Theme 4 Projects (2002-2006):
Technology Transfer and Utilization
Director: Dr. Lloyd McGinnis, University of Manitoba
Focus Area 4.1: Research Pertaining to Technology Utilization
Life Cycle Cost Prediction Models (4.1.1)
Project Leader: Dr. Gordon Sparks, University of Saskatchewan
Life cycle costing (LCC) is a credible and well-recognized means of guiding design, rehabilitation and on-going management decisions involving both product and infrastructure systems. From the standpoint of ISIS Canada, LCC can be employed to identify and defend the use of FRP and FOS technologies across of a broad range of possible infrastructure applications and circumstances - even where the initial costs of innovative options exceed the initial costs of conventional alternatives. In this way, LCC can and must be used to promote the transfer of cost-effective ISIS technologies to infrastructure owners right across Canada.
To help ISIS Canada achieve its objectives, the mission of project 4.1.1 is to: investigate, develop, describe and deliver state-of-the-art life cycle engineering and costing methods, analyses and models to researchers, analysts and managers within and outside the ISIS Canada community to encourage credible, pragmatic and efficient decision-making involving all aspects of infrastructure design, rehabilitation and on-going management in Canada and beyond.
A four-pronged research strategy supports this mission: (i) determine a method of life cycle engineering and costing (LCE&C) suited to ISIS Canada's needs, (ii) employ the LCE&C method to demonstrate the life cycle cost-savings attributable to ISIS technologies across a range of applications and circumstances, (iii) develop computer-based LCE&C tools to support rational decision-making involving the design, rehabilitation and on-going management of infrastructure, and (iv) promote the use of the LCE&C method and related models within Canada's infrastructure community through training and education.
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Optimization of FRP Reinforcements for Concrete Structures (4.1.2)
Project Leader: Dr. Mamdouh El-Badry, University of Calgary
Because of the additional cost of materials, use of FRP reinforcement is not economical if used in place of, and to the same extent as, steel. In order for FRPs to be cost competitive, advantage needs to be taken of the superior strength of FRPs and their non-corrosive characteristics. Therefore, this project focuses on the optimum amount of FRPs and thickness of concrete that can safely be used in concrete structures in order to decrease the cost and increase the opportunity for FRPs to be used in new structures. An evaluation is being made of the impact of force-induced and displacement-induced cracking. The objective of this project is to facilitate owners of infrastructure to embrace ISIS technologies by reducing the difference in capital costs between current conventional designs and the new concepts to acceptable levels of expenditure. Once the budgetary constraints are overcome, the new technology becomes more attractive to the user sector.
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Preparation of Design Manuals (4.1.3)
Project Leader: Dr. Aftab Mufti, University of Manitoba
One of the major accomplishments and tangible results of Phase I of the ISIS mandate was the publication of four design manuals in 2001. These manuals were developed over a two-year period by Network participants under the leadership of the ISIS Theme Directors. The manuals were prepared for two reasons. The first is to provide practicing engineers with detailed guidelines regarding the use of FRPs and FOSs in the design and construction of civil engineering structures. The second is to provide a credible reference for the Code Committees to facilitate and accelerate changes to existing codes which did not envisage the use of advanced composite materials such as FRPs.
Revisions to Manuals 2, 3 and 4 are currently underway. A new manual, Civionics Specifications, was released in 2004 to assist practicing engineers, suppliers and contractors to apply SHM techniques to new and existing structures being rehabilitated, including the selection and installation of sensors. This is a hands-on, practical document that includes a video demonstration of the installation technique.
Over 1,600 of these technical design manuals have been distributed across Canada for use by practicing design engineers and students. An additional 400 copies have been purchased by engineers and academics in 34 countries around the world.
Click the Manuals Order Form link below to purchase a copy in hard cover, CD or download.
The design manuals that are currently available are as follows:
Manual No. 1 –
Installation, Use and Repair of Fibre Optic Sensors
Author: Dr. Roderick Tennyson, University of Toronto
[THIS PUBLICATION IS OUT OF PRINT]
Manual No. 2 –
Guidelines for Structural Health Monitoring
Author: Dr. Aftab Mufti, University of Manitoba
View Table of Contents (PDF)
Manual No. 3 –
Reinforcing Concrete Structures with Fibre Reinforced Polymers (FRPs)
Author: Dr. Sami Rizkalla, University of Manitoba, currently N.C. State University
Co-Author: Dr. Aftab Mufti, University of Manitoba
Author: Dr. Brahim Benmokrane, Université de Sherbrooke (French Translation)
View Table of Contents (PDF)
Manuel 3 en français (PDF)
Manual No. 4 –
Strengthening Reinforced Concrete Structures with
Externally-Bonded Fibre Reinforced Polymers (FRPs)
Author: Dr. Kenneth Neale, Université de Sherbrooke
(French and English versions)
View Table of Contents (PDF)
Manuel 4 en français (PDF)
Manual No. 5 –
Prestressing Concrete Structures with FRPs (in press)
Author: Dr. Ivan Campbell, Queen’s University
Manual No. 6 –
Civionics Specifications
Author: Dr. Aftab Mufti, University of Manitoba
View Table of Contents (PDF)
Manuals Order Form (PDF)
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Structural Health Monitoring Support Centre (4.1.4)
Project Leader: Dr. Aftab Mufti, University of Manitoba
A Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) Support Centre has been established at the University of Manitoba to provide a service to the entire ISIS Network regarding the SHM of existing and future demonstration field projects. Equipment is available to Network Project Leaders to take temperature and strain measurements on these installations using fibre optic Bragg grating sensors, long gauge fibre optic sensors, as well as conventional strain gauges. This support centre provides an engineer/technician to travel to the field sites to meet with local ISIS Project Leaders on a fee basis, as required. In due course, the centre will also provide training to those ISIS nodes that wish to function independently, without technical assistance from headquarters. Data collected at any ISIS demonstration project across the country will be made available to the entire network on a request basis.
Eventually, industry or governments wishing to have structural health monitoring carried out by ISIS Canada personnel can do so on a fee for service basis by contacting headquarters for details.
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Education Committee Modules (4.1.5)
Project Leader: Dr. Luke Bisby, Queen's University
Project 4.1.5, Educational Modules, is a technology transfer project which seeks to develop ‘teaching modules’ that can be used to encourage ‘infiltration’ of ISIS technologies into undergraduate civil engineering curricula in Canada and internationally. It is also hoped that the modules will eventually be used in universities, technical colleges, and industry workshops. As a first step, seven targeted modules – which include lecture notes, slides, solved examples, and suggested laboratories – are currently under development. The first four of these modules have been developed and are available from ISIS Canada. The available modules include: Mechanics Examples Incorporating FRP Materials, FRP Composites for Construction, An Introduction to FRP-Reinforced Concrete, and An Introduction to FRP-Strengthening of Concrete Structures. The remaining modules, dealing with Structural Health Monitoring, Handling and Application of FRP Materials, and Life-Cycle Costing, will be available by the beginning of 2005.
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LCE&C Tech Transfer (4.1.6)
Project Leader: Dr. Gordon Sparks, University of Saskatchewan
The goal of this project is to facilitate the transfer of ISIS technologies to infrastructure owners through a combination of workshops, seminars and other educational media oriented around the application of life cycle engineering and costing (LCE&C) principles.
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Focus Area 4.2: Technology Transfer Activities
All of the following activities constitute an initiative by the ISIS Canada management group in the NCE 2nd Funding Cycle to facilitate and accelerate the transfer of ISIS technologies to the user sector as a means of ensuring wide spread use of these technologies by the year 2010. Except where noted, these activities are coordinated and/or led by Dr. L. McGinnis and Dr. A. Mufti through ISIS headquarters in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
ISIS Annual Conference (4.2.1)
Project Leaders: Dr. Lloyd McGinnis and Dr. Aftab Mufti, University of Manitoba
Since the spring of 1996, ISIS Canada has held an annual conference in early May, in various cities across the country. The objective of the conference is to bring together industry, government and the 250 Network participants based at 14 universities from Vancouver to Halifax. For several years, the Project Leaders were required to present their research programs over the three-day conference. In recent years, Theme Directors and Project Leaders limit their presentations to the Public Forum Day, which is the first day of the conference. The following two days are filled with student presentations of their research programs and viewing the annual student poster competition. For a registration fee, the public is welcome to attend the entire proceedings. The ISIS Canada Annual General Meeting is held as part of the conference. Keynote speakers are international experts in the areas of ISIS research.
This Conference provides the Project Leaders (senior research professors) and the student researchers the opportunity to witness firsthand the full scope of the ISIS mandate and wide variety of research projects underway throughout the 14-university ISIS Network. In addition, they spend quality time with industry representatives and eminent professors from other institutions. They also develop a personal and professional peer network across the country which would otherwise not be possible. This annual conference is an integral part of developing highly qualified personnel in accordance with the ISIS mandate. Click here for details on this year's Annual Conference.
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"Innovator" Newsletter (4.2.2)
Project Leaders: Dr. Lloyd McGinnis and Dr. Aftab Mufti, University of Manitoba
ISIS Canada publishes a newsletter in February and June of each year. This publication is widely distributed to industry, government, academia, politicians and the public at large. Its purpose is to highlight the latest happenings at ISIS Canada and, in the process, facilitate an awareness of the increasing influence that the use of fibre reinforced polymers and fibre optic sensors are having on the way in which public infrastructure is being designed and constructed. Click here to view these publications.
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Annual Corporate Report (4.2.3)
Project Leaders: Dr. Lloyd McGinnis and Dr. Aftab Mufti, University of Manitoba
In accordance with the requirements of the NCE funding agreement, ISIS publishes a glossy Annual Corporate Report each year in September. This provides an overview of the ISIS mandate, current activities, key accomplishments and future objectives. It also provides financial details and accountability. Click here to view these publications.
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Technician Training (4.2.4)
Project Leader: Dr. Kenneth Neale, Université de Sherbrooke
One of the constraints to the widespread use of ISIS technologies is the limited number of technicians and technologists in the design and construction industries who know how to install FRPs and FOSs during manufacture and construction. The Masters and PhD candidates who graduate from ISIS each year will never fill the need.
As part of the Education Committee, chaired by Dr. K. Neale, efforts are being made to have ISIS technologies taught in community colleges and technical schools across the country, so that the demand for such know-how will be satisfied.
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Education Committee (4.2.5)
Project Leader: Dr. Kenneth Neale, Université de Sherbrooke
Similar to the need to train technicians and technologists, there is a pressing need to introduce the application of ISIS technologies to engineering students at the undergraduate level. It is imperative that those who graduate with a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering be familiar with the use of FRPs and FOSs, because they undoubtedly will be faced with the need to design structures using these composite materials as their work career progresses.
An Education Committee has been formed to develop a teaching aid (Educator Tool Kit) for professors giving courses to undergraduate student engineers. This Committee is also developing a strategy to facilitate the widespread use of this tool kit in Canadian engineering schools.
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Code Participation (4.2.6)
Project Leaders: Dr. Lloyd McGinnis and Dr. Aftab Mufti, University of Manitoba
ISIS key personnel (Senior Project Leaders/Research Professors) are involved in numerous code committees, both in Canada and abroad. A reserve travel budget has been established (should it be required) to facilitate even greater participation by ISIS personnel bringing about modernization of existing codes. This is a very important responsibility within the ISIS mandate.
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International Collaboration (4.2.7)
Project Leaders: Dr. Lloyd McGinnis and Dr. Aftab Mufti, University of Manitoba
Each year, the various nodes of the ISIS Network host several visiting delegations from abroad. Similarly, ISIS personnel participate in numerous international workshops and conferences. To ensure that participation by ISIS personnel is not constrained because of inadequate local budgets, a reserve fund has been set aside to facilitate this collaboration to the extent considered appropriate by the Research Management Committee.
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Student Networking and Exchange (4.2.8)
Project Leaders: Dr. Lloyd McGinnis and Dr. Aftab Mufti, University of Manitoba
Project 4.2.8 – Student Networking and Exchange
A budget has been established to facilitate the exchange of ISIS students within the ISIS Network Universities. Contributions towards travel and living accommodations are provided by ISIS headquarters to encourage students to reap the additional benefits of working in other laboratories and being mentored by professors they would otherwise not be able to meet. This activity is an integral part of the ISIS philosophy of developing highly qualified personnel and giving ISIS students a superior educational experience and opportunities they would not otherwise get. Click the link below to get the details.
Student Exchange
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Workshops and Short Courses (4.2.9)
Project Leaders: Dr. Lloyd McGinnis and Dr. Aftab Mufti, University of Manitoba
Since the outset, ISIS Canada has organized workshops and short courses to make the engineering design community aware of the emerging design considerations and facilitating the use of ISIS technologies in the design of Civil Engineering structures. Preparation of the Design Manuals has enhanced the value of such workshops because of the detailed instruction now possible.
During 2002, nine one-day workshops were held in eight cities across the country from Halifax to Vancouver. These were organized to outline to practicing engineers and students the importance of the ISIS Design Manuals and to provide detailed instructions and guidance to the participants as to how the Manuals can be used to advantage in the design of civil engineering structures. Continuing workshops are planned for 2005.
ISIS Canada sponsored the First International Workshop on Structural Health Monitoring of Innovative Civil Engineering Structures in Winnipeg, Canada on September 19 and 20, 2002. Over 100 delegates from 13 countries and 26 universities were in attendance to showcase the latest research and considerations associated with structural health monitoring of civil engineering structures. A sequel workshop will take place in September 2004.
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Public Presentations and Conference Participation (4.2.10)
Project Leaders: Dr. Lloyd McGinnis and Dr. Aftab Mufti, University of Manitoba
To facilitate public awareness of ISIS technologies and participation in conferences throughout the globe, a budget has been established to ensure that ISIS personnel are able to communicate their research results and leading edge design concepts as the opportunities arise and not be inappropriately limited by project financial constraints.
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TTCC Commercialization Activities (4.2.11)
Project Leaders: Dr. Lloyd McGinnis and Dr. Aftab Mufti, University of Manitoba
The Technology Transfer and Commercialization Committee (TTCC) has been provided a separate budget to facilitate patents and commercialization of intellectual property created within the ISIS research network. This is a volunteer advisory committee of persons, primarily from industry, which enhances the knowledge of the academic network about the realities of the marketplace.
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Completed Research 1995 to 2006
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