Bioenvironmental Engineering Laboratory. The laboratory is well equipped for the analysis of both liquid and solid waste materials and the study of various physicochemical and biological treatment processes. Equipment available includes a gas chromatograph, spectrophotometers, centrifuges, analytical balances, microscopes, an incubator, a bomb calorimeter, an autoclave, a Kjeldahl apparatus, constant temperature baths, ovens and furnaces, turbidmeters, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity and pH meters, together with a full range of ancillary materials and chemicals for chemical and biological testing. Apparatus is available for studying granular media filtration, heat transfer in completely mixed reactors, biodegradability of organic pollutants, activated sludge treatment, and aerobic and anaerobic digestion. Experiments in open-channel flow can be performed with a tilting hydraulic flume. Other equipment includes a pressure membrane apparatus for determining moisture-tension relationships in soil, digital soil-moisture testers, and Campbell Microloggers using gypsum-block sensors. Also available are hydrometers, tensiometers, infiltrometers, tipping-bucket rain gauges, and continuous digital rainfall-recording equipment. Apparatus for determining soil texture, suspended sediment, and pollutant concentrations is available, as well as workstations for signal conditioning and data acquisition and processing. Surveying equipment for instructional use includes levels, transits, plane tables, planimeters, and electronic distance measuring (EDM) instruments.
Instructional Computing Laboratory (ICL) is a fully functional computer-based teaching lab. The primary facilities of the ICL include an instructor workstation and 15 student PC-based workstations. The lecture station can present material in many media formats: computer-based, DVD, videotape, live TV from RU-tv's 65-channel lineup, transparencies, and a live in-lab camera feed. The ICL also has flatbed, 35-mm slide, microscope slide, and filmstrip scanners. The student workstations are outfitted with the latest in software including AutoCAD, MathCAD, MultiSim, MS Office Suite, and a host of communication packages. Students have several printing options, including large capacity laser, color inkjet, and 36-inch poster plotter printers. The ICL is available for open-use when classes are not scheduled and after-hours on a prearranged basis.
