Vibrating Wire Earth Pressure Cell Total Pressure Cell
The TPC Total Pressure Cell measures total earth or contact pressure in soil, dams and concrete linings using a sealed, oil-filled distribution pad connected to a pressure transducer. Its rugged stainless steel construction and built-in thermistor suit long-term embedment in soil or concrete.
- Range
- 200 to 35,000 kPa (standard steps up to 35,000 kPa)
- Output
- Vibrating wire (also electrical, pneumatic, fibre optic)
- Accuracy
- ± 0.5% FS (vibrating wire); ± 0.25% FS (electrical/pneumatic/fibre optic)
Overview
In detail
How it works
The pad is a sealed distribution pad made of two plates welded together around the periphery and filled with de-aired oil, connected via a length of steel tube to a pressure transducer. Load changes on the pad vary the oil pressure, which the transducer senses. A built-in thermistor allows temperature reading.
Deployment
A circular pad suits general earth or dam pressure measurement; a rectangular pad variant is designed for tangential and radial stress measurement in shotcrete tunnel linings. The pad's high stiffness enables embedment in soil or concrete, and grooves on both faces increase flexibility while reducing sensitivity to off-axis stress. Eyelets simplify installation, and the concrete stress cell can be fitted with a repressurisation tube to restore pad-to-concrete contact after curing.
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Specifications
Technical specifications
- Range
- 200 to 35,000 kPa (standard steps up to 35,000 kPa)
- Accuracy
- ± 0.5% FS (vibrating wire); ± 0.25% FS (electrical/pneumatic/fibre optic)
- Operating temperature
- -20 to +80 °C
- Output
- Vibrating wire (also electrical, pneumatic, fibre optic)
- Pad thickness
- 6.3 mm
- Pad size
- 230 mm dia. (circular); 100x200, 150x250 or 200x300 mm (rectangular)
- Thermistor
- 3 kΩ, built in
Related
Often specified alongside
Geosystems
Vibrating Wire Strain Gauge SM-5
- Range
- 3000 µε
- Accuracy
- +/- 0.5% F.S.
- Temp
- −20 to +80°C
- Accuracy
- 0.05% FS (pressure)
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