The International Marketing Intelligence (IMI) service provides timely and targeted research and supporting services to enterprises of all sizes that are actively considering expansion to international markets.

Our primary goal is to assist small and medium-sized enterprises commercializing and expanding their sales internationally by providing relevant business and market intelligence in countries and regions of interest. Read More →

This project focuses on developing cost-effective systems for the implementation of thermally broken concrete slabs for residential mid/high-rise construction.

Background

Traditionally, concrete balconies in mid/high-rise residential buildings are designed as an extension to the floor slab, constructed as a one or two-way reinforced concrete slab cantilevered out past the building’s exterior wall.

Without a thermal break, the balcony easily conducts heat, causing a significant amount of heat loss in the winter, leaving the floor slab and window-wall assembly considerably cooler than the interior temperature, and resulting in condensation.

If not properly controlled, materials eventually start to degrade, reducing the integrity and safety of the structure, and even compromising the indoor air quality from mold growth.

Our Research

• This project includes experimentally investigating different forms of thermal insulation materials and different types of rebar and then performing thermal testing and analysis, and structural testing on these materials. BETAC is providing the laboratory space for casting samples and the environmental chambers needed for the thermal testing.
• The main project team includes the College, the University of Manitoba, Crosier Kilgour & Partners and SMT Research.

Status

The first phase of this project started in June, 2016, and is due to complete in August, 2017. The completion of phase two is to be determined.

Red River College will be home to a new Smart Factory and will expand its Centre for Aerospace Technology and Training (CATT), as part of a $10-million investment over the next five years by Western Economic Diversification Canada. Read More →

A set of hockey sticks used by members of the Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose have been given new life at the Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre (WASAC), where they’ll be used by local youths dreaming of becoming the next Mark Scheifele or Jocelyne Larocque. Read More →

Airport areas are leveraging multi-modal connectivity to become ‘Innovation hubs’ for today’s smartest initiatives, writes Chris LeTourneur, president and CEO of MXD Development Strategists, on the Airport World magazine website.
Red River College is listed as a key player, among other international examples, for our collaboration with StandardAero along with other aerospace companies and organizations.
Read the full piece here.

Red River College hosted the first of several meetings this July 16 as planning gets underway for a pan-Canadian hydrogen fuel cell bus demonstration and integration trial begin spearheaded by the Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC).
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The objective of this project is to investigate and assess the energy efficiency, effectiveness, and performance of vertical, sloped and horizontal DWHR systems for MURB applications. BETAC will be working with Gary Proskiw, Manitoba Hydro, and Manitoba Housing on this project.

Background

Drain-water heat recovery (DWHR) systems recover heat from a building’s wastewater and use it to preheat the fresh incoming water, thereby reducing the overall domestic hot water (DHW) load.

All new Part 9 (residential) construction in Manitoba, as part of the province’s review of Section 9.36 of the National Building Code (other than for houses with slab-on-grade or crawl space foundations), now require a DWHR system. Their introduction into mid/high-rise multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs) has been extremely limited.

Our Research

The majority of information and testing available for DWHR performance was developed for vertical installations. However, the accessible portions of the drain lines in MURBs are predominately horizontal or sloped at 45°.

• Therefore, BETAC will conduct a series of laboratory trials to evaluate the heat recovery performance of typical DWHR units installed in vertical, horizontal and sloped (45°) configurations with the use of Red River College’s plumbing workshop.
• Surface temperatures and in-line temperatures will be monitored to permit better correction between the two variables for use in future field screening applications.

For this project, BETAC is working with Manitoba Housing on three case studies for three sets of “twin MURBs” (pairs of multi-unit residential buildings that have identical size, floor area and floor plans) located in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Background

One building from each pairing has undergone an extensive building retrofit and the other building pairing remains in its original condition.

Our Research

These case studies will document the pre- and post- retrofit energy performance of the buildings, as well as review each set of buildings to identify the extent of the renovations to each building, and their associated timelines.

This project involves BETAC working alongside Manitoba Hydro and Manitoba Housing to monitor the energy usage of Donwood Manor – a 119-unit personal care home located in North Kildonan that recently completed major upgrades to its building envelope and mechanical systems (heating, cooling and ventilation).

Our Research

• Energy models for both the pre-retrofit and post-retrofit design were developed to determine how the new building changes would contribute to the overall building energy profile.
• Sensors, meters, and gauges will be installed this summer to monitor, measure, and verify the energy and water performance of the building for at least one continuous year.
• Finally, a comparative analysis of the modelled energy usage and the actual energy usage of the building will be performed.

Results

Findings from this project will be of benefit to others in the building industry; therefore, a presentation of these results will be developed to share at industry association meetings, seminars, and speaking engagements (e.g. Manitoba Building Envelope Council, Building Energy Management Manitoba, Manitoba Chapter of the Canada Green Building Council, ASHRAE Manitoba Chapter), and events such as the annual Better Buildings Conference in Winnipeg.