VALPARAISO | A state-of-the-art engineering center set to open at Valparaiso University next year could draw visitors and businesses to the city and become a destination for elementary to high school study groups.
The $13 million center recently approved by the university's board of directors will be an educational tool benefitting Valparaiso as well as the university, said Kraig Olejniczak, dean of the VU College of Engineering.
Construction of the 13,500-square-foot Donald V. Fites Engineering Innovation Center is set to begin next month, with completion in time for the start of the 2011 fall semester.
The project will bring the physical infrastructure of VU's engineering programs in line with the quality of its staff and curriculum and hopefully encourage firms to locate nearby to take advantage of the engineers graduating, Olejniczak said.
A structural engineering laboratory will incorporate hydraulic actuators attached to what is known as a "strong wall, strong floor." The machines will be able to exert forces upon structures built of steel, concrete, masonry, wood and other materials, Olejniczak said.
Engineering professor Michael Hagenberger has won a National Science Foundation grant to use the new lab for stress testing of bridges, Olejniczak said.
A materials testing lab, two engine testing labs, a fluid mechanics lab and other spaces will also be included in the new facility.
The engineering center is expected to become the first building on campus to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.
Sun shades on the facade's southern exposure, roof "sails," a reflective white roof and use of nearby and recycled materials will contribute to the building's green properties. Highly efficient heating and cooling and systems to minimize water usage will also be incorporated.
The center will be attached to the south side of Gellersen Center, home to the university's engineering college, expanding the building's 52,000 square feet by about 25 percent. The project will include renovation of approximately 4,300 square feet of existing facilities in Gellersen Center.
The new facility is named for 1956 VU engineering graduate Donald Fites, former chairman and CEO of Caterpillar Inc. Fites, a member of the VU board of directors, provided a gift for the project.
