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Peter Lighthall Snippet A
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Abstract: Geotechnical engineer Peter Lighthall recalls the 2014 failure of the Mount Polly tailings dam in British Columbia, which released over 12 million cubic metres of water and tailings into a creek and, eventually, into pristine Quesnel Lake. This major upset for the mining industry triggered a review of all tailings dams in British Columbia – which "greatly increased the amount of available work… more
Kwan Yee Lo Snippet A
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Abstract: Geotechnical engineer Kwan Yee Lo describes his work on the intake and discharge tunnels of the Darlington Nuclear Plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Canada. He worked with a student, Dr. Ogawa from Japan, to predict the in-situ stresses and time-dependent deformations of the intake tunnel during its construction in 1983. The predicted values matched the observed values so well that, when… more
Yves Choinière Snippet A
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Abstract: Agricultural engineer Yves Choinière describes his work, facilitating the production of food – vegetables, forage for livestock – with a specialty in the design of farm buildings and livestock housing. His work is very diverse: it includes environmental protection and integrating a number of mechanical, control, robotic, and other systems to produce food. Every kind of food – tomatoes, potatoes,… more
Susan Tighe Snippet A
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Abstract: Civil engineer Dr. Susan Tighe describes her work in leading a team from across Canada to develop the Pavement Management Asset Design and Management Guide for the Transportation Association of Canada. The guide represents a "crown jewel", containing the results of many laboratory projects she worked on with various graduate students and many field projects, including over 100 test sections… more
Nicholas Isyumov Snippet A
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Abstract: Wind engineer Dr. Nicholas Isyumov talks about his work on the Sears Building – now the Willis Tower – in Chicago during the late '60s. It was to be the tallest building in the world, taller than New York's World Trade Center. The World Trade Center was sensitive to cross-wind dynamic excitations due to vortex shedding. The Sears Building had a more irregular shape – only two of the nine modules… more
Garry Lindberg Snippet A
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Abstract: Aeronautical engineer Dr. Gary Lindberg describes his role as Project Manager for the development of the "Shuttle attached remote manipulator system", now widely known as the Canadarm. In accordance with past practices involving joint ventures with the US National Aeronautical and Space Agency (NASA), a Memorandum of Understanding was drafted and signed by the President of the National Research… more
Martin Fandrich Snippet A
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Abstract: Mechanical engineer Dr. Martin Fandrich describes one of his design-build projects – a boat lift. The lift reaches under the water surface to pick up the boat and rotates it to the left or right for a forklift to take it to dry storage. The owner of a boat that was at the limit of the lift's capacity offered his vessel for a load test. Dr. Fandrich recalls "I am not a mariner – but it was a very… more
Bruce McGibbon Snippet A
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Abstract: Bruce McGibbon describes a field trial he conducted with the Canadian Armed Forces in Shilo, Manitoba. One morning, three teams of fifteen men were given hearing tests. One group was given ear muffs and ear plugs, the second only ear plugs, and the third was given no protection and ordered not to cover their ears – the standard protocol of the day. After a four-hour barrage, the men were retested… more
G. Van Uytven Snippet A
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Abstract: Electrical Engineer Guy Van Uytven describes leaving university at Ghent, Belgium, to start his first job with Schlumberger, an oil services exploration firm. He was given a ticket to fly to Lisbon the same day he was interviewed! He found his way to a hotel and, not knowing Portuguese, managed to order a chicken meal for supper. He was surprised to be served a soup that contained a chicken leg… more
Celia Desmond Snippet A
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Abstract: Celia Desmond describes her unusual early career journey – although she loved mathematics as a high-school student, she was counselled to consider a career in nursing or teaching. She became a kindergarten teacher, earning a degree in mathematics by taking night courses. The neighbours in her apartment building were undergraduate engineering students – and she found their homework interesting.… more
Denise Leahy Snippet A
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Abstract: Dr. Denise Leahy describes her first job, working in a geotechnical laboratory at the massive La Grande hydroelectric project at Baie James. She was very excited to start field work, but was devastated to learn that, due to security issues, women could not work outside the laboratory. She describes being on a work site with 1000 guys and 100 women as "a learning experience". Eventually she and… more
David S. Weaver Snippet A
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Abstract: Dr. David Weaver describes his 16 years of retirement as "travelling around the world solving big problems". Always an avid modeler, one of his first initiatives as a new professor at McMaster University was to build a model of Cape Breton Island control structures for the hydro-electric power stations. He used the model to identify and resolve potential problems converting Megawatts of water… more
Karl Doetsch Snippet A
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Abstract: Aeronautical engineer Dr. Karl Doetsch describes his involvement in the Canadarm project. The timeline to build the Canadian government and industry (Spar Aerospace) teams was tight and there were challenges – the prototype could not be tested on earth because the force of gravity was too strong. But it was worth it: the first image from space, of the arm emblazoned with the word "Canada" with… more
Sarah Devereaux Snippet A
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Abstract: Civil and environmental engineer Sarah Devereaux describes one of her projects, the "Million Dollar Hole". Her company was retained to work on the decommissioning of the United States naval base in Argentia, Newfoundland. A number of environmental "situations" were left, including the "Million Dollar Hole", a large repository for "everything you can think of, like tanks, trucks". She oversaw… more
Emily Cheung Snippet A
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Abstract: Civil engineer Emily Cheung describes changes to her field of engineering since she started practice. She highlights the more holistic approach to designing structures like bridges – now the designer has to think about the environmental aspects, the fluid mechanics and impact on fish if it is a river crossing, the consideration of cultural aspects and social impacts. It is no longer just about… more