About SIGLab

Our research develops sustainable strategies to enhance infrastructure resilience to climate and disaster risks, including permafrost thawing, landslides, and earthquakes. We focus on northern Canada, where infrastructure is crucial for sustainable community development amidst climate warming.

Our forward-looking research program covers key infrastructure areas: Civil Infrastructure (geotechnical and transportation infrastructure), Renewable and Clean Energy, Community-Based Land Use Planning and Policy-Making, and Planetary Geotechnics.

We adopt an interdisciplinary approach, involving fundamental and applied research, advanced numerical analysis, field monitoring, and experimental tests, covering various phases of the infrastructure life cycle.

At the core of our research philosophy lies hard work, dedication, adaptability, and collaboration. We foster strong teamwork as we work towards our objectives.

Computational / Software Facilities

In-House Computing Infrastructure

  • HYBRID (FEM/BEM) | Fortran: Seismic Site Effect & Dynamic Soil-Structure Interaction
  • SeismoAcousticNDT (Spectral Element Method) | Fortran & Python: Non-Invasive Assessment of Multiphase Geomaterials and Permafrost
  • Theta-Stock (FEM) | Fortran: THM Analyses, High-Temp & High-Pressure Geomechanical, Multiphase Geomechanical Analyses, Constitutive Models (Elastic, Elastoplastic, Elastoviscoplastic, Fracture) 
  • OpenGeoSys (FEM) | C++: THMC Geomechanical Analyses for Multiphase Media 
  • Fortran, C++
  • Python, Mathematica, Matlab

Computational/Software Facilities

Commercially-Available Software

  • COMSOL Multiphysics 5.5 (Research License) | FEM
  • Abaqus (Research License) | FEM
  • FlexPDE (Research License) | FEM Builder
  • Flac (Research Licesnse) | FDM

Laboratory Equipment

In-House Computing Infrastructure

  • Standard Triaxial Apparatus
  • Hight-Temp, High-Pressure Triaxial Apparatus
  • Direct Shear Test Apparatus
  • Oedometer Test Apparatus
  • Hydraulic Conductivity Apparatus
  • Walk-In Cold Chamber
  • Small-Scale Shake Table
  • Physical Model for Soil-Structure Interaction
  • Culvert Testing Facility
  • Actuators

Field Equipment

In-House Computing Infrastructure

  • Data Logger
  • Weather Stations
  • Geotechnical Sensors (soil Moisture, Soil Temperature, and EC; Piezometer; Extensometer, Strain, Load Cell, Inclinometer)
  • Soil Sampling Equipment
  • Geophysical Testing (MASW, FWD, GPR)