The Engineering Mechanics and Remote Sensing Laboratory (EMRSL) is designed to conduct physical and mechanical tests on a wide range of materials, building systems and structures - from houses to transportation structures. Results obtained from tests conducted here are used in the development of building codes and, consequently, structural design. These tests follow a standard procedure to ensure that test methods are consistent.

Testing of products and structures can involve samples ranging in size from toothpicks to full structural beams (50 feet long) and made of solid wood or combinations of wood fibers, plastics, adhesives, and metal. Tests can be static (simulating snow loads or dead loads) or dynamic (simulating seismic, fatigue, and wind loads). The EMRSL has testing machines ranging from desktop-sized machines (rated from 1 to 10,000 pounds) to stand-alone machines (rated from 60,000 to 1 million pounds).

A strong floor and wall system in the EMRSL gives researchers the ability to apply loads from multiple directions; this will allow for full-scale testing of three-dimensional structures, such as wood-framed building mock-ups, up to 20 feet fall.

To conduct standardized tests, supplemental information must be collected, such as specimen weight, dimensions, moisture content, and specific conditioning. All the equipment necessary to measure these properties is available in the EMRSL, including several conditioning rooms used to reach specified material moisture contents.