July, 10 2019

VANCOUVER BRANCH | 10th July 2019

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July, 10 2019

Table of Contents

ENGINEERS AND GEOSCIENTISTS BC – JULY 2019 NEWSLETTER 2

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR 2

MESSAGE FROM THE INCOMING CHAIR 4

RECENT EVENTS 5

RESEARCH SEMINAR #2 – MARCH 13, 2019 5

WORLD WATER DAY – MARCH 21, 2019 10

SOCIAL MIXER WITH RICHMOND/DELTA BRANCH – APRIL 3, 2019 11

EVENING SEMINAR #4 – APRIL 11, 2019 12

EIT/GIT SEMINAR – APRIL 18, 2019 14

UPCOMING EVENTS 14

VOLUNTEER WITH US 14

EXECUTIVE TEAM 14

COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK 15


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ENGINEERS AND GEOSCIENTISTS BC – JULY 2019 NEWSLETTER

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

On behalf of the Vancouver Branch of

Engineers and Geoscientists BC, thank you

to all our great volunteers! With everyone’s

efforts, the Vancouver Branch was able to

finish the 2018-2019 year strong with 26

events. This included 4 evening seminars, 2

research seminars, 5 tours, 2 social events,

and 13 other events and planning meetings!

The term had a handful of new volunteers

which ultimately brought new ideas and

enthusiasm.

The 2018-2019 term also featured 27

speakers including 8 from government, 6 from

academia, 13 from consulting companies, and

8 student speakers! From graduate students

presenting their groundbreaking research, to

a City General Manager sharing a new policy,

or a Senior Engineer and CEO presenting

their exceptional engineering solutions, every

presenter at our seminars made these events

full of networking and knowledge sharing

opportunities. With this, Vancouver Branch

was able to bring speakers from three major

areas of expertise, which can help in

achieving beneficial engineering solutions.

These three areas included

academia/research, consulting, and

government. In support of the 30 by 30

initiative, we also had 11 female speakers

including at least one female speaker in every

seminar. The seminars we organized covered

topics from various engineering disciplines

and specialties such as civil, transportation,

structural, water resources, electrical,

mechanical, and mining engineering.

In this term, we were also able to connect with

more people on social media via Twitter and

LinkedIn.

The Vancouver Branch would like to extend a

big thank you to Vancouver City Hall for

hosting 15 of our seminars at no cost, and a

special thanks to Chris Santos and other City

Hall staff for providing logistic support.

Thank you to Harlan Kelly, P.Eng., Vice

President, Engineers and Geoscientists BC,

for attending our executive meetings and

motivating us with positive energy.

Vancouver Branch will not forget the support

of Tim Verigin from the association office for

providing all the logistic support in organizing

these events. We greatly appreciate his


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patience and time in helping us achieve our

goals.

We would also like to welcome new volunteers

to join us. Volunteering with the Vancouver

Branch can certainly help members to:

Advance the profession by sharing your

knowledge and experience

Expand your professional network with

7,000 members in the Vancouver region

and 16,000 Lower Mainland members

Develop leadership and event planning

skills

Meet and work with other volunteer

members

Finally, let's welcome our new Chair Nawoong

Yoon, EIT and Vice-Chair Ovee Zaman, EIT

for the 2019-2020 year ahead. I am quite

confident that they will continue the legacy by

organizing networking events and seminars to

help members in achieving the highest

standards of professional and ethical

standards.

On this note, I would like to welcome the new

executive committee for the 2019-2020 term.

Hoping to see another great term in creating a

socially vibrant professional community.

Dr. Nilufar Islam, P. Eng Chair, Vancouver Branch, 2018-2019


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MESSAGE FROM THE INCOMING CHAIR

On behalf of the Vancouver Branch of

Engineers and Geoscientists BC, it is my

pleasure to work with the Vancouver Branch.

We connect approximately 7,000 members in

the Vancouver region and 16,000 Lower

Mainland members through various events.

These events include technical seminars,

outreach events, industry tours, panel

discussions, and networking events that help

professionals reach the highest standards of

professional and ethical standards.

We promote professional development,

knowledge transfer and networking, as well as

our values to maintain Integrity, Accountability

and Innovation to create a socially vibrant

professional community.

It is an honour to work with such great

volunteers who dedicate their time to assist

with every event.

On this note, I would like to congratulate and

thank all past volunteers and our outgoing

Chair Dr. Nilufar Islam, P.Eng., for their hard

work in organizing events.

Also, I would like to welcome new volunteers

to join us this year. It is a great opportunity to

expand your professional network while

organizing events for our association. I look

forward to an exciting year with all of you.

Nawoong Yoon, EIT

Vice- Chair, 2018-2019

Incoming Chair, 2019-2020

Vancouver Branch


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RECENT EVENTS

RESEARCH SEMINAR #2 – MARCH 13, 2019

Vancouver City Hall

On March 13, 2019, the Vancouver Branch

organized Research Seminar #2 at the

Vancouver City Hall. This was the second of

the Research Seminar series showcasing

groundbreaking research in the Lower

Mainland. There were 5 research

presentations, a networking session, followed

by a keynote presentation by Olav Mejia,

M.Sc, P. Eng., Principal Process Engineer

with Allnorth Consultants.

The 5 research presentations were presented

by:

1. Ali Cherom Kheirabadi, who is a Ph.D.

Student for Mechanical Engineering,

University of British Columbia.

Topic: “Increasing the Efficiency of Floating

Offshore Wind Farms Using Wind Farm

Control”

Abstract: There are several benefits

associated with clustering wind turbines into

wind farms; these benefits include capital

savings associated with shared electrical,

transportation, and management costs, as

well as streamlined maintenance and repair

procedures. However, wind turbines in close

proximity to one another also suffer from a

phenomenon known as the wake effect. As

one turbine extracts kinetic energy from the

wind, it generates a region of wind with

reduced velocity referred to as a wake. Due to

the reduced wind speed, another turbine that

is located downstream and is aligned with this

wake produces less electrical energy. In

operational wind farms, the wake effect may

reduce the power output of downstream

turbines by up to 60%, while yielding annual

revenue losses of up to 30%.

One solution to mitigating such efficiency

losses is referred to as wind farm control. The

objective of a wind farm controller is to utilize

the available degrees of freedom of individual

wind turbines to manipulate the wind field and

maximize energy production from the wind

farm. For instance, misaligning a wind

turbine’s axis of rotation from the incoming

wind causes the generated wake to deflect

sideways in a controllable manner. Such

controllability may be used to steer wakes

away from downstream turbines. If the wind

turbines in question are floating on the ocean

surface, the structures may be relocated in


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real-time to manipulate wake paths and

further raise efficiency.

The presented research will cover existing

attempts at maximizing wind farm efficiency

using control algorithms based on both

classical control techniques and machine

learning. Additionally, current progress on the

student’s research will be presented. This

overview will cover the dynamic modelling of

floating offshore wind farms, control system

design for maximizing energy production, and

validation techniques.

2. Yun-Han Huang, who is a Ph.D. Student for Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia.

Topic: “Study of the Micromechanical Properties of Gellan Gum Capsules with a Cantilevered-Capillary Force Apparatus” Abstract: In this research, we present the

micromechanical characterization of micron-

sized capsules made from gellan gum using a

Cantilevered-Capillary Force Apparatus. The

capsules are edible and composed of

sunflower oil core and gellan gum shell. They

are intended to serve as a model for tunable

microcapsules and delivery vehicles. The

CCFA can provide axial deformation to

individual colloidal particles, and direct and

dynamic measurement of force. Experimental

findings suggest that the elastic modulus of

the microcapsules matched well with Hertz

theory at small deformation, and with a

hyperelastic model for rubber spheres at

larger deformation (>~20%).

Furthermore, it is noticed that the elastic

modulus of the microcapsules increased with

increasing shell thickness and percentage of

gum of shell and decreased with increasing

capsule diameter. We will present results from

further characterize of the microcapsules

under dynamic deformation. By producing

sinusoidal oscillating strain to the

microcapsules, we aim to study their

relaxation and reaction to dynamic loading.

The study of the micro-mechanism of the

capsules can provide understanding of elastic

microcapsules and delivery vehicles and has

the potential of improving the design and

development of functional foods.

3. Sina Nezafatkhah, who is a M.Sc. Student for Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia.

Topic: “An Exploratory Analysis of Natural Weathering in Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastics (GFRP) and Degradation of Their Mechanical Properties” Abstract: In this research, a glass/polyester

material system was used to evaluate the

degradation processes involved in natural

ageing of GFRPs. Composites and neat

polyester specimens were aged in the semi-

arid climatic condition in Kelowna, British

Columbia, Canada, for all seasons of a year,

consisting of dry/sunny summer, and


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cold/cloudy winter. Composites were

manufactured under an open-mould hand-

layup process in eight different types, varying

in the architecture of their fibres, application of

the surface coating, and the initial curing

process. On the other hand, neat polyester

samples were only different in their initial

curing processes.

Apart from natural degrading agents,

properties, such as surface hardness, surface

roughness, and flexural strength were

measured and monitored within the entire

year of exposure to the natural climate.

Principal Component Analysis (PCA), as an

exploratory data analysis method, was

applied to the collected data and correlations

were determined between natural agents and

the resultant changes in physical properties.

Among climatic agents, UV radiation, relative

humidity (RH%), and the snow level on the

ground (cm) were the most affecting agents.

Selection of fibres architecture was the most

influential decision-making term in

manufacturing, followed by the

manufacturers’ decision on the application of

the surface coating, and selection of the

appropriate initial curing process. Gradual

curing in ambient condition was found to

promote ageing behaviour of products rather

than curing at elevated temperatures, as

partially cured samples are less prone to

photodegradation. Finally, the internal

structure of aged samples was analysed

morphologically to validate the ageing

induced degradation processes. Weakened

adhesion at fibre-matrix interfaces, peeling of

the surface coating, and rise in the density of

microcracks and void content were spotted

through micro-CT inspections.

4. Gurupraveen Ramanathan, who is a M.Sc. Student for Mining Engineering, University of British Columbia.

Topic: “Process Optimization and Scale-up of Jet Mills for the Metallurgical Powder Production” Abstract: The Jet mill operates on principle of

particle-on-particle attrition to grind ultrafine

powder material without the introduction of

heat, or other external force, and is capable of

particle size reduction from about 100 microns

down to 250 nm. Power consumption plays a

major role in energy intensive ultrafine

grinding operations and depends on a number

of different parameters such as physical

characteristics of the solids (hardness,

abrasiveness, or tenacity), physical

characteristics of the mill shell liner, degree of

fineness of the finished product and, above all,

particle size distribution of the feed. As a result

of mill shell liner abrasion during grinding

operation, powder contamination by iron (for

steel shells) or other impurities (e.g. carbon for

polymer coated shells) often occurs and

presents a significant challenge for most

powder milling operations. In addition,

significant loss of material can be experienced

as a result of particle adhesion, entrapment,

and powder seepage.


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The proposed study is concerned with the

optimization of grinding process of ultrafine

metallurgical powders in a small-scale 4” jet

mill and, subsequently, with the identification

of optimal operating conditions of a pilot-scale

20” jet mill through extensive scale-up study.

During the 4” jet mill testing and optimization

stage, we will aim to understand the effects of

powder feed rate, chamber pressure, and feed

particle size distribution and shape on overall

mill efficiency and iron entrainment using

stainless steel shell. In addition, the effect of

polymer-based shell coating on milling

efficiency, shell abrasion rate, and iron

contamination reduction will be assessed.

Coating type and thickness providing the

longest liner lifetime, lowest power

consumption, least contamination, and

optimal grinding efficiency will be identified.

Other strategies for iron contamination

removal using, for example, magnetic cleaner

stage will also be explored. Finally, we will

examine the reasons behind the material loss

during the operation and propose design

modification and operation strategies to

reduce or eliminate material loss. The results

of 4” jet mill study will be used to advise the

following process optimization work on 20” jet

mill.

5. Yang Xu, who is a Ph.D. Student for Minerals Processing, University of British Columbia.

Topic: “A logistics Regression Classifier Optimized by Principal Component Analysis Algorithm for Copper Ore Sorting by XRF Sensor” Abstract: Ore sorting is a mineral

concentration process where individual ore

particles or bulk material are separated to

reject low-grade gangue and recover high-

grade ore. The benefits of ore sorting result

from reducing the amount of gangue that

reports to the concentrator, as well as the

amount of ore that reports to the waste dump.

Sorting is a means of achieving grade control

for the processing plant. Additional benefits of

sensor-based sorting result from reducing

haulage distances and avoiding comminution

of low grade or barren rock, thereby lowering

operating costs.

Metallurgical performance can also be

improved because of a more consistent and

higher grade of ore to the process plant.

Sensor-based sorting systems have

experienced rapid development in recent

years and have been successfully applied in

mining operations to ores such as copper,

gold, diamond and iron ores.

The benefits of pre-concentration using

sensor-based sorting result from improved


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and more consistent metal grades reporting to

the grinding circuit and concentrator and from

avoiding comminution of rejected rock thereby

reducing energy consumption. Currently, the

most commonly method is multivariable linear

regression algorithm which aims to seek for

suitable coefficients that could be used for

setting up an equation to predict the copper

grade. In this paper, we present a novel

classifier which is based on the theory of

logistics regression (LR). The proposed LR

model is optimized by the principal component

analysis (PCA) algorithm to achieve the goal

of dimension decreased. It will also solve the

multicollinearity problem and overfitting

problem which exist in each element. At last,

we compared the predicted results between

original model and PCA optimized model, the

summary results show that the model with

PCA has achieved slightly better predicted

performance than the original one which

certified the PCA method could enhance the

LR model predicted performance effectively.

The student presenters were later greeted

with a certification of the association.

The keynote presenter Olav Mejia is working

in the mining industry. His topic was “The

Engineering Design Process – Mineral

Processing". He emphasizes that although

“engineers have to spend 20% of their time in

finding a good idea and 80% to convince

people to do it, we still need to follow certain

procedures to minimize the chances of

making big mistakes”.

The audience were quire engaging with

questions after presentations. Olav’s speech

resonates with many people's thinking. This

was a success, promoting networking and

knowledge sharing.


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WORLD WATER DAY – MARCH 21, 2019

Vancouver City Hall

The Student and Young Professional

Committees (SYPCs) of the Canadian Water

Resources Association (CWRA SYP),

Canadian Water Network (CWN SYP), and

BC Water and Waste Association (BCWWA)

organized the World Water Day event in

Vancouver, BC. The event was sponsored

and collaborated with the Engineers and

Geoscientists BC Vancouver Branch and

sponsored by McElhanney. The event was

organized on March 21, 2019 at Vancouver

City Hall.

This year’s them was “Leaving No One

Behind” and the event featured a networking

session, student competition (3MT style

presentation), a panel discussion, and award

ceremony for the student competition.

Nine students presented at the competition

and covered a range of topics from

engineering to sustainability and water

resource management. The students were

from different departments at UBC, mainly

engineering but a few from other departments

(eg. resource management). The panel

discussion featured 4 panelists: Dr Gunilla

Oberg (Professor, Institute for Resources,

Environment and Sustainability – UBC), Dr

Jeff Carmichael (Division Manager Utility,

Research and Innovation – Metro Vancouver),

Virginia Sarrazin (Project Manager Water and

Wastewater – WSP), and Dr Zafar Adeel

(Executive Director, Pacific Water Research

Centre – SFU).


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The event was attended by approximately 55-

60 people, and consisted of students and

professionals from academia, municipalities,

consulting, and industry. The organizers look

forward to your support next year for another

World Water Day event in Vancouver, BC to

promote the essence and importance of

water!

SOCIAL MIXER WITH RICHMOND/DELTA BRANCH – APRIL 3, 2019

Pint Pub, Vancouver

The social mixer held at the Pint Pub in

downtown Vancouver was a great success.

Members from Vancouver and nearby

branches joined together to socialize,

network, and make friendships. The social

mixer included interactive social games in

order to get the conversations flowing. Food

and drinks were also provided to all attendees.

The event promoted engagement with the

association’s branches and encouraged

attendees to exchange information for making

professional connections.


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EVENING SEMINAR #4 – APRIL 11, 2019

Vancouver City Hall

STRUCTURAL AND TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING

The Evening Seminar organized on April 11,

2019 in the areas of structural and

transportation engineering was a success,

promoting networking and knowledge

exchange. Exciting research topics were

presented to over 30 attendees.

Refreshments were provided and the event

included a short networking session.

EVENING SEMINAR #4 PRESENTERS

Dr. Terje Haukaas, P.Eng.

Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, UBC

Dr. Cristiano Loss

Assistant Professor,

Department of Wood Science, UBC.

Md Saifuzzaman, P.Eng., M.Eng., PE

Principal Engineer and Engineering Manager, Pearson Inc.

Nadia Krys,P.Eng., PE, PMP

Senior Project Manager Translink

Presentation Title:

Simulating the Seismic

Performance of Buildings

and Communities

Presentation Title:

Hybrid Wood-Based

Modular Solutions for

Tomorrow’s Buildings –

From Research to

Construction

Presentation Title: Isolated

Bridge Abutments - A

Comparison with Traditional

Abutments

Presentation Title:

Universal Fare Gate

Access - Public

Private Innovation

Opens Doors for

People with

Disabilities


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EIT/GIT SEMINAR – APRIL 18, 2019

Vancouver City Hall

Path to Professional Licensure: "How to

Obtain Your P.Eng. or P.Geo. Designation"

was organized by the Vancouver Branch on

April 18, 2019 at the Vancouver City Hall. After

a short networking opportunity, the speaker,

Jason Ong, Manager of Exams, Geoscience

Registration, and the Member-in-Training

Program for the Engineers and Geoscientists

BC gave an overview of the application

process for professional registration in

Engineering and Geoscience. He also

covered some of the benefits and

requirements for the P.Eng. and P.Geo.

designations with particular focus on the

specific academic and experience

requirements that need to be fulfilled. The

event was attended by over 90 people and

included an interactive Q&A session. For

more information on attaining your P.Eng. or

P.Geo. designation, please contact the

association at 604.430.8035 and speak with a

Senior Registration Coordinator.

UPCOMING EVENTS

1. Annual General Meeting 2018-2019: July 13, 2019 2. Energy Facility Tour: July 18, 2019 3. Tour of Zaber Technologies– July 25, 2019

VOLUNTEER WITH US

VOLUNTEER WITH US!

It’s never too late to get involved! Volunteer with the Vancouver Branch today. Apply Online or

email [email protected] for more information.

EXECUTIVE TEAM

https://www.egbc.ca/Member-Programs/Volunteer/Volunteer-Opportunities/Volunteer-Positions/Branch-Volunteer

mailto:[email protected]


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BRANCH EXECUTIVE MEMBERS

Chair- Dr. Nilufar Islam, P. Eng.

Vice- Chair- Nawoong Yoon, EIT

Past Chair and Event Coordinator- Travis Nguyen, EIT

Secretary- Yi Ran Zhang, Student Member

Treasurer- Christina Noel, EIT

Seminar Coordinators:

Vishnu Kumar VJ, Student Member

Manoj Sarma Madduri, EIT

Maggie Sheu, P. Eng.

Susan Gu, Student Member

Other Positions:

Newsletter Editor- Vishnu Kumar VJ, Student Member

Social Media Coordinator- Amy Bai, EIT

Other Vacant Positions:

Sustainability Event Coordinator- VACANT

Evening Seminar Coordinator- 2 VACANT POSITIONS

Research Seminar Coordinator- 2 VACANT POSITIONS

COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK

HAVE COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK?

If you have comments or feedback on the newsletter, or if you know someone that is interested

in doing a presentation at one of our branch events, we would love to hear from you. We also

want to hear from you if your organization wants to host a facility tour!

Email the Vancouver Branch

mailto:[email protected]


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July, 10 2019

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