Experimental measurements of geotechnical systems in 1-g tests

The geotechnical systems are often studied analysing the response of scaled models in 1-g or n-g devices. A crucial aspect in these kind of models is the capability to read the real response of the system using different instrumentations. In this paper are described the main devices used for the interpretation of the dynamic response of a scaled geotechnical model tested at the Bristol Laboratory for Advanced Dynamics Engineering (BLADE) of the University of Bristol, UK, within the framework of the Seismic Engineering Research Infrastructures for European Synergies (SERIES), funded by the 7th FP of the European Commission. The model is formed by a group of five piles embedded in a bi-layer deposit with different pile head conditions, different dynamic properties of the superstructure (connected at the top of the pile group) and input motions. After some details about the whole experimental campaign and the devices used, the paper shows the main procedures adopted to evaluate the response of the whole system in terms of acceleration, displacement and stresses (only for piles).