Constructed in 1965 and located on the west campus, the Applied Dynamics Lab is the centre for large-scale structural engineering at McMaster. The lab is designed with a cellular box foundation strong floor measuring 300 square meters. Experimental research is conducted in the Applied Dynamics Laboratory which is designed with a cellular box foundation strong floor measuring 300 square meters. The special design features makes the lab a particularly suitable facility for large scale structural experimental research. Clear head room of over 12 m beneath a 10 tonne overhead crane permit full scale testing as well as scaled models of structures or structural components. The main loading system is a 1460 kN static/1000 kN dynamic MTS servo-controlled hydraulic system equipped with a range of actuator capacities and load cells. This system is also used to power horizontal and vertical shake tables for seismic engineering studies. In addition to a selection of hydraulic jacks and computer controlled data acquisition equipment, 2 fixed in-plane test machines with 250 kN and 550 kN capacities are available.

Undergraduate courses include labs located in the ADL focusing on: asphalt, surveying, concrete design, fluid mechanics, beams and columns, re-enforced concrete, stress and strain in structures.

Current research is conducted on topics such as: earthquake damage prevention and remediation, repair/remediation of cracked concrete, blast resistance of surface and waterborne structures, blast/shock simulation, non-traditional concrete and masonry, re-enforcement, wind/storm loading of structures, tuned mass damper and environmental/water remediation.