Apparatus and method for evaluating mechanical properties of geo-materials

An apparatus for evaluating mechanical properties of a geo-material test specimen, comprising:

• a support frame having a top plate and a bottom plate spaced apart vertically from one another;
• a first platen and a second platen positioned between the top plate and the bottom plate, each of the first and second platen having a loading surface spaced from the other loading surface so as to define a test specimen receiving space there between;
• a shaft having first end contacting the first platen and a second end extending above the top plate of the support frame;
• a motor connected to the upper plate of the frame;
• and
• a cam connected to the motor in such a way that the motor rotates the cam, the cam having at least one lobe extending from a peripheral surface thereof, the cam being positioned relative to second end of the shaft such that the lobe is engagable with the second end of the shaft in such a way that a cyclical axial load is applied to the test specimen when the test specimen is positioned in the test specimen receiving space between the first platen and the second platen and the cam is rotated so as to cause the lobe to cyclically apply an axial force to the shaft.