The only facility of its kind in Canada, the CT Scanning for Civil Engineering and Natural Resources Laboratory houses cutting-edge equipment capable of non-destructively reconstructing a 3D image of the internal structure and texture of an object at submillimetre resolution, all in a matter of minutes. The lab also allows for the dynamic study (in 4D) of solid structures and flowing fluids.
Analyses performed in the lab have applications in fields ranging from geology, forestry, and metallurgy to archaeology, paleontology, petrography, and civil engineering, as well as in the study of dynamic phenomena such as fluid flow and shoreline erosion.
The lab is the only facility of its size in Canada and one of just a handful worldwide. It is located in the INRS Laboratories for Scientific and Technological Innovation in Environment complex at the Québec Metro High Tech Park.
The CT scanner is a medical device modified for the dynamic study of solid structures and fluid flows in 4D using volume data generated from a sequence of images at submillimetre resolution.
The lab is home to:
The SOMATOM Definition AS+ 128 is mounted on a track system specially designed to ensure accurate placement of the acquisition unit. For very large objects, the track can be extended up to 430 cm. The device is equipped with the latest generation of Siemens Stellar detectors.
The maximum image resolution is 97 x 97 x 400 microns/voxel at a slice thickness of 0.4 to 15 mm. The analysis and data storage unit can handle 128 images per second at 512 x 512 voxels. Moreover, the system can function continuously for 80 seconds and can operate at extended HU scale for high density samples.
The fully equipped sedimentology lab houses a Beckman Coulter laser-based particle counter and a Beckman Coulter J6.MI.H.C 6 x 1 litre centrifuge, an oven, a high temperature muffle furnace, digital scales, a vacuum filtration system, a laminar flow cabinet, a vibratory sieve shaker, and a core splitter. An ITRAX Core Scanner is also available at the Geochemistry, Imaging, and Radiography of Sediments Laboratory
Tools for hydraulic, biosedimentology, and hydrology analyses can be used with the CT scanner to perform real-time experiments. These tools include:
The lab’s surveying equipment includes:
The CT Scanning for Civil Engineering and Natural Resources Laboratory is available to INRS Eau Terre Environnement Research Centre faculty, students, and staff for their research projects.
Lab resources and expertise are also available for external collaborations or research and development contracts. Contact us to learn more.
The fields of applications for the lab’s high-precision equipment are many and varied:
The CT Scanning for Civil Engineering and Natural Resources Laboratory is funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and the Government of Quebec.
Louis-Frédéric Daigle
Manager, Research Technician
Phone: 418-650-7411
Email: louis-frederic.daigle@ete.inrs.ca
Mathieu Des Roches
Manager, Research Officer
Phone: 418-654-3798
Email: mathieu.des_roches@ete.inrs.ca
Pierre Francus
Professor and Scientific co-leader
Phone: 418-654-3780
Email: pierre.francus@ete.inrs.ca
Damien Pham Van Bang
Professor and Scientific co-leader
Phone: 418-654-2590
Email: damien.pham_van_bang@ete.inrs.ca
Carole Parent
Partnerships and Research Development Advisor
Phone: 418-654-2531
Email: carole.parent@ete.inrs.ca
CT Scanning for Civil Engineering and Natural Resources Laboratory
Institut national de la recherche scientifique
Laboratory for Scientific and Technological Innovation in Environment
Eau Terre Environnement Research Centre
2605 blvd. du Parc-Technologique
Québec City, Quebec G1P 4S5
Canada