NRC develops new tools for civil and structural engineers

The National Research Council’s Institute for Research in Construction (NRC/IRC) has developed a new model for estimating the future failure rates of water mains. I-WARP, Individual Water Main Renewal Planner, will be available through the Water Research Foundation. It differs from other models because it considers both static and dynamic factors that affect the deterioration of pipes. Static factors include pipe material, size, age, soil type, etc. while dynamic factors include climate variations and cathodic protection.

Current similar models such as D-WARP are designed for analyzing groups of pipes whereas I-WARP will enable users to prioritize plan renewal of individual water mains within a homogenous group.

The researcher at NRC/IRC in charge of the project is Dr. Yehuda Kleiner.

See www.waterresearchfoundation.org

Another project under way by NRC/IRC is being done to better understand the thermal expansion of reinforced concrete structures in fires. The four-year project will look at aspects such as simulating the performance of structures in fire, the types of building damage that are caused, and how to improve safety in reinforced concrete buildings. The analysis is being conducted in collaboration with the University of Toronto and will be applied using full-scale columns at the NRC-IRC furnace test facility in Ottawa. The research is being conducted for building columns but the findings could be applied to other structures such as bridge columns.