Introducing the Building & Earth Sciences
Soil Mechanics and Environmental Teaching Lab
at The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Pairing lab sponsorship with instruction to help build the next generation of engineers.
As students head back to class this week, those returning to the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Engineering School will have the opportunity to step into a cutting edge laboratory environment, located at UAB’s new Frances and Miller Gorrie Hall, inside the University’s Science and Engineering Complex.
Having provided the geotechnical investigations and materials testing for this campus building, we were proud to be there for the ribbon cutting last summer — and now we’re just as proud to sponsor Room 1218: the Building & Earth Sciences Soil Mechanics and Environmental Teaching Lab.
Under the leadership of Dean Jeffrey W. Holmes, M.D., Ph.D., UAB’s engineering program continues its tradition of top-tier instruction, drawing the city’s best future talent.
Dr. Avinash Unnikrishnan, Chair of UAB’s Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, echoes that outlook: “The Building & Earth Soils Lab provides UAB students with a state-of-the-art facility for the study of Soil and Environmental Engineering. With the new space in Gorrie Hall and the partnership with Building & Earth, students get hands-on experience with fundamental soil-characterization and strength tests, helping them build the practical intuition needed in the industry. We look forward to continuing to grow our capabilities in this area.”
The lab is built for that hands-on instruction. It supports several courses, including “Introduction to Environmental Engineering” and “Soil Engineering,” both required core courses for civil engineering students, and it’s outfitted with equipment that mirrors industry practice. For example:
- A Direct Shear Strength Machine lets students measure a soil’s cohesion and internal friction angle, the same properties engineers rely on to design safe foundations and retaining walls.
- A Load Frame for Unconfined Compressive Strength puts students through the process of testing how soil, stabilized mixtures, and rock cores hold up under load, informing everything from bridge foundations to slope stability.
- On the environmental side, a UV/VIS Spectrophotometer and turbidimeter give students direct experience identifying contaminants and measuring water clarity, core skills for water quality analysis and treatment work.
The partnership carries significance on both sides. “As a company that builds its foundation on the expertise of engineers, we understand the profound impact a world-class learning environment can have,” says Deepa Bhate, Building & Earth CEO. And for Building & Earth President Jeffrey Cowen, PE, PG, a proud UAB School of Engineering alumnus, the moment brings his own journey full circle: “UAB is laying the groundwork for a future where innovation and progress uplift us all.”
The investment extends to the classroom partnerships, too. Last year, Building & Earth Professional Engineer Joey Jones, PE, collaborated with UAB professors, hosting workshops for senior design students. Together, they explored a bridge project built around real ALDOT specifications, while Jones brought samples of spoons and rock cores into class to walk students through site investigations, soil sampling, and the reports that follow. “It’s good practice to pass on knowledge to students who may not have had much exposure to geotechnical engineering,” Jones says.
Inside the Building & Earth Sciences Soil Mechanics and Environmental Teaching Lab, students will get that same hands-on experience. For Building & Earth, it’s a chance to extend the firm’s core values — accountability, excellence, and collaboration — to the next generation, while supporting an institution as committed to building the future as we are.
