ITW Structural and Strength of Materials Teaching Laboratory

Civil & Materials EngineeringUIC

November 2009

Laboratory Needs

• Introductory Strength of Materials, Properties of Materials, and Structural Analysis Courses are presently offered without laboratory exercises

• These courses are taken by over 600 students per year

• Space is available for the laboratory, and a new faculty member qualified to supervise the labs will join UIC in Spring 2010

I – Universal Testing System for Materials

Basic Concepts - Metallic, Cementitious and Composite materialsImportant in all basic materials and structures courses

Testing System Requirements for Basic ConceptsUniversal Testing Machine• Capability for tension , and compressions tests with load capacities of up to 300 to 500 Kips to accommodate

compression testing of concrete cylinders• Tensile grips and compressions platens for testing of metallic and cementitious materials• Stiff frame for control and accurate measurement of displacements • Fixtures for shear tests either direct or torsion• Flexure test grips fixtures• Environmental test chamber for simultaneous mechanical and thermal loading of specimens• High capacity silent flow pump for static and fatigue testing of specimens (25 gpm or higher)• Software for control of test parameters

• Photo of a typical system (from Instron’s web site)

II – Testing of Materials under High Rates of Loading – Impact Tests

• Testing System Requirements for Impact TestsDrop Weight Impact Testing System• High impact energies (20,000 joules or higher) for testing of a variety of materials

including concrete, steel, and fiber reinforced polymer composites• High impact velocities , i.e. 15-20 ft/s• Support fixtures for mounting and fixing the specimens• Test control software

Typical drop weight system from Instron’s website

III – Vibration and Seismic Loading – Basic Concepts

• Understand durability of materials under repeated use. • Simulate actual seismic loads on structures• Evaluate Modal Characteristics of structures and machines prior and after damage or

repeated use

• System requirements for Vibration Tests – Shaking TablesMulti-axis Shaking Table Test System• Capability for 2 or more degrees of freedom vibration tests• Capability for application of a wide spectrum of frequencies 0.1 – 100 Hz. With

corresponding displacement strokes. • Capability for accepting mid-size structural components, i.e., a concrete column, or a small-

scale building frame model• Software for load – displacement input control and acquisition and processing of data

IV – Column and Cable Tests

Understanding basic concepts in structural stability of compression members, i.e. columns

Understanding the basic concepts in the behavior of cables under fatigue and direct tension load regimes

System Requirements for Cable/Column Test System• Long stroke range test frames for tension testing of cables in cabled structures• Compression tests for columns• 3 – 4 meter specimen length capability• Horizontal design to accommodate laboratory height restrictions and long

specimen loading• Control and data acquisition software • Capability for fatigue loading

EQUIPMENT NEEDS SUMMARY

I – Testing System for Basic ConceptsII – Testing System for Impact TestsIII – System for Vibration Tests – Shaking TablesIV- System for Cable/Column Test SystemV – Related Pumps and load grip assemblies

397 Senior Design Courses

• Capstone Engineering Design course required in every Engineering Program

• Senior level students work in teams to address significant engineering problems

• Problems selected by students and faculty with input from appropriate engineering practitioners

• Results presented to public at Engineering Expo – April of each year

Civil Engineering Students present their Senior Design project for a Pedestrian Bridge over Halsted Street 4/21/2009