Laboratories & Workshops
There are five main laboratory/workshop areas in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering:
- Structures (Francis) Laboratory
- Hydraulics (Michell and Sexton) Laboratories
- Geotechnical Laboratory
- Environmental (Vasey) Laboratory
- Work and machine shop
To undertake laboratory activities, it is recommended that the Technical Services Manager or the Technician in charge of a particular laboratory is contacted early in the planning stage. The general scoping and requirements of the laboratory work can then be ascertained.
When sufficient definition of the Laboratory work has been achieved a Laboratory Project Registration Form [pdf] and a Risk Assessment [pdf] for the project must be completed. Academic supervisors of students must sign off on these forms and are responsible for the student work performed under their supervision.
SafetyMAP procedures provide the overarching framework under which all laboratory activities occur.
The Technical Service manager with overall responsibility for the Laboratories is:
Barry Wilson
Room DG09
T: x 44129
E: bdw@unimelb.edu.au
Structures (Francis) Laboratory
Location
D Block basement
Supervisor
Deputy Supervisor
Contact
Grant Rivett
Room DB 03
T: x 47256
E: jamesgr@unimelb.edu.au
Main Laboratory Facilities
- Reaction Space comprising a 128 m2 strong floor
- 3-dimensional Universal loading frames with a SWL up to 60 tonnes depending on frame configuration
- Overhead crane - SWL 3 tonnes
- A concrete preparation area for the construction of test specimens
Principal Testing Equipment
- MTS Earthquake shaking table 2.0m x 2.0m. Maximum payload 3 tonnes
- Portable MTS actuators for static and cyclic testing up to 500KN in the frequency range 0 to 20 Hz
- Hydraulic Jacks with capacities up to 150 tonnes
- Universal Testing Machines with capacities from 5KN to 2000KN
- Instrumentation includes amplified strain gauges, LVDT's, accelerometers, loadcells
Data Logging
- Static systems with capacities up to 120 channels for strain gauges/LVDT's/Thermocouples
- Dynamic systems with provision for up to 24 channels for accelerometers and 16 channels for strain gauges
- All data logging systems use Lab View software
Hydraulics (Michell & Sexton) Laboratories
Location
Michell Laboratory
location 1 st floor C Block
Sexton Laboratory
location 3 rd floor C Block
Supervisor
Deputy Supervisor
Contact
Joska Shepherd
T: x 46776
E: joska@unimelb.edu.au
The Sexton Laboratory is mostly used for undergraduate teaching. It has a range of glass sided flumes fed from constant head tanks.
The Michell Laboratory is the main research laboratory and has a system of channels and pipe work which allow great flexibility in the layout of experimental and testing apparatus. An overhead 3 tonne crane runs the length of the laboratory.
Principal Equipment
Flumes- 60m multi purpose channel fitted with
- 3 pairs of 1.8mx1.8m glass side windows
- Towing carriage with precision speed control
- Wave generator
- 3 x 15m glass sides flumes. One is fitted with a wave generator
- 1x 25m tiltable flume
Volumetric Measuring tanks
- Capacities 122m 3 with a Qmax of 0.84m 3 /s,
- 51m 3 with a Qmax of 0.28m 3 /s,
- 12m 3 with a Qmax of 0.06m 3 /s
Pumps
- Capacities up to 0.37m 3 /s and with variable speed control
Constant head tanks
- 5.6m, 12.8m and 18.2m heads and discharge capacities up to 0.71m 3 /s
Instrumentation
- Includes wave probes, velocity meters.
- An 8 channel PC data logger using Lab View software is available as well as custom loggers for particular instruments.
Geotechnical Laboratory
Location
B Block basement
Supervisor
Deputy Supervisor
Contact
Tony Lowe
T: x 46642
E: lalowe@unimelb.edu.au
Principal apparatus in the Geotechnical laboratory include:
- Triaxial test cells
- Loggable sensors for volumetric change and pore pressure and strain measurements
- 16 channel Data logging system with lab view software
- Loading frames with capacities to 10000kg
- Unit odometers
- Compaction cells
- Shear box
- Core extractors
- Drying ovens
- Balances
- Seives and shaker
- A temperature and humidity controlled drying cabinet (2m 3 ) fitted with thermocouples and a data logging system
- Permeability measuring apparatus for constant and falling head measurements
- Pressure cells with capacities to 15bar for hydraulic conductivity measurement
- Vacuum filtration apparatus
- Merc water quality instruments
- Gas chromatographer
- Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) for subsurface imaging (50, 100, and 200 MHz antennas)
Environmetal (Vasey) Laboratory
Location
Ground Level D Block
Supervisor
Deputy Supervisor
Contact
Geoff Duke
T: x 46705
E: gduke@unimelb.edu.au
The Vasey laboratory is mainly used as a setting up and staging area for Environmnetal field research activities. Field equipment is also stored in the Vasey lab area.
Departmental Workshop
Location
D Block Ground Floor, Room DG03 (off the Vasey Laboratory)
Supervisor
Deputy Supervisor
Contact
Geoff Duke
T: x 46705
E: gduke@unimelb.edu.au
The Workshop has lathes, milling machines drills etc plus a welding bay for small fabrications. Contact Geoff if you want custom made equipment or modifications to existing equipment.
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