BCEE

Centre

d’Études sur le

 Bâtiment (CÉB)

 

   

 

Centre

for Building

Studies (CBS)

 

The Centre for Building Studies (CBS) is a research centre whose goal is to conduct research that contributes to the building construction industry and that leads to buildings that are more energy efficient, comfortable, healthy, safe, and responsive to their inhabitants.

For further information please contact the Director of the Centre for Building Studies: Dr. R. Zmeureanu.

Contents

Mission Statement

The Centre for Building Studies is a research centre constituted of members who share a common interest to carry out research to contribute in the building construction industry and whose concerted actions lead to the betterment of the building (products, processes and performance), culminating in definitions for buildings of the future. These buildings will be more energy efficient, comfortable, healthy, safe and responsive to inhabitants with innovative combination of traditional and advanced construction materials as well as intelligent controls. The design of these buildings will concentrate on total performance over their life cycle by using computer-aided techniques that take into consideration factors such as wind, noise, solar energy, pollutants, and occupancy; their construction will be safe, efficient and economical.

Objectives

  • To identify research needs in the building industry and conduct the fundamental and applied research required.
  • To foster multidisciplinary collaboration for the advancement of knowledge of buildings.
  • To document and disseminate research results and interact with industry and government to ensure that these results are speedily put to use; to cooperate in the production of standards, building code provisions, and patents.

Main Activities

  • To develop and operate special experimental and computational facilities to support the research programs of the Centre.
  • To carry out activities by promoting, facilitating or co-ordinating graduate students’, and other researchers’ work in the following areas:
    • improving building components and systems, and the processes by which buildings are designed and constructed
    • documenting the performance of buildings, their subsystems, and materials
  • To gather, develop, and disseminate information to industry and government in a manner useful to the owners, designers, contractors, building managers, manufacturers, and users of building products and facilities (e.g. through seminars and short courses); to assist in product evaluation and certification.
  • To cooperate with industry in collaborative research projects such as those involving product development or improvement, energy conservation in buildings and, more generally, optimal use of sustainable technologies in buildings; to provide technical assistance in problem solving for all involved in the building industry.

CBS Report 2002 - 2008
Appendix A - List of publications
Appendix B - Announcements of M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. theses defence
Appendix C - eSIM 2002 Conference


A Brief History of the CBS

The Centre for Building Studies was originally established as an academic unit in 1977 to conduct research in building engineering and to administer educational programs developed as a result of this research initiative. The research program in the Centre was initially funded through a Negotiated Development Grant obtained from NRC (now NSERC) by a group of researchers in Civil Engineering; funding for a Masters program was obtained by the same group from the Ministry of Education of Quebec.

For the subsequent twenty years the CBS maintained strong external and internal support to develop a complete gamut of educational programs in building engineering (BE), an extensive laboratory complex, a body of faculty and researchers of international stature and a new community of building engineers.

In 1997 the CBS and the Department of Civil Engineering (CE) were restructured into the Department of Building, Civil & Environmental Engineering to administer the academic programs in BE and CE. The CBS remains an active research centre within the Department and continues to act as a knowledge generating engine for the discipline of building engineering. In cooperation with industry, government agencies, and other institutions, the Centre continues to make significant contributions to the planning, design, construction, operation, and renovation of the built facilities and to participate in the development of educational programs for the Department.

 
 Centre for Building Studies
 Research in Building
   Engineering
 Building Envelope
 Building Environment
 Building Materials
 Mechanical Systems & Control
 Energy Efficiency
 Wind Effects
 Construction Engineering
  and Management
 CBS Members
 CBS Members List
 Research Centres
 Research Centres List
 Conferences
 Conferences List