Due to their cost, high-end commercial 3D-DIC (digital image correlation) systems are still inaccessible for many laboratories or small factories interested in lab testing materials. These professional systems can provide reliable and rapid full-field measurements that are essential in some laboratory tests with high-strain rate events or high dynamic loading. However, in many stress-controlled experiments, such as the Brazilian tensile strength (BTS) test of compacted soils, samples are usually large and fail within a timeframe of several minutes. In those cases, alternative low-cost methods could be successfully used instead of commercial systems. This paper proposes a methodology to apply 2D-DIC techniques using consumer-grade cameras and the open-source image processing software DICe (Sandia National Lab) for monitoring the standardized BTS test. Unlike most previous studies that theoretically estimate systematic errors or use local measures from strain gauges for accuracy assessment, we propose a contrast methodology with independent full-field measures. The displacement fields obtained with the low-cost system are benchmarked with the professional stereo-DIC system Aramis-3D (GOM GmbH) in four BTS experiments using compacted soil specimens. Both approaches proved to be valid tools for obtaining full-field measurements and showing the sequence of crack initiation, propagation and termination in the BTS, constituting reliable alternatives to traditional strain gauges. Mean deviations obtained between the low-cost 2D-DIC approach and Aramis-3D in measuring in-plane components were 0.08 mm in the perpendicular direction of loading (ΔX) and 0.06 mm in the loading direction (ΔY). The proposed low-cost approach implies considerable savings compared to commercial systems.

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This study aims to introduce the use of 3D-digital image correlation (DIC) to the in situ testing of pavements and to support the development of techniques for a rapid evaluation of the conservation status of existing roads. Little research was found on this topic. The passage of a car wheel on an asphalt pavement was adopted as a case study. The DIC measurements were compared to those gathered by contact sensors. From a qualitative point of view, the DIC measurements captured the realistic shape of a deflection basin. From a quantitative point of view, the deflection values provided by the DIC system had a mean error of 0.015 mm and a standard deviation of 0.011 mm. At the moment of highest load, these errors had a mean value and standard deviation of − 0.016 mm and 0.021 mm, respectively. Thus, to improve the accuracy of the system, we propose modifying the camera support, speckle pattern, and control of natural light.