of underground infrastructure. To
accomplish this, trenchless technologies
such as horizontal directional drilling
(HDD) and others are increasingly being
applied. However, these are still not
mature technologies, and there many
unknowns, especially in cold climates.
Edmonton and northern Alberta are
well known for expertise related to
these emerging technologies, and it
makes sense to draw on this industry
expertise and have an organization
with a strong emphasis on advancing
trenchless technologies located at the
University of Alberta.
How has the current pandemic
situation affected your work
and/or research initiatives?
Have you had to implement any
creative solutions?
AB: Fortunately, there are many aspects
of our current research projects that can
be carried on remotely while COVID-
19 limits activities at the University of
Alberta campus. We continue to have
regular internal meetings and collabo-rate
with industry partners, and these
have been shifted to interactions online.
Recently, on-campus research activities
have also resumed in the laboratories,
with appropriate safety measures to
minimize the risk of spreading the virus.
There has been some loss of opportu-nities
for field work throughout this
summer; however, there is never any
shortage of research projects to keep the
whole team busy.
In terms of our educational activities,
some workshops have been postponed,
but we are also actively investigat-ing
opportunities for holding interac-tive,
highly engaging educational events
online. As a team of engineers and
researchers, we are constantly address-ing
risks and challenges, and we are
used to finding new ways to do things.
I am proud of the way that our research
teams have adapted and, in some cases,
even increased productivity during
this time.
What keeps you fulfilled
in your work?
AB: Research is most rewarding
when it brings practical solutions to
real-world problems. I have found
research initiatives to be at their best
when they are based on long-term
collaborations. In long-term relation-ships,
trust is developed between the
industry and researchers. The ongoing
discussions and interactions – about
the research results, challenges faced
in the field and life in general – lead
to practical solutions that enhance the
ability of industry to address prob-lems,
whether that is in pavement
engineering, road construction or
trenchless technologies.
What do you like to do when you
aren’t working?
AB: My activities as a researcher don’t
often seem like work, since my collab-orations
with industry partners at IRRF
and CETT are exciting and reward-ing,
personally and professionally.
However, I have a family and really
enjoy downtime with my wife and two
young daughters. This summer, I’ve
done a lot of biking with my girls in
the river valley and spent a lot of time
enjoying the outdoors in Edmonton. n
Q&A
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