Versatile Mechanical Tester to Characterize the Performance of Engineering Materials for Sustainable Northern Resource Development

所要求的多功能机械测试仪为北不列颠哥伦比亚省新工程学院（成立于2020年）的至少六名研究人员及其HQP提供必要的基础设施和培训设施。在北方气候和自然资源开发中遇到的各种岩土、木材、水利、结构和管道工程问题中，该测试仪将允许对工程材料的性能进行量化。机械测试仪配备了压痕和划痕功能，声发射和三维成像传感器，以及多个环境室，提供了独特的多功能性，以满足申请人和用户的要求。(1)地能提取：本研究重点研究岩石蠕变变形特征，这对于评估页岩气和深层地热能开采的长期水力裂缝导流能力至关重要，特别是在BC省北部。岩石蠕变特性的改进量化将有助于水力压裂中更好地选择增产参数。(2)工程木材：本研究将太赫兹技术扩展到工程木材无损评价的新应用，包括隐蔽界面检测和非接触强度测量。所要求的工具为木制品工业中新的太赫兹应用的有效性提供独立验证，从而提高其工业使用的技术准备水平。(3)寒区水力学：本研究提高了对北方气候条件下水工建筑物周围河床冲刷的认识。所要求的工具可以精确量化冰盖的状况及其对桥墩附近局部冲刷过程的影响。研究成果将通过考虑冰覆盖的影响来改进桥梁设计的指导方针。(4)恶劣环境下的基础设施：这些研究旨在提高工程材料的性能，包括用于恶劣环境下基础设施的混凝土、钢材、木材和管道。该工具将用于量化工程材料在各种载荷（如循环、动态、蠕变）和低/高温条件下的变形、强度和摩擦，这有助于基础设施的弹性。所要求的机械测试仪的使用将大大提高我们在广泛的工程学科中评估各种材料性能的能力，这将提高支持可持续资源开发的北方社区工程活动的效率和安全性。本科生、研究生和博士后都将接受有关设备的培训，为他们提供与保护公众健康和环境直接相关的材料测试和数据分析方面的宝贵技能。

The requested versatile mechanical tester supports an essential infrastructure and training facility for a minimum of six researchers and their HQP in the new School of Engineering (established in 2020) in Northern British Columbia. The tester will allow for quantifying the performance of engineering materials in a wide range of geotechnical, timber, hydraulic, structural, and pipeline engineering problems encountered in the northern climate and in natural resource development. The mechanical tester is equipped with indentation and scratch functions, acoustic emission and three-dimensional imaging sensors, and multiple environmental chambers, which provides a unique versatility to meet the requirements of the applicants and users. The specific engineering pursuits are: (1) Geo-energy extraction: This research focuses on characterizing the creep deformation of rock, which is essential for evaluating the long-term hydraulic fracture conductivity in shale gas and deep geothermal energy extraction, particularly in Northern BC. The improved quantification of rock creep behaviours will allow for a better choice of stimulation parameters in hydraulic fracturing. (2) Engineered timber: This research expands THz technology to new applications in the non-destructive evaluation of engineered timbers, including concealed interface inspection and non-contact strength measurements. The requested tool provides independent validation of the efficacy of new THz applications in the wood products industry, thus improving their technology readiness levels for industrial use. (3) Cold region hydraulics: This research advances the knowledge on riverbed scour around hydraulic structures in northern climates. The requested tool allows accurate quantification of the ice cover's conditions and its influence on local scour processes near bridge piers. The research outputs will improve guidelines for bridge design by considering the impact of ice cover. (4) Infrastructure in harsh environments: These studies aim to improve the performance of engineering materials, including concrete, steel, wood, and pipes used for infrastructure in harsh environments. The requested tool will be used to quantify the deformation, strength, and friction of engineering materials in various loading (e.g. cyclic, dynamic, creep) and low/high-temperature conditions, which contributes to the resilience of infrastructure. The use of the requested mechanical tester will substantially improve our ability to evaluate the performance of various materials in a wide range of engineering disciplines, which will improve the efficiency and safety of engineering activities in the northern communities that support sustainable resource development. Both undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows will be trained on the equipment, providing them with valuable skills in material testing and data analysis that is directly related to the protection of public health and the environment.