Â鶹AV

The use of precast concrete is rapidly expanding in the construction industry owing to several economic and work place safety benefits. Nondestructive tests (NDT) methods have been widely used for the non-invasive estimation of material properties and the detection of defects in existing structures. NDT is also routinely used in manufacturing as a quality control measure but has yet to be used for quality control in the fabrication of precast concrete elements. The objective of the project is to evaluate and compare different NDT methods for evaluating the condition of typical elements produced by the precast industry. The ultimate goal is to develop a suite of efficient quality control procedures in which the NDT method(s) play a central role.

The main duties for the SURE project are: to perform a literature review on NDT techniques appropriate for precast concrete elements, perform experimental measurements with selected NDT instruments on precast test elements in the field and in the laboratory, perform data analyses, develop numerical models of the testing procedures, evaluate the robustness of the methods, and provide assistance for the preparation of the equipment and specimens.

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It aims at calculating earthquake losses for residential buildings at the scale of dissemination areas for the Metropolitan area of Montreal (CMM). The dataset including population and buildings information has been compiled during three past projects and formatted for the HazCan software (Canadian version of Hazus developed by the US FEMA). The existing site conditions map in terms of Vs30 will be included. The calculation will be done using HazCan and another tool called OpenQuake.

The offer concerns the use of OpenQuake to calculate losses in the case of probabilistic scenarios. The candidate will: - Acquire the minimum required knowledge on seismic hazard and risk analysis. - Acquire the technical and practical knowledge of OpenQuake. - Calculate losses using probabilistic earthquake scenarios. Detailed tasks: - Read the literature on the topics of seismic hazard and risk. - Train with OpenQuake (a knowledge of Python language is welcome). - Include new data into OpenQuake. - Compute losses for the selected probabilistic earthquake scenarios.

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Anaerobic digestion of waste activated sludge (WAS) is one of the most common processes used for biosolids reduction because it can convert about 50% of organic matter present in sewage sludge into energy-rich methane biogas. Howeverm now we know that the resulting organic waste biosolids can be used as agricultural fertilizers, and contribute to the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance between human and livestocks. Therefore, improving the anaerobic digestion process is a key to reduce the environmental footprint of urban setting by promoting energy recovery and reducing of resistant super-bacteria. We recently demonstrated that the combination of physicochemical pretreatment of WAS and the addition of zero-valent iron (ZVI) as a conductive material boosts the conversion of organic matter to methane. We also hypothesized that this improved process would carry a lower prevalence of resistant bacteria. In this context, objectives of this project are: (1) to measure the electrical activities of microbial communities growing at the surface of ZVI particles and in the bulk organic matter, (2) assess the level of antimicrobial resistance present in the digester with and without pretreatments. Thus, the project, for the most part, will take place in the laboratory. Serum-bottle anaerobic digesters will be operated. Chemical analyses will be performed to determine the digesters’ performances. In addition, molecular biology techniques will be used to determine the microbial community species composition and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance genes.

Perform the daily maintenance and sampling of the laboratory-scale reactors. Perform laboratory analyses to determine physico-chemical characteristics of samples, and possibly perform molecular analyses. Contribute to computer data entry and trend analyses.

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The municipal wastewater and organic solids waste industries are undergoing a resource recovery revolution. Producing useful biomaterials from wastes promises great economic and environment benefits. Important biomaterials to produce include the bioplastic precursor polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), and the phosphorus (P) mineral carbonate apatite (i.e., phosphate rock) used in fertilizers. Current techno-economic studies of PHA production suggest that mixed cultures are more economical than pure cultures fed sterilized feedstocks. Thus, our project will provide cost reduction, and end-product versatility. The summer project will involve the operation and chemical analysis of a new bioreactor growing infrared-using photoheterotrophic purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) to synthesize PHA and concentrate P. In collaboration with a few graduate students, the PHA and phosphorous compounds accumulated will be chemically characterized and conversion rates will be measured.

Perform the daily maintenance and sampling of the laboratory-scale reactors. Perform laboratory analyses to determine physico-chemical characteristics of samples. Contribute to computer data entry and trend analyses.

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Copper-based compounds have been used in agriculture since the 1950’s, particularly for cereal crops, both as a supplement for copper deficient soils and to control blight and mildew. Our interest is to use the LIBS-ICP-MS to determine trace metal levels in cereal grains and cereal-based food. Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Inductively Couples Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) can be used in tandem to determine the presence of elements in solid materials using a laser to sample the material. Typically, it has been used for the study of the composition of rocks and more recently also for organic material. There are three aims for the project, first to determine if LIBS-ICP-MS can be used to identify the presence of trace metals in cereal grains and cereal-based food, that is a qualitative determination of the relative abundance of the trace metals. The second aim is to determine if the method can be used to undertake quantitative analysis of trace metals in these foods, which requires making dosed samples. The third aim is to deduce the origin of the trace metals based on their chemical fingerprint, and to investigate the source and environment in which the cereals are produced. The project will include laboratory work: learning to use the technique, preparations of samples, analysis of results; literature research: determine origin and source of grains, previous research; and technical writing: write of up research project. Co-supervision by S. Gaskin, Civil Engineering and K. Berlo, Earth and Planetary Science

Literature review, laboratory work with LIBS-ICP-MS Analysis of results and write up of report.

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The project investigates the feasibility of bioremediation of hydrocarbon-contaminated soils in sub-Arctic regions. Laboratory assessment of bioremediation of fuel contamination in soils obtained from northern sites are being conducted, and hydrocarbon levels and microbial activity are being monitored. The optimal conditions for bioremediation and scalability are being assessed using these data.

Student 1 1) Setting up and sampling bioreactors 2) Analyzing soil samples for hydrocarbon levels 3) Data analysis to determine degradation rates Student 2 1) Setting and sampling bioreactors 2) Monitoring microbial activity using culture methods 3) Characterizing characteristics of hydrocarbon degraders

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The project will investigate the design, development and performance of fertilizer particles that can be applied to agricultural crop plants by foliar application, with a goal to eliminate soil and groundwater pollution by fertilizer chemicals.

Synthesize and characterize candidate fertilizer particles. Assess their plant uptake in small plants in laboratory experiments.

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Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and reducing its emissions can substantially combat global warming in the short term. Recent measurements have shown that abandoned oil and gas wells are sources of methane to the atmosphere. The project involves preparing one or more field trip(s) to oil and gas-producing regions, analyzing the results in the laboratory, and conducing data analysis. Various methods including flux chambers and mobile instruments will be used to measure methane flow rates and other geochemical parameters. The findings from this study will provide quantitative data for evaluating and designing mitigation solutions for the millions of abandoned oil and gas wells around the world.

Prepare for one or more field sampling trip(s), conduct field sampling, and analyze data.

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Deep groundwater aquifers may be a valuable resource, especially during severe droughts and in arid regions. It is now increasingly common to find groundwater wells drilled to several kilometer depths in some arid regions. Therefore, we ask: what are the characteristics of these deep aquifers and what are the risks to these deep groundwater resources? The project involves developing and geospatially analyzing groundwater databases and other databases such as oil and gas well databases. This project complements on-going research on characterizing and analyzing deep groundwater aquifers to manage and protect these resources.

Database compilation and analysis, including using geospatial analysis tools (e.g., ArcGIS) and developing data processing tools (Matlab or Python).

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Landfills are a major source of methane emissions to the atmosphere. Methane is a potent greenhouse with a high global warming potential, especially when we consider short-term decadal scale impacts. While methane emissions from active and managed landfills are well regulated and quantified, Montreal has nearly 100 historical landfill sites from which methane emissions are poorly understood. Reports for the mid-1990s documenting methane emission measurements are publicly available, but the data is not formatted in an easily accessible manner conducive to geospatial analysis. The project involves analyzing these online reports and translating the data (e.g., locations of observation wells, year of landfill abandonment, landfill size) to a geospatial and digital format. The methods will generally involve creating shapefiles by extracting information from the historic reports, digitizing relevant information from the reports (e.g., landfill abandonment date), and providing a comprehensive 30-year dataset. The project may also include a field sampling component in Montreal using flux chambers and mobile instruments to measure methane flowrates directly from historic landfill sites. The findings of this work will be used to develop a comprehensive picture of methane emissions from historic landfills in Montreal, which in turn can be applied to other cities in Canada and other countries.

Digitize historic landfill reports to usable GIS format, create maps to display results, field sampling, and data analysis.

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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have received global public attention because of their persistence, bioaccumulation, and potential adverse effects on living organisms. Contamination of groundwater and soil by PFAS has impacted drinking water supplies of many communities. We are developing the scientific basis to assess if biological or coupled chemical-biological treatment processes can be harnessed to to cost-effectively remove PFAS from contaminated environments. In this project, students will be working on screening for the defluorination potential of existing microbial culture collection. Several previously isolated bacterial and fungal cultures will be cultivated using various carbon, nitrogen or sulfur subtracts and tested for their metabolic capability towards a range of PFAS compounds. Students will also work on enrichment of new pure and mixed bacterial cultures using membrane bioreactors. Successful isolation will be followed with phylogenetic, metabolic, and genomic characterization of the bacterial isolates and consortia of desired traits. The project requires the student to have background in microbiology and/or biochemistry and experience in handling microbial cultures and performing DNA extraction and PCR.

The students will be working with graduate students to cultivate and maintain microbial cultures and running biodegradation tests. Students will build membrane bioreactors and use them to develop new enrichment cultures. Students may perform phylogenetic and genomic characterization of new microbial isolates and consortia.

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Electro-coagulation is an emerging technology for the removal of pollutants in challenging waste streams, such as mine waste. Electro-coagulation technologies may also be used for the production of nanomaterials if the input waste stream is known, and conditions are controlled. This project will investigate the use of an electrocoagulation technology for the production of silica colloidal nanoparticles as a waste treatment value added by-product. The primary focus of this project will be nanoparticle characterization, deducing key factors such as colloid size, polydispersity, surface charge characteristics, morphology, and elemental composition. This project will contribute to an on-going partnership between the Loeb lab and a Quebec based industrial partner specializing in the design, development, manufacturing and commercialization of innovative and clean electro-technologies.

Nanoparticle characterization including use of electron microscopes, light scattering analysis, separation and purification techniques

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High energy UV lamps are widely used for disinfection and sunlight is a known biocide. The spectral shape, intensity of the light, and pathogen type are major determining factors in the photoinactivation response, with viral pathogens tending to be the most resistant. Yet, the mechanisms of viral responses to photoinactivation remain largely uncharacterized. Since exposure to light is an important avenue for controlling viruses in both natural and engineered systems, there is a need to further our understanding of these wavelength dependent inactivation mechanisms. In this project, students will assist in developing culture and molecular biology-based assays for two surrogate viral pathogens. Disinfection experiments will be performed using simulated solar energy lamps and optical filters to vary the spectrum. Students will also assist in the synthesis of literature on the topic, in the form of a meta-analysis.

Develop culture and molecular based assays for bacteriophage Perform disinfection experiments Assist with literature review (meta-analysis)

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In 2018, the results of a Climate Change Adaptation Standards Inventory Analysis conducted by CSA indicated cavity-wall design as requiring urgent climate change adaptation provisions. Distress in cavity-walls is often attributed to excessive differential movements governed by concrete masonry drying shrinkage, projected to increase with climate change, producing cracks in outer clay brick veneer and compromising durability – test data are, however, still scarce and only refer to individual blocks rather than mortared masonry samples. This summer project, conducted in the context of a larger research program on climate change masonry design adaptation aimed at exploring the possibility of using wider cavities (to augment thermal insulation) in future structures, will focus on the development and execution of innovative drying shrinkage tests on concrete masonry samples, the first ever conducted in Canada. The proposed research will have an immediate impact on the linear drying shrinkage data reported in CSA A165.1-14 (concrete block masonry units), providing ready-to-use and more reliable estimates. In the short-term (≤2 years), subsequent studies will guide the development of climate-adapted cavity-wall designs, whose result will be translated into design guidelines updating CSA A370-14 (connectors for masonry) and CSA S304-14 (design of masonry structures). In the long-term (>5 years), the implementation of climate-adapted codes will lead to more resilient and sustainable built environments.

SURE candidates will work on experimental tests in team with MSc or PhD students. A new testing methodology will be applied to unrestrained concrete masonry prisms and consist of a two-step procedure mixing two approaches originally conceived for units, i.e. the slow method (step 1) and the ASTM C426 rapid method (step 2). In step 1, prisms in saturated surface dry conditions will be left to dry at 21 ± 2°C and relative humidity (RH) = 45 ± 5% for 70 days; deformations will be periodically monitored. In step 2, prisms will be placed in a drying oven at a temperature of 50°C and RH = 17%, until no changes of weights are measured. This combined procedure will enable us to infer the shrinkage-time curves for a reasonably long time while estimating the ultimate value through rapid drying. Please note experimental work may be replaced by more theoretical research if e.g. lab access is limited due to changes in health protocol, or if outcomes from parallel experimental activities are delayed.

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Hearing-impaired students face unique challenges in post-secondary education, despite being equally capable of success if provided with inclusive and accessible learning environments. Accommodations commonly provided by instructors include e.g. captioned media, assistive listening systems, testing accommodations, lecture transcripts. Implementing these measures alone, however, is seldom sufficient. This is particularly true when considering core engineering courses, dense of theoretical concepts and technical jargon and where instructor-student interaction is typically limited due to the large class size. Are there ways to design more accessible core engineering courses for hearing-impaired students while also improving the learning experience for everyone else in the class? Can we make our core engineering courses more practical and oriented towards experiential learning methods without affecting academic standards? How to create an equitable learning environment accessible also to hearing-impaired students fostering their active participation during lectures, tutorials, laboratories? Can the contribution of students to improve the learning experience of their hearing-impaired peers be structured, integrated and evaluated as all other group activities? In line with the ELATE's vision and the Â鶹AV’s commitment to foster and implement equity, diversity and inclusion principles into our teaching and beyond, this research project aims to seeks answers by conducting a critical review of available technical and research literature. This step 0 will enable us to build a solid and specific knowledge foundation on which to develop targeted and more effective pedagogical strategies for creating stimulating learning environments also for hearing-impaired students, to be further developed, adapted, progressively tested and improved by the PI and the whole ELATE/Â鶹AV community.

- Perform a detailed literature review on pedagogical strategies used in post-secondary education to develop and adapt courses to be inclusive and accessible also for hearing-impaired students - Narrow down the search to large classes and engineering courses - Critically review available approaches and results - Select more appropriate methods potentially suitable for core engineering courses

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This research project aims to develop advanced numerical models for the realistic collapse analysis of old reinforced concrete bridges. To this end, a real-world case study will be selected in Quebec and a sub-structure taken as a reference for the research. Modelling results will enable us to predict ultimate structural capacity, failure modes, collapsed debris - essential data to develop effective retrofit measures and post-disaster emergency plans. This project is a part of a larger international study which is currently being conducted in partnership with the University of Pavia (Italy), the University School for Advanced Studies IUSS Pavia (Italy) and the University of Washington at Seattle (United States).

1-Gather and study documentation on a real-world old concrete bridge, preferably in Quebec or North America 2- Develop a structural analysis model in team with other students 3- Validate the numerical models against previous tests on sub-structures 4- Perform collapse analysis with validated model on a bridge sub-structure

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A conventional railway embankment is composed of a superstructure consisting of the rails, fasteners, and ties, that is supported by a substructure. The substructure is a multi-layer system made up of a ballast layer, a subballast layer, and a subgrade. Under the action of repeated train loading, railroad ballast undergoes significant permanent settlement caused primarily by the densification of the aggregate, breakdown of the ballast particles, and lateral spreading, leading to the development of insidious differential settlement along the tracks that decrease their safety and riding quality. This research project aims to study the effect of placing geogrids in railroad ballast to reduce the permanent settlement of a tie exposed to train loading. As such, large-scale unreinforced and geogrid-reinforced tie-ballast models supported by subgrades of varying compressibility are constructed in a rigid container and subjected to both monotonic and cyclic loading. The load-displacement response of the model tie is monitored throughout the experiments and used to evaluate the impact of geogrid inclusions on the accumulation of permanent settlement in the ballast layer. The objectives of this experimental campaign are to compare the performance of unreinforced and geogrid-reinforced railroad ballast, investigate the effect of subgrade compressibility on the reinforcing action of geogrids, and determine the optimal placement depth of geogrids below the base of the model tie.

- Assist graduate students in preparing and performing large scale laboratory experiments; - Analyze data from the experimental results

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This project is on the area of road-transportation impacts on climate change. The objective of the research project is to develop carbon footprint estimation methods based on high-precision real-world measurements. These methods will help quantify and model the energy and emissions footprints of passenger and freight transportation systems in cities like Montreal. Through the course of this project, the student will experience and learn about the complete pipeline of developing a data-oriented estimation tool and will have a chance to enhance his/her skills in statistics/machine learning methods, data collection and preparation, data analytics, and team work. Student will require a basic programming and statistics knowledge (in data-oriented languages such as Python, R, Matlab, GIS, etc.).

The student’s major tasks will include: - Reviewing and generating reports about recent research and case studies about modelling and evaluation of vehicular emissions - Helping the team with running field experiments for vehicular operation and emissions data collection using specialized sensors - Pre-processing of data for modelling or statistical analysis as well as post-processing and visualizing the data for use in reports with the help of GIS, spreadsheet, and data-visualization software or basic programming - Participating team meetings and brain-storming sessions

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The development of instabilities in hyperelastic membranes have engineering and bio-medical applications. The engineering applications involve inflatable structures and bio-medical applications include the development of aneurysms in soft tissues. This project will examine the development of instabilities in flat circular membranes that are fixed along an elliptical boundary. Preliminary computations indicate that in the case of elliptical membranes, regions of the membrane can undergo "Wrinkles", with the wrinkles providing a barrier to the development of instabilities in certain regions. The research project will examine experimentally the reliability of computational predictions. The research topic is ideally suited for a student who has a strong background in solid mechanics and is keen on following the work towards a Masters Thesis.

The research will involve the re-activation of a test facility that has provisions for inflating membranes by air pressurization. The deformed shape of the membrane will be mapped by a laser scanning device. The airflow meter requires calibration and the transducers and thermocouples installed also need to be calibrated and the procedures documented. Uniaxial tension tests will need to be performed on the hyperelastic material that will be used in the membrane inflation tests.

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Rockfill groynes are widely used as shore protection features and for energy dissipation during wave action. These structures are subjected to greater forces that are imposed by unprecedented tidal action effects imposed by climate change. Groynes are placed on beach sand without any soil preparation or soil replacement. During tidal action, the sandy soil support can become de-stabilized due to seepage forces induced by fluid flow in the porous medium. This research project will use a two-dimensional flume to to model the interaction between a sand support and a block of granitic rock during fluid flow in the supporting sand. The movements of the sand support and the granitic rock will be photographically recorded and the differential head in the flume necessary initiate sinkage of the granite block is recorded. The project is suited for a student who has a good background in geotechnical mechanics, mechanics and mathematical software such as MatLab, Mathematica and Maple. The students who want to participate in this reserach project should be willing to continue the work towards a Master's thesis research.

1. The student is first expected to conduct preliminary experiments to determine the hydraulic conductivity of the sands used in the experiments. Two different grain size distributions will be used in the experiments. 2. The existing seepage flumes will be used in the experiments. These flumes will be adapted for the project and modified to create a setting that can examine the interaction of the sand support and the granite rock block. 3. The movements of the sand support and the granite rock block will be photographically recorded and digitized for use by the research group.

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The deep geologic disposal of hazardous wastes requires the construction of underground facilities is stressed geological formations. The extent of rock damage that can be induced by the creation of the underground facilities will vary with the position of the location in relation to the boundary of the opening and its shape. It is anticipated that there can be extensive damage in regions close to the opening that can lead to fragmentation of the rock with extensive cracking. The Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical behavior of the fragmented rock will have a significant influence on the efficiency of heat transfer from the stored waste to the geosphere and the fluid influx from the geosphere to the storage facility. This research will examine the one-dimensional permeability evolution of a sample of rock that experiences fragmentation under one-dimensional compression. The sample will be extracted and CT scanned to observe the distribution of fragmentation. The thermal conductivity of the sample will be determined using boundary heating. The Project is suitable for a student who intends to continue the studies towards a MEng Thesis

1. Preparation of granitic rock samples for testing. 2. Familiarization with the High Capacity Load Controlled (HCLC) Testing Machine. 3. Preparation of one-dimensional compression facility 4. Preliminary tests to estimate the compressive and tensile strength of the granitic rock. 5. Performing preliminary tests to determine the fragmentation behaviour of the granitic rock. 6. Performing one-dimensional steady state permeability tests.

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Spatiotemporal traffic time series (e.g., traffic volume/speed) collected from sensing systems are often incomplete with considerable corruption and large amounts of missing values, preventing users from harnessing the full power of the data. Missing data imputation has been a long-standing research topic and critical application for real-world intelligent transportation systems. A widely applied imputation method is low-rank matrix/tensor completion; however, the low-rank assumption only preserves the global structure while ignores the strong local consistency in spatiotemporal data. The goal of this project is the examine the use of Gaussian processes (GP) with Kronecker kernel structure for missing data imputation with uncertainty estimates. There are several challenges in this research: (1) to make Gaussian processes scalable for large-scale data set, (2) to capture both local and global patterns in the data, and (3) to make the model robust that can handle outliers. This SURE project will also involve extensive numerical experiments on several real-world traffic data sets to evaluate the performance of different GP configurations.

Literature review on Kronecker GP; develop algorithms and code; conduct numerical experiments on real-world data sets; evaluate model performance against benchmark models

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