CIVIL, CONSTRUCTION & ENVIRONMENTAL
Engineering Materials and Structural Testing Laboratory
Physical Facilities
The Structural Testing Laboratory houses both data acquisition and MTS hydraulic testing systems that are used in both undergraduate instruction and in faculty/graduate research. The laboratory has a 100-ft by 50-ft strong-floor and a 20-ft high by 15-ft (legs) L-shaped strong-wall, which enables the construction of purpose-built test fixtures. Images of these can be found below.
The mission of the EMSTL is multi-faceted. The primary mission of the EMSTL is to provide Marquette University undergraduate and graduate students with state-of-the-art hands-on educational experiences related to characterization of engineering materials and behavior of structural systems and structural components. It should be emphasized that the student population included in the mission is campus wide and is not isolated to the College of Engineering, or even Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering (CCEE) Students. The second facet to the mission is to be the primary facility for extramurally funded graduate student and faculty research in the area of engineering materials characterization and physical testing of structural components and structural systems. The final facet to the EMSTL mission is to be of service to industry and the engineering community as a resource for materials characterization and physical testing of structural components and systems.
Funding agencies: National Science Foundation, American Institute of Steel Construction, Wisconsin Highway Research Program, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Precast Prestressed Concrete Institute, Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute, United States Army, United States Navy, DARPA, National Cooperative Highway Research Program
Specialized Equipment
Strong-Wall and Strong-Floor Space
Strong Floor Bay Looking East
Strong Wall and Typical Strong Floor Fixture used in EMSTL
Strong Floor Bay Looking West
Strong Floor Bay Looking Down
Overhead Crane, Forklifts, Pallet Jacks, and Scissors Lifts
Crane Runway and Bridge Beam
Crane Trolly
Forklift
Pallet Jack
Scissors Lift
Fixture Storage Platform Elevator, 8,000 lb capacity
Concrete Mixing Room and Environmental Chamber
Forney Compression Testing Machine
Ovens and Sieve Area
Concrete Mixing Space
Espec Environmental Chamber
Discussion and Teaching Space
Fume Hood Extension
Chemical Laboratory
Benchtop Experimentation Area
Tables for Classroom Interaction and Discussion
Educational Applications
The facility is currently being (or has imminent plans to be) used in the following CCEE undergraduate courses: CEEN 3320 (Civil Engineering Materials); CEEN 2130 (Mechanics of Materials); CEEN 3410 (Structural Analysis 1); CEEN 3160 (Geotechnical Engineering); CEEN 3430 (Steel Design 1); CEEN 3440 (Reinforced Concrete Design). The EMSTL is also used in Mechanical Engineering courses.
Research Applications
Joseph Diekfuss, Ph.D. student Over the past few decades, there have been issues of poor fatigue performance (the main failure mechanism) of the welded, tube-to-transverse plate connections within sign support structures. The fatigue tests shown here were performed to supplement existing experimental results and to help quantify uncertainty related to the fatigue performance of these types of structures. This research was funded through the Wisconsin Highway Research Program (WHRP) by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) under Projects 0092-08-14 and 0092-09-07. | |
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Fatigue Test Setup for Highway Sign Connections inside EMSTL |
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 Strain gaging used during fatigue tests: Vishay strain gage, Vishay spot welder, and round specimen with strain gages installed |  Fatigue crack detected via dye penetrant testing after 4,374,464 cycles of loading for one of the test specimens |
David Newman, Managing Director of EMSTL The purpose of the precast/brick tests is to understand the effect of freeze/thaw cycling on the tensile strength of the precast unit as a whole. The purpose of the dowel bar pull out tests is to determine the effects of new dowel materials/manufacturing processes as they relate to adhesion of concrete to dowels in jointed concrete. | |
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 Video: Hollow core precast plank lifting lug pull out test w/ 50 kip actuator |
 Video: Constant amplitude fatigue test of welded tube-to-transverse plate connections w/ 20 kip actuator |
 Aligning and adhering a test fixture to a precast concrete and brick specimen in preparation for a pull off test |
 Precast concrete/brick specimen under load in test frame |
 Precast concrete/brick specimen under load in test frame |
 Precast concrete/brick specimen post test. Note the failure in the brick. |
Dr. James Crovetti CEEN 3160 - Geotechnical Engineering represents a fundamental knowledge course for Junior level students in Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering. The course examines fundamental properties and engineering characteristics of soil, including the formation and the development of soil strata, the physical and hydraulic properties, and the methods of predicting the stress-strain behavior of soils for engineering applications. The specific goal of this project is to develop a complete sequence of field and laboratory tests which allow students to discover, and hopefully appreciate what is hidden underground, including the existing soil deposits as well as the completed foundation support systems. | |
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 Outdoor soil pit configured for a small-scale foundation load test |
 Outdoor soil pit configured for a small-scale foundation load test (close up) |
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