In a bid to expand its IIHR – Hydroscience & Engineering program, the University of Iowa College of Engineering will petition the Board of Regents at its April 24 and 25 meeting to proceed with planning the construction of a new hydroscience research building on the Oakdale campus.
According to a UI blog post, the estimated $32-$40 million project would include demolishing the 45-year-old Hydraulic Annex 1 building and selling the James Street laboratory facility, and build a larger space for hydraulic model studies for waterways such as canals, large rivers and dams, and spillways.
The plan would also include new office space for the Iowa Geological Survey, Iowa Flood Center, and IIHR’s engineering services group. It will also make research support more efficient by moving physical model studies and shop fabrication areas to the Oakdale campus.
Facility expansion would keep Iowa at the forefront of fluids-related research, the College of Engineering says, and replacing the off-campus Hydraulic Annex 1 would improve access for project sponsors and stakeholder visits, as well as improve shop support services for current research on the Oakdale campus.
“This new facility will help Iowa researchers remain at the forefront of research that will help us solve some of the world’s toughest challenges, from dramatic weather change, to flooding in areas plagued by poverty, and environmental pollution,” says Rod Lehnertz, senior vice president for finance and operations.
Hydroscience research started at Iowa in 1920 in a small building by the Iowa River, before moving to a larger space about ten years later. Since then, the university has expanded with nine annexes, labs, and shops focused on science and technology of water management.
The Hydraulics Wave Basin Facility was a major addition to the program. As one of the largest indoor wave basins in the country, it helped Iowa lead ship-design research worldwide.
Other milestones include the opening of the Lucille A. Carver Mississippi Riverside Environmental Research Station, the first university-owned research facility on the Mississippi River, and the founding of the Iowa Flood Center after the devastating 2008 floods.
Hydroscience facilities already housed at the Oakdale campus include the Hydraulics Wave Basin, Hydraulic Annex 2, and Iowa Geological Survey.
