civil engineering archiveTeam probes mysteries of oceanic bacteria - Microbes living in the oceans play a critical role in regulating Earth's environment, but very little is known about their activities and how they work together to help control natural cycles of water, carbon and energy. March 3, 2008 Shedding a bright light on village needs - Two MIT graduate students have led an effort to supply hot water to a girl's high school dorm in Lesotho through the design of a concentrating solar array. Another nearby village features the students' solar heater, located near the community's well. February 27, 2008 New MIT program to monitor global air, water quality - Researchers from MIT and two Singaporean universities have launched a bold international research program to develop pervasive environmental sensor networks to collect data on air and water quality from many sources. February 5, 2008 IAP class probes Singapore highway collapse - MIT Professor Andrew Whittle, who was one of four international experts chosen to probe the catastrophic collapse of a subway excavation in Singapore, presented his findings in the IAP class, "What Caused the Collapse of the Nicoll Highway in Singapore?" February 1, 2008 Oceanic effect of river plants reported - Aquatic plants in rivers and streams may play a major role in the health of large areas of ocean coastal waters, according to recent MIT research that could have inform efforts to damp storm surge and lower nutrient levels. January 31, 2008 Pumping up desert agriculture - Thanks to a new venture set up by two MIT students, subsistence farmers on the edge of the Sahara desert in Sudan will soon get a chance to improve their crops and their livelihoods using inexpensive treadle-powered water pumps. January 23, 2008 For seawalls, beauty is in the eye of the holder - Maps of Cape Cod drawn over the last 150 years record major changes in the shoreline caused when storms pile up protective sand barriers or sweep them away, battering and eroding the shoreline, sometimes carrying away buildings. January 11, 2008 Students get charge out of pedal power - MIT students have come up with a way to recharge your laptop without plugging it in. Rather than consuming electricity, you'll be burning calories--your own--while pedaling a much-altered, electricity-producing exercise bicycle. November 8, 2007 Speed is crucial in breaking protein's H-bonds - By slowing down the application of pressure in atomistic models, MIT researchers studying the architecture of proteins have explained why computer models of proteins' behavior under mechanical duress differ from experimental observations. November 7, 2007 Rafael Bras to receive AGU's Horton Medal - Professor Rafael Bras has been named this year's winner of the Robert E. Horton Medal, the highest award given to hydrologists by the American Geophysical Union. Bras is being recognized for his contributions to the geophysical aspects of hydrology. October 17, 2007 Biofuels report warns of strain on water resources - Boosting ethanol production by growing more corn in the U.S. without considering the quality and availability of water by region could put a significant strain on water resources, according to a report co-authored by an MIT professor. October 11, 2007 Engineers probe secret of bone's strength - New research at MIT has revealed for the first time the role of bone's atomistic structure in a toughening mechanism that incorporates two theories previously proposed by researchers eager to understand the secret behind the material's lightweight strength. September 6, 2007 Experts available to discuss bridge collapses - MIT faculty with expertise on bridges and their collapse are available for comment to members of the media. August 2, 2007 MIT gumshoes solve "throbbing" oil mystery - Something surprising happens when you mix mineral oil and detergent, and squeeze a drop of the mixture onto a small dish of water. Now MIT Professors Roman Stocker and John Bush are able to explain this heretofore mysterious reaction. July 17, 2007 MIT tool determines landslide risk in tropics - Engineers at MIT have devised a system for determining an area's landslide risk, a tool that could help planners improve building codes, determine zoning, and strengthen mitigation measures in mountainous tropical regions frequently hit by typhoons. June 25, 2007 Civil engineers pump energy into machines - Students in the Intro to CEE Design class this spring built Rube Goldberg-type thingamajigs that whir, spin, and harvest kinetic energy. The projects illustrated not only principles of mechanics and physics, but also the potential for energy efficient machines. June 22, 2007 Buehler of CEE receives national engineering honor - Markus J. Buehler, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, is one of 83 young engineers invited by the National Academy of Engineering to attend its 2007 Frontiers of Engineering meeting. June 21, 2007 Civil & Environmental Engineering awards - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. June 6, 2007 Prof sees vibrant life for environmental studies - Professor David H. Marks, the first director of MIT's Laboratory for Energy and the Environment, is stepping down as co-director in July. He spoke recently with Teresa Hill, of LFEE, on his experiences and his vision for sustainability studies at MIT. June 6, 2007 Model could help neutralize a flu pandemic - With experts fearing an imminent flu pandemic, Richard Larson and colleagues have developed a mathematical model to track the progression of an epidemic. Their results show that the death toll could be greatly reduced by taking simple steps. May 31, 2007 Handheld device 'sees' damage in concrete bridges - Engineers at MIT have developed a new technique, involving the use of a hand-held radar device, for detecting damage in concrete bridges and piers that could increase the safety of aging infrastructure by allowing easier onsite inspections. May 18, 2007 Ancient arches guide modern work - John Ochsendorf, assistant professor of architecture at MIT who studies historical design procedures, says we can learn a lot from studying exactly why and under what loads flexible lines will keep hanging and rigid arches will keep standing. May 16, 2007 MIT urged to educate 'geeks' and 'chiefs' - Professor Yossi Sheffi gave the Charles L. Miller lecture April 5, advocating education not only of "geeks"--world class technical designers--but also of "chiefs"--world-class leaders. May 16, 2007 Cape Cod cleanup advances groundwater research - The investigation into a single "plume" or tongue of contaminated water underground became a 25-year gold mine of research and fueled an effort to rid the Cape's groundwater of pollutants, explains alumnus Denis LeBlanc, a hydrologist with the project. April 23, 2007 Course looks at transportation of nuclear fuel - An MIT undergraduate course is exploring how to safely transport spent nuclear fuel from the approximately 130 nuclear power plants in the United States to a high-security repository in Yucca Mountain, Nev. April 17, 2007 Bridge work - A team of eight undergraduates in civil and environmental engineering won the award for fastest construction and took second place overall in the regional Steel Bridge Competition held March 16-17 at the University of Connecticut. April 4, 2007 Model helps students visualize nanoscale problems - An educational experiment during IAP demonstrated that students can learn to apply sophisticated atomistic modeling techniques to traditional materials research in just a few classes, an advance that could dramatically change the way civil engineers learn to model the mechanical properties of materials. April 2, 2007 Engineers create SpaceNet--the supply chain - MIT researchers Olivier L. de Weck and David Simchi-Levi created SpaceNet, a software tool for modeling interplanetary supply chains. The tool is meant to help NASA establish a long-term human presence on the moon. March 19, 2007 PSC grants expand MIT's global reach - Undergraduate and graduate students who work in developing regions outside the United States over Independent Activities Period or over the summer are eligible to receive grants for up to $1,000 from the Public Service Center (PSC). March 7, 2007 Co-engineers share designs on clean water - An MIT engineer working toward clean drinking water in Nepal describes in a recent issue of the Journal of International Development how people from developed and developing countries can work together to solve key humanitarian problems. March 5, 2007 Scientists work to deep-six carbon dioxide - A new analysis led by an MIT scientist describes a mechanism for capturing carbon dioxide emissions from a power plant and injecting the gas into the ground, where it would be trapped naturally as tiny bubbles and safely stored in briny porous rock. February 7, 2007 Engineered concrete could cut harmful emissions - An MIT team reports that the source of concrete's strength and durability lies in the organization of its nanoparticles--similar to that of stacks of oranges. The discovery could lead to reductions in carbon dioxide emissions during manufacturing. January 30, 2007 MIT students help design aquarium exhibit - MIT students and the Aquarium of the Pacific plan to make waves together. Today, the sophomores from MIT unveiled their models and ideas for a new tsunami exhibit to experts at the Long Beach, Calif. aquarium. January 26, 2007 Model could help avoid flu vaccine shortages - MIT researchers and colleagues have come up with a new model for contracts they hope will benefit both governments and flu vaccine manufacturers and prevent vaccine shortages. December 27, 2006 AgeLab grant studies impact of boomers' transportation needs - Aging baby boomers and their impact on our transportation system is the focus of a $6.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to a group of New England universities led by MIT. August 22, 2006 Experts available to discuss the Big Dig - MIT faculty with expertise on Boston's Big Dig construction project are available for comment to members of the media. July 14, 2006 Transportation expert weighs in on Big Dig woes - According to MIT Professor Joseph M. Sussman, the July 10 accident that killed one person and injured another inside a tunnel section of Boston's Big Dig does not indicate the project itself has failed to deliver. July 12, 2006 Student summit set on vehicle design - Seventy-three students from 21 universities around the world will gather at MIT from June 13-Aug. 13 to design and build between five and 10 commuter vehicles that travel at least 500 miles per gallon of fuel. June 14, 2006 Fair-weather work - In one of the year's final projects, Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering students measured wind speed and direction using their own creations. June 14, 2006 Civil and environmental engineering awards - 2006 Awards listings. June 7, 2006 Students win grant for Lesotho solar generator - Two MIT graduate students in civil and environmental engineering have won a 2006 World Bank Development Marketplace grant to develop a solar micro-generator that would provide affordable energy to Lesotho. June 5, 2006 Bridge work - Civil engineering design students celebrate the success of a bridge they built for one of their classes. May 24, 2006 Engineering solutions in Louisiana - Eight civil and environmental engineering undergraduates spent their spring break on Lake Pontchartrain in hurricane-ravaged Louisiana doing research that may eventually contribute to minimizing the health effects of Hurricane Katrina. April 26, 2006 A head for civil engineering - MIT students adjust a model of an Easter Island head to test a theory of how the Rapa Nui people moved the giant stone heads into position on the island 1,500 years ago. March 22, 2006 MIT researcher sees big impact of little cracks - An MIT researcher's atom-by-atom simulation of cracks forming and spreading may help explain how materials fail in nanoscale devices, airplanes and even in the Earth itself during a quake. January 18, 2006 MIT professors quoted on Hurricane Katrina - In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, news reporters consulted MIT experts about the science of hurricanes and the protection and rebuilding of cities. January 13, 2006 Introducing new MLK profs - Earthea B. Nance, an assistant professor of urban affairs and planning at Virginia Tech, and Professor Taft Broome Jr., an engineering faculty member at Howard University, have been named Martin Luther King Jr. Visiting Professors for 2005-2006. December 7, 2005 Professors weigh in on New Orleans planning - Speakers at the third in a series of four symposia exploring "Big Questions After Big Hurricanes" focused heavily on the lack of planning evident following Hurricane Katrina. October 24, 2005 Series to examine 'Future of Water' - The Technology and Culture Forum at MIT is exploring the crucial global challenge of water resource management in a four-part series titled "The Future of Water." October 24, 2005 Hurricane symposium zeroes in on response - MIT professors at a Sept. 30 symposium found that the federal response to Hurricane Katrina "varied markedly," with good work by the Coast Guard and National Weather Service, and deficiencies on the part of FEMA. October 5, 2005 Professor Emeritus Donald Harleman dies at 82 - Donald R. F. Harleman, a renowned civil engineer whose love for the ocean and expertise in water quality and waste treatment benefited urban harbors throughout the world, died of cancer on Sept. 28 on Nantucket, Mass. October 4, 2005 Alumni Leadership Conference honors Rafael Bras - The 2005 Alumni Leadership Conference brought more than 375 MIT alumni and guests to campus to honor outstanding volunteers and to brainstorm ways to strengthen the alumni network and raise funds for MIT. September 28, 2005 Professor offers lesson from storm response - Resilient corporations -- those that have survived and flourished despite disruption and disaster -- have much to teach government agencies about how to prepare for crises like Hurricane Katrina, according to Yossi Sheffi. September 21, 2005 ESD launches new engineering center - Professor Daniel Hastings, director of MIT's Engineering Systems Division (ESD), has announced the formation of the Center for Engineering Systems Fundamentals, effective Sept. 1. September 21, 2005 Professor offers new 'Perspectives' on traffic - Professor Joseph M. Sussman, who has made the study and improvement of transportation systems his life's work, explores the future of intelligent transportation systems in his new book. July 5, 2005 Civil and environmental engineering awards - 2005 awards listings June 1, 2005 Fact-finding trip to Mozambique planned - Many people in Mozambique still lack access to clean water and basic sanitation, but a group of MIT students is working hard to change all that. May 16, 2005 Students tackle flooding in Honduras - Eight MIT students spent spring break 2005 in Tocoa, Honduras, working on an automated flood early warning system and visiting towns that had been damaged by flash flooding in October 1998. April 25, 2005 New approaches to an old problem - Members of Professor Herbert Einstein's class, 1.013 Civil Engineering Design, use models to test their theories for how the Rapa Nui people of Easter Island moved the giant stone heads, known as moai, into position on the island 1,500 years ago. March 16, 2005 Letters from Sri Lanka - MIT professor Charles Harvey is keeping a log of a trip he is taking with colleagues to research the effect of December's tsunami on drinking wells in Sri Lanka. February 22, 2005 Tsunami's impact a concern for MIT - The Indian Ocean tsunami's impact on Sri Lanka's drinking water and soil is the focus of an expedition this week by an MIT professor and colleagues from Florida and the Colorado School of Mines. February 14, 2005 Artistry of Swiss bridge design on display - On Friday, Sept. 17, the MIT Museum begins a celebration of the work of a group of Swiss engineers who are widely recognized as the most innovative structural designers of the 20th century. September 15, 2004 Civil and environmental engineering - 2004 awards listings. June 2, 2004 Team studies terrorism's impact on supply chain - An MIT research project is studying the impact of terrorism on supply chains and identifying what companies can do to be resilient when disaster strikes. May 26, 2004 Game of bridge - Students in civil engineering build bridges using common, inexpensive building materials. May 12, 2004 An educational Alaskan adventure - A group of 28 MIT freshmen spent spring break in Alaska to learn firsthand about the benefits and pitfalls of drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. March 31, 2004 An arctic understanding - Edited excerpts and photos from an online journal by freshman Matthew R. Zedler chronicling his class trip to Alaska to study the issue of oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. March 29, 2004 Freshmen to scope out Alaska's wildlife refuge over spring break - 28 MIT freshmen will spend a week in Alaska to learn about the benefits and pitfalls of drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. March 10, 2004 MIT filter cleans water - An easy-to-use, inexpensive filter developed by MIT researchers for treating contaminated drinking water will be installed in 25 Nepalese villages this year. March 9, 2004 Freshmen to visit Alaska - 28 MIT freshmen will spend a week in Alaska to learn about the benefits and pitfalls of drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. March 5, 2004 Funding helps Nepal water project - This story is adapted from an article by Debbie Levey that was first published in "Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT" (Vol. 17, No. 4). March 3, 2004 Class branches out - Thanks to an MIT freshman class, visitors to two Boston museums can now see just why a tree can only grow so tall. February 25, 2004 Microbes' 'blueprints' promise insights - Three international teams of scientists will announce the genetic blueprints for four closely related forms of these organisms, which numerically dominate the phytoplankton of the oceans. August 13, 2003 CEE could be an Earth steward - Nothing short of a paradigm shift is needed to address the world's complex societal problems, the head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) told a standing-room-only audience in Bechtel Auditorium. April 30, 2003 Dept. could be Earth steward - The April 14 event, sponsored by CEE and the Engineering Systems Division, honored the late civil engineering department head who served in the 1960s. April 25, 2003 Climate models need veggies - Just as vegetables are essential to balancing the human diet, the inclusion of vegetation may be equally essential to balancing Earth's climate models. April 2, 2003 Hydrology, culture blended - A team of 20 MIT researchers, including 15 undergraduates, traveled to Hawaii in January for the fourth annual TREX (Traveling Research Environmental Xperience). March 19, 2003 MIT TREX - What do hydrology research and the cultivation of taro plants have in common? Both were part of an MIT expedition to Hawaii that mixed science with a liberal dose of native culture. March 7, 2003 Nitrate pollution studied - MIT researchers have shown that a common pollutant strongly impacts the behavior of arsenic and possibly other toxic metals in some lakes. September 11, 2002 Jaillet to head CEE - Professor Patrick Jaillet, a leader in the field of optimization with incomplete information, has been named the new head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. September 11, 2002 Arsenic and old lakes - MIT researchers have shown that a common pollutant strongly impacts the behavior of arsenic and potentially other toxic metals in some lakes. August 29, 2002 Grant focuses on bacterial 'nano-machines' - Scientists from MIT, Harvard University, and Brigham and Women's Hospital have received $15 million to study three bacteria to understand the natural roles they play. August 14, 2002 Civil and environmental engineering awards - Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering to hold awards ceremony. June 5, 2002 Bringing clean water to Nepal - A team of eight MIT students and their advisor brought their ingenuity and technical skills to villages in Nepal. May 22, 2002 Sensors atop flagpole measure movement - A project placed sensors at the top of one campus flagpole to transmit data to a web site in real time. April 3, 2002 Tunneling through the Alps - Professor Herbert Einstein of civil and environmental engineering discussed three expanded European railways and the tunnels they will require, including the challenges of constructing in difficult geologic conditions, in his Feb. 18 AAAS talk on "New Transalpine Transportation Tunnels." February 27, 2002 Site to help building designers save energy - An MIT web site will soon enable architects to see whether they can save energy and increase comfort by facing their new building south rather than west. February 6, 2002 Alum reunited with memento - MIT alumn Philip Simmons received a benchmark he installed in Maine while at MIT. January 30, 2002 Fieldwork gets high-tech boost - New software application that records environmental data in the field, then transmits it wirelessly to a remote server for display on the Internet. January 9, 2002 Project strives for clean water - An MIT project intended to help provide clean drinking water for people in developing countries began with an extraordinary conference. December 5, 2001 Barnhart to co-direct CTS - Cynthia Barnhart, co-director of the Operations Research Center since 1999, has been named co-director of the Center for Transportation Studies (CTS). November 14, 2001 Tips for successful virtual collaborations - An interdisciplinary MIT team has identified key factors for successful virtual collaborations among members of globally dispersed teams, and continues work to make virtual meetings more effective. November 5, 2001 Mobility study warnings - People's insatiable appetite for mobility is heading the world's transportation systems toward unsustainable environmental degradation and gridlock unless several grand challenges are tackled. October 31, 2001 MIT study warns gridlock, pollution - People's insatiable appetite for mobility is heading the world's transportation systems toward unsustainable gridlock and environmental degradation unless several grand challenges are tackled, MIT concludes. October 30, 2001 Panama Canal to be modernized - The Panama Canal is launching a $1 billion modernization and improvement program that will put it in the forefront of the 21st-century transportation options. October 24, 2001 Oceans at risk - A policy tool aimed at arresting global warming could potentially wreak havoc on the oceans if it is implemented with no restrictions. October 24, 2001 Oceans at risk - A policy tool key to arresting global warming could potentially wreak havoc on the oceans if instituted with no restrictions, warn an MIT professor and colleagues. October 18, 2001 Mei acting head of CEE - Professor Chiang C. Mei has been named acting head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. October 3, 2001 Notes offer glimpse back - "As far as we can figure out, my father almost never threw out anything," wrote Henry Dietz, son of late faculty member Albert Dietz. September 26, 2001 Engineers answer questions on skyscrapers - In part to find refuge from Sept. 11 "in sense and logic," MIT structural engineers have begun to answer some questions about cities and skyscrapers. September 26, 2001 Engineers discuss skyscrapers - In part to find refuge from September 11 "in sense and logic," MIT structural engineers have begun to answer questions about cities and skyscrapers. September 26, 2001 Engineers discuss skyscrapers - In part to find refuge from September 11 "in sense and logic," MIT structural engineers have begun to answer questions about cities and skycrapers. September 24, 2001 How safe are our skyscrapers? - The terrorist act on New York's World Trade Center Towers was the first attack on a mega-city in the 21st century. We are all shocked at the enormity of this horrible act, but we need to look ahead. How do we reduce the vulnerability of our society to a terrorist attack? September 21, 2001 Clean water for Nepal focus - MIT project aims to help provide clean drinking water for people in developing countries. September 4, 2001 Engineers hand-build bridges - The first round of seniors to complete the new civil engineering curriculum pitted body weight against brain power this semester standing on a bridge they'd built. June 6, 2001 CEE honors four undergrads - The following prize and awards were announced at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering senior dinner on May 1. June 6, 2001 Future car technologies discussed - The automobile will continue to be a key part of society in the 21st century, but it won't be your grandparents' sedan. May 23, 2001 New textbook series on CEE - CEE signed a contract with Prentice Hall to produce a new textbook series that will be published both in print and electronic formats. May 2, 2001 MIT sponsors contest for storm water - MIT will sponsor a design competition to develop storm water management plans that will improve the quality of the Charles River. May 2, 2001 CEE to intro. textbooks - CEE signed a contract last month with Prentice Hall to produce a new textbook series that will be published both in print and electronic formats. April 25, 2001 Team studies ecology of copper - Tina Voelker's heart may not belong to Sewannee, but her lab work has been tied to that river for the past couple of years. April 4, 2001 Driving Miss Daisy into MIT - Researchers and MIT Facilities workers have matched the ingenuity of the hackers who placed a police car on the Great Dome in 1994. February 22, 2001 Salt in Gaza water could eliminate agriculture - Lack of drinking water poses a serious problem for the one residents of Gaza Strip, who live and grow food in an area one-tenth of RI. January 11, 2001 Gaza Strip water could damage soil - Lack of fresh drinking water poses a serious problem for the one million residents of the Gaza Strip, who live and grow food in an area one-tenth the size of Rhode Island. January 10, 2001 |
2007 News
November
SOLGM LOCAL Government Careers Prize for Excellence Awarded
Congratulations to David Sun, Jasper Fong, Jenny Haskell, and Philip Wilkinson for receiving inaugural SOLGM Local Government Careers Prize for Excellence. The winning team was awarded a $3000 prize for the best report and presentation of a critical review of Wairoa District Council Transportation Asset Management Plan.
The NZ Society of Local Government and Managers (SOLGM) prize is part of a 2nd Professional Year paper entitled Infrastructure Management course (ENCI 363). Students were divided into 31 groups that reviewed the application of theory and principles by analysing New Zealand Local Authorities Asset Management Plans. Under Dr. Andre Dantas’ supervision, ENCI 363 students interviewed Local Authorities’ managers and examined asset management plans in order to critically review the current state of practice.
(From the left to right: Jasper Jong, David Sun, Jenny Haskell, Paul Davey and Pilip Wilkinson)
During the prize giving ceremony, Antony Crane (SOLGM Project Manager Recruitment and Retention) and Paul Davey (SOLGM representative and Selwyn District Council CEO) read a special citation from the Wairoa District Council Asset Manager
Neil Cook: “Congratulations to the team on your win - a fantastic achievement and well deserved. I was impressed with the professionalism shown by those who contacted me and I was particularly impressed with Jenny's efforts in coming all the way to Wairoa to get some first hand feedback. The background work and research done by the team before Jenny came to interview me was very thorough and ensured that the easy questions had already been answered - which put me on the spot to answer the tough ones during our meeting. With asset management becoming an increasingly important discipline - particularly where public assets are concerned - it is pleasing to see our future engineers taking an interest and getting to know what it is all about. Well done again on your win and all the best for the remainder of your studies.”
Traffic Engineering Course
The University of Canterbury and the University of Auckland are jointly offering a five-day course on the Fundamentals of Traffic Engineering. This will be the 13th time this course is being offered, with about 450 participants at the previous courses. The course will be held at the University of Canterbury from 11-15 February 2008.
Summer Research Position: "The role of Strategic Planning in Managing Crises"
The Resilient Organisations research programme is seeking a top student to be part of an innovative research project aiming to improve the resilience of NZ organisations to major crises.
The ability of business leaders to think strategically during the midst of a crisis, and to develop and communicate their recovery vision and strategic recovery objectives are key factors in an organisation’s long term survival. At present however there is very little advice available for business leaders on how to do this most effectively.
This research project will require learning about the strategic planning process and the role that strategic planning has during crisis response. It will also involve undertaking several case studies of organisations that have experienced major crises in the past.
We are looking for a top student who has completed their third year at university or higher. Current postgraduate students are also welcome to apply. The ideal candidate would have some background in business management, but this is not a pre-requisite. We are more interested in finding a student who is very intelligent, creative and who has excellent communication skills.
The research project will be supervised by Dr John Vargo from the Department of Accounting, Finance and Information Systems, and Dr Erica Seville from the Department of Civil Engineering.
The position will pay $20 per hour for an up-to full time position over the summer period.
If this sounds like you, please email your CV and a cover letter saying why this position would suit you to www.sri_tpgit@rediffmail.com
Applications close on the 18th November 2007.
October
Congratulations: Academic Successes
Dr Misko Cubrinovski was recognised with the best paper award at the 10th Australia-New Zealand Conference on Geomechanics, in October 2007. This is his third such recognition reflecting very well both on him and also on the strength of the department.
Dr Rajesh Dhakal was awarded this year’s young Young Researcher Award by the College of Engineering for excellence in research. Academic staff who completed PhD on or after 2000 were eligible for this award, and Rajesh was selected by the College Research Committee among the nominees of all Departments and Research Centres in the College.
Congratulations to both Misko and Rajesh!
September
Funding set to turn the heat up on fire engineering research
The University of Canterbury is to receive funding from the Foundation for Research Science and Technology to further develop existing fire ngineering software. More than $1.2 million was awarded to the Building Research Association of NZ Inc (BRANZ) of which the University will receive $427,500 to establish new scholarships.
“We will use the money to establish one PhD and three Master’s scholarships per year for three years to enable work on developing the existing software that we currently have for modelling fires in buildings,” said Dr Michael Spearpoint, the UC New Zealand Fire Service Commission Lecturer (Civil Engineering).
“The scholarships will help to develop a much improved version of a building fire design and analysis tool that will allow users to simulate probable building fire outcomes and building performance. The current software doesn’t allow for probability. Once we have that then we can calculate the risk.”
He explained that if a meat plant or factory had a fire, it was not just the building and plant that was lost, it was also the jobs, the owner usually went under or moved on and a loss of productivity resulted.
“We want to have a tool that will help protect against that scenario.
“Calculating how much smoke, how hot the smoke is and how quickly the fire will develop or what is the chance of its spreading will help develop a risk outcome,” he added.
Such a tool was very much needed in New Zealand at the moment, Dr Spearpoint believed. New Zealand has a flexible performance-based fire safety regulatory environment which allows for fire design innovation.
“In New Zealand the regulations state that a building must be ‘safe’ in a fire — as long as the engineer can demonstrate that the building meets the regulatory fire safety objectives it doesn’t matter what the design is. That allows for fire design engineers to be innovative, but there is a risk that, like
leaky buildings, the design process is not of an appropriate standard. Having a risk-based building fire design and analysis tool will greatly assist with the design process.
“Use of the tool by end users will provide the Department of Building and Housing with confidence that appropriate methods are being used to support performance-based fire engineering designs. It will also show defined
levels of fire safety in buildings are achieved.”
It is expected the new software tool will be applicable to fire engineers worldwide.
from The Chronicle, V42 No15 (PDF)
August
Pedro Lee does it again!
Pedro Lee was again voted Best Lecturer in Engineering in the annual UCSA Lecturer of The Year Awards. These are handled by the UCSA Education and Advocacy Office, and are a chance for students, to vote for their favorite lecturers on campus.
For the second year running Pedro Lee was voted Lecturer of the Year in Engineering. Congratulations Pedro!
Congratulations to Eu Ving!
Eu won one of the three ACENZ Practical Work Report prizes. He was up against students from six other tertiary institutions. His report was on Tonkin and Taylor and he will be awarded $1500 for his efforts. The judges advised that all the reports this year were of a high standard and they enjoyed reading them.
July
Sad News
The department is saddened by the tragic news of the untimely deaths of Jane Jerrum and Mark Emerson while mountain climbing in the French Alps. This is a double blow to the department as Jane was a former student and Mark was due to start here as a lecturer in geotechnical engineering early next year. Our condolences go out to both Jane and Mark's families during this heartbreaking time.
Free Public Lecture
Pushing Towards Improved Traffic Planning for the Bicycle
Tuesday 24th July 5-6pm, E6 Lecture Theatre.
ALL welcome to attend (enquiries to Glen Koorey)
ABSTRACT
A large proportion of trips are of relatively short distance in most western urban areas. Despite this, and the speed advantage that the bicycle brings for shorter journeys, the bicycle is a relatively underused mode, and the trend in use is not increasing. Low use has resulted partly from the focus in traffic engineering on motor traffic, to the exclusion of bicycle traffic. However, the benefits to health and fitness, the reductions in noise, pollution and severance and the de-congestion benefits of the bicycle are being more widely recognised.
Appropriate planning and engineering for bicycle traffic is needed as a matter of urgency. This presentation reviews and compares emerging best practice in network design for bicycle traffic based on UK and European design guidelines. It challenges engineers and planners to engage in scheme implementation for cycle traffic at a scale, in terms of geographical extent, potential land take and scheme value, which has hitherto been reserved for area wide traffic management schemes for motor traffic and public transport. Some evidence of the value of the benefits of higher levels of cycle traffic is presented to allow cost benefit appraisal to be undertaken. Emphasis is placed on the fundamentals of good design, which is based on the recognition that the bicycle is a vehicle capable of speed.
Subject to time, John will also present findings from his other cycling research, including a model that has been constructed relating the proportion of bicycle journeys to work for English and Welsh wards to relevant socio-economic, transport and physical variables. Based on the model, an upper bound of journeys to work by bicycle of broadly 50% has been estimated, and the model’s policy implications for promoting cycling are considered.
June
Poor Options Give Good Biofuels a Bad Name
What source of energy will you use for your transport in 10 years?
Chris Bathurst and David Painter
[ESR/IPENZ Meeting, Christchurch, 12 June 2007, E11 at 5:45pm]
Biofuels offer one promising approach to medium-term transport fuel provision. They have a long, but spasmodic, history of use around the world. Many biofuel options are now being explored and promoted, in other countries and New Zealand. New technologies are offering biofuel production opportunities not previously available, or not previously economic.
The apparent economics of some biofuel options have been distorted by subsidies, or inadequate analyses. The ‘biofuels versus food’ argument has a different context and different ramifications in each country. Biofuels options in place or being promoted in other countries are not necessarily good options for New Zealand.
The total energy requirement of biofuel production is one useful indicator of medium-term viability of options; fossil oil use as part of the ‘field-to-wheels’ analysis needs careful evaluation of the total energy requirement. Complementary ecological and social effects of options are significant, and might be decisive.
April
Canterbury again shines at NZSEE annual conference
Again, University of Canterbury Civil Engineering figured very prominently in the annual conference of the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering (NZSEE). About half of the papers presented in the conference were from Canterbury researchers. Presentations from all of our students were well received.
Awards and honours for Canterbury staff and students:
- Mr Kam Weng: Best research paper
- Mr Brian Peng: Best poster paper
- Dr Rajesh Dhakal: Awarded this year’s Ivan Skinner Award for the advancement of Earthquake Engineering Research in New Zealand.
- Dr Bruce Deam and Dr Kevin McManus: honoured with a promotion to Fellow of the New Zealand Society for Earthquake Engineering.
19th Australasian Conference on Mechanics of Structures and Materials (ACMSM19) Report
This international conference was held at University of Canterbury from 29 November to 1 December 2006. It was organised by Drs Rajesh Dhakal, Bruce Deam and James Mackechnie, who are current staff members of the Civil Engineering Department, and Associate Professor Peter Moss a retired academic of the Department.
Approximately 200 academics, researchers and practitioners from New Zealand, Australia, and 14 other countries in Asia-Pacific and beyond attended the three day conference. There were 153 papers presented in the conference including 4 keynote papers by Prof I Gilbert (Australia), S Kittipornchai (Hong Kong), R Melchers (Australia) and R Plank (UK).
The theme of the conference was “Progress in Mechanics of Structures and Materials”, which was also the title of the 1060-page proceedings edited by Peter Moss and Rajesh Dhakal.
March
Nat Res Student going to
Eco-Minds
Chelsea Giles-Hnsen is studying for a Bachelor of Engineering (honours) in natural resources with the underlying theme of the course being sustainability and holistic thinking and is currently the president of the Women in Engineering Society at the University of Canterbury.
She is one of three New Zealand students selected to join like-minded students at the Eco-Minds Youth Forum in Bangkok. They will join representatives from eight other Asia-Pacific countries to work together to develop creative and practical solutions for addressing the challenge of sustainable development.
The forum is part of a global partnership between Bayer and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). It will be held in Bangkok, Thailand from May 31 to June 3.
Eco-Minds activities include a tour of Bangkok, a river cruise, attending sustainability forums, team case study assignments, an eco-walk and tours of provincial sustainability sites.
February 2007
Fire Engineering Posters take two Merit Prizes
Keryn Gobel and James McBryde, each won a $200 merit prize in the reent College of Engineering Postgraduate Poster Competition 2007. Both Keryn and James are Fire Engineering Master's students. Well done!
Book launch: 22 February 2007, Wellington
Challenging the Future: Risk Communication – Connecting the Words is a recent CAENZ publication. It is intended as a practitioners reference, providing a combination of risk communication theory and examples of how risk communication has been implemented across a variety of organisations in New Zealand.
Among the contributing authors Erica Seville and David Elms.
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