EC – Experimental Centre (FCE CTU) With its capacity to provide necessary data for structural analysis, mechanical testing of materials and structural elements, it is another key component of architectural heritage conservation. The EC is a fully equipped facility encompassing a technology laboratory (where material and structural element specimens are produced), a climatic laboratory (with climatic chambers for long-term exposure of specimens to controlled temperatures and humidity), and a testing laboratory (equipped with loading machines and frames for static and dynamic testing and data collection and a processing centre). A custom-made impact pendulum with high-speed cameras and an electromechanical load machine are two of the EC’s unique instruments. The former is capable of measuring and recording rate-dependent fracture behaviour of brittle materials, such as, glass, mortar, stone or ceramics. The same class of materials can be statically tested under precise displacement control with the electromechanical load machine.
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