St. Thomas students present their concrete canoe at the Iversen Strong Wall

Iversen High Bay and Structures Lab

The Iversen High Bay and Structures Lab

This state-of-the-art structures lab is centered around a strong wall/strong floor for testing full size structural elements. This lab is used for research and to support student learning with demonstrations for classes like Steel and Reinforced Concrete Design. This space is also home to the Steel Bridge and Concrete Canoe competition clubs. The Iversen High Bay houses the Concrete Production area of the Construction Materials lab.

The Strong Wall/Strong Floor

This facility is used to do the research that helps structural engineers understand how structural elements behave under loading and ultimately fail. This information is critical for things like creating equations used in building codes.

Structural testing occurs on the four-foot-thick strong floor (42’x25’) and may also use the strong wall, a 20’ high L-shaped wall with 22’ and 12’ legs. This wall can withstand 200,000kb of force at the top while experiencing less than 1/8” of deflection. Load is provided by one 110,000 lb actuator and two 55,000 lb actuators. A data acquisition system (DAQ) can collect data from a variety of sensors.

Hands On Learning

Students have several opportunities to learn in the Iversen High Bay. Classes use this space to demonstrate concepts in real life, rather than relying on photos and videos. Students are also often hired by faculty and lab staff to support research and lab functions. Competition teams like Steel Bridge and Concrete Canoe get students building in the space, from cutting and welding to assembling and mixing concrete.

Fabrication and Support Equipment