MTI HOME
The Materials Testing Institute (MTI) is one of the most technically advanced engineering materials laboratories in Namibia. The institute was established in 2010 and has been performing site investigations and testing for the entire spectrum of construction, civil engineering, and mining projects throughout the Namibia
MTI has the necessary equipment to carry out routine and advanced tests for Education, Research and Consultancy purposes with the support of qualified staff in the Faculty of Engineering and Build Environment.
- Soils and gravels
- Concrete and aggregates for concrete
- Asphalt and aggregates for asphalt
- Bituminous products and binders
- Site investigation
- Borrow pit and centre line investigations
- Foundation design
- Training and skills transfer
- Commercial testing
- Laboratory management services
- Research and development within the civil engineering materials disciplines
Sieve Analysis
Determination of Particle Size Distribution
Liquid limit device
Determination of the plasticity index (PI)
Triaxial Testing Equipment
- Highly sophisticated equipment.
- Determines cohesion and friction angle for earth static calculations (e.g.stability of excavations and slopes, permissible angle to prevent earth slides, permissible loading of subgrade by buildings).
Oedometer (Consolidation test)
The standard oedometer test, also referred to as consolidation test or one-dimensional compression test is a laboratory test that allows characterising the soil stress-strain behaviour during one-dimensional compression of swelling
Shearbox Test
Determines the consolidated-drained shear strength of sandy to silty soils.
Standpipe Permeability Test Cell
- Measures permeability
- Allows to evaluate water flow in sub grade
- Allows to calculate resistance to hydraulic shear failure in building construction
Constant/Falling Head Permeameter
- Determines the Coefficient of Permeability of sand by constant head method.
- Determines the Coefficient of Permeability of clay by falling head method.
Universal Soil Compactor/Universal Extruder
- Determines degree of compaction in combination with Balloon Density apparatus.
- Determines compactability of unbound material.
CBR Test Machine
- Measures bearing capacity of soils by determining CBR-value for pavement design.
- Evaluates influence of water ingress (rainfall).
Sand Equivalent Test Set
Determines fine particles in granular soils and fine aggregate which may damage concrete and asphalt.
Static Plate Bearing Test
The test is performed for the determination of bearing capacity of soils for allowable settlement under static loads at shallow foundation.
Balloon Density Apparatus
Determines field density by measuring volume of excavated unbound material.
Dynamic Plate Bearing Apparatus
- Provides an indirect method to determine compaction degree.
- Measures bearing capacity of unbound material.
Dynamic Cone penetrometer test
Measures the soil strength attributes of penetrability and compaction.
Los Angeles
Used to characterize toughness and abrasion resistance of course aggregates.
Flakiness Sieves
Provides information about percentage of grains with unfavorable shape (breaking under loading).
Methylen blue Test Set
Determines limit value that must be observed to prevent damage to concrete.
Sand Equivalent
Determination of cohesive particles in fine aggregate.
Marshall Compactor
Specimen are produced to be tested in the Marshall Test equipment.
Marshall Test
Equipment is used to measure stability and flow of Marshall specimen.
Ring and Ball
Determines the softening point of bituminous materials. Softening point is that temperature at which the specimen under test becomes soft enough to allow a steel ball of specific dimensions to fall a required distance under test conditions.
Penetration Test
Test is carried out to classify bitumen
Benkelman Beam
- Determines load-bearing capacity of roads by measuring deflection caused by a wheel load of 5 tons.
- Allows to prognosticate the service life of road pavements by repeated measurements in periods of time.
- Serves as alternative to Falling Weight Deflectometer.
Compressive Test Machine
Determines the compressive strength of concrete
Air Entrainment Meter
- Determines air content in fresh concrete.
- Allows to evaluate the durability of hardened concrete (steel corrosion in coastal areas).
Compressometer
- Determines stress/ strain-relations for hardened concrete.
- Allows calculation of Young’s modulus
Slump test
Assesses the consistency of fresh concrete
Bending Strength Tester
Measure the greatest bending stress up to the rupture of the sample.
Flow Table
- Measures consistency of fresh concrete.
- Provides information about workability of concrete.
Consistency Container
Measures consistency of fresh concrete
Rebound Hammer
Used for testing the quality of hardened concrete in a structure.
Cylinder Capping Frame
Used to prepare concrete cylinders for testing.
- MPhil. Engineering Management, UJ, South Africa (in-progress)
- B-Tech. Civil Engineering, NUST, Namibia (2014)
- ND Civil & Project Management, NUST, Namibia (2012)
Mr. Rian Uusizi
ruusizi@nust.na
- BSc. (Hons) Civil Engineering, University of Cape Town, South Africa (2008)
- Nat. Diploma Civil Engineering, Polytechnic of Namibia, Namibia (2004)
Mr. Mervin Muukua
mmuukua@nust.na