Facilities
The Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering Laboratory (GAGEL) is a unique facility that serves both research and teaching functions. The laboratory is used by undergraduate and graduate civil and materials engineering students to determine engineering properties of soils and rocks for the design of geotechnical structures, including building foundations, dams, and tunnels. The laboratory has complete capabilities for both field and laboratory investigations to determine mechanical and hydraulic properties of geomaterials and to investigate foundation systems under simulated landslides, earthquakes, and flooding. Specialized equipment enable sample preparation for testing of static and dynamic soil properties with data acquisition and computer systems for data interpretation.
Specializing in geoenvironmental studies, the laboratory has developed special experience in investigating ways to use waste and recycled materials in civil and environmental engineering applications. The laboratory is also engaged in developing innovative soil and groundwater remediation methods, and designing effective municipal and hazardous waste landfills. The laboratory has special experience in determining soil properties for environmental measurements that determine the source and fate of pollutants at hazardous waste sites.
The Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering Laboratory houses equipments such as:
- Direct Shear Testing Apparatus
- Consolidation Testing Apparatus
- Triaxial Hydraulic Conductivity/Shear Testing Apparatus
- Volume Change Apparatus
- Large-Scale Constant Head Permeameter
- Unconfined Compressive Strength Testing Machine
- California Bearing Ratio (CBR) Testing Machine
- Aquifer Simulator
- Greenhouse
- Centrifuges, Shakers, Tumblers & Heaters
- UV-Vis Spectrophotometer
- Gas Chromatography with Purge and Trap Auto Sampler
- Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer
In addition, we extensively use our university Research Resources Center which houses the following equipments:
- GC/MS
- IC/MS
- AA
- X-ray Diffractometer
- JEOL 1220 TEM
- JEOL JSM 35C SEM
- ABI 151A HPLC
- Novex analytical electrophoresis system
- DNA Facility
