Civil Engineering
Head
Acting Coordinator of Graduate Studies
Professor
Anderson, B.C.6, da Silva, A.M.F., Fam, A.Z.2, Green, M.F., Kueper, B.H., Moore, I.D.1, Novakowski, K.S., Rowe, R.K.
Associate Professor
Brachman, R.W.I., Champagne, P., MacDougall, C., Take, W.A.
Assistant Professor
Boegman, L., Filion, Y., Hoult, N., Mulligan, R., Mumford, K.
Professor Emeritus
Campbell, T.I., Hope, B.B., Kamphuis, J.W., Mitchell, R.J., Raymond, G.P., Rose, K., Turcke, D.,Van Dalen, K., Watt, W.E., Wilson, K.C.
Adjunct Professor
Erki, M.A.3, Hall, K., Lamarche, P.
Adjunct Associate Professor
Bisby, L.,
Heffernan, P.3, Wight, R.G.3,Yerubandi, R.4
Adjunct Assistant Professor
St. Marselle, J.5
Cross Appointed
Bathurst, R.J.4, Siemens, G.3
1 Canada Research Chair in Infrastructure Engineering
2 Canada Research Chair in Infrastructure Innovative and Retrofitted Structures
3 RMC
4 NWRI
5 Geniva
6 On Leave 2011-2012
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Departmental Facilities
The laboratories at Ellis Hall and the West Campus are well equipped for research studies in structures and rehabilitation, concrete, soils, geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering, groundwater and hydrology, environmental engineering, water distribution systems and rivers, lakes and coastal engineering. A state of the art server room facilitates software modeling in all areas. In addition, researchers and students have access to the University’s High Performance Computing Virtual Laboratory and to facilities located in other University departments and at the Royal Military College of Canada. There are 2 workshops and an instrumentation shop to service all areas of research.
A 380m2 structures laboratory with strong floor, a concrete laboratory and a state-of-the-art materials testing laboratory are equipped with various loading systems for testing structures, structural components and materials. Two closed-loop servo-hydraulic power supplies drive 7 dynamic actuators ranging from 100kN to 2000kN for static and dynamic load testing. In addition, a 2000kN concrete cylinder tester, a 100kN and a 1000kN universal testing machine and a 600kN universal testing machine equipped with a muffle furnace for high temperature materials testing are available. Four programmable environmental chambers ranging in size from 10m2 to 30m2 are equipped for freeze-thaw and cold temperature testing.
Laboratory facilities totaling 2300m2 are available for research into rivers, lakes and coastal engineering and fluid mechanics. A 1900m2 water research laboratory is equipped with 3 wave flumes with programmable wave generators, an oscillating water tunnel, sediment transfer flume, and a laser laboratory and a 20m flume used for hydrodynamics studies. A 400m2 hydraulics laboratory is equipped with a 6-inch and 8-inch pump facility which supplies a constant head water distribution pipe network for experimental testing in a 175m2 model river basin and 2 variable-slope flumes.
A 320m2 geoengineering laboratory and a 435m2 geotechnical/geoenvironmental laboratory complex are well equipped to carry out unique physical model testing. Facilities include a world class Geosynthetic Landfill Liner Simulator laboratory, an analytical laboratory, geosynthetic aging equipment and a geotechnical materials laboratory. A 375m3 test pit located at West Campus is the only facility in North America capable of testing a range of buried infrastructure systems as well as conventional and trenchless construction processes at scale. A 20m3 landslide testing facility located at the West Campus is available and is capable of modeling tsunami/landslide interactions.
The environmental laboratory complex is equipped to carry out studies in water quality, water treatment, groundwater, hydrology of fractured rock, bioreactor systems, water distribution systems and human health studies. A 360m2 laboratory complex includes 2 Level-2 biosafety laboratories, a field staging laboratory, environmental chambers, pilot plant laboratory, analytical laboratory and general wet lab facilities. There are 3 fully equipped field research trailers for hydrology field testing and various field equipment for water treatment and biological systems field studies. These include hydraulics laboratory, occupying an area of 600m2The hydraulics laboratory at the main campus includes a 21m-long, 7m-wide river basin equipped with a re-circulating system, for research on river morphology and river morphodynamics, a 10m-long tilting flume for open-channel flow studies, and a 2m-long recirculating sediment transport flume. The west campus hydraulics laboratory includes a 30.5m long sediment transport flume for unidirectional flows; and an oscillating water tunnel for research on boundary layers below waves, forces on structures, etc. Recent additions to the west campus laboratory, funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, include a 20m-long internal wave flume and a 1-m diameter rotating table, for research on environmental and geophysical fluid dynamics. Extensive use is made of state-of-the-art measuring equipment, including ADV’s, LIF and PIV.
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Financial Assistance
Qualified first class students are recommended for university scholarships and bursaries, although the number of scholarships which can be awarded is limited. Research students are generally supported through Research Assistantships administered under the regulations of the awarding agency. Qualified students will also be considered for Teaching Assistantships. Specific details of funding arrangements are agreed upon by students and their supervisor(s).
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Fields of Research
Research activity in the Department of Civil Engineering is generally classified under two fields: Civil Engineering Environment and Civil Engineering Infrastructure. Environment encompasses the areas of Environmental, Geotechnical, Geoenvironmental and Hydrotechnical Engineering, while Infrastructure comprises the areas of Structural Engineering and Geotechnical Infrastructure. These two fields reflect the growing inter-relationships and collaborations among the areas within the Department, and with other research programs both within and outside the University.
CIVIL ENGINEERING ENVIRONMENT
Environment research is directed toward surface water quality, source water protection, groundwater quality, and subsurface remediation.
In the areas of surface water quality, source water protection and biotechnological processes, current topics of investigation include use of natural/engineered biological systems for water quality control in traditional and innovative on-site applications, and the use of integrated environmental management techniques for the control of surface water degradation resulting from urban storm runoff. Research projects are carried out in collaboration with faculty in Civil Engineering and other Queen's departments, and with local and regional consulting firms and government agencies. Many projects are conducted at regional field and demonstration facilities.
Geoenvironmental engineering research involves the development of design concepts, computer modelling, laboratory testing and field monitoring relating to the design of landfills. This includes the examination of clay and geomembrane liners, primary and secondary leachate collection system (both granular and geosynthetic) aging and contaminant migration through berm systems.
In the area of subsurface water quality, research is being directed at the development of numerical models to simulate multiphase/multi-component flow and transport in both porous and fractured media, as well as the investigation of remedial technologies for the clean-up of chemical spill sites contaminated by hazardous industrial liquids such as PCB oils, jet fuel, and chlorinated solvents. Research is also conducted on the development of new site characterization techniques including new hydraulic and tracer testing methods. Collaborative research is carried out within Queen's with the Biology, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Departments, School of Urban and Regional Planning and outside of Queen's with International Consortiums.
Geotechnical research is involved in studies of the stress-strain behaviour of soils, the influence of repeated loadings on soils, the influence of frost heaving on natural and stabilized soils, the performance of railroad track ballasts and fills, slope stability and earth dams. State-of-the-art computer facilities are used in modelling the behaviour of geosynthetics, reinforced walls, slopes and embankments. Modelling also plays a key role in work on soft ground tunnelling. The existence of coastal engineering, mining engineering and engineering geology at Queen's provides opportunities for interdisciplinary research. Waste management and contaminant control are areas of growing research needs and are areas of current expansion of the geotechnical research carried out at Queen's.
Hydrotechnical research includes the areas of lake dynamics, fluvial hydraulics, river engineering and pipelinecoastal engineering. A common theme in many of these areas is sediment motion, which requires the application of fluid mechanics, physical modelling and mathematical modelling to both steady and oscillating conditions. Research is also underway into the evaluation and mitigation of short and long term anthropogenic impacts on rivers, lakes and estuaries, including physical impacts such as channel incision, increased bank erosion, etc., and environmental impacts such as hypoxia, harmful algae blooms and loss of quality of the aquatic environment for animal species. Further research topics include river and coastal hydrodynamics and power generation, and long term coastal erosion and protection. Both physical modeling and advanced numerical modeling are used, and often conducted in collaboration with faculty in other areas of civil engineering (environmental, geotechnical and structural), other departments at Queen's ( Mechanical Engineering, Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics and Statistics) and other research institutes (National Water Research Institute and National Research Council).
CIVIL ENGINEERING INFRASTRUCTURE
The main thrust of the research in the structural research group is towards developing and evaluating innovative systems for repair and rehabilitation of infrastructure. Much of the research involves novel materials such as fibre reinforced polymers (FRP's), aluminum, and stainless steel for reinforcement of concrete structures. Other research considers application of FRP for prestressing and permanent formwork for concrete structures, fatigue of prestressing tendons, bridge-vehicle dynamics, and sustainable urban rapid transport systems. Analytical studies are primarily concerned with the application of finite element methods to static (linear and nonlinear) and dynamic analysis of structures. Laboratory testing is often used to complement these studies. Extensive use is made of the cold room testing facility. The structural research group is also developing expertise in the fire resistance of structures and conducts this research in collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC). Some projects are also conducted in collaboration with the Royal Military College (RMC). Research into the use of bamboo as an alternative to wood products in the global construction industry is being carried out with the assistance of FORINTEK research laboratories. Intelligent Sensing for Innovative Structures (ISIS) Canada funds much of the research into FRPs under the Network of Centres of Excellence program. Considerable contributions have been and continue to be provided by members of this group toward several aspects of the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code, and other national and international design codes.
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Programs of Study
Applicants are accepted into a Master's or Doctoral Program under the general regulations of the School of Graduate Studies providing they also satisfy the requirements of the Department. Normally, the minimum Departmental requirements are a four-year Bachelor's degree with a standing in the mid B range (70% graduating average or a ranking in the top third of the graduating class where number grades are not available).
Applicants with a Bachelors degree in a cognate science may be admitted, at the discretion of the department, to the Master's degree program.
All students must successfully complete CHEM-801, a non-credit course in laboratory safety, at the first opportunity after their initial registration. |
MASTERS DEGREES
Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) Program: The requirements are 8 term-length courses. The student must select a minimum of four term-length courses from the Department of Civil Engineering. A maximum of 2 term-length 400-level courses may be taken.
Master of Applied Science (M.A.Sc.) Program: The minimum requirements for completion are four term length graduate courses, research and a thesis.
One senior (400-series) under-graduate course is acceptable as equivalent to a graduate course.
Students whose undergraduate degrees are not in Civil Engineering may be admitted at the discretion of the potential supervisor. Make-up courses in particular areas of undergraduate Civil Engineering may be required and one of these may or may not contribute to the course requirements.
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DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
The minimum requirements for the program are four term-length courses beyond the Master's degree (at least one of these courses must be taken outside the Department), research and a thesis. Normally one senior (400-level) undergraduate course from another department may be substituted for a graduate course.
Comprehensive examinations must be completed within the first 18 months of registration. The objective of these examinations are to establish to the satisfaction of the Department that the student has a sound proposal for Ph.D. research, an effective grasp of his/her main and related areas of study and the ability to handle facts, new ideas, and concepts at the Ph.D. level. Details of these comprehensive examinations are available upon request from the Graduate Assistant in the Department and can also be found on the Departmental website.
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Programs of Study 
