Shawn Kenny

Biography

Shawn Kenny Associate Professor in Geomechanics and Associate Director of the Ottawa-Carleton Institute for Civil Engineering Degrees: B.Eng., M.Eng. (Memorial University), Ph.D. (Dalhousie University), P.Eng.

Research Interest

My research is focused on assessing the effects of geohazards on the mechanical performance of energy pipelines located in cold regions and harsh environments. The geohazards addressed have included ground subsidence, long-term slope instability, frost heave, thaw settlement and ice gouging. The pipeline mechanical performance has been evaluated for serviceability and ultimate limit state conditions with respect to global instability, damage, fatigue life, local buckling and post-buckling response. The development of project specific design criteria incorporated within strain based design methodologies has been significant outcomes from these studies. The use of laboratory tests to advance constitutive models, and physical models to verify computational simulation tools, with an emphasis on finite element methods, are key elements of this engineering framework. My current research examines the integration of remote sensing technologies (e.g., satellites, UAV) within engineering tools supporting the asset management of civil infrastructure with a focus on the effects of geohazards and climate change. Other research expertise is in the fields of impact engineering and ice mechanics.