Mitigating the corrosion of reinforcement in RC structures is a critical issue for Canadaâs civil infrastructure, especially with the continual use of deicing salts during winter. This pilot study will provide crucial information on the functional range of resistivity of repair materials/concretes and anode spacing, which will optimize the efficiency of an economical technology (zinc anodes) at protecting embedded reinforcement from the risk of corrosion.
Managing complex, fragmented, and high volume portfolios of data that are generated during the lifecycle of buildings poses major challenges for the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO) industry. Required information during the operation and maintenance phase of a building’s lifecycle is usually lost (or not transferred) at information handover stages, and extensive rework should be done to revive them. This projects aims to identify lifecycle information requirements for the operation and maintenance of buildings.
Many office and institutional buildings use concrete masonry walls as their loadbearing elements. They are required to withstand loads coming from their roof structures and also caused by wind and seismic events. This research project will determine the suitability of such masonry walls when subjected to these loads. Further, this project will research to improve the performance of these walls by introducing various new structural and construction details. The goal of this research will be accomplished through experimental and computer modeling techniques.
I-joists are composite timber beams mainly used in roof and flooring systems. They consist of oriented strand board (OSB) webs and timber flanges. For post-construction purposes, these beams are often drilled in the web or notched through the flange in order to pass the electrical/mechanical facilities through the openings. This can result in a significantly lower load-carrying capacity for these important elements. This study investigates the performance of I-joists with web holes and flange notches through experimental and numerical approaches.
Design of loadbearing, out-of-plane (OOP), tall masonry walls tends to have stringent limits related to their buckling stability and the scarcity of research on their structural reliability. This currently puts the masonry industry at a disadvantage as a construction alternative compared to other structural options.
Design of loadbearing, out-of-plane (OOP), tall masonry walls tends to have stringent limits related to their buckling stability and the scarcity of research on their structural reliability. This currently puts the masonry industry at a disadvantage as a construction alternative compared to other structural options. The dearth of masonry research and innovation in slender wall design since the 1980âs, when working stress and prescriptive-based design was common, has had a negative impact on the use of conventional slender masonry walls as limit states and objective-based design was adopted.
The bond between adhered manufactured stone masonry veneer units and the setting bed mortar will be studied. It will involve testing shear, and tensile bond on small samples. Samples will consist of 2 types of adhered manufactured stones; two types of setting bed mortar (Type S, and modified dry-set cement mortar); and two types of substrates (simulated scratch coat and metal lath, and exterior grade cement board). Samples will be tested at 3 different temperatures (-20, 0 and 20°C), and 2 different numbers of freeze-thaw cycles. Three samples will be cast and tested for each combination.
This project focuses on the development of Electric Conductive Concrete (ECC) pavements which can efficiently reduce the cost of snow removal of Quebec. Recent research has proven that temperature regulated pavements can melt snow and ice. By taking advantage of all latest technology in conductive inclusions, the project aims will develop an optimized ECC mix design and characterize its durability performances. The technology transfer to a local company of such knowledge will foster the implementation of new solutions for heating pavements in Quebec.
Finite element modelling (FEM) can be used enhance the understanding of physical testing results and will be applied to two distinct structural problems. The first problem will involve combined loading of concrete masonry walls, and the second problem will involve the performance of adhered stone veneer under wind loading. Combined compressive and out of plane testing will be completed on concrete masonry walls and numerical modelling will build on these results to evaluate and potentially modify current code factors to improve their accuracy.
Fall accidents are one of the leading causes for serious work related fatalities and injuries in the construction industry. Every year, construction workers get injured due to falling off of overhead platforms, elevated work stations or into holes in floors and openings in walls. In order to alleviate this issue, several research studies have been proposed for fall detection; however, their practical values in construction projects are still limited.
