Research
Students and faculty in the Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering (CEAE) department collaborate using world-class research facilities in our newly-renovated building to investigate new sources of energy, discover safer and more sustainable ways to build and maintain buildings and infrastructure, and protect the natural world through reducing environmental impact and keeping contaminants out of our water and soil.
The structures and natural resources around us serve as teachers and reminders of the importance of conservation and environmental sustainability. Our research touches on the very infrastructure of society.
Research Focus Areas
Our research touches on topics such as sustainability, natural resource preservation, design, construction, architecture, and energy:
- Integrated Design for Sustainable and Healthy Buildings
- Structural and Architectural Materials
- Analysis/Design of Structural Systems and Smart Structures
- Construction and Design-Construction Integration
- Physical and Chemical Treatment Processes
- Energy and Sustainability
- Water Resources
Visit our faculty members’ bio pages to learn more about their individual current and ongoing research interests.
Research Facilities
The groundbreaking research we pursue in the Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering (CEAE) department happens in the state-of-the-art labs in our newly renovated building, along with labs in a new academic building nearby. Here, you’ll see undergraduate and graduate students and faculty collaborating to find solutions to civil engineering problems that affect us all, such as eradicating pollution from our water and soil and ensuring safe, sustainable structures, using up-to-the-minute equipment and methods.
Structural Mechanics Impact Laboratory
This teaching and research laboratory is an impact laboratory used to explore the behavior of materials and components in collisions.
Materials/Structural Laboratory
The Materials/Structural Laboratory is set up for materials and structures testing and used for undergraduate teaching and projects as well as graduate research. The laboratory also has several large-load mechanical testing machines.
Pavement Research Laboratory
The Pavement Research Laboratory contains advanced testing equipment, most notable of which are the material testing system, the model mobile load simulator, and an array of nondestructive testing equipment consisting of the portable seismic property analyzer, falling weight deflectometer, and ground penetrating radar. A major focus of the Pavement Engineering program is the integration of undergraduate and graduate curricula with research projects funded by the Maine Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, New England Transportation Consortium, and the National Science Foundation.
Fuller Environmental Laboratory
Located in Kaven Hall, the Fuller Laboratory is designed for state-of-the-art environmental analyses, including water and wastewater testing and treatability studies.
Geo/Water Resources Laboratory
Also located in Kaven Hall, the Geo/Water Resources Laboratory provides space and equipment for soil and water quality analyses, as well as a secure place for field and laboratory equipment used in research and project work.