The overarching goal of this partnership is to develop a modular accelerated building construction system that is suitable for implementation into the Canadian marketplace. The use of the post-tensioned, and friction-based, connections for modular system connections is atypical of North American design procedures and the reliance on these connections for resisting sustained gravity loads is […]

Existing HVAC system design may be contributing to the spread of viruses such as COVID-19 with transmission through ventilation systems. Many HVAC systems recirculate up to 85% of the air, can have cross-contamination of the exhaust air stream with the supply air stream and virus transmission is more likely to occur when the relative humidity […]

Naturally, the Precast Concrete and the Canadian Construction Industries are not going to come out of the COVID-19 crisis unscathed. The various players will all be affected in different ways. And of course, demand will fall sooner or later as the crisis continues, which will squeeze profits throughout the entire construction industry and the Canadian […]

3D concrete printing and the digital design processes associated with this technology are developing quickly across the world, both in academia and in practice, moving from the realm of the artisan to the early stages of automated manufacturing. How do architects engage this emerging new field that combines fabrication technologies with material in their design […]

Le projet a pour but d’analyser le comportement d’un fluide diphasique, mélange de bauxite et d’eau, dans un classificateur à fond plat soumis à l’effet de plusieurs paramètres. Une étude expérimentale utilisant un classificateur à échelle réduite permet d’effectuer les mesures de fraction solide (pourcentage de solide dans l’échantillon) aux sorties du classificateur, ainsi que […]

The project aims to extend worksite safety of construction projects at Hydro-Quebec (HQ) using computer vision and a Real-Time Location System (RTLS). The case study is a substation construction project near Montreal. The main safety risks that will be targeted in the case study are related to equipment mobility (struck-by accidents) and not wearing Personal […]

Quaternary glacial deposition has covered much of southern Ontario with tills and the Saint Lawrence Valley with marine fines. Rivers incised into these materials exhibit particular geomorphologic behavior. Civil engineering works built either in (e.g. dams, bridge piers, etc.), beside (linear infrastructure such as roads, railways, etc.) or across (e.g. bridges, etc.) such rivers must […]

Due to early strength requirements, shotcrete mix must incorporate rapid set accelerating agents to speed up mix set time and accelerate hardening. Silicate-based shotcrete accelerators have demonstrated good early compressive strength, short set time and good stiffening properties at relatively low cost. The silicate-based shotcrete mix also has minimal impacts on health, environment and improved […]

Advances in engineering technology and requirements for sustainable development are main drivers for changes and innovations in the current construction industry. The paradigm shift to precast construction moves conventional field construction efforts into the controlled environment of an offsite manufacturing facility. These precast concrete products lend a significant advantage in execution of fast-paced construction projects, […]

Despite significant development of various construction materials, masonry is still considered as one of the most cost-effective materials. However, they are often vulnerable to wind-induced lateral loads caused during construction stage (within 1 to 2 days of construction) when the masonry is yet to achieve full strength. Temporary bracing systems are often used to support […]

Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) double wythe panels are commonly used in building envelopes, however, the connections between panels have not been investigated properly. Several design connections will be designed and tested in association with the industrial partner to determine the feasibility of the designs. The project will investigate the structural behaviour and strength of different connections […]

Concrete—the most common construction material in the world—represents the main component of construction and demolition waste. The excessive extraction of virgin aggregate from Canadian lands and water bodies destroys the habitats of many species and affects the natural flow of streams in lakes and rivers. One solution to address the growing solid waste challenge and […]