Materials Research Laboratories Overview

The DDTRB laboratories are located primarily in Building 1205 at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). The original portion of the building was constructed in 1966, and an addition was built in 1983. The laboratories have operated continuously since 1966 and have served as an asset to NASA and other government agencies for nearly five decades.

The branch’s laboratories are equipped with a wide variety of mechanical test machines, nondestructive evaluation tools, and microscopic analysis equipment to support NASA’s research objectives and aerospace research and development activities. The laboratories are staffed by experts who can apply existing state-of-the-art methodologies or develop specialized methods when necessary.

Laboratory Facilities

• Fatigue and Fracture Laboratory
• Fatigue Crack Growth Laboratory
• Environmental Fatigue Crack Growth Laboratory
• Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope Laboratory
• Composite Materials Laboratory
• Complex Loading Laboratory
• Mechanical and Thermal Loading Laboratory
• Light Alloy Laboratory
• Structural Health Monitoring Laboratory
• Nondestructive Damage Characterization Laboratory
• Structural Health Assessment Laboratory