The Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) is celebrating its 50th anniversary with an open house on August 29, 2019. Community members are invited to tour the CERL facilities and see firsthand the research being conducted. Their unique test facilities include the Triaxial Earthquake and Shock Simulator, one of the nation’s most powerful shake tables; Synthetic Biology, Environmental Chemistry, Microbiology, Nanotechnology, Water, Pollution and Composite Materials Laboratories; and the Paint Technology Center, the Corps of Engineers Center of Expertise for paints and coatings.
There are six tours are scheduled, beginning at 8:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Tours last approximately one hour and are open to U.S. citizens and foreign nationals. Government ID is required. Those wishing to take a tour must register by August 22 at https://www.erdc.usace.army.mil/Locations/CERL/CERL-50/.
CERL was built in close proximity to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to capitalize on the university’s top science and engineering programs, experts and facilities. The lab was dedicated in July 1969 with civil engineering professor Louis Richard “Dick” Shaffer as Deputy Director/Technical Director, a post he held for 18 years. Under Shaffer’s direction CERL grew from a starting budget of $2 million and 62 personnel to a world class research facility with a $100 million program and some 1,000 employees.
CERL is located at 2902 Newmark Dr., Champaign, Ill.