With extensive expertise researching the effects of ice and waves on ships, structures and shorelines, we are a leader in developing and evaluating tools and technologies for harsh marine conditions. Using numerical modelling tools, field investigations, and world-class model test facilities - including two ice tanks, five wave basins and three flumes – we are creating safe, efficient and sustainable solutions to engineering challenges in marine and arctic environments.
Services and information
Facilities
- St. John's facilities
- Refrigerated material test laboratory (cold test labs)
- Towing tank (200 m × 12 m )
- Offshore engineering basin (75 m × 32 m )
- Ice tank – 90 m (90 m × 12 m )
- Cavitation tunnel
- Design and fabrication facilities for models and precision instrumentation
- Thermal lab and manikin
- Ottawa facilities
- Coastal wave basin (63 m × 14.2 m )
- Multidirectional wave basin (26 m × 36 m )
- Large area basin (47 m × 30 m )
- Ice tank – 21 m (21 m × 7 m )
- Large wave flume (97 m × 2 m )
- Steel wave flume (63 m × 1.4 m )
- High-discharge flume
- Hydraulics laboratories
Research programs
Research projects
Applications and tools
- Canadian Arctic Shipping Risk Assessment System (CASRAS)
- Blue Kenue™ hydraulic modelling software
- Green Kenue™ hydrologic modelling software
Technical and advisory services
- Marine performance, evaluation and optimization services
- Ocean energy technologies
- Wave and turbulence modelling
- Operability (fuel consumption, emission abatement)
- Sea-keeping, resistance and propulsion
- Operation in harsh environments engineering & human factors
- Ship model correlation
- Model and full scale trials
- Ports and harbours
- Offshore oil and gas facilities
- Coastal structures and developments
- Ice technologies and services
- Data mining
- Field work
- Numerical models
- Physical modelling
- Water resources modelling services
- Hydrological modelling
- Hydraulic and hydrodynamic modelling
- Water quality modelling
- Hydro energy resource assessment
- Environmental decision support systems
- Water resources data integration
Collaboration centres
Technology licensing
- Protection from large-scale ice spalling vibrations
Why work with us
We collaborate with industry, academia and government to identify, adapt, and integrate advanced solutions that improve the performance and safety of ocean, coastal, and marine operations, meet the challenges of climate change, and protect infrastructure, property and people from severe weather events and other environmental risks.
Our engagement models:
- Research
- Collaborative research
- Physical and numerical modelling
- Technical and advisory services
- Fabrication
We work with ocean, coastal and river engineering partners in Canada and internationally:
- Research organizations
- Government departments
- Universities
- Small and medium sized enterprises
- Multinationals
Contact us
Martin Richard, Director, Research and Development
Telephone: 709-772-8750
Email: Martin.Richard@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
Our experts
Research publications
- Image-based measurement of wave interactions with rubble mound breakwaters
- A screening method to quantify the economic viability of off-grid in-stream tidal energy deployment
- Numerical modelling investigation of low-water levels at the PCA mill intake, Upper Rainy River
- A framework for integrating life-safety and environmental consequences into conventional Arctic shipping risk models
- Flexible watershed simulation with the Raven hydrological modelling framework