Some engineering questions still call for focused laboratory work when suitable facilities are available. The available methods range from simulations and physical experiments to literature studies, interviews, surveys, and case studies. Dr Karen Clark's landslide research provides the example: prepared mounds of earth or other material are released as experimental landslides. The setup can occupy a large part of a laboratory, making access a practical constraint. The contrast explains why most of the lesson concentrates on methods students can use when laboratories are unavailable.
Notable Point · 25:18-26:38
Focused laboratory work and experimental landslides
A brief engineering example contrasts non-laboratory methods with focused experiments that use simulations or purpose-built landslide tests when facilities are available.