The Structural Mechanics Laboratory was created in 1995, in the former Department of Physical Sciences, with the objective of developing teaching and research related to the static and dynamic behavior of structural systems, in a comprehensive way.

In 2000, LMEst started to be linked to the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering .

On October 24, 2007, new facilities for the LMEst , located in Block 1O of Campus Santa Mônica , having been associated with the laboratory, the name of Professor José Eduardo Tannús Reis , retired professor at the UFU Physics Institute, in recognition of his contribution to the teaching of Engineering at UFU. The renovation works were carried out with resources from UFU and complemented with the sponsorship of the company EMBRACO .

From 2008, LMEst became the headquarters of the National Institute of Science and Technology of Structures Intelligent Engineering (INCT-EIE) , an international research network dedicated to the study of intelligent materials and their applications in engineering problems. In May 2012, the LMEst expansion work was inaugurated in Block 1R of the Santa Mônica Campus , carried out with funds provided by the INCT-EIE .