The Forest Engineering Soils Laboratory
Forest Engineering Soil Laboratory History
- Vehicle access and high capacity load-bearing floor for access and housing of large, heavy and tree-length equipment for machine design purpose (skidder, forwarder, delimber),
- Easy access and short distance for sample transportation (wooden beams, soil and gravel samples) from loading bay to lab space for charging kiln, microwave dryer, universal testing machine and conducting geotechnical tests,
- High head room,
- Separate location of the lab space for low disturbance to adjacent labs during noisy and vibrating machine operations,
- Large ceiling height for easy manipulation of equipment and samples
- Flexible interior design (movable benches and cabinets, temporary separating walls)
- Multifarious power supply (voltage, outlets, individual breakers)
- High capacity ventilation and fume hood to exhaust the lab space safely, quickly and effectively from fumes and dust
- Multiple water supply to run cooling systems and heat exchanger of lab machinery and for standard lab operations of a wet lab
- Multiple queen size sinks (for soil washing and running of aspirators) and floor drain for heat exchanger mentioned above
- Miscellaneous fittings like propane and compressed air
- Working benches of 36 m (104 feet) in total length
1. Historic background
After the Faculties of Engineering and Forestry conceived the idea of Forest Engineering in the mid 1960's the Forest Engineering Program was established at UNB in 1969. The first report of an accreditation visit to Forest Engineering recommended that the group spread over the Forestry and Geology Building should be housed in total in Head Hall so that the students would better identify with engineering.
Continued accreditation by CCPE after 1977 was made conditional, in part, upon the Department being allocated sufficient and suitable space. Because of this demand of the accreditation committee and the fact that the addition to the Forestry and Geology building in 1976 did not provide the required FE laboratory facilities, the need for future accommodation of FE was considered highest priority when plans for an addition to the Head Hall building came up. So the Dean of Engineering explicitly stated the objective for the Planning Committee on November 29, 1976, to do a “ realistic assessment of the need for a new wing to the building (Head Hall); its location and allocation of space taking into account the possible move of Forest Engineering to Head Hall ” (University of New Brunswick Faculty of Engineering, Planning Committee Proposal, New Wing Head Hall, May 1977).
Prof. Short became the Forest Engineering member of this Planning Committee and pushed the idea of creating innovative facilities dedicated to Forest Engineering. Although the first planning stage provided space for the whole Forest Engineering Department in the Head Hall extension (offices, meeting room, class room and lab space) after 20 years the realization of at least one FE lab (B 105) became true in 1989.
2. General idea of the FE Laboratory
Since Forest Engineering could only realize this single lab space in the extension of Head Hall so far, the purpose of this lab space was, and still is, to serve the wide range of needs of the whole Forest Engineering program for both, teaching and research. Therefore Forest Engineering designed itself an unique multi-purpose lab which does not only serve the actual needs of the program but which has also a flexible design to meet future needs.
3. Purpose of the FE lab
The FE lab enables undergraduate and graduate teaching and also graduate research. Right now the following undergraduate labs are conducted in the FE lab:
FE 3143 Natural Resources Geotechnique I, FE 3303 Thermal Engineering, FE 3363 Machine Design, FE 3803 Wood Technology.
4. Design characteristics
For teaching and research purpose the lab shows the following design characteristics:
The lab space is momentary divided by a temporary wall into two parts. The idea is to have a “dirt lab” where the tested machines are located, whereas the steering of the testing equipment is done from the adjacent second part, the “clean lab”. Because of the temporary character of the separation wall, the lab space of the dirt lab can easily be enlarged for the testing of bigger machinery since the bearing capacity is sufficient through out the whole lab space. This enables, again, flexibility in lab design to future needs.
In addition, there are three lockable cubicles offering office space for a faculty member and the lab technician as well as a small metal workshop for basic construction and repairs.
5. Future usage
As described above, the limited but well designed lab facilities of the FE Laboratory B 105 meet the actual needs of the Forest Engineering program with respect to teaching and research. Although designed almost 25 years ago the lab will serve the basic future needs of the program, too. The lab using faculty and staff members have been completely replaced in the last three years. The new crew is aware of and highly appreciates the uniqueness of this specific FE lab unit. Relying upon the continuity of the FE lab in Head Hall the future research programs of the new faculty are based on this existing and approved lab facility.