
The Richard '39 and Opal Vanderhoof Infrastructure Research and Education Facility and the William H. Schuette '33 Structural Laboratory are premier facilities for large-scale structural testing. They are used for both education and research on the performance of large-scale infrastructure components. It is available for use by academic researchers, industry, and governmental agencies.
The facility is designed for both static and dynamic testing. Controlled force,displacement, or strain may be applied at frequencies up to 20Hz. The performance of innovative structural components, connections, structural sub-assemblages, pipelines, etc. can be evaluated. Experimental testing techniques to determine stiffness, static strength, fatigue strength, fracture toughness, cyclic behavior, and effective damping can be performed. Wind excitation, earthquake excitation, and vehicle-induced vibration can be simulated.
The facility supports one of the principal objectives of the Civil Engineering Department at Case: to provide advanced education and perform advanced research focused on our built infrastructure. Our goal is to prepare graduates to serve the public by improving the safety, sustainability, and energy-efficiency of our built infrastructure.