Centers and Facilities
SBIO faculty researchers cross disciplinary and global boundaries
Across Virginia Tech, there are hundreds of centers that provide support, structure, and organization for faculty-led research efforts that cross disciplinary and college boundaries.
Within the department, centers also offer opportunities for expanded faculty research and collaboration, in Blacksburg, nationally, and around the world.
Center supported research
Some of our research is done in concert with our faculty-directed research centers and is supported by these Centers and their external cooperating partners.
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Center for Forest Products Business , redirectThe forest products industry is an important industry for the United States. Competition within the forest products industry has become fierce. Marketing as well as management of production and people have become integral to remaining competitive. The Center for Forest Products Business strives to help firms improve the management of their operations and the marketing of their products.
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The Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design , redirectThe Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design (CPULD) is one of the leading packaging research facilities in the United States. Using state of the art technology, CPULD researches every aspect of the material handling system from primary packaging all the way through unit load design.
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Wood-Based Composites Center , redirectThe Wood-Based Composites Center (WBC) is Cooperative Research Center driven by an industry-scientific community that develops research related to composites and renewable materials. The WBC is a leading source for fundamental research and education in wood-based composites.
Department Facilities
Thermal Analysis Laboratory
An instrumentation lab used to determine how molecular structure impacts physical properties in sustainable biomaterials.
225 Cheatham Hall
Plant Polymers
Sustainable biomaterials are prepared here and/or analyzed using wet chemical methods.
235 Cheatham Hall
246 Cheatham Hall Laboratory
A shared materials characterization laboratory for analysis using FT-IR spectrometry, rheometric, and x-ray diffraction instruments.
246 Cheatham Hall
Microtechniques Laboratory
The study of the macroscopic and microscopic structure and basic chemical composition of biomaterials including wood, grasses, bamboo and bagasse is done in this lab.
224 Cheatham Hall
Quantitative Biomaterials Anatomy Laboratory
This lab focuses on determining the crushing strength of small wood columns using the new micromechanics test system developed specifically for this lab.
200 Cheatham Hall
Unit Load Testing Laboratory
Equipment in this lab focuses on understanding how packaging, pallets, and distribution equipment interact in order to optimize unit load storage and distribution system design.
Brooks Forest Products Center
Bio-Based Composites Laboratory
This lab services the Sustainable Engineered Materials Institute and the Wood-Based Composites Center. It houses a pilot plant for the manufacture of flat-pressed composites, wet-lab, raw material preparation and material testing.
Brooks Forest Products Center
Wood Drying Laboratory
This purpose of this lab is to discover ways to improve wood drying methods and incorporate newly developed concepts into industrial practice.
Brooks Forest Products Center
Packaging Lab
This lab provides analytical testing/research services for the physical, chemical and structural properties of packaging systems and materials. Packaging materials includes diverse synthetic and natural eco-plastics and functional components of packaging. Gas barrier property test will be provided soon.
Brooks Forest Products Center
Machining and Design Laboratory
Heavy-duty stationary machinery is maintained here where it supports teaching, research and outreach activities of the department.
Brooks Forest Products Center
Engineering Renewable Materials Structures
This lab functions as a flexible testing laboratory and is used by faculty and students for research, graduate student research, demonstrations and short courses.
Brooks Forest Products Center
Metals Machining Laboratory
The department maintains this lab for the purpose of fabricating jigs, fixtures and test equipment used in our wood research, teaching and outreach programs.
Brooks Forest Products Center
240 in ICTAS I
The lab has six fume hoods (all used by Edgar's students), with two separate analytical rooms totaling 602 sq. ft. and separate solid (81 sq. ft.) and liquid (144 sq. ft.) chemical storage rooms. It has accommodations for four students at desks well-separated from the experimental area.
2nd floor ICTAS I
Innovation and Design Lab
This large space has work benches and various types of equipment for the design and fabrication of work-pieces developed by students. Students make different types of furniture and hand-crafted projects, and also work on collaborative Sustainable Enterprise Institute projects from laser engraved designs to basic tooling of wood.
Brooks Forest Products Center
Sustainable Packaging Materials
Brooks Forest Products Center
Corrugated Testing Laboratory
This lab focuses on evaluating the performance of packaging materials. We evaluate properties of corrugated fiberboard such as Edge Crush Resistance, Flat Crush Resistance, Box Compression Strength, Bending Stiffness, Water Absorption, Bursting Strength, and Friction.
Brooks Forest Products Center