Facilities

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is housed in the Northwest Center for Engineering, Science and Technology. This facility includes numerous “green” building features, such as a geothermal heating/cooling system drawing water from underground aquifers and a rainwater treatment system.

Modern, up-to-date laboratories and computing facilities are available for students admitted to the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering. These include the infraStructure Testing and Applied Research (iSTAR) Lab, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Lab, computer-aided design (CAD) labs, and structures, geotechnical, environmental and hydraulics labs.

Learning Laboratories

Fluid Mechanics Laboratory

Undergraduate laboratory for Junior level Civil and Environmental Engineering and Mechanical Engineering students. Experiments are performed to acquaint students with the theory and practice of fluid statics and dynamics.

Hydraulics Laboratory

Undergraduate laboratory for Junior level Civil and Environmental Engineering students studying principles of open channel flow (subcritical and critical flow, hydraulic jumps, flow measurement), enclosed flows in pressure conduits, pump characteristic curves.

Geotechnical/Soils Lab

The basics of soil mechanics are illustrated by lab and in-situ testing and analysis in the Soils Lab. Students discover the behavior and classification of particulate materials.

Research Laboratories

Seismic Testing and Applied Research (iSTAR) Lab

The iSTAR Lab's mission is to enhance the knowledge of the engineering community by providing information about structures and structural elements. iSTAR Lab capabilities include static, dynamic and cyclic testing. Analytical analysis utilizing computer generated models and customized computer programming is available. A recent project was seismic qualification of a 500 kV 4,000 amp electrical jumper with seismic isolators for BPA.

Concrete Lab

This lab includes a moist room and various equipment used to mix, pour, and test concrete. This laboratory is used in conjunction with the Structural Testing laboratory for testing of laboratory specimens.

Hydraulic Research Laboratory

Research laboratory on open-channel flow dynamics using a research flume.

Environmental Laboratory A and B

These are research laboratories for wet-chemistry in the study of toxics in the environment.

Hydrodynamic Processes and Ecosystems Group Laboratory

Research laboratory for fluid mechanical research on the impact of the Columbia River plume on oceanic dynamics as they relate to tides, fish migration up the Columbia, and impacts of dams and dikes on fish habitat in the lower Columbia River.

Water Quality Modeling Laboratory

Research laboratory developing water quality and hydrodynamic models of rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and estuary systems.
Environmental Laboratory D – research laboratory on fluid particle separation, mixing, and settling dynamics in lakes/reservoirs and in storm water capture/removal.

Hydrology Laboratory

Research into hydrological processes. This laboratory features the rainwater treatment system providing physical and chemical treatment of rainwater collected on the building roof for use in the building.

Analytical Laboratory

Modeling Laboratory

Intelligent Transporations Systems Laboratory

Geotechnical/Soils Laboratory

Research now begun investigates the application of new AASHTO LRFD principles for bridge deep foundations in Oregon using the WEAP code in pile driving capacity verification. The first Phase, now underway, will attempt to fully articulate the magnitude of the anticipated cost increase for Oregon under LRFD resistance factors and build competency in pile foundation reliability concepts. The outcome should gain regional support for a procedure to raise the resistance factor in ODOT future bridges.