Research and development in advanced sustainable infrastructure, green buildings and building envelopes.
The CARSI facility is the first dedicated research lab at a college in Manitoba. CARSI is focused on the research and development of sustainable infrastructure technologies, with an overall aim of lessening the impact of civil infrastructure and buildings on our natural environment. CARSI supports initiatives to utilize recycled materials in infrastructure, and to improve the life cycle of structures. It also advances the green building industry by initiating research projects to improve the energy performance of buildings, particularly in cold climates. The equipment available in CARSI supports structural, building envelope, and materials research (concrete, building envelope, and asphalt) activities.Red River College’s new Building Envelope Technology Access Centre will be operating out of the CARSI facility.
- Structural testing
- Building envelope testing
- Air leakage testing
- Infrared thermography
- Environmental chamber testing
- Materials thermal testing
- Concrete and asphalt properties testing
- Non-destructive testing
- Aerospace and satellites
- Clean technology
- Construction (including building, civil engineering, specialty trades)
- Education
- Energy
- Environmental technologies and related services
- Manufacturing and processing
- Policy and governance
Specialized labs and equipment
| Equipment | Function |
|---|---|
| Dual Environmental Chambers | Side-by-side chamber configuration with common wall and removable section for building component or material research; independently controlled chambers |
| MTS Structural Equipment | Structural dynamic test system, compression and tension structural testing; static and low-cycle fatigue testing |
| Removable Wall Section | Removable exterior wall section incorporated into CARSI building that utilizes actual climatic conditions for thermal and lighting properties testing |
| Strong Floor | Testing of large structural members |
| Neubrex NBX-6040 | Non-destructive structural temperature and strain-sensing system |
| Weather Stations (2) | Gathers localized climatic data as needed for research projects |
| Retrotec Blower Door Fans | Full system for conducting large building air leakage tests |
| Infrared Camera | Thermal analysis of buildings |
| Video Boroscope | Wall inspections and investigating anomalies in building envelope |
| Air, water and structural test chamber | Wall assembly testing for air and water leakage, and structural deflection under simulated wind loads |
| Infrared camera | Camera for infrared thermography applications in buildings, particularly for building envelopes |
| Portable Smart-Lab | Portable lab for testing of air leakage in windows and doors |
Private and public sector research partners
- SMT Research
- Vector Construction
- Antex Western
- Proskiw Engineering
- Southern Comfort Mechanical
- Cornerstone Housing Corporation
- Solar Solutions
- Manitoba Hydro
- University of Composites Innovation Centre
- National Research Council
- Industrial Research Assistance Program
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Additional information
| Title | URL |
|---|---|
| CFI Building Smarts – i2eye with Red River College and Manitoba Hydro. | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwnOzr3ZQj0&feature=player_embedded |
| Red River College exploring air leakage in Manitoba buildings. | http://blogs.rrc.ca/ar/2012/11/red-river-college-exploring-air-leakage-in-manitoba-buildings/ |
| AR&C installs energy monitors on new building. | http://blogs.rrc.ca/ar/2012/05/arc-installs-energy-monitors-on-new-building/ |
| Architectural Engineering/Technology students present applied research projects. | http://blogs.rrc.ca/ar/2012/04/architectural-engineeringtechnology-students-present-applied-researc… |
| Red River College hosts 2nd Air Barrier Rodeo Workshop. | http://blogs.rrc.ca/ar/2012/01/red-river-college-hosts-2nd-air-barrier-rodeo-workshop/ |
| BETAC Picks up where SITRG left off. | http://blogs.rrc.ca/ar/2015/10/betac-picking-up-where-sitrg-left-off/ |