Department of Engineering Technology

Structural Analysis/Design - Structures Laboratory

 

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Supervised by Dr Alberto Gomez-Rivas, PhD, PE

 

Dr Alberto Gomez-Rivas was tasked to create an instructional and research laboratory because it was agreed that the curriculum should include intensive testing of structures and foundations. Based on his extensive testing experience he asked for a grant from the National Science Foundation to develop the laboratories.

The conditions for the grant were:

• All testing equipment was to be designed and built by students and faculty.
• The components to be used in the testing devices were off-the-shelf industrial equipment.
• The experience developing the laboratories should be shared with other universities.

Laboratory

This presents an overall view of the laboratory. At the center is the segmental post-tensioned beam already in the testing bed. The steel structure painted red is the testing bed that was designed for this project but it can be used for many different tests.  The department integrates all activities around the laboratories: Classes meet in the laboratories where tests are performed and computers are available for all students.

 

At the right side there is a rig designed and built by students that is used in the horizontal position for the Brazilian Split Test of concrete cylinders and in the vertical position for standard compression test of cylinders.

 

Precast priestesses concrete crane used to lift equipment in the laboratory. The pulley illustrate the point about using off-the-shelf industrial devices, at the right side there is a steel frame used to teach bolted connections. All other devices in the figure were designed and built by students under faculty guidance.

 

This view presents a group of students working in the laboratory, the same picture shows at the bottom a steel beam that was built with very slender flanges and web to demonstrate buckling behavior. The beam was instrumented with strain gages.

 

This is the fall of 2008 graduating class in Structural Analysis and Design. Their message for other universities is: “If you want a laboratory for structures and soils testing, develop it yourselves!”

 

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Last updated or reviewed on 11/18/10