The subjectivity and lack of satisfactory standards for interpreting shear wave travel times across the industry from bender element test data, has led GDS to develop a bender elements analysis tool. The tool allows the rapid, automated analysis of bender element tests to objectively estimate the shear wave travel time.
The analysis tool is available to download below for limited period of time. The aim is to share our software with the geotechnical community and help the progression towards accepted standards for these tests. We are happy for customers to distribute the tool but are reminded the purpose of the tool is to create discussion rather than consider this the final word in automated bender element analysis.
The GDS Bender Element Analysis Tool (GDSBEAT) tool itself is an easy-to-use set of Add-Ins accessible through Microsoft Excel, allowing any laboratory to participate in performing automated analysis of bender element data, without the prior requirement of software programming knowledge. Benefits of the tool include its ability to estimate travel times using both frequency and time domain analysis methods previously suggested in the geotechnical literature, and the flexibility to analyse data taken from any manufacturers bender element test system. Reporting of the analysis is both numerical and visual, allowing the validity of the results to be quickly assessed, as the tool still does require engineering judgement from the user.
Click here download the Free Software