The Earthquake and Structural Engineering Laboratory (LESE) was officially established at the end of 2002 as a result of the subdivision of the former Structures Laboratory of the Department of Civil Engineering of FEUP into several, more specific laboratories. It is associated with the Structures Division.

The central objective of the Earthquake and Structural Engineering Laboratory (LESE) is the testing and study of structures in order to analyse their behaviour when put under the effect of dynamic (seismic in particular) and static actions. The work is carried out with the support of several entities: the Construction Institute (IC) of FEUP, the National General Directorate of Buildings and Monuments (DGEMN), the City Hall of Felgueiras and other Laboratories namely the National Laboratory of Civil Engineering (LNEC) , the Instrumentation and Measurement Laboratory of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the Laboratory of Concrete Technology and Structural Behaviour and the Building Materials Laboratory, all of those from FEUP. In addition, the Earthquake and Structural Engineering Laboratory (LESE) provides support to the development of experimental work in the scope of the Doctoral and Master courses.