Testing Services

The Structural Engineering Laboratory at UWM has extensive capabilities to perform structural strength and durability testing on components and systems in civil, mechanical, biomedical, and other disciplines of engineering. The lab has equipment to perform both large and small scale testing along with building custom test fixtures. The UWM SEL is one of the largest such facilities in the state of Wisconsin and is an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited testing laboratory. Standard and custom testing services can include strength, fatigue, creep, corrosion, coatings, durability, and other tests. Contact us for you testing service needs.

The UWM Structures Lab is prepared to assist with the industry’s specialized testing and/or research needs. This testing allows the lab to employ undergraduate and graduate students to work under the supervision of trained professionals to complete projects and gain valuable engineering experience.

Some typical testing services for businesses include but are not limited to:

  • Testing of structural systems and materials
  • Durability assessments, corrosion testing, and fatigue testing
  • Specialized and custom testing

 

Some of the main testing equipment available for testing services:

  • MTS 110-kip universal servo-hydraulic test machine with hydraulic grips for fatigue and static testing
  • MTS 858 Mini Bionix (3.3 kip, 15 kN) axial and torsion test machine
  • Four Instron 3369 (50 kN, 11-kip) electromechanical test machines
  • Tinius Olsen 60-kip machine.
  • Tinius Olsen 10-kip torsion test machine
  • Instron 8802 (22-kip) axial test machine
  • MTS 3.3-kip axial and torsion test machine
  • MTS 3.3-kip axial test machine
  • Several servo-hydraulic actuators (up to 220 kips)
  • Three hydraulic pumps (a 140 GPM, a 70 GPM, and a 10 GPM)
  • Servo control modules and data acquisition systems
  • Other hydraulic loading systems and hardware (including jacks, hoses, and pressure gages)
  • QUV Accelerated Weathering Tester
  • Q-SUN Xenon Test Chamber
  • Cyclic corrosion test setup for recreating damage from full-spectrum sunlight and rain.
  • Blasting cabinet for shot blasting of surfaces
  • LA abrasion machine
  • Custom pavement wear test machine
  • Freeze-thaw test equipment

Pictures of the equipment listed above are at the bottom of the Facilities Page.