Skills Shortages, Education and Research les pénuries de compétences, l'éducation et la recherche - Canadian Society for Civil Engineering
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Skills Shortages, Education
and Research
les pénuries de compétences,
l'éducation et la recherche
Fa l l / a u t O m n E
2010 27.4
E N V I R ON M E N TA L P ROTECTION • ENVIRO N M E N TA L S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y • R E S O U R C E S MANAGEMENT
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expertise. By supporting EP, these leading organizations recognize the importance of
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EP CERTIFICATION SUPPORTERS
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ECO CANADA eco.ca/EP
features
page 8
Pilot Internship Program to Address the Rural Municipal
Engineering Skills Shortage
8
page 11
Research Needs in Civil Engineering
page 14
Skills Shortage – Fact or Fiction
page 16
Back to School
columns
4 from the editors / mot des rédacteurs
6 presidential perspective / perspective présidentielle
20 history notes / notes historiques
22 the pedestal / le piédestal
25 lifelong learning / l’éducation permanente
11
26 spotlight on members / membres en vedette
26 coming events / calendrier des activités
16
FROM ThE EDITORS / MOT DES RéDACTE uRS
lOuISE NEwMAN lOuISE @CSCE.CA
GuEST EDITOR: DR. DAGMAR SvECOvA MCSCE, P.ENG., ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR ,
uNIvERSITy OF MANITOBA
27.4
T C
The Canadian Civil Engineer (CCE) ISSN 9825-7515
his issue of CIVIL is on the theme e numéro de L’ICC a pour thème
is published five times per year by the Canadian of Education and Research and l’éducation, la recherche et les
Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE). Skills Shortages and features four compétences où il y a pénurie. Il
L’Ingénieur civil canadien (ICC) ISSN 9825-7515 articles, each of them providing us with comporte quatre articles présentant quatre
est publié cinq fois par année par la Société
canadienne de génie civil (SCGC). a different view on this subject. Our first opinions différentes sur ces sujets. Écrit
article written by CSCE President Vic Perry par le président de la SCGC, Vic Perry,
CSCE / SCGC and Richard Stephenson looks at the skills et Richard Stephenson, le premier article
4920 de Maisonneuve W., Suite 201
Montréal, QC H3Z 1N1 shortage problem in rural municipalities. porte sur la pénurie de compétences dans
Tel: 514-933-2634 Fax: 514-933-3504 CSCE will sponsor a pilot internship pro- les municipalités rurales. La SCGC com-
E-mail: info@csce.ca
www.csce.ca gram that is discussed further in the article. manditera un programme pilote de stages
Tom Brown from the University of dont il est question dans l’article.
CSCE Office / Office de la SCGC
President / Président
Calgary identifies research needs in all areas Tom Brown, de l’Université de Calgary,
Vic Perry, P.Eng., FCSCE (Calgary, AB) of civil engi- identifie les besoins en recherche dans tous
President Elect / Président désigné neering includ- “Research needs to les domaines du génie civil, dont les struc-
Randy Pickle, P.Eng., FCSCE (Oshawa, ON) ing structures, tures, l’eau et les transports. Les recherches
CCE Board / Conseil de l’ICC water resources focus on issues of doivent porter les problèmes de durabil-
CSCE Publications Committee Chair and transporta- ité, de vulnérabilité et de résilience, selon
Présidente, Comité des publications de la SCGC
Dagmar Svecova, Ph.D., MCSCE (Winnipeg, MB)
tion. Research sustainability, Brown.
needs to focus Reg Andres
CCE Editor / Rédactrice de l’ICC
Louise Newman (Montréal, QC) on issues of sus- vulnerability and « Les recherches recense les études
Editorial Committee Members / Membres du comité éditorial tainability, vul- statistiques des
David Lau, P.Eng., FCSCE (Ottawa, ON)
O. Burkan Isgor, Ph.D., P.Eng., MCSCE (Ottawa, ON)
nerability and resiliency…” doivent 10 dernières années
Caterina Valeo, Ph.D., P.Eng. (Calgary, AB)
resiliency, says sur les pénuries
Annual Subscription Rates / Abonnement annuel
Brown. porter les de compétences.
Reg Andres offers reviews of statisti- Il identifie deux
Canada & U.S.A. $35.00
other countries / autres pays $45.00 cal studies on skills shortage over the last problèmes de aspects principaux
single copy / au numéro $7.50 10 years. He identifies two key issues affect- du problème : la
agency discount / rabais aux distributeurs 10%
ing this problem; one being the immigration durabilité, de politique en matière
Design / Production policy and the other one is the number of d’immigration, et le
AN Design Communications (Ottawa, ON)
613-744-0444
graduating engineers. The article concludes vulnérabilité nombre d’ingénieurs
www.an-design.ca by providing some solution to employers on qui obtiennent leur
Advertising / Publicité
how to overcome this problem in the future. et de diplôme. L’article
Dovetail Communications Inc. Juan Salinas from Carleton University propose enfin des
T: 905-886-6640
F: 905-886-6615
gives us the academic perspective in his résilience… » solution aux employ-
Janet Jeffery 905-886-6641 ext. 329
article “Back to School”. This article shows eurs sur la façon de
E: jjeffery@dvtail.com us how an engineering professor prepares régler ce problème pour l’avenir.
himself/herself for the school year, discusses Juan Salinas, de l’Université Carleton,
The opinions expressed in the papers are solely those of the
authors and the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering is various teaching models, and how they expose la thèse des universités sous le titre
not responsible for the statements made in this publication. affect the learning style of the students. Dr. « Back to School (retour à l’école)». Cet
Les opinions exprimées dans les articles sont la seule
Salinas points out the unique role that engi- article explique comment un professeur
responsabilité de leurs auteurs et la Société canadienne de neering professors have shaping the mind of de génie prépare son année, décrit divers
génie civil n’engage pas sa responsabilité dans les propos these young future engineers. modèles pédagogiques et leur effet sur le
exprimés.
We extend our thanks to those who mode d’apprentissage des élèves. Le profes-
All commentaries and questions about this publication contributed to this issue. As always, we seur Salinas souligne le rôle absolument
should be forwarded to the Editor:
Pour vos commentaires ou de plus amples informations, welcome your comments and feedback. n unique joué par le professeur de génie dans
contacte la rédactrice : la formation de l’esprit de ces futurs jeunes
Louise Newman, louise@csce.ca 514-933-2634 ext. 23 ingénieurs civils.
Return Address / Adresse de retour : Nous remercions toutes les personnes
The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering
La Société canadienne de génie civil qui ont contribué à ce numéro. Comme
4920 de Maisonneuve W., Suite 201 d’habitude, vos commentaires sont toujours
Montréal, QC H3Z 1N1
bien accueillis. n
READERS’ COMMENTS / COMMENTAIRES DES l ECTEuRS
We are happy that a recent article, The New Civil Engineer, written by Alan Somehow we have to put up some kind of resistance to the
Perks and Reg Andres and published in the Spring 2010 issue of the Canadian demands of employers and clients for more and bigger projects.
Civil Engineer (pp. 14–15) attracted a reader to respond. Below is a slightly Technical and professional organizations could perhaps help by edu-
abridged version of the reader’s letter, together with the authors’ reply. cating and supporting the profession towards a change of direction
that would emphasize conservation and restraint rather than unend-
Charles R. Neill, M.CSCE ing expansion of facilities. We also need to accept as a profession that
5608 – 108 St NW, Edmonton AB, T6H 2Y9 when our projects assist rather than discourage continued population
I wish to comment on the article by Alan Perks and Reg Andres in and economic growth, we may be condemning future generations to
Spring 2010, entitled The New Civil Engineer, in which they present even worse disasters than those faced by our present world.
their ideas for the required attributes of new graduates. So I would suggest adding the following to Messrs. Perks and
The authors quote from CSCE’s Sustainable Development Andres’ list of desirable attributes for new graduates:
Guidelines of 2005, mentioning problems of infrastructure scale, • Awareness of historical and current trends (both national and
environmental degradation, resource consumption, population international) in population and consumption, their effects on
growth and the need for holistic consideration of societal interac- the natural world, and their implications for coming generations.
tions. They also mention that urban settlements have increased far • Readiness to question projects and designs that appear to
beyond the natural capacity of the earth. I would like to expand encourage or promote further attacks on the natural world and
somewhat on those concerns. the long-term sustainability of human society.
I believe it is a defensible proposition that population growth • Personal restraint in consumption of resources and impact on
is the main engine driving so many of our global problems, and the natural world.
that unless growth can be halted or reversed, there is little hope of With respect to CSCE’s 2005 Guidelines, I suggest that while
reducing most of those problems. As engineers with a need to earn they point in the right direction, they are too timid because they
a living, most of us are just dragged along by societal, governmental are reluctant to admit that continued growth in the long term is a
and corporate demands for infrastructure, power, transport, hous- recipe for disaster. n
ing, factories etc. resulting from this growth. Growth is the sacred “Mr. Neill’s comments are very much in line with where we believe civil
cow of most economists, industrialists and politicians, but growth engineers must develop, and we appreciate his thoughts.”
is killing the natural world on which we all depend. —Alan R. Perks, P.Eng., FCSCE and Reg Andres, P.Eng., FCSCE
autOmnE 2010 • l’ingéniEuR CiVil CanadiEn • 5
PRESIDENTIAl PERSPECTI v E / PERSPECTIv E PRé SIDENTIE llE
v.h. (vIC) PERRy FEC, FCSCE, MASC., P.ENG. / FEC, FSCGC, MASC., ING.
Good bye summer, welcome to fall
and back to the routine!
My term as President is already 1/3 over to raise CSCE’s profile and to estab- I meet with civil engineers, I am often
and there are many things yet to accom- lish an ongoing dialogue about sus- reminded that it is necessary for civil engi-
plish. Your Board of Directors and National tainable infrastructure in Canada. neers to become more involved in the public
Office team are busy preparing for the ii) An external communications strat- policy on infrastructure—the business of
fall Board meeting, to be held on the last egy has been implemented, along civil engineers. In order to show leadership
weekend in November, which will mark the with targets for regular commu- it is essential to have a clear vision of the
halfway point in my term as President. nications about CSCE and civil future and then be able to communicate
The CSCE’s Vision2020 of “Leadership engineering. the vision.
in Sustainable Infrastructure” is a top iii) A Canadian Infrastructure Report As a first step, prior to the November
priority for the Board and the fall Board Card Working Group has been Board meetings, CSCE will also be hold-
meeting. Under the chairmanship of our established and is drafting a proto- ing a workshop for the Board members,
President Elect, Randy Pickle, the “Road col for rating Canada’s infrastruc- Section Chairs and Committee Chairs. This
Map” to achieving the vision is being devel- ture on an ongoing basis. half-day workshop will focus also on the
oped. Randy has laid out a timeframe, iv) Plans are under way for a winter leadership and communication aspect of
assembled a team and is working to have a 2011 series of cross Canada public our vision.
road map to roll out at the annual meeting “Town Hall” meetings to develop a As you read through this edition of the
in Ottawa in June 2011. Your support and clear national image of sustainable Canadian Civil Engineer, you will also
comments are welcome. infrastructure and; notice that the focus of the articles is con-
In parallel with the road map being v) A “Young Professionals Group” is sistent with the leadership aspect of our
developed, the CSCE already is advancing being explored to identify the needs vision. These articles emphasize education,
many initiatives in support of our vision. and provide relevant programs for mentoring, soft skills and particularly the
The following is a short overview of these recent graduates, particularly in the ones needed to effectively communicate and
initiatives: area of “Soft Skills”. be successful.
i) Contact has been made with The majority of the programs being In closing, I will put forth a challenge
the Canadian Minister of developed by CSCE are aimed directly at to our membership: “Describe or list the
Transportation and Infrastructure the “Leadership” aspect of our vision. When measurable parameters that would define a
piece of infrastructure as sustainable versus
a non-sustainable piece of infrastructure”.
I welcome your opinions and comments.
SUSTAINABILITY: NEW PERSPECTIVES Your ideas will be included in the data col-
lection from the cross Canada Town Hall
FOR MANAGING INFRASTRUCTURE meetings.
Doing what is effective vs doing what is expedient While there is a lot to be done to put us
on the road to our vision and it won’t all
R.V. Anderson Associates Limited presents a webcast discussion featuring Reg necessarily be easy, the words of American
Andres and Hans Arisz of R.V. Anderson Associates Limited together with Bill author and publisher William Feather may
Wallace, sustainability expert of Wallace Futures Group and Murray Jamer, Director summarize it best:
of Engineering and Public Works at the City of Fredericton.
“ Almost any idea is good if a man has ability
This special presentation provides new perspectives for the connection between and is willing to work hard. The best idea
global sustainability and infrastructure management. It also addresses approaches is worthless if the creator is a loafer and
to sustainability and the many challenges faced by infrastructure managers today. ineffective.”
I am committed to working hard,
A recording of this presentation is available at:
www.rvanderson.com/SustainableInfrastructureManagement
with the ability that I have, and with
your help will move the CSCE towards
its vision of “Leadership in Sustainable
R.V. Anderson Infrastructure”. n
Associates Limited
engineering · environment · infrastructure
416 497 8600 www.rvanderson.com
6 • Ca na d i a n C i V i l E n g i n E E R • Fa l l 2 0 1 0
Canadian Civil Engineer
4.875” x 3.625”
A HISTORY OF THE CANAD
A CIVIL SOCIETY
L’été s’achève, l’automne arrive, et la routine
IAN SOCIETY FOR CIVIL
recommence!
ENGINEERING
Le tiers de mon mandat est déjà passé, et il v) On songe à créer un « groupe
reste tant à faire. Votre c.a. et vos perma- des jeunes professionnels » pour
A CIVIL
nents préparent en ce moment la réunion identifier les besoins et fournir SOCIETY
d’automne du c.a., qui aura lieu la dernière les programmes pertinents pour
Second Edition
fin de semaine de novembre, ce qui mar- les nouveaux diplômés, surtout
quera aussi la fin de la première moitié de dans le domaine des compétences A HISTORY
OF THE
mon mandat. non-techniques. CANADIAN SOCIETY FOR
CIVIL ENGINEERING
Le document de la SCGC intitulé La majorité des programmes en voie By
By Peter R. Hart
« Vision 2020 : leadership en matière d’élaboration par la SCGC sont axés Peter R. Hart
d’infrastructures durables » est une prio- directement sur l’aspect « Leadership » de
rité absolue pour la réunion d’automne du notre plan. Lorsque je rencontre des ingé-
Printed in Canada by Avanta
c.a. Sous la présidence de notre Président nieurs civils, on me rappelle souvent que les
ISBN 978-1-894662-16-1
ge Inc.
désigné, Randy Pickle, le programme ingénieurs civils doivent s’impliquer davan-
devant nous mener à ces objectifs en 2020 tage dans l’élaboration des politiques pub-
est en voie d’élaboration. Randy a fixé un liques en matière d’infrastructure, ce qui
échéancier, réuni une équipe, et il devrait constitue le cœur du travail des ingénieurs
avoir un programme à soumettre lors de
l’assemblée annuelle qui aura lieu à Ottawa,
civils. Exercer un leadership, c’est d’abord
avoir une idée de ce que sera l’avenir, et être A Civil Society
en juin 2011. Nous avons besoin de votre en mesure de communiquer cette idée. Second Edition by Peter hart
appui et de vos commentaires. En guise de première étape, avant les
Parallèlement à l’élaboration de ce pro- réunions du c.a. de novembre, la SCGC Some ten years after the
gramme, la SCGC a déjà mis de l’avant organisera également un atelier à l’intention
nombre d’initiatives conformes à cette des membres du c.a., des présidents des publication of Peter Hart’s
démarche. Voici un bref aperçu de ces sections et des présidents des comités. A Civil Society, the Second
initiatives : Cet atelier d’une demi-journée portera
i) Des relations ont été établies avec le également sur les aspects leadership et Edition is now available.
ministre canadien des Transports et communication.
des Infrastructures pour affirmer la En lisant ce numéro de L’ ingénieur Civil
présence de la SCGC et amorcer un Canadien, vous remarquerez que les thèmes The Second Edition includes:
dialogue permanent sur les infra- abordés reflètent l’aspect leadership de notre • an expanded
structures durables au Canada. programme. Ces articles portent notam-
ii) Une stratégie de communications ment sur la formation, les compétences Acknowledgements
externes a été mise en œuvre et des non-techniques, et surtout les compétences • a Preface
objectifs ont été fixés afin de main- nécessaires pour communiquer efficacement
tenir des communications constan- et réussir. • the addition of Chapters Nine,
tes avec la profession. En guise de conclusion, je lance un défi Ten and Eleven, covering the
iii) Un groupe de travail chargé du bul- à nos membres : « Décrivez ou énumérez les
letin sur les infrastructures cana- paramètres mesurables susceptibles de définir years from 1998 to 2008.
diennes a été créé et est en train un élément d’ infrastructure durable, com-
d’élaborer un protocole pour évaluer parativement à un élément d’ infrastructure
les infrastructures canadiennes de non-durable ». J’attends vos commentaires To order your copy, priced
façon permanente. et vos opinions. Vos idées seront intégrées at $20.00, please contact
iv) Des plans sont élaborés pour tenir aux données qui seront colligées lors des
une série d’assemblées publiques assemblées publiques qui seront tenues à membership@csce.ca
à travers le pays, pendant l’hiver travers le pays.
2011, pour avoir une bonne idée Même s’il y a encore beaucoup à faire
de la situation nationale en matière pour placer la SCGC sur la bonne voie,
d’infrastructures durables et; même si ce ne sera pas nécessairement facile,
suite à la page 10
autOmnE 2010 • l’ingéniEuR CiVil CanadiEn • 7
Pilot internship Program to
V.H. (Vic) Perry FCSCE, maSc., P.Eng.
Richard Stephenson
address the Rural municipal
mCSCE, P.Eng.
Engineering Skills Shortage
Rural municipalities across Canada and ThE SkIllS ShORTAGE ChAllENGE
around the world are experiencing a short- The looming skills shortage facing civiliza-
tion is not new! For more than 20 years,
age of engineers with municipal engineer- recognized authorities have been predicting
ing skills. The CSCE and the Province of changing demographics in society, which
Nova Scotia are about to implement a Pilot will lead to professional and technical skill
Internship Program for Rural Municipal shortages. The impact of changing demo-
graphics in the workforce is a problem not
Engineers aimed at placing civil engineering unique to civil engineering; however, it is
students in rural municipalities during their important for civil engineers and munici-
co-operative work terms where they will be pal stakeholders to take the initiative now
introduced to the many facets of the life of to address this important issue before the
consequences negatively impact the level of
a rural municipal engineer. services provided by municipalities and the
quality of life expected by society.
8 • Ca na d i a n C i V i l E n g i n E E R • Fa l l 2 0 1 0
Various studies have indicated that over tion of our “Internship Program for Rural aspects of their job for which they were not
the next 25 years there will be a shift Municipal Engineers”. given adequate academic training, so they
towards an increasing percentage of our must learn on the job.
population with reduced levels of educa- ThE lIFE OF A MuNICIPAl ENGINEER With the gradual movement of people
tion, declining birth rates, declining mar- From the CSCE’s interview process, it from the rural areas to the city, many
riage rates and increased mobility. All of became evident that the civil engineering young rural students tend to find student
these trends will create both challenges and skills shortage within municipal govern- employment in the urban areas and full-
opportunities for all levels of government, ments must be considered in two distinct time employment there after graduation.
especially for rural municipalities. categories—“Rural Municipal Engineering” Since most civil engineering graduates have
While these changing demographic pat- and “Urban Municipal Engineering” — not been exposed to the complex and chal-
terns are important to understand and can each of which has its own special challenges. lenging life of a rural municipal engineer,
help to explain historical events or help to Due to the higher population density in they often do not even think to pursue
predict future challenges, it is not the intent cities and the higher levels of funding avail- employment in a rural municipality after
of this article to interpret the impact on able to urban municipalities, the job profile graduation. A major challenge for rural
the municipal skills shortage analytically, of an urban municipal engineer is more municipal governments is their inability to
but simply to recognize the impact of these consistent with classical engineering profiles attract graduate civil engineers to the life of
changes on rural municipalities and to offer and skills requirements. In larger urban a rural municipal engineer after graduation.
a program that will help to address this areas, municipal civil engineers are typically Without overlooking the opportunities
challenging trend. members of a larger team of professionals, available to graduate civil engineers within
The issue of a looming skills shortage to within which technical and administrative urban municipal governments and the pri-
manage urban and rural municipal infra- support staff and career mentoring services vate sector, the CSCE wishes to focus their
structure is a major concern not only to are provided by more senior colleagues. The efforts on addressing the skills shortage
civil engineers but also to society in general. urban municipal engineer, whose workload within rural municipal governments in
Without well-designed and well-maintained is largely engineering activities working Canada through the implementation of a
municipal infrastructure (distribution net- with support from other members of the Pilot Program in Nova Scotia for the new
works for food, clean water, wastewater team, is not required to be “everything to Internship Program for Rural Municipal
collection and treatment, etc.) civilization everybody”. An urban municipal civil engi- Engineers.
as we know it and continued development neer is more likely to be a civil engineering
will be unsustainable. Without infrastruc- specialist in the area of structural (bridges RuRAl MuNICIPAl ENGINEERING
ture that has been properly designed, con- and buildings), water resources (water sup- SkIllS DEFICIT
structed and maintained, modern society ply and treatment), wastewater (collection There are two related aspects to the chal-
will not be able to deliver the services that and treatment), transportation, or highways lenge facing rural municipalities concerning
our citizens have come to expect. This skills engineering. Most urban municipal engi- the rural engineering skills deficit — first,
shortage is particularly acute in rural areas, neers feel they are well trained and qualified the municipalities struggle to attract and
which have seen their educated children in their area of responsibility and they are retain civil municipal engineers in the rural
migrate to the cities, but where highly given plenty of opportunity to practice their area; and second, the need to expose young
skilled technical and engineering services discipline with opportunities for ongoing civil engineering students to the life of a
are required in ever-increasing quantity to skills improvements. rural municipal engineer through coop-
provide modern municipal services to the Alternatively, a rural municipal engineer, erative student employment. The CSCE
rural communities. who normally is employed by a small rural believes that the first challenge can most
municipality, is often the only technical effectively be met by addressing the sec-
CSCE INITIATIvE or engineering professional employed by ond challenge. If students are exposed
The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering the municipality and is, therefore, often to the quality of life available to a rural
(CSCE) has initiated a program to address required to be all things to all people in the municipal engineer, they are more likely to
this rural municipal engineering skills organization. The rural municipal engineer choose employment in the rural areas after
shortage. From October 2008 through may be responsible for management of all graduation.
May 2009, interviews were conducted with services delivered to the community—han-
senior professionals who are directly or dling all aspects including the planning, Attracting and Retaining Rural Municipal
indirectly involved in the daily delivery of design, and contracting of capital proj- Engineers
municipal services over a range of types ects, along with management of ongoing The first challenge faced by rural municipal-
of municipal infrastructure. The results of operations, and maintenance. Typically, the ities in attracting graduate civil engineers
these interviews, augmented by a literature rural municipal engineer is also tasked with to the rural area, is to make the individual
search and personal experience have helped reporting directly to the council and the aware of the opportunities and benefits that
to identify specific elements of the “Civil administration, while also dealing directly lie within the life of a rural municipal engi-
Engineering Skills Shortage” facing rural with the citizens and other stakeholders on neer. This can start at the rural high school
and urban municipal governments across a daily basis. The common concern of rural by making local students aware of the great
Canada and to justify the implementa- municipal engineers is that there are many lifestyle available in their hometown.
autOmnE 2010 • l’ingéniEuR CiVil CanadiEn • 9
Another challenge in attracting students Potential Options for Municipal Governments to supported by interviews with current civil
to the rural area is the inability of the Address the “Rural” Skills Shortage engineers working in positions within rural
municipality to adequately compensate the The following, not exhaustive, list pro- municipalities, who have emphasized the
civil engineer due to financial constraints. vides ideas for Municipal Governments many benefits and qualities of their work,
The municipality needs to be able to com- to provide interim and longer-term solu- including a better life/work balance.
municate to the civil engineering student tions to the “Rural” Municipal Skills CSCE is well suited to administer a
the lifestyle benefits and value of choosing Shortage. collaborative internship program for rural
a career in rural municipal engineering and municipal engineering. In the past, the
the benefits of raising a family in a rural • Use of Part-time for Retired Civil CSCE has successfully operated intern-
environment. A lower income may be sig- Engineers ship programs (HRDC Sustainability
nificantly offset by non-monetary benefits • Share Civil Engineers between Development Youth Internship 2002–04).
such as lower housing and transportation multiple Municipalities With support from Infrastructure Canada,
costs and improved healthful living. • Increase the % of women The Province of Nova Scotia and rural
A third challenge is to retain the rural municipal governments, CSCE is working
• Increase the % of immigrants
municipal engineer so that he/she is not to develop and administer a Pilot Internship
lured away once the skills have been devel- • Increase the % of Aboriginals Program for Rural Municipal Engineers to
oped. Initially, the young rural municipal • Increased utilization of CET’s be implemented in 2011 in Nova Scotia.
engineer may be working under the guid- • Promote Job Fairs at High Schools The long-term goal of this program is the
ance of the sole senior municipal engineer etc… implementation of an Internship Program
within the municipality. After a time, rather for Rural Municipal Engineers to be estab-
• Promote the advantages of “Small
than waiting for the senior engineer to lished by CSCE in collaboration with Civil
Town” lifestyle vs. Big City
retire, the young engineer may relocate to Engineering Schools in each province. This
another community where an opening is > stress program will have national scope, with
more readily available. In other cases, the > cost of living funding from all three levels of govern-
young engineer may become bored waiting > commute times ment —federal, provincial and municipal.
for additional responsibilities he/she believes As previously stated, initially the
> family life
are deserved, even though the young engi- Internship Program will be launched as
neer may not yet have amassed the required > responsibility vs. age or a provincially targeted Pilot Internship
skills. The young engineer may also believe experience level Program, in the province of Nova Scotia.
that access to the training required for > diversity of work Once running successfully in Nova
career advancement may not be available. • Promote the “Challenges” facing Scotia, it is intended that the program
Municipal Governments will be expanded to other provinces across
Skills Required for Rural Municipal Engineers:
Canada. n
(Complimentary to Current Civil • Develop programs with Municipal
Engineering Undergraduate Degree) Governments
Based on interviews and literature, the • National Round Table on
following list of skills’ deficiencies has Sustainable Infrastructure NRTSI suite de la page 7
been developed (Innovative Programs & Research
rappelons-nous les propos de l’écrivain et
Funding)
• Project Management éditeur américain William Feather :
• Asset Management and Operations « N’ importe quelle idée est valable si un
homme a la compétence nécessaire et s’ il
• Municipal Finance and Contract
CSCE’S INTERNShIP PROGRAM FOR est prêt à travailler fort. La meilleure idée
Management
RuRAl MuNICIPAl ENGINEERS demeure stérile si son auteur est paresseux
• Communication Skills The CSCE’s Internship Program for Rural et inefficace. »
• Negotiation Skills and Personnel Municipal Engineers is based, in part, on Je me suis engagé à travailler fort,
Management the experience of the medical profession’s avec tous mes moyens et avec votre aide,
• Public Liaison and People Skills Rural Residency Program, wherein it has pour réaliser les objectifs de la SCGC tel
been observed that physicians who do their qu’énoncés dans « Vision 2020 : leadership
residency in rural settings tend to set up en matière d’infrastructures durables ». n
The CSCE’s Internship Program for their practice in rural settings. The CSCE
Rural Municipal Engineers is intended to has agreed to sponsor, in the rural set-
provide cooperative civil engineering stu- ting, a similar Internship Program for Civil
dents with an opportunity to experience the Engineering Students and Graduates, with
life of a rural municipal engineer through a the expectation that such a program will
student placement within a rural munici- increase the number of graduate civil engi-
pality under the mentorship of a practicing neers who will choose a career in rural
Rural Municipal Engineer. municipal engineering. This expectation is
1 0 • Ca na d i a n C i V i l E n g i n E E R • Fa l l 2 0 1 0Research needs in
Civil Engineering
ABSTRACT
As the original, non-military, form of engi- a climate of public scrutiny, of economic
neering, Civil Engineering has evolved sig- constraints, of environmental concerns and
nificantly over the last 200+ years, and limitations, and of sustainability. Yet, while
continues to evolve as the expectations of we continue to meet these expectations with
society change. In response, the foci of innovation and professionalism, we do so
our research needs have also changed and in a political environment, where we do not
continue to change. In structural engineer- “pull the strings”. Typically, we are absent
ing, during my research career, the focus from the corridors of power, so have little
initially was on numerical methods (The political say in how civil infrastructure is
Finite Element Method, now almost con- priorised, implemented, and managed. As
sidered passé), behaviour of steel compo- a consequence, we are often considered as
nents and behaviour of reinforced concrete providing a ‘service’ function, not as the
components, progressing to behaviour of experts who know what is required, and
Fibre Reinforced Plastics, new forms of what is the best way of achieving what
composite systems, and, surprise, heritage is required.
structures. Other areas (seismic engineer- This was highlighted in a recent news
ing, for example) have maintained their report 2 that discussed the problems expe-
focus over this period. rienced by the City of Montreal and its
What is the future for Civil Engineering “crumbling infrastructure”. The article did
research, and how do we continue to attract not discuss the engineering problems asso-
appropriate research monies because, ciated with this crumbling infrastructure,
thomas g. Brown Phd. P.Eng., FCSCE despite being the oldest non-military form and they are certainly manifest, but rather
Professor of engineering, what we do is as impor- the political problems associated with get-
Dept. of Civil Engineering, University of Calgary tant today, if not more so, than it was ting the necessary work accomplished. I
200 years ago? would hazard that there are few, if any,
engineers serving on the relevant urban
CIvIl ENGINEERING TODAy councils —the people who would be in a
Although the systems that are the respon- position to talk confidently of the impor-
sibility of Civil Engineers today, are not tance of the required rehabilitation work.
dissimilar to those that our forebears had This further highlights a growing trend
responsibility for, the societal expecta- in Civil Engineering — the focus on reha-
tions have changed enormously. It has been bilitation: of crumbling infrastructure, of
argued1 that today’s civil engineers need heritage buildings, and of over-utilized sys-
to be equipped to deal with public dis- tems. This stems from a number of sources:
course and the “vulgarization” of technical poor initial construction, poor material
information. We hear more discussion of selection, systems being used beyond their
“sustainability” than practically any other design life and/or design capacity. The
topic, as it relates to civil infrastructure. So solutions can, and will, take many forms,
today, we are still responsible for the plan- but will require innovation and an under-
ning, design, construction, and operation of standing of the systems and materials that
civil infrastructure, and the design and con- were originally used. One would like to
struction of much of the built environment. think that we are better at construction and
However, increasingly, we must do this in the selection of materials today than our
autOmnE 2010 • l’ingéniEuR CiVil CanadiEn • 11Many in structural engineering will
argue that that is what is being done – that
the excellent research in the use of Fibre
Reinforced Plastics addresses much of the
agenda of society as to sustainability; that
eliminating steel in construction should
be a major objective. I disagree. The issue
of deteriorating reinforced concrete due
to steel corrosion (Photograph 1) is often
a result of poor concrete design and place-
ment. The blame should not be directed
to the steel. Our research in structural
engineering needs to address the issue of
sustainability in a holistic way so that new
developments are fully assessed as to soci-
etal, environmental and economic implica-
tions, as well as the structural implications.
Too often we see Doctoral Theses in which
the candidate has no vision as to the poten-
tial applications of their work.
In material research, there is a grow-
ABOvE: Exposed reinforcing steel in recent (< 15 years) concrete.
ing need to understand the compatibility
of different materials. This is particularly
forebears were, but we all can find examples many of the original principles, is not nearly important when we are considering the
of recent construction that is already show- as innovative as was originally envisaged— rehabilitation of infrastructure and the
ing signs of deterioration. society was not ready for the consequences. preservation of heritage structures —
There is another aspect that is receiving As society changes and develops, our In the latter, the use of mortars which, in
significant attention—the issue of sustain- profession is faced with new challenges in themselves may not meet any sustainability
ability. One of the most significant diffi- the design and planning of civil infrastruc- criteria, but, through their application to
culties with sustainability is its definition, ture. There is a growing recognition that a heritage structure, may provide a sus-
and there are numerous definitions cur- civil infrastructure is becoming vulnerable tainable solution. Similarly, research into
rently being used both within the Civil to the impact of a changing climate. The the use of materials in new construction
Engineering profession and elsewhere. United Nations Framework Convention on methods may lead to long-term sustainable
CSCE, in its Guidelines for Sustainable Climate Change (UNFCCC) has created construction — Insulated Concrete Forms
Development3 uses a definition that com- an adaptation fund for use by developing may be one example of this.
bines social, environmental and economic countries to assist them to adapt their infra- Civil Engineers need to engage seriously
principles. Sustainability is being intro- structure (Social, Economic and Physical) in research in Urban Planning and intro-
duced into undergraduate curricula, and, to address vulnerabilities. In the devel- duce the planning and design of transpor-
as a profession, we may have embraced oped world, there are examples of these tation systems, water supply systems and
sustainability, but society is a long way from considerations becoming more common- sewage disposal systems to social aspects
accepting the associated costs and potential place. Engineers Canada5 has developed of urban planning. This should include
changes to the development of our built an infrastructure assessment tool for water, research on the energy footprint of our
infrastructure. wastewater, transportation and building urban areas, where we need to collabo-
As a further example, the City of Calgary infrastructure that identifies vulnerabilities. rate with Architecture and Urban Planning
recently4 went through a long-range plan- researchers to create sustainable solutions
ning process, called Plan-It, to develop a CIvIl ENGINEERING RESEARCh to urban growth. It should also include
plan for the future development of the city Because of the changing pressures on our research on long-term, low-impact and resil-
that would rein in the unfettered horizontal profession, there is an urgent need for our ient designs for urban infrastructure. To
growth of the city. This was based on many research foci to change so that we are better do this, we need to be able to quantify the
principles related to quality of life (social), able to meet the expectations of society and differences in long-term cost and environ-
the transportation impacts (environmental) ensure that the ~$70 billion that is spent mental impact for various forms of urban
and the implications for extended water and annually on construction in this country, growth to be better able to inform decision
sewage systems and the associated expo- is wisely spent. While this is not to say that makers. To some extent, this is already
nentially rising costs (economics). When we should not pursue fundamental research done with respect to transportation, but
initially published, the plan resulted in a in all areas of Civil Engineering, there is the other infrastructure components are
fire-storm of protest, generally led by devel- also a need for research that focuses on the often ignored.
opers. The adopted plan, while maintaining immediate problems of today.
1 2 • Ca na d i a n C i V i l E n g i n E E R • Fa l l 2 0 1 0“Because of the changing pressures on our profession, there is missing is an ability or appreciation among
engineers to do some long range financial
an urgent need for our research foci to change so that we are planning and to present that information
to decision makers. Our work has been
better able to meet the expectations of society and ensure that too focused on building new stuff without
regard for what should be reinvested in
the ~$70 billion that is spent annually on construction in existing infrastructure.
this country, is wisely spent. While this is not to say that we In conclusion, Civil Engineering research
is as important today as it was 200 years
should not pursue fundamental research in all areas of Civil ago, but our research must address much
broader issues than the narrow foci that
Engineering, there is also a need for research that focuses on the we see in much of the research today. It
must address economic and social issues as
immediate problems of today.” well as engineering issues. It must address
issues of sustainability, vulnerability, and
In Transportation research, despite apparent that systems that may be designed resiliency. We must work with practicing
the focus for many years on Intelligent for 50 years are often expected to func- engineers, and municipalities to solve their
Transportation Systems, we see very few tion for 100 years, those that are designed (our) problems.
actual applications of ITS, and yet the for 100 years are expected to function for
potential savings in time and energy 200 years. Partly this is a consequence of ACkNOwlEDGEMENT
resources, and reduction in greenhouse the prohibitive cost of replacement and the The views expressed in this article are those
gas emissions, that might accrue from associated disruption to society. Related to of the author. The author acknowledges
the use of ITS are enormous. Is this yet bridge deck replacement, would a less effi- the excellent advice provided by colleagues
another example of our failure to truly sell cient design with greater concrete cover, or through invited reviews. n
the benefits of the technology? Similarly, a design utilizing better designed concrete,
I have recently been in two jurisdictions have increased the time to rehabilitation REFERENCES
that have invested in roundabouts instead and been a more resilient solution? 1
Perks and Andres, CCE, 27.1, May, 2010.
of traffic lights —why are they not more In construction, the issue of waste (esti- 2
Globe and Mail, July 17, 2010.
widely used? mated as 20% of all construction materials), 3
CSCE, “Entrusted to our Care”,
In water and wastewater engineering, the needs to be addressed. It has been sug- Guidelines for Sustainable
most critical requirement may be the pres- gested6 that the implementation of good Development, 2006.
ence of chemicals that were not previously Project Management practices could reduce 4
City of Calgary, Municipal
present and for which our systems were this significantly. Development Plan, 2009.
not originally designed. New pressures are The whole issue of infrastructure deficit 5
www.pievc.ca
being placed on sewage treatment systems needs more engineering input and what is 6
Hartman, personal communication.
from the new chemicals that are finding
their way into waste systems from toilet-
ries, drugs and other products in everyday
household use. Much research is ongoing in
this area. However, another pressing issue is
the losses within these systems, particularly
in water supply systems. While it is gener-
ally accepted that cities lose 30% of their
water from the distribution system, the
loss can be as high as 40% — a staggering
figure, when everybody agrees that water TM
is the most valuable commodity on earth.
Also related to water is research on how we
can best use the water resources available to
us. Very little water (~3%) is actually used
for drinking water —the balance is used in
household applications that may not require
the same levels of purification. Why not
Engineers and technologists
have dual systems? job offers only.
One issue that needs additional research
is the issue of design-life, and life-cycle con-
sideration for infrastructure systems. It is
www. recrutech.ca
autOmnE 2010 • l’ingéniEuR CiVil CanadiEn • 13Skills Shortage—Fact or Fiction
Reg andres P.Eng., FCSCE
R.V. Anderson Associates Limited
Civil Engineering: Challenges
for the 21st Century
Is there, or is there not a current skills More often than not, two key issues
shortage in civil engineering in Canada? are raised during periods of apparent skill
This question has been raised as a concern shortages. They include the issue of national
in varying degrees for decades. The ebb immigration policies allowing sufficient off-
and flow of the hype and debate of skills shore skilled labour to enter the Canadian
shortages over the past 30 to 40 years par- workforces to address predicted skill short-
allels specific economic trends and drivers falls and secondly, the ability of our edu-
occurring at the same time. By example, it cational institutions to generate sufficient
is not too difficult to recognize the primary graduate engineers to fill long-term needs.
response in Canada to the most recent A review of different statistical studies and
global economic crisis has been to invest in opinion reports over the past 10 years sug-
infrastructure projects designed to stimulate gests there is no common agreement on
the Canadian economy. With the resulting the question of whether we have a national
boom in infrastructure spending is the spin shortfall of skilled labour or not. The fol-
off debate of the engineering and contract- lowing examples of article and report head-
ing capacity in Canada to implement all of lines suggest there is a shortfall, or potential
the projects within the defined timelines. for a shortfall of skilled labour, but several
1 4 • Ca na d i a n C i V i l E n g i n E E R • Fa l l 2 0 1 0sources offer a different point of view and 2010 “Engineering Oversupply to organization and hire new graduates and
thus serve to confuse the issue. Canada over the Past Decade” — build the employee with these attributes.
website of Engineers for Engineers While I believe we have a current skills
2000 “Shortage of trained engineers with a report suggesting recent shortage, I do not believe we have a shortage
looms on horizon” —article by engineering graduates and recent of young graduating engineers—they sim-
Consulting Engineers of Ontario immigrants have been suffering ply need the time to mature and develop.
in Environmental Science & unprecedented problems in finding The current skills shortage in our industry
Engineering employment due to an oversupply of is a legacy of several significant economic
engineers in Canada citing numerous downturns in the 80’s and 90’s where gradu-
2000 “Missing Persons: Generation X and
public reports including CCPE, Stats ating engineers were not hired and followed
the shortage of young engineers” —
Canada, etc. by a period where budget constraints and
editorial in Canadian Consulting
project demands mitigated the ability to
Engineer magazine describing the 2010 “Job opportunities in Canada
take the time to train young engineers. The
challenges of finding young engineers expected to grow as skills shortage
free agent and immigrant engineers need
with 10 years of experience —those returns” —opinion article in website
to be part of the capacity building business
graduating in the early 1990’s but not “Expatforum.com” describing engi-
plan; however, the long-term future rests
working in the engineering field neering as one of those opportunities
with the ability to hire, train and retain
2007 “Current and Future Labour Many of the above references are opinion graduating engineers.
Market Shortages in Canada” — articles and papers. Nonetheless, they serve The challenges that need to be overcome
published background briefing to demonstrate varying interpretations of with some suggested activities if we are to
report from Human Resources statistical data. So, is there or is there not have success in meeting the skills capacity
and Skills Development Canada a skills shortage? This may depend on one’s requirements of the business in the 21st
(HRSDC) suggesting several occu- specific perspective—business area (i.e. con- century include and are clearly not limited
pations are facing labour shortages at struction, consulting, municipal, etc) and to some of the following:
the national level—civil engineering how capacity building has been managed.
was not on this list As a practitioner/owner of a Canadian 1. Ensure the right number and type
consulting engineering company work- of young people select engineering
2009 “National labour shortage will
ing in the municipal infrastructure field, I as a preferred career choice
become part of Canadian eco-
would offer the following “opinion” about • Encourage high school graduates
nomic life” —editorial in Daily
the issues of skills shortages and more to enter engineering programs when
Commercial News referencing three
importantly, about capacity building chal- making career choices—participate
opinions about engineering labour
lenges for civil engineering. in career days at high schools and
shortages including CanaData econ-
Is there a skills shortage? On one level, public schools
omist warning that a shortage of
the answer is yes. As far as I can remember, • Sell engineering as a rewarding career
skilled workers was likely to blunt
we have been seeking to hire new employees choice, demonstrating its importance
the effectiveness of infrastructure
with 5 to 10 years of Canadian consulting to society and challenging young
spending, ACEC president respond-
experience in the design and construction people with the opportunity to make
ing to CanaData opinion noting
of municipal infrastructure systems, excep- a difference in the world
that engineering sector has a lot
tional communication skills and a strong
of available capacity should infra- 2. Ensure engineering education
sense of business in the consulting industry.
structure projects materialize and prepares and develops graduating
We never seem to have enough of these
a study paper by Atlantic Institute engineers for the working world
types of employees, especially with the spe-
suggesting a general labour short- • Continue to develop stronger rela-
cific discipline experience required.
age will become a fact of Canadian tionships between academia and
Our efforts to address this shortage are to
economic life industry to “ground” the curriculum
look for the perfect available “free agent” in
with industry needs and identifying
2010 “Occupations in Demand in the market place with all of these attributes.
research areas, etc.
Alberta, British Columbia It is idealistic, however, to think one can
• Develop problem solvers and social
and Ontario” —website of build the full capacity needs for a business
conscience responsibilities
“ Workingin-Canada.com”, inter- with this approach.
• Re-think the business model for uni-
national immigration and employ- In reality there are two key approaches
versity programs and teaching staff
ment specialists offering a list of or components in a business strategy to
whose success depends so much on
identified occupations in demand address the skill shortages in the indus-
publishing papers
based on Provinces agreement with try—hire the best available “free agent” in
Canadian federal government. The the market place that will, in all likelihood,
current list includes civil engineers require some training time for the techni-
and civil engineering technologists cal, cultural and business aspects of the continued on page 18
and technicians
autOmnE 2010 • l’ingéniEuR CiVil CanadiEn • 15Back to School
J.J. Salinas Phd, P.Eng.
Carleton University
August marks the end of another Canadian When the editors of Canadian Civil
summer, busy with so many activities and Engineer asked me if I would submit a
projects and, of course, holidays. For uni- contribution to this Fall 2010 issue, dealing
versity academics the summer is a produc- with Engineering Education, I thought I’d
tive period of focused research and student share my checklist of activities, in prepara-
supervision, often without immediate or tion for September and the start of another
pressing deadlines. In August, the end of academic year. I have been teaching since
summer, this situation experiences a change 1975 and learning since 1943, and over this
of pace, with more time constraints and a time I have come across a few ideas and
variety of other personal and academic com- thoughts on teaching and learning, that I
mitments related to the upcoming term. would like to share with engineers teaching
August also marks the start of school prepa- engineers. The concepts presented here I
rations for students and teachers. Beginning learned from others, but I take full respon-
mid-month, newspaper fliers and TV ads sibility for their presentation. They are not
start reminding us that school start is fast necessarily espoused or supported by the
approaching and we better start getting all institution where I teach.
those important supplies.
1 6 • Ca na d i a n C i V i l E n g i n E E R • Fa l l 2 0 1 0You can also read
