Civil and Environmental Engineering

The curriculum requires that all students obtain firsthand experience in the use of a wide range of modern experimental equipment. The purpose of the laboratory instruction is to complement the theoretical and analytical coursework and to verify the fundamentals learned in the courses. The department's laboratory facilities are located in the Civil Engineering Laboratory Building and the Civil Engineering Building, which are equipped to carry out a broad spectrum of sophisticated research and instruction in virtually all aspects of civil engineering.

Visualization and Building Information Modeling (BIM) Laboratory.  The Building Information Modeling (BIM) Laboratory is a computational laboratory that provides a network of advanced graphic workstations and a full suite of building and infrastructure modeling, remote sensing data analysis, energy simulation, data mining, and software development software packages to both graduate and undergraduate students for learning computational tools that will be indispensable to their future career. The laboratory allows the students to design and engineer building and infrastructure systems in a highly collaborative and interactive manner and to analyze their performance as it provides the basic network structure for data synchronization and information sharing. The laboratory will also provide continued education opportunities related to BIM to the general public.

Computing Laboratory.  Undergraduates use this facility extensively for course and laboratory work and computer graphics. The laboratory is equipped with the latest personal computers. Several software packages are available for computer-aided design, construction engineering, geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, and water resources. The laboratory is updated continually as computer technology advances.

Concrete Materials Laboratory.  This laboratory has facilities for instrumentation and testing for failure of reinforced and prestressed long-span beams, columns, connections, and large-panel slabs. The equipment includes a 1,000,000 lb. capacity compression tester; a 650,000 lb. capacity girder and frame tester for testing simple and continuous girders; a 350,000 lb. capacity slab, pipe, and frame tester; two Hewlett-Packard 100-channel data acquisition and processing systems; a 20 x 25-foot temperature- and humidity-controlled environmental chamber; and facilities for rapid freezing and thawing tests.

Environmental Engineering Laboratory.  This laboratory is equipped for performing the analysis of water and wastes and the unit processes associated with treatment. Molecular level and advanced analytical chemical measurements are available for complex environmental samples, including water and air matrices. The microbiological equipment includes a cell homogenizer for DNA extraction, quantitative PCR (qPCR), PCR, fluorescent microscope, microcentrifuge, electrophoresis equipment, gel imager, constant-temperature water baths, incubators, and laminar flow hoods. Analytical chemistry equipment includes an FTIR-microscope, high-pressure liquid chromatograph (HPLC) with UV detection, a total carbon/total nitrogen analyzer, pH meters, field meters for conductivity/pH/ORP, chemical fume hood, drying and annealing ovens, centrifuge, mixing devices, chemical metering pumps, spectrophotometers (including Hach), and turbimeters. A variety of field sampling equipment, devices to simulate unit processes (e.g., jar test, annular biofilm reactor, sunlight simulator), and refrigerated storage is available.

Large-Scale Structures Laboratory.  This laboratory features a 25 x 50-foot reaction floor having tie-down points designed to resist uplift forces of 30 kips each. A five-ton bridge crane spans the floor. "Erector set"-type fixtures are utilized to provide maximum flexibility for testing a variety of full-scale structural components. Hydraulic jacks with capacities of up to 100 tons are available for application of structural loads. An MTS Closed Loop Electrohydraulic Test System capable of more than 125,000 lb. of force and velocities of up to 350 in. per minute is available for the application of dynamic and repeated loads.

Soil Mechanics Laboratory.  This laboratory contains up-to-date equipment for the performance of soil identification and classification tests and for the determination of physical, hydraulic, and mechanical properties. The equipment includes standard as well as back-pressured consolidometers; direct, triaxial, and laboratory vane shear strength devices; and various permeameters. An automatic triaxial testing system also is available.

Solid Mechanics Laboratory.  This laboratory is equipped to determine the strength and physical properties of engineering materials. There are universal testing machines, with a maximum capacity of 60,000 lb. for tension and compression tests; a torsion machine; Brinell and Rockwell hardness testers; an impact machine; beam-testing rigs; and strut buckling apparatus.

Sustainable Infrastructure Laboratory.  This laboratory is equipped to perform field evaluation of infrastructure and geotechnical systems. The infrastructure evaluation is supported by a wide range of nondestructive evaluation (NDE) equipment: from acoustic and electrical to electromagnetic and electrochemical systems. The geotechnical system evaluations concentrate on studying wave propagation characteristics through soil and rock, the basic dynamic properties of particulate materials, and the interaction between foundation structures and underlying soils. A cross-hole apparatus are available for subsurface investigation.

Urban and Coastal Water System Laboratory (Fluid Mechanics Lab, Hydro-environmental Informatics Lab).  Urban and Coastal Water System Laboratory, consisting of fluid mechanics lab and hydro-environmental informatics lab, is dedicated to addressing water resources engineering challenges through fundamental and applied research taking the advantage of our advanced lab, field, and computational facilities. The Fluid Mechanics Lab is equipped with a hydraulic, wave, and sediment flume, hydrology apparatus, volumetric hydraulic benches with a variety of experimental modules, various field flow and water quality monitoring devices, and a stormwater green infrastructure testing platform. The Hydro-environment Informatics Lab houses environmental modeling and informatics facilities with access to the leading-edge computational clusters, a real-time environment monitoring center, and a sensor fabrication space with testing equipment.