Canadian Consulting Engineer March/April 2012 by Annex Business Media

For professional engineers in private practice

MARCH/APRIL 2012

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contents

March/April 2012 Volume 53, No. 2

features Cover: Engineering for Hospitals. See stories page 18, 22 & 26. Image: Thinkstock/TongRo Image Stock

Hospitals: a Special Case. See story page 26.

departments Comment

Up Front

ACEC Review

Products

35 & 36

Advertiser Index

37 Next issue: Green buildings, geo-exchange, solar technologies, and pumped hydro storage. Also energy modelling – unravelling the mystique.

The Demands of P3s. The HVAC systems for the large Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre in B.C. had to meet a strict set of quotas. By Jessica Krippendorf

Moving Towards Net Zero. Hospitals are notorious energy guzzlers, but Stantec and other researchers have developed a very efficient model. By Paul Marmion P.Eng., Ray Pradinuk, Klaas Rodenburg, Stantec

Hospitals: a Special Case. Advice on replacing fire protection systems in these complex 24/7 environments. By Phil Schuyler, P.Eng. H.H. Angus & Associates

East Toba and Montrose Hydroelectric Project. An award-winning run-of-river hydroelectric project in the remote mountains of British Columbia. Knight Piésold

Commercial Buildings and the Smart Grid. Flexibility is the key to integrating with new power distribution technologies. By Meli Stylianou, CanmetENERGY, Natural Resources Canada

on topic ENGINEERS & THE LAW Drafting Supplementary Conditions. By Dražen Bulat, Miller Thomson, LLP

FINANCE Private Health Service Plans. By Junaid Usmani, SRJ Financial

OPINION Keeping the Lights On. By Barry Steinberg, P.Eng., Consulting Engineers of Ontario

March/April 2012

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

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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

Lessons from a firing

Art Director

erhaps consulting engineers in other parts of Canada were yawning over the political storm that erupted when the Toronto Transit Commission’s chief general manager was fired. Yes -- we hear you -- Toronto is not the centre of the universe, and it should certainly get its act together over what to build for its much-needed transit expansions. But the firing of Gary Webster and all the news coverage it engendered in February had implications for professional engineers everywhere. For once, people began to hear in the popular press how important it is to have professionals in public positions of responsibility. Repeatedly on the morning radio shows and in the newspapers, politicians, urban planners, and other commentators made the point that Webster is a professional and was trained as a civil engineer. They explained that as a professional Webster would have studied all the technical issues and it was on that basis that he was making his recommendations for surface LRTs over subways. The message was that a professional is trustworthy, and that as a professional Webster was entitled -- indeed obliged -- to stand up for what he believed to be right based on the facts and studies. Whether you favour subways or LRTs (I say just get on with either of them), it was disturbing to see a man who served for 35 years at the commission ousted from his job “with no just cause.” He had simply failed to fall into line behind the mayor and would not issue a report that would have been against his better judgement and that of his team of planners and analysts. Everybody got fired up about the story -- people in the streets were talking about it, and even the bus drivers (sometimes a grumpy bunch) stood behind their hapless boss. At the same time, there were frustrating aspects to the media coverage. Very little attention was paid to the engineering issues. Why is it more difficult and expensive to tunnel underground on these particular routes? What are the physical constraints of interconnecting LRT lines with mass transit subways? How fast does an LRT car travel -- is it just a bit faster than a bus (as some reports said), or is it speedier? How were the LRT proponents suggesting dealing with on-street traffic turning left? As so often happens, once the political circus got rolling, the engineering questions were buried beneath economic issues and the “he said, she said” type of coverage. Yet the public is interested in learning more about the technical advantages and disadvantages of what gets built -- whether it’s transit, as in this case, or something like a garbage incinerator. They care because they know that it’s the technical, physical aspects that will really affect their lives. The public would be much more easily persuaded about what is the correct course of action on any project so long as the basic concepts are reliably, clearly and honestly communicated to them. One can blame the media for being superficial in its coverage, but not entirely. Engineers need to be more willing to put their knowledge on record. I put a call into one transportation expert involved in the Toronto LRT vs. subway studies and have yet to receive a response. Bronwen Parsons

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

Ellie Robinson Contributing Editor

Rosalind Cairncross, P.Eng. Advertising Sales Manager

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

Karen Samuels (416) 510-5190 Vice President, Publishing Business Information Group (BIG)

Alex Papanou

President, Business Information Group (BIG)

Bruce Creighton Head Office

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.

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We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.

March/April 2012

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Stantec

up front

COMPANIES

U.S. Departures Area, Edmonton International Airport. AIRPORTS

U.S. Departures opens in Edmonton Edmonton International Airport opened the first of a series of expansions to its terminal in February. The U.S. Departures area is an 11,000-sq.m addition to the terminal, adding eight gates, restaurants and new lounges. MMM Group is the project manager and Stantec is the design consultant providing architecture, structural, mechanical, electrical and some geotechnical services. The U.S. departures building includes terraced roofs that provide daylight and views outside. There is also a living wall of hydroponic plants to enhance the indoor air quality. The airport’s Expansion 2012 program has other components due to open this year. They include a new air traffic control tower that sits above 12,000 square metres of offices and retail areas, and new baggage screening facilities. DIALOG is the design consultant. The airport’s central utilities plant is also being upgraded, with AECOM as design consultant. MMM is project manager for all phases. AWARDS

Alberta’s Night of Awards Consulting Engineers of Alberta gave out its Showcase Awards on February 10. The 15th annual event was held in 6

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Calgary, and as usual a colourful theme added to the excitement. This year it was “A Night at the Opera.” Seven awards of excellence were given as follows: DIALOG for the Energy Environment Experiential Learning building, University of Calgary (buildings category); AMEC Environment & Infrastructure for the East Calgary Landfill Stormwater Management project (environmental); Stantec

Harvie Passage, Bow River, Calgary.

for the Centennial Center for Interdisciplinary Science, University of Alberta (project management); KTA Structural Engineers for the Peace Regional Eco Centre (small firm/big impact and sustainable design); Ready Engineering for the Ringhals AB Unit 2 Control System Replacement for Westinghouse, Sweden (international); MMM Group for the BOW building, Calgary (studies, software, special services); and

SNC-Lavalin faces tough times In February SNC-Lavalin reported executive vice president Riadh Ben Aissa had left the company. The company also had to delay the release of its financial results for 2011. It said that its exposure on Libyan projects had resulted in a loss of $23 million. Also $35 million in payments had been wrongly allocated. At press time the board of directors was investigating.

T a M

W i f d a

Buckland & Taylor goes east-west Buckland and Taylor, specialists in bridge engineering, have opened new offices in Edmonton, Alberta and in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is the first time the awardwinning company has expanded in Canada outside Vancouver since it was founded in 1972. It also has an office in Seattle, Washington.

T t A i

G L

Genivar acquires GRB Genivar has acquired GRB Engineering, a company of 80 people in Calgary that specializes in engineering and project management for the oil and gas industry.

F W o

Stantec results “solid” Stantec has reported that its operational results for 2011 were “solid.” Gross revenue increased 11.3% compared to 2010 “as a result of acquisitions and organic growth.”

continued on page 8

March/April 2012

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Klohn Crippen Berger for the Harvie Passage, Calgary Bow River Weir Project (community development and water resources/energy). As an example of the excellence of just one award-winner, Klohn Crippen Berger’s Bow River project involved creating pools and rapids downstream of a weir to eliminate an extreme safety hazard for recreational users. The engineers increased the river water levels to drown out the weir, creating whitewater play areas and enabling passage for non-motorized boats. CEA awards of merit winners were Read Jones Christoffersen, EBA/Tetra Tech, AECOM, Associated Engineering, ISL Engineering, Stewart Weir, CH2M HILL, Morrison Hershfield, BPTEC-DNW and Urban Systems. The CEA Lieutenant Governor’s Award for distinguished achievement went to four people who helped create Consulting Engineers of Alberta 34 years go, Cameron namely Elmer Brooker, Franchuk Harold Page, Norm Lawrence and Stan Lawrence. Cameron Franchuk, P.Eng. won the 2012 Harold L. Morrison Rising Professional Award. TRANSPORTATION

Manitoba starts 1000-kilometre road network In Manitoba, work is under way on the first permanent roads to connect First Nations communities along

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East Side Road Authority, Govt. Manitoba

up front

DEADLINE

Wanipigow Bridge under construction last summer on a new permanent road along the east side of Lake Winnipeg.

the east side of Lake Winnipeg to the provincial road system. The government of Manitoba’s East Side Road Authority is overseeing the project, which will cost approximately $3 billion and take 30 years to complete. Totalling 1,028 kilometres in all, the network is actually divided into two. The southern section starts at provincial route 304 near Hollow Water and threads 150 kilometres north along Lake Winnipeg, connecting communities such as Bloodvein, Berens River and Poplar River. The northern section is a 650-kilometre route going east from the northeastern tip of Lake Winnipeg near Norway House and provincial roads 373 and 374. The road splits into a Y section at Molson Lake, with one arm going to God’s Lake, and the other to Red Sucker Lake. SNC-Lavalin established the routes in a two-year long study released in 2011. Now AECOM is the prime consulting engineering firm implement-

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ing the project, and Dillon Consulting is the contract administrator. Both companies are working on the road and bridge works. First Nations communities make up 97% of the area served by the new network and thanks to a $50-million Community Benefits Agreement they will help with construction. Once the all-seasons roads are built, the cost of transporting goods and supplies to the communities is expected to be halved, while the cost of medical transport is expected to be reduced by 40%.

tiered box with a curved STRUCTURES spire rising from one Glass walkway in corner, is located at Bay Jasper approved and Adelaide Streets The Glacier Discovery in the banking district Walk in Jasper National downtown. Park, Alberta received Zeidler Partnership is environmental approvthe architect, Yolles is the al from the federal structural engineer, and government in FebruHidi Rae is the mechani- Trump Hotel and Condominiary. There had been opums tower, Toronto in an early cal electrical engineer. position from environconstruction phase. At 60 storeys and 277 mental groups to the metres high (including the pinnacle), privately owned project. it is the fifth tallest tower in Toronto The walk is a 300-metre interpre(First Canadian Place is still the tallest tive trail that cuts into the face of a at 72 storeys), according to Wikipedia. cliff high above the Icefields parkway. It includes a 35-metre cantilevered NOTES structure affording spectacular views Towering Resource of the icefield and mountains. To add The Council on Tall Buildings & Urban to the drama, the walkway has a section with a glass floor. Habitat (CTBUH) has launched a Structural engineers are Reed Jones comprehensive website of information Christoffersen (Simon Brown). Sturon tall buildings around the world. gess Architecture is the architect. (www.skyscrapercenter.com)

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ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW CHAIR’S MESSAGE

Advocating for a Better Business and Regulatory Climate

uilding the profile of consulting engineers and advocating for a better business and regulatory climate is a priority for ACEC. Consequently, we are committing more resources to our government relations program led by the ACEC staff in Ottawa. As I look back over the past year as Chair of ACEC, I find that the recent success of our industry is remarkable. Our annual Parliament Hill Day continues to grow in both sophistication and effectiveness. Our association and our members are becoming very effective (and comfortable) in engaging government officials and opinion leaders. Parliamentarians from all parties respect our members for their expertise and conviction to build a better Canada. It is clear that they share our belief that long-term infrastructure investment is key to a successful economy and the government welcomes our input. In addition to recent high profile meetings with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, with Minister of Infrastructure,

Denis Lebel, and many other parliamentarians, ACEC also works collaboratively with many government departments. These include the Department of National Defence, Industry, Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Public Works and Government Services, Transport and Infrastructure. Other agencies with which ACEC is engaged include Defence Construction Canada, Export Development Canada and the National Roundtable on the Environment and the Economy. Our collaboration with other industry stakeholders such as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, Canadian Construction Association and Engineers Canada is also proving effective. ACEC currently has a strong voice within the Canadian Infrastructure Report Card project, the Canadian Engineering Leadership Forum, the Construction Industry Consultative Committee and the Institute for BIM in Canada. I am proud of the strides we have made. We need to continue on the path of engaging with leaders in government and business. HERB KUEHNE, P.ENG., CHAIR, ACEC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MESSAGE DU PRÉSIDENT DU CONSEIL

La promotion d’un meilleur environnement commercial et réglementaire

a mise en valeur du profil des ingénieurs-conseils et la promotion d’un meilleur environnement commercial et réglementaire pour notre industrie sont des priorités de l’AFIC. C’est pourquoi nous affectons davantage de ressources à notre programme de relations gouvernementales qui est géré par l’équipe permanente de l’AFIC à Ottawa. En regardant l’année qui se termine à titre de président du conseil de l’AFIC, je constate que les récents succès de notre industrie sont remarquables. Notre Journée sur la Colline annuelle continue d’évoluer aussi bien en termes de qualité que d’efficacité. Notre association et nos membres sont de plus en plus habiles et à l’aise dans leurs relations avec les instances gouvernementales et les leaders d’opinion. Les parlementaires de tous les partis respectent nos membres pour leur expertise et leur capacité de contribuer à l’essor du Canada. Il est clair qu’ils partagent notre conviction qu’un plan d’investissement dans l’infrastructure à long terme est essentiel à une économie prospère, et le gouvernement invite et apprécie notre participation. En plus de nos récentes réunions avec le premier ministre, Stephen Harper, avec le ministre de l’Infrastructure, Denis Lebel, ainsi qu’avec plusieurs autres parlementaires influents, l’AFIC travaille aussi en collaboration avec plu-

sieurs ministères gouvernementaux, dont Défense Canada, le ministère de l’Industrie, des Affaires étrangères et du Commerce international, Travaux public et Services gouvernementaux Canada, ainsi que le ministère des Transports et des Collectivités. Les autres agences et organismes avec lesquels l’AFIC entretient des contacts étroits comprennent Construction de défense Canada, Exportation et développement Canada, de même que la Table ronde nationale sur l’environnement et l’économie. Notre collaboration avec d’autres intervenants, incluant la Fédération canadienne des municipalités, l’Association canadienne de la construction, et Ingénieurs Canada, apporte aussi des résultats très concrets. L’AFIC participe aussi activement au projet du Bulletin de rendement des infrastructures canadiennes, au Forum des leaders du génie canadien, au Comité consultatif de l’industrie de la construction (CICC), et à l’Institut pour la modélisation des données du bâtiment du Canada (IBC). Je suis très fier des progrès que nous avons réalisés, et il nous faut continuer de nourrir nos relations avec les leaders du gouvernement et du milieu des affaires. HERB KUEHNE, P.ENG. PRÉSIDENT CONSEIL D’ADMINISTRATION DE L’AFIC

March/April 2012

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

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ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW

GUEST COLUMN:

Building Canada Together By Dean Del Mastro, MP here has simply never been a time in our history where Canada has stood out more profoundly or shone more brightly among industrialized nations than we do right now. Indeed, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is only one of many significant world leaders who have argued that the 21st century may well be defined as Canada’s century; without question, despite the challenges presented by an uncertain global economy Canada has an unprecedented opportunity to lead and prosper as we look toward the future. In preparing to take advantage of the opportunities before us, our government in 2006 set in place Advantage Canada, a long term economic blue print that set out five key priority areas or advantages that we would seek to secure by focusing government resources. Among these five priorities was the expressed goal of creating an infrastrucDean Del Mastro, MP (left), with ACEC VP Susie Grynol (centre) and ACEC President John Gamble (right). ture advantage by investing into the modernization of the nation’s roads, bridges, ports, transit systems and gateways to insure the seamless flow of goods, services and people; As we look to the future, our task in creating Canand with that, Building Canada was born. ada’s infrastructure advantage, while underway, reTogether in partnership with the provinces and mumains a key commitment of our national government nicipalities, we have engaged hundreds of thousands of and call to action for the many professionals, skilled Canadians in the creation and renewal of the nation’s trades and building partners that will work with us to infrastructure, backed by the largest financial commitfulfil this vision.We understand that the prosperity, ment of any government since the Second World War. opportunity and quality of life of each and every CanaIndeed the investments made by both Building Canada dian individual, family and business both now and in and Canada’s Economic Action Plan have engaged Cathe future depends on maintaining and expanding nadians in the construction of economic infrastructure the Canadian Advantage. in a way that supports and creates jobs and growth now Canada has the great advantage of being an Atas well as in the future. lantic, Pacific and Arctic nation. A land rich in Key among our considerations were the priorities of natural resources and abounding with world leadinsuring that each and every project was on time, on ing technology and human capital. From far and budget and built to last. Having learned from mistakes of wide we continue to build on our proud past as we will continue to invest into the infrastructure needpast administrations, our government focused on value ed to support all that we collectively cherish and for taxpayers while placing trust in our professional engiaspire toward. Together we are building Canada. neers, construction firms and project partners to deliver as never before. As Canadians we can be truly proud that Dean Del Mastro is the Member of Parliament for the model created here and carried out is now the subPeterborough, Ontario. ject of study of governments throughout the world.

ACEC Member Organizations: Consulting Engineers of British Columbia, Consulting Engineers of Yukon, Consulting Engineers of Alberta, Consulting Engineers of Northwest Territories, Consulting Engineers of Saskatchewan, Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Manitoba, Consulting Engineers of Ontario, Association des Ingénieurs-conseils du Québec, Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – New Brunswick, Consulting Engineers of Nova Scotia, Consulting Engineers of Prince Edward Island, Consulting Engineers of Newfoundland and Labrador. 14

Canadian Consulting Engineer

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March/April 2012

12-03-07 10:12 AM

ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW

Federal Government Takes a Leadership Role on Infrastructure

ver the past several months, the Government of Canada has taken a leadership role on an important priority for our industry: infrastructure. After a strong commitment in the last federal election that the government would take action on creating a long-term plan to address the infrastructure needs of the country, it has followed through on this promise. Parliament Hill Day – November 2011 On November 1st, 2011, ACEC held its annual Parliament Hill Day where delegates had the chance to meet with over 40 Members of Parliament to dis-

ACEC discusses a long-term infrastructure plan with Minister of Finance, James Flaherty.

cuss public infrastructure planning. We were fortunate to meet with the Minister of Finance, James Flaherty, who took time from his busy G20 meeting calendar to meet with ACEC. In the meeting, we thanked him for his commitment to create a long-term plan for infrastructure, and encouraged the government to commence work immediately. Planning at this stage is critical since the Building Canada Fund (the largest infrastructure program) will expire in 2014, and it is anticipated that the government will re-invest in a new program at that time. If the government spends the next several years planning for a new program, it will be well-positioned to make a meaningful investment and to address some major deficits that exist in our public infrastructure.

The Government Commences its Long-Term Planning Process On November 30th, 2011, the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Denis Lebel, announced that the government would

Minister of Infrastructure, Denis Lebel (left) with Susie Grynol, ACEC’s VP Policy and Public Affairs (right).

commence work on a long-term plan. ACEC’s Vice-President of Policy and Public Affairs, Susie Grynol, CAE, attended the announcement and had the chance to congratulate the Minister and the Federal Government on their leadership role. The plan that has been proposed by the government will include several phases. The first phase, “Taking Stock,” will focus on a series of reports aimed at raising the level of knowledge and literacy with regards to the value and importance of infrastructure. One such report will center on the role of engineers where ACEC, together with Engineers Canada and the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE), have been invited by Infrastructure Canada to co-author a report. ACEC will also participate in the next phase, “Identifying Priorities,” which is designed to help ensure that all levels of government have the right information to make informed decisions about infrastructure investments. Infrastructure Canada will work with its partners and stakeholders to build knowledge around five broad themes: • Infrastructure and the Economy • Infrastructure and the Environment

• Infrastructure and Stronger Communities • Financing Infrastructure • Asset Planning and Sustainability. ACEC intends to solicit input and participation from its membership to ensure that the perspective and expertise available from the consulting engineering sector will help shape the plan. For more information on Infrastructure Canada’s engagement plan for long-term infrastructure, visit www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/plan-eng.html. Meeting with the Prime Minister On February 3, 2012, ACEC Chairman of the Board Herb Kuehne, P.Eng., ACEC President John Gamble, P.Eng., and ACEC Vice-President Susie Grynol, CAE, had the opportunity to meet with the Prime Minister to personally applaud the important leadership role the government has taken on infrastructure. The Prime Minister was

From left to right: ACEC President John Gamble, ACEC VP Susie Grynol, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, ACEC Chairman Herb Kuehne, and MP James Rajotte.

pleased to hear that the Stimulus Program allowed our firms to create jobs and opportunities in our sector, and he welcomed ACEC’s participation in developing the new long-term infrastructure program with Infrastructure Canada. Also in attendance was the Chair of the Standing Committee on Finance, MP James Rajotte. “We believe that infrastructure is an investment - not an expense. The approach put forward by the government will provide a strong foundation for a continued on page 16

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health care

The Demands of P3s WHEN HOSPITALS ARE BUILT BY PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, THE HVAC ENGINEERS HAVE TO MEET EXTRAORDINARY REQUIREMENTS. THE LARGE ABBOTSFORD REGIONAL HOSPITAL AND CANCER CENTRE IN B.C. IS A CASE IN POINT.

Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership

BY JESSICA KRIPPENDORF

Above: the 60,000-sq. metre Abbotsford hospital is LEED Gold. Accurately modelling the energy savings was critical since the HVAC engineers’ P3 client is operating the facility for 30 years.

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BRITISH COLUMBIA’S FIRST PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP (P3)

acute care hospital was the largest project completed to date in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley. It also challenged the design team with the strictest energy requirements ever specified for a similar facility. The $355-million Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre (ARHCC) east of Vancouver is a 60,000-sq.m complex

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health care

offering 300 acute care beds, nine operating theatres, maternity and pediatric services, medical imaging, radiation cancer treatment, and a host of secondary staff and patient services. The design called for 25 per cent energy efficiency over a typical code-compliant hospital — an energy requirement that was unparalleled at the time of tender. Access Health Abbotsford (AHA) is the P3 consortium that was selected to complete design, construction, financing and maintenance of the facility over the next 30 years. As a P3 contract, the facility’s operating energy cost guarantee was subject to risk/reward consequences. If the upper limit of the energy guarantee were exceeded, AHA would have to pay the excess through one of its consortium members, Johnson Controls, which is operating the facility. The P3 arrangement made it absolutely critical to have realistic and reliable pre-construction energy calculations. Meeting those calculations was the biggest challenge presented by the project, says Paul Marmion, P.Eng., senior principal with Stantec. Stantec was the mechanical con-

tively defined the required energy efficiency,” says Marmion. “It was the team’s responsibility to design the hospital to meet the energy targets.” The building uses variable air volume (VAV) reheat in most areas, constant volume (CV) in critical care areas, and some radiant heating throughout. The design team selected two 4,900 kW and one 2,000 kW high-efficiency gas-fired hot water boilers and located them in a centralized energy centre. A flue gas heat recovery system uses a heat exchanger located in the combined boiler breeching, which recovers up to 700 kW of energy that would normally be wasted. The recovered energy is used for building reheating loads and domestic hot water heating. The incremental capital cost of adding the flue gas heat recovery system was $208,000, with a predicted annual energy saving of $36,000, providing a 5.8-year simple payback. The hospital’s high-efficiency chilled water generation system comprises two 900-ton chillers piped in a counter-

“THE BID CONSTRUCTION COST WAS OVER THE OWNER’S BUDGET, MEANING THE ENERGY SAVING STRATEGIES ALSO HAD TO HAVE A FAST PAYBACK AND MINIMAL CAPITAL COST.” sulting engineer and engineer of record for the hospital’s HVAC, plumbing and fire protection. “The original P3 contract stipulated that the hospital be a LEED certified project and qualify for at least three LEED energy credits,” Marmion says. “At the time of the original bid process, this was a very aggressive target that no green site acute care hospital had achieved, to our knowledge.” Adding to the challenge, the bid construction cost was over the owner’s budget, meaning the energy saving strategies also had to have a fast payback and minimal capital cost. “Because of the 30-year operating requirement and the energy operating cost guarantees, the P3 bid team was very much averse to risk, so all energy saving strategies had to be proven technology with long-term reliability and repeatability,” says Marmion. “For example, using Abbotsford aquifer water for heat pump heating and cooling could have been an easy way to achieve the three energy credits with a fast payback, but it was considered by the P3 team to be too risky.” Systems to achieve required LEED energy credits The design team worked closely with Curt Hepting, P.Eng., of EnerSys Analytics, using a modified DOE2e software tool to perform complex energy and cost analysis on various energy saving strategies. “The output specification defined the number of LEED energy credits that the design had to meet, which effec-

flow configuration with chilled water temperature reset control. The chillers optimize energy efficiency, consuming a maximum of 0.5 kW/ton of cooling. “There was no incremental capital cost of adding the counter-flow configuration,” says Marmion, “resulting in an annual energy saving of $3,400, and providing instant pay back.” A condenser water heat recovery system recovers up to 980 kW of the energy that would normally be wasted and uses it for heating incoming domestic hot water up to 85ºF. The team achieved a simple six-month payback on the system with a $15,000 capital investment and annual energy savings of $28,000. An exhaust air heat recovery system recovers energy from all of the building’s significant exhaust air systems and uses it to reduce the energy impact of the large, outside air systems that serve the operating rooms, laboratory and intensive care areas. Variable speed control is used on all significant fans and circulating pumps. Bypass control on all heat recovery and cooling coils reduces stand-by energy losses. The dampers save $1,200 per year and provide a six-year simple payback. Addressing occupancy loads, demand ventilation controls use CO2 and occupancy sensors to control the amount of ventilation air supplied to non-critical areas of the hospital. In the building’s large three-storey high atrium space, vents at low and high levels are automatically opened and continued on page 20 March/April 2012

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JCI

frame, requiring the design and construction team to rethink typical hospital design and construction practices, starting with a fully integrated process, and with quality control throughout design and construction phases. The hospital qualified for 11 environmental quality LEED credits, including those meeting ASHRAE Standards 55 and 62.1, those for controlling tobacco smoke, CO2 monitoring and control, and indoor air quality construction management control.

Above: one of two 900-ton high-efficiency chilled water generators, which are piped in a counterflow configuration.

closed as required to supplement the mechanical ventilation system, creating an integrated natural and mechanical system for optimal air quality and ventilation. To achieve this, the team performed a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis to confirm air flow rates and thermal comfort under various outside and inside operating conditions. Factory fabrication and testing were used on major equipment such as air handling units (AHUs). Meanwhile, flexible HVAC systems were developed for medical equipment that was ordered “just in time” to ensure the most advanced technology was available and selected. Because acoustic insulation was not used in any supply or return air ductwork so as to limit any potential contamination of the supply air, an acoustic consultant had to determine the best selection and installation of AHUs and terminal units. Sound attenuators and double layers of drywall rap were used as acoustic cladding in noise-sensitive areas. The air handling plant is mainly located at roof level, using 21 factory-fabricated AHUs, serving 1,200 variable air volume boxes with non-typical configurations. Non-typical rooftop primary ducting and piping configurations were used to accommodate the construction schedule, budget, and tight floor-to-ceiling constraints. Lighting, building envelope, and plumbing all play a part “Low flow plumbing fixtures reduce the energy required to heat the domestic hot water, saving $24,000 in energy costs annually,” says Marmion. As well, “Energy efficient light systems with lighting power density of 8.9 W/m2 compare with typical hospital systems having a lighting power density of 15.3 W/m2.” The high-performance building envelope uses low-e, argon-filled glazing and coating to control the building’s heating and cooling loads. Payback on the building envelope is expected within one year. The project was also constrained by a fast-track time20

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Uses less than half the energy of a typical Vancouver hospital As an initial point of comparison, EnerSys Analytics entered the building characteristics and billed data for the second year of operation into the company’s Energy Profile Tool. The tool provides estimated end-use energy information as well as a benchmark derived from default indicators from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager. “After the second year of operation, billing data indicate that ARHCC was running at 153 kBtu/ft², compared with a typical Vancouver hospital’s energy use intensity of about 350 kBtu/ft²,” says Hepting. The tool also indicated that ARHCC’s annual CO2 production of 3,140 metric tons is less than half a comparable facility, achieving CO2 savings equivalent to taking 1,400 cars off of the road. “EnerSys Analytics also entered specific information and billing data directly into the EPA’s Portfolio Manager to check the relative Energy Star indicators, adjusted for the specific project conditions,” says Hepting. “After the second year of operation, the Energy Star system performance indicated the energy intensity at 42% below the U.S. National Average -- equivalent to a rating of 93 out of a possible maximum of 100.” Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) indicates the average hospital energy use in Canada is 2.65 GJ/m², equalling 233 Btu/ft² -- a number still significantly higher than the ARHCC’s utility bills. CCE Jessica Krippendorf is a freelance writer in Vancouver Island. B.C.

Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre Architect: MCM/STH Mechanical: Stantec Consultants (Paul Marmion, P.Eng.). Electrical: RADA (Doug Redmond, P.Eng.) Energy analysis: EnerSys Analytics (Curt Hepting, P.Eng.) P3 Consortium/design, construction, financing and maintenance 30 years: Access Health Abbotsford (AHA). John Laing Investments Abbotsford (project manager); ABN AMRO Bank N.V (finance/development); PCL Constructors Westcoast (design-build contractor); MCM/Silver Thomas Hanley (design services); Johnson Controls/Sodexho (facility management).

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health care

Hospitals are notorious energy guzzlers, but Stantec and a team of researchers are finding ways to save 75% energy with strategies that can be applied anywhere in the world.

MOVING TOWARDS NET ZERO BY PAUL MARMION P.ENG., RAY PRADINUK, MAIBC, KLAAS RODENBURG, CET, STANTEC

uildings consume more than 30% of the total energy produced in North America, including 70% of the electricity. Hospitals, with their high ventilation rates and round the clock occupancy, consume more energy than almost any other building type. Therefore they are the ideal vehicle for exploring energy efficiency strategies. For almost the last 10 years, Stantec’s architects and engineers have been involved in research into innovative healthcare design, looking at ways of improving the design of facilities in terms of both their delivery of health-

care and their consumption of operating energy. Stantec has been conducting this research with various research partners such as M+NLB consultants and BTY Group through the Sextant research organization, Purdue University, Cambridge University, and with the help of funding partners such as Kaiser Permanente, BC Hydro, Boston Health and Fraser Health. Very early on in the research it was determined that hospitals had to be designed using a fully integrated multidisciplinary design approach. It was also decided that their operating energy had to be minimized as much as

Above: the 50,000-sq. m prototypical hospital is based on global best design principles and can be used as a virtual design tool for analyzing energy strategies and comparing them to the ASHRAE 90.1 - 2007 baseline. 22

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possible before applying any renewable energy strategies. This understanding triggered research into optimizing hospital ventilation rates and indoor air quality, which was published in 2010 and ultimately resulted in changes to the ASHRAE healthcare standard 170.1.1 The most recent research effort is the “Hospital Configuration and Systems Integration for Reduced Energy Use.” The research explores how the integration of multiple systems can result in a significant reduction of energy consumption within a prototypical Pacific Northwest hospital and how to apply those lessons on other building types and in other climatic zones. Using a 50,000-sq.m prototypical acute care hospital, the strategies tested resulted in a 75% improvement over the ASHRAE 90.1 baseline. Dedicated Vertical Air Supply to Each Room The challenge for any integrated design approach is finding the optimal integration of related and unrelated systems without compromising patient and staff safety. The approach must also have a minimal impact on

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health care construction costs. The objective of our study is to provide the data to support strategies that can be implemented within the existing regulatory framework and are adaptable to any hospital in the world. Modern hospitals must achieve operational efficiency and flexibility, enhance communication within and between care teams, and above all be safe for both patients and staff. The prototype hospital developed for this study responds to these imperatives by organizing it into three main blocks — ambulatory care, inpatient, diagnostic — an approach that allows the building systems to be rationalized to the special needs of each block. Achieving a high level of indoor air quality comes at an energy cost of conditioning the air entering the building from the outside. Given the 24/7 activity at hospitals, this energy cost is higher than almost any other building type. For this study we provided dedicated vertical supply and exhaust shafts in each patient room, thus eliminating the potential for cross contamination between rooms, as well as eliminating

“Hospital Configuration and Systems Integration for Reduced Energy Use” RESEARCH TEAM Paul Marmion & Ray Pradinuk, Stantec, Vancouver Andy Woods & Nicola Mingnotti, BP Institute for Multi-phase Flow, University of Cambridge, England Alan Short, University of Cambridge School of Architecture, England Arash Guity, M+ NLB, San Francisco Steve Hadden, BTY Group, Vancouver Research funded by: Stantec Research Fund, M+NLB Energy Analysis, BC Hydro, Fraser Health Authority.

Above: the prototype comprises three blocks separated by courtyards and connected by an underground parkade and thermal labyrinth.

the need for sound dampers and almost all horizontal ductwork and associated crossovers. The approach allowed a lower floor-to-floor height of 3.6 metres, which reduced construction costs and increased daylight penetration into the courtyards. The concrete floor slabs were made “thermally active” to allow the use of low-grade energy for heating and cooling, and we decoupled the heating and cooling systems from the ventilation system to allow the use of displacement ventilation in non-critical areas. Automatic exterior solar shading is used to avoid cooling loads beyond the capacity of a displacement system and to prevent hot spots on the floor or walls that would divert supply air from the room occupants. Seismic System as Thermal Labyrinth As the prototype building was initially designed for the Pacific Northwest coastal region which is a seismically active area, a base isolation seismic system was used. The base isolation system supports the whole building on flexible pads to isolate it from ground movements and is located in a 2.5 metre “crawl space” between the entry level and below-grade parking level. The research team took the opportunity to explore how this costly seismic requirement could be leveraged to further reduce energy consumption. The space functions as a thermal

labyrinth, taking advantage of the temperature differential between day and night by storing the energy and using it in a dynamic manner to reduce the overall energy consumption of the hospital. A research team from Cambridge University used the prototype building model to test the benefits of using water storage tanks as a thermal media in the labyrinth. They developed a new mathematical model to analyze the labyrinth, which comprises a series of insulated water tanks coupled to an inflow plenum in which the air is able to exchange heat through a series of heat exchange tubes. Using the model, the Cambridge researchers were able to develop the parameters critical to determining the length of pipe for the heat exchanger, water circulation rate, and size of water tanks for winter pre-heating and summer pre-cooling. This approach allows the thermal labyrinth concept to be used in buildings without a base isolation crawlspace. Summary of Prototype Building Features The prototype building model was developed in Integrated Environmental Solution’s IES Virtual Environment V6.4 energy modeling software. A model based on the prescriptive parameters of ASHRAE standard 90.1-2007 was developed in order to

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continued on page 24 Canadian Consulting Engineer

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continued from page 23

Above: an integrated systems approach by the research team applied to the prototypical building resulted in a 75% reduction in Energy Use Intensity.

provide a baseline to which proposed strategies could be compared and savings quantified. Simulations for this study were performed using the climatic data of Vancouver. The simulations performed on the prototype model include: • high performance energy transfer system using an integrated, whole hospital 4-pipe heat pump distribution system used for energy recovery as well as for moving energy around the building for cooling and heating, minimizing/eliminating most of the tradition reheat energy; • high performance building envelope with active shading; • reduced lighting and equipment loads; • thermally active surfaces and high mass with in-slab radiant heating and cooling; • thermal labyrinth; • natural/hybrid ventilation, using displacement ventilation in all noncritical care areas; • heating and cooling plant reduction/elimination analysis. Three Most Important Features The simulated baseline energy use intensity (EUI) of the in-patient tower was found to be 684kWhr/m2 (217 kBtu/ft2/year), which is typical for this type of building use. The simulated proposed design achieved an EUI 24

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of 167.5kWhr/m2 (53.1 kBtu/ft2/ year) which represents a 75% savings over the baseline model. The single greatest contributor to this reduction is the elimination of reheat energy resulting from the capture of waste heat. Next is a significant reduction of fan energy through the use of the thermal labyrinth and natural/hybrid ventilation system. Third is the reduction of lighting energy from the use of efficient lighting sources and advanced lighting controls. Applying the Model to More Extreme Climates The use of a virtual model of a prototypical hospital makes it easy to perform the same simulation in other locations. For this study the research team analyzed the same systems using climatic data from Edmonton, Alberta and Phoenix, Arizona. We discovered that both received significant benefits from the water tank labyrinth: in Edmonton where both winter pre-heat and summer pre-cooling led to a 718 MWhr/yr benefit, and in Phoenix where summer pre-cooling leads to significant energy savings of 676 MWhr/yr. Although further research is required, this study has proven that an integrated approach to healthcare fa-

cility design can result in significant improvements in energy consumption regardless of climatic zone. By leveraging Building Information Modeling (BIM) concepts and the power of analytic software design, teams of the future will be able to test their strategies anywhere in the world and compare their results to the code compliant/ baseline design. Ultimately the work done in this study is but a stepping stone towards the development of a full service carbon neutral, Net Zero energy hospital. Such a hospital might use low-tech strategies such as south-facing trombe walls or evaporative cooling ponds in the courtyards, or advanced technologies such as optimized solar power generation or additional wind power usage. The ultimate vision is to design, construct, and operate facilities that give back as much as they take from CCE the environment. Paul Marmion, P.Eng., Ray Pradinuk, MAIBC, and Klaas Rodenburg, CET are principals with Stantec in Vancouver. See Sagnik Mazumdar, Yanggao Yin, Arash Guity Paul Marmion, Bob Gulick, Qingyan Chen’s, paper published in HVAC&R Research, September 2010 “Impact of Moving Objects on Contaminant Concentration Distributions in an Inpatient Ward with Displacement Ventilation.” The research indicated that prescribed air change rates could be significantly reduced and IAQ improved by using displacement ventilation in the inpatient rooms. 1

References “Zero Energy Buildings: a Critical Look at the Definition.” P. Torcellini, S. Pless, and M. Deru, National Renewable Energy Laboratory; D. Crawley, U.S. Department of Energy, 2006. The Zero Energy Buildings Database U.S. Department of Energy http:// eere.buildinggreen.com/ “Targeting 100! Envisioning the High Performance Hospital: Implications for a New, Low Energy, High Performance Prototype.” Heather Burpee & Joel Loveland. 2010, University of Washington.

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fire alarms

By Phil Schuyler, P.Eng. H.H. Angus & Associates

Advice on the special requirements that hospitals have when it comes to replacing their fire alarm systems.

Hospitals: a Special Case

s fire alarm technology has developed, the systems in many existing hospitals have become outdated and obsolete. Many hospitals are moving forward with renovation projects that involve the complete removal of their existing fire alarm systems and replacing them with modern addressable systems. Recently our company has been commissioned to complete several hospital fire alarm renovation projects. Based on our experiences, here are some key design considerations that ensure a successful project.

Ensure the client has a firm understanding of the change in sound levels, from existing horns or bells, to speakers with digital tones.

Typically the alarm’s audibility will be significantly more with the new system in comparison to the old bell or horn style systems. This is always a point of contention, specifically regarding patient rooms as it is extremely difficult to reach the minimum 65dB without a speaker in the room. Yet with a speaker in the room the reading is typically well over 75dB. Considering the ambient sound level

The fire alarm system upgrade completed between May 2004 and November 2011 at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto involved replacing a conventional with a fully addressable fire alarm system. The Sunnybrook campus consists of 26 separate buildings connected to one fireman’s command/control centre and a redundant fireman’s command/control centre. Detailed phasing and planning was necessary for the installation of new front end equipment in order to reduce downtown and maintain the operation of the existing fire alarm system. Another critical concern was coordinating with infection control guidelines to minimize the risk to patients and staff during construction.

could be very low, the sudden change in sound during an alarm can cause hospital staff to be concerned for patient welfare. These issues must be brought to light early in the project so that the hospital administration and staff are aware of the change. Understand the existing ventilation system and the sequence of fan shutdowns.

This point is often overlooked as the fire alarm is typically designed by an electrical engineer, whereas the ventilation system generally comes under the purview of mechanical engineers. If there are no accurate existing as-built drawings of the ventilation system, it would be worthwhile to engage a mechanical engineer to review the existing conditions. Although the building code applies typically to recirculation fans, it is our experience that some authorities prefer all the supply and return fans to shut down to avoid confusion. This is a request that should be reviewed with a mechanical engineer since supply fans to specific hospital functions such as operating rooms must remain active. Existing required fire alarm boundaries need to be confirmed.

Over time, it is possible that the building’s fire alarm spatial boundaries were shifted but not updated to the fire alarm panel, software, or associated active or passive graphics. It may be prudent to engage an architect who is knowledgeable about the building and its recent construction projects to review the boundaries. In addition, the required fire separations should be checked to ensure continued on page 27 March/April 2012

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

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fire

fire alarms

continued from page 25

there are minimal penetrations. Since the nature of a renovation such as this is to make the building safer from a fire safety standpoint, the reviews should be included in the project scope. Our experience has taught us to estimate based on several spot checks and to carry a cash allowance to cover a unit cost for each penetration.

should be a last resort and fire alarm systems should be designed with this understanding. Although the above is not an exhaustive list of all the design aspects that need to be considered when replacing a fire alarm system in an existing hospital, from our experience

The building’s existing architectural features may not have caused issues for the original building fire alarm system, but standards may have changed and all the new installations must meet the current standards.

they are significant points that everyone involved in these projects needs to keep in mind. CCE

Advice replacin

Phil Schuyler, P.Eng., is an electrical engineer, project manager and fire and security design specialist with H.H. Angus & Associates, consulting engineers in Toronto.

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Sprinkler and standpipe connections must be reviewed and confirmed.

A site review with the hospital’s annual fire alarm inspecting agent will help to resolve this issue. Hospitals require special considerations due to their type of occupancy.

It is critical to understand how the project is to be constructed in order to minimize any down time to the existing fire alarm system. Time spent on construction in occupied patient areas needs to be carefully coordinated to ensure that all infection control procedures are met and also to allow the contractor time to ensure the system is installed properly. It is also important to consider how the hospital fire plan accounts for evacuating the patients. The evacuation of seriously ill patients

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ISSUE:

Victaulic October

March/April 2012 COPY DATE:

Canadian Consulting Engineer

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September

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power

Knight Piésold

Constructing two run-of-river hydroelectric projects was a challenge in the remote mountains of British Columbia. One of the facilities has a large Coanda screen at the intake to stop sediment flowing to the turbines.

East Toba and Montrose Hydroelectric Project

igh in the Coastal Mountains 100 kilometres north of Powell River on British Columbia’s west coast, two new “run-of-river” hydroelectricity stations are together generating 235 MW of electrical power. The East Toba and Montrose hydroelectric projects were completed in 2010 and Knight Piésold was awarded the Consulting Engineers of British Columbia Lieutenant Governor Award of Excellence for them in 2011. The most northerly of the two facilities is on the East Toba River and is the largest run-of-river project in B.C. It has a 30.7 m3/s design flow and 581 m gross head. About 17 km southwest is the facility on Montrose Creek, which has a 22.8 m3/s design flow and 466 m gross head. Knight Piésold Consulting Engineers originally identified the sites and the idea of the combined projects. They obtained the permits for the owners, Toba Montrose General Partnership, and then were hired by Kiewit to do the detailed design under an EPC (engineering-procurementconstruction) contract. The remote site and extreme weather conditions created many construction challenges. These included improving or building new forestry roads totalling more than 60 kilometres. There are 11 major new bridge crossings spanning up to 120 metres, and more than 400 minor crossings and culverts. Also, avalanche mitigation structures had to be built at the Montrose intake and along the high sections of the transmission line. Since fish are absent within the 28

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p18-29 CCE MarApril12 Abbotsford.indd 28

Above: aerial view of the Montrose intake and avalanche deflection berm.

East Toba and Montrose diversion reaches, it was possible to design the large project to have a low direct impact on fish and fish habitat. Largest Coanda Screens in the World The intake structures for the plants divert a portion of the natural stream flow to the buried penstocks and ultimately to the turbine generators. Because of the avalanche risks and high sediment loads at Montrose Creek, its intake structure is fitted with large Coanda shear effect screens. The screens prevent debris and sediment greater than 2.0 mm from entering the penstock and send it over the screens and on downstream. The

cleaner water is sheared off into a collection channel and intake box to be delivered to the power turbines. With an overall length of 60 metres, the Coanda screens are the largest in the world for a hydropower application. They are designed to be self cleaning, with wedge wires that shear a section of the flow. The team did extensive research and prototype testing on the Coanda screens, including hydraulic testing at Colorado State University. The screens had to be designed to deal with issues like ice formation in winter and the accumulation of leaves in the fall. They also had to meet requirements for long-term maintenance since during the winter

March/April 2012

12-03-07 12:15 PM

power

Upstream Pool Acceleration Plate Wedge-Wire Screen 0.5 - 1.0 mm

The Coanda effect keeps flow attached to the top surface of each wire. Tilted wires shear flow throught the screen

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Features and Typical Arrangement of a Coanda-Effect Screen

Top: Montrose project site plan. Left: overall plan of combined project, showing new 150-kilometre transmission line. Above right: diagram of typical Coanda-effect screen (USBR).

months, when avalanche risks are high, the intake needs to run with very little operator intervention. The East Toba facility has an inflatable rubber weir to divert the water through submerged portals. The flow passes through a trash rack and vortex desander before entering an intake reservoir box. The 2 and 3-m diameter penstocks that deliver the water from the intakes to the powerhouses are a combination of HDPE in the lower pressure sections, and continuously welded steel penstock in the high pressure sections. The use of Weholite (large diameter HDPE pipe) has been pioneered by Knight Piésold for use in the hydropower industry as a robust economical

alternative to steel for lower pressure sections of a water conveyance system. The use of soil restraint for the buried sections of the penstock was also optimized in order to reduce the concrete anchor block requirements. After leaving the powerhouses, the water returns to the rivers via rip-rap lined tailraces. It is unaltered in terms of temperature, quantity and quality. Switchyards alongside the powerhouses step up the voltage from 13.8 kV to 230 kV for transmission over a new transmission line which is 150 kilometres long. It connects to the BC Hydro grid at the newly constructed Saltery Bay substation. The transmission line alignment was carefully planned using GIS software and 3-D

modelling in order to avoid numerous terrain hazards and to minimize the impacts on the landscape. The line includes both H frame wooden pole structures and cylindrical steel towers. Local First Nations groups (the Klahoose, Sechelt and Sliammon) were engaged throughout the course of the project, including providing help with site engineering and environmental studies in the early stages. CCE Owner: Toba Montrose General Partnership (Alterra Power Corp and GE Finance) Lead design engineer: Knight Piésold (Sam Mottram, P.Eng., Egbert Scherman, P.Eng., Jeremy Haile, P.Eng.) EPC contractor: Peter Kiewit

March/April 2012

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

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electrical

By Meli Stylianou, M.Eng., CanmetENERGY, Natural Resources Canada

COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS AND THE SMART GRID

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tilities used to see buildings simply as loads on the grid. That relationship with the electrical distribution network, however, is rapidly changing. Increasingly, commercial, institutional and residential buildings are being used in Canada and the U.S. as a means to meet electrical demand peaks during emergencies -- periods during which the electrical network is reaching its limits such as during very hot summer afternoons. The relationship between buildings and the electrical power network is a significant component of what is coming to be called the “Smart Grid.” The Canadian Electricity Association describes the Smart Grid as an “automated, widely distributed energy delivery network, characterized by a two-way flow of electricity and information” (CEA, 2010). In the case of buildings, this twoway connection to the Smart Grid is essentially achieved through Demand Response (DR) events. Typically, buildings receive dynamic price signals or other incentives from the utility or electricity aggregators and react by modifying their operation to respond to these signals in a timely manner. Whereas interruptible load programs that ask industrial plants to limit their electrical demand have been around for many years, programs that employ buildings in demand response events have only recently been put in place. In Canada, the Demand Response

Meli Stylianou

The evolution of the smart grid means a growing demand for flexible building systems and operations.

Hour Ending

Above: impact of demand response on a typical building load curve.

3 (DR3) program, developed by the Ontario Power Authority provides economic incentives for participants to reduce consumption during specific time periods. This is a contractbased program, with participants required to reduce electricity use when called upon. In exchange for a commitment to reduce their load, participants receive an availability payment. They also receive a utilization payment that kicks in when an actual, measured and verified load reduction below a predetermined baseline is achieved. A number of ways are available to send activation signals for DR events, but whatever the means, the building reacts to the signal either through the manual intervention of building operators, or automatically through its building automation system. Con-

trol sequences are then activated that reduce the building’s energy consumption to a predetermined level with as little impact on the occupants as possible (see graph). The ability of the building to react to the signal is highly dependent on what electro-mechanical systems have been installed and the ability of the control system to modify the operation of these systems in order to reduce their demand (Stylianou, 2011). A demonstration of a fully automated approach to demand response during the summer months of 2010 was undertaken by CanmetENERGY at the Bell Trinity Square building in downtown Toronto. This building is equipped with a number of air handling units, four centrifugal chillers and chilled water storage of 1,000,000 gallons in the basement.

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electrical

Since the building operators and controls contractor had a thorough knowledge of the building, they were able to choose and implement an alternative series of control strategies that were activated automatically when a (simulated) demand response event signal was received by the building’s automation system. These alternative sequences included: • turn off common area lights; • turn off common area fans; • raise temperature set point to 77 degrees Fahrenheit on variable air volume terminal boxes on tenant floors; • reduce static pressure set point to 0.5 inches on fresh air fans; • reduce static pressure set point to 0.5 inches on compartment fans on all tenant floors; • turn chillers off (if conditions allow). Tests were carried out, and in one of them, where the use of the chilled water storage was initiated, building electrical demand was reduced by up to 800kW. Buildings can participate in demand response programs provided their control systems have the capa-

bilities to allow the flexible use of the electro-mechanical systems in place. If appropriate care is taken, the occupants are minimally impacted, as was the case at Bell Trinity Square and in several studies by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) (Newsham et al, 2006). In the studies carried out by NRC, the rate at which temperatures were raised and lights dimmed significantly limited the impacts on the comfort of the occupants. The limited impact is because human beings experience a natural delay in sensing incrementally small changes in lighting levels and temperatures. Changes typically associated with load shedding (around 1.5°C over 2-3 hours) are unlikely to be detected by occupants, and if detected, would likely be acceptable in the circumstances (Newsham and Mancini, 2006). The International Energy Agency expects that as the Smart Grid matures in the coming years, dynamic pricing will play a more important role in determining energy costs (IEA, 2003). In such a scenario the cost of electricity will reflect the true cost of its production and delivery, which

Above: Bell Trinity Square Building, Toronto. An automated test using demand response reduced its electricity demand by 800 kW.

could result in differences of more than 10 times between on-peak and off-peak electrical energy costs (Fulton, 2008). Therefore it is expected that flexibility in the operation of buildings will become a driver in their design and renovation. Such flexibility could favour the increasing use of variable speed drives for motors, dimmable lighting, as well as the integracontinued on page 34

Hubbell Canada LP

March/April 2012

p30-40 CCE MarApril12 Depts.indd 31

Canadian Consulting Engineer

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engineers and the law

By Dražen Bulat Miller Thomson, LLP

Engineers who draft supplementary conditions to contracts between an owner and a general contractor have to be careful about their obligations to their clients.

Drafting Supplementary Conditions

client recently sent me a tender package that had proceeding or making an application against [the Engibeen prepared by an engineer. Included in the pack- neer] arising out of the issues in dispute in the arbitration age was a set of Supplementary Conditions amend- between the Owner and the Contractor.” ing the CCDC 2 – 2008 form of stipulated price contract. If we accept that this provision binds the owner and the The client asked me to focus on the amendments to GC 8.2 contractor (this is not certain as the provision purports to and asked, “Please tell me if this means what I think it benefit the engineer, who is not a party to the contract means.” Once I read the supplementary conditions, I un- between the owner and the contractor), it can hardly be derstood my client’s concern. said to benefit the owner. Instead, its intent is to limit the The Canadian Construction Documents Committee owner’s ability to assert claims against the engineer. In that (CCDC) has standard form construction contracts for use way it may also have the effect of amending the contract by owners and contractors. These conbetween the owner and the engineer, Some of the tracts include a generic set of terms and which may not have such a limitation. conditions that can be customized to supplementary conditions This was not the first time I had seen deal with the parties’ specific issues. this clause, although most owners seem drafted by engineers The modifications are done by preparunaware of its existence, much less of its may be breaching ing “Supplementary Conditions,” and intended effect. Shouldn’t owners obthese override the generic CCDC terms ject to such a clause? Yes, but many the engineer’s duty and conditions (see GC 1.1). owners who rely on engineers to draft of care towards Often clients will ask engineers to supplementary conditions will also rely its client. undertake the preparation of the tenon the engineer to act in their best inder documents, including the suppleterest and, unlike my client, will not mentary conditions for the contract to be signed by the take the time to review the tender package or the suppleowner and the successful bidder. It goes without saying that mentary conditions, or ask a lawyer to do so. Although you in carrying out its services the engineer owes a duty of care may believe that including a clause which, on its face, limits to its client, the owner, to act in its best interest. After all, the the ability of the owner and the contractor to pursue claims owner is the engineer’s client and the engineer is being paid against you is a good thing, burying it in the supplementary to serve the owner’s needs and protect its interests. conditions is probably not the best way to go about it. If your However, some of the supplementary conditions drafted intention is to limit claims against you, that provision should by engineers contain provisions that have the effect of po- be negotiated and incorporated in the contract between you tentially prejudicing the owner’s rights, and possibly even and your client. amending the agreement signed between the owner and At the end of the day, if you decide to incur the risks of, the engineer. in effect, practising law by preparing tender documents and supplementary conditions, avoid the temptation of Owners rely on their engineers inserting a clause such as the one mentioned above. InGeneral Condition GC 8.2 of the CCDC 2 – 2008 contract stead, consider contracting the work to a procurement describes the steps to be taken by the owner and the con- lawyer, or hire a lawyer to develop a “template” set of suptractor to resolve disputes. The amendments made by my plementary conditions that will best serve your clients and client’s engineer to the GC 8.2 included a requirement that thereby ensure that you act in their best interest. CCE where a dispute arises between the owner and the contractor, they must give notice of the dispute to the engineer, Dražen Bulat is a partner in the Toronto office of Miller Thomson failing which “both the Owner and the Contractor are LLP and chair of its national construction and infrastructure group. stopped from pursuing an action, counterclaim or other E-mail dbulat@millerthomson.com 32

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

p30-40 CCE MarApril12 Depts.indd 32

March/April 2012

12-03-07 10:31 AM

finance

By Junaid Usmani SRJ Financial

Your family’s medical bills can be used as a tax-deductible expense for your business, thanks to a little-known government scheme.

Private Health Service Plans

rivate Health Service Plans (PHSPs) have been $1,000 for dental work and nothing for eyeglasses or contact around for a number of years, yet people are still lenses. PHSPs do not impose such limits or restrictions on unaware of the great tax savings and potential bene- their plans, making them a more flexible alternative. Rathfits that they offer. er, PHSPs allow you to deduct anything that qualifies as an The Government of Canada initially recognized a serious eligible medical expense, which is defined by the Canada problem whereby many self-employed individuals and small Revenue Agency on their website. (You can also get a debusiness owners could not afford to provide health benefits tailed list from www.atlanticbenefitsplan.com/expenses.) to their employees or even their own family members. Since While PHSPs often cover more items than a typical then the government has introduced incentives in the form benefits package, they do not include long-term disability of tax deductions to enable small to midor travel insurance. sized business owners to sign up for PHSPs are a cost PHSPs. These plans allow business ownPay-As-You-Go effective alternative to ers to provide their families, employees Even the most basic health and dental and any dependents with health and benefits plans can be expensive when typical benefits plans as dental benefits at a fraction of the cost of you are paying for them out of your own there are no annual your typical benefits plan. The business pocket. While some do provide quite premiums, and you only owners gain the ability to convert their extensive coverage, you should ask yourfamily’s personal health and dental exself whether the coverage provided will pay an administration penses into tax deductible expenses for exceed the cost of the annual premiums fee when you actually the business, resulting in significant savassociated with each plan. More often incur an expense. ings in the form of tax dollars. than not, this is not the case. Following is an example of the tax PHSPs are a cost effective alternative savings achieved by a self-employed individual. Let’s assume to your typical benefits plans as there are no annual premiJohnny Cashman is in the 40% tax bracket and had in- ums and you only pay an administration fee when you actucurred $2,000 in family medical expenses in the year. With- ally incur an expense. This works really well from a cash-flow out a PHSP, Johnny could not claim any of these expendi- perspective as many PHSP providers allow you to fund these tures to reduce his taxes (the Medical Expense Tax Credit accounts on a pay-as-you-go basis. Thus, if you had no exonly applies to medical expenses in excess of $2,000). How- penses to claim in the year, then you would have no expense ever, if Johnny signed up for a PHSP, he would be able to relating to your coverage for the year either. claim all of his $2,000 in medical expenses against his income to reduce his taxes by $800 (40% x $2,000). While Self-Employed and Small Businesses most PHSP carriers charge an administration fee on any Furthermore, corporations that cannot afford a regular claims submitted, this amount is nominal when compared health plan can usually work directly with PHSP providers to to the tax savings made available through these plans. Note create customized plans that fit a company's budget. This can help small business owners to control their costs while that the administration fee is also tax deductible. When comparing your options for benefits plans, there keeping competitive by providing benefit plans to their valare several factors that you should take into consideration. ued employees. Most PHSP providers work within your Primarily, you must look at the coverage that is being pro- budget and provide coverage tailored to your needs. Insurance plans typically limit your claims period to vided and its cost. begin from the start date of your plan whereas PHSPs may Flexible Coverage provide more flexibility in this respect. Most PHSPs will Most benefit providers are fairly limited in the type of cover- allow you to claim an expense so long as it was incurred age that they offer, particularly with basic benefits plans. My within any 12-month period ending within the businesses previous benefits package provided through an insurance fiscal year. This flexibility may allow you to claim an expencarrier limited my annual claims to $500 for massages, continued on page 34 30 March/April 2012

p30-40 CCE MarApril12 Depts.indd 33

Canadian Consulting Engineer

12-03-07 10:31 AM

finance

electrical

continued from page 33

diture that was already incurred prior to setting up your PHSP. While the needs of every person will certainly differ, PHSPs are perfect for self-employed individuals who do not have a benefits plan or small corporations that wish to provide coverage to their employees and/or family members without having to fork-up the hefty bill associated with a benefits package. There are a few good PHSP providers across the country. Since we have found out about this tax savings strategy, we have set up clients with Atlantic Benefits Plan and have had good experience working with them thus far. CCE Junaid Usmani is the tax partner at SRJ Financial Chartered Accountants in Toronto, Ontario. He has a Masters in Taxation. E-mail him at junaid. usmani@srjca.com

continued from page 31

tion of thermal energy storage. There is little doubt that we are in the midst of a transformation of the relationship between buildings and the grid in North America. The need to have buildings that are responsive to demand response signals is expected to have impacts both on their controls and on their design. This evolution will lead to buildings that are increasingly intelligent and able to work seamlessly with the electrical networks, not only to optimize their own energy performance, but also to contribute to improving the performance of the entire grid. CCE Meli Stylianou, M.Eng., is a projects manager at NRCan’s CanmetEnergy research centre in Varennes, Quebec. He is the recipient of ASHRAE’s Willis H. Carrier and the AQME Energia awards. He formerly was manager of the Canadian Solar Buildings Research Network.

References Canadian Electricity Association, 2010. “The Smart Grid: A Pragmatic Approach.” www.electricity.ca/media/SmartGrid/ SmartGridpaperEN.pdf Fulton, S. 2008. “Economic Demand Response.” www.aeso.ca/downloads/Economic_DR_Nov_4_08_v3.ppt International Energy Agency, 2003. “The Power to Choose: Demand Response in Liberalised Markets.” IEA/OECD, Paris. Newsham, G. R. et al, 2006a. “The Effect of Ramps in Temperature and Electric Light Level on office occupants." 2006 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Pacific Grove, CA. Newsham, G. R. and S. Mancini, 2006b. “The Potential for DemandResponsive Lighting in Non-Daylit Office.” Leukos, V.3 No. 2, Oct. 2006. Stylianou, M, “Smart Net Zero Energy Buildings and their Integration in the Electrical Grid.” 2011, LV-11-C039, ASHRAE Transactions.

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products FIRE & LIFE SAFETY

Notifier by Honeywell has introduced the IntelliQuad PLUS advanced smoke and carbon monoxide detector (right). One unit combines four sensing elements for smoke, CO, light/ flame and heat to quickly verify a true emergency. Notifier also recently introduced the FAAST Fire Alarm Aspiration Detector for high-security and mission critical facilities. And the company has received International Building Code (IBC) seismic certification on all its alarm and notification systems. www.notifier.com HVAC

Winner of the innovative Product of the Year award at the AHR Expo in Chicago in January was Melink Cor-

poration’s Intelli-Hood Kitchen Ventilation Control. It can save 90% in fan energy. www.melinkcorp.com The other top nine award-winning products in the 2012 AHR Expo awards were: ORB Heat Pump Controller by Geofinity (building automation); Copeland Scroll Variable Speed Compressor by Emerson (cooling); SHC onDEMAND Simultaneous Heating and Cooling Heat Pump System by ClimaCool (green building); Lubi Wall-Mounted Solar Air Heater by Enerconcept (heating); EE245 Wireless Transmitter by E+E Elektronik Ges (IAQ); Rheem XR90 Extreme Recovery Gas Water Heater (plumbing); Copeland Scroll K5 Refrigeration Compressor by Emerson (refrigeration); Emerson Climate Technologies HVACR Mobile Toolbox for Contractors (software); and the Fluke TiR1 Thermal Imager (tools and instruments).

LIGHTING

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

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Specifier’s Literature Review

OVER 20 YEARS AGO, FLEXHEAD INVENTED THE FIRST FLEXIBLE FIRE SPRINKLER CONNECTION.

That system was used in protecting billion dollar clean room facilities. Now, we’ve applied the same technology and quality to the commercial marketplace, and offer flexible fire sprinkler connections designed for use in suspended ceilings. FlexHeads are fast and simple to install; requiring no measuring, no cutting and no infield assembly. Benefits include simplified project management, faster occupancy, easier retrofits, and cost effective code compliance. FlexHead has also been seismically qualified for use in seismic areas and offer green benefits to building owners. Call us at (800) 829-6975 or visit www.flexhead.com for more information. SUPPLIER: FLEXHEAD INDUSTRIES

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The RC System changes the way concrete reinforcing rebar and mesh are installed. • Achieve an estimated 60% labour savings • NO NEED TO TIE, just clip-it on! • Ensures perfect perpendicularity and parallel installation • Unique stacking double mat system • A full versatile range for your applications: slab on grade, formwork, tilt-up, precast… • Obtain specified coverage compliant with CSA, ACI and CPCI design manual specs • Eliminate the rework typical of foot traffic: The RCS supports 400 lbs • Safer install: reduce back injuries and tie wire cuts. 1-800-387-9692, itwconstruction.ca, rcsystem@itwconstruction.ca SUPPLIER: RED HEAD

The SSW-06 is WEG’s third generation Soft Starter line. Its Keypad with dual display provides high visibility with bright red LED digits and easy programming. With built-in bypass contacts to eliminate heat dissipation once the motor is at full voltage it is extremely compact. This allows for simple integration in non-ventilated enclosures and replacement of electromechanical starters in Motor Control Centers. This product recently won the IF Design Award - Industrial Products Category. The main design attributes which conferred this award to the SSW-06 were the simplicity of constructive solutions and its user friendly operator interface. Call 1 877 PAMENSKY www.pamensky.com SUPPLIER: V.J. PAMENSKY

With pumps and related equipment consuming roughly 20% of energy used in industry, it’s clear that improving efficiency in this sector has enormous potential for saving money and reducing environmental impact. To achieve this goal, global pumpmaker KSB has developed an integrated approach to energy efficiency that looks at all aspects of pump system performance. Learn more about this ambitious program from KSB’s FluidFuture brochure, available in hardcopy or as an online-download. KSB Pumps Inc. 5205 Tomken Road, Mississauga, ON L4W 3N8 Ph. 905-568-9200 E-mail: ksbcanada@ksbcanada.com www.ksb.ca SUPPLIER: KSB CANADA

NEW!

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.

products ACOUSTICS

Silentium’s Quiet Bubble (QB) technology cancels ambient noise, creating “zones of quiet” round individuals in an office or other environment. The active noise control (ANC) technology produces an opposing signal (anti-noise) with the same amplitude but an opposite phase as the intrusive noise. It achieves up to 30 dB(A) of noise reduc36

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tion, which the human ear registers as a 96% noise elimination. www. silentium.com

for a single network that can support multiple grid applications. www.ge.com

ELECTRICAL

LIGHTING

GE has a new Grid iQ Network Communications Platform. The IP end-to-end industrial grade platform supports AMI, SCADA and other applications and is designed for rugged environments. It meets the need

Hubbell has several courses this spring at its Lighting Solutions Centre in Greenville, South Carolina. One is Lighting for Healthcare Facilities held May 23. www.lightingsolutionscentre.com

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March/April 2012

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Digital

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

12-03-07 10:31 AM

opinion

By Barry Steinberg, P.Eng. Consulting Engineers of Ontario

I a

Smart grid technologies are attracting lots of attention and government investment. But the more immediate need is to fix our aging electrical distribution infrastructure.

nvestments in smart grids are happening all over the country. Commitments stemming from Ontario and British Columbia’s Green Energy Acts, to the federal government’s Clean Energy Fund that just gave $6 million to Quebec, make it clear that these high-tech electrical distribution systems are on the agenda. Significant funds are being spent on installing sensors, control systems, self-healing switches, line monitoring tools and other technologies within provincial and local distribution networks in an attempt to make grids more reliable, resilient and responsive. Consulting Engineers of Ontario applauds these investments. With limited resources to invest however, the allure of the “smart grid’ may be distracting from the need and capacity for existing lines to be renewed. Barry Steinberg, P.Eng Investing in smart meters, switches and other technologies, does not replace the needed repair and renewal of existing power lines. Many local power distribution companies are having a hard time keeping up with the maintenance and renewal schedules of these assets. With such a burgeoning focus on investing in smart technology, one must ask how these companies will come up with the money for both. Recently, Toronto Hydro entered a dispute with the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) after the Board would not allow the utility to raise rates by $5 per month. This would have increased the capacity of the utility to invest around $500 million each year in renewal of the system. It is estimated that a total of $12-billion in investment is needed to renew electrical distribution in the Greater Toronto Area. According to Toronto Hydro vice president Blair Peberdy, “Though the utility has spent $400-million a year for the past two years on repairs and upgrades, we’ve just been treading water because conditions on the grid have been worsening. Now stuff is popping up all the time. It’s almost like a Whac-a-Mole.” The utility has suggested that 40 per cent of power outages are caused by defective equipment. With major

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

assets such as Toronto’s Midtown and Lakeshore power corridors in need of replacement, and the failure of transformer stations like Manby becoming more prevalent, the implications of underinvestment are already surfacing. We need to live within our means. Investing in core infrastructure before directing resources into bells and whistles makes prudent financial sense. Pollara, a Canadian public opinion and market research firm, conducted a report in 2010 for the Ontario Electricity Board and found that 68 per cent of respondents had an outage during the previous 12 months; among such customers, outages range from 4 to 12 a year, pegging the mean number of outages at 4.8. Based on current investment rates, these outages are likely to become more frequent as equipment continues to age. The electrical infrastructure deficit is not unique to Ontario. All provinces across the country need to take a hard look at current investment needs to prioritize where money will be spent. Can utilities afford critical upgrades in addition to new smart grid investments in a climate of fiscal restraint? Each jurisdiction will have to determine that for itself. However, the OEB-Toronto Hydro dispute does raise an important flag that Consulting Engineers of Ontario urges all provinces and local distribution companies to heed. If local distribution companies can’t raise rates, are expected to reduce the infrastructure maintenance deficit, and implement innovative new systems like “smart grids,” the money has got to come from somewhere. If not, priorities need to be established and CEO would argue that the reliability of core infrastructure trumps its CCE intelligence. Barry Steinberg, P.Eng., is chief executive officer of Consulting Engineers of Ontario, vice-chair of the Construction Design Alliance of Ontario, and chair of the Professional Engineers Ontario Government Liaison Committee.

March/April 2012

Viessmann Manufacturing Company Inc. · 750 McMurray Road · Waterloo, ON N2V 2G5

Keeping the Lights On

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Introducing the Vitocrossal 200, CM2: a brand new face with familiar features C

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Viessmann Manufacturing Company Inc. · 750 McMurray Road · Waterloo, ON N2V 2G5 Tel. (519) 885-6300 · Fax (519) 885-0887 · Email: info@viessmann.ca Product may not be exactly as illustrated.

Meet the Vitocrossal 200, CM2 gas-fired condensing boiler – featuring the Viessmann technology you know and the performance and value you expect. Your ideal choice for large residential or commercial applications with inputs of up to 1112 MBH Quality you can count on! Maximum heat extraction with proven stainless-steel Inox-Crossal heat exchanger Extremely low NOx emissions and quiet operation from fully-modulating pre-mix Viessmann cylinder burner Seamless integration of powerful Viessmann control technology and building management systems Multiple venting possibilities with optional air intake kit for direct or chimney venting (PP(s) or stainless steel) Gas fuel flexibility (NG/LPG/LNG) with simple electronic conversion Low inlet gas pressure requirement (NG) as low as 4 in. of water column Large water content extends burner run time and reduces cycling No dedicated boiler pump required due to extremely low pressure drop through heat exchanger Generous heat transfer surface/heat input ratio for extended lifespan Easy service and installation with all piping connections accessible from top panel Suitable for high altitude operation up to 10,000 ft.

A global product portfolio of efﬁcient heating solutions for all fuel types and applications.

www.viessmann.ca/CM2preview

CCE - Mar - CM2 Cutaway - Ad.indd 1

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