technology work. Instead he stayed on, paid the bills and worked his way up the ladder. Janes founded Resonance Technology International (RTI) in 2003 while completing his MBA at Simon Fraser University. Finally, the mechanism is emerging from the development stage, he says. The first eight machines were “betas,” but the firm is moving to the next stage with eight more currently in production. drilling is a bigger departure from other equipment. The low ground disturbance allows drilling or driving adjacent to sensitive structures, such as railroad trestles or historic structures, and in urban areas where vibration is a growing concern. Looking back, Janes says he enjoyed all of his work experience, including R& D. He will never stop, he says, he “loves what he is doing.” He continues to research aspects of Janes has “formidable intelligence,” combined with an appetite for problems, numerical or conceptual. Right now, RTI’s resonant drills are driving the business and Janes figures the cash flow will support his resonant pile driver work. The drills are doing so well, he thinks, because of the current acceptance and preference of the industry for sonic drills. The environmental benefits of the resonant drill are many, among them low ground disturbance which translates to low soil displacement, an advantage for gather- ing soil samples for environmental screen- ing. RTI’s drills are an improvement on a known technology, while resonant pile resonant technology, such as investigating calculating pile capacity via resonant measurements. This requires a large data- base of tested piles to reinforce and confirm observations and theories. Janes can envi- sion over 50 years of future applications for the equipment, such as soil or asphalt densification, rock breaking and crushing. The potential is unlimited, in his opinion. Janes’ devotion to his ideas while succeeding at his professional career bespeak a man with extraordinary talent and commitment. Peter van Engelen calls his boss at RTI a “visionary,” adding that he has “never met anyone able to instill confi- dence…the way Matthew does.” His emp- loyees are so “inspired by his vision that they work 120% every day,” says van Engelen. The Renaissance Man at Home Janes works a herculean work schedule, spending about three days each month in the Toronto office of Isherwood, and the rest of his time in Vancouver at RTI, with his staff of seven. He works seven days a week, but needs little sleep, he says. The list of his interests is very broad and includes furniture-making and sculpture, along with his many work responsibilities. He and his wife, a naturopathic doctor, have three children, a 14-year-old, 6’3” son, an honors student and football player, and two daughters, 8 and 12 years old. The older daughter excels at lacrosse, soccer, math and science, and is his budding engineer. His youngest child is an avid ballet and tap dancer who loves shoes. Matthew and his wife exclaim proudly, “We have three children, one of each.” Virginia Fairweather Read the previously published article, “Resonant Pile Diving Success at Canadian Timber Trestle,” from the Summer 2010 issue of Deep Foundations. 40 • DEEP FOUNDATIONS • NOV/DEC 2012
