Chairholder Profile

Paul Gauvreau

Department of Civil Engineering
University of Toronto

Chair Title

NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Design Engineering for the Urban Environment

Chair Program

Industrial Research Chairs Program

Role

Senior Chairholder since 2005

Summary

The mandate of the NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Design Engineering for the Urban Environment is to improve the quality of design education at the University of Toronto, to improve the quality of urban infrastructure through design-directed research and innovative designs, and to be an advocate for excellence in design engineering within the University of Toronto and in the broader community outside the university.

Urban infrastructure provides the foundation for life in modern society and enables the high standard of economic prosperity and quality of life that Canadians currently enjoy. Its importance is reflected in the money we spend to build it: in Canada, the total capital cost of infrastructure is estimated at approximately five trillion dollars. Urban infrastructure must be renewed and expanded to meet the needs of Canadian society in the 21st century.

This NSERC Chair will contribute solutions that address this challenge in the field of structural engineering, by developing new systems for bridges that are adapted to the properties of new materials such as high-performance concrete. These structural systems will enable the design and construction of bridges that are significantly less expensive than those currently built, are durable and environmentally sustainable, and create new opportunities for aesthetic expression. This effort will be design directed, i.e., new knowledge will be created in response to the needs of the end product and the process will embrace knowledge from other disciplines of engineering.

This perspective will also inform the pedagogical initiatives led by the Chair. These will provide students with the knowledge, skills, and values required to create designs that respond to complex requirements and constraints, that are safe, functional, and economical, and that make positive contributions to society, the environment, and culture.

Partners

• Morrison Hershfield Limited
• Invar Building Inc.
• Brown and Co. Engineering
• Schaeffers Consulting Engineering
• Stantec Consulting Ltd.
• Rand Worldwide
• Delcan Inc.
• Halsall Associates Ltd.

Contact Information

Department of Civil Engineering
University of Toronto
35 St. George Street
Toronto, Ontario
M5S 1A4

Tel.: 416-978-3105
Fax: 416-978-7046
E-mail: pg@ecf.utoronto.ca

Web site:
 http://design.utoronto.ca/