Civil Engineering Research and Education Center Nearing Completion

Breanna Lacy

The new Grady E. Harvell Civil Engineering Research and Education Center

The new Grady E. Harvell Civil Engineering Research and Education Center is nearing completion and will be open later this summer.

The U of A's new 35,500-square-foot facility, located at the Arkansas Research and Technology Park, will allow advanced physical testing of civil engineering infrastructure and provide hands-on student training.  

The largest space in the new research center includes a structural high-bay and strong floor that will allow students and faculty to evaluate full-scale structural components (such as those in buildings and bridges) under complex loads. The building also features a fabrication shop, metallurgy lab, concrete materials mixing and testing lab, and faculty support spaces.

Once completed, the complex will provide support for both graduate and undergraduate civil engineering students and their research. The new labs will also demonstrate the university's support of steel and timber production in the state.

Faculty members believe the facility will provide students with new learning opportunities and aid in future research. "The new large-scale structural testing and material-level analysis capabilities provided by the Harvell Lab will help develop important solutions to future infrastructure challenges while providing unique learning experiences to engineering students," said Gary Prinz, associate professor of civil engineering.

The facility is the first phase in a project designed to develop the Arkansas Research and Technology Park. Additional details regarding an unveiling ceremony for the new center will be released at a later date.

The new Civil Engineering Research and Education Center includes a "strong floor," which allows evaluation of full-scale structural components, such as those in buildings and bridges, under complex loads.

About the College of Engineering: The University of Arkansas College of Engineering is the largest engineering program in the state of Arkansas. Over the past decade, the college has experienced unprecedented growth. Undergraduate enrollment has doubled since 2007, and total enrollment in the college is now over 4,000 students. The College of Engineering offers graduate and undergraduate degrees in nine engineering fields, as well as incorporating distance learning and interdisciplinary programs. Faculty in the college conduct research in many key areas, including electronics, energy, biomedical and healthcare engineering, materials science, transportation and logistics.

About Facilities Management: The University of Arkansas Facilities Management Department oversees the design and construction of capital projects as well as renovations and maintenance of education and general purpose buildings on campus. Some services include general maintenance, custodial, recycling, outdoor space renovations, and more. Those needing to report a maintenance problem or wishing to begin a project should visit the Facilities Management website.