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Structures Testing Instrument User Guide 59921 V0217
5. Place the acrylic shield over the tower (Figure 11).
6. Above the digital display on the tester, push the Zero
button. The display will show both the force and peak
loads, indicated by “Force Lbf” and “Peak Lbf.”
7. Select which unit of measurement you wish to use:
pound or kilogram. To do this, press the Select button
to see the options alternate on the screen. When you
see the measurement you want, press Select again. The
tester will return to the force and peak load display.
8. To apply force to the structure, slowly turn the force
wheel counterclockwise (Figure 12). Continue to apply
pressure appropriate to your testing type. Choose from
the following:
•
Nondestructive test:
Using the force wheel, slowly
and continuously apply force to the
structure until the measured force
reading begins to drop and no longer
tracks the peak force. You will often
hear a slight crack or pop come from
the structure when this occurs. At
this point, the structure cannot bear
any more load without continuing to
damage the structure. Stop applying
force.
•
Destructive test:
Apply force until the
structure is broken.
The display will flash, make an audible
noise, and show “Warning Maximum
Force” when maximum force is reached.
9. If you aren’t using the downloadable
software, record the force readings from
the test.
10. Remove the nut, washer, load plate, and tower from
the tester. Press the Zero button.
11. Follow Steps 2-10 to test subsequent towers.
Figure 12
Figure 11
