ABSTRACT
As part of an endeavor to develop a laboratory scale device for testing freeze-thaw behaviors of geosynthetics-reinforced soils, this study synthesizes outcomes from a survey of plate loading apparatuses developed in various labs in different countries. The survey specifically investigated the setup of each component, loading mechanism, instrumentation, and materials tested. The functions of the apparatuses and the implications of the test results are examined. The results from the survey were utilized to develop a new model test apparatus capable of performing freeze-thaw and plate loading tests. The apparatus was further upgraded to incorporate a water supply system. The preliminary tests based on the open system were conducted, and the results are discussed.
