Civil Engineering grad honoured by Environmental Managers Association of BC
Thursday, July 6, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin A UBC Civil Engineering graduate has received the Emerging Environmental Professional Award from the Environmental Managers Association of BC. Alice Kruchten, who accepted the award at a gala at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club earlier this month, was recognized for her “professional achievement, innovation, experience and leadership, […]
Celebrating the Class of 2017
Friday, June 16, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin On May 31, 2017, following the graduation ceremony for Civil Engineering students, a Graduation Celebration for the Class of 2017 took place at Sage Bistro. Graduating students from undergraduate and graduate programs attended with their friends and family members to celebrate the occasion. Several graduating students were […]
Vancouver fulfils promise to hire seismic manager
Thursday, June 15, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin Professor Carlos Ventura spoke to the Vancouver Sun about the upcoming hiring of a seismic manager by the City of Vancouver. Prof. Ventura said the person could help identify high-risk earthquake areas and develop mitigation plans.
Media: recycled tires creating stronger concrete at UBC
Wednesday, June 14, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin News 1130 reported on concrete material that was developed by UBC researchers using recycled fibres from used tires. Nemkumar Banthia, a UBC civil engineering professor who supervised the research project, said this project could also help reduce the global carbon footprint. Similar stories appeared in Business in Vancouver, Indo-Canadian […]
Pipeline Integrity Institute (PII) undertakes new research with government and industry support
Wednesday, June 14, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin The Pipeline Integrity Institute (PII), co-directed by Civil professor Dharma Wijewickreme, is maintaining research momentum with a fresh injection of funding to further knowledge and seek new developments in soil-pipe interaction, corrosion, and pipeline materials. The main goals of the PII are to contribute to the pipeline […]
Professors Don Mavinic and Victor Lo tap into significant new funding to scale up research
Wednesday, June 14, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin Two key research initiatives helmed by members of the environmental engineering group at UBC Civil Engineering are set to receive an unprecedented amount of funding to scale up their investigations at three facilities, with the aim of eventually implementing their new technology as a package to improve […]
When the rubber hits the road: recycled tires create stronger concrete
Tuesday, June 13, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin UBC engineers have developed a more resilient type of concrete using recycled tires that could be used for concrete structures like buildings, roads, dams and bridges while reducing landfill waste. The researchers experimented with different proportions of recycled tire fibres and other materials used in concrete—cement, sand […]
Professor Perry Adebar named Fellow of Canadian Academy of Engineering
Tuesday, June 13, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin Professor Perry Adebar has been named a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. Election to the CAE, one of the highest professional honours accorded an engineer, is based on a nominee’s “distinguished achievements and career-long service to the engineering profession.” Fellows are nominated and elected by […]
Professor Mahdi Taiebat gives keynote presentation at 8th Colombian Conference on Earthquake Engineering
Tuesday, June 6, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin Professor Mahdi Taiebat was invited by the University del Norte and the Colombian Association of Earthquake Engineering to deliver a keynote presentation at the 8th Colombian Conference on Earthquake Engineering, held in Barranquilla, Colombia, from May 31 to June 2. His presentation was titled “Elasto-plastic constitutive modeling […]
UBC Steel Bridge wins third place overall at Canadian Nationals
Monday, May 29, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin UBC Steel Bridge earned an impressive third-place finish at the recent 2017 CSCE-CISC Canadian National Steel Bridge Competition. Eight teams converged at Université Laval for the May competition, in a culmination of months of student-driven activity including the conception, design, and fabrication of a scale-model steel bridge, […]
EERF earthquake simulation highlights need for upgrades to older buildings
Wednesday, May 24, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin The Vancouver Sun covered a recent simulation in the EERF, that was designed to show how a retrofitted school building would perform in a 9.0 subduction earthquake. The simulation highlighted the need for the retrofitting and upgrading of older buildings. Read the full story here.
UBC Civil Engineering team wins 2017 BCWWA student competition for wastewater treatment design
Friday, May 19, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin A group of third and fourth year UBC Civil Engineering students, competing as team UBSeaTec, placed first at the 2017 BC Water & Waste Association (BCWWA) Student Design Competition. This year’s competition challenged students to create a feasibility design for a wastewater treatment upgrade to the Tsawout […]
Honorary Civil Engineering Professor recognized by American Concrete Institute
Wednesday, May 17, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin Koji Sakai, a UBC Civil Engineering honorary professor, has received Honorary Membership in the American Concrete Institute for his “lifetime achievements and contributions to the global concrete community, including his highly successful efforts to launch a global and collaborative dialogue on the environmental considerations related to the design […]
Civil PhD student awarded major international scholarship for drinking water research
Friday, May 5, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin The American Water Works Association has awarded Civil PhD candidate Shona Robinson the 2017 Dave Caldwell Scholarship for her research in the drinking water field. Shona is part of a research group investigating membrane filtration, a popular technology for drinking water treatment. Porous membranes effectively filter out microorganisms and […]
UBC Concrete Canoe, UBC Steel Bridge post outstanding results at ASCE Regional Student Conference
Thursday, May 4, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin UBC Concrete Canoe and UBC Steel Bridge have both returned from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Pacific Northwest Regional Student Conference at Boise State University with excellent results. The concrete canoe competition saw fifteen universities face off in an exciting student team challenge: to design, […]
Prof. Bérubé’s low-maintenance water filtration to help remote communities
Monday, May 1, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin The Hindustan Times featured Civil professor Pierre Bérubé’s invention that uses bacteria and gravity to turn non-potable water into drinking water. Prof. Bérubé said the filtration system was developed specifically for small and remote communities.
Dr. Jörg Imberger inspires with EFM special guest lecture
Wednesday, April 26, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin Dr. Jörg Imberger, a world-renowned expert in environmental fluid mechanics, visited UBC-Vancouver on April 18 to give a special guest lecture on the management of threatened lakes. The lecture was co-hosted by Civil professor Greg Lawrence, APSC Dean Marc Parlange, and professor Rich Wildman of Quest University. […]
Discussing water treatment system
Tuesday, April 25, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin Radio Canada interviewed Pierre Bérubé, a UBC civil engineering professor and project lead on an invention that uses bacteria and gravity to turn non-potable water into drinking water. Prof. Bérubé said membranes in the system latch on to particles like dirt, bacteria and viruses.
Professor Terje Haukaas receives UBC’s highest teaching honour
Friday, April 21, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin Civil engineering professor Terje Haukaas has been selected to receive the 2016/2017 Killam Teaching Prize. Professor Haukaas teaches courses mainly on structural analysis and structural safety, which include a large, core undergraduate course and a number of in-demand electives at the undergraduate and graduate levels. His excellence […]
The right walking speed to optimize your health
Wednesday, April 19, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin The Times Colonist quoted Civil professor Alex Bigazzi about his study that examined the optimal speed for pedestrians to move for both health benefits and lower risk of pollution. Bigazzi said the faster you move, the harder you breathe and the more pollution you could inhale.
Concrete Canoe embarks on 2017 competition season
Wednesday, April 19, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin After addressing some unique challenges presented by this year’s design requirements, the UBC Concrete Canoe team is set to embark on the 2017 competition season. First, the team will be represented at the American Society for Civil Engineering (ASCE) Pacific Northwest 2017 Student Conference, happening at Boise […]
How clean water in remote communities could be cheap and easy
Wednesday, April 5, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin CTV reported on UBC Civil Engineering researchers who have created a system that uses bacteria and gravity to turn grey water into drinking water. Professor Pierre Bérubé, who led the project, said the technology removes the need for chemicals and complex mechanical systems that make water treatment systems […]
Prof. Bérubé’s water treatment system uses bacteria to purify water
Tuesday, April 4, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin A UBC Civil Engineering-developed system that uses bacteria to turn non-potable water into drinking water will be tested next week in West Vancouver prior to being installed in remote communities in Canada and beyond. The system consists of tanks of fibre membranes that catch and hold contaminants—dirt, […]
Civil grad student selected for UBC Killam Graduate Teaching Assistant Award
Tuesday, April 4, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin UBC Civil Engineering graduate student Negar Roghanian has been selected to receive the 2016/2017 Killam Graduate Teaching Assistant Award. Killam Graduate TA Awards are given in recognition of outstanding contributions by teaching assistants, which have led to a “high level of respect from undergraduate students and academic […]
Professor Don Mavinic named Fellow of Engineers Canada
Friday, March 31, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin Pictured left to right: APEGBC President Bob Stewart, P.Eng., Professor Don Mavinic, and APEGBC CEO and Registrar Ann English, P.Eng. Photo credit: Andrea Sunderland. Professor Don Mavinic was recently named a Fellow of Engineers Canada. The fellowships honour individuals who have given “noteworthy service to the engineering […]
Profs. Bérubé, Banthia’s IC-IMPACTS work featured in “Troubled Waters” series
Friday, March 24, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin The work being done by Professors Pierre Bérubé, Nemy Banthia, and other researchers with IC-IMPACTS is highlighted in “Troubled Waters,” a new five-part series in The Province. The series follows researchers to sites in India and Northern BC, where issues of drinking water contamination are gravely impacting local communities. […]
Professor Zanotti talks sustainable concrete
Wednesday, March 22, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin Professor Cristina Zanotti spoke with Science for the People about building better, more sustainable modern concrete structures for their recent podcast on the topic of concrete. Listen now (Prof. Zanotti’s segment starts at 30:00).
UBC Civil Engineering ranked top in Canada for 2017
Thursday, March 16, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin For the third year in a row, QS World University Rankings has ranked UBC Civil Engineering as the top civil engineering department in Canada. Regarded as one of the three most influential and widely observed university measures, the rankings by British company Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) are based […]
Vancouver’s West End urged to embrace parking sharing
Tuesday, March 14, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin CBC featured a UBC study that examines how renting out residential parking spots in the West End can help with Vancouver’s parking shortage. Professor Alex Bigazzi supervised the research which found that there are about 3,700 empty parking spaces, mostly underneath West End apartment towers. Similar stories […]
City of Vancouver engineers traffic-safety solutions
Tuesday, March 14, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin Business in Vancouver mentioned work by Professor Tarek Sayed in a story about traffic safety solutions in Vancouver. Prof. Sayek conducted video analytics to determine the traffic-flow problem on Burrard Bridge.
Victoria report details potential devastation of ‘Big One’
Tuesday, March 14, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin Professor Carlos Ventura spoke to CBC after a report in Victoria showed the potential consequences of a big earthquake. Prof. Ventura said the report aims to identify areas in the city where the risk of damage from an earthquake could be significant in order to develop policies […]
Concrete Toboggan scores second place in two categories at GNCTR 2017
Tuesday, February 28, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin The UBC Concrete Toboggan Team has returned from the 2017 Great Northern Concrete Toboggan Race with some impressive showings in competition categories, and a wealth of experience to strengthen the team for next year. 30 team members travelled to the mid-February competition in Winnipeg for the competition […]
Victoria buildings at risk of earthquake destruction: Study
Monday, February 20, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin MSN published a Vancouver Sun story quoting Carlos Ventura, civil engineering professor and the director of UBC’s earthquake engineering research facility, after a study in Victoria found that almost 4,000 buildings in that city are at risk of complete damage from a major earthquake. Prof. Ventura said all communities in […]
Concrete Toboggan gearing up for competition
Tuesday, February 7, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin The UBC Concrete Toboggan Team is making the final preparations for the Great Northern Concrete Toboggan race, taking place February 8 – 12 in Winnipeg. This year, 30 team members are travelling to the competition: 14 GNCTR veterans and 16 first-timers, representing the Civil Department and others. […]
Prof. Sayed’s traffic safety analysis tool helps cities striving for “Vision Zero”
Friday, February 3, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin Professor Tarek Sayed discussed his computer vision and automated safety analysis system for traffic safety with Next City. The system is being used in cities all over the world to help strive for the elimination of traffic-related deaths (a plan referred to in some countries as Vision Zero).
CSCE Student Chapter sees real-world cement manufacturing process on Richmond plant tour
Monday, January 23, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin Earlier this month, the UBC CSCE Student Chapter visited the Lafarge Cement Plant in Richmond, BC to learn more about the cement manufacturing process. The Richmond Cement Plant is one of the two cement plants that exist in BC and is one of the six cement plants […]
Prof. Banthia’s self-repairing road one of “the genius 15”
Wednesday, January 18, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin Professor Nemy Banthia was featured in the Deccan Chronicle for his work on a self-healing road. The new type of road is thinner, cheaper, and replaces about 60 per cent of cement with fly-ash, and is one of 15 innovations to be recognized by the Deccan Chronicle […]
CBC Radio features self-healing road technology
Wednesday, January 18, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin CBC’s Quirks and Quarks featured self-repairing technology for roads developed by Professor Nemy Banthia. The new type of concrete has a hydrophilic nano-coating, which helps fills in cracks, and tiny fibres to prevent cracks from growing.
2017 Minerva Canada James Ham Safe Design Competition
Wednesday, December 14, 2016 | By Lindsay Cashin Civil undergrads: do you have an idea for an innovation to solve a workplace safety problem? Minerva Canada is holding a competition to challenge engineering students to improve the design of an existing device, process, or system; envision a new design that reduces hazards; or create a […]
15 years later U.S. feds still fail to address deadly problem
Tuesday, November 29, 2016 | By Lindsay Cashin Forbes quoted Professor Emeritus Frank Navin in a story about seat-back failures in cars. “There is no reason on God’s green earth that we cannot design against that sort of thing. I personally feel the North American [auto] industry has been somewhat negligent,” Navin said in an […]
$4M in funding announced for IC-IMPACTS projects
Tuesday, November 22, 2016 | By Lindsay Cashin The Vancouver Sun reported on a research-development initiative between India’s Department of Science and Technology, India’s biotechnology department and IC-IMPACTS that will provide $4 million for 10 new projects. IC-IMPACTS is headed by Professor Nemy Banthia. The projects will include energy management systems and portable disease-detection devices.
Professor Alex Bigazzi on improving road safety for cyclists
Tuesday, November 22, 2016 | By Lindsay Cashin Professor Alex Bigazzi spoke with CTV News Vancouver about possible strategies to improve road safety for cyclists, following a recent fatal crash involving a car and multiple cyclists in Richmond.
Discussing the horrific train crash in India
Tuesday, November 22, 2016 | By Lindsay Cashin Professor Nemy Banthia spoke to CTV National News for a story on the track issues that may have contributed to a train crash in India. “These flaws can actually create very rapid fracture in these tracks, and this can happen particularly on curved tracks which is really […]
CSCE Student Chapter gets an inside look at structural timber engineering facility
Tuesday, November 22, 2016 | By Lindsay Cashin The UBC CSCE Student Chapter recently organized a tour to the office of StructureCraft, a construction company that engineers and builds with timber, in Delta, BC. The visit included a presentation as well as tour of StructureCraft’s in-house fabrication shop. Justin Brown, a past member of the […]
Tankers could pose risk to Ironworkers’ bridge
Friday, November 18, 2016 | By Lindsay Cashin Metro News mentioned Ricardo Foschi, Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering, in a story about the possible dangers of more oil tankers in the Burrard Inlet. Foschi and other academics believe increasing the traffic through the Second Narrows could also increase the chances of an accident.
New Zealand quake reminder of BC’s emergency preparedness needs
Thursday, November 17, 2016 | By Lindsay Cashin Pique Magazine quoted Professor Carlos Ventura after a devastating earthquake in New Zealand served as a reminder for emergency preparedness in B.C. In a 2015 report, officials said approximately 10,000 people in the Lower Mainland could die if a shallow earthquake struck directly underneath Vancouver. “This is […]
Civil Engineering prof paves way for nano-fibre roads that repair themselves
Thursday, November 17, 2016 | By Lindsay Cashin Metro News reported on a self-repairing road project in rural India spearheaded by Professor Nemy Banthia. Prof. Banthia explained the intricacies of coated nano-fibres in the road. “This coating creates a higher humidity environment,” Banthia said. “Cement hydrates when the humidity goes up, so if a crack […]
Professor Mavinic honoured with 2016 WEF Fellowship
Thursday, November 10, 2016 | By Lindsay Cashin Professor Don Mavinic has been named a 2016 Fellow of the Water Environment Federation (WEF). WEF is a technical and educational organization dedicated to improving the quality of water, and boasts a membership of 33,000 water professionals and 75 affiliated Member Associations around the world (including the […]
Seismic rift divides BC governments
Wednesday, November 2, 2016 | By Lindsay Cashin Professor Carlos Ventura, Director of the EERF, was included in an earthquake preparedness article in The Province. In a video, he explained the benefits of the UBC lab that simulates the impact of earthquakes on buildings. “We want to see what level of damage this structure will […]
BC earthquake threatens Vancouver buildings
Monday, October 31, 2016 | By Lindsay Cashin The Province highlighted the earthquake risk of many older Vancouver buildings. Carlos Ventura, the director of UBC’s earthquake engineering reserch facility, was interviewed for the story. The entire community needs to make a commitment to implementing seismic upgrades of at-risk buildings, Ventura said. He added that unreinforced […]