A test specimen (10), in particular for pressing into an object (12) to be tested, which is, for example, a
covering system for buried steel pipes (14), has the shape of a truncated
pyramid, truncated cone or a hemispherical layer with a base area (10g) and a top surface (10d), wherein - the projection of the top surface onto the base surface lies within the base surface; - the top surface is parallel to the base surface. A method for determining the
mechanical strength of a casing
system for buried steel pipes includes the following: - the test specimen is pressed from the outside against the encapsulation
system with the top surface facing forward, according to a predetermined path and / or
force profile; - the
penetration depth of the test specimen into the encapsulation
system is recorded; - the load-
bearing capacity is determined depending on the measured
penetration depth. A
test rig (16) for determining the
mechanical strength of a casing system for buried steel pipes comprises - a holding system (18); - a material testing
machine (20) that can press the test specimen with the top surface forward against the encapsulation system; - a measuring device (22) that can detect the
penetration depth of the test specimen into the encapsulation system; - a control device (24) which, according to the procedure, can control the material testing
machine and the measuring device and determine the load-
bearing capacity. The test specimen is used to determine the
mechanical load-
bearing capacity according to the procedure.