Department Laboratories

The laboratories in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering are used for classroom instruction, Senior Design, and graduate and faculty research. Our laboratories are set up for work in four major research areas:

Environmental Hydrology and Hydraulics
Environmental Hydrology and Hydraulics focuses on the development and application of models to better understand our complex natural world and better predict the specific behaviors of water.  Through this research we hope to provide answers to questions which will benefit both mankind and nature as we attempt to coexist. Some of our current and past keynote research includes:

• Remediation of oil spills at sea
• Remediation of oil spills on beaches
• Solute transport in streams
• Seepage face studies in variably saturated soils
• Multifractal modeling of the heterogeneous subsurface
• Floodplain analyses

Environmental Chemistry
Environmental Chemistry focuses on the use of renewable energy (solar and biomass) and catalytic processes for environmental applications. The use of a catalyst aids in overcoming energy barriers, allowing chemical reactions to proceed under conditions that would ordinarily be unfavorable to effect treatment, remediation or a more environmentally sustainable synthesis (green engineering).

Environmental Engineering Research
The Environmental Engineering Research (EER) Group conducts cutting-edge basic and applied environmental engineering research to address current and future demands of society for a better and sustainable environment. Currently, we are engaged in integrated research on a variety of issues that collectively address the revitalization of communities impacted by acid mine drainage (AMD) problems and solving environmental problems at the nano scale. Research focus ares include

1. Beneficial use of ash generated from Waste-to-Energy and coal combustion processes.
2. Surface Complexation studies to suppress acid generation by pyrite.
3. Kinetics of acid generation to develop tools that, better, predict acid generation.
4. Studies on interactions between calcite and toxic metals and between calcium oxalate and toxic metals.

Construction Management Technology
Construction Management Technology addresses questions related to fluid mechanics, soil mechanics, strength of materials and structural analysis.  This lab is used extensively for Senior Design projects, Concrete Canoe competition and as part of the undergraduate curriculum educational experience.

Click Here to see a list of the equipment used in our laboratories.

Lab Policy

The use of laboratories, equipment, and materials should be requested in writing at least one day in advanced. Equipment and materials that need to be ordered require a four to seven weeks notice. Any equipment that is to be moved from the laboratories must be accompanied by a written explanation of what the equipment will be used for, how the equipment will be moved, who will use the equipment, and when it will be returned.

Due to safety and security issues, keys to the laboratories will be limited to the Professors using the labs for class and the Lab Manager. Under no circumstances should any keys be given to undergraduate students, and no students are allowed to be in any laboratory unless supervised by a professor or the Lab Manager or TA.

Professors and / or the TA in charge of the class are responsible of insuring that the students using the lab and equipment to clean the equipment and leave the lab in the same condition as it was before the class. Any damage to the equipment or labs should bereported personally to the Lab Manager as soon as possible. Problems with equipment or supplies should also be reported to the Lab Manager.

All TA’s assigned to the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department are required to meet with the Lab Manger to review the department policies and procedures. The TA’s are not permitted to use any lab or equipment until approved by the Lab Manager.

All Students taking Engineering classes which involve the use of the laboratories will be required to read and sign a Safety Sheet.

Safety Policy

All Students taking Engineering classes which involve the use of the laboratories will be required to read and sign a Safety Sheet.

1. Students are expected to act in a professional manner while in the laboratory. This includes having respect for the work of others.
2. Students should not touch any equipment or materials in the laboratories unless they have been trained on the piece of equipment and have the permission of the lab instructor.
3. Students are expected to clean up the lab and equipment at the end of each lab period. Any equipment that is being used for an extended, continuous experiment should not be left where it will interfere with other labs.
4. Because of the presence of hazardous materials, there is no eating or drinking in any laboratories.

Safety:

1. Unsafe actions will not be tolerated.
2. Due to hazardous of laboratories supplies, goggles will be supplied to every student. These goggles must be returned at the end of each class.
3. In addition to the goggles each laboratory is equipped with a first aid kit, dust masks, eye wash stations, chemical spill containment kits, fire extinguishers, and fire alarms.
4. Any unsafe act or conditions should be reported immediately to the lab instructor, or Lab Manager.