SAIT student part of team nominated for ASET Capstone award

Times Photo Submitted. Tony Ly (left) with his team.

By Heather Cameron
Taber Times
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Taber-born Tony Ly is part of a former team of SAIT civil engineering is part of a former team of SAIT civil engineering technology students who have been nominated for the prestigious 2024 ASET Capstone Project of the Year Award, an award that is given out annually by the Association of Science and Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta (ASET).

“Our Capstone Project is called the City of Calgary Graphene Sidewalks: Graphene Reinforcement for Sustainable Sidewalks. It focused on using graphene reinforcement in concrete mixes as an alternative to current concrete sidewalk mixes in Calgary,” said Ly. 

The goal of the project, Ly says, was to prove that graphene reinforcement is a viable alternative to current concrete mixes, as Graphene-reinforced concrete has been known to increase compressive and flexural strength, and has other unique capabilities, such as increased water impermeability.

“I feel that it is a great honour for our team to be nominated for this award, and it makes me really happy that all our hard work paid off and we are able to get some recognition for our efforts,” said Ly. “We were all extremely excited when we heard the news! After six months of research, planning, and testing, learning that we were named a finalist proved that our efforts have made an impact and that is something we are proud of.”

After originally considering Lethbridge Polytechnic for his education, Ly says, he ultimately elected to attend SAIT due to timing and the fact that his sister gave SAIT a lot of praise. 

“In the second year of our SAIT civil engineering technology program, we had to produce a Capstone Project,” said Ly. “My former teammate, Derrick Leung, used to commute by foot to campus and had noticed how cracked the sidewalks were. We decided to pursue a project that investigated incorporating graphene in concrete mixes to make the concrete more durable and less prone to cracking. “

After recently graduating from SAIT with a diploma in civil engineering technology, Ly started working as an associate designer for the civil/structural/architectural (CSA) department at a leading engineering and construction company where he will be utilizing different software to create models and drawings for projects. Due to his new job, Ly says, he resides in Calgary, and it’s a much larger community than his birthplace of Taber, so he is still developing a sense of community, but his family is supportive.

“I have lived in Calgary for about two years,” said Ly. “I was born in Taber and lived there until I was five years old. Then, my family moved to Lethbridge, and I lived there for 25 years. My family is very proud of what I have been able to accomplish and are happy I am doing well in this industry. I am someone who is very family focused. Even though I live in Calgary now, I still come down to Lethbridge to visit family every other week. I would say that my life motto is something I learned from my family and that no matter how difficult or overwhelming a situation or problem is, there is always a way to handle it. This has always allowed me to centre myself when facing challenges and allowed me to succeed.”

Ly feels that being nominated alongside his team for the 2024 ASET Capstone Project Award is a great milestone in his career and also highlights all of the work he and his team put in working together over the years of studying together. Ly also believes it will open the doors to other new and exciting projects that he could work on.

“The winner of the 2024 ASET Capstone Project of the Year Award will be announced later this autumn,” said Ly. “I am excited for what the future holds in this industry and the different projects I will be a part of. I hope to get more involved in projects that have a positive impact on the communities they are in. I believe no matter what you do in life, they are all valuable experiences that help mold you into a better person. My first job was in a factory and that taught me discipline and hard work. My second job was in the bank and that taught me how to connect with people better. Now, with my current career, I hope to learn many more lessons. I would say my best advice is to be brave and try things outside of your comfort zone. You never really know how things will turn out unless you try them.”