 |
 |
|
|
Research
Expertise in Civil and Environmental Engineering
|
•Structural and Earthquake Engineering
Contact: Prof. Ian Buckle
Also visit: UNR NEES
and BRIC
The graduate program in Structural and Earthquake Engineering emphasizes
the behavior of reinforced, prestressed, and steel structures under
gravity and extreme loads such as earthquakes. The CEE Department hosts a state-of-the-art UNR NEES research laboratory.
The Laboratory is equipped with three identical, biaxial, 50-ton shake tables, capable of being relocated on the Laboratory's tie-down strong floor. These tables are 4.25 m (14 ft) square and may carry up to a 445 kN (50-ton) payload at 1g acceleration. They may carry higher loads at lower accelerations, provided bearing capacities are not exceeded. Other peak performance characteristics include 1000 mm/sec (40 in/sec) velocity and +300 mm (+12 inches) stroke. Three banks of blowdown accumulators are used to achieve this performance. Maximum velocity in continuous operation is 625 mm/sec (25 in/sec).
The Laboratory also has seven MTS servo-controlled actuators ranging in size from 245 kN @ +75 mm stroke (55 kips @ + 3 in stroke) to 3.1 MN @ +600 mm stroke (700 kips @ + 24 in stroke). These actuators are used for large-scale experiments on structural components that are unsuitable for shake table execution and are mounted directly on the strong floor.
Three high-speed, data acquisition systems from National Instruments, Pacific Instruments and OPTIM Electronics are used for table-mounted and floor-mounted experiments. Total channel capacity is 250-channels, Data is currently archived on a data storage server and backed-up on CD-ROM.
An SGI Origin 2200 Server with a library of simulation codes is available for data processing and numerical simulation studies.
The Laboratory was completed in 1992 and expanded to increase the area of the strong floor by 50% in 1999. The 780 m2 (8400 sq ft) precisely leveled strong floor, is a 4-cell box girder with tie-down holes in the upper slab at 600 mm (24-inch) centers. It weighs about 22 MN (5000 kips). To accommodate future needs of unknown shape and form, the facility is modular in design. Reaction buttresses are assembled from 85 kN (19- kip) concrete blocks, which are stressed together, and to the floor, in customized configurations. In like manner, the three shake tables are relocatable into different configurations according to the demand of present and future needs.
Hydraulic pumps are located in a separate pump-house connected to the Laboratory through large diameter hardlines. Pumping capacity (continuous rating) is 1566 l/min (415 gpm). Blowdown accumulators lift this rate to 9084 l/min (2400 gpm) on demand, for short periods of time.
|
•Environmental Engineering
Contact: Prof. A. Childress
The graduate program in Environmental Engineering is and interdisciplinary engineering program within the College of Engineering. Emphasis is placed on water quality management, industrial wastes treatment, hazardous wastes management, water reuse, and unit operations and processes of water and wastewater treatment. Elective courses are available in the fields of air pollution measurement and control, water resources engineering, chemical engineering, chemistry, biology, and hydrology and hydrogeology. The Environmental Graduate Research Laboratory is equipped with basic laboratory equipment for the analysis of water quality and many types of hazardous waste samples. Major analytical instrumentation includes; a gas chromatograph with electron capture; flame ionization; thermal conductivity detectors and an auto sampler; a total carbon analyzer; an atomic absorption spectrophotometer with graphite furnace; a liquid scintillation counter; a number of UV/VIS spectrophotometers; electrolytic aerobic and anaerobic respirometers; an inductively coupled plasma-emission spectrometer; and a liquid chromatograph with ourescence/UV detector. Standard laboratory equipment for process research is also available. All of the major equipment yields maximum analytical capability, sensitivity, and flexibility to perform routine and nonroutine procedures.
|
•Geotechnical Engineering
Contact: Prof. Gary Norris
The graduate program in Geotechnical Engineering prepares students to
critically analyze(analytically and through lab and field testing) soil
behavior as needed for a variety of civil and mining engineering projects.
Students are made aware of their future professional and ethical responsibility
to affect public policy (e.g. advising the Regional Planning Commision
regarding development in areas of geotechnical hazards such as swelling
soil, slope stability, seismic shaking or liquifaction) and in training
and/or advising others (e.g. building officials). The geotechnical faculty
and students interact with the Structures Group on seismic foundation
issues (e.g. pile foundation and abutment wall behavior and developing
liquefaction) as part of the larger Bridge Engineering Research Group
in quantifying pavement response to traffic loading. The geotechnical
group has recently undertaken to research the behavior of unsaturated
soil particularly as it relates to landfill cover design in arid regions.
The graduate lab employs both GDS and CKC triaxial consolidation test
equipment.
|
•Pavement, Materials and Transportation Engineering
Contact: Prof. Peter Sebaaly and Dr.
Tian Zong
Also visit: Western Regional Superpave Center
The purpose of the program is to train students to conduct
research in pavement/materials. The program's laboratory facilities
include the state of the art equipment to evaluate the behavior of paving
mixtures under all combinations of loading and environmental conditions.
The program funds graduate student research on a regular basis. The
supported students are specially selected according to GPA and academic
achievment. They work on both academic projects and sponsored research.
The goals are to integrate academic learning with hands-on experience
and to increase writing and communication skills by interacting with
faculty, research sponsors, and technology transfer experts.
|
|
