Structural Model Instructional Laboratory
The Structural Model Instructional Laboratory (102
Engineering Unit A) includes a number of computer-assisted structural model
testing apparatuses that are used for instructor-led demonstrations and student-conducted
exercises related to structural engineering concepts and structural component/system
behaviors. Included in this laboratory are the following:
- Four “AN/EX” stations for performing computer simulations and matched, bench-scale experiments on small-scale structural models
- Two computer-interfaced, bench-scale shake tables for assessing the dynamic behaviors of model structures
- Bench-scale equipment for determining material properties of model materials
- Work benches for fabricating structural models and electronic data acquisition system components.
Currently, with support from the National Science Foundation, the four AN/EX
stations have been expanded, by the development of new software modules and
matched experiment hardware, into “MechANEX” stations to demonstrate
and reinforce key co
ncepts
in the sophomore-level Statics course. Instructors from the Engineering Science
and Mechanics Department teach Statics as a required course for most engineering
students at Penn State University.
The small-scale Structural Model Instructional Laboratory in the Architectural Engineering Department at Penn State is one of the more advanced and extensive laboratories of its kind in any engineering department in the United States.
This laboratory is managed by Dr. Richard Behr and Mr. Paul Kremer.