Current school term - I have been steadily progressing through 4A for the last (almost) 3 months. This term is was timber design, concrete design II, steel design, law, structural analysis, and 4th year project. My favourite course was structural analysis since it feels the most fun. Admittedly, picking up Matlab after almost 3 years was a bit intimidating, but it came together quickly. This was the first structural modelling course I could take in undergrad, and seeing as how I liked it, it will not be my last. Steel was a slog but definitely necessary. Concrete II was useful and I enjoyed/understood the complex components better than I ever understood Concrete I. 4th year project was fun, challenging, with a bit of luck tossed in there for good measure. Kristine, Ben, Tim and I were able to get Dr. Scott Walbridge as our advisor before the term even started. This helped a bunch with the first few weeks of class so that we weren't scrambling at the last minute. Even though this term's project was only to get a project scope, develop three alternatives, evaluate them, and choose the best, we kinda started with our solution and worked backwards. One of Dr. Walbridge's projects is the development of a reusable steel plate design for temporary roads. The uses can range from road washout, rockslide, or construction. Due to the 4th year project, we had to narrow it down to a road bypass while the realigned Highway 7 between Kitchener and Guelph would be rebuilt (thanks to Tim on that suggestion). The project went super well in my opinion, the lifecycle cost analysis was very detailed, it may have been in Kristine's dreams, but it turned out great. Now it's on to actually using that option and designing the thickness more accurately, road textures, plate connectors and all that jazz.
URA - During this term I worked with Dr. Robert Gracie on a computational mechanics project using magnesium. 'In situ TEM compression testing of Mg and Mg–0.2 wt.% Ce single crystals by Jia Ye,, Raja K. Mishra, Anil K. Sachdev, and Andrew M. Minora', describes the qualitative results of a micro column axial conpression test on magnesium. Magnesium is cheap and strong but brittle, so the hopes for car manufacturers like GM would be to find an alloy of magensium that would retain the first two qualities of the pure substance and yield in flexure. Setting up a model of a column of magnesium at room temperature and putting it under compression, I would hope to see how dislocations or twinning occur. At the moment, I'm still working on the rate of loading that will best show these dislocations. Almost there!
Swing dancing - During my previous co-op term in Toronto at MMM Group, I got to go to Followlogie in Montreal, which was very awesome. I'm in the process of planning to go to ULHS, which is at the end of September in New Orleans. I'm told it's a lot of fun and I can't wait to dance with a whole bunch of talented dancers and musicians. Currently the president of the UW Swing Club, I'm a frequenter of the 'dancing in the park' at Waterloo Park, Monday night dancing at Maxwell's Music House, and when I can make it to Toronto I pop into Dovercourt and the Imperial. Because of Tuesday night class (law), I've had to skip on the Hamilton dances (boo).
GNCTR - It started out as me being one of three design team captains, then Carleton University bailed on hosting the concrete toboggan race. Then a few UW students (myself included) looked into doing it in Waterloo or teaming up with Western to host (but Western never replied). In the end, Calgary volunteered so that the competition would not cease to exist for the 2012s. Problem is that the only weekend Calgary can do this event coincides with UW's Iron Ring Ceremony, so most of the 4th years are backing out of the toboggan race. Being as fond as I am for old secret traditions, I was one of the few 4th years to continue with concrete toboggan because I find it so awesome. I now find myself the new captain of the entire team. A little intimidating but I'm sure it'll be a blast!
Fall 2011 - So the job I had set up a while ago in Toronto fell through before I even started, which got me all a flurry to find something new. Since I'm interested in grad studies after undergrad and that I'm finished work reports, PDEng, and my work term credits, I set out to find a prof in the structural engineering field that would have a spot for me. With a bit of luck, my structural analysis prof had never taken on an undergrad before but was willing to take me on! I applied for NSERC funding a month overdue (obviously I applied when I found out I no longer had a job), the civil undergrad secretary put it on rush and I got it just two days ago. I'm very excited about this opportunity
Fall term -