May 24, 2010

University of Toronto professor awarded concrete-research chair

PATRICIA WILLIAMS

staff writer

One of Canada’s top researchers in cement and concrete was recently awarded an industrial research chair in concrete durability and sustainability.

Doug Hooton, a University of Toronto professor was appointed holder of the new Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada/Cement Association of Canada chair.

He has worked over the years in conjunction with a variety of industrial and government partners to analyze and improve the performance of concrete.

Program funding is valued at $1.8 million over five years and will create a new tenure-track faculty position and also fund graduate student and research associate positions.

The goal of the research chair is to provide innovative and effective approaches to improve both the environmental sustainability and durability of concrete, as well as to provide leadership in development of specifications and industry standards.

“This chair will help focus research and teaching in an area that is critical to making informed choices in infrastructure renewal and addressing the environmental and energy sustainability challenges facing the cement, concrete and construction industries,” Hooton said.

Additional funding is being provided by the university, Holcim Canada and Whitemud Resources, a manufacturer and supplier of metakaolin, a performance-enhancing concrete additive.

“The reason I applied was that I wanted to get more colleagues working in this area,” Hooton said. “There are only a handful of engineering schools across the country conducting research in this field.”

Hooton joined the university in 1986 after five years with Ontario Hydro’s concrete research group.

During his career, he has helped design testing procedures to measure the permeability of concrete, its resistance to elements such as sulphate and the diffusion within concrete of chloride. This research has had a direct effect on the design, construction and repair of concrete structures.

Currently, Hooton is using nanotechnology-level tools to examine the chemistry and mineralogy of concrete and to investigate its durability. He hopes to use particle-packing, down to the nano level, to make what he calls quantum leaps in the properties and durability of concrete.

A fellow of both the American Concrete Institute (ACI) and the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Hooton has served on dozens of technical committees in Canada and the U.S.

He has chaired several Canadian Standards Association, ACI and ASTM standards committees related to cement and concrete.

At one time, he chaired the ASTM committee on concrete and concrete aggregates, the first non-American to head this committee.

Print | Email | Comment