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School of Natural and Built Environments

Structural Materials and Assemblies Group Specialized Research &Testing Unit

Technical Report

CLIENT: HR Products

AUTHOR: B T Benn

REVIEWED: Tim Golding

DETAILS: Valve box testing

REPORT NO: S1309/012R

DATE OF ISSUE: 05 September 2013

CIRCULATION: UniSA accounts, UniSA File

INTRODUCTION

The Structural Materials and Assemblies Group (SMAG) of the University of South Australia (UniSA) undertook the testing of ten valve box covers in August 2013. The requirement of the testing was to determine the maximum load that the valve box cover was able to sustain. Table 1 contains a summary of the results recorded by the data logger.

TEST EQUIPMENT

Baldwin universal testing machine, No. 400WHVL‐1025 Kyowa 50 mm LVDT, No. SN:YA4423 Electronic data logger

TEST SPECIMENS AND TEST METHODOLOGY

The Valve boxes supplied were all different shapes and sizes from different manufacturers

The assembly was centrally positioned on the lower platen of the Baldwin testing machine. A steel load plate, 150 mm x 150 mm x 25 mm thick was located in the centre of the valve cover on top of a rubber pad of the same dimensions. A rubber pad was used to transfer the load uniformly to the cover. The load rate shown in Table 1, as requested by the client, was applied without shock until the cover failed i.e. it could no longer sustain the increasing load. The data logger recorded the maximum load and deflection at failure and the time taken to reach the maximum load.

The deflection and load for each sample was logged as the products were loaded and a summary of the results is presented in the table below.

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TEST RESULTS

The tables contain the relevant data, extracted from the data logger.

Table 1: Summary of data recorded on the data logger

Manufacturer Unit ID Maximum Load

sustained (kN) Deflection at

max load (mm) Average load rate (kN/min)

HR Products 1419-12VBOL 21.1 36.5 5.45

HR Products 0910VB 43.8 40.0 6.2

Carson 591-VB1419 16.2 42.8 3.0

Carson 591-VB1100 26.7 35.7 3.6

Rain Bird VBSTD 14.3 45.3 4.1

Rain Bird VB10RND P 17.8 32.4 3.5

B T Benn MSc(Eng); GDE(Civil Eng); B Com; ACT Dip; HND(Civil); FICT

Industry Liaison & Lecturer, Construction Materials School of Natural and Built Environments, Room P2‐16 University of South Australia

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1419-12VBOL (HR Products) Shows NO visible cracks or actual failure points, the valve box distorted until it reached the point that

machine could apply no further vertical loading.

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591-VB1419 (CARSON) The Lid suffered multiple fractures, most obvious on the surface of the lid, as well as

multiple rib cracks, while the body shows no signs of failure.

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VB-STD (RAIN BIRD) This Unit suffered multiple fractures in the body support lip at the two corner points along both sides

as well as a major break in the side of the body. The lid was cracked at the center circular point.