WEST LAFAYETTE — A new lab at Purdue University allows engineers to test large chunks of concrete in a special chamber that simulates environmental conditions such as extreme temperatures and humidity.

The Charles Pankow Concrete Materials Laboratory will also help engineers study more environmentally friendly concrete that generates less carbon dioxide.

Laboratory director Jason Weiss says researchers at the lab will try to find ways to reduce cracks in concrete and lessen the corrosion of steel rods in reinforced concrete. The school says the research will help the country improve aging highways, bridges and other infrastructure.

The lab was created using a donation from the family of Purdue alumnus Charles Pankow, who died in 2004.