Well-equipped facilities developed by the department faculty include a Computer Assisted Design Laboratory, an Engineering Geophysics Laboratory and Test Site, an Environmental Engineering Laboratory, A Soil and Rock Mechanics Laboratory, the UNLV Transportation Research Center, and a Water Resources Laboratory.
These facilities provide state-of-the-art research tools. Among these are a MTS dynamic testing machine, a triaxial testing apparatus, a 50-foot tilting flume, concrete testing facilities, a portable wind tunnel, a broad geophysical test equipment base anchored by a 7,000-lb (3 metric ton) programmable seismic source with 144-channel recording system, PCs, workstations, and current software programs are available within these facilities, with additional facilities being available in the college.
Additional assets include access to high speed multiprocessor computers housed in the National Supercomputing Institute. Research facilities are located in the Thomas Beam Engineering Complex and the Science and Engineering Building. Additional research facilities nearby include one of twelve national EPA laboratories (located on campus) and the Department of Energy’s Nevada Test Site, which has been designated an Environmental Research Park.