Concrete Technology Lab

The concrete technology laboratory aims to determine the properties of construction materials. The laboratory supports teaching of the materials of construction course (1401340) and advanced construction materials course (1401443(. The Concrete Technology lab is equipped with many machines and apparatus that are listed below for performing tests on metals, cement, aggregate, fresh concrete, hardened concrete and wood. Through this laboratory, students become familiar with commonly used construction materials and their respective quality control according to the standards.

There are various lab tests performed on construction materials in the field of civil engineering to ensure their quality, durability, and safety. Here are some of the commonly performed tests:

1.  Aggregates Testing:

-  Sieve Analysis: Determines the particle size distribution for coarse and fine aggregates.

- Aggregate Crushing Value (ACV) Test: Measures the ability of an aggregate to resist crushing under a gradually applied compressive load.

- Aggregate Impact Value (AIV) Test: Measures the resistance of an aggregate to sudden shock or impact.

- Los Angeles Abrasion Test: Measures the abrasion resistance and durability of aggregates.

1. Concrete Testing:

- Slump Test: Measures the consistency of fresh concrete before it sets.

- Compressive Strength Test: Determines the strength of hardened concrete.

- Splitting Tensile Strength Test: Determines the tensile strength of concrete.

- Flexural Strength Test: Determines the flexural strength of concrete.

1. Cement Testing:

- Fineness Test: Measures the size of cement particles.

- Standard Consistency Test: Determines the quantity of water required to produce a cement paste of standard consistency.

-  Setting Time Test: Measures the time for cement to start setting and completely harden.

- Compressive Strength Test: Determines the compressive strength of cement.

1. Steel Testing:

- Tensile Test: Measures the resistance of a material to a force tending to pull it apart.

- Bend Test: Determines the ductility or resistance to fracture under bending of steel.

- Rebend Test: Checks whether the steel can withstand the effect of bending and rebending.

- Chemical Analysis: Determines the percentage of different elements used in the steel.

These tests are performed according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards.

Contents of Concrete Technology Laboratory

Photo Gallery

Image   Compression Testing Machine	Image Universal Testing Machine
Image Vicat Apparatus	Image Sieves and Mechanical Sieve Shaker
Image Compaction Factor Test Apparatus	Image Slump Cone
Image Digital Concrete Test Hammer	Image Air Meter
Image Concrete Mixer	Image Ultrasonic pulse velocity Apparatus
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Surveying Lab.

The surveying Lab is a well- established laboratory that is equipped with almost all surveying Instruments needed for the students to apply the principles taught in the theoretical Surveying courses. The Surveying Lab is supporting courses of Civil Engineering program [Plane Surveying 1401270, Applications of Surveying and Mapping 1401271, B.Sc. Projects 1401491 and 1401492] of Engineering College. The Surveying Lab contains many different instruments, equipment and tools inside the laboratory as shown in Table [1-1]. In order to keep the surveying lab up to date, new important instruments were joined (March-2023) to the surveying lab [(1) of GNSS package (Topcon HIPER-VR) and (2) of Total Station (Topcon OS-201)]. The laboratory experiments include training students to measure (lengths), (horizontal and vertical angles), (make longitudinal), (areas), (transverse), (grid budgets to measure the elevations of different points) and (get points coordinates) by different instruments and techniques. Undergraduate students use this lab as an integral part of their surveying coursework and obtain topographic information that can help their capstone design projects, such as highway design and land development. Students also learn safety and instruction on the field work, the use and care of the surveying Instruments, Equipment and Tools.

Contents of surveying Lab.

Photo Gallery

Image	Image Different Instruments, Equipment and Tools of surveying Lab
Image GNSS package (Topcon HIPER-VR)	Image Topcon )HIPER-VR) instrument
Image Total station (Topcon OS-201) instrument	Image Digital Theodolite instrument
Image Automatic level and Total station (Leica) instruments	Image Digital planimeter, Safety Jacket and Arrows
Image Different Tapes, staff, Ranging rods, safety and instruction notes	Image
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Structures Lab

The Structures Lab in the Civil Engineering Department is a facility equipped to provide students with practical, hands-on knowledge and experience in the field of structural analysis. It supports the learning of two courses 1401202 Structural Analysis 1 and 14012303 Structural Analysis 2, offering a combination of theoretical and practical learning. The lab aims to develop crucial skills such as problem-solving, hands-on experience, and written communication through detailed reports on experimental results.

Courses supported

• Structural Analysis (1401202): This course introduces students to the fundamental concepts of structural analysis, including force equilibrium, stability, and determinacy. Students learn to analyze statically determinate structures, such as beams, trusses, and frames, under various loading conditions.
• Structural Analysis 2 (1401303): Building on the foundation of Structural Analysis 1, this course covers advanced topics such as the analysis of statically indeterminate structures, influence lines, and the application of energy methods. Students are exposed to various techniques to solve complex structural problems, including the force method, displacement method, and matrix methods.

Skills Developed

• Problem-solving: Students learn to tackle complex structural problems and apply appropriate analysis techniques to find solutions.
• Practical hands-on experience: The lab allows students to work with real-life structural models and test their understanding of theoretical concepts.
• Written communication: Students are required to document their findings and observations in detailed lab reports, developing their ability to communicate complex ideas effectively.

Equipment

The Structures Lab is equipped with the following tools and equipment to provide students with a comprehensive learning experience:

• Basic and advanced truss sets from Pasco, Inc.: These truss sets allow students to perform force calculation experiments in both static and moving loads, facilitating a better understanding of the behavior of trusses under different loading conditions.
• Deflection frame: This apparatus is used to measure the deflection of various materials, such as plastic and steel beams, as well as trusses. By studying the deformation of these materials, students gain insights into their performance under loads and the factors that influence their behavior.

Overall, the Structures Lab in the Civil Engineering Department provides a robust learning environment for students to deepen their understanding of structural analysis and develop essential skills for their future careers in the field.

1. Experiments

List of Experiments and Exercises carried out by the Lab

HAMPDEN MODEL H-6320 (Structures Test System)

PASCO Structures System

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Indeterminate Bridge Truss Experiment

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Advanced Structure Set of Suspension Bridge

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Arch Truss Set

 

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Large Structure Set

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 Bridge Truss

Geotechnical Engineering Lab.

The laboratory of Geotechnical engineering is one of the main civil engineering laboratories, which contains a series of devices. These devices have been attributed for one or more chapters in the Geotechnical Engineering course as part of a typical undergraduate curriculum.

The main objectives of laboratory course’s part are to introduce geotechnical problems from practical point of view, familiarize the students to common geotechnical test methods and terminology.

Naturally these laboratory resources are intended to use by undergraduate, alumina and researchers.

 The Geotechnical laboratory resources are used for the following tests to perform according ASTM Standards:

• The mechanical sieve analysis and the hydrometer
• The equivalent sand test
• The relative density test
• The Atterberg limits (Liquid Limit and Plastic Limit)
• The laboratory automatic Proctor compaction
• The constant head permeability test
• The direct shear test
• The triaxial test

The mentioned tests are performed by students and the work is organized as a teamwork, having exchanges of difficulties and solutions. Laboratory Manual is written, and the steps are described in accordance with the applicable American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and each experience is associated to ASTM standard number.

List of instruments & tools inside the laboratory

Courses and Applied Experiments

B. Sc. Projects in Geotechnical Engineering Lab.:

1. Design of foundations of the Engineering Faculty in the Northern Border University.
2. Storm water drainage design.
3. Design of foundations of engineering and a retaining wall for an underground car parking: case of four floors-building in Arar.

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Sieve Analysis 

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