The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) has inaugurated a new, state-of-the-art structural testing facility, home to the only load frame of its size in the state and the entire Northwest.
FAIRBANKS, Alaska - The University of Alaska Fairbanks has unveiled a new, state-of-the-art structural testing facility, home to the only load frame of its size in the state and the entire Northwest United States.
The $1 million investment — largely funded by a gift from alumnus Alan Straub, an engineer who graduated in the 1960s — enables full-scale testing of structural elements. The dual load frames, costing approximately $600,000 for the frames alone, can subject elements to loads up to 500,000 pounds of force in a four-point bending test, according to Billy Connor, a structural engineer with UAF. The facility’s first major project will involve testing a bridge girder for the Alaska Department of Transportation to optimize designs, aiming to save both taxpayer money and, more critically, lives. This expansive facility, measuring 100 feet long and 27 feet wide with a four-foot-thick floor, is a massive boost for UAF’s engineering program, Connor said. It allows students to scale up their small-element modeling and compare their theoretical calculations against the real-world reaction of full-sized structures. Beyond education, the facility is crucial for research, especially for developing and testing new materials like concrete made from local silt and fly ash, which is a fine powder created from the burning of coal. Testing materials at full scale in this Arctic-focused lab provides the necessary confidence that new creations will perform reliably in the cold environment. While the testing bay currently operates at room temperature, the long-term goal is to integrate a large cold room to test structures at temperatures as low as minus 53 degrees Celsius. This facility extends its utility beyond academia by inviting industry partners, such as companies developing structural foam panels, to test their new ideas and materials, thereby fostering local economic development and ensuring the safety and viability of materials destined for the field.FPD: Five in Fairbanks accused of illegal gambling operation, arrestedFairbanks soup kitchen to prepare special meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas'Alaska must follow the law': State lawmaker says audit shows OCS not doing enough to help children
Fairbanks Structural Testing Girder Bridges
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