The Fernando Lobo Carneiro Structures and Materials Laboratory (LABEST) is a reference in experimental and numerical research in the field of structural and materials engineering. With a robust infrastructure and state-of-the-art equipment, LABEST is dedicated to the study of structures and building materials, ranging from the nanoscale to the macroscale of real structures.

The laboratory is able to carry out static and dynamic analysis on a wide range of structural components and complete structures, including buildings, bridges, shells, maritime and port works, offshore systems for oil exploration, hydroelectric power stations and other special structures. In addition, LABEST has expertise in testing various materials, such as concrete (including high and very high mechanical and environmental performance concrete, refractory concrete, micro-concrete for cementing oil wells and roller-compacted concrete), metallic materials, viscoelastic materials, resin composites, cement composites with metallic, plastic and organic fibers, as well as new construction and repair materials.

LABEST’s equipment enables special tests to be carried out, such as thermo-chemical-mechanical characterization of cementitious materials, slow deformation studies, durability, alkali-aggregate reaction, other expansive reactions, characterization of viscoelastic materials and structural identification. The laboratory is also equipped for tests with temperature variations, from ambient to 1,200°C, and has the capacity for structural monitoring in the field, complementing the tests carried out in its facilities.