October 28, 2005 Source: University of Waterloo:
http://newsrelease.uwaterloo.ca/news.php?id=4624 New UW centre researches Canada's physical infrastructure WATERLOO, Ont. -- With Canada's federal, provincial and municipal governments facing massive spending needs on physical infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and airports, a newly established centre at the University of Waterloo seeks to provide the knowledge to make the best use of the strategic investment. UW president David Johnston officially opened today the John J. Carrick Pavement Engineering Laboratory of the new Centre for Pavement & Transportation Technology (CPATT). CPATT brings together leading experts in transportation, consulting, construction and materials engineering. Dedicated to the memory of John J. Carrick, founder and president of McAsphalt Industries Ltd., the pavement engineering lab builds on a research program that started in the mid-1960s in the Faculty of Engineering's Civil Engineering department. The new lab is located in the Engineering 3 Building, Room 2142, on the UW campus. In studying the preservation and replacement of Canada's $3 trillion worth of public infrastructure, CPATT's work embraces structural design, construction and maintenance technology, materials and geotechnical engineering, field evaluation methods, equipment and data processing, intelligent transportation systems and safety, as well as risk and reliability methods. "There is both an opportunity and a critical need to carry out the research and technology development which will advance the planning, design, construction and operation of our physical infrastructure to a new level over the coming decades," Johnston said. "The University of Waterloo's Centre for Pavement & Transportation Technology will accomplish this mission through an effective partnership between researchers, public sector agencies and private industry." "The Government of Canada is committed to enhancing Canada's research capacity in the area of physical infrastructure, such as roads and bridges," said Andrew Telegdi, Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Waterloo. "In particular, I am pleased that the Centre for Pavement & Transportation Technology at the University of Waterloo will ensure the vital needs of this important sector as well as the training of qualified engineers and scientists." CPATT is supported through major funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Ontario Innovation Trust (OIT), Ontario Research and Development Challenge Fund (ORDCF), along with a number of private and public sector partners. "This facility represents what the CFI is all about: providing the tools to institutions and researchers so that they can do the leading-edge research that will benefit all Canadians," said Dr. Eliot Phillipson, President and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation. "Our main objectives are to provide a research focus on emerging and innovative infrastructure technologies and a state-of-the-art research facility," said UW Distinguished Prof. Emeritus Ralph Haas, CPATT's founding director and senior adviser. "We also want to increase the pool of talented experts in this important field." The CFI is an independent corporation created by the Government of Canada to fund research infrastructure. The CFI's mandate is to strengthen the capacity of Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit research institutions to carry out world-class research and technology development that benefits Canadians. -30- Contact: Prof. Ralph Haas, Founding Director, CPATT, (519) 888-4567, ext. 2176 Angus McKinnon, Media Relations Coordinator, CFI, (613) 996-3160 John Morris, UW Media Relations, (519) 888-4435; jmorris at uwaterloo.ca Release no. 241 -- October 28, 2005 Background: Centre for Pavement & Transportation Technology WATERLOO, Ont. -- The University of Waterloo's Centre for Pavement & Transportation Technology (CPATT) relies heavily on Distinguished Prof. Emeritus Ralph Haas' innovative research exploring how to improve our roads and civil infrastructure. Though he officially retired in 1996, CPATT's founding director and senior adviser has continued to teach and conduct research at Waterloo. Haas holds the Norman W. McLeod Engineering Professorship, made possible through a generous endowment from the late John J. Carrick, founder and president of McAsphalt Industries Ltd., and his longtime business partner, Leo McArthur, President of the Miller Group. A Member of the Order of Canada and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Haas pioneered the systems concept and development of engineering technology for managing networks of paved roads, together with his contributions in materials characterization and structural analysis, performance modelling, high speed automation of in-service pavement evaluation and network optimization procedures. His innovations have led to many management and economic benefits for public transportation agencies in Canada and around the world. He is the author of 10 books and 400 technical papers. In studying the preservation and replacement of Canada's $3 trillion worth of public infrastructure, CPATT's work embraces structural design, construction and maintenance technology, materials and geotechnical engineering, field evaluation methods, equipment and data processing, intelligent transportation systems and safety, as well as risk and reliability methods. In 2001, the centre received a $6-million package for pavements and transportation research infrastructure from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), Ontario Innovation Trust (OIT), Regional Municipality of Waterloo and McAsphalt Industries Ltd. Then in 2002, a $3-million operating package was obtained with $1 million coming from the Ontario Research and Development Challenge Fund, $1 million from UW and $1 million from public and private sector partners including the Ministry of Transportation Ontario, Cement Association of Canada, Stantec Consulting Ltd., Ontario Hot Mix Producers Association, McAsphalt Industries Ltd., and the Greater Toronto Airports Authority. Over the past four decades, the program has garnered an extensive track record of educational, research and professional achievements. Among them: more than 50 students with post-graduate degrees, most of whom are well established in the Canadian paving industry; over 400 technical publications in Canada, the United States and around the world; successful completion of over 100 research projects for a wide variety of clients, along with participation in a large number of technical committees, conferences, workshops and symposia. CPATT's research facilities include the John J. Carrick Laboratory on the UW campus, a field lab, located in close proximity to the central field test site at Waterloo Region's Waste Management Facility, and a number of satellite test stations. Its research work focuses on the advancement and optimization of conventional pavement technology, which will also involve exploitation of the latest technologies from other disciplines. Examples include the deployment of advanced wireless technologies for automatic field data collection and generation of pavement performance data bases -- essential for pavement engineering modelling and management. As well, the work focuses on research particularly relevant to Canada, such as low-temperature pavement research, concrete durability, and use of polymer and recycled rubber for upgrading pavement performance. The organizational structure for CPATT involves a three-way partnership of public sector, private sector and UW, with overall direction provided by a board of directors. Stepping down as director of CPATT, Haas will continue as a senior adviser, together with adjunct Prof. Gerhard Kennepohl, who is an internationally recognized scientist and engineer in the pavement field. CPATT's new director is Prof. Carl Haas, Canada Research Chair in the Construction and Management of Sustainable Infrastructure, formerly with the University of Texas at Austin. Prof. Susan Tighe, Canada Research Chair in Pavement and Infrastructure Management, becomes associate director for technical activities, while Prof. Carolyn Hansson, Materials Engineering, becomes associate director for external liaison. Other key players in CPATT are Prof. Leo Rothenburg, chair of the Civil Engineering department, and Prof. Mark Knight, director of the Centre for Advancement of Trenchless Technologies (CATT) at Waterloo. Still others include Profs. Frank Saccomanno, Bruce Hellinga, Liping Fu and Jeff Casello of the Transport Group; Prof. Jeff West in bridge engineering; Prof. Wei-Chau Xie in risk and reliability; and Prof. Jean Andrey, Geography. CPATT has established strong external linkages with the following post-secondary institutions in Canada: University of Calgary, University of Saskatchewan, University of Manitoba, McMaster University, Royal Military College, Carleton University, Universite Laval and University of New Brunswick. Equally strong ties exist with the University of Texas, West Virginia University, University of Illinois, University of Delaware and Auburn University. Serving on the board of directors are: John Carrick Jr., President, McAsphalt Industries Ltd.; Guy Cautillo, Senior Manager, Materials Engineering and Research Office, Ministry of Transportation Ontario; Wayne Dawson, Vice President, Cement Association of Canada; Mark Rivett, Vice President, Lafarge, representing the Ontario Hot Mix Producers Association; Matt Karan, Vice President, Stantec Consultants Ltd.; Brian Lackey, Vice President Operations, Greater Toronto Airports Authority; Gary MacDonald, Head of Transportation Rehabilitation Program, Regional Municipality of Waterloo; and UW Profs. Carl Haas and Leo Rothenburg (ex officio). Contact:
Prof. Ralph Haas, Founding Director, CPATT, (519) 888-4567, ext. 2176
John Morris, UW Media Relations, (519) 888-4435; jmorris@uwaterloo.ca
Release no. 241(A) -- October 28, 2005 2005-10-28 12:43:01
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