New sophisticated lab equipment will enable Mercer County Community College to enhance engineering offerings at the college.
WEST WINDSOR — New sophisticated lab equipment will enable Mercer County Community College to enhance engineering offerings at the college.
According to a MCCC release, students studying civil engineering technology and engineering science are getting a hands-on, state-of-the-art opportunity to apply their textbook learning.
MCCC Assistant Professor James Maccariella, coordinator of the engineering science and civil engineering technology programs, said the engineering field offers more career options than any other discipline.
”Engineers are behind almost all of today’s exciting technology,” Mr. Maccariella said. “They are problem solvers who are searching for quicker, better and less expensive ways to use the forces and materials of nature to meet today’s challenges.”
According to Mr. Maccariella, students are using two universal testing machines to test the properties of materials such as steel, aluminum, brass, cast iron and reinforced concrete. In addition, a new flow channel allows students to test water in an open channel that simulates the flow in a river or reservoir, so that they can measure pressure, velocity and type of flow to verify how experimental conditions align with theoretical conditions.
MCCC also has a new concrete mixing machine that enables students to proportion the concrete mix to achieve a desired strength and durability.
”They mix the concrete, construct a reinforced concrete beam, and test the beam to determine the beam’s strength. They can then compare the experimental strength with the theoretical strength,” he explained.
Engineering students also have the opportunity to join a student chapter of the Professional Engineering Society of Mercer County, which provides networking and field visits to current construction projects.
”Our goal with all our engineering students is to put them on the road to licensure as professional engineers,” Mr. Maccariella said.
More information about both programs is available at www.mccc.edu or by emailing Professor Maccariella at [email protected].