The Queen’s community is remembering Ivan Campbell, Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering, who passed away Jan. 5 in Kingston at the age of 83.

Dr. Campbell graduated from Queen’s University Belfast with a PhD in 1967. He then moved to Canada where he worked for the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario as a Structural Engineer until he joined the Department of Civil Engineering at Queen’s University in 1972. He specialized in concrete and prestressed concrete structures, including applications of fibre reinforced polymers (FRPs) for prestressed concrete.

Dr. Campbell taught a wide range of structures-related courses at Queen’s, including solid mechanics, structural analysis, prestressed concrete design, and advanced reinforced concrete structures. His prestressed concrete course, in particular, prepared graduates to work in bridge and structural design in concrete, especially because the course included direct contact with industry through site visits and guest lectures as well as a challenging design project.

In his research, Dr. Campbell was a pioneer in concrete bridge design in Canada. He made advancements in shear design, unbonded post-tensioned concrete girders, and prestressing with fibre-reinforced polymers (FRPs). He was a key contributor to the pioneering effort for the first Ontario Highway Bridge Design Code (OHBDC) with contributions in concrete design and bridge vibrations. The OHBDC was a landmark development for Ontario and Canada because it was the first stand-alone bridge code in Canada, which has ultimately led to the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code (CHBDC).

Dr. Campbell also collaborated with the Urban Transit Development Corporation (UTDC) in Millhaven, now owned by Bombardier Transportation, and developed a new cross-tie system for their linear induction motor (LIM) propelled systems (such as the SkyTrain in Vancouver). With the development of new space-age materials for the construction industry in the 1990s, he started to research FRP prestressing applications for concrete members. Based on his extensive expertise, he was the co-author of the first American Concrete Institute design guideline for prestressing with FRPs.

Dr. Campbell was Head of the Department of Civil Engineering at Queen’s from 1990 to 1995 after serving as Graduate Coordinator. During his tenure as Head, he started a new Environmental Engineering option, and initiated a review of the undergraduate curriculum to make it more relevant to the needs of industry. The changes to the curriculum that eventually resulted from this work innovatively integrated professional and communication skills throughout the program to create well-rounded graduates.

He was a Fellow of both the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) and the American Concrete Institute (ACI).

Dr. Campbell will be remembered as a wonderful colleague and mentor to many colleagues and former students.

“Ivan was a truly wonderful man, without whom I probably would never have chosen the professional path that has brought me so much happiness and satisfaction since I first met him now more than a quarter century ago,” says Luke Bisby, Chair of Fire and Structures at the University of Edinburgh and a former student of Dr. Campbell. “I don’t think I could point at anyone who has had a greater influence on my teaching, and in particular on my understanding that all our students really want is our time, and our attention, and our genuine caring about their positive outcomes.”

An obituary is available online through the James Reid Funeral Home.