To run a consolidation test, it is necessary to use a consolidometer. This equipment, however, had not been produced and sold in Brazil until some years ago. Non-automatic models available for import, although of low cost, are nevertheless rustic and need continuous calibration of pressure levels during the consolidation test. The exclusiveness and intervention of a technician throughout the test, associated with the precarious acquisition of data in these models, are still major factors that have made consolidation of this test impracticable in Brazilian soil science. As an alternative to these problems, the aim of this study was to develop and to automatize a consolidometer through a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) with human-machine interface (HMI). This piece of equipment consists of a metal cabinet that houses sets of pneumatic and electronic-digital devices, and force and position actuators. The operation of each device in an isolated or combined manner is managed by software in ladder programming language, which makes it possible to store instructions and to implement functions from a PLC with incorporated HMI. The interface between the PC and the consolidometer was developed by "CA-Linker" software, v 1.0, designed specifically for the equipment. The use of a PLC with incorporated HMI allowed the development and automation of the consolidometer. The performance and efficiency of the set of devices (pneumatic and electronic-digital devices, and force and position actuator) were confirmed by the excellent results of the strain values obtained as a function of time, and especially the results of the compression curve generated from the compression tests.
preconsolidation pressure; Programmable Logic Controller; soil compressibility; uniaxial compression test
