Acquisition of a Servo-Hydraulic Test System and Environmental Chamber for Research and Teaching in Civil and Mechanical Engineering at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Minnesota State University, Mankato, Mankato MN

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT This request for instrumentation funding is for an MTS servo-hydraulic load test system and the construction of an environmental chamber in the Construction Materials Testing Laboratory of the civil engineering program at Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSU). The civil engineering program at MSU began less than three years ago and has been building up laboratories and educational equipment to enhance the research and educational opportunities for the faculty and students in the program. The instrumentation requested will be used primarily for research in materials characterization of Portland cement and asphalt cement concrete, as well as for undergraduate and continuing education and training. The materials characterization research will focus on three areas: a) the properties of Portland cement and asphalt cement concrete that relate to mechanistic design of pavements and other structures, b) evaluation and control of evaporation of water from concrete using various curing methods, c) the fatigue characteristics of those materials in cold-weather climates. A research focus area in each of those three topics will be expected, beginning with the recruiting of undergraduate students interested in research to work in those areas. With the this instrumentation, the Construction Materials Testing Laboratory at MSU will have the capability to compete for national research projects through the Federal Highway Administration, the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, the Innovative Pavement Research Foundation, and other government and non-profit research organizations. The lab will also provide faculty with better opportunities to collaborate with other researchers in the region and the nation, and consequently to attract faculty and students to MSU to teach and study.