The FZEA USP has facilities for scientific researches and support staff for laboratory activities. The Laboratory of Rural Construction and Welfare is coordinated by Prof. Holmer Savastano Junior and has technical and administrative support by Diego Luis Ferrari (Laboratory Specialist) and Mariana Pavesi (Laboratory Staff). It has appropriate infrastructure on electricity, telephone, wireless, negative pressure and compressed air facilities, air conditioning and exhausting ventilation systems, tap water, sewage collection systems and specialized equipment. Some of them are described as follows:

Mechanical Universal Testing Machine

• Servo-hydraulic testing machine with the capacity of 15 kN. Tensile, flexural and compressive monotonic or cyclic testing. MTS, Model 370.02;
• Electromechanical testing machine with capacity of 300 kN. Tensile, flexural and compressive monotonic testing. Emic, Model DL30000;

Optical Microscopy

• Optical microscopy system composed of a trinocular microscope (Model AxioImager.A2m), a digital camera (Model Axiocam MRc) and image analysis software (Axionvision Rel. 4.8.). Zeiss;

Equipment for Materials Characterization

• QuantaChrome Instruments, Model MVP-D160-E;
• Thermal Conductivity Meter. TA Instruments, Model DTC300;
• Simultaneous thermal analyzer (TG-DSC/DTA). Netzsch, Model STA 449 F3 Jupiter;
• Laser Particle Size Analyzer. Horiba, Model PARTICA LA-950-V2;
• X-ray diffractometer. Rigaku, Model Miniflez 600;
• Dynamic Contact Angle Measuring Device/Tensiometer. Dataphysics, Model DCAT11EC;

Equipment for preparation of cement composites and particle boards

• Hydraulic press with heating. Capacity of 100 tf. Hidral-Mac, Model PHH100T;
• Gelenski Ltda, Model MVIG-05;
• Chamber used for cement composites production by drainage (under reduced pressure) method;

Equipment for preparation of cellulosic pulp, fibers and mineral admixture

• Refining System of Cellulosic pulp with the capacity of 300 L;
• Pressure Reactor System (capacity: 7 L), Parr Instrument company, model 4552;
• Grinding machine, Masuko Sangyo, model SuperMasscolloider Mini MKCA6-2

Equipment for accelerated aging tests

• Weathering Test Chamber U.V. Equilam, Model EQUV;
• Climatic chamber with control of temperature, humidity and CO₂ Thermotron, Model SM-3.5S;
• Climatic chamber with control of temperature, humidity and CO₂ Espec, Model EPL-4H.

Equipment used for cyclic soak and dry tests

• Equipment used for cyclic soak and dry tests. Capacity of 300 L. Marconi, Model MA035;

Multiuser Equipments

• Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Hitachi, Model TM3000.