Kelly Lowry awarded the 2023 Undergraduate Report Award (Individual) – 1st Prize by the CGS

Kelly Lowry, who graduated with a BA in Civil Engineering in June 2023, has been awarded the 2023 Undergraduate Report Award (Individual) – 1st Prize by the Canadian Geotechnical Society (CGS) for his exceptional 4th-year research report titled, “Factors affecting axial and lateral load transfer of hollow fibre-reinforced polymer piles in soft clay”, under the supervision of Professor Mohammad Rayhani.

The prestigious award includes a $1000 prize and will be presented to Kelly on October 2nd during the CGS Annual Conference – GeoSaskatoon 2023.

His report explores using fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) as a material for pile foundations by further advancing research done at Carleton University that previously saw a series of small-scale load tests conducted on hollow carbon-fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) and glass-fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) piles in Leda clay. In recent decades, FRP has gained interest in the piling industry due to its ability to resist the negative effects of water exposure and aggressive soils. Most studies have focused on concrete-filled FRP tubes, while hollow FRP piles have received far less attention. In order to quantify the performance of FRP as a piling material on its own, Kelly developed a numerical model using the finite element method to simulate the load tests done at Carleton and used experimental data from interface shear tests to model the pile-soil interaction. This allowed him to carry out a parametric study where he investigated the key factors affecting load response of hollow FRP piles.

Kelly’s research emphasizes the significance of the number of FRP layers on loading behavior, the influence of inner tube soil height on axial load response, and the minor effect of fibre orientation under lateral load conditions.

Upon completing his degree, Kelly chose to return home to Regina, SK to begin his engineering career at Clifton Engineering Group Inc. Having completed four summer-student work terms with Clifton, he was thrilled to join their team full-time and take on the new position of Geotechnical Engineer-in-Training. He has been gaining excellent experience in the field and is currently working on a soil-bentonite slurry cutoff wall project for the tailings management area (TMA) of a potash mine in Saskatchewan.

Apart from his academic and professional journeys, Kelly enjoys various activities and community work. Having played four seasons with the Men’s Varsity Soccer Team at Carleton as well as trialing with various clubs in England, Kelly hopes to share his knowledge and experiences with the next generation of young soccer players in his province. In addition to soccer, Kelly enjoys working out at Evolution Fitness, a local gym he supports, and is also an active member of Regina’s Greek Orthodox community where he is involved with the church’s youth group. In his spare time, he enjoys staying up to date on current events and has developed an interest for Canadian politics.

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering wishes Kelly continued success in his future endeavors!