This research project will develop a numerical model of in-floor-heated slab foundations in Manitoba. With in-floor-heated slab foundations, it is important to know how to insulate the foundation to minimize heat losses to the ground while preventing frost heave. The proposed model will be used to analyze the effects of the amount and placement of insulation and the placement of in-floor-heating tubes in the foundation on energy transfer to the building exterior and ground.
The intern will be doing research in the field of terahertz radiation, specifically, the potential applications it has as a commercially viable tool in the wood products industry. Jonathan will be focusing on the potential of THz radiation in the Oriented Strand Board (OSB) production process. The OSB process is currently in need of a technology system capable of determining the critical parameters (moisture content, density and fibre orientation) of OSB in order to improve their efficiency. Current X-Ray technology is expensive, hazardous and comparatively slow speeds.
Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites has been widely used in many sectors of industry since 1960s. To ensure the quality and structural integrity of FRP, it is important to evaluate their physical quality and composition both during manufacture and while in use. For this purpose, a number of standardized tests have been developed to evaluate strength, flexibility, extent of wear, and so on. However, most of these tests require destroying the material to obtain relevant information.
Evidence-based research has provided a body of evidence which links improved patient outcomes with building features such as courtyards, views of nature and access to daylight. While the quantitative data produced by such studies makes a strong case to decision-makers for the inclusion of such features into healthcare facilities, the design of healing environments requires more than a checklist of desirable features.
Automated Systems Research (ASR) has been supplying software to the roofing estimation market for close to 20 years. While the lack of competition in this niche market has provided for a steady ongoing business opportunity, it has created a vacuum of research in this area. One of the recurring research problems at ASR is that of generating the entire surface of a sloped roof given the building’s polygonal outline and also the roof slope angle at each outline edge.
The intern will apply the phosphorus polymer previously developed at UBC, as well as the H2O-soluble phosphorus polymers which will be prepared during the first two months of this internship, to the surface of paper and wood samples to study the fire retardancy of the paper samples and the fire and decay retardancy of the wood samples. The intern will react the H2O-soluble phosphorus polymers with pulp and wood samples in aqueous solutions and determine how much of the polymers are retained by the pulp and wood samples.
This research project will automate construction drawings for wood framing designs and apply them on site to residential facilities under construction by Landmark Master Builder. By utilizing 3D modelling, the intern will produce automatically-generated sets of construction drawings that can be easily read and understood by carpenters and framers who assemble wall panels, thus eliminating the drafting time involved in such operations. The intern will also provide an exact take-off list of materials required for construction and an optimization model.
The objective of this research is to develop a comprehensive material waste minimization program in order to enhance sustainable development and promote innovation in the residential construction field. The scope of the research will include the identification and detailed examination of the factors that contribute to residential construction material wastes, the investigation of opportunities for automation of existing methods and processes as alternatives to current practices and the implementation of best practice concepts to minimize construction waste in the industry.
The Office of the City Assessor is required by the Cities Act to determine the fair value of land and improvements of single family dwellings by applying the residential sales comparison method. Thus, the intern will perform analysis to determine how major factors contribute to the values of properties using newly available data. Such analysis involves developing statistical models for major market areas in Saskatoon, preparing data for statistical analysis, estimation of models and evaluation the models’ performance based on statistical and economic plausibility.
The objective of the intern’s research is to develop a computer program based on a panel-free method to predict the second-order wave loads on floating offshore structures which are critical for coupled mooring analysis. Integration of the mooring analysis computer program with a second-order wave loading analysis tool will allow for the coupled mooring line and vessel dynamics computation. Validation studies will be carried out for various platforms.
