Device for measuring load and deflection of materials

A system for measuring normal load and deflection of a material, comprising:

• a portable load deflection device, comprising a support arm having a first end and a second end opposite said first end, said first end for attachment to a base surface,
• (i) wherein said support arm provides at least three degrees of freedom of movement,
• (ii) wherein said second end comprises a uniaxial load cell operably attached to said support arm, and
• (iii) wherein said support arm comprises at least one sensor for determining a position of said second end;
• a processing system in communication with said portable load deflection device, wherein said processing system is operable to:
• receive position data from said portable load deflection device and corresponding force data from said load cell when said second end is used to apply a compression force to a test surface, and
• calculate normal force versus deflection data for said test surface resulting from non-normal application of said compression force,
• wherein the non-normal application is applied along a first vector deviating from a second vector by a deviation angle,
• wherein the second vector is normal to the test surface, and
• wherein the deviation angle is any positive value less than 90°.