An alternative to MatLab is SciLab which is opensource. Have been using it for crunching through data analysis for some time. Has ability to import MatLab scripts and files. Functionally, it is similar to MatLab, but i believe it has a larger function library. With the large number of people contributing to the toolboxes there is a broad range of interesting applications covered (neural networks, vision systems, robotics, etc).

If you need more rigorous vibration testing I believe the Civil Engineering Dept is planning to start doing seismic testing once they figure out how to achieve full isolation of the shaker pad from the rest of the building. Cracking buildings is best confined to the experimental structures.