Lehigh's structural testing facilities are the largest in North America and enable research in earthquake engineering, multi-hazard mitigation, fiber reinforced composites, fatigue and fracture, development of smart structures, shipbuilding, and infrastructure reliability, maintenance and life-cycle performance.

Graduate alumni teach in more than 60 universities worldwide and excel in private sector and government. Faculty travel the world to give advice on earthquake-resistant structures, and on flood and erosion control. Students travel to give presentations at conferences, and to conduct field demonstrations of new technologies.

The department's ATLSS (Advanced Technology for Large Structural Systems) Research Center houses the largest three-dimensional dynamic testing machines in North America, along with specialized earthquake-resistant testing facilities for real-time dynamic testing.