Research | Queen’s University Canada

Design vs. Nature: Building Infrastructure to Withstand Environmental Disasters 

Design vs. Nature: Building Infrastructure to Withstand Environmental Disasters 

Dr. Katerina Genikomsou talks about shear failure and its role in the collapse of buildings during environmental disasters, advocating for civil engineers to play a role in the construction of networks of resiliency in design provisions.

Interviewee Name: 
Dr. Katerina Genikomsou
Topic: 
Design vs. Nature: Building Infrastructure to Withstand Environmental Disasters 
Podcast: 
Blind Date with Knowledge, Season 2, Episode 11
Interviewed by: 
Barry Kaplan
Air date on CFRC: 
November 28, 2018
Episode length: 
15:53
Academic areas: 

Dr. Katerina Genikomsou is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering. She is a member of the American Concrete Institute, the American Society of Civil Engineers, la Fédération international du béton, and the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering. Her research on the maintenance of built infrastructure and the development of new sustainable materials and processes has global and local implications in potentially improving the lifespan of structures, particularly during environmental disasters. 

In this episode, Dr. Genikomsou discusses her research on shear failure and its role in the collapse of buildings during environmental disasters, such as which occurred in Ottawa in September 2018. She also advocates for civil engineers to play a role in the construction of networks of resiliency in design provisions. This would assist engineers in considering such aspects as the effects of climate change and the needs of community members. 

Please visit the Department of Civil Engineering for more information about Dr. Genikomsou's research.

Design vs. Nature: Building Infrastructure to Withstand Environmental Disasters 

Season 2: Episode 11