top of page

Short Courses

General Information

  • GeoManitoba is planning 5 short courses to be held on the Sunday before the conference starts.

  • Lunch is included in all full day (8-hour) courses only.

  • Short courses are open to those not attending the conference.

  • The price for full day courses is $450 per participant and $250 for students. 

  • The price for half day courses is $250 per participant and $125 for students.

  • Student participants must provide a valid student ID.

  • Registration will open in March 2025.

Full Day Courses

SC1: Permafrost Engineering: Challenges and Solutions

Instructor:

Guy Doré, Université Laval

​

Description

This course will provide a basic understanding of the context and the challenges related to designing and building different types of structures on permafrost. It will include a description of permafrost and explain why it can be so sensitive to disturbance and why permafrost engineering can be so challenging in a context of climate change. The course will discuss the mechanical properties of frozen, thawing, and thawed soils. Finally, the course will give a few basic considerations and present strategies and principles for the design and management of roads, airstrips and other types of structures built in permafrost environments.​​

​

SC2: Geosynthetics Design Methodologies

Instructors:

Richard Bathurst, Royal Military College / Queen’s University

Sam Bhat, Titan Environmental Containment Ltd. (CGS Geosynthetics Division Chair)

Eric Blond, Eric Blond Consultant (Chair of Technical Committee of Hydraulics of International Geosynthetics Society)

Catherine Mulligan, Concordia University

​

Description

This course presented by the CGS Geosynthetics Division, provides a review of several geosynthetics applications, including the corresponding background information and design methodologies for successful implementation. Section 1 (led by Richard Bathurst) will review the design of geosynthetic mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls and recent developments in the upcoming edition (2025) of the Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code (CHBDC). Section 2 (Sam Bhat) provides the fundamental concepts and design methods for using geosynthetics for base reinforcement and sub-grade stabilization applications with a focus on sustainability aspects. Section 3 (Eric Blond) will review the current practice for testing and designing drainage geocomposites and geotextile filters, considering the recommendations of the current ASTM or ISO design guidance, as well as the new edition of the Canadian Foundation Engineering Manual. The final section (Catherine Mulligan) provides an overview of well-established applications of geosynthetics for environmental applications as well as new developments for surface water and sediment restoration.​

SC3: Bridging Theories and Practice of Screw Piles in Canada

Instructors: 

Hesham El Naggar, University of Western Ontario

Lijun Deng, University of Alberta

​

Description

Pile foundations are used to support a variety of important infrastructure where they are subjected to static and/or dynamic lateral loads. Helical piles and screw micropiles are two pile types for supporting lightly-loaded structures in Canada. This short course will cover a variety of subjects on the research, practice, and design manuals for the pile types. The first half of the course will present past experience from the field investigation, lab research, and design approaches for helical piles. The key take-away points will be the design recommendation for geotechnical and structural capacities of helical piles. It will cover the modeling and experimental research on the seismic performance of helical piles and recommend the best practice of helical piles in seismic zones. The second half of the course will present the research and design practice of screw micropiles, an emerging pile type for a variety of applications such as building foundation remediation. The course begins with field research on screw micropiles and then proposes an optimum design approach of micropiles based on soil mechanics, torque, or in-situ soil test results. The course will also describe the inclusion of this pile type in technical manuals such as those published by the Canadian Construction Materials Centre, a division of NRC.

SC4: GeoStudio at Work: Modelling Case Studies

Instructors: 

Kathryn Dompierre, Seequent

Jenna Roadley, Seequent

​

Description

This session provides an introduction to both 2D and 3D stability, seepage, and consolidation modelling in GeoStudio. Four case studies will be presented by the geotechnical engineer from industry that led the project modelling. This will include in depth discussion on the workflows, lessons learned, and specific modelling features utilized. Following each case study, the corresponding numerical modelling workflow will be presented so attendees can follow along in GeoStudio. The case studies will represent a wide range of projects including riverbank stability, large-scale civil works, waste storage, and mining infrastructure.  

Half Day Courses

SC5: NBC 2020 Seismic Site Response Analysis

Instructors: 

 Trevor Carey, University of Toronto

​​​

Description

This course reviews the National Building Code of Canada (NBC) 2020, released in March 2022, focusing on how seismic site effects are considered. Seismic Site Response Analysis (SSRA) approaches will be presented that produce seismic hazard values consistent with how the NBC 2020 seismic hazard values are generated. Ultimately this course will provide improved understanding of how to properly evaluate a site’s seismic classification and the implications of the classification on design, construction, and cost. 

bottom of page