The creation of a living laboratory for structural engineering at the National University of Ireland, Galway

Abstract

The recently completed New Engineering Building (NEB) at the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG) is a new state of the art academic facility on the university's north campus. The building unites all five engineering disciplines within the university and at 14,250m2 is now the largest engineering school in Ireland. It represents a milestone in the construction of engineering educational facilities by incorporating the use of numerous types of sensors to create an interactive learning environment for engineering students. Not only will it be a centre of education, but the building itself will act as a living laboratory and teaching tool. This paper outlines the instrumentation of the structural elements within the building and the part they will play in the teaching and understanding of structural engineering within the university.