News & Events

Department Events

Events

Jan
19
SPREE Seminar - Megan McKellar
McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering
11:00 AM
EVENT DETAILS
Remote
Physical Modelling of Tailings Dam Breach: Exploring Overtopping following a Seepage Failure
ABSTRACT:
The international mining industry has experienced significant tailings dam failures in recent history creating a heightened awareness for the hazard posed by tailings storage facilities (TSF). This has illustrated the need for a more critical examination of tailings dam breach mechanisms and the potential mobility of liquefied tailings. However, much uncertainty still exists in the breach and runout analysis for TSF as available empirical-statistical runout methods are limited and commonly used breach analysis models were developed primarily for water-retaining dams.
Meg’s presentation titled “Physical Modelling of Tailings Dam Breach: Exploring Overtopping following a Seepage Failure” will begin by highlighting the importance of the outflow hydrograph (the time rate of outflow during a breach event) as a boundary condition into many flood routing numerical models that inform inundation maps and emergency preparedness plans. Through her research, Meg has conducted several physical models within the large flume at Queen’s University to quantify and compare breach outflow hydrographs following the loss of containment caused by a hydrotechnical failure (i.e. overtopping at a low point of the dam crest) to that experienced after geotechnical failure (i.e. seepage failure of the downstream slope caused by the closure of a toe drain). Preliminary outcomes suggest that, for the conditions tested, both mechanisms generated a similar value of peak outflow but had significantly different time to breach initiation.
Meg will also share some outcomes in matching her physical models of seepage failure to seepage analyses performed in finite element software. Using the pore pressure data and measured geometry of the dam from her physical models, Meg was able to closely replicate her results in GeoStudio to generate an understanding of the stability of the dam as failure progressed. Continued evolution of this work will occur over the next two years as she aims to increase her working database for its continued use in calibrating and validating numerical models built for the case of tailings. Meg will also introduce her next phase of research, where the newly implemented instantaneous release gate within the large flume at Queen’s University will aid in the study of liquefaction to generate an understanding of the mobilized volume of material. Her presentation offers an excellent example of how a multi-institutional collaboration is necessary to tackle complex problems by bringing together a team of researchers conducting physical and numerical modelling, with lessons learned from field-case studies of tailings failure, to improve upon current practice in tailings breach and runout analyses.
BIO:
Megan McKellar (Meg) is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Civil Engineering at Queen’s University working to further understand the initiation, breach, and runout processes of tailings storage facilities through large-scale physical models of tailings dam geometries. This work, supervised by Dr. Andy Take, is part of the wider industry sponsored CanBreach research project in collaboration with the University of British Columbia (Dr. Scott McDougall), the University of Waterloo (Dr. Steven Evans), and five industry partners: Imperial Oil Resources Ltd., Suncor Energy Inc., BGC Engineering Inc., Klohn Crippen Berger, and Golder Associates Ltd. The group of academics and industry partners at CanBreach have a focused purpose to equip engineers and dam practitioners with tools, like numerical simulations, to help manage the risk associated with tailings storage facilities. Through an integrated approach to research, the CanBreach team combines physical and numerical modelling with field and remote observations to provide a detailed exploration of the hydrological and geotechnical issues surrounding tailings dam breach and runout.
more less
TIME Wednesday, January 19, 2022 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Stephanie Lukas    stephanie.lukas@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering
Sep
8
Welcome & Breakfast for New McCormick PhD Students
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
9:00 AM LR2 & Tech East Plaza, Technological Institute
EVENT DETAILS
Enjoy a welcome from Dean Christopher A. Schuh and other McCormick leaders, and receive a Northwestern Engineering T-shirt. A free light breakfast on the Tech East Plaza will follow.
more less
TIME Monday, September 8, 2025 at 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
LOCATION LR2 & Tech East Plaza, Technological Institute    map it
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Andi Joppie    andi.joppie@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
Sep
10
CEE Department BBQ
McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
4:00 PM Dawes House
EVENT DETAILS
TBA
more less
TIME Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
LOCATION Dawes House   
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Sep
12
New Undergraduate Fall 2025 Registration
University Academic Calendar
All Day
EVENT DETAILS
New Undergraduate Fall 2025 Registration
more less
TIME Friday, September 12, 2025
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Office of the Registrar    nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR University Academic Calendar
Sep
12
New Graduate Student Orientation
McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
9:00 AM M345, Technological Institute
EVENT DETAILS
TBA
more less
TIME Friday, September 12, 2025 at 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
LOCATION M345, Technological Institute    map it
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Sep
15
Welcome & Luncheon for New Full-time Graduate Students
McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
11:00 AM Ryan Auditorium & Tech East Plaza, Technological Institute
EVENT DETAILS
Enjoy a welcome from Dean Christopher A. Schuh and other McCormick leaders, and receive a Northwestern Engineering T-shirt. A free lunch on the Tech East Plaza will follow.
more less
TIME Monday, September 15, 2025 at 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
LOCATION Ryan Auditorium & Tech East Plaza, Technological Institute    map it
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Andi Joppie    andi.joppie@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
Sep
16
Fall Classes Begin. Change of Registration (Drop/Add) Late registration for returning students begins
University Academic Calendar
All Day
EVENT DETAILS
Fall Classes Begin. Change of Registration (Drop/Add) Late registration for returning students begins
more less
TIME Tuesday, September 16, 2025
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Office of the Registrar    nu-registrar@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR University Academic Calendar
Sep
24
SPREE Seminar
McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
11:00 AM A230, Technological Institute
EVENT DETAILS
TBA
more less
TIME Wednesday, September 24, 2025 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Sep
26
EES Seminar- Levia Straka
McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
2:00 PM A230, Technological Institute
EVENT DETAILS
TBA
more less
TIME Friday, September 26, 2025 at 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Sep
29
AED-MPM Seminar
McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
11:00 AM A230, Technological Institute
EVENT DETAILS
TBA
more less
TIME Monday, September 29, 2025 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Oct
1
SPREE Seminar
McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
11:00 AM A230, Technological Institute
EVENT DETAILS
TBA
more less
TIME Wednesday, October 1, 2025 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Oct
3
EES Seminar- Hee-Deung Park
McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
2:00 PM A230, Technological Institute
EVENT DETAILS
TBA
more less
TIME Friday, October 3, 2025 at 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Oct
6
AED-MPM Seminar
McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
11:00 AM A230, Technological Institute
EVENT DETAILS
TBA
more less
TIME Monday, October 6, 2025 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Oct
8
SPREE Seminar
McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
11:00 AM A230, Technological Institute
EVENT DETAILS
TBA
more less
TIME Wednesday, October 8, 2025 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Oct
10
EES Seminar- Benjamin Barrios Cerda
McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
2:00 PM A230, Technological Institute
EVENT DETAILS
TBA
more less
TIME Friday, October 10, 2025 at 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Oct
11
CEE Career Fair
McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
9:00 AM Louis Room, Norris University Center
EVENT DETAILS
Civil and Environmental Engineering Career Fair.
more less
TIME Saturday, October 11, 2025 at 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
LOCATION Louis Room, Norris University Center    map it
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Oct
13
AED-MPM Seminar
McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
11:00 AM A230, Technological Institute
EVENT DETAILS
TBA
more less
TIME Monday, October 13, 2025 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Oct
15
SPREE Seminar
McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
11:00 AM A230, Technological Institute
EVENT DETAILS
TBA
more less
TIME Wednesday, October 15, 2025 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Oct
17
Jimmy Quon Lecture: Valorizing Gas Streams Containing CO2 and CO- Bruce Rittman
McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
2:00 PM A230, Technological Institute
EVENT DETAILS
Abstract: Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most important greenhouse gas, and carbon monoxide (CO) is acutely toxic. Release of these gases must be halted. One promising approach is microbiological valorization of CO2 and CO in off-gas streams. Valorization means converting the CO2 or CO to valuable organic compounds that are feedstock for the chemical and energy industries. This talk describes two distinctly different examples of valorization. The first example is valorizing the CO2 in digester biogas using photosynthetic microalgae. The benefits are to generate more methane (CH4) while converting the biogas (~65% CH4) to higher-value biomethane (>97% CH4). The second example is conversion of syngas (a mixture of CO, CO2, and hydrogen (H2)) to organic acids and alcohols using CO-fermenting and chain-elongating bacteria.
Bio: Dr. Bruce E. Rittmann is Regents Professor of Environmental Engineering and Director of the Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology at Arizona State University. His research focuses on the science and engineering needed to “manage microbial communities to provide services to society.” Services include generating renewable energy, cleaning water and soil, and improving human health. Dr. Rittmann is a member of the National Academy of Engineering; a Fellow of AAAS, WEF, IWA, AEESP, and NAI; and a Distinguished Member of ASCE. Dr. Rittmann was awarded the first Clarke Prize for Outstanding Achievements in Water Science and Technology from the NWRI, the Walter Huber Research Prize and the Simon Freese Award from ASCE, the G.M. Fair Award from AAEES, the Perry L. McCarty/AEESP Founders Award, and the Camp Applied Research Award from WEF. He is the co-winner of the 2018 Stockholm Water Prize. Dr. Rittmann has published over 880 journal articles, books, and book chapters, and he has 25 patents. With Dr. Perry McCarty, Dr. Rittmann co-authored the textbook Environmental Biotechnology: Principles and Applications (McGraw-Hill Book Co.), which is now out in its second edition.
more less
TIME Friday, October 17, 2025 at 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Oct
20
AED-MPM Seminar
McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
11:00 AM A230, Technological Institute
EVENT DETAILS
TBA
more less
TIME Monday, October 20, 2025 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Oct
22
SPREE Seminar
McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
11:00 AM A230, Technological Institute
EVENT DETAILS
TBA
more less
TIME Wednesday, October 22, 2025 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Oct
24
EES Seminar- Adductomics: A New Tool in the Exposomics Toolbox- Bill Funk
McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
2:00 PM A230, Technological Institute
EVENT DETAILS
TBA
more less
TIME Friday, October 24, 2025 at 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
Oct
27
AED-MPM Seminar
McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
11:00 AM A230, Technological Institute
EVENT DETAILS
TBA
more less
TIME Monday, October 27, 2025 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
LOCATION A230, Technological Institute    map it
ADD TO CALENDAR
CONTACT Andrew Liguori    andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
 
1
of 3