2011-2012

News Release

REF NO.: 24

SUBJECT: Memorial University hosts CSCE national lecture tour

DATE: September 29, 2011

           The Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at Memorial University of Newfoundland will co-host a presentation of the 2011 National Lecture Tour of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) this evening, Thursday, Sept. 29.
            The free public lecture takes place at 7 p.m. in the Bruneau Lecture Theatre (EN-2006) in the S.J. Carew (Engineering) building on the St. John’s campus. Members of the media and the general public are encouraged to attend.
            “The topic of the lecture is Engineering Significance and Lessons of the March 11, 2011 Tsunami in Japan - Tsunami Impacts on Infrastructure,” said Dr. Bing Chen, associate professor in civil engineering at Memorial and chair of the Newfoundland and Labrador Section of CSCE. “The guest speaker is Dr. Ioan Nistor, who was one of the four members of the first international research team to visit the affected areas of the recent tsunami disaster in Japan. He will present findings and observations on the performance of infrastructure and the damage caused by devastating tsunami waves.”
            Dr. Nistor is an associate professor of hydraulic and coastal engineering at the University of Ottawa and has worked on a number of international and Canadian projects related to dam engineering, coastal engineering and environmental engineering, as well as sanitation and water resources development. Dr. Nistor has participated in several international and Canadian research programs and has won several research and teaching awards.
            “He is also a member of the newest ASCE7 Subcommittee entrusted with the elaboration of Design Guidelines for Tsunami Resistant Buildings, and will present an overview of the current research and engineering efforts in this direction,” added Dr. Chen. “The lecture will be of great interest to hydraulic, structural and geotechnical engineers who want to learn more about disaster prevention and mitigation, with a particular emphasis on the design of structures prone to extreme loading due to tsunamis, waves and flash floods in the Canadian context.”
            In addition to Memorial’s Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, the CSCE NL Chapter and the CSCE Memorial University Student Chapter will also serve as hosts of this event. Refreshments will be served following the presentation, and free parking for the lecture is available in Lot 16.

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