Abstract：he reliability of the multipurpose resonant column testing device，newly developed by the Institute of Engineering Mechanics，China Seismological Bureau，is investigated by testing the dynamic shear modulus of the rigid samples. In order to obtain the dynamic shear modulus of rigid samples，a revised coefficient method is presented by using several samples with known rigidities and then the revised curves of free-vibration and resonant-vibration are obtained. In the tests，the maximum error of ten tests of free-vibration and ten tests of resonant vibration on six kinds of steel specimens are all less than 4%. The correlation between curves of ten tests of free vibration on the steel specimens is good. By comparison of three fitting models for the revised coefficients，the best fitting formula for the revised curves is chosen. The free vibration and resonant vibration tests for three kinds of rigid samples with different known modulus are conducted，and the maximum error between the real values and the tested values obtained by the revised coefficient method is less than 10%. These results indicate that the revised coefficient method and curves presented in the paper are reliable and the new device is accurate and stable. So，the device can be used for testing the dynamic shear modulus of the rigid materials in small stain range.
