Experimental and analytical investigation of the modified wyoming shear-test fixture

The interaction between the isopescu shear-test specimen and the modified Wyoming shear-test fixture was investigated. This involved three areas of study. First, strip strain gages were applied to the specimen contact surfaces to measure strains induced by the fixture. While it has generally been assumed that the fixture induces an asymmetric load into the specimen, the measured strains indicated a nonasymmetric loading. Second, the effect of an out-of-plane moment, externally applied to the fixture, on gage section shear strains was observed. The shear strains observed were small leading to the conclusion that the fixture is very resistant to out-of-plane moments. Finally, the effect of fixture misalignment on the observed shear modulus was determined. The results indicate that the observed shear modulus increased significantly for slight amounts of misalignment. Therefore, experimental techniques should be modified to include a check for misalignment. Beyond this, it is suggested that the fixture design be modified to prevent misalignment and to achieve an asymmetric loading of the specimen.