A Thermal Direct Shear Device for Testing Polymer-Bonded Sands

Abstract This paper documents the customization of a direct shear apparatus to accommodate heat injection into a polymer-bonded sand (PBS) specimen while in the shear box (i.e., before, during, or after shearing). The system is controlled with an electronic microcontroller that is coded to enable tailored heat treatment protocols and data logging in the temperature range between 110°C and 160°C. The use of the system is exemplified with experiments aimed to characterize the strength of PBS specimens subjected to multiple heating—and thus multiple healing—cycles.