Research at the University of Kansas is quite robust. Faculty and students in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering have several laboratories and research facilities that enhance their ability to complete world-class research. Here are some of the labs and equipment available for use.
Research at both the undergraduate and graduate levels is conducted in the following facilities:
The Structural Testing Laboratory, which has static and servo-hydraulic test equipment. A structural testing bay has 370 square meters (1800 square feet) of open laboratory area with a clear height of 9 meters for large-scale structural testing. Loads up to 45 tons can be applied on 0.9-meter centers over a 15 x 25 meter area by Amsler and Satec static jack systems. A 50-ton MTS Structural Test System is used for cyclic and dynamic testing of full-scale structural components within the test bay. High-speed Hewlett Packard data acquisition systems are available to monitor and record load, strain, and displacement.
The Concrete Laboratory is equipped to run standard tests on cement, aggregates, and concrete. The laboratory is operated as both a teaching and research facility. Equipment is available to test concrete aggregate for deleterious behavior and to measure aggregate properties as they affect mixture proportioning. Concrete is cured under controlled temperature and humidity in the lab's curing room. Two hydraulic testing machines, with load capacities of 180 tons, are used for concrete strength determination.
The Construction Engineering and Management
Laboratory
(CEML), located in Learned Hall, is the center for both
undergraduate students and graduate students to conduct construction
related research projects. The CEML is equipped with
state-of-the-art hardware and software such as Timberline,
Primavera, GIS, TransCAD, simulation software, smart sensors, and
the wireless real-time productivity measurement system.
Construction faculty members have successfully competed for research
funding from the KU Transportation Research Institute, industries,
State Departments of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration,
and National Science Foundation. Research topics include, but are
not limited to, rapid bridge replacement, highway work zone safety,
on-site construction productivity improvement, international
construction management, sustainability, lean construction, life
cycle analysis, and social-human dimensions. For more information,
please contact Dr. Yong Bai at (785) 864-2991 or ybai@ku.edu.
The Structural Engineering Materials Laboratory has hydraulic and mechanical testing machines with static capacities up to 90 tons. Sixteen-ton and 50-ton closed loop servo hydraulic universal testing systems (MTS and Instron) are used in conjunction with Hewlett Packard data acquisition and high-speed plotting systems to monitor tests. The laboratory is a 170 m^2 facility with independent temperature, humidity, and dust control systems that provides a stable environment for material tests.
The Engineering Microanalysis Laboratory is equipped with a Philips 515 Scanning Electron Microscope, an ELMDAS Digital Image Acquisition System, and an EDAX PV-9900 Energy Dispersive Spectrometer with light element capability. Specimens are coated using a Technics Hummer X Sputter Coater.
The Engineering Corrosion Laboratory is equipped with an electrochemical impedance system, potentiostats, voltmeters, reference electrodes (Calomel and copper-copper sulfate), ion-specific electrodes, and heating cabinets for the Southern Exposure and cracked beam specimens. A pore press provides the capability of extracting pore solution from hydrated cement paste, mortar, and concrete.
The Water Resources Laboratory contains two water flumes, a sediment flume and open space for physical model studies. A re-circulating water system with a constant-head tank supplies water to flumes and models. The water resources group also has a GIS computer laboratory for applications of geographic information systems in water resources.
The environmental engineering and science laboratories include over 10,000 square feet of space devoted to environmental research activities. Instrumentation is currently available to perform analytical measurements associated with research investigations in water quality, air quality, solid and hazardous wastes, and environmental microbiology.
Major equipment includes: infrared, visible, and ultraviolet spectrophotometers; a Beckman LS6500 liquid scintillation counter; a HIAC/Royco Model 9703 liquid particle counter; a Perkin Elmer atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAnalyst 300 with autosampler/autodilution); a Sorvall RC5 refrigerated ultracentrifuge; three 2 L B.Braun Biostat i fermentors, a 3 L Applikon fermentor; a 3 L New Brunswick Bioflo 3000 fermentor; apparatus for gel electrophoresis; a 400 Watt sonicator for cell fractionation; carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen analyzers for solid materials; four shaker table facilities; Zeiss UEM research microscope with phase contrast, DIC, and epifluorescence capabilities; a Dohrmann DC-80 TOC Analyzer; six gas chromatographs with ECD (2), FID (2), AFID, and TC detectors; two gas chromatographs with mass selective detectors (GC/MSD) (Varian Saturn 2000 and Agilent Technologies 5973); a Water HPLC system, two Dionex ion chromatographs (2001i and QIC); Milestone DMA direct mercury analyzer, four temperature controlled rooms; a PCR thermocycler and associated equipment including a hybridization oven; and a Kodak image analysis systems.
In addition to the equipment housed in the department's laboratories, the University of Kansas provides a wide range of instrumentation and research support services. The facilities that may be utilized include the Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, the Microscopy and Electronic Imaging Laboratory, the Biochemical Research Service Laboratory, and the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. The mass spectrometry facility is currently equipped with a high-resolution sector (VG ZAB-HS) and a high-resolution tandem hybrid of EBEqQ configuration (VG AUTOSPEC-Q). Facilities include an HPLC MS and HPLC-MS-MS and a tandem hybrid of QTOF configuration for high performance electrospray MS-MS. The Microscopy and Electronic Imaging Laboratory is equipped with a confocal scanning laser microscope (BioRad MRC 1000), transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope, and electronic image production capabilities.
Two potential locations for large-scale laboratory and pilot-scale test facilities are the Water Resources Hydraulics Lab, described above, and the Nelson Environmental Studies area. NESA, located about 25 minutes from the KU Lawrence campus, offers one of the largest experimental pond facilities in the U.S. and includes an integrated pond complex of more than 150 experimental aquatic ecosystems, a 2,403 square foot aquatic research laboratory, an 1,800 square foot workshop, an aquatic sample processing room, and an on-site resident manager who provides security. The NESA facility is operated within the KU Department of Ecology and Developmental Biology, and the Kansas Biological Survey with staff available to support potential pilot-scale experimentation.
