In industrial areas like manufacturing units, logistics centers, and warehouses, floors are exposed to heavy traffic along with high mechanical loads and possible chemicals contact. This promotes the use of polymeric cementitious flooring compositions such as epoxy resin-based flooring compositions and polyurethane (PU) cementitious systems. The latter showed outstanding mechanical properties and do not suffer from the drawbacks associated with epoxy resin-based compositions. PU system is composed of two different binding systems: polyurethane (diisocyanate) binders and hydraulic binders.
The main goal of this project is to improve the sustainability of building materials. To work towards this goal, theresearch project turns towards biology as a source of inspiration for the next generation of building materials.Natural fibres (i.e. hemp, straw, agricultural residues) have great potential in the building industry, but currentlystill need to use fossil-fuel based binding agents. This project will research the capacity for mycelium as analternative binding agent for natural fibre construction materials.
Rebar cages are transported to the construction site, and then concrete is cast around them. Until the concrete is cast, these cages form a structure in their own right that must be safe against collapse due to its own weight, as well as environmental and structural loads (e.g., wind). The objective of the research is to better understand at a fundamental level the structural behaviour of rebar cages and ultimately develop predictive models for the stresses and deflections of a given cage.
The proposed research will involve studying the carbon footprint (i.e. the carbon emissions) involved in the preparation of magnesium oxychloride (MOC) cement materials. MOC cement has been proposed as a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditionally used Portland cement (PC), however many discrepancies arise as there is no work directly comparing their carbon footprints. In addition, the work will determine the lifecycle assessment of MOC cement and PC.
In the proposed project, we will investigate a solution for increasing the safety of construction workers at heights using an intelligent sensor-based system. A real-time monitoring system will be developed for alerting workers who are getting close to hazardous conditions and areas. The objective is to lower the chance of accidents by enhancing supervision of workers for their safety based on regulations and working practices in a construction site.
Helical steel piles are commonly used structural elements that anchor building foundations deep in the soil. Recently, it has been demonstrated that they can be used as ground heat exchangers with ground source heat pumps (GSHPs). These dual use geo-piles (structural and thermal) have the potential to significantly reduce GSHP installation costs, leading to greater adoption of sustainable energy technology. A potential application of geo-pile heat exchangers has been identified in the remote Canadian North.
According to the City of Lethbridge (2021), any water that enters the storm drains flows directly from streets into local marine bodies. However, this includes littered waste from our streets. Current storm drains do not prevent many pollutants from entering the ocean and our water system. As a result, almost 100% of waste that comes into our storm drains ends up in our oceans, causing our marine ecosystem to be polluted. Due to a large amount of plastic debris and other pollutants in the ocean, we face significant health, environmental, and economic challenges.
The successful implementation of advanced technologies for sensor-based, ambient assisted living (AAL) in the homes of older adults is a complex challenge.
This Mitacs project is a demonstration project through which four small residential homes will be printed in the Windsor-Essex region. This project will be the first construction project in Canada where 3D printing technologies will be used to build residential homes. These homes will be built by Habitat for Humanity Windsor-Essex for low-income families and homeless teenagers. The objective is to introduce and implement these cutting-edge 3D printing technologies in Canada’s construction industry.
This internship will help revitalize the concept of "coliving" in the post-COVID context of Montréal city, from the perspective of an architecture student. Given that the crisis of housing shortage is on the rise, coliving is an environment-friendly alternative for young entrepreneurs on the move. Using the power of digital journalism for community engagement, this internship will guide Nomad Coliving (NoCo) in adopting transparent media to raise collective awareness on how they approach and implement the concepts of coliving in downtown Montréal.
