Concrete Research Facility

This is a 20,000-sq ft laboratory that supports research on all aspects of concrete and materials technology. The staff of this facility offer wide-ranging expertise in materials characterization, design, construction practices, and forensic investigations. Applications involve the selection of materials for special purposes, development of construction procedures, and specification of methods and materials for repair. Equipment that is available for chemical and physical research on cements and pozzolans includes a high-resolution color video image analyzer, a variable-pressure scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffraction and fluorescence equipment, and a cyclic corrosion exposure system. Engineering mechanics investigations are also conducted using a high-capacity structural floor and several dynamic programmable closed-loop universal-loading devices; sonic, ultrasonic, electric, and magnetic devices for nondestructive materials testing; and a state-of-the-art creep facility.