Smart Materials for Resilient Structures
Professor: Dan Palermo
Contact Info: dan.palermo@lassonde.yorku.ca
Lab Website: https://lassonde.yorku.ca/users/dan-palermo
Position Type: Lassonde Undergraduate Research Award (LURA);NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA)
Open Positions: 1
Project Description: Over the past two decades, research has intensified on retrofit methodologies and new construction that incorporate Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) as the main reinforcing material. This was in direct response to several major earthquakes over this time, which highlighted that while structures may not collapse and satisfy the life-safety performance criteria prescribed in building codes, the damage is often to the extent that demolition is the only viable alternative. Based on these observations, research on structural resilience with self-centering as a focal point began to emerge as an important criterion for the performance of structures. This provided the foundation to explore other materials not commonly considered in structural engineering. This project will explore the application of SMAs as the main core reinforcing bar in Buckling Restrained Braces (BRBs). BRBs are typically used in steel structures but have also been considered and researched as a retrofitting methodology for seismically deficient reinforced concrete frame structures. State-of-the-art BRBs incorporate carbon steel as the core bar. While these BRBs provide excellent seismic performance, they result in excessive residual displacements due to yielding of the core when subjected to large earthquakes. In turn, the structures that they are incorporated in also experience these residual displacements. As a result, demolition of these structures may be necessitated after a large seismic event due to the residual deformations. This project will investigate BRBs with SMAs as the core to mitigate residual displacements while providing similar seismic performance as steel core BRBs.
Duties and Responsibilities: The research will involve experimental testing of smart materials, such as Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs), to assess their mechanical properties for incorporation into structural components, such as Buckling Restrained Braces (BRBs) and shear walls. Testing will also include cyclic tension and compression testing of BRBs with various core bars (stainless steel, carbon steel, and SMAs) to assess seismic performance and self-centering capacity. The student will be responsible to conduct the material tests and concentric testing of the BRBs in the structures laboratory. This will involve preparation of sample SMA bars, based on ASTM standards, for tension and compression testing. The student will also use a pre-fabricated BRB and assemble it with various core bars for reverse cyclic testing. As part of the testing, the student will instrument the test specimens with strain gauges, linear variable displacement transducers, and cable displacement transducers to record strains and deformations during testing. Furthermore, after proper training, the student will run the material tests in the Universal Testing Machine and test the BRBs using hydraulic actuators. In turn, the recorded data will be collected by the student, presented in graphical form, and assessed for seismic performance.
Desired Technical Skills: The preferred technical skills include background knowledge in civil engineering materials, understanding of basic civil engineering material behaviour, prior exposure to civil engineering materials labs, handling of civil engineering materials, and proficiency with Excel.
Desired Course(s): Completion of 3rd-year of a Civil Engineering Program is desired, although students in earlier years (completion of 1st or 2nd year) will be considered.
Other Desired Qualifications: Interest to work in a materials and structural engineering laboratories is an asset. Also, the student will work closely with other research students (masters and PhDs) and the ability to work collaboratively within a team is required.
Geomechanics of Energy Piles
Professor: Kamelia Atefi-Monfared
Contact Info: catefi@yorku.ca
Lab Website: https://lassonde.yorku.ca/users/catefi
Position Type: Lassonde Undergraduate Research Award (LURA);NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA);
Open Positions: 2
Project Description: Heating and cooling of buildings consumes a large percentage of fossil fuel usage globally. Geothermal Energy piles are structural elements that while providing structural support, are equipped with pipes to exploit the near-surface geothermal energy as a renewable resource for applications including heating-cooling. This technology has been used in many countries (e.g., UK, Australia, China, USA); yet, multiple gaps have prevented its wide scale implementation. One key gap is the fundamental understanding of the thermo-mechanical behavior of energy piles in diverse soil types and under varying climatic conditions. This research project is aimed at evaluating the potential of application of energy piles in Canadian environment through geo-mechanical modeling.
Duties and Responsibilities: Conducting an in depth literature review of current codes/standards, review climate conditions in Canada and identify best potential locations for implementation, learn FLAC3D and revise and run available codes to evaluate the thermo-mechanical response of the energy piles under various conditions
Desired Technical Skills: strong background on fundamental mechanics of material, numerical modeling, and coding
Desired Course(s): Civil engineering or mechanical engineering with a strong performance in Mechanics of materials course
Other Desired Qualifications: Proficient in technical writing
Exploring the Hydrological Efficacy of Green Roofs
Professor: Magdalena Krol
Contact Info: mkrol@yorku.ca
Lab Website: https://mkrol.info.yorku.ca
Position Type: Lassonde Undergraduate Research Award (LURA);NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA);
Open Positions: 1
Project Description: Green roofs have shown potential in reducing cooling and heating loads of buildings, and thus, the related carbon emissions. The objective of this research is to analyze the performance of green roofs in terms of water retention and thermal performance as compared to conventional roofs under Ontario (Toronto) climates. The green roof modules have been constructed at the Climate-Data-Driven Design (CD3) facility (at York campus) along with a conventional roof in order to assess the green roof performance. These modules will be used to examine the effect of two design parameters: green roof growing media depth and the insulation thickness of the roof.
Duties and Responsibilities: The undergraduate student will perform a literature review on green roof design used in Canada and submit their findings to the faculty supervisor. They will also work at the Climate-Data-Driven Design (CD3) facility setting up various green roof systems with plants and monitoring equipment. The student will experience working in an indoor and outdoor setting and interacting with other undergraduate and graduate students. This position will allow the student to work independently (on literature review) and in a team setting (green roof measurements) and will be guided by supervisor and graduate student. Lastly, the student will examine, analyze and visualize data to communicate findings and present results to the research group.
Desired Technical Skills: Applicants should have the ability to conduct literature search and compile information from various sources; strong communication skills, strong organization skills, and ability to work in a team. Applicants should have basic knowledge of soil mechanics and hydraulics.
Desired Course(s): Civil Engineering Materials, Introduction to Environmental Engineering, Soil Mechanics, and Hydraulics
Other Desired Qualifications: As most of this work will be conducted outdoors, the desired candidate should enjoy being outside. Some lifting may also be required.
Deep Geological Repositories for Nuclear Fuel Disposal
Professor: Magdalena Krol
Contact Info: mkrol@yorku.ca
Lab Website: https://mkrol.info.yorku.ca
Position Type: Lassonde Undergraduate Research Award (LURA);NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA);
Open Positions: 1
Project Description: Several countries, including Canada, Finland, Switzerland, and the United Sates are studying long- term solutions for the storage of used nuclear fuel. Current designs include the use of deep geological repositories (DGRs) that would be located several hundred meters below ground level. DGRs will house used fuel canisters (UFCs) which are usually surrounded with multiple engineered barriers, each playing a different role within the DGR. In Canada, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is responsible for the design and implementation of the DGR. The current NWMO DGR design includes the host rock, a steel container, a copper coating that acts as a corrosion barrier, and highly compacted bentonite (HCB) and a bentonite gapfill that surrounds the UFC. Bentonite can suppress the movement of corrosive agents to the UFC, thereby preventing corrosion of the canister. In this research project, the behavior of a composite system consisting of rock and bentonite will be investigated using lab experiments in order to understand how the barrier performs against the transport of potentially corrosion-inducing compounds. The successful candidate will work in the Civil Environmental laboratory and conduct experiments on composite systems.
Duties and Responsibilities: The undergraduate student will perform a literature search on DGRs and submit their findings to the faculty supervisor. He/she will also aid a graduate student in setting up and running diffusion experiments. Lastly, the student will examine, analyze, and visualize data to communicate findings and present results to the research group. The student will experience working in a civil environmental engineering laboratory and interacting with graduate and postdoctoral students. This position will allow the student to work independently (on literature review) and in a team setting (diffusion experiments) and will be guided by supervisor and postdoctoral student.
Desired Technical Skills: Applicants should have the ability to conduct literature search and compile information from various sources. They should also have strong communication skills, strong organization skills, and the ability to follow instructions. Applicants should have a basic understanding of lab safety.
Desired Course(s): Civil Engineering Materials, Introduction to Environmental Engineering, Soil Mechanics
Other Desired Qualifications: Good writing and presentation skills
Diffusion of corrosive agends under deep geological conditions
Professor: Magdalena Krol
Contact Info: Email: mkrol@yorku.ca
Lab Website: https://www.yorku.ca/professor/mkrol/
Position Type: Lassonde Undergraduate Research Award (LURA);NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA);
Open Positions: 1
Project Description: Several countries, including Canada, Finland, Switzerland, and the United Sates are studying long- term solutions for the storage of used nuclear fuel. Current designs include the use of deep geological repositories (DGRs) that would be located several hundred meters below ground level. DGRs will house used fuel canisters (UFCs) which are usually surrounded with multiple engineered barriers, each playing a different role within the DGR. In Canada, the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is responsible for the design and implementation of the DGR. The current NWMO DGR design includes the host rock, a steel container, a copper coating that acts as a corrosion barrier, and highly compacted bentonite (HCB) and bentonite gapfill that surrounds the UFC. Bentonite can suppress the movement of corrosive agents to the UFC, thereby preventing corrosion of the canister. In this research project, the behaviour of a composite system consisting of the rock and bentonite will be investigated using lab experiments in order to understand how the barrier performs against the transport of potentially corrosion-inducing compounds. The successful candidate will work in the Civil Environmental laboratory and conduct experiments on composite systems.
Duties and Responsibilities: The undergraduate student will perform literature search on bentonite properties and DGRs and submit their findings to the faculty supervisor. He/she will also aid a graduate student in setting up and running diffusion experiments. Lastly, the student will examine, analyze and visualize data to communicate findings and present results to the research group.
Desired Technical Skills: Applicants should have the ability to conduct literature search and compile information from various sources; strong communication skills, strong organization skills, and ability to work in a team. Applicants should have basic knowledge of soil mechanics and civil engineering materials.
Desired Course(s): Civil Engineering Materials, Introduction to Environmental Engineering, Soil Mechanics
Other Desired Qualifications: N/A
Pilot Application of Human-In-the-Loop Simulation along HWY 401
Professor: Peter Park
Contact Info: peter.park@lassonde.yorku.ca
Lab Website: https://lassonde.yorku.ca/users/peter-park
Position Type: Lassonde Undergraduate Research Award (LURA);NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA)
Open Positions: 1
Project Description : Dr. Park and his research team propose piloting a Human-in-the-Loop Simulation (a.k.a. co-simulation) on provincial highways to examine its application in enhancing the efficiency and safety of highway operations. Human-in-the-Loop simulation offers an innovative approach by integrating real-time human decision-making into traffic simulation models. This method enables a more responsive understanding of how drivers interact under complex and dynamic traffic conditions. By incorporating the Human-in-the-Loop simulation framework, this pilot will allow transportation engineers to simulate various traffic scenarios, assess driver behavior, and evaluate the potential impacts of interventions in a controlled virtual traffic environment. This setting can offer a better understanding of both operational performance and safety outcomes, contributing to the development of more effective traffic management strategies. The objective of this pilot project is to demonstrate the benefits of Human-in-the-Loop Simulation in managing congestion, improving safety, and optimizing highway operations through cutting-edge, data-driven experimental studies that support better future highway planning, management, and operations.
Project Scope:
1. Micro-simulation Analysis Planning: Define the project purpose, scope, and objectives, including determining the analysis area and identifying key performance measures.
2. Literature Review and Data Collection: Gather the necessary data for micro-simulation, such as road geometry, traffic control measures, traffic demand, and travel time.
3. Base Model Development: Create the micro-simulation environment by defining road network elements, specifying the proportions of passenger and heavy vehicles, and configuring traffic signals.
4. Error Checking: Review the base model to identify and correct errors by conducting a visual inspection of network behavior, primarily from a bird’s-eye view, to trace individual vehicle movements, verify traffic flow, and detect and correct any abnormalities before calibration.
5. Model Calibration: Calibrate the micro-simulation model to match real-world traffic conditions by fine-tuning parameters such as traffic volumes, car-following behavior, and lane-changing behavior to ensure model accuracy.
6. Alternatives Analysis: Test different scenarios using the calibrated micro-simulation model and analyze their performance based on key performance measures, such as travel time and delay.
7. Final Report: Summarize the micro-simulation results in a technical report and provide findings and recommendations for decision-makers. This task also includes visualizing the simulation outcomes using two-dimensional snapshots or videos.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Model Development: To produce a more realistic and reliable micro-simulation outcomes, proper calibration of key input parameters is essential. These parameters can be categorized into two different types: Aggregated Traffic Flow
Parameters:
• Traffic volume: The number of vehicles passing a specific point on the roadway within a given time frame, typically expressed in vehicles per hour.
• Speed: The average speed of vehicles traveling along a roadway segment, influencing congestion levels and travel time estimations. Individual (Disaggregated) Driver Behavioral
Parameters:
• Car-following model parameters: Individual drivers’ choice of speed and headway between preceding and following vehicle.
• Lane-changing model parameters: Individual drivers’ choice associated with lane-change decisions, such as speed differences, gap acceptance, etc.
1) Most existing studies have primarily focused on calibrating micro-simulation models based on aggregated traffic flow parameters. However, they often overlook the influence of individual driver behaviors due to challenges in collecting detailed driver behavior data.
2) These studies typically relied on default parameter values specified by tool developer (e.g., PTV Vissim), which are calibrated based on traffic flow characteristics in highways outside Ontario. As a result, these parameters may not accurately reflect the driving behaviors of drivers on local highways.
3) Some North American jurisdictions have recognized the importance of calibrating micro-simulations with locally calibrated parameters. However, the use of field data collected, for instance, through computer vision detection technologies (CCTV footage), is costly and provides only “spot” data. This “spot” data does not adequately represent the variability in driving behaviors along different sections of highways that might have been influenced by factors like varying traffic conditions, different land use, median types, merge/weaving sections, and speed limit variations. A human-in-the-loop traffic simulation can bridge this gap by capturing real-time driver decision-making in a virtually simulated traffic and roadway environment. This method provides a more accurate representation of how drivers would behave in specific local conditions.
Desired Technical Skills: Understanding of fundamental traffic flow characteristics
Desired Course(s): Completion of CIVL3260 Transportation Planning and Evaluation; and Enrollment in CIVL4000 Capstone Design Project
Other desired qualifications or considerations: Demonstrated strong interest in pursuing post‑graduate studies in transportation engineering
Weathering of the Microplastics during wastewater treatment process
Professor: Satinder Kaur Brar
Contact Info: Satinder.Brar@lassonde.yorku.ca
Lab Website: https://inzymes.lab.yorku.ca/
Position Type: Lassonde Undergraduate Research Award (LURA);NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA);
Open Positions: 1
Project Description: Microplastic (MP) pollution has emerged as a critical environmental challenge, with growing attention on its presence in Wastewater Treatment systems, especially in the solid sludge phase. Anaerobic digestion (AD), a widely used process for wastewater sludge stabilization and renewable energy production, has been reported to contain large quantities of MP of various polymer types, shapes, and sizes. The physical and chemical fate of microplastics within anaerobic digestion reactors has not been extensively investigated. This project aims to explore the fate of microplastics within AD reactors, focusing on how these particles persist and transform under anaerobic conditions. This will shed light on microplastic behavior and its impact on environmental safety and resource recovery, supporting the development of sustainable sludge management.
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Experimental setup and maintenance: operation of a lab-scale anaerobic digestion bioreactor.
• Environmental sample analysis and MP extraction: gain practical experience in laboratory techniques such as digestion,density separation, and microscopy.
• Experimental data management: collection, recording, and analysis.
• Research collaboration and reporting: strengthen collaborative skills through regular lab meetings and enhance scientific communication by presenting and documenting research progress.
• Laboratory Safety Compliance: learn essential safety protocols and risk management in a laboratory setting.
Desired Technical Skills:
• Basic knowledge of the wastewater treatment process.
• Basic laboratory skills. digestion,density separation, and microscopy.
• Familiarity with standard analytical laboratory techniques, such as pH measurement.
• Competency and confidence in operating lab-scale bioreactors.
Desired Course(s): Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, Microbiology, Biochemistry, or any related discipline focused on environmental, biological, or chemical sciences.
Other Desired Qualifications:
• Previous experience in microscopic analysis and/or characterization techniques.
• Previous internship or research experience in related fields.
• Strong interest in microplastic pollution and environmental implications.
• High motivation and active engagement in environmental research.
Chasing Particles in Turbulent Flows
Professor: Shooka Karimpour
Contact Info: Shooka@Yorku.ca
Lab Website: https://lassonde.yorku.ca/users/shooka-karimpour
Position Type: NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA);Lassonde Undergraduate Research Award (LURA)
Open Positions: 2
Project Description: Multi-phase turbulent flow has numerous applications in engineering and nature. Particles’ deposition, settling, and resuspension affect their hotspot and variability. In this research, undergraduate students, with graduate student supervision will look at some of these processes experimentally and numerically.
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Participate in the design and implementation of experimental set-ups
• Image processing and analysis
• Data analysis
• Scientific interpretation and writing
• Others
Desired Technical Skills:
• Programming skills, preferably in python
• Knowledge of Fluid Dynamics
• Skills for Data Interpretation / Scientific Communication
• For one position: photography skills (understanding of focus, exposure time, etc.)
Desired Course(s): Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science
Essential: calculus, algebra, differential equations, fluid dynamics
Other Desired Qualifications: Knowledge of other programming skills is a strong plus