CSCE National Lecture Tour

The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering will present the following lecture on Sept. 28 at 7:00 pm in the Dineen Auditorium (Room HC13), Head Hall:

Engineering Significance and Lessons of the March 11, 2011 Tsunami in Japan: Tsunami Impacts on Infrastructure
By Dr. Ioan Nistor, University of Ottawa

ABSTRACT
On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake occurred along the Sanriku Coast, offshore of north-east Japan, at 3:46 p.m. local time. The quake resulted in several massive tsunami waves which hit the Japanese coast, reaching 38.7 m in height. Significant damage occurred in coastal and inland engineered structures located in several coastal towns that were largely destroyed. The first international research team composed of a group of four engineers (three from the US and one from Canada), visited the affected area four weeks after the event to conduct reconnaissance investigations on behalf of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Dr. Ioan Nistor was part of this reconnaissance team. He will present findings and observations on the performance of infrastructure and the damage caused by devastating tsunami waves. In addition, as a member of the newest ASCE7 Subcommittee entrusted with the elaboration of Design Guidelines for Tsunami-Resistant Buildings, he will present an overview of the current research and engineering efforts in this direction.
The lecture will be of interest to hydraulic, structural, and geotechnical engineers interested in disaster prevention and mitigation, with a particular emphasis on the design of structures prone to extreme loading due to tsunamis, waves, and flash floods in the Canadian context.

Dr. Ioan Nistor, Ph.D, Ing. (OIQ), is an associate professor of hydraulic and coastal engineering at the University of Ottawa. He has worked on various international and Canadian projects related to dam engineering, coastal engineering, environmental engineering as well as sanitation and water resources development. Ioan has participated in several international and Canadian research programs and has won several research and teaching awards.