Lawrence Tech secures $800,000 grant to test military armor

The next generation of military armor is about to be tested at Lawrence Technological University's Center for Innovative Materials Research.

The university received an $800,000 federal grant to build an environmental/loading chamber that will be used to test vehicle armor and armor structural components. The chamber allows researchers to test vehicle and composite armor while simulating harsh weather conditions, such as salt spray, rain, salt water, UV light, high humidity and sand conditions in freezing, thawing and dry heat.

Lawrence Tech will work with the Army Research Laboratory and the Army Tank-Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center in Warren, continuing years of work the university has done with those organizations. The results will play a key part in developing materials used to protect military forces on the battlefield.

The earmark is part of a recently passed military appropriations bill and is set to be built sometime next year. It is 20 feet long, 12 feet wide and 12 feet tall, making it big enough to house whole military vehicles or just parts of them.

The Center for Innovative Materials Research also houses three other major research initiatives, such as testing components of highway bridges.

Source: Lawrence Technological University
Writer: Jon Zemke

Lawrence Tech secures $800,000 grant to test military armor

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