Structural Systems & Materials Testing Laboratory

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The Structural Systems and Materials Testing Laboratory at NMSU has a 2700 sq. ft. area with a 600 sq. ft. strong floor, providing adequate space for large and small scale subassembly testing. The laboratory employs a wide variety of sensors and controllers including load cells, displacement transducers, accelerometers, actuators, and is equipped with several high-speed, multi-channel data acquisition systems that allow near simultaneous recording of over 50 channels of data. These data acquisition systems can be used in the laboratory or transported for site investigations. Additional equipment (e.g., freeze-thaw chamber, Schmidt hammer, data loggers, oscilloscopes, and others), as well as a universal testing machine with a 400,000-lb force capacity and a one-million-pound compression machine create a materials testing facility that can meet a wide range of test specifications. The laboratory is staffed by an engineering technologist to assist researchers in all aspects of their experimental programs, including model fabrication, set-up, instrumentation, and testing. The Structural Systems and Materials Testing Laboratory and the adjacent shop space also provide adequate space for fabrication of large scale specimens such as bridge girders and decks.