Department of Civil Engineering

Engineering Solutions: Leachate, liners, landfills, and learning

MLR7 — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 17:24:46 +0000

Human beings have undoubtedly been throwing things away for as long as we have had things to throw. These ancient middens – the predecessors of our modern landfills – provide a treasure trove of artefacts for archaeologists, who sift through discarded items for clues to how people once lived.

For the past 40 years, Kerry Rowe's research has focused on natural environmental components along with engineering principles to improve our ability to safely discard materials with more confidence that they will not come back to haunt us.

New fellows recognized for research and leadership in engineering

moonr — Mon, 24 Jun 2019 16:01:01 +0000

Research Announcement

A New Light

kvd1 — Wed, 08 May 2019 15:58:19 +0000

Robert Cichocki

Tired of seeing roads being dug up to replace aging pipe infrastructure? Civil engineering research at Queen’s is bringing a new light to innovative, no-dig rehabilitation techniques. In this image, a UV light train is being prepared to help rehabilitate the adjacent corrugated steel pipe. The inside of the pipe has been lined with a fabric fibreglass tube embedded with UV cure resin. When the light train passes through the tube, the UV cures the resin solid and transforms the fabric tube into a solid liner. The new liner and pipe will further undergo buried experiments that will bring new insight into the structural behaviour of these systems.

Location of photograph:

GeoEngineering lab, Queen's University

Prize name:

125th Anniversary Prize – Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science

Submission Year:

2018-19

Amir Fam: Royal Society of Canada

moonr — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 18:05:57 +0000

Dr. Amir Fam, a member of the Royal Society of Canada – College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists program discusses the way his research revolutionizes the way bridges and structures are built, rendering them immune to corrosion and deterioration, hence generating greater longevity and improved safety. Dr. Fam is an internationally-recognized authority in the field of fiber-reinforced polymer stay-in-place structural forms and tubes for concrete bridge columns and decks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JL8cAyfKUs

Kerry Rowe: Engineering Solutions for Landfills

moonr — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 17:34:49 +0000

Kerry Rowe, Canada Research Chair in Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering and professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, explains his ongoing research on landfill management and how he is developing techniques that work with nature rather than fighting nature.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GceFmPcCCWs

Design vs. Nature: Building Infrastructure to Withstand Environmental Disasters

moonr — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 14:45:54 +0000

Dr. Katerina Genikomsou is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering. She is a member of the American Concrete Institute, the American Society of Civil Engineers, la Fédération international du béton, and the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering. Her research on the maintenance of built infrastructure and the development of new sustainable materials and processes has global and local implications in potentially improving the lifespan of structures, particularly during environmental disasters.

Rupture of 5 mm steel bar due to corrosion

kvd1 — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 21:10:19 +0000

Nathan Teixeira

A 5mm diameter steel shear connector in a concrete sandwich panel ruptured due to excessive corrosion. The expanded polystyrene around the connector was removed to expose the rupture. These connectors transfer shear forces between multiple layers of concrete in a sandwich panel.

Location of photograph:

Structures Lab, Ellis Hall, Queen's University

Submission Year:

2015-16

Start Counting! - A Microscopic View of Algae

kvd1 — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 21:00:01 +0000

Michael Jessop

This photo was taken with a cell phone camera through a microscopic lens. The picture is a result of a summer undergraduate research project involving growth optimization of algae grown in wastewater. Growing algae on wastewater can remove many chemicals responsible for the pollution of our local water columns. The algae can then be harvested and extracted for oils that can subsequently be converted into a directly usable diesel fuel. Unfortunately, these algae require regular counting in order to determine how well they are growing.

Location of photograph:

Biosciences Complex, Queen's University

Submission Year:

2015-16

Reflection of the World

kvd1 — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 15:33:47 +0000

Seyed Mohammad Sadegh Mousavi

I used to live and study in Italy, as a result my family came to Italy in Summer 2015 and we went to Florence (Firenze). I took this photo when I was in the Lungarno Generale Diaz St. and in front of Museo Galileo which is very close to the Ponte Vecchio Bridge. There is no effect and filter in this photo. If we believe that the creation of the world was based on the order and the balance, then this photo indicates the reflection of the world very well.

Location of photograph:

Florence, Italy

Submission Year:

2017-18

There is a highway in the lab?!

kvd1 — Wed, 16 Jan 2019 22:56:03 +0000

Dustin Brennan

A major innovation is happening in the structures laboratory at the Department of Civil Engineering at Queen’s University. The first ever Rolling Load Simulator – R●LS in Canada for testing highway bridges is making a big impact in the lab. This machine is capable of delivering tens of years’ worth of heavy truck loading, simulating the long service life of a highway bridge at full scale. Bridges are the ultimate expression of art and science in structural engineering. Results from further tests in this machine will advance our understanding of the complex behavior of bridges under realistic loading conditions.

Location of photograph:

Civil Engineering Department, Queen's University

Submission Year:

2017-18

Waste in the West: Advancing our Waste Management Practices

stratg — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 19:00:21 +0000

Dr. Pascale Champagne is the Canada Research Chair in Bioresource Engineering and a Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Queen’s. She is also the Director of the Beaty Water Research Centre, which brings together faculty across disciplines to collaborate on research into water-related issues.

W. Andy Take

vandusen — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 20:41:02 +0000

Exploring the Downsides of Gravity

People generally consider gravity to be a good thing. However, gravity can sometimes cause rocks and soil to fail, causing landslides that pose significant risk to peoples’ lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure.

R. Kerry Rowe

vandusen — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 20:40:23 +0000

Will it Protect Us?

Hundreds of millions of tonnes of waste are generated annually. Until we eliminate the need for waste-disposal sites, we must find safe ways to dispose of it. We most commonly think of waste when we put out the trash and recycling for collection. But where does it go? Also, what about more dangerous types of waste, like waste that comes from energy generation or mining of resources like gold or uranium? Ultimately, waste finds its way to a site where it lies on or beneath the ground, where it can contaminate surface and ground water.

Ian D. Moore

vandusen — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 20:36:26 +0000

Canada’s Pipeline Infrastructure: Buried but not Forgotten

Buried and unseen, Canada’s water, sewer, oil, and gas pipelines are generally taken for granted until the media reports on ruptures and flooding—usually the result of aging water pipes, sinkholes over corroded or fractured sewers, or oil and gas leaks.

Pascale Champagne

vandusen — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 20:23:08 +0000

Eco-Engineering our Bioresource Management

Bioresource engineering is about enhancing the value and sustainability of our natural and renewable resources. As Canada Research Chair in Bioresource Engineering, Dr. Pascale Champagne is looking for eco-engineering bioresource management approaches that will ensure a sustainable future.