ISU structural lab boasts new equipment

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK)-Idaho State University’s “Structural Laboratory” (SLAB) received approximately $250,000 in upgrades and new equipment this year.  The laboratory is within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. 

The labs, including a new visualization laboratory, offer students a chance to apply their knowledge toward groundbreaking research in civil engineering. 

“Idaho State is proud of this remarkable lab,” said David Rodgers, ISU associate vice president for research and associate director for the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAES). “SLAB provides exceptional testing capabilities for construction materials, gives our Engineering students the opportunity to work with industrial partners, and uniquely incorporates the emerging tool of virtual reality.”

The new additions include a 2.5 million-pound isolation frame with a custom-built load cell, hydraulic ram, pump and other accessories to test high capacity components.  The upgrades also include a 3,000 psi hydraulic pump, a forklift, and eight new computers for research students.