Queen’s University Collaborating on Bombardier Monorail Test Track

Published on: 2012/03/15 - in News

Queen’s University civil engineering students are receiving a unique learning opportunity by building and evaluating a section of new monorail test track, in cooperation with Bombardier Transportation’s System Division in Kingston.

“This project represents a significant step forward,” said structural engineering professor and Canada Research Chair Amir Fam. “It provides a unique opportunity for testing Queen’s technologies and designs in collaboration with a major industry leader.”

Dr. Fam, along with Mark Green and graduate student Nik Wootton, are part of a team using the latest structural engineering technologies on two of the support beams for Bombardier’s 1.5 kilometre long test track.

The group is using glass-fiber-reinforced polymer bars to reinforce one 11 meter long concrete beam weighing 30 tons.

“This initiative is symbolic of the opportunities for Queen’s and Bombardier to work together toward building a long term relationship,” said Queen’s Vice-Principal (Research), Steven Liss.

This endeavour represents one of the largest ever applications of this technology in transportation infrastructure, using polymer bars up to 25 millimetres in diameter.

“We recognize the research at Queen’s to be leading in the field,” said Ziad Rizk, Engineering Director and Site Manager (Bombardier Systems Division).

Other companies and organizations collaborating on the project include Anchor Concrete, McCormick Rankin, a member of MMM Group Limited, Trancels Pultrall and St. Lawrence College.

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Image source: Bombardier