Structural Testing and Materials Research at National Laboratory of the Rockies

Facility Overview

The National Laboratory of the Rockies’ (NLR’s) Flatirons Campus hosts multiple structural testing and materials research laboratories for the characterization, qualification, and certification of materials and structures at all scales. The lab has a long history of developing test methods for evaluating marine and other high-performance structures. The Composite Manufacturing and Education Technology (CoMET) facility, also located at the Flatirons Campus, supports composite materials manufacturing and process development.

NLR’s structural testing and materials research laboratories include reinforced structural floors, five full-scale validation stands, and extensive hydraulic infrastructure to support a wide range of structural configurations. A broad array of servo-hydraulic actuators and winches with displacements up to 1.5 meters and force capacities up to 500 kilonewtons (kN) are also available. NLR’s facilities contain multiple load frames, with force capacity ranging from 12 to 500 kN, for static and fatigue characterization in accordance with a variety of ASTM and ISO test methods.

NLR has the ability to characterize the performance of materials in harsh marine environments using a variety of incubators and circulating baths to accelerate degradation processes. These capabilities are paired with state-of-the-art instrumentation and data acquisition systems, enabling a comprehensive understanding of material and structural performance.