Patent ID: 8578784

Claim:
A method for testing the mechanical properties of a specimen having a first contact surface and a second contact surface spaced apart and opposing the first contact surface, the method comprising: applying a force to the first contact surface or the second contact surface of the specimen to deform the specimen force over a period of time and determining a response of the specimen to the force over time; and defining a spatial distance between the contact surfaces such that the specimen's equivalent gauge length is greater than the distance between the contact surfaces; wherein the force is applied by hanging a weight from either the first contact surface or the second contact surface, and the contact surface which does not have the force applied to it is secured to an apparatus for testing mechanical properties of the specimen, wherein when the force is applied to the first contact surface or the second contact surface an equal and opposite reactive force is applied to the other contact surface, and wherein the first contact surface and/or the second contact surface is shaped so as to self-align or self-center a specimen within the apparatus for testing the mechanical properties of the specimen.