Revolutionizing Affordable Housing: Dr. Tony Yang’s Research on Reinforcing Concrete Construction with Welded Wire Mesh
Rapid population growth in major cities worldwide has created immense challenges when seeking affordable housing. However, excess construction costs can be reduced by employing concrete elements such as slabs, panels, and beams that are reinforced with welded wire mesh (WWM). This material consists of electrically welded rods to form a uniformly continuous mesh which has been widely adopted in the industry as it has immense production efficiency, speed, and durability while also reducing project costs. Dr. Tony Yang, a Professor at UBC Civil Engineering, the lead researcher at UBC Smart Structures, and one of the world’s leading experts in structural and […]
UBC Civil in the Media – Learning from Turkiye earthquake
UBC engineering experts were among a group of researchers that visited Turkey to study the aftermath of its earthquake
UBC Environmental Engineering receives Board accreditation
This announcement originally appeared on UBC Environmental Engineering. UBC Environmental Engineering (ENVL) has achieved the maximum allowable accreditation period for a new program by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB). The first accreditation period will be for three years for the four-year program at the UBC Vancouver campus, with regular renewal procedures planned to maintain program accreditation for the foreseeable future. On May 31, the class of 2023 became the first to graduate from the program, marking the beginning of a new chapter for both the program and graduates. These graduates now possess the tools and knowledge necessary to have a rewarding career […]
UBC REACT Lab Wins 2023 Climate Action Award
UBC Civil Engineering’s REACT Lab has been honored with the 2023 Climate Action Award from the Community Energy Association for their work on an income-qualified e-bike incentive program in collaboration with the District of Saanich, British Columbia and the Greater Victoria Community Social Planning Council. This award highlights the effectiveness of the program in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting equity, underlining the vital role of research and government collaboration in addressing climate challenges. With a goal of enabling widespread adoption of e-bikes for more sustainable transportation, the Saanich’s e-bike incentive program uniquely combines climate and equity objectives — a novel […]
Rain gardens could save salmon from toxic tire chemicals
Salmon holds immense ecological and cultural significance in B.C. However, the survival of these magnificent fish is under threat due to multiple stressors. Among the challenge salmon fac is a toxic chemical associated with car tires, which finds its way into our rivers and streams when rainwater washes it off roads. Fortunately, there’s a ray of hope – recent research shows that specially designed rain gardens could help protect salmon from this harmful compound. The chemical 6PPD-quinone is a byproduct that forms when car tires interact with the atmosphere. Coho salmon, rainbow trout, and other fish are particularly vulnerable to its […]
New algorithm maps safest routes for city drivers
Originally published in: UBC News Most navigation apps can show you the fastest possible route to your destination and some can even suggest an eco-friendly route calculated to produce the least amount of carbon emissions. But what if they could also map the safest route with the lowest possible risk of a crash? A new algorithm developed by UBC researchers could make this a reality. Led by Dr. Tarek Sayed, professor in the UBC department of civil engineering, and PhD student Tarek Ghoul, the group developed a new approach which identifies the safest possible route in an urban network using real-time crash risk […]
Seize every opportunity
“I think the people who impacted my life the most during my degree aren’t the ones who hold the keys to these opportunities, but rather the ones who think differently than me and I have gotten to know anyways” Chloe Sirges Degree: Bachelor of Applied Science Grad year: 2023 Program: Civil Engineering Campus: Vancouver I think everyone’s university experience will be a huge part of who they grow to become through and after their education. No matter where you go, you are going to meet amazing people and have new experiences that will shape your path and your future. For me […]
Civil Engineering PhD candidate receives Doctoral Scholarship
Kishoare Tamanna, a PhD student in Civil Engineering and a UBC Killam Doctoral Scholar at the School of Engineering, is making waves in the field of sustainable infrastructure development. Working at the Applied Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Structures (ALAMS) under the guidance of Professor Shahria Alam and co-supervised by Professor Tony Yang at the UBC Smart Structures Lab, Tamanna’s research is focused on developing high-performance, seismic-resilient, and low-carbon precast concrete buildings. Growing up in Dhaka, one of the top twenty high-earthquake cities in the world, Tamanna recognized the importance in building new structures and retrofit existing structures to be seismically […]
UBC Concrete Canoe places 3rd at ASCE PNW competition
The UBC Concrete Canoe team’s journey in the summer of 2022 was filled with challenges, but their unwavering dedication and resilience propelled them to remarkable success. The team’s outstanding performance at the ASCE Pacific Northwest competition, securing 3rd place overall and achieving notable victories in the races, stands as a testament to their skill and perseverance. In the summer of 2022, the team overcame the departure of senior leads and a loss of members who felt disconnected after the post-COVID period. The remaining committed team members rallied together and embarked on a mission to push the boundaries of their hydrodynamic design. […]
Third Quadrant Design Won 3rd Place at Solar Decathlon 2023
Originally published in Mechanical Business. Teams from the University of British Columbia and the University of Waterloo are among the winners of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Solar Decathlon 2023 Build Challenge. This was the 21st edition of the annual Solar Decathlon, a student competition that challenges the next generation of building professionals to design and construction high-performance, low-carbon buildings powered by renewable energy. The Design Challenge is a one- to two-semester project, while the Build Challenge is a two-year competition. Third Quadrant Design from the University of British Columbia was third overall in the Build Challenge, placing first in the […]
EERI Competition: UBC Seismic Receives Communications Award
Although their tower collapsed, their exceptional performance still earned them the second highest overall score
CIVL 446’s Team 10 Selected as The Winner of D&I Project Poster
On Design and Innovation Day in April, the project titled “Improving 16th Avenue for Walking, Biking and Rolling” by Team 10 from CIVL 446 was selected as the winner of the project poster category among several amazing projects by civil engineering students. Team 10, consisting of Adi Henegar, Bahati Msakamali, Jasmine Ma, Jeremy Karkanis, Leah Grundison and Veer Joshi, designed a steel bridge structure that raises W 16th Avenue above a dedicated multimodal crossing path, ensuring user safety by eliminating risk of collision and enhancing traffic flow. The grade-separated crossing design ensures user safety by eliminating risk of collision between […]
Civil Engineering Researcher Recognized for Editorial Leadership
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has bestowed upon Dr. Ehsan Noroozinejad, a distinguished Senior Researcher at UBC Smart Structures, the esteemed ASCE Associate Editor Award of the year. This recognition is an exceptional honor, given the competitive nature of the award, with nearly 1,000 Associate Editors hailing from eminent universities across more than 40 ASCE Journals. Dr. Noroozinejad was lauded for his continuous and exceptional service, which has significantly improved ASCE’s publication activities. He has been serving as the Associate Editor for the ASCE Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction since 2018 and ASCE Natural Hazards Review since […]
How Base Isolation Technology can Preserve Cultural Heritage
The Great Hall of the Museum of Anthropology at UBC (MOA) is a cultural and architectural masterpiece that requires modern seismic safety measures to protect against future risk
Turning disasters into knowledge, Professor Trevor Carey travelled to Taiwan to advance earthquake resilience
Professor Trevor Carey was part of a team funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation that travelled to Hualien County in Southeastern Taiwan to study the impact of the September 2022 Taitung earthquakes.
Observing the third anniversary of the downing of flight PS752
Three years ago, Dr. Mehran Abtahi was one of four UBC community members who tragically lost their lives in the downing of flight PS752.
UBC Civil In The Media – Flight wastewater to be tested for COVID
Originally published in: Victoria News Pilot project coming into effect alongside new federal mandate for COVID tests. The Vancouver International Airport will soon be testing wastewater off flights arriving from China and Hong Kong, as part of the federal government’s efforts to track how many cases of COVID-19 may or may not be entering Canada from those regions. The short-term pilot project, which is also being rolled out at the Toronto Pearson International Airport, is a sort of safeguard in addition to the negative COVID-19 tests required before boarding, beginning on Jan. 5. If people happen to test falsely negative, the virus […]