For professional engineers in private practice
JUNE/JULY 2012
GOING BEYOND WEST DON LANDS FACILITIES TAKE STORMWATER TREATMENT TO A NEW LEVEL
TWO CALGARY PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES ULTRA-HIGH PERFORMANCE CONCRETE AT WORK
CLEAN WATER FOR FIRST NATIONS A FRESH LOOK AT AN ONGOING PROBLEM
www.canadianconsultingengineer.com
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contents
June/July 2012 Volume 53, No. 4
features Cover: base of the main shaft at the West Don Lands stormwater treatment facility, under construction in Toronto. Photograph courtesy R.V. Anderson Associates/David Crowder. See story page 12.
Let the Waters Flow: First Nations and Water. See story page 20
Going Beyond. An advanced stormwater treatment facility and outfall is being built at the West Don Lands, site of the 2015 PanAm Games Athletes’ Village on Toronto’s waterfront. By Peter Langan, P.Eng., R.V. Anderson Associates
12
Let the Waters Flow. A recent report by engineers showed a dire need for better water and wastewater treatment systems in First Nations communities. By Bronwen Parsons
20
Two Pedestrian Bridges. Elegant Calgary road crossings incorporate long drop-in girders made of ultra-high performance concrete. By Gamal Ghoneim, P.Eng. and Sean Brown, P.Eng., DIALOG
26
Re-Tooled. How two consulting engineers decided to create their own software, one for designing electrical systems and the other for modelling watersheds. By Caitlin Crawshaw
34
on topic
departments Comment
4
Up Front
6
Products
39
Advertiser Index
41
Next issue: Winnipeg Airport’s new terminal; building controls; security for SCADA systems; rebuilding schools in Haiti.
OPINION Sharing the Load. Who is to pay for pending federal wastewater system effluent regulations? By Barry Steinberg, P.Eng., Consulting Engineers of Ontario 30
PROJECT MANAGEMENT Young Professionals and Managing “Up.” Surprising advice for those who act as project managers. By Andrew Steeves, P.Eng. 32
EMPLOYMENT Subtle Messages. Internationally educated professionals and workplace communications. By Marjorie Friesen 31
THE HUMAN EDGE Designing a World of Hope. A group of volunteers help redesign a summer camp in the mountains of Lebanon. By Ryan Williams, EIT. 42
June/July 2012
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engineer FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE
comment
CANADIAN
C O N S U LT I N G
Editor
Bronwen Parsons E-mail: bparsons@ccemag.com (416) 510-5119 Senior Publisher
Maureen Levy E-mail: mlevy@ccemag.com (416) 510-5111
First Nations still struggle with inadequate infrastructure
Art Director
Ellie Robinson Contributing Editor
Rosalind Cairncross, P.Eng. Advertising Sales Manager
A
nyone who read the federal government’s report published in July last year knows that the situation is dire. As reported in “Let the Waters Flow,” (p. 20), the National Assessment of First Nations Water and Wastewater Systems, which was written by consulting engineers, found that 39% of the water supply systems and 14% of wastewater systems on First Nations reserves were at high risk of being compromised. The numbers, of course, don’t really paint the picture. For that all it takes is a few Google searches for Attawapiskat or Kashechewan. There you will find photographs and videos that give a glimpse of the deplorable reality of those who struggle in some remote communities. You need to watch not just the brief semi-sanitized CBC news footage, but the gritty, hand-held camera version that lasts for 10 minutes. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6abZ0LFT5CQ As I interviewed people from First Nations for the article on page 20, I realized just how distant I am from their problems. Cottaging with rudimenary services can be fun for a while. But how would you like to be parents with small children crowded in a small cabin without running water or a toilet when the temperature outside is minus 20C? In Attawapiskat, three-quarters of the population of about 2,000 are under the age of 35, and one-third of the people are under age 19. There are few jobs on reserves so there is little chance of many of these young people being able to “help themselves.” Canada’s relations with First Nations are extremely complex and I’m a novice at even beginning to understand them. But as I listened to these people I started to grasp some of the more nuanced sensitivities they feel. Irving Leblanc of the Assembly of First Nations, for example, told me he is not happy with the way the government has handled Bill S-7, the proposed Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act. Essentially, the government said: “Here is our favourite option, what do you think of it?” Leblanc felt this seemed more like “information giving” than true consultation. The very structure of the fiduciary relationship between Canada and its First Nations leads to a father-child exchange, with the government ultimately the one in control. First Nations on the other hand don’t see themselves as children or beholden to the government. They are the original fathers and mothers of this land and they should be fully engaged and instrumental in organizing the provision of their water and wastewater systems. Despite the ongoing problems, good things are happening. Engineers and First Nations people who I spoke to all felt that generally water and wastewater services on First Nations had improved over the past decade. Another positive sign is that First Nations engineering companies are taking things into their own hands and marketing their services to aboriginal communities. Some of these communities are now amassing enough capital from natural resources to start building their own developments and infrastructure. And several First Nations engineering firms are mentoring engineering students, all in the hope of nurturing a future generation of indigenous engineers who can really understand the problems. Bronwen Parsons 4
www.canadianconsultingengineer.com
Vince Naccarato E-mail: vnaccarato@ccemag.com (416) 510-5118 Editorial Advisors
Bruce Bodden, P.Eng., Gerald Epp, P.Eng., Chris Newcomb, P.Eng., Laurier Nichols, ing., Lee Norton, P.Eng., Jonathan Rubes, P.Eng., Paul Ruffell, P.Eng., Andrew Steeves, P.Eng., Ron Wilson, P.Eng. Circulation
Barbara Adelt (416) 442-5600 x3546 badelt@bizinfogroup.ca Production Co-ordinator
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President, Business Information Group (BIG)
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80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON Canada M3B 2S9 Tel: (416) 442-5600 Fax: (416) 510-5134 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER is published by BIG Magazines LP, a division of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd. EDITORIAL PURPOSE: Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine covers innovative engineering projects, news and business information for professional engineers engaged in private consulting practice. The editors assume no liability for the accuracy of the text or its fitness for any particular purpose. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Canada, 1 year $60.95; 2 years $91.95 + taxes Single copy $8.00 Cdn + taxes. (HST 809751274-RT0001). United States U.S. $60.95. Foreign U.S. $60.95. PRINTED IN CANADA. Title registered at Trademarks Office, Ottawa. Copyright 1964. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in full without the consent of the copyright owner(s). ISSN: 0008-3267 (print), ISSN: 1923-3337 (digital) POSTAL INFORMATION: Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation Dept., Canadian Consulting Engineer, 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON Canada M3B 2S9. USPS 016-099. US office of publication: 2424 Niagara Falls Blvd., Niagara Falls, NY 14304-5709. Periodicals postage paid at Niagara Falls, NY. US Postmaster: send address changes to Canadian Consulting Engineer, PO Box 1118, Niagara Falls NY 14304. PRIVACY: From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us. tel: 1-800-668-2374, fax: 416-510-5134, e-mail: jhunter@businessinformationgroup.ca, mail to: Privacy Officer, BIG, 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON Canada M3B 2S9. Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Member of the Canadian Business Press
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June/July 2012
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up front
BUILDINGS
MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
Telus Garden development takes up a city block in Vancouver By Jean Sorensen Excavation is starting for the new $750-million Telus Garden mixed-use complex that will transform a downtown Vancouver city block into a green showcase by 2014. The project aims to be designated LEED Platinum. The $750-million complex is bounded by Georgia, Robson, Seymour and Richard streets. It will house the new headquarters for communications giant Telus on nine floors of the 22-storey tower. A second 46-storey residential
GENIVAR buys large U.K. company GENIVAR, based in Montreal, is acquiring WSP Group PLC, a multi-disci- Pierre Shoiry plinary consulting firm based in London, U.K. In a statement issued June 7, the companies said they would “combine their reputation, respective expertise and geographic reach to create a world-class professional services firm with approximately 14,500 employees in over 30 countries.” Genivar currently has 5,500 employees. Together the companies will have a strong presence in Canada, Northern Europe (mainly Sweden and Norway), the U.K. and the United States.” Christopher Cole, the current chief executive of WSP, will become executive chairman of the board of directors of the Genivar corporation. Pierre Shoiry will continue as president and chief executive officer. In 2011, WSP had revenues of approximately $1.1 billion. BUILDINGS
Mining engineering students squeeze under roof Just as mining companies worldwide are crying out for engineers, the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto has expanded its facilities for mining students. The century-old Lassonde Mining
tower will have 400 units. Between the two towers along Georgia Street there is a large pavilion which Anthony El-Arij, P.Eng., associate with structural engineers Glotman Simpson, describes as “like a spine with ribs.” It will span 220 feet with a steel arch and 30-ft. glulam outriggers. The architecture, by Henriquez Partners, incorporates a 10,000 sq. ft. green roof and has cantilevered sky-gardens located over several floors. Along Georgia Street the building will have LED lighting as a media wall that can be used to broadcast events to the public. Cobalt Engineering designed the project’s energy conservation features, which include a district energy system.
Raj Grainger, University of Toronto
Telus Garden Development, Vancouver.
Renovated attic in the Lassonde Mining Building, University of Toronto
Building on College Street in the heart of the downtown campus was the original home of the Mining Hall of Fame.
GOVERNMENT
Federal roundtables to look at infrastructure long-term Canada’s Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Denis Lebel, has announced plans for a series of roundtables this summer to consult groups on how to develop a long term plan for infrastructure. The government has also confirmed that it will extend major funding for infrastructure beyond 2014, the expiry of the current seven-year $33-billion Building Canada Plan. WATER
Water efficiency in national codes The Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes is taking steps to incorporate water use efficiency in the 2015 National Model Construction Codes. A task group envisions that the code will not only require lowflow devices, but also provide for the safe use of greywater and harvested rainwater.
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Video on Hamilton Harbour A new video has been posted on Canadian Consulting Engineer’s website featuring a project by Cole Engineering of Toronto to remediate a wetland off Hamilton Harbour. The wetland was created in 1990 as a sediment trap to relieve the shipping lanes downstream. www.canadianconsultingengineer.com
continued on page 8 6
www.canadianconsultingengineer.com
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Recently the building was renovated and new studio and meeting spaces were squeezed into the attic space. The renovations preserved the history of the building by exposing dark brick walls complete with graffiti scrawled by students over past decades. Skylights were punched into the roof, and photovoltaic panels were added to power the suite’s lights and computers. The fourth and fifth floors in the institute — now served by an elevator — have 100 new workstations for mineral and civil engineering students in space known as the Goldcorp Mining Innovation Suite. Blackwell Bowick were structural engineers; Crossey Engineering did the mechanical and electrical engineering; Baird Sampson Neuert were the architects. Other consultants included William N. Greer (heritage), Brook Van Dalen (building envelope), Curran McCabe Revindran Ross (costing), Leber Rubes (code), Ted Kesik (sustainabilty), and ACSI (elevator). .
AWARDS
Petitcodiac Causeway and Saint John wastewater plant in New Brunswick winners The Association of Consulting Engineering Companies - New Brunswick (ACEC-NB) gave five awards of excellence at a gala dinner in Moncton on April 23. The winners were selected from approximately 30 entries. One winner is the Petitcodiac
8
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Eastern Wastewater Treatment Facility, Saint John, N.B
Causeway Restoration Project by AMEC Environment & Infrastructure/New Brunswick Department of Supplies and Services (environmental category). AMEC first did an environmental impact assessment to study possible modifications to the causeway, addressing fish passage and other ecosystem issues. The selected option was to permanently open the gates and construct a bridge along the alignment of the existing causeway. The completed project included 22 kilometres of dykes and aboiteaux, a new municipal watermain crossing the river and shoreline protection. Another winner was the Eastern Wastewater Treatment Facility in Saint John, N.B. by CBCL and the City of Saint John (municipal/civil category). The plant serves as the cornerstone for the Saint John Harbour Cleanup, a major project to intercept and treat raw sewage outfalls that discharge directly to the Bay of Fundy. The EWWTF is located adjacent to Red Head Marsh in Saint John and is the
largest secondary wastewater treatment facility in Atlantic Canada. The other ACEC-NB winners were the Combined Energy Recovery and Particulate Removal System for McCain Foods, Harbin, China by QES and McCain Foods (natural resources, energy and industry category); CN Intermodal Pavement Rehabilitation, Gordon Yard, Moncton by Hatch Mott MacDonald & CN (transportation); and New Brunswick Community College, Fredericton Campus, by exp Services and the Province of New Brunswick (buildings). TRANSPORTATION
Engineers win three big Ontario projects AECOM has been chosen as the lead design subconsultant for a joint venture that will design, build and finance part of the much-anticipated rail link between Union Station in downtown Toronto and Toronto Pearson International Airport, approximately 30 kilometres to the northwest. As lead designer for the consortium AirLinx Transit Partners, AECOM will provide architectural, structural, rail, utility relocation and other services for a 3-kilometre spur line and passenger station. Parsons Brinckerhoff has been named as the general engineering consultant to the Regional Municipality of Waterloo for a major new transit program in the region. The program includes a 19-kilometre light rail system and a 17-kilometre bus rapid continued on page 10
June/July 2012
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MAILBOX
“New wave” sustainability advocates should look to the past Re: “Sound Engineering: Sustainable Outcomes,” by Herb Kuehne, P.Eng. (ACEC Review, CCE May 2012, p.15). I found Herb Kuehne’s message regarding the fundamentally inherent nature of the engineering profession being in step with the recent trend of “Sustainability” very refreshing. There is a lot of rhetoric regarding “Sustainability” that seems to confuse and overshadow many things, especially the nature of engineering; specifically, the importance of remembering the history of engineering and how the profession came to possess its classic qualities of optimization/efficiency, environmental/social integration, practical experience, and economy — particularly in civil engineering — all founded on sound applied science and mathematics. I agree with Mr. Kuehne that it certainly is encouraging to see other professions and call-
ings embracing the principal qualities of engineering. One would expect what I’ll call the “new-wave” of Sustainability should openly deal with far more fundamental and deeper sustainability issues that need to be addressed beyond the realm of engineering, in our world that has added six billion human beings in just the past century; however, it remains to be seen. Perhaps the next time a brand new building on previously undeveloped land, for example, is branded with a “Sustainable” accolade, one will seriously consider if that new building — which did not exist before — is truly sustainable at all. There are many who seem to think Engineering is catching up with “Sustainability” when it is actually the other way around. One should remember the past a lot more, where the lessons of the future are, and not get caught up in the alluring waves of the present; otherwise, we may all suffer in the undertow. Keep sustaining your work on this great magazine. Marcus Cassolato, P.Eng. Burlington, Ont. MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
Hatch and Cegertec forge alliances MEK Engenharia of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has joined forces with Hatch Group of Mississauga, Ontario to serve Brazil’s and Latin America’s power sector. MEK was established 22 years ago and has designed nearly 70 hydropower stations. Cegertec and WorleyParsons have agreed to form a new joint venture company named Cegertec WorleyParsons. Cegertec is a Quebec family business founded 60 years ago that specializes in energy, industry, transport, infrastructure and buildings. It had $46 million in revenues for the year ended November 2011. Cegertec’s vice-president and general manager Stéphane Leduc has been appointed president of Cegertec WorleyParsons. The joint company employs 525 people in nine offices throughout Quebec.
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Klimar Agency together with members of our team like Jerry Leyte, Commercial Business Development Manager, we look
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transit network through the Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo area. Parsons Brinckerhoff will help the regional government prepare its criteria and performance requirements for a private partner to design, build, finance and operate the LRT. Parsons Brinckerhoff will also help with construction management. A new 50/50 joint venture between SNC-Lavalin and Cintra Infraestructuras has been awarded the contract to design, build, finance and maintain the first phase of an extension to the Highway 407 toll highway that runs east-west across the Greater Toronto Area. The new stretch, expected to open in 2015, will go 22 kilometres from Pickering to Oshawa. It includes a 10-km north-south connection to Highway 401. The SNC-Lavalin-Cintra joint venture — known as 407 East Development Group General Partnership — will operate and maintain the highway for 30 years but the province will own it and collect the tolls. The value of the contract is $1 billion.
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stormwater
As part of Toronto’s massive waterfront revitalization, a new stormwater treatment facility and outfall are being constructed in the West Don Lands precinct. The facilities are so advanced, they treat stormwater with processes normally used to treat water and wastewater.
GOING
BEYOND BY PETER LANGAN, P.ENG., R.V. ANDERSON ASSOCIATES
TO ACHIEVE THE CITY OF TORONTO’S NEW TREAT
In the case of the West Don Lands Stormwater Treatment Facility and Storm Outfall project, the treatment process has incorporated techniques and equipment that are normally associated with water and wastewater treatment. Furthermore, to reduce the system's process equipment size and to achieve cost savings, the main shaft of the new outfall conveyance system was used as storage space for stormwater.
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Waterfront Toronto
MENT OBJECTIVES for suspended solids removal and disinfection, stormwater facilities are becoming more complex, costly and larger in scope.
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stormwater
Left: lowering the tunnel boring machine into the main shaft of the main outfall east of Cherry Street. Above: site context; the West Don Lands precinct is located east of downtown Toronto and it will be the site of the Athletes’ Village for the Pan/Parapan American Games in 2015.
Waterfront Toronto’s 800-hectare revitalization Waterfront Toronto’s Revitalization Project is the largest urban renewal project in Canada and one of the largest waterfront projects in the world. It includes 800 hectares of former industrial lands, the creation of 40,000 residential units over a period of 25 years, and $30 billion in private and public investment. Of this land, 32 hectares will be dedicated to the West Don Lands precinct, which will be the site of the 2015 Pan Am Athletes’ Village. The precinct will include 6,000 residential units, as well as commercial and other buildings.
The stormwater quality facility for the West Don Lands precinct reflects the advanced criteria the city of Toronto incorporated in their 2006 Wet Weather Flow Management Guidelines. Waterfront Toronto is the first developer to be subject to the combination of the stringent stormwater sediment removal and disinfection provisions of the guidelines. They require 80% total suspended solids removal and disinfection to 100 E.coli per 100 mL. Early on in the West Don Lands project, it was identified that filtration and UV disinfection would be needed to meet the requirements. But it was also recognized that continued on page 14 June/July 2012
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Canadian Consulting Engineer
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stormwater
continued from page 13
Left: site with project components.
these measures would be costly and difficult to achieve within the allocated space. Flood protection required regrading and new outfall pipe For development of the West Don Lands to proceed the lands first had to be protected from flooding from the Don River. A 750-metre long flood protection landform was constructed parallel to the river (see site context, page 13). The landform project, undertaken by Ontario Realty Corporation, protects the West Don Lands area of 32 hectares, as well as a larger area of the city beyond. Because the landform blocks the land drainage that previously flowed easterly towards the Don River, it was necessary to regrade the site to slope it westerly to Cherry Street. At Cherry Street there is a new outfall to Lake Ontario at the Keating Channel. The regrading of the site and new outfall and stormwater quality facility project was undertaken by Waterfront Toronto, with R.V. Anderson Associates as the infrastructure engineers. The new 450-metre long storm outfall pipe follows the alignment of Cherry Street from north of the railway embankment to Lake Ontario (Keating Channel). The alignment required crossing the Lakeshore Rail Corridor, a major commuter line that runs into Toronto. It also crosses high voltage underground and overhead hydro lines that feed into the city, a 500-mm diameter high pressure gas main, Lake Shore Boulevard (a high-volume arterial roadway), and the piers of the elevated Gardiner Expressway — as well as the usual suite of utilities and services. To add to the project’s complexity, the area is lakefill, which increased the possibility of encountering old
wharfs, shore walls and assorted buried structures. Further, the overburden soil geotechnical and environmental conditions are poor. For these reasons, tunnelling the outfall in the bedrock at a depth of approximately 25 metres was recommended by R.V. Anderson Associates. This 3-m diameter concretelined tunnel has been constructed and includes capacity for the West Don Lands and adjacent future development areas on the waterfront. Main shaft used for TBM and stormwater storage The main shaft of the stormwater outfall system is located immediately south of the railway embankment and east of Cherry Street (see above and cross-section p.16). This 12-m diameter shaft was used for launching the tunnel boring machine (TBM). The shaft is also lined with concrete and is to be used as a stormwater storage and pumping facility. This was a key feature of the project. It creates 3,000 cubic metres of storage to allow attenuation of the flows to the treatment system (clarifiers and UV), resulting in cost savings by enabling a reduction in the size of the treatment equipment. The storage shaft will be used every time there is any appreciable rainfall. An overflow from the storage shaft was achieved by constructing a vertical standpipe in the centre of the storage shaft, with a funnel-like weir structure located at the top of the shaft, as shown in the cross-section (p. 16). When the storage is full, flow will overtop the weir for discharge to the outfall tunnel. Such discharges are incorporated into the design and occur after the first flush rainfall event is captured. Pumps located in the storage shaft convey the stormwater to the at-grade treatment facility. A continued on page 16
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stormwater
continued from page 14
Above: cross-section of tunnel system.
flushing system cleans the storage facility after use. The arrangement of the tunnels (see p. 14 and above) all three tunnel headings to be advanced from the main shaft. This was achieved by tunnelling on an upwards gradient from the main shaft to conduct all construction dewatering at the main shaft. All mining work was done from the main shaft, which resulted in considerable cost and schedule savings. Four smaller shafts, 2.4 metres to 3 metres in diameter, are incorporated at the tunnels. Three of these shafts were made by drilling (flushing shaft, Cherry Street shaft, and Keating Channel shaft), and the fourth (West Don Lands shaft) by secant pile shoring. The tunnelling contractor was able to back the TBM out of each tunnel upon completion, achieving savings in cost and schedule. Innovative vortex oil and grit separators Immediately upstream of the tunnel system is a large oil and grit removal system consisting of two large vortex separators that incorporate a screen to also facilitate the removal of trash and buoyant materials associated with urban runoff. This system is the first stage of treatment and prevents damage to downstream facilities. According to the manufacturer, Echelon Environmental, the installation is the largest of its kind in Canada. The structure is 13 metres deep, excavated into bedrock. The challenging site is immediately adjacent to the railway embankment, requiring the excavation to be shored using secant piles and soil anchors. Stop logs were incorporated at the inlet for maintenance and a stop log storage area was integrated into the structure. Despite the use of oil-grit separators, a unique flushing
shaft was incorporated upstream of the tunnel that crosses under the railway. This flushing shaft fills as the main storage shaft fills. The volume of water is retained by a vacuum pump at the surface to avoid having moving parts at depth. Once the storage in the main shaft is drawn down, the vacuum is released and the volume of water in the flushing shaft is discharged, creating a wave to thoroughly flush the tunnel. This innovative system was developed in England and this is the first time it has been used in Ontario. To help expedite the schedule, precast concrete components were incorporated for the standpipe and weir structure in the main shaft, and for the box culvert outfall to the Keating Channel. Tunneling had advantages Tunnelling in rock was a key element of the project because it avoided the risk of unknowns associated with working in the overburden soils and avoided soils of poor environmental quality. Compared to open cut construction, tunnelling also meant only having to dispose of overburden soils at the shaft locations. The geo-environmental report showed that it was important that groundwater not be mobilized, so all the shafts incorporate watertight shoring systems by the use of secant piles or steel liners. Incorporating watertight shoring for an open-cut solution would have been extremely expensive due to the length required. The outfall discharges to the Keating Channel, a navigable waterway. Due to concerns of the Toronto Port Authority, large (3 m x 5 m) precast box culvert sections were incorporated into the outfall pipe to reduce the velocity of the discharge into the channel. continued on page 18
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June/July 2012
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stormwater
continued from page 16
Treatment to high standards age concentration of 130 mg/L. The The first step in the treatment protwo parallel clarifiers with a comcess occurs in the previously debined flow of 400 L/s will discharge scribed oil-grit separator. The next effluent at TSS of 20 mg/L for effecstep is storage and pumping the tive UV disinfection. stormwater from the main shaft to The UV disinfection system will the treatment facility building, which be the first to be incorporated into a is located beside the main shaft. full-scale end-of-pipe treatment sysWithin the 300-m3 treatment buildtem implemented under Toronto's ing area there is fine screening and Wet Weather Flow Management two clarifiers. The final treatment Guidelines. Since disinfection is only step is ultraviolet (UV) disinfection. required during the swimming seaThe treatment equipment inson, the low-pressure UV system will cludes two ballasted flocculation clarbe located in an open channel outifiers to rapidly settle suspended solside the treatment building. After ids. While this process is regularly UV treatment, the flow will be diused for water, wastewater and comrected to the outfall tunnel and into bined sewer overflow treatment, this the Keating Channel. is the first use of this proven technology on stormwater in Canada. Small footprint, - www.ebseng.com The Total Suspended Solids• Ontario/Manitoba architecture and tendering 320 Woolwich Street South, Breslau ON (TSS) loading is estimated to vary The stormwater quality facility build• British Columbia www.c3is.ca from 10 to 500 mg/L with an avering was designed within a small foot12220 Vickers Way, Richmond, BC
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print using only a very small parcel of land at the main shaft site. This land would not have been suitable for development and the facility footprint is compact to avoid impacting adjacent development lands. Waterfront Toronto incorporates architectural design excellence into their projects in an era when many municipal infrastructure buildings are designed to blend into the surroundings. R.V. Anderson Associates as prime consultant is responsible for architectural coordination and interior architecture and retained gh3 Architects to undertake the building exterior and landscape architectural design. The architectural design excellence incorporated into the project with its theme “the story of water” received a Canadian Architect Award of Excellence in 2011. The tendering of the tunnelling component of the project was advanced beyond the project’s original aggressive schedule to ensure that the contract was “on the street” ahead of other tunnelling projects. Even with a busy tunnelling season in 2011, the bids received from the four short-listed contractors were very competitive. The tunnels, shafts and oil grit separator are completed and the treatment building will be tendered and constructed in 2012. CCE Peter Langan, P.Eng., is a principal with R.V. Anderson Associates and project manager of the West Don Lands project.
Proven Reliable! Helical Piers and Anchors. EBS Engineering and Construction Ltd. 320 Woolwich Street South, Breslau ON Ontario/Manitoba - www.ebseng.com
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Client/Owner: Waterfront Toronto Prime consultant: R.V. Anderson Associates (Peter Langan, P. Eng., Geneviève Kenny, P. Eng., Tyler Lahti, P. Eng., Grazyna Krezel) Geo-environmental engineering: Conestoga Rovers and Coffey Exterior building architecture and landscape: gh3 Contractor: Eastern Construction (construction manager), C&M McNally (tunnels and shafts), Varcon (oil-grit separator)
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infrastructure
Let the W
BY BRONWEN PARSONS
Freda Leong (centre) checking out a geothermal water source on Gitwinksihlkw lands in British Columbia.
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infrastructure
e Waters Flow
F. Leong/AE
THE YOUTUBE VIDEO CLOSES WITH A SHOT OF A
LITTLE BOY STANDING in the narrow corridor of a construction trailer, crying and alone. He pushes against the wall and stares into the camera with hopeless eyes. Behind him is a line of closed doors to rooms where 47 families live in units hardly bigger than a jail cell. At the end of the corridor are a couple of shared washrooms. This is Attawapiskat last winter after the community called a state of emergency and the Red Cross came in. The First Nations of 2,000 near James Bay had a housing crisis, with scores of families — mostly young mothers with children — living in trailers, or worse, in wooden shacks and tents, with no running water and ditches for latrines. The particular families living in the trailer moved in two years ago after the sewage system backed up into their homes. Six years before, the community of Kashechewan also near James Bay had faced another much publicized crisis — theirs over contaminated drinking water which forced many of them onto planes and off the reserve. If Canada's First Nations communities are still suffering, is it because they don't have adequate infrastructure to answer their basic needs? The federal government oversees First Nations through the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (formerly "Indian Affairs," or "INAC"), and certainly it pours billions of dollars into their water and wastewater infrastructure. The department reports that it spent approximately $2.5 billion between 2006 and 2013. Aboriginal Affairs is concerned enough about the status of First Nations water supplies that it recently carried out the largest study ever of their systems. The National Assessment of First Nations Water and Wastewater Systems published in July 2011 was led by Neegan Burnside, a consulting engineering company based in Orangeville, Ontario, that is majority aboriginal-owned. Hundreds of other engineers from nine different companies were also engaged in the 20-month exercise. They visited and assessed 641 communities, representing 97% of First Nations communities in Canada. The government said this was "the most rigorous, comprehensive and independent evaluation of water and wastewater systems on reserve ever undertaken by a federal government."
A RECENT REPORT BY ENGINEERS SHOWED A DIRE NEED FOR WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS IN FIRST NATIONS COMMUNITIES, SO WHAT IS HOLDING UP THE FUNDING FOR THESE PROJECTS? The study found that 39% of the 807 water systems inspected have high overall risk, while 34% were labelled having medium overall risk. Better results were found for sewage systems, though still, of the 532 systems inspected, 14% were found to be of high overall risk, and 51% were medium overall risk. (www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1313426883501) Given these results, the situation is surely dire. The high-risk systems affect one quarter of the people who live on reserves. Evidently there is much work ahead if Canada is to meet the UN's 2010 mandate that says every human being has the right to safe drinking water and sanitation. Since Canada's national assessment was published, the government has moved ahead quickly with new legislation. John Duncan, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, introduced the Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act to Parliament in February, saying this is a "vital step towards ensuring First Nations have the same health and safety protections for drinking water in their communities as other Canadians." But Irving Leblanc, acting director of housing and infrastructure for the Assembly of First Nations in Ottawa, is not happy with Bill S-8 on several counts. For one thing, he is concerned that the legislation will tie First Nations to what is a hodgepodge of provincial water regulations: "Because of the different regulations and standards across the country," says Leblanc, "it [Bill S-8] would not provide the same level of safety and support to all First Nations across Canada." Leblanc says the government also needs to provide continued on page 22
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Canadian Consulting Engineer
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more money. "We do acknowledge that recent budgets have provided for additional funding above the 'A-Base,' which is what we call the regular funding," says Leblanc. However, he points out that the national assessment estimated that $4.7 billion would be needed in the next 10 years for water and wastewater systems, partly due to First Nations' booming populations. Leblanc says: "Just simple math would show that the $165 million a year identified in the current budget simply will not do that." Even the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs has admitted that they spend less on First Nations per capita for school education compared to the general Canadian population. Other reports say that services in general on First Nations are underfunded compared to the provincial averages. (National Post, John Ivison, Dec. 6/11) One of the biggest problems for First Nations is having full-time trained operators for their water systems. Aboriginal Affairs supplies First Nations with 80% of the cost of operations and the community has to make up the difference. But First Nations aren't allowed to collect taxes to make up the 20% shortfall. They are expected to apply user fees, but as Leblanc explains: "the economic situation in many communities does not allow for this as there is high unemployment. So that funding gap is never addressed." Operational issues aside, for Kevin Martin, CET, it's important to see that water treatment plants get built and upgraded once a need has been identified. Martin is the owner and president of First Nations Engineering Services Limited, which is based in Ohsweken, on Martin's own Six Nations Reserve of the Grand River (southwest of Brantford). FNESL is the only 100% native-owned engineering company in Ontario. Martin also owns another firm, K.L. Martin &
FNESL
infrastructure
Justin Gee (left) and Kevin Martin of First Nations Engineering Services, prime consultant of the advanced process Six Nations of the Grand River water treatment plant under construction in southwest Ontario. Gee and Martin are members of the Six Nations.
Associates. The companies have designed several water treatment plants, including membrane filtration plants, and a large state-of-the-art facility under construction at the Six Nations reserve. Water infrastructure has made up about 60% of the engineers' work in the past decade. Recently, however, Martin has become concerned: "I don't know why, but there seems to be a dramatic decrease in funding in Ontario this past year," he says. It's possible that Aboriginal Affairs is waiting to see the outcome of pilot studies it launched this spring in Ontario before it releases money for big projects. (Aboriginal Affairs did not reply to our request for an interview.) The continued on page 37
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transportation
TWO ELEGANT BRIDGES IN CALGARY INCORPORATE A 34-METRE LONG DROP-IN T-GIRDER MADE OF ULTRA-HIGH PERFORMANCE CONCRETE.
Above: the Glenmore Trail/Legsby Road Pedestrian Bridge spans 53 metres over a multiple-lane arterial road in southwest Calgary.
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transportation
BY GAMAL GHONEIM, P.ENG. AND SEAN BROWN, P.ENG.
TWO PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES RECENT ADVANCES IN CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
are allowing Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) to conquer new frontiers in the construction industry. UHPC has been in use around the world for two decades, and over the past five or six years has been gaining acceptance in North America. There have been a few pioneering projects in Canada. DIALOG was one of the first Canadian engineering firms to use the material and two pedestrian bridge projects in Calgary are showcased here. The first was completed in 2007 and the second in 2010. The two bridges were realized through close collaboration between the City of Calgary - Transportation Infrastructure, the architects and structural engineers of DIALOG, and the UHPC material supplier and pre-caster Lafarge North America. It was the city’s vision to use advanced materials in the construction of two pedestrian bridges to minimize maintenance requirements. This resulted in aesthetically appealing and economical bridges, with life cycle costs taken into account. The bridge cross section was designed so that it could be altered or tailored for use in future projects. The U.S. Department of Transportation describes UHPC as a material that tends to have compressive strength over 150 MPa, internal fibre reinforcement (for ductile behaviour), and a high binder (cement) content. It also has special aggregates (no coarse aggregate, and fine sand between 150 to 500 micrometers), resulting in low porosity and consequently high durability. UHPC typically has a very low water content and high-range water-reducing admixtures to achieve good workability.
TECHNOLOGY
Strength and ductility Compared to UHPC’s very high compressive strength of up to 200 MPa (about half the yield strength of reinforcing steel), High Performance Concrete (HPC) has a
strength below 50 MPa (special HPCs can reach 100 MPa). HPC has a low tensile strength that cannot be used in design, while UHPC can be designed for up to 8 MPa in direct tension and, depending on the concrete member shape and loading, up to 30 MPa (in flexural tension). In addition to its high strength characteristics, UHPC has excellent durability and ductility. It is a well known fact that concrete cracks (for many reasons), and in design the behaviour before and after cracking must be taken into account. Under an increasing load, new hairline cracks form, and older ones grow and propagate until a localised, predominant crack forms at or near the member’s capacity load. Steel reinforcement is used to carry the tensile stresses across the cracks and maintain the members’ load carrying capacity. In UHPC members, fibres play a similar role to reinforcing bars, but their even disbursement in the concrete results in shallow, narrow, closely spaced micro-cracking in larger zones of the member. During this process, a UHPC member is able to deform excessively under increasing load, or in other words it behaves in a pronounced ductile manner. An example of this behaviour is depicted in the photograph on page 28. Takes any desired shape with careful formwork In UHPC members, the combination of narrow and shallow cracking and the material’s low porosity translates into excellent durability, and in turn less maintenance. Flowability and mouldability are two other characteristics of UHPC, which mean the material can take any desired shape with careful formwork. The properties of UHPC help the designers create a more sustainable structure; since the structure weight is minimized, less material is used; also less energy is required to produce the required construction materials. We can compare the acceptance of UHPC with that of glass and carbon fibre reinforcement, technologies that continued on page 28
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transportation
continued from page 27
Left: a 15-mm thick UHPC cladding panel (30mm thick around perimeter) being tested for a seven storey building in Victoria, B.C.
Right: UHPC girder cross sections at mid-span and at ends (Glenmore Trail Bridge).
have been in use for about 25 years and have standards available for their use. One of the reasons for the development of glass and fibre reinforcing bars was to enhance the durability of structures. However, their use is still not that common, perhaps because the bars cannot be used as a direct replacement for reinforcing steel and so require special design procedures. In comparison UHPC is a concrete and its design rules are similar to those for normal concrete, with some modifications. While a few international standards and guidelines are available, there is a need for a North American standard design guideline. In March 2010, the UHPC North American Working Group was formed, and the efforts of its members over the past year resulted in the formation of American Concrete Institute Committee 239 “Ultra-High Performance Concrete.� In the near future, the committee expects to produce a report, guideline specifications, step-bystep design procedures, and material standards. DIALOG has been involved in six UHPC projects including the two pedestrian projects described below. As the material is relatively new and due to the lack of North American UHPC design standards, the designs had to be validated through component and/or full-scale load testing. In all the tests, the predicted and observed behaviour in the elastic stress range (before cracking) matched closely. However, after cracking, the observed and measured properties such as 28
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ductility and strength always surpassed what was predicted. Pedestrian Bridge over Glenmore Trail at Legsby Road The Glenmore Trail pedestrian bridge is a unique structure over a vital arterial road in southwest Calgary. The challenges of the site included constrained space for constructing piers, and a busy roadway that could not be shut down for extended periods. These issues led to the selection of a cantilever-type bridge that supports a UHPC precast drop-in girder. The precast girder is designed as a simple span that forms part of a 52.9-m clear span. The precast girder is Tshaped and 33.6 m long. The remaining 9.65-m lengths at each end are post-tensioned, cast-in-place HPC cantilever girders. The bridge is located near a school, so as part of the design concept, educational art components that convey an understanding of the structural system components were incorporated into the finished structure. Cross-sections at mid-span and at the ends of the drop-in girder are shown in the diagram above. The girder depth varies from 1.10 m at mid-span, to 1.40 m at the tips of the cantilever girders to accommodate bearings, dapped ends, and beam seats. The span (pier to pier) to depth at midspan ratio of the bridge is 48.1, which is quite aggressive for similar bridge spans. The flange of the UHPC girder is only
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transportation
The bridge over Country Hills Boulevard at Sanderling Drive connects two residential communities in northwest Calgary and forms part of the city’s trail system. The structure is a three-span continuous system, with a clear span of 64 metres and a 34-m drop-in UHPC girder.
80 mm thick near the edge, increasing to 200 mm at the face of the web. A 50-mm thick curb was added for drainage and to accommodate handrail support anchors. One of the challenges in the design of the bridge Tsection was its instability due to loading on one side of the section. This was overcome by relying on a combination of the UHPC strength and the addition of glass fibre reinforcement as passive reinforcement to arrest any cracking that may develop. The UHPC girder was cast in a steel mould. The UHPC mix was prepared in a high-shear plant mixer, and about 40 cubic metres was required. It was mixed over a 16-hour batch cycle and was poured into four ready-mix trucks before pouring into the form. The 16-hour cycle was made possible using low heat/slow setting cement and admixtures. By temperature control, the working time and initial set was extended for more than 24 hours. Once the material was placed in the mould and covered, the temperature was slowly increased to initiate setting, and subsequently to accelerate strength gains. The continuous pouring of the girder was the largest monolithic UHPC pour in the world at that time. The completed bridge has won awards from the Prestressed/Precast Concrete Institute and the American Concrete Institute Alberta Chapter. Pedestrian Bridge over Country Hills Boulevard at Sanderling Drive This bridge connects two residential communities in northwest Calgary and forms part of the city’s trail system. In order to avoid existing utilities under Country Hills Boulevard and to provide an unobstructed view across the busy roadway, the bridge was designed without a centre pier, and with a UHPC girder that is similar to the one used in
the Glenmore Trail Bridge. The design was modified to a three-span continuous system, resulting in a more slender and attractive bridge. The Sanderling bridge has a clear span of 64.4 metres and a drop-in UHPC girder that is the same length (33.6 m) as in the previous bridge. The remaining 15.4-m lengths at each end plus 22.75-m back spans were cast-in-place, posttensioned HPC girders. The three-span bridge was made continuous through cast-in-place joints and continuity post-tensioning. As bearings were not used at the ends of the UHPC girder, the dapped ends were eliminated and the girder depth was kept constant in a parabolic profile. The span-to-depth ratio at mid-span was an aggressive 61 due to the continuity. Casting the UHPC for this girder followed a similar procedure to the Glenmore Trail project, except that batching was completed entirely in three ready-mix trucks which reduced the required production time. Both projects demonstrate that bridges don’t just move people from one point to another — they provide a safe and pleasant environment for connecting communities and promoting recreation, as well as representing sustainable urban developments. CCE Gamal Ghoneim, P.Eng. is an associate with DIALOG in Calgary, and Sean Brown, P.Eng., is an associate with the company in Edmonton. Both are senior structural and bridge engineers. Client/owner: Transportation Infrastructure , City of Calgary Prime consultant and bridge engineers: DIALOG, Calgary (Jim Montgomery, P.Eng., Gerald Carson, P.Eng.) Contractor: Graham Infrastructure Testing: University of Calgary June/July 2012
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opinion
By Barry Steinberg, P.Eng. Consulting Engineers of Ontario
©iStockphoto/Thinkstock
Pending Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations expected from the Government of Canada will improve the environment – but who is to pay?
Sharing the Load
L
ater this year the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations (WSER) are expected to be released. The new regulations will serve as a perfect example of the lack of shared responsibility that exists for infrastructure in Canada, and the resulting impacts. The debate over sharing the load of infrastructure investments and maintenance between municipal, provincial and federal governments has been ongoing for decades. As it stands, a majority of the infrastructure upgrades required by the regulations will be borne by the municipalities. The expense is expected to be in the billions of dollars. How is it that in an era of fiscal challenge and infrastructure deficits, the federal government with its vast resources can implement regulations that burden other levels of government more heavily than its own? We need to start thinking differently. We need to start working together. The Government of Canada’s announcement in November 2011 that it will develop a national long-term infrastructure plan presents an opportunity for municipalities, provinces and the federal government alike. They have the chance to ensure that large-scale infrastructure projects that affect large numbers of Canadians are handled strategically and with joint responsibility. Implementing the infull is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate that potential and to improve the quality of Canada’s water systems. The 2010 version of the regulations stated that, “effluent from wastewater systems represents one of the largest sources of pollution, by 30
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volume, in Canadian waters.”1 The proposed regulations will: • Phase out the dumping of untreated and undertreated sewage into our waterways, and; • Provide clarity for rules on reporting for more than 3,700 Canadian facilities.2 The country’s wastewater facilities serve 28 million Canadians in 1,294 municipalities. Of those serviced: • 68% receive water that has undergone secondary treatment; • 23% receive primary treated water • 6% are served by stabilization ponds and; • 3% of wastewater goes untreated into the environment.3 The investment requirements of each facility to reach compliance according to the new regulations will differ depending on the asset’s risk factor. If we are streamlining the expectations for municipal wastewater performance, should we not be streamlining the associated funding? The briefing information on the regulations indicates that facilities are divided into high, medium and low risk categories to determine which should be targeted first. High-risk facilities represent almost half of the total number of wastewater facilities expected to need upgrading. Under the proposed timelines, these would need to comply by 2020. While 15 per cent of the facilities in need of upgrades are federally-owned, provinces like Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Quebec have a high number of assets to be upgraded in the next eight years. In order to fulfil these water upgrade requirements successfully, we need to root them in the national long-term infrastructure plan. If an
investment as significant as this is omitted from the plan’s considerations, then the plan simply won’t be strategic, national or long-term. The burden cannot solely rest on municipalities. Innovative funding models must be considered to enable communities to meet this challenge in a country that prides itself on its public water systems. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to align the infrastructure priorities of all three levels of government in addition to aligning the associated funding. Only then, will Canadians tackle the infrastructure deficit, improve the environment and emerge as a leader in key priority areas like wastewater management. CCE Barry Steinberg, P.Eng., is chief executive officer of the Consulting Engineers of Ontario, vice-chair of the Construction Design Alliance of Ontario, and chair of the Professional Engineers Ontario Government Liaison Committee. 1
http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/ p1/2010/2010-03-20/html/reg1-eng.html 2 http://www.ec.gc.ca/eu-ww/default. asp?lang=En&n=BC799641-1 3 http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/ p1/2010/2010-03-20/html/reg1-eng.html
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employment
By Marjorie Friesen
Training can help internationally educated professionals to understand the nuances of verbal and non-verbal communication in the North American workplace.
Subtle Messages
I
t was clearly an unsafe situation. Jack (not his real name), Missed cues in non-verbal communication a geotechnical engineer who had recently immigrated Most of the messages we convey are non-verbal, which infrom China, believed that the work crew shouldn’t be clude facial expressions, body gestures, posture and eye operating in that part of the open pit mine after dark. contact, as well as tone of voice and intonation. IEPs may So although he works in the mine’s Technical depart- misinterpret or miss these non-verbal cues. ment and only observes the daily activities of the Operations Another internationally trained engineer was asked in a department employees in the work crew, Jack “told” the job interview why he thought the company should hire him. crew that they shouldn’t be working there. Not only did he not answer the question directly, he went on They interpreted this as an order, and later the crew’s at great length about how he had worked with high-voltage supervisor sent an e-mail to Jack’s manager, who in turn power lines. He missed the shifts in body posture and disinsent Jack a message saying he should terested looks on the faces of the not be giving orders to his departothers as they checked their watches It was not just what ment’s employees. and smart phones. The above is a typical situation Jack said to the crew that faced by companies who hire interAppropriate use of nationally educated professionals outside support night, but how he said it (IEPs). They value the technical Many internationally trained engithat caused the problem. skills that employees like Jack bring neers are strongly motivated to do to the team, and in many cases these good work. They find it frustrating professionals speak English well. when they think they have said or However, an IEP’s lack of understanding of both explicit written the right thing, only to find out that it has caused and implicit cultural behaviour, values and expectations — misunderstanding and damaged a relationships. Employers, conveyed through verbal and non-verbal communication too, become frustrated if some of their employees are not as — often limits their effectiveness. effective as they could be, and so they neither promote those employees to leadership positions, nor ask them to Choosing the right words make presentations to senior management or clients. and the right tone Sometimes, supervisors and fellow employees will help It was not just what Jack said to the crew that night, but how an IEP understand how to communicate. But they rarely he said it that caused the problem. Had he used words like have the skills or patience to do this effectively. “I don’t think you should work here after dark” and proA more practical solution is to provide IEPs with lanvided a reason — the risk of injury from a rock fall — his guage and workplace-skills training. A number of organizamessage might not have been perceived as an order. tions provide workplace language courses. Among them is Also, his tone of voice affected how his message was in- WLT, based in Ottawa and ILSC–Canada in Montreal, Toterpreted. It's also important to avoid confrontation in writ- ronto and Vancouver. Ryerson University in Toronto offers ten communications. Soon after this incident, Jack wrote to courses for international professionals in its Workplace his supervisor to complain that he had been accused of giv- Communication in Canada program. All teachers of busiing the workers an order. His tone was not conciliatory — ness English in Canada must have a certificate from TESL he did not concede that what he said, or how it was said, Canada or TESL Ontario. Sending IEPs on formal training might have been interpreted as an order. programs or bringing in a qualified tutor or teacher can be It was later explained to him by a language tutor that a worthwhile investment that helps them maximize their while directness in speech and writing are valued in the effectiveness, smoothes relationships, and will help you reCanadian workplace, in this case he should have softened tain good employees. CCE his message. He should have begun with an unbiased description of the situation, including the risks of working in Marjorie Friesen is a qualified English as a Second Language the area at night. instructor based in Toronto. E-mail marjfri@rogers.com. June/July 2012
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project management
By Andrew Steeves, P.Eng.
This advice for young professionals who take on a role as project managers is surprising — but it will help them go far in their careers.
Young Professionals and Managing “Up”
O
ne of the rites of passage for a junior consulting engineer is her first assignment as a project manager. Often it is the first exposure that a young professional (YP) has to being a manager in the “real world,” and like taking her first bicycle ride without training wheels, it is a memorable occasion full of nervousness and pride. Like many young cyclists, novice project managers often focus their gaze downward. They worry about managing subordinates: how to keep the group on track, how to communicate with the team members, where to find needed resources, how to restore balance in the event of disagreements or misadventures. Managing “down” is understandable when the project manager is new. It is logical for the YP to focus on project elements over which she has the most control — her team, her schedule and her budget. By honing her skills managing these three resources, a young project manager can steadily improve her performance and that of her team. Recognition and reward should soon follow this performance growth. Indeed, well into their careers many experienced project managers continue to define their job as developing and managing a team capable of delivering a quality project on time and on budget. After all, they reason, is this not the primary objective of the project? Well, yes it is. But as project managers their focus should not be on coaching the team.
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in-house. In most firms the Stop Looking “down” Perhaps the above statement client interview is done by a surprises you, but really it senior manager or a marketshould not. Let us step back, ing champion. If the project ask a few questions and look is to be managed by a YP, the at project management from senior manager communia different perspective. cates the information to the First of all, we need to esproject manager and will act tablish: as a mentor. In other words, 1. For whom are we doing Andrew Steeves 5/7ths of the key informathe project? tion defining a project comes to the 2. What is the project? project manager “from above” — 3. When is the project deadline? from her mentor or the client. 4. Where is the project work to be This is a key point. By focusing done, and where do we deliver the on the tactical matters of the project results? team and delivery, the junior project 5. Why is this team/company doing manager has limited her focus to the project? 2/7ths of the project description These five questions are strategic (questions 6 and 7). For questions in nature: defining overall project ob1 to 5 (5/7ths of the description) she jectives from the viewpoint of the cliis either accepting direction from a ent and the consulting firm. superior (either her manager or the The details or tactics of project client) or, dangerously, assuming she delivery have not yet been deterknows the answers. mined. They are set by answering Thus good project management these two questions: requires management on the strategy 6. How is the project done and de(up) as well as the tactics (down) of livered? project delivery. 7. How much money, time and effort Unfortunately, the traditional view is to be spent on the project? of project management and most As a set, all seven questions should project management training has fobe addressed before the team comcused on the tactical questions. This mences. The better and more comfocus on tactics over strategy is a big plete the answers, the more likely that problem in engineering. the project will be a success. Clients have been Strategic vs. tactical telling us this for years The distinction between the strategic It is not as if we do not know better. and the tactical questions is imporOur clients have been trying to tell tant. Answering the former requires us this for years. Senior leaders in an in-depth discussion with the client; our industry have repeatedly stated the latter can be largely determined that we need to strive to become
June/July 2012
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project management trusted advisors (strategic thinkers), rather than deliverers of services (tactical resources). Here is an example from my own experience. For many years we conducted customer feedback interviews in my former company. On average we interviewed 120 to 140 customers a year, calling them in person after a project was completed. Our feedback process used a standard questionnaire comprising six “scoring” questions and seven openended questions. We used the same questionnaire for over a decade and thus were able to compile data for comparisons (between client types, project managers, etc.) and to determine trends (improvement or deterioration of our service). From over 1,650 interviews several findings stand out. Almost every customer willingly participated in the process. Many
were keen to provide their input, wanting to help us improve our service. In 13 years we had three customers refuse to respond. Most clients gave high marks on the tactical attributes of meeting scope, schedule, budget and accessibility. For exceptional projects that scored very high or low, the key determinant was not the internal performance of the team (tactics), but rather the relationship of team members — specifically the project manager — with the client (strategy). On the open-ended questions, comments about “good (poor) understanding of the project”; “open (weak) communications”; “going the extra mile (inflexibility),” were commonly associated with exceptional projects. In summary, we learned that clients expected us to manage our teams and that we gained little recognition for doing the tactical tasks well. For
us to make a memorable impression we needed to excel on the strategic tasks associated with managing our client relationship. Lessons for the YP So, what is the lesson for our YP (and her grizzled mentor)? It is that tactics are important but strategy is critical for project success. She and her more experienced project managers must learn to manage “up” as well as “down,” remembering that every project manager has two “clients”: the one who pays the bills and the one who writes the pay cheque. Until she learns that lesson she will become stuck in her career and her firm will enjoy little client loyalty. CCE Andrew Steeves, P.Eng. is a consulting engineer at exp. in Fredericton, New Brunswick and a past Chair of ACEC and ACEC-NB. E-mail Andrew.Steeves@exp.com
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software
BY CAITLIN CRAWSHAW
Re-Tooled
WHEN TWO FIRMS FOUND THAT SOFTWARE ON THE MARKET CAME UP SHORT, THEY DECIDED TO CREATE THEIR OWN SPECIALIZED TOOLS — ONE FOR DESIGNING ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS AND THE OTHER FOR MODELING WATERSHEDS.
Above: screen shot from the CANWET-4 sofware developed by Greenland Consulting Engineers; the software is used for gathering data on watersheds and modeling future impacts.
E
ngineers are, above all else, problem solvers. If something doesn’t work, or could simply work better, an engineer shifts into problem-solving mode, whether the problem at hand is a small inconvenience or industry-wide gap. Calgary electrical engineer Gerry Stebnicki began his consulting firm in 1977 and grew his company from one to 90 employees in a couple of decades. While suc-
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cessful, he was frustrated to find his industry was largely neglected by software companies. Other areas of engineering had technical software applications to streamline their processes, but electrical engineering didn’t have this luxury. Stebnicki figures that for companies like Autodesk, the maker of the popular AutoCAD, it probably wasn’t financially worthwhile to create products for electrical engi-
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software
neering companies, which only represent a small niche of the building engineering sector. So he and a colleague, Terry Smith, decided to solve this problem, large as it was, on their own. The duo hired an IT expert, Dean Whitford, to develop a software tool to help simplify the design process for electrical engineers. “We wanted to introduce a high level of automation, essentially to eliminate the need to do repetitive calculations over and over again – because, in our business, we do a lot of that,” Stebnicki says. The calculations don’t just slow down the engineering process; they also introduce opportunities for errors. After a decade of development, they had produced DraftLogic Electrical. The software not only automates the electrical design process, but also can be used in conjunction with building information modeling (BIM), which creates a 3D model of a building and its electrical components. Stebnicki claims that DraftLogic completes design work up to 10 times faster than conventional methods. The software also produces a bill of materials with each design. This level of detail can help companies create more detailed bids for projects and eases the workload for contractors building the designs. “Something that would take days and days to figure out can now be done in minutes,” he says. The benefits of the software go beyond process efficiency, says Stebnicki. He believes that creating a high-tech work environment can help companies with retaining good staff, which is a challenge for all engineering companies in an era of skilled labour shortages. Eliminating much of the grunt work allows engineers to be more creative at work, which is especially appealing for younger generations. Early on, Stebnicki and Smith knew the project would be a boon to other electrical engineering companies, so they opted to create a spin-off company around it and to design the software to suit the needs of other companies, too. At the moment, Stebnicki is transitioning out of his
DRAFTLOGIC ELECTRICAL
THE NUTS AND BOLTS DraftLogic Electrical was designed to automate the electrical design process. The software essentially creates a virtual rendering of a structure and allows engineers to design electrical systems that meet the specific needs of a building project, including the budget restrictions and code requirements. Beginning with a basic architectural floor plan, the program allows engineers to automatically set the locations of electrical services (lights, receptacles etc.) throughout a building, without having to go room by room. Circuiting is also automated, and allows users to quickly connect electrical devices to the panels appropriate for their voltage. Branch-circuit wiring can be drawn within minutes. After the electrical system has been designed, DraftLogic can also produce automatic reports for clients and a bill of materials. By automatically performing time-consuming, error-prone calculations, the program drastically speeds up the design program. See http://draftlogic.com/.
CANWET - 4 A CLOSE UP
CANWET - 4 is used to gather relevant scientific data about a particular watershed or lake basin, including everything from geography (including topography) to stream flows, sediments and nutrient loads, and it accounts for climate change factors. The software uses remote-sensing data and GIS (Geographic Information System) technology to create a complex computer model of a watershed. It allows policy makers to predict the impacts of their planning decisions such as the impacts of establishing new water supply and wastewater treatment facilities or the potential impacts of new communities or industries. It helps them to assess agricultural practices, or evaluate the benefits from water reclamation systems. In effect, the software becomes a testing ground where the optimal solutions, including costs, can be determined and compared against legislated government policies. See www.grnland.com.
continued on page 36 June/July 2012
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“Something that would take days and days to figure out can now be done in minutes.” consulting firm – now called SMP Consulting Electrical Engineers –- and into a role as head of DraftLogic. While he’s happy with the direction the project has taken, Stebnickiadmits he had no idea what he was Mark Palmer of entering into a decade ago. “When Greenland Consulting we began this adventure, we didn’t Engineers of Collingwood, Ontario. realize how much effort and time it would take. Once you get started with something like this, it takes on a life of its own,” he says. “It becomes intoxicating, in that you think, 'If we have all of this information, why don’t we get the program to do this, as well?’ ” Across the country in Ontario, another engineering company has been developing its own software since 1994. Greenland Consulting Engineers, with its head office in Collingwood, does work in municipal infrastructure, envi-
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Caitlin Crawshaw is a freelance journalist and artist based in Edmonton. See www.inkslingermedia.com
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June/July 2012 6/13/2012
ronmental management, monitoring and water resources. In 2003, the company was hired to create a new modeling tool to predict environmental changes in the Lake Simcoe Basin and to identify solutions. To make this happen, the chief executive officer and president of the company, Mark Palmer, approached research teams at the University of Guelph and Penn State University in the U.S. to help develop the software and also earn public research funding to offset the initial costs of development. Two years later, Greenland was hired by the Province of Ontario to create a more robust and expanded modeling tool specifically to help predict changes to watersheds within the Lake Simcoe Basin. At the time CANWET (CANadian Watershed Evaluation Tool) was created, “there wasn’t a model that had been developed specifically for Southern Ontario climate conditions,” says Palmer. About 20 people, including Greenland’s engineers and academics, have contributed to the developGerry Stebnicki, head ment of CANWET in its various inof DraftLogic, which carnations. The software can now be evolved as a software customized for use on any watershed developing company since it incorporates remote sensing from his consulting engineering practice data and an open source Geographic called SMP. Information System. The software helps policymakers understand and predict the health of water systems, assess increasing growth pressures, and determine cost-effective and environmentally sound municipal infrastructure. Software development is becoming a more popular sideline for engineering companies, especially overseas, says Palmer. For his company, the software not only provided another income stream, but bolstered Greenland’s reputation on the global stage and helped establish new international partnerships. “Software development gives you a competitive edge,” Palmer says. Like Stebnicki, he agrees that in-house and niche service related technologies gives engineers a competitive edge when it comes to hiring the next generation of engineers. But, above all, the software helps serve clients better. “Clients also want a ‘WAM’ (or ‘What About Me’) service delivery approach and our proprietary software gives us a unique advantage to ensure that our clients’ project needs are met,” Palmer says. CCE
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Let the Waters Flow
infrastructure
continued from page 22
studies, being done with the provincial government and four First Nations, are focusing on small-scale water treatment technologies as an alternative to large centralized systems, especially for smaller, rural communities. Under this program Aboriginal Affairs is inviting proposals for "point of entry" systems installed outside individual homes, and for prefabricated communal systems. They even invite options for simply purchasing new water delivery trucks. Engineering companies are not impressed by this move to decentralized services. Justin Gee, P.Eng., vice president of FNESL, says: "They [the government] want to try and stretch the dollars as far as they can, and that's how they got into trouble in the first place with all those below-standard wooden shacks all over the country." Gee, who grew up near the Six Nations reserve, is one of the few native professional engineers in Ontario. He concedes that homes in many rural First Nations communities are spaced so far apart (Why would you live on top of each other when you have that much land?) that it doesn't always make economic sense to put in extensive piped connec-
thick volumes), and providing guidance. She notes: "There is a strict process and a lot of paperwork and detail required in obtaining funding. If the engineer has experience and knows which boxes to tick, then the timelines for approvals are reduced and your chances of success are increased." Nonetheless, as other engineers who work with First Nations say, the funding and approvals process is so layered it causes interminable delays. "All I know," says Martin, "is that we have been involved with a couple of communities right from Day One where the capital planning study identified a need, but it took eight to 10 years for the project to be completed and for water to go out of the pipe." The delays occur because Aboriginal Affairs grants approval in phases. Whereas a municipality might have to do one application for government funding, First Nations have to apply for funding every step of the way. Martin outlines a typical scenario: "There's a capital planning study, a water feasibility study, then a piloting program if the reviewing agency isn't satisfied with the consultant's recommendations.
“We have been involved with a couple of communities right from Day 1 where the capital planning study identified a need but it took 8 to 10 years for the project to be completed and for water to go out [of the pipe].” tions. But, he says, "Community buildings such as wellness centres and schools should all be serviced and should have potable water. And that's what we try to do, to get water to the community buildings and to the school, and to give the centre of the community fire protection." In British Columbia, Freda Leong, P.Eng. is also not really a fan of decentralized systems, although she thinks they may be suitable where a First Nations community's options are limited. She points out, however, that point-of-use systems may be tough to maintain if the water quality is variable. Leong is with Associated Engineering and all her work is with First Nations communities. She says much of that work is doing “fix-ups" where she is called in to communities to sort out problems with their existing infrastructure. "I think “out of sight, out of mind” can come into play," she says. "There are a lot of remote First Nations communities, and due to their remoteness their systems don't always get the attention they should receive.” Not aboriginal herself, Leong likes working with First Nations immensely. "It's very different to working with a municipality. The people I work with are personally invested in the project. It's not just a job. They don't live somewhere else. This is their community, their friends and families. They want the project to be a success." A problem Leong finds is that some First Nations communities don't know what different funding opportunities are available to them. That's where their engineers can help, she says, by reading the manuals (sometimes inch-
We present the results of the sampling, finalize the feasibility studies. Then we have design, and hopefully we get the construction schedule." One water treatment plant FNESL designed for the Mohawk's of the Bay of Quinte, for example, is still "sitting there ready to go." They began pilot studies four years ago in 2008 and the project has all its environmental approvals, but it can't be built without the funding from Aboriginal Affairs. Meanwhile the community's wells are shallow and dry, and "report after report" has shown that they're not viable, says Gee. Despite these frustrations, Martin and Gee are optimistic and believe that FNESL has good prospects on the business front. They have started to market their firm as proudly 100% native owned, and this spring they have lined up meetings with First Nations communities in British Columbia and Alberta. Martin hopes that they can forge alliances and believes they have an edge over the competition since "the work that we do is actually done on First Nations by Indian people for Indian people." Already Martin sees positive signs that resource development projects are helping First Nations to find the capital to fund their own infrastructure and developments, "so they can advance and do their own improvements," he says. "And that's what we're trying to do," he continues. "We're trying to get out there and let it be known that we are a native engineering firm and we can provide the service if given CCE the opportunity." June/July 2012
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Specifier’s Literature Review S-CALC™ 2012
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S-FRAME Software Inc. announces the release of S-CALC 2012; a new full featured crosssection properties calculator, featuring: • 49 Parametric Shapes, 9 steel section databases, 4 built-up shape generators • Polygon tool for custom or complex sections • Multi-material shapes • Finite Element calculation of Shear Center & Area, Torsional & Warping Constants • Powerful PDF, Excel, HTML and CSV report generation • Comprehensive import/export support, including S-FRAME, S-STEEL, Revit and DXF • Scripting environment (Python) and NET API for automation • Customizable user interface Learn more about S-CALC at www.s-frame.com. SUPPLIER: S-FRAME SOFTWARE INC.
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Bentley Systems has acquired InspectTech Systems which provides field inspection applications and asset management services for bridges and transportation assets. InspectTech’s software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution helps streamline planning inspections, collect and manage data, and comply with government reporting. Bentley intends to incorporate InspectTech services within its AssetWise platform. www.bentley.com S-Frame’s S-CALC 2012 is a cross-section properties calculator that allows users to quickly create multi-material sections. The customizable interface adapts to any workflow. The tool can be used for determining sectional properties such as torsional constant, warping constant, shear centre and
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IPEX has launched a new technical reference Blog for the wastewater industry with a focus on its Vortex Flow Solution. Vortex Flow Inserts deal with odour and corrosion in sewer drops, using the wastewater’s own flow energy to suppress turbulence, aerate the sewage and oxidize dissolved hydrogen sulphides. wwwabettersewer.com June/July 2012
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the human edge
By Ryan Williams, EIT
Designing a World of Hope A young engineer from Edmonton describes how he and a group of volunteer design professionals helped to plan a summer resort in the mountains of Lebanon.
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f you told me 10 years ago that I would be volunteering my time to develop master plans for non-profit organizations around the world, I’d have called you crazy. But that’s exactly what I’ve found myself doing. What’s more, I realized my engineering background could be used through a Christian non-profit organization called Engineering Ministries International (EMI) — a group consisting of engineers, architects, surveyors, and other techs who donate their professional skills by travelling abroad to help the less fortunate.
Ryan Williams (at right) on site with two members of the design team. Mount Lebanon is visible in the background.
We design future facilities that will serve the poor in developing countries, working on projects such as orphanages, clean water, bridges, medical centres, hospitals, and training schools. EMI also does construction management and sends emergency response teams to disaster zones. I’ve been privileged to travel to places like Kenya, Tanzania, Egypt, and even spent six months living in Uganda. My most recent trip to Lebanon in February 2012 marks my seventh project trip abroad. I’d like to give you a taste of what I experienced. Our team met together for the first time in Beirut. We included a structural engineer from Anchorage, a mechanical engineer from Kentucky and a senior architect from Colorado. A junior architect from Winnipeg and I were the Canadian contingent. The team was of one spirit 42
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and worked very well together, enabling us to get much work completed in-country. After a couple of days in Beirut, our client organization took us up into the mountains about an hour outside the city to see the site we were to work on. This was a camping and conference centre that is much cherished by those who enjoy it to escape for a few weeks from the city. Consisting of a disorganized network of 50-year old buildings with inadequate infrastructure, the site has a church, orphanage, dormitories, basketball court (they love B-ball), kitchen, and a dining hall for around 50-100 people. The organization wishes to ultimately expand the camp’s capacity to 300 people. This was where the EMI team provided them with experience and know-how to properly plan for future redevelopment on the site whilst keeping the existing buildings functional throughout the process. The work was not without its struggles, mainly surrounding the steep grades of the site, and the short timeline imposed on us. Our daily program meetings with local architects and the client were critical in our effort to collect as much incountry information as possible. Thankfully, Lebanese people learn English, French, and Arabic in school, which eliminated potential communication barriers. For two weeks we worked tirelessly to complete the architectural, structural, civil, mechanical, and electrical conceptual designs, providing as much detail as possible. When we presented our master plan to the organization’s general assembly, they responded with praise and excitement. But the most satisfying moment was to come when our final report is given to the client in June. The report will empower the client to move forward and realize their dreams — a very exciting moment for all involved! These trips give me great pleasure, knowing that I’ve played even a small part in helping the global community by using my skills as an engineer to help those who are less fortunate. Who knows where I will go next! CCE Ryan Williams, EIT is a civil engineering graduate with ISL Engineering and Land Services in Edmonton, Alberta. The names of the camp and the EMI team members have been kept anonymous -- a measure the organization considers necessary for their protection and ongoing ability to work in this part of the world.
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