ACEC Engineering - Issue 1537

ACEC-BC AWARDS 2019 2019 ACEC-BC AWARDS FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE

FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE

www.acec-bc.ca @ACECBC ACEC-BC AWARDS Meritorious Achievement Award

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Client of the Year Award

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Young Professional Award

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Buildings

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Municipal & Civil Infrastructure

4–5

Transportation & Bridges

5–6

Energy & Industry

7–8

Natural Resource & Habitat

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Soft Engineering

9–11

Projects under $2.5 million

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LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR’S AWARD New Solutions for Safe Water in Remote Communities | Consultant: WSP Canada Group Ltd. – Page 9

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE E

ach year the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies of BC (ACEC-BC) is honoured to recognize engineering excellence at our annual Awards Gala. The exceptional work of our members is represented this year by the 41 project submissions from 23 member firms in collaboration with project owners and contractors. The project portfolio includes work with municipalities, the Province of BC, First Nations as well as other Canadian and global owners. This work exists in more than 30 locations around the world, and demonstrates the outstanding contributions our members make in safeguarding the health and welfare of citizens, protecting the environment, and building community.

The impact of consulting engineering is omnipresent; we exist amongst extraordinary examples of innovative thinking, foresight and planning, and deep understanding of the interactions between our built and natural environment. We rely on the expertise of consulting engineering companies to provide safe shelter, drinking water and transport solutions, to connect us electronically and physically, and to improve our access and experience with services.

Connecting people is a significant theme of this year’s project portfolio. Some – like the Cloudraker Skybridge and Raven’s Eye Cliff Walk at the peak of Whistler Mountain – give visitors a chance to experience the awesome beauty of British Columbia’s natural environment from a bird’s eye perspective. This project – delivered by Morrison Hershfield

Ltd – brings people from all over the world together for a once in a lifetime experience suspended high above the Whistler Bowl.

Other projects focus on building connection within our communities. Those connections may be literal – like the Okanagan Rail Trail and the Mosquito Creek Spirit Trail through the Squamish Nation territory in North Vancouver – or figurative, like the City of New Westminster’s BridgeNET Open Access Telecom Network. In Port Coquitlam, ISL Engineering and Land Services worked to transform a brownfield site into an ecological nature preserve. The new park boasts a walking trail and diverse natural habitat. The transformation provides space for local residents and students at neighbouring schools to spend time together outside, and creates diverse habitat for wildlife.

These projects help to highlight that sometimes small works have big impact on our lives, and how collaboration between communities and project delivery teams can foster innovative solutions.

Like many remote communities, the people of the Tl’azt’en Nation have no access to clean drinking water. Traditional engineering solutions were not feasible in the region, so WSP Canada and the RES’EAU-WaterNET partnered to develop an organic material treatment system. The project resulted in deployment of a full-scale pilot plant that allowed a 14year boil water advisory to be lifted. While this outcome was in and of itself remarkable, the project team’s use of the Community CircleTM

approach was an outstanding example of how consulting engineering firms support community engagement beyond the technicalities of project delivery.

While we celebrate these collaborations, we are also proud to recognize the contributions of individual practitioners. This year we recognize Ausenco’s John Sherstobitoff with the ACEC-BC Meritorious Achievement Award.

A recognized leader in seismic engineering, John is known for his use of new technologies to solve difficult problems. He is a co-author of the Seismic Retrofit Guidelines for BC Schools, and a key participant in the Ministry of Education’s seismic mitigation program. He has led a number of projects that have been recognized locally, nationally and internationally with industry awards.

David Ellis of McElhanney Consulting Services is the recipient of the 2019 ACECBC Young Professional award. Since joining McElhanney in 2011 David has demonstrated strong technical and leadership skills, delivering a number of high quality, innovative projects. He has been actively involved in engineering community activities through ACEC-BC, ACEC-Canada and other organizations. He has also demonstrated a strong commitment to giving back to the community, providing a positive influence on students and youth.

Ultimately, outstanding projects do not happen without the will and support of our clients. This year, ACEC-BC recognizes the City of Kelowna with the Client of the Year award.

The City of Kelowna is recognized for their collaborative approach to working with the consulting engineering community. This has resulted in better communications, improved procurement processes, mutually agreeable terms of reference for Requests for Qualifications and Requests for Proposals, and improved consultant performance evaluation and debriefing processes.

ACEC-BC is proud to recognize the work of our members and their partners. Congratulations to all of our nominees, and thank you for joining us in celebration.

Caroline Andrewes, President & CEO ACEC-British Columbia

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2019 ACEC-BC AWARDS FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT AWARD John Sherstobitoff, P.Eng., Ausenco Engineering Canada Inc.

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he ACEC-British Columbia Meritorious Achievement Award recognizes an individual consulting engineer for outstanding contributions to the engineering profession, the industry and the community.

The recipient of this prestigious award in 2019 is John Sherstobitoff, P.Eng., Ausenco Engineering Inc. After graduating from UBC in 1978 and obtaining his MS from the California Institute of Technology in 1980, John joined Sandwell (now Ausenco). His early career in the industrial, pulp and paper, and oil and gas sectors helped him garner experience in vibration control and seismic engineering locally and around the world. He saw the benefits of combining these areas of expertise and, in the late 1980’s, established a seismic engineering business within Sandwell. This led to the award of a major seismic upgrade project for

Britannia Secondary School, then rated as the number one at-risk school in BC. In the years that followed more than 250 seismic upgrade and assessment projects, including many that introduced new technologies and design approaches to the Canadian market.

John has participated in post-earthquake reconnaissance missions around the world, including Northridge, California (1994), Kobe, Japan (1995), and Chile (2010), presenting his findings to the engineering community, at universities, in the media and at conferences.

John has pioneered the use of new technologies in solving seismic engineering challenges in Canada, and his projects often incorporate ground-breaking solutions. He has been a key participant in several initiatives for BC schools, including the Seismic Retrofit Guidelines for BC Schools, the Ministry of Education’s $2 billion seismic migration

program, and the installation of Earthquake Early Warning instrumentation for many schools and public buildings. He has led a number of projects that have been recognized locally, nationally and internationally with industry awards.

Despite his heavy work schedule, John has always made time to volunteer and participate in external associations including ACECBC, the Structural Engineers Association of BC, Canadian Association of Earthquake Engineering, Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (BC Chapter), and various National Building Code of Canada committees.

John continues to advocate for more resilient earthquake design and building upgrades, especially using base isolation and supplemental energy dissipation techniques. This includes his role as Lead Structural Engineer assessing a base isolation concept for a major

government building complex in Ottawa, and an invitation to join the City of Vancouver’s Seismic Policy Advisory Committee.

CLIENT OF THE YEAR AWARD City of Kelowna

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ith a service population of over 120,000, the City of Kelowna is the single largest employer in the Okanagan Valley, providing a variety of services to keep the citizens of Kelowna safe, happy and healthy every day.

Over the past five years the City’s annual capital budget has ranged from 50 to 100 million dollars and annual building permits issued amount to more than 500 million dollars making the City a key economic contributor.

In 2015, the ACEC-BC City of Kelowna Liaison Committee was established. From the outset, this committee has facilitated

dialogue between the consulting engineering community and the City Infrastructure and Procurement Departments, with the shared goal of improving engineering service delivery within the City.

The City’s participation in this committee promoted a collaborative relationship with the consulting engineering community and resulted in the following key successes: ■Implementation of a qualifications-based selection (QBS) process for consultancy services.

■Participation in annual events with broad representation by City staff, promoting communication with the consulting engineering community; ■Consistency in consultant selection process throughout City departments;

■Improved engineering consultancy procurement practices; ■Development of mutually agreeable terms of reference for Request for Qualifications and Request for Proposals; ■Regular dialogue regarding upcoming projects and opportunities with the City; and ■Improved consultancy performance evaluation and debriefing processes.

Following on these successes, the City’s Development Department initiated a Consulting Engineer Liaison committee specifically focused at improving communication with the land development engineering community.

This committee successfully served to: ■Provide input to planned development bylaw changes; ■Facilitate dialogue between by-law

officers, the Development Planning Department, and consulting engineers; and ■Inform consulting engineers of the City’s development application process, drafting standards and by-law review process.

The active dialogue and positive working relationships developed between the City and the consulting engineering community allowed the City to respond dynamically to overcome challenges related to the Okanagan flooding events of 2016, and to secure and implement a grant funding opportunity for over 50 million dollars of water system infrastructure improvements.

The City’s efforts over the past five years have been exemplary, resulting in the City becoming the client of choice in the Okanagan Valley.

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL AWARD David Ellis, P.Eng, McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd.

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he ACEC-British Columbia Young Professional Award recognizes an individual young professional who has demonstrated excellence in consulting business practices, outstanding achievements in their applicable fields, and leadership in the community.

This year’s award recipient is David Ellis, P.Eng., McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd. During his nearly nine years in the industry, David has shown tremendous growth in terms of his contributions to the engineering community, development of his leadership abilities, and in delivering high-quality, innovative projects. After working for Associated Engineering and Kiewit, David’s career with McElhanney began in 2017, as an Intermediate Bridge Engineer. Since then, David has worked on a variety of projects in several different roles, ranging from Coordinating Professional Engineer (CPE) to Project Manager.

David leads McElhanney’s internal Young Professional program this year as companywide chair, where he works alongside senior leaders as part of the Executive Committee.

An accomplished structural engineer, David is also an active member of McElhanney’s building and bridge technical discipline groups. Evidence of David’s technical and leadership skills is shown by his involvement in many engineering community initiatives, complex project undertakings, and thorough understanding of engineering business processes.

He prides himself on excellent client relationships, which is demonstrated by consistent positive feedback. David has represented McElhanney at the 2017 and 2018 ACEC Canada Summits in Ottawa, the Consulting Engineers of Alberta (CEA) YP Conference in 2016, and was a key member of the Local

Organizing Committee for the 2017 IABSE Symposium, a conference with over 800 delegates.

David is a dedicated volunteer, and the current Chair of ACEC-BC’s Provincial Steering Committee for the Young Professionals Group. David is also a Young Professional representative on the ACEC-BC/MoTI Joint Bridge Subcommittee and a member of the Transportation Committee-at-Large. David also demonstrates a keen interest in providing a positive influence on students and youth, and has volunteered with EGBC’s Science Games and Geering Up! Consultant’s Contraption, and 2018’s Christmas Toy Drive for 1UP Single Parent Resource Center in Victoria.

David is an inspiration to the YP community, sharing his knowledge while effectively delegating. He is a solid teammate, a willing

teacher, and will no doubt continue to positively influence the consulting engineering industry.

Welcome

new ACEC-BC members!

www.acec-bc.ca

Clark Builders www.clarkbuilders.com Flatiron Constructors Canada Limited www.flatironcorp.com Peter Kiewit Sons ULC www.kiewit.com

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2019 ACEC-BC AWARDS FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE

BUILDINGS

AWARD OF MERIT

3 Civic Plaza | credit ZGF Architects

University of Northern British Columbia Wood Innovation Research Laboratory Consultant: Stantec

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

3 Civic Plaza Consultant: Fast + Epp Structural Engineers

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Civic Plaza is an iconic 53-storey building consisting of a mixed-use office and residential tower attached to a 20-storey hotel. The traditional concrete core was dispensed with, and replaced with shear wall ‘spine’ in the long direction and ‘bookend’ shear walls in the short direction of the buildings. This high-rise was just as economical to construct as a traditional core building, and enjoys efficient and functional layouts.

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he University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) Wood Innovation Research Laboratory is Canada’s first Passive House certified university educational building. Stantec provided Building Performance, Mechanical, Electrical and Civil Engineering for this project, working closely with Stantec Architecture. Passive House is one of the most demanding energy performance standards in the world with consumption targets orders of magnitude below conventional construction practice.

Celebrating

20 YEARS Since 1999, Collings Johnston Inc. (CJI) has delivered critical Canadian infrastructure projects while providing industry-leading, technically-focused management advice.

As we mark 20 years of success, CJI is pleased to announce several organizational changes and a growing service offering.

Josh Lock,

David Collings,

Katie Nichols,

Ian Rokeby,

BEng, MATS Associate

MSc, PMP Managing Principal

MEng, CMIT, APMP Associate

PEng, MBA Principal, Major Projects

Josh provides risk management expertise and advocates for disciplinary integration and value-based decision making.

David builds and leads Katie leads the technical teams on development and major construction implementation projects. He provides of project independent oversight management of procurement systems for and delivery. complex portfolios.

With over 30 years of experience, Ian provides senior leadership and oversight on major highway, port and transit projects.

Kim LeDoux Office Manager

Brie Hemingway,

David Crozier,

BDes Analyst

MBA BSc Associate

Kim manages the Brie manages David provides administration of communication capital planning CJI’s Vancouver between project advice and office and provides teams, partners facilitates project management and stakeholders. collaborative support and She distills complex partnerships across coordination information into jurisdictions. services. concise reporting.

collingsjohnston.com

David Collings has been appointed Managing Principal, responsible for operations and business development.

Ian Rokeby continues in his role as Principal, Major Projects, leading important client assignments.

Founders John Collings and Robin Johnston continue to support the firm as senior advisors.

We would also like to recognize our expanding team of Associates serving in project leadership roles.

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2019 ACEC-BC AWARDS FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE BUILDINGS 1515 Douglas and 750 Pandora - Urban Renewal Consultants: AES Engineering Ltd. and Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd.

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515 Douglas and 750 Pandora were designed to meet the demand for new office space and to be a community anchor in Victoria’s downtown core. Not only were these goals met, but a new community standard was established with this LEED® Platinum project. With its clever engineering and breathtaking rotunda, the project has acted as a catalyst to urban renewal, attracting many high-profile new businesses.

Illuminating the Future of Emily Carr University of Art and Design Consultant: WSP

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s part of the public-private-partnership team Applied Arts Partners, WSP provided electrical engineering services, including security and lighting design, for the new 290,000 square foot, purpose-built Emily Carr University of Art & Design. Incorporating flexible design and state-ofthe-art technologies, the new campus meets the needs of a diverse student body and a broad range of programs.

Thompson Rivers University Industrial Training and Technology Centre Consultant: Stantec

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hompson Rivers University Industrial Training and Technology Centre was built as the basis of trades programming, paving the way for the university to train more students for in-demand technology and trades professions. Stantec provided innovate energy-efficient design solutions for the mechanical and energy systems.

MUNICIPAL & CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Dual Use Detention Centre / Sports Field Consultant: McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd.

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AWARD OF MERIT

Shedding Light on Greater Vernon’s Water System – An Innovation in UV Disinfection Consultant: WSP Canada Group Ltd.

cElhanney worked with Qualico Developments to create a stormwater detention system for the Township of Langley. McElhanney provided a non-traditional, sustainable solution where the system was installed in tanks, below the park’s two sports fields. Combining two facilities–the park and detention system–used less land with less impact on the surrounding area. It is one of the largest underground stormwater detention systems in North America.

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105 Connector and Hawthorne Rotary Park Improvements Consultant: Aplin & Martin Consultants Ltd.

Marine Drive at the Beach Consultant: ISL Engineering and Land Services Ltd.

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05 Connector and Hawthorne Park Improvements connects two thriving communities with roadworks, utilities, wildlife habitat, and an array of public amenities. At the core of the project, an extensive wetland feature and water quality pond are introduced to Hawthorne Rotary Park.

This project saw the use of new construction materials and innovative sustainability features, converting a once orphaned space, into a key recreational feature.

BridgeNET Open Access Telecom Network Consultant: Great Northern Engineering Consultants

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NEC rose to the challenges of bringing municipal-owned city-wide communication infrastructure to the 160-year-old City of New Westminster, by applying years of experience with other municipal fibre optic design and installation projects. Their team of engineers and technologist were able to blend typical planning and construction techniques with innovative approaches that ultimately resulted in site-specific, portable methods to apply successfully throughout the City.

he Regional District of North Okanagan needed an innovative approach to reduce public health risks for their water system. Facing challenges of working outside of conventional regulatory and water treatment practices, aggressive grant funding timelines, and logistical and constructability risks, WSP successfully delivered a $7 million solution to their $30 million problem – getting the 179 million litre per day UV Disinfection Facility out to market on-time and on-budget.

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he project goal was to reduce maintenance and future replacement costs by eliminating pump stations and reconfiguring system operations. ISL’s innovative approach to installing new gravity sewers included the use of all-terrain rock drilling to reach great depths and inaccessible locations. This project resulted in the decommissioning of two existing lift stations, which were then retrofitted as manholes for a new gravity sewer system, as well as the replacement of three other lift stations.

Front Street Sewer Upgrades Project Consultant: Parsons

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o accommodate the Lower Mainland’s increased sewage demand, Metro Vancouver retained Parsons as the prime consultant to provide design services and technical advisory services during construction to connect the Front Street Pressure Sewer to the New Westminster Interceptor. The project was completed ahead of schedule, before the commissioning date of Metro Vancouver’s new Sapperton Pump Station, helping to accommodate the demands of the Lower Mainland’s growing population.

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2019 ACEC-BC AWARDS FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE MUNICIPAL & CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE Campbell River Water Supply Centre Consultant: Stantec

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tantec was retained to design and provide project management services for the construction of two major water infrastructure components crucial to the City of Campbell River: a 3.5km long and 1200mm diameter steel water transmission line installed on Highway 28, connecting

John Hart Lake to the city; and a new facility housing vertical turbine pumps and water treatment components. This is now known as the Campbell River Water Supply Centre.

TRANSPORTATION & BRIDGES AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Bridging the Hudson: Main Span Design of the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge Consultant: COWI

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he Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, a vital link over the Hudson River north of Manhattan, replaces a bridge that was plagued by deteriorating concrete and high traffic volumes. COWI completed the design and erection engineering of the cable-stayed main span for the twin structure and, for the first time on a major bridge in North America, completed the service life design using probabilistic methods.

Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge - credit New York State Thruway Authority

How does the City of Vancouver 2018 Parking By-law Update help achieve the goal of becoming the "Greenest City in the World"?

Adding value.

Delivering results.

Mining | Power | Water | Infrastructure | Oil & Gas Integrated engineering and environmental solutions to help you achieve more.

The City’s bold leadership in linking specific, evidencebase parking supply reductions to Transportation Demand Management (TDM) measures is a first in BC. Policies are based on North America-wide research and includes a customizable and quantifiable TDM Plan.

A reduction in parking supply and an increase in TDM options results in more active and shared travel choices, and this makes for a healthier and more liveable City. Indeed, we are on our way to becoming the "Greenest City in the World".

Bunt & Associates was proud to work with the City on this major step towards achieving its vision. | bunteng.com

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2019 ACEC-BC AWARDS FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE TRANSPORTATION & BRIDGES AWARD OF MERIT

Slide. Freeze. Build. The replacement of the Fort Nelson River Bridge Consultant: McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd.

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he Fort Nelson River Bridge needed a superstructure replacement and substructure retrofit.

Considering the site’s remoteness and extreme weather, McElhanney used innovative and sustainable means to complete the $35 million project. Some of the project’s dramatic feats included the slide of the existing superstructure onto temporary pier extensions for use as a traffic detour, and the use of an ice bridge for construction.

Proximity Enabled Access Entrances (PEAE) Consultant: AES Engineering Ltd.

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he Proximity Enabled Access Entrances are a novel technology – no other transit authority possesses a fully automated, touchless through gated system. TransLink engaged Hyperlight Systems, AES Engineering, Read Jones Christoffersen and VIA Architecture to develop this technology in order to make the transit system accessible to all users.

Mosquito Creek Spirit Trail - The People’s Path Consultant: Associated Engineering (B.C.) Ltd.

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he Mosquito Creek segment of the Spirit Trail is an active multi-use path comprising Canada’s first sub-sea level walkway, a bridge, and lookout platform. Associated Engineering employed a collaborative approach involving an integrated team of design and construction professionals, the City of North Vancouver, and the Squamish Nation. The successful implementation of the Spirit Trail creates a sustainable pathway that supports a diverse, livable community.

Metrotown Skytrain Station Consultant: Fast + Epp Structural Engineers

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ransLink embarked on an ambitious upgrade and expansion of Metrotown Skytrain Station to meet the growing needs of the community. The result was a fully modernized station which has more than doubled in length from 80 metres to 200 meters, with all work being achieved while the station remained fully operational. The public response to their newly upgraded station has been overwhelmingly positive.

Regina Bypass Project Consultant: Parsons

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arsons served as lead designer and a 25 percent stakeholder in the joint venture delivering the $1.3 billion Regina Bypass Project. The largest infrastructure project in Saskatchewan’s history and the first delivered via public-private partnership, the scope included design, financing, construction, and operations/maintenance for a 30-year period. The new Regina Bypass improves local agricultural transport, reduces truck traffic on city streets, and increases safety.

Seismic Safety Retrofit of Cowichan River Bridges Consultant: Parsons

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arsons provided all engineering services for the seismic safety retrofit of the Cowichan River East and West Bridges on Vancouver Island. Both bridges required seismic retrofitting to bring them up to current design standards. Parsons accomplished this through an innovative and costsaving approach using seismic isolation bearings. Through comprehensive, refined structural analysis and careful planning, the project was completed without incident, on time, and under budget.

10th Avenue Corridor Project - Health Precinct Consultant: SNC-Lavalin

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0th Avenue through the Health Precinct between Oak and Willow Streets is a unique street in Vancouver, and a major regional health care destination. Recently, the experience for all users of 10th Avenue has declined as the street has become busier. SNC-Lavalin assisted the City with design services to preserve many of the trees and existing features while improving accessibility for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles.

Highway 97 Six Laning, Highway 33 to Edwards Road Consultant: SNC-Lavalin

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he Highway 97 Six Laning project corridor, in the City of Kelowna is a nationally important primary arterial route serving regional and long-distance travel, freight terminals, rapid bus transit and heavy trucks. The project team overcame many design constraints and challenges to provide safety and mobility improvements to a constricted section of highway experiencing peak period congestion and higher than average collision rates.

Okanagan Rail Trail Consultant: Urban Systems Ltd.

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n 2016, the City of Kelowna, District of Lake Country, Okanagan Indian Band, and Regional District of North Okanagan embarked to develop the Okanagan Rail Trail. Urban Systems led, designed, and oversaw construction of this multi-disciplinary, high-profile project. Supported by the community with $7.68 million in donations and grants, this new Okanagan gem impacts the local community economically, socially, and culturally.

Johnson Street Bridge Replacement Project Consultant: WSP Canada Group Ltd.

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hen it was time to replace the historic Johnson Street Bridge, the City of Victoria selected WSP to provide project management, design and construction administration services. The largest single leaf bascule bridge in Canada, the replacement bridge is an engineering marvel that provides improved community connections, seismic resiliency, and marine access to Victoria’s Inner Harbour while respecting the heritage of the “Blue” bridge it replaced.

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2019 ACEC-BC AWARDS FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE

ENERGY & INDUSTRY

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

John Hart Generating Station Replacement Project Consultant: SNC-Lavalin and BC Hydro

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he John Hart Generating Station Replacement Project is Canada’s first P3 project in the hydropower sector. Located in Campbell River, British Columbia, the $1.093 billion replacement project creates a more reliable, safe and environmentally friendly generating station with an installed capacity of 138 MW. The project offers numerous environmental and community benefits, and will power over 80,000 homes on Vancouver Island.

AWARD OF MERIT

Azambi Hydroelectric Project Consultant: Knight Piésold Ltd.

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he 11 megawatt Azambi Hydroelectric Project, located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, produces approximately 64 gigawatt-hours of renewable, reliable electricity each year to power the remote Kibali Gold Mine. The project reduces the mine’s overall energy cost and its reliance on diesel fuel—equivalent to US$19.2 million per year in savings. It will become a legacy asset for local communities once the mine has reached its end of life.

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Integrated Expertise. Locally Delivered.

The Right Team for Your Project

Our diverse group of professionals share an enthusiasm for community infrastructure. From planning through to design and construction management, we create nimble teams to tackle the unique requirements of every project.

This integrated service offering gives you the experts you need, when you need them.

EDMONTON | CALGARY | CANMORE | LETHBRIDGE | GRANDE PRAIRIE | HINTON | LANGLEY | BURNABY | SQUAMISH WEST KOOTENAY | EAST KOOTENAY | KAMLOOPS | VANCOUVER ISLAND | SASKATOON

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2019 ACEC-BC AWARDS FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE

NATURAL RESOURCE & HABITAT

ENERGY & INDUSTRY Old Crow Solar Project Consultant: BBA Inc.

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or several years now, the Old Crow community has wanted to reduce its dependency on diesel.

As a leader in designing reliable off-grid hybrid power systems, BBA helped the community design the most effective and innovative project for their situation. The installation of 900kW of solar panels and 350kWh of battery storage is the first step towards greater financial and energy self-sufficiency for this Northern community.

Phu Kham Copper Gold Mine Consultant: Knight Piésold Ltd.

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n emergency spillway is being developed in five stages throughout the remaining life of the Phu Kham Copper-Gold Operation, to ensure safe operation of the tailings storage facility during extreme flood events. Staged construction is required to allow raising the spillway invert to accommodate changing storage needs within the tailings storage facility. A modular reinforced concrete chute spillway was chosen to allow for modifications to the chute during the raises.

Deltaport Shore Power System Consultant: PBX Engineering Ltd.

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he Deltaport Shore Power System allows container vessels to plug in to the local hydroelectric grid so that they can shut down their diesel burning engines while at berth, resulting in significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Over the next year, emissions reductions are estimated to be equivalent to removing 500 vehicles from our roads for 1 year – a figure that will grow as additional vessels adopt the technology.

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Blakeburn Lagoons Park Consultant: ISL Engineering and Land Services Ltd.

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lakeburn Lagoons Park is a former derelict sanitary detention facility that was transformed into an ecological nature preserve and open space for the public. Constructed wetlands were created to treat on-site contamination and enhance biodiversity. This project has seen an abundance of wildlife make a home in the 11-hectare park, and the Blakeburn Lagoons Park water contamination levels have dropped significantly from pre-construction levels.

Special thanks to the sponsors of the

2019 Awards for Engineering Excellence Leading with Science® Tetra Tech’s innovative, sustainable solutions help our clients address their water, environment, infrastructure, resource

www.acec-bc.ca/awards www acec bc ca/awards

Patron Sponsor

management, energy, and international

Platinum Sponsors

development challenges. We are proud to be home to leading technical experts in every sector and to use that expertise throughout the project life cycle.

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Applied Science Technologists & Technicians of BC  Edelman Peter Kiewit Sons ULC  Urban Systems Ltd.

tetratech.com/canada

Bronze Sponsors

BC Road Builders & Heavy Construction Association  BA Blacktop Carlson Construction Group  Twining, Short & Haakonson, Barristers  TYBO Contracting Ltd.

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2019 ACEC-BC AWARDS FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE

SOFT ENGINEERING

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR’S AWARD AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

New Solutions for Safe Water in Remote Communities Consultant: WSP Canada Group Ltd.

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SP worked collaboratively with RES’EAU-WaterNET, a research and development network, to develop an organics removal technology for water treatment in small and remote communities that would utilize natural biological processes, be low in consumables, reduce chemical

requirements, have a minimal waste product and be simple for operators. Through the application of this research, WSP implemented the world’s first full-scale pilot of an innovative treatment technology.

The project was delivered using a community centric approach. End users,

WHERE ENGINEERING LEADERS ARE MADE.

residents and operations staff were approached first to offer input in development of a method to treat their water, and this was followed up by regular site visits.

By permitting natural biological organisms to grow on the ion exchange media, the team achieved improved uptake of organics,

reduced chemical waste, reduced power consumption and reduced operator time required to run the system. WSP designed a full-scale pilot plant utilizing this technology, resulting in the lifting of a 14-year boil water advisory in a community of the Tl’azt’en Nation.

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2019 ACEC-BC AWARDS FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE SOFT ENGINEERING

AWARD OF MERIT

Railway Crossing Information System - RCIS Consultant: PBX Engineering Ltd.

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o mitigate the impact of trains blocking at-grade road-rail crossings along the Roberts Bank Rail Corridor, the BCMOTI is implementing an innovative Intelligent Transportation System project, the Railway Crossing Information System. The RCIS utilizes a unique integrated system of detectors, software, and dynamic messaging to provide enroute crossing status information that enables motorists to make informed route choices and avoid travel delays.

AWARD OF MERIT

Oil Spill Software for Canadian Waters Consultant: Tetra Tech Canada Inc.

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s part of Canada’s Ocean Protection Plan, Transport Canada selected Tetra Tech and Dillon Consulting to conduct a Regional Risk Assessment of Ship-source Oil Spills for the Northern Shelf of BC. Tetra Tech developed a modelling framework, taking into consideration existing spill preparedness and local environmental conditions, conducted over 5,000 simulations to quantify the behaviour of an oil spill, and supplied the SPILLCALC software to Transport Canada.

Building and connecting communities since 1969

Founder Robert F. Binnie, P.Eng.

THE PEOPLE BEHIND YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE

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2019 ACEC-BC AWARDS FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE SOFT ENGINEERING EV Charging Requirements and Options for New Multi-Unit Residential Developments Consultant: AES Engineering Ltd.

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n a three-part series to encourage electric vehicle adoption, AES provided the City of Richmond with the technical analysis that allowed the city to be the first in the world to introduce a bylaw requiring 100% of parking stalls in new multi-unit developments to support Level 2 EV charging infrastructure. The work supports what is a prerequisite for achieving emissions targets and a sustainable planet.

City of Vancouver Parking By-law Update Consultant: Bunt & Associates Engineering Ltd.

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unt & Associates was commissioned by the City of Vancouver to provide Policy Research and Data Collection Services to support a series of changes to the Parking By-law put forward by the City. These changes, intended to support the long-term goals identified in the City’s Transportation 2040 Plan, have now been adopted by Council and have been in effect since January 2019.

Mine Environment Neutral Drainage (MEND) Project – Study of Tailings Management Technologies Consultant: Klohn Crippen Berger

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lohn Crippen Berger completed a study commissioned by the Mine Environment Neutral Drainage (MEND) Project to examine and compare alternatives to conventional slurry for the management of tailings. Tailings dewatering process technologies that are currently used in Canada and other jurisdictions with similar climatic conditions were examined. The strengths, limitations, and physical and environmental risks of these alternative technologies were compared to those of conventional slurry.

Your Challenge.

Our Passion.

The Digital Twin: Bringing the Coquitlam Reservoir Intake Tower to Life Consultant: McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd.

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he Coquitlam Reservoir Intake Tower is critical in supplying drinking water to Metro Vancouver. McElhanney provided high-definition survey data capture and 3D modelling of the tower, which was difficult to access, for a seismic upgrade. Laser scanning, drones, and multi-beam bathymetry were used to produce 3D models of the tower. Engineers can input this data into virtual and augmented reality platforms, optimizing constructability and design.

West Vancouver Island Coastal Vulnerability Study Consultant: Parsons

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arsons delivered the West Vancouver Island Coastal Vulnerability Study to the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, which represents approximately 10,000 people on the west coast of Vancouver Island. To identify tsunami and storm event hazards, combined with climate-induced sea level rise, Parsons created a unique regional hydrodynamic model with detailed local models, that can be used by communities to plan for climate change adaptation with confidence.

City of Burnaby SCADA Master Plan Consultant: PBX Engineering Ltd.

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he City of Burnaby’s SCADA system faced real world challenges from increased urban development, capacity demands, and technology obsolescence. PBX Engineering was commissioned for the development of a SCADA Master Plan to ensure the reliable provision of operational control and monitoring throughout the City’s municipal infrastructure on a long-term basis. PBX investigated the existing SCADA system; including field hardware, communications systems, and head-end control software components. PBX assessed technical options and recommended areas for upgrade and improvement.

At McElhanney, we take on your challenges like they are our own. Clients and partners choose us for our commitment to safety and quality service, relationships that are rooted in trust, and skill in tackling complex problems. We are employee-owned, and it shows.

30+ offices across Western Canada.

Serving: Cities, Communities & Parks,

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Energy & Resources, and Transportation

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2019 ACEC-BC AWARDS FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE

PROJECTS UNDER $2.5 MILLION

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Cloudraker Skybridge and Raven’s Eye Cliff Walk Consultant: Morrison Hershfield Limited

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elcome to the Cloudraker Skybridge and Raven’s Eye Cliffwalk, the latest thrilling attraction at Whistler’s Top of the World Summit! A new 130 metre long steel pedestrian suspension bridge leads to a cantilevered viewing platform projecting 12.5 metres out from the mountain’s edge. This is thought to be the highest pedestrian bridge in North America at more than 2100 metres above sea level.

AWARD OF MERIT

Britannia Heritage Shipyard Flood Protection Improvements Project Consultant: Dillon Consulting Ltd.

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ncreases in frequency and severity of flooding events at the Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site in Richmond, British Columbia threatened the condition of the historic buildings at the site that commemorate the history of the area. Dillon Consulting Limited designed upgrades to the existing bulkhead to increase the elevation and integrity of the flood protection while honouring the historic form and character of the site.

Shannon Lake Bridge Replacement Consultant: Stantec

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tantec provided a full spectrum of engineering services for the replacement of Shannon Lake Bridge, located in West Kelowna. The new single span bridge was designed to better support emergency-vehicle traffic, heightened to mitigate flooding issues, and widened to accommodate

The power to advance communities Design with community in mind stantec.com

the long-term vision of incorporating multi-modal capacity with forecasted traffic demands. The result is better traffic flow and improved safety for everybody.

2018 MERIT AWARD Association of Consulting Engineering Companies, British Columbia Brucejack Mine, Stuart, British Columbia