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An Optical Solution for Small-strain Stiffness Characterisation in Triaxial Soil Testing
What is 3D-PIV Measurement System
What is 3D-PIV Measurement System
3D Particle Image Velocimetry (3D-PIV) is a non-contact, image-based technique that captures full-field soil deformation in three dimensions.
Using multiple cameras and advanced tracking algorithms, it allows precise measurement of small-strain stiffness degradation during triaxial tests.
Current User:
The University of Western Australia
University of Cambridge
Imperial College London
GTI Perth
WSP Perth
How It Works
How It Works
The system uses multiple Raspberry Pi camera modules to capture the deformation of a triaxial soil sample during the shearing stage.
Importantly, the 3D-PlV setup is designed as an external, add-on module that can be readily integrated with most standard triaxial devices - including potentially cyclic triaxial systems - with minimal or no modification required.
This modular design enables straightforward implementation without interfering with the core functions of the existing apparatus. The effectiveness of the 3D-PlV system has been validated using both sand and clay samples.
What It Can Do
What It Can Do
Stiffness degradation curve across a wide strain range
Stiffness degradation curve across a wide strain range
The system captures initial stiffness and stiffness degradation from small strain(as low as0.001%) to large strain (>1%). The initial stiffness values have been verified against results from bender element testing in a GDS triaxial device.
Local strain measurement
Local strain measurement
For soil samples exhibiting spatially variable strain behaviour (e.g. intact samples with mixed layers from different depths or units), the 3D-PlV system allows for local displacement within a single specimen.
Cyclic strain measurement
Cyclic strain measurement
Axial strain under cyclic loading has also been successfully captured using the 3D-PIV system, with results showing strong agreement with LVDT measurements.
Shear band detection and radial deformation analysis
Shear band detection and radial deformation analysis
The system identifies and visualises shear band formation during testing, while also capturing radial deformation.
Publications
Publications
Wang, Z., Du, W., Doherty, J., Lehane, B., Stanier, S., White, D., and Liu, Q. 2022. An automated image-based technology for soil 3D deformation measurement and constitutive parameters derivation. 20th International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Sydney, Australia. https://www.issmge.org/publications/publication/an-automated-image-based-technology-for-soil-3d-deformation-measurement-and-constitutive-parameters-derivation.
Wang, Z., Du, W., and Lehane, B.M. 2023. A 3D image-based method to measure soil stiffness in triaxial tests. Acta Geotechnica. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-023-01977-3.
Wang, Z. 2023. Development of an image-based 3D deformation measurement system for triaxial testing. PhD Thesis, The University of Western Australia. https://doi.org/10.26182/amn7-2z95.
Du, W. 2024. Image analysis for determination of triaxial test parameters. PhD Thesis, The University of Western Australia. https://doi.org/10.26182/r8za-1541.
Du, W., Lehane, B., Joer, H., Ghanbari, G., and Wang, H. 2025. Stiffness and Damping of Clay Under Cyclic Loading: An Image-Based Measurement Solution. 5th International Symposium on Frontiers in Offshore Geotechnics, Nantes, France. https://doi.org/10.53243/ISFOG2025-502.
Contact Us
Contact Us
wenhan.du@ngi.no
zewenwanguwa@gmail.com
barry.lehane@uwa.edu.au
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