Maverick Engineering Social Media

Center for Structural Engineering Research

The UT Arlington College of Engineering is working with some of the nation's leading corporations to construct a Center for Structural Engineering Research (CSER), one of the largest of its kind in the U.S., allowing full-scale testing of large structural components.

The Dallas/Fort Worth area will see an economic benefit with additional jobs created by the center and an increased opportunity for UT Arlington to compete for state and federal research funding. And, as one of the largest structural testing facilities in the U.S., the CSER will bring world-wide recognition to the university's engineering programs while also supporting local concrete industry research needs. The $34 million facility, operated by Civil Engineering faculty, will also benefit the concrete products industry by helping to grow the concrete products market and provide facilities to test the effects of nature, earthquakes, fire and other destructive factors.

The 60,000 square-foot center, which will be located at the northeast corner of 1-30 and MacArthur, about eleven miles from the UT Arlington campus, will boast over 26,000 square feet of office and classroom space; and 30,000 square feet of research space, shops and support area. The research area will contain one of the largest reaction floors in the nation and feature state-of-the art equipment and instrumentation, such as several 200-ton dynamic actuators, nano and laser sensors and image processing devices. The reaction floor will be capable of testing several full-size building and bridge components simultaneously with monotonic, cyclic, dynamic, fire and blast loads. Two 53-feet tall, 50-ton cranes will move test specimens and materials to specialized equipment in the research area.

To find out more about sponsorship and giving opportunities to support the construction of this building, please contact Ellis Pope at epope@uta.edu