Question: What if a building could save energy and precious land? That’s the story of the Civil Engineering Building at the University of Minnesota. This isn’t just another building. It’s an innovative solution to specific challenges.
The Civil Engineering Building addressed the need for space. The University of Minnesota’s campus was crowded. The building also aimed to save energy. Minnesota’s climate is known to be harsh.
Completed in 1982, the Civil Engineering Building became the home for the Civil and Mineral Engineering Department. This department is now known as the Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering Department. The Civil Engineering Building was designed to showcase land and energy conservation.
The Civil Engineering Building uses a unique design. Part of it is a cut-and-cover construction. It also includes space within rock caverns. These caverns connect to the upper part of the building through two shafts. The total floor area is about 15000 square meters. Nearly 5000 square meters are in the mined space.
During construction engineers encountered interesting ground conditions. There were approximately 15 meters of glacial till. Underneath that, they found about 10 meters of limestone. Then, there were 50 meters of weak sandstone. Shale layers sat above and below the limestone. This created two water tables. The upper layer of sandstone was drained by the nearby Mississippi River.
The Civil Engineering Building houses many important research facilities. These include the C. Edward Bowers Fluid Mechanics Laboratory. The Michael M. and Nancy L. Heuer Soil Mechanics Laboratory is also here. It provides equipment for soil testing and characterization. There is also the Minnesota Traffic Observatory. It focuses on transportation management technologies. The Pavement Materials Laboratory is equipped for asphalt testing. The W. David Lacabanne Rock Mechanics Laboratory features a patented rock strength device. The Theodore V. Galambos Structural Engineering Laboratory is a four-story space. It models and tests large-scale structural components. Finally, the Waves and Imaging Laboratory investigates wave phenomena.
The Civil Engineering Building is also home to the Anderson Student Innovation Labs Student Shop. It offers a workspace for everyone in the College of Science and Engineering.
The Civil Engineering Building received the American Society of Civil Engineers’ prestigious Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award when it opened in 1983. Over 95 percent of the building is underground. The lowest level goes 110 feet below the surface. This design maximizes energy efficiency. It also makes the most of underground space.
Charles Fairhurst, then Department Head, spearheaded the project. The building utilizes underground space. It also uses the unique geology of the site. The top three floors were dug out of the near-surface space. A vertical tunnel was drilled through a hard layer of limestone. This tunnel went through what would have been floors 4 and 5. Floors 6 and 7 were then dug out of the softer St. Peter sandstone.
The Civil Engineering Building brought all department faculty and programs together in one place. This created more opportunities for interaction. The department focused on state and regional problems. It also operated the St. Anthony Falls Research Center and the Mineral Resources Research Center. The Underground Space Center was located on the seventh floor. It was internationally recognized for its work in promoting the use of underground space.
So, as we stand here, remember that the Civil Engineering Building isn’t just a structure. It is a testament to innovation. It showcases how we can creatively address challenges. It saves energy and precious space. It is a true achievement in civil engineering.