Grant: Canada Research Chairs

Bridges and buildings in Canada are facing unprecedented climate change conditions, such as extreme temperatures, severe wind, and flooding. Such conditions accelerate deterioration of infrastructure and can cause immediate damage—potentially compromising public safety. The research program of Dr. Amir Fam, proposed Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Climate Change Resilient Infrastructure, is comprised of comprehensive experimental and numerical components to establish a robust framework of research to develop methods for both climate change adaptation and mitigation. Adaptation will involve developing and testing durable bridge designs which are resistant to flooding and ground deformations, retrofitting systems for existing bridges, and developing wind-resistant and thermally-insulated walls for energy-efficient buildings as well as resilient homes using 3D-printed concrete. Mitigation will involve developing and testing low-carbon concrete with partial cement replacements, reducing consumption of concrete by using much stronger grades such as ultra-high performance concrete, and introducing new corrosion-resistant reinforcement. In total, 19 projects are planned over the duration of the Chair, with 7 focused on highway bridges, 6 on buildings, and 6 on studying sustainable and durable construction materials and their interface with conventional materials for retrofitting applications. The research will be enabled by differentiating facilities at Queen’s University, including Canada’s only Rolling Load Simulator for testing bridges under realistic traffic loads and large environmental conditioning chambers capable of simulating severe weather conditions. Outcomes will include design guides and recommendations to inform critical decision making by bridge and building authorities after extreme events. These critical decisions, such as those regarding the closure of roads and bridges or the evacuation of buildings, have serious implications for the economy and public safety. A diverse team of graduate students will be trained through the various projects of this program. They will acquire important skills in technical writing and professional communication through their research and by engaging with industry partners as mentors. They will learn to connect research results and engineering practice, developing a broad understanding of the societal impact of their work and their potential to address the grand engineering challenges of today.