Department of

Materials Research and Testing

Faculty of Technology | Addis Ababa University | Other Links

About

The Materials Research and Testing Department (MRTD) is the offspring of the former Ethio-Swedish Institute of Building Technology resulting from the first technical agreement entered in 1954 (G.C.) between the two parties. In actual fact, MRTD started functioning in the early 1956 (G.C.).

The department in its present form was designed to function along the three distinct lines:

• research on local building and foundation materials;
• conduct tests on local and imported building materials and on foundation soils, as well as site exploration including sub-soil investigation;
• teaching both in the Northern and Southern Campuses of the Faculty of Technology.

OBJECTIVES

The major objectives to which MRTD is committed to are:

• practical research on:

-foundation soils

-building materials

• carry out laboratory tests on:

-the quality of building materials and soils

-the strength and soundness of erected building elements (NDT)

• participate in:

-the teaching of regular students

-giving short-term training for technical

staffs of interested organizations on request

 

FACILITIES

The Materials Research and Testing Department (MRTD) located in the premises of the Southern Campus of the Faculty of technology has two laboratories for building materials (i.c. cement, cement products and concrete ingredients testing laboratory, and steel and timber elements testing laboratory) and two laboratories to carry out tests on foundation soils.

ACTIVITIES

With the motto, "stay in motion and keep in pace with the rest of the scientific community" in mind, MRTD is trying to organize itself for the revitalization of its endeavour for a fresh start of research on building and foundation soil materials to respond to the nation wide query of shelter and related structures.

MRTD is also fully participating in the teaching -learning process taking care of regular degree and diploma students and those in the coninuing education programme. Its contribution to education is not limited to theoretical communication only, but is also assisted by laboratory demonstrations to inject the sense of the practical engineering life into the students whole being right from the beginning. It is also playing a leading role in the preparation of standard specifications under the guidance of the Quality and Standards Authority of Ethiopia (QSAE)

STAFF PROFILE

The Materials Research and Testing Department is composed of professionals from the main streams of Building and Civil Engineering.

CURRENT STATUS

Currently MRTD is reorganizing and strengthening itself both in terms of equipment and man power to render better services in the areas it is involved.

FUTURE PLANS

To satisfy the unrelenting query of our customers we are planning to run consultancy services in the following areas:

• Planning soil exploration programmes,

• Recommendation of design parameters of foundation soils,

• Recommendation of appropriate and effective structures in response to the legitimate demand of safety and economy.

Also, believing that scientific information is vital for the contemporary society the department is aiming at having its own information center in the very near future. The department is also going to launch research on certain building materials and foundation soils to ascertain its contribution towards national economy buildup.

Address

 

MRTD

Faculty of Technology (S.C.)

Addis Ababa University

P.O.Box 518, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Tel 251-1-135-665