Yes, It Floats: UBC Concrete Canoe Team Rises to the Challenge at National Competition
UBC’s Concrete Canoe team recently competed at the Canadian National Concrete Canoe Competition (CNCCC) at Waterloo University in Ontario. This three-day event brought together civil engineering students from all over the country from May 10th – 12th. The UBC team has been preparing for the better part of the year, designing and testing their material, designing […]
Spring 2018 Undergraduate Roundup: The Iron Ring, Student Awards, and Grad Trip to Cuba
With the spring term coming to a close, the 2018 class of Civil Engineering students are celebrating their graduation and transition into the engineering world outside of UBC. Amidst the celebrations, graduates affirm their commitment to engineering ethics, recognize the contributions of students to the UBC community and explore the field of civil engineering around […]
2018 Civil Undergraduate Teaching Award Recipients
Friday, April 20, 2018 | By Amelia Pitt-Brooke Pitt-Brooke After a vote by the undergraduate student body, the Civil Engineering Club has announced the recipients of this year’s Civil Undergraduate Teaching Awards: Undergraduate Teaching Award Winner 2nd year Student Appreciation Award Dr. Gregory A. Lawrence 3rd year Student Appreciation Award Dr. Noboru Yonemitsu 4th year Student Appreciation Award Dr. Reza Joghataie Exceptional […]
Steel Bridge Team Places 3rd at 2018 Pacific Northwest Regional Competition
Civil Engineering Students Progress to ASCE Nationals in Illinois The UBC Steel Bridge team won 3rd place in last week’s regional competition held by the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE). The 20 member team took their 17’ model bridge to the ASCE Pacific Northwest Conference in Klamath Falls, Oregon, to face off against 18 other […]
Civil Engineering Alumni Celebrated with Dean’s Medal of Distinction
Peter Taylor and Michael Jacobs to be honoured at 2018 Applied Science Celebration Peter Taylor and Michael Jacobs will be recognized on Thursday, April 12th for their contributions to civil engineering in BC and to the Department at UBC. Starting in 2015, the Dean’s Medal of Distinction was created to celebrate the 100 year history […]
Dr. Nemy Banthia Interviewed on Global National about the Florida Bridge Collapse
Civil Engineering professor Dr. Nemkumar (Nemy) Banthia was interviewed by Global National about the March 15th pedestrian bridge collapse in South Florida that killed six people, and the safety of Accelerated Bridge Construction techniques. Watch the interview here (starts at 2:44).
Civil Engineering Professor a BC Business 2018 STEM Star
Dr. Sheryl Staub-French recognized in the magazine’s list of influential women in STEM Civil Engineering Professor Sheryl Staub-French was recently acknowledged in BC Business Magazine’s B.C.’s Most Influential Women 2018: Stem Stars, a list that included six faculty members from UBC Applied Science, and several students and alumni. This year’s edition highlights influential women who are industry leaders and […]
Civil Engineering MASc Takes Second Place in 3MT@UBC
Rajat Jain, a civil engineering MASc student, claimed the second place prize in the 3MT@UBC competition. Tasked with the challenge of presenting their thesis research in a condensed but engaging three minute talk, competitors in the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) came from a variety of departments across campus. On March 15th, these graduate students went head to […]
Putting Diversity Front and Centre: Civil Professor Sheryl Staub-French named Dean’s Advisor on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
At last Sunday’s Academy Awards, Lee Unkrich, the director of the animated film Coco, concluded his acceptance speech by reminding viewers that “representation matters.” The story of a Mexican boy’s journey through the Land of the Dead, Coco features an almost all-Latino voice cast and was inspired by Mexico’s rich culture and traditions. Another hit […]
Civil grad students take a on a “world’s challenge” at UBC
Civil Engineering Graduate Students won second place in the World’s Challenge Challenge at UBC for their work on a clean drinking water technology that could have applications in First Nations and small remote communities without access to potable water. The World’s Challenge Challenge is a competition hosted by the UBC Global Lounge encouraging students to […]
Civil engineering professor uses UBC electric-assist velomobile pilot to study new patterns in transportation
Civil Engineering Assistant Professor Alex Bigazzi and his students are using the data from these pedal and solar powered rental vehicles to look at how alternate forms of transportation change the way we move. Working with the Veemo pilot project happening across the UBC campus, Dr. Bigazzi wants to see if the app-activated electric-assisted tricycles […]
Civil Engineering Graduate Students Turn Up the Heat, Advancing in the 3MT @UBC Competition
Wednesday, February 21, 2018 Graduate students from the Department of Civil Engineering competed in a 3MT @UBC heat on Friday, February 9th, putting their communication skills to the test. Started by the University of Queensland, the 3MT, or Three Minute Thesis, is a way for students to practice presenting their research in a concise but […]
Earthquake system reality check
UBC Civil Engineering research associate Kent Johansen, with the Earthquake Engineering Research Facility, spoke to CBC following the recent earthquake and tsunami warning in coastal British Columbia. The segment starts at 6:54. View Segment
UBC BCWWA Student Chapter runners-up at WEF Student Design Competition
L-R: team members Brad Jenks, Kit Caufield, Jenikka Javison, Tim Burton; Tom Kunetz (WEF vice president). Not pictured: team members Antonio Castro and Gregory Vettese. The UBC Student Chapter of the BC Water and Waste Association placed second in the Student Wastewater Design Competition at WEFTEC 2017, the Water Environment Federation’s annual Technical Exhibition & […]
Civil researchers take new earthquake-resistant material outside the lab for a real world trial at Vancouver elementary school
A new earthquake resistant, fibre-reinforced composite material developed by Civil researchers has been taken out of the lab and into the real world for a trial application at a Vancouver elementary school. Older buildings in cities like Victoria, Vancouver, and Portland, especially unreinforced masonry buildings, are at risk for structural damage or collapse in a major earthquake event. […]
Researchers are using tweets to identify transit snarls
Vice reported on transit research by Saeid Allahdadian, a UBC Civil Engineering PhD graduate. Allahdadian is using AI technologies and social media data to map travel routes to identify areas that need better transit service. Read More
Professor Dharma Wijewickreme named Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada
Dharma Wijewickreme, PEng, Professor of Civil Engineering and Co-Director of the Pipeline Integrity Institute, will be made Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada.The Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC) is a federation of twelve Canadian engineering societies that develops, serves, and advocates for engineering in Canada. The EIC elects up to 20 new Fellows annually, on […]
Civil alumnus donates $1 million to support UBC startups
Wednesday, November 23, 2016 | By Lindsay Cashin Thanks to two $1-million contributions from UBC alumni Greg Peet and Glenn Walsh, UBC ventures now have access to additional early-stage seed capital to help build their businesses. Walsh, a Civil Engineering alumnus and founder of mining construction company, the Tercon Group, and Peet, a Sauder School […]
Prof. Staub-French brings outreach expertise to Engendering Success in STEM (ESS)
Prof. Sheryl Staub-French brings outreach expertise to Engendering Success in STEM (ESS), a new partnership working to advance gender equity in science, technology, engineering and math. This important initiative is a collaboration between scholars, experts in computer science and engineering, and educational and industry partners who aim to close the gender gap and improve experiences […]
How to thrive in spite of imposter syndrome
Sheryl Staub-French, Goldcorp Professor in Women in Engineering, spoke with CBC about the ongoing efforts to promote engineering as a career choice for young women, the imposter syndrome students sometimes face, and potential ways to deal with it. The Goldcorp Professorship in Women in Engineering focuses on promoting engineering as a creative and rewarding career. Learn […]
Road pricing in Vancouver
CBC Radio’s On The Coast featured an interview with Civil professor Alex Bigazzi about road pricing. He discussed how natural boundaries of downtown Vancouver peninsula could be a good starting point for setting up road pricing. The segment starts at 23:47.
UBC hosts 1st China-Canada Symposium on Structural and Earthquake Engineering
Tuesday, September 5, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin UBC Civil Engineering successfully hosted the 1st China-Canada Symposium on Structural and Earthquake Engineering (CCSSEE) from August 20 to 24, welcoming students, researchers and industry professionals to the Vancouver campus. Beginning in 2008, UBC and Tongji University have enjoyed a strong, collaborative research alliance, and have jointly […]
Civil grad students host successful fourth annual WEST conference
Wednesday, July 26, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin Water and Environment Student Talks (WEST) had its fourth annual conference from June 11-13, 2017 at the AMS Student NEST with great success. Over 60 students, professors, and young professionals from seven countries gathered to share research, knowledge and interest in water-related fields. The conference began with […]
Recommended reading list for new B.C. NDP cabinet
Thursday, July 20, 2017 | By Lindsay Cashin The Georgia Straight quoted two UBC professors in an article that recommends a reading list for Premier John Horgan’s NDP cabinet. Civil professor Perry Adebar is quoted in the book Full Rip 9.0: The Next Big Earthquake in the Pacific Northwest, by science reporter Sandi Doughton, about earthquake preparation […]
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.
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.
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 […]
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, […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
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 […]
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.
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 […]
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 […]