sweep sine, sine, triangular, square wave forms
- Used to study dynamic characteristics of scaled down models of structures
Foam concrete Production Machine
- Capacity 3 cubic meters per hour
- Volume of mixer 500 litres
- Density 350-1200 kg\cubic meter
- Useful for production of foam concrete blocks
Computing Facility
Non-Destructive Testing & Evaluation (NDT&E) Equipment’s/Tools
- Coating thickness gauge: To measure the applied paint or protective coating thickness on the ferrous and non-ferrous metal surfaces
- Hardness tester: To evaluate the hardness of the metals in terms of various units so as to assess the material soundness and yield strength of the metal. The hardness tester can work on 0o, ±45o and +90o angle surfaces
- Thickness gauge: To measure the thickness (range 2 mm to 200 mm) of the metallic components. Generally used to find the residual thickness of components, which are affected by corrosion
- Dye penetrant test: To identify the surface cracks developed on the weld or parent metal
- Ultrasonic flaw detector: To detect and evaluate the cracks, flaws and any delamination developed on the metallic components and structural elements
- Magnetic Particle testing: To detect surface and shallow depth cracks in the metal components
- 3D Disto: Laser based 3-D coordinates, distance and profile measuring instrument
