Research

Next-gen mass timber construction key to meeting Canada’s climate change, housing targets

Professor Yang and his team are setting new standards for disaster-resilient, mass timber buildings.

Professor Zhengbo Zou leverages robotics to enhance building efficiency

Dr. Zou imagines a future where robots and humans work hand-in-hand on construction sites to deliver projects and maintain buildings.

UBC Civil In The Media – Wastewater off flights from China to Vancouver will soon be tested for COVID-19

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 […]

UBC engineers want to save whales from drowning…in noise

Originally published in: UBC News Chronic ship noise can lead to stress, hearing loss and feeding problems for marine mammals like whales, dolphins and porpoises. UBC researchers are diving in to help address the issue. According to project lead Dr. Rajeev Jaiman, an associate professor in the department of mechanical engineering, propeller noise accounts for much […]

Professor Nemy Banthia receives $1.5 million from NSERC to develop carbon-neutral materials to rehabilitate Vancouver sewerage

The project will develop carbon-neutral geopolymer materials to coat pipes and manholes.

Mount Polley mine tailings present in Quesnel Lake water eight years after big spill

Although most metal-rich suspended sediment from the disaster has been flushed, some remains in circulation.

Turning skyscrapers into trees

Assistant Professor Jongho Lee takes a leaf from nature’s book with new technology that turns buildings into giant trees.

UBC Civil In The Media – Des données du monde entier permettent d’estimer les risques sismiques en C.-B. (French)

Originally published in: CBC Radio Canada Pendant que la Colombie-Britannique poursuit son programme d’atténuation sismique et continue à rénover ses écoles, des experts expliquent que ces décisions politiques ont été prises sur la base de données issues du monde entier, faute de tremblement de terre majeur survenu dans la province. Les prévisions séismologiques se fondent notamment sur […]

UBC Civil In The Media – Séismes: près de 300 écoles de la Colombie-Britannique toujours à risque (French)

Originally published in: CBC Radio Canada Le programme d’atténuation sismique de la Colombie-Britannique, destiné à mettre 496 écoles de la province aux normes sismiques, arrive à mi-chemin. En date de mai 2022, 202 écoles ont été rénovées ou reconstruites, 25 sont en construction, cinq sont à construire, 14 sont en cours d’analyse de rentabilisation et 250 sont classées parmi les « priorités […]

Interview: Dr. Rachel Scholes featured as Emerging Investigator by RSC for work on reactive nitrogen in drinking water

The series highlight research by newer voices with potential to influence future directions.

Professor Tony Yang receives $1 million NSERC Alliance Missions grant

Dr. Yang and his team of researchers received the grant to develop advanced structural and robotic technologies.

Global structural materials expert awarded top UBC research prize

Professor Nemy Banthia has been awarded the Jacob Biely Research Prize, UBC’s highest research accolade.

UBC Civil PhD students compete in Department Heat of Three Minute Thesis competition

Presenters had three minutes to showcase their research to a non-specialist audience.

UBC Civil In The Media – Sensor network can protect roads, bridges from damage caused by flooding

Originally published in: Journal of Commerce Nemy Banthia, a professor of civil engineering at the University of British Columbia (UBC), and his doctoral student Mohammed Farooq have developed a sensor network that can detect the early stages of mudslides and bridge foundation failures that are caused by flooding. What happens when rushing water assaults a […]

UBC Civil In The Media – Sewage plant samples show Omicron infections dropping in Lower Mainland

Assistant Professor Ryan Ziels talks about his research on detecting COVID in wastewater.

UBC Civil In The Media – Sensor warning system could predict B.C. mudslides, bridge collapse

Originally published in: North Shore News 5G Internet technology is powering a new generation of smart technologies collectively known as the ‘Internet of Things.’ After the worst flooding in B.C.’s modern history, could the new tech also save our homes and bridges? The next generation of wireless internet technology has led to some big promises — […]

Professor Dharma Wijewickreme honoured by the Engineering Institute of Canada

Professor Dharma Wijewickreme has been awarded the prestigious 2022 John B. Stirling Medal by the Engineering Institute of Canada.

UBC Civil In The Media – B.C. Flooding and Landslides

UBC Civil faculty spoke to media to offer their analysis and expertise on the challenges ahead with infrastructure rebuilding.

BC Natural Disaster Technical Briefing – Webcast Recording

Watch a recording of the webcast featuring our faculty members sharing their observations on the impact of the recent BC natural disasters.

Assistant Professor Ryan Ziels develops new method for near-perfect accuracy in portable DNA sequencing

Researchers can now eliminate almost all errors produced by a widely used portable DNA sequencer, thanks to a new method developed by UBC Civil Engineering Assistant Professor Dr. Ryan Ziels. This advancement will potentially enable scientists out in the field or in smaller labs to study microorganisms, such as the SARS-CoV-2 virus, much more accurately […]

Dr. Jongho Lee receives NFRF grant to develop artificial trees for extreme weather-resilient cities

UBC Civil Engineering Assistant Professor Jongho Lee has received the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) grant to develop a tri-layer film that mimics natural trees’ water management function – a technology that will help build extreme weather-resilient cities. A naturally effective dewatering instrument, a tree transpires 97% of the water absorbed by its roots […]

U-WatR initiative led by Dr. Pierre Bérubé receives $1.6 million in CFI funding

The Used-Water to Resources (U-WatR) initiative, led by Civil Engineering professor Pierre Bérubé, has been awarded $1.6 million through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s 2020 Innovation Fund competition. The competition, which funds up to 40 per cent of a project’s eligible infrastructure costs, aims to “enhance and optimize the capacity of institutions and research communities […]

Dr. Sara Beck brings global collaboration to UBC Civil Engineering

The Department of Civil Engineering adds to our roster of world-class researchers and educators and welcomes Assistant Professor Sara Beck to the Environmental Engineering research group. Dr. Beck joins the Department after completing post-docs at the University of Colorado and Eawag, the Swiss Federal institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, opportunities that followed a Fulbright at the […]

U-WatR initiative led by Dr. Pierre Bérubé receives $4 million in CFI funding

Update on June 24, 2021: Total amount for U-WatR CFI Innovation Fund has been awarded at $4M, which consists of funding from Canada Foundation for Innovation, BC Knowledge Development Fund (BCKDF), and various sources.  The Used-Water to Resources (U-WatR) initiative, led by Civil Engineering professor Pierre Bérubé, has been awarded $1.6 million through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s […]

PhD researcher receives Public Scholar Initiative fellowship and investigates impact of Georgia sedimentary basin

Preetish Kakoty (PhD, ’22) has been awarded the 2020-2021 UBC Public Scholar Initiative fellowship. He is one of two UBC Faculty of Applied Science students to receive the honour this year. The metro Vancouver region faces major seismic risk due to its close proximity to the Cascadia Subduction Zone. This risk is further elevated because of […]

Professors Loretta Li and Tony Yang receive province’s top awards for engineers

We are excited to announce that two faculty members in our Department received the 2020 President’s Awards from Engineers and Geoscientists BC. The awards are the province’s top awards for professional engineers and geoscientists and recognize those with outstanding achievement in professional, technical, and community contributions. Professor Loretta Li received the R.A. McLachlan Memorial Award, while […]

Six years after Mount Polley mine disaster, new study reveals ongoing problems

Six years ago – on August 4, 2014 – the Mount Polley mine spill released 24 million cubic metres of waste. The spill flowed into Hazeltine Creek, Quesnel Lake, and other waterways in the Likely, B.C. area and is by far the largest mine waste spill in Canadian history. In the years that followed, tests […]

UBC Civil Engineering professor Ryan Ziels to develop wastewater testing for COVID-19

Update: July 9, 2020, The team’s research, titled “ Expanding the wastewater-based epidemiology toolkit for monitoring COVID-19 community transmission in Canada,” has received the NSERC Alliance COVID-19 grant for one year. NSERC is providing up to $15 million in total support to stimulate collaborations between university academic researchers and the public and not-for-profit sectors, and industry […]

Dr. Nemy Banthia’s new pavement product set to revolutionize road construction

A Canadian-engineered pavement technology that has withstood five South Asian monsoon seasons with flying colours holds significant promises for revolutionizing road and building infrastructure in Canada and all over the world. Pioneered by the Canada-India Research Centre of Excellence IC-IMPACTS , which is headed by UBC Department of Civil Engineering professor Dr. Nemy Banthia, this […]

Dr. Tarek Sayed gives expert opinion on crosswalk safety used in hidden safety report investigation

Back in 2016, the city conducted a pilot project at two crosswalks, which added side-mounted lights to existing overhead flashing lights. At the end of this study it was “found that driver compliance rates increased 100 percent when [vehicles were] sixty metres away from the crosswalk when the lower level lights were used with the […]

Dr. Jongho Lee featured in The Guardian for novel desalination process inspired by mangrove trees

Dr. Jongho Lee, an assistant professor in UBC’s Department of Civil Engineering, recently published his new study on a clean alternative to clearing up flood water in Science Advances Magazine. The researcher was inspired by how mangrove trees, which like other trees, employ a water transport system that can evaporate moisture from their leaves. This process […]

Dr. Carlos Molina Hutt Awarded The Shah Prize by the EERI

Congratulations to Dr. Carlos Molina Hutt, who has been awared the 2019 EERI Shah Family Innovation Prize by the Earthquake Engineering Research Insititute! The Shah Prize is awarded annually to young professionals and academics for creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit in the field of earthquake risk mitigation and management. In the press release by the EERI, they stated […]

Dr. Tarek Sayed announced as Canada Research Chair in Transportation Safety and Advanced Mobility

On June 14, 2019, UBC Civil Engineering Professor Tarek Sayed, was announced as a new Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Transportation Safety and Advanced Mobility. Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, announced an investment of over $275 million for 346 new and renewed Canada Research Chairs at 52 institutions across Canada for research […]

UBC Civil Engineering Alumnus Wesley Lin to Strengthen Disaster Resilience During Upcoming Trip to Nepal

The Nepal Safer Schools Project (NSSP) is a Department for International Development (DFID) funded project seeking to increase the safety of approximately 250 vulnerable schools in Nepal and build the resilience of pupils, staff and the wider community to disasters. It is a consortium of Crown Agents, Save the Children and Arup international and NSET is implementing […]

Professor Nemkumar Banthia wins Distinguished Alumnus Award for excellence in technology & innovation

We are pleased to announce Dr. Nemkumar (Nemy) Banthia’s recent achievement in being honored with a Distinguished Alumnus Award 2018-19 for Technology Innovation Excellence (“TIE”). The award, presented by the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (“VNIT”) and NVIT Nagpur Alumni Association, recognizes leaders contributing a minimum of 25 years of service in their designated professional field, change-makers who […]

Seismic risk study & resilience plan with UBC Professor Carlos Ventura

UBC takes great pride to ensure that all students, staff and faculty are safe and well-prepared in the event of an earthquake in British Columbia. One of the largest earthquakes to strike the coast of BC was on June 23, 1946 with a magnitude estimated at 7.3. More recently on October 27, 2012, a 7.7 […]

UBC Professor Tarek Sayed’s Research on Distracted Pedestrian Cellphone Use in Crosswalks featured in The Globe and Mail

(Photo Credit: KEVIN VAN PAASSEN/THE GLOBE AND MAIL) On Tuesday, February 12, 2019, The Globe and Mail hosted their second annual Globe Drive Mobility Summit, a half-day conference focused on the technology, innovations and societal shifts giving rise to the transformation of urban transportation. One of the major topics for this year’s summit is how the growing trend of […]

UBC Study Co-Authored By Professor Tarek Sayed Examines Distracted Pedestrian Cellphone Use in Crosswalks

(Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP/Getty Images) UBC Civil Engineering Professor Tarek Sayed‘s research on pedestrian cellphone use was featured this week in The New York Times and CBC News. In the UBC study, led by engineers, two cameras were mounted at pedestrian crossing intersections monitoring the movement of over 350 pedestrians over a two-day period.  Observations from the study found that over […]

IC-IMPACTS Conference connects Canada-India infrastructure, water and health research

IC-IMPACTS (the India-Canada Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnerships to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability) marked the completion of its first five years by bringing together researchers to discuss their progress on infrastructure, water and health challenges. Special guests at the two-day research conference included India’s High Commissioner to Canada, His Excellency Vikas Swarup, and the Consul […]