For professional engineers in private practice
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015
2015 AWARDS EXTRAORDINARY TORONTO TOWER wins Schreyer Award
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contents
October/November 2015 Volume 56, No. 6
features 2015 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards Introduction. Chair’s Comments and Jury Panel.
17
Special Awards
Cover: Queen Richmond Centre West, Toronto, Schreyer Award. See p. 22. Architectural rendering: Sweeny &Co Architects/Allied Properties REIT.
Schreyer Award Queen Richmond Centre West.
22
Tree for Life Award Forrest Kerr Hydroelectric Project
24
Ambassador Award Milton-Madison Bridge Replacement
27
Engineering a Better Canada Award Halifax Central Library
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Outreach Award. Hatch and Hatch Mott MacDonald Canadian Outreach Program
35
Awards of Excellence University of Toronto Goldring Centre Mountain Equipment Co-op Head Office Thunder Bay Courthouse Acoustic Design Edmonton International Airport Office and Control Tower Calgary International Airport Runway and Tunnel St. Patrick’s Bridge Ruskin Dam Right Abutment Seepage Control Kokish River Hydroelectric Project. See page 63.
Orleans Watermain Link Flood Mitigation in Calgary Outboard Marine In Situ Environmental Remediation Kokish River Hydroelectric Project Giant Mine Remediation
departments
First Nation Land Management Regime Improving Water Supply in Northern Mozambique
Comment
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Up Front
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ACEC Review Products Advertiser Index
11
Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park Outreach
39 41 43 45 49 51 53 55 57 59 63 65 67 70 71
Winning Teams 73
Faces behind the award-winning projects.
87, 88 89
Next issue: Montreal's CHUM; radical renovations for Canada's Parliament; energy efficient buildings a reassessment.
on topic ENGINEERS & THE LAW
BUSINESS
Court Appointed Receiver. Consulting engineers took an unusual role in the environmental remediation of a manufacturing site in Ontario. By John Tidball and Joseph Marin, Miller Thomson LLP 81
Newsjacking and Trendspotting. Consulting engineers can borrow untraditional marketing techniques to foster new business. By Carl Friesen 90
October/November 2015
Canadian Consulting Engineer
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engineer FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE
comment
C A N A D I A N C O N S U LT I N G
Editor
Bronwen Parsons (416) 510-5119 bparsons@ccemag.com
Heroic buildings and hope for First Nations
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he Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards allow us to profile the excellent and diverse work done by consulting engineers in this country. But at a deeper level, they show directions in which engineering is leading. What's been called "heroic” engineering is much in evidence among this year’s winning projects. Heroic engineering is courageous and exuberant. It’s where the building structure expresses its strength and makes the building stand out from the crowd of average commercial boxes. It’s about cantilevers and long spans, exposed concrete and steel and timber, deep trusses, and soaring heights. It’s also about caring for heritage buildings, cities and the environment. Heroes are leaders, but they also protect their communities. The Queen-Richmond Centre featured on the cover by Stephenson Engineering is the most astonishing of the heroic structures in this year’s awards. The jurors were “amazed” by its giant jumping jack frame that supports a tower in Toronto’s entertainment district. They gave it the Schreyer Award. There are two other award-winning buildings where the engineers use structural gymnastics on tight downtown sites: the Halifax Central Library by SNC-Lavalin and the Goldring Centre at the University of Toronto by Blackwell. Entirely different, a long way to the west and even more dramatic, is Dialog’s great sculptural form that rises above the plains at Edmonton International Airport. In previous centuries important civic and religious buildings were marked by their calm beauty, classical symmetry and handcrafted details. Today buildings make their statements with bold, dynamic forms. In a society energized by change and enamoured with technology, it's the engineers’ technical expertise that is much on display. The other common theme in many of the winning projects is the involvement of First Nation people. In Hatch’s Forrest Kerr Hydroelectric project in Northern B.C. and Knight Piésold’s Kokish Hydroelectric project, for example, First Nations lent their deep knowledge of the land to help with the designs. Hopefully this involvement is a sign that they are starting to reap economic benefits from Canada’s huge bank of natural resources. In the First Nation Land Management Regime, Pinter and Associates worked directly for First Nations helping to clean up contaminants on reserves in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. But the engineers also helped write a legal environmental framework for each First Nation to ensure that any future developments protect their traditions and land. The two Outreach projects also involved First Nations, in the classroom and on an archaeological site. Tragedies continue to haunt Canada’s Aboriginal people: the brutal death of 15-year old Tina Fontaine in Winnipeg last year, the disappearance of hundreds of other women, and the perpetration of domestic violence against so many others, have received much media attention recently. We believe that engineering contributions such as those described in these pages will make a difference by enfranchising the people with job opporBronwen Parsons tunities and hope.
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Senior Publisher
Maureen Levy (416) 510-5111 mlevy@ccemag.com Art Directors
Andrea M. Smith, Jessica Sharpe Advertising Sales Manager
Vince Naccarato (416) 510-5118 vnaccarato@ccemag.com Editorial Advisors
Bruce Bodden, P.Eng., Rosalind Cairncross, P.Eng., Gerald Epp, P.Eng., Chris Newcomb, P.Eng., Laurier Nichols, ing., Jonathan Rubes, P.Eng., Paul Ruffell, P.Eng., Andrew Steeves, P.Eng. Circulation
Barbara Adelt (416) 442-5600 x3546 E-mail: badelt@annexweb.com Account Coordinator
Cheryl Fisher (416) 510-5194 cfisher@annexnewcom.ca Vice President, Annex Business Media East
Tim Dimopoulos (416) 510-5100 tdimopoulos@canadianmanufacturing.com President & CEO
Mike Fredericks mfredericks@annexweb.com CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER is published by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc.
80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON Canada M3B 2S9 Tel: (416) 442-5600 Fax: (416) 510-5134 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 86717 2652 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: 0712-4996 (print), ISSN: 1923-3337 (digital) POSTAL INFORMATION: Publications Mail Agreement No. 40065710. 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: vmoore@annexnewcom.ca, mail to: Privacy Officer, 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON Canada M3B 2S9. Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Member of the Canadian Business Press
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.
October/November 2015
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City of Regina
TRANSPORTATION
Artist’s rendering of the Mosaic Stadium, Regina. BUILDINGS
Mosaic Stadium takes shape in Regina The city of Regina’s imposing new Mosaic Stadium is taking shape, with construction half way complete. The 53,000 sq.ft. stadium is set to open for the first Saskatchewan Roughriders game in 2017. Located in Evraz Place near downtown, the building has an oval form, a base clad in native stone, and a translucent roof that is open at the south end. The playing field is excavated 10 metres below grade, and 70 per cent of the 33,000 seats are in the sunken lower bowl. The height from the field to the highest point of the roof will be over 55 metres. A large general admission lounge for 500 people is located on the west side of the complex. PCL Construction Management is building the $278-million project. Lead design is by HKS Architects/ B+H Architects. Engineers are Walter P. Moore and Associates/J.C. Kenyon Engineering (structural), and Smith and Andersen/Ritenburg and Associates (mechanical-electrical). COMPANIES
WSP acquires MMM WSP Global of Montreal announced in August that it is acquiring one of Canada’s largest consulting engineering firms, MMM. 6
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Formerly known as Marshall Macklin Monaghan, MMM is based in Toronto and has 2,000 employees in 18 offices in Canada. Last year's net revenues Hugo Blasutta were $264 million, of MMM. drawn from the transportation, infrastructure, environment and building sectors. The purchase price was given at $425 million. Hugo Blasutta, chief executive officer of MMM Group since 2011, will join the corporate team of WSP Global. MMM has been involved in large P3 transportation infrastructure projects across Canada and has won several Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards, including in 2005 for its project management of the massive Terminal 1 expansion to Toronto Pearson International Airport. The company was founded in 1957 and since then absorbed companies, such as mechanical-electrical engineers Rybka, Smith and Ginsler in 2004, civil engineers McCormick Rankin in 2008, and green building specialists Enermodal in 2010. With this acquisition WSP will have a total of 34,000 people globally, including 8,500 in Canada. continued on page 8
Bonaventure Expressway to become Montreal “Champs Elysees” In Montreal, sections of the elevated Place Bonaventure expressway are being dismantled to be replaced by a nine-lane urban boulevard with dedicated bus lanes. The $142-million redevelopment is part of a new gateway to the city, with the boulevard likened to Montreal’s Champs Elysees. The work is due to be completed for the city’s 375th anniversary in 2017. The Bonaventure expressway was constructed as part of the Expo ’67 preparations. It leads from the Champlain Bridge in the east into the downtown. The first section of the structure to be demolished was from the Lachine Canal to Wellington. ENVIRONMENT
Renewable energy running on high Canadian investment in renewable energy was $11 billion in 2014, up 88% from the previous year, according to a report by Clean Energy Canada. Half that investment was in Ontario, which is investing in wind and solar power. Three cities in the U.S. have now adopted 100% renewable power: Aspen, Colorado, Burlington, Vermont, and Greensburg, Kansas.
October/November 2015
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up front
COMPANIES
his caliber with deep project management and execution experience to lead and grow the company.” Stevenson also praised Card’s contribution and said he will remain as an advisor to the company. WATER
Port Mann Water Supply 60 metres below Fraser River What’s been called “the biggest water infrastructure project ever attempted in Metro Vancouver” is under way to build a new watermain under the Fraser River between Coquitlam and Surrey. The $240-million Port Mann Water Supply Tunnel project is replacing a 40-year old crossing that was damaged by river scour. The new 80-metre long tunnel is west of the new Port Mann Bridge, 60 metres below the river bed. After almost 17 months of burrowing, the tunnel boring machine “Squirrel” was pulled out of the north shaft this summer. The tunnelling took longer than expected due to encountering mixed soils, “cobbly” ground and boulders. Nonetheless the boring machine hit target within an inch. Engineers Ausenco, Golder Associates and McMillen Jacobs Associates are the designers. Hatch Mott MacDonald is the project manager. McNally Aecon are the contractors.
Metro Vancouver
SNC-Lavalin changes at the top On October 4, Neil Bruce took over as president and chief executive officer of SNC-Lavalin. Bruce succeeds Robert G. Card who stepped down as head of the Montreal engineering giant after three years. Card arrived at SNC-Lavalin not long after the company had become embroiled in charges of Neil Bruce corruption in Canada and overseas. He launched a program to establish the firm on a new ethical framework. Bruce moves up from a position as chief operRobert Card ating officer, which he held only since April when he moved to Montreal from London, U.K. He had joined SNC-Lavalin in 2013 to lead its resources and environment group in the U.K. and went on to oversee the acquisition of Kentz. Before joining SNC-Lavalin he was with AMEC. In announcing that Bruce would take over from Card, Lawrence Stevenson, chair of the board of directors, said it would be a “smooth transition” and that the handover comes at an important stage in SNC-Lavalin’s development. Of Bruce, he said: “The Board is thrilled to have a leader of
continued on page 88
PROFESSION
APEGA security breach On September 21 hackers “phished” the e-mail of the chief executive officer of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA). The e-mails of some members were passed on to an unknown third party. However, the association assured members that no credit card or password information was released.
WASTEWATER
Bright lights of sewage An art installation that shows sewage flows has been incorporated into the sides of the refurbished and expanded Forest Lawn Lift Station in Calgary. Created by local artist Sans façon, the installation consists of LED bar lights that form an exact scale map of the underground sewage pipes near the plant. The lights change colour along with the changing flow levels.
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October/November 2015
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ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW CHAIR’S MESSAGE
Celebrating our achievements
T
he impact of consulting engineering on society and our built environment is ubiquitous and sometimes taken for granted. A doctor friend once told me that physicians save lives one at a time but engineers save lives by the thousands — by providing safe drinking water, sanitary sewer systems, responsive communications, biomedical devices, roads and other infrastructure. These are the outcomes that we as an industry need to celebrate. In this issue of Canadian Consulting Engineer, 20 outstanding projects from across Canada are celebrated. The Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards, presented jointly by ACEC and Canadian Consulting Engineer, provide an opportunity to tell an important story about how Canadian consulting engineers are achieving significant societal outcomes here and around the world. Each year we see more creativity, innovation and ingenuity as consulting engineers tackle complex challenges and create opportunities for their clients in both the public and private sectors.
Consulting engineers are humble by nature and tend not to sing their own praises, preferring to toil in the background. But if we do not tell our stories, we leave them to others to tell. As consulting engineers, we need to tell our stories about the myriad ways in which we contribute to and benefit society. I encourage all ACEC member firms to add to this dialogue by putting forward their outstanding projects when Canadian Consulting Engineer calls for submissions in the new year and by participating in the awards programs offered by ACEC’s provincial and territorial associations. I want to thank all of the firms that participated in this year’s awards program. They, along with their clients and other contributors to these projects, all deserve our congratulations. I also want to thank Canadian Consulting Engineer and the jury members who committed many hours to review all of the submitted projects. We look forward to continuing our collaboration and expanding this important national program that recognizes excellence in our industry. PERRY MITCHELMORE, P.ENG. CHAIR, ACEC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MESSAGE DU PRÉSIDENT DU CONSEIL
Célébrons nos réalisations
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a contribution du génie-conseil à la société et à nos environnements bâtis est omniprésente, mais parfois prise pour acquis. Un ami médecin m’a un jour dit que les médecins sauvent une vie à la fois, tandis que les ingénieurs sauvent des milliers de vies à la fois en assurant une eau potable saine, en construisant des réseaux d’égouts sanitaires, en créant des réseaux de communication adaptés, en concevant des dispositifs biomédicaux, et en construisant des routes sécuritaires et d’autres actifs d’infrastructure. Ce sont les résultats de nos travaux que nous devons célébrer en tant qu’industrie. Ce numéro de Canadian Consulting Engineer célèbre vingt projets remarquables réalisés à travers le pays. Les Prix canadiens du génie-conseil, qui sont présentés conjointement par l’AFIC et la revue Canadian Consulting Engineer, sont une occasion de mettre en valeur la manière dont les ingénieurs-conseils canadiens apportent des contributions sociétales importantes au Canada et dans le reste du monde. Tous les ans, nous voyons toujours plus de créativité, d’innovation et d’ingéniosité alors que les ingénieursconseils relèvent des défis complexes et créent des débouchés pour leurs clients des secteurs public et privé. Les ingénieurs-conseils, humbles de nature et pré-
férant travailler dans les coulisses, n’ont pas tendance à vanter leurs réalisations. Mais si nous ne partageons pas nos réalisations, nous laissons à d’autres le soin de le faire. En tant qu’ingénieurs-conseils, nous devons faire valoir la myriade de manières dont nous bénéficions à la société. J’encourage donc toutes les firmes membres de l’AFIC à contribuer à cette initiative en présentant les projets dont elles sont particulièrement fières lorsque Canadian Consulting Engineer lancera un appel de candidatures dans la nouvelle année et en participant aux programmes de prix offerts par les associations provinciales et territoriales de l’AFIC. Je tiens à remercier toutes les firmes qui ont participé au programme des prix de cette année. Ces firmes, ainsi que leurs clients et d’autres participants de ces projets, méritent tous d’être félicités. Je remercie également Canadian Consulting Engineer et les membres du jury qui ont consacré de nombreuses heures pour évaluer tous les projets qui ont été soumis. Il nous fera plaisir de poursuivre notre collaboration et d’augmenter cet important programme national qui reconnaît l’excellence dans notre industrie. PERRY MITCHELMORE, P.ENG. PRÉSIDENT DU CONSEIL D’ADMINISTRATION DE L’AFIC
October/November 2015
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Canadian Consulting Engineer
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ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW
Dale Craig wins 2015 ACEC Beaubien Award
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n October 23, outstanding achievements in consulting engineering were showcased at the Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards Gala, an annual event co-sponsored by ACEC and Canadian Consulting Engineer. Twenty projects were selected for recognition with an Award of Excellence, and of these, five projects were selected for Special Achievement Awards. Dale Craig, P.Eng., was honoured as recipient of ACEC’s prestigious Beaubien Award. Presented annually, the Beaubien Award recognizes individuals for exceptional service to ACEC and for contributions to the advancement of consulting engineering through professional accomplishments. Commenting on the award, Dale said, "Winning the Beaubien Award is a very special honour for me. After spending over 43 years in the Canadian consulting community and putting in many hours on its behalf, it is rewarding to be recognized by my peers and to join the distinguished ranks of past winners, many of whom are my friends and past colleagues on the ACEC Board. Thank you to my former colleagues at JLR, my friends and family and ACEC." Dale began his auspicious 43-year career with J.L. Richards & Associates in 1971 and by 1990 he was elected President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board. Prior to his retirement in 2014, he focused on mentoring staff,
developing and nurturing client relationships, and helping to manage major projects. Over the years, Dale has provided outstanding leadership and championed the interests of the consulting engineering industry through his participation in ACEC and other professional associations. He served on committees and the board of Consulting Engineers of Ontario (CEO) and spearheaded the formation of CEO’s Ottawa Chapter, serving as its inaugural Chair. Dale joined ACEC’s Board of Directors in 1991 and participated on a number of committees, working tirelessly to improve the image of the consulting engineering industry, promote the use of Qualifications-Based Selection and campaign for fairer procurement methods. He co-founded the Federal/Industry Real Property Advisory Council (FIRPAC) and represented ACEC on the National Steering Committee for Innovation in Construction. Dale has been an ardent supporter of ACEC and has continuously endeavored to promote the visibility and significant contribution of the consulting engineering industry to Canada’s economy. He was selected for this year’s Beaubien Award by his industry peers. The award was created by ACEC in 1984 in honour of Dr. James de Gaspé Beaubien, who founded ACEC in 1925.
ACEC advocacy: working with a new Parliament
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CEC has been involved in working with parliamentarians of all political parties over the last several years to ensure infrastructure investment remains a top priority with all three levels of government. In the lead-up to the October 19th election, there has been a targeted focus on advocacy at the federal level this past summer and fall. ACEC’s carefully planned grassroots lobbying over the last two years set the stage for our official election campaign and website, www.VoteInfrastructure.ca. This tremendously successful campaign resulted in several hundred letters sent to candidates across the country asking them to make infrastructure investment a priority. Additionally, ACEC President & CEO John Gamble personally contacted all federal party leaders to inquire about specific commitments they were willing to make to bolster our industry and communities should they be elected this fall. At the local level, ACEC members met with candidates to relay that same message with a nonpartisan approach, meeting with contenders from all parties in their ridings. The hard work displayed by ACEC and its stakeholder partners over the last two years, coupled with
continued next page
Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Canada (ACEC-Canada), 420-130 Albert Street, Ottawa, ON, K1P 5G4, tel: (613) 236-0569, fax: (613) 236-6193, info@acec.ca, www.acec.ca. ACEC Member Organizations: Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – British Columbia, Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Yukon, Consulting Engineers of Alberta, Consulting Engineers of Northwest Territories, Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Saskatchewan, Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Manitoba, Consulting Engineers of Ontario, Association des Ingénieursconseils du Québec, Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – New Brunswick, Consulting Engineers of Nova Scotia, Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Prince Edward Island, Consulting Engineers of Newfoundland and Labrador.
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ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW
ACEC reviewing, updating strategic plan: emphasis on value to members
continued from previous page
a strategic election tactical plan, resulted in all political parties commenting on infrastructure investment and committing to increased funding for the future. ACEC has held an unprecedented number of meetings with politicians over the last two years and now that the election results are in, it is time to educate the new parliamentarians. It is essential that they fully understand that public infrastructure is a core business of government that contributes to the vitality of Canada’s prosperity while enhancing the economic, social and environmental quality of life of Canadians. Over the coming months, ACEC will sit down with members of the new cabinet, key committee members and opposition critics, in advance of our October 2016 Parliament Hill Day, to inform and build relationships with elected officials and ensure our industry’s voice is heard.
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roviding value to members will guide ACEC’s review of its strategic plan this fall. As the national voice of consulting engineering firms in Canada, ACEC’s mission is to promote a business and regulatory climate that recognizes and rewards its members’ contributions to the social, economic and environmental quality of life in Canada. To this end, ACEC is an unapologetic advocate for the consulting engineering sector in Canada. ACEC’s recent successes on behalf of the sector are directly attributable to having a clear vision and clear priorities and to revisiting those priorities on a regular basis. The ACEC Board of Directors recognizes that there have been dramatic changes in the consulting engineering sector in recent years and this will undoubtedly continue in the years ahead. ACEC’s continued success will be driven by understanding
the needs of member firms and understanding the environment in which the members practice. The Board has been listening. Over the past year ACEC has been reaching out to its membership through a number of vehicles including online surveys, telephone interviews and focus groups to better understand the activities, programs and services that members value. ACEC is also committed to consulting and collaborating directly with the provincial and territorial consulting engineering associations on the strategic plan to ensure that we collectively deliver the best possible value to engineering firms as effectively as possible. If you have ideas or suggestions and would like to have input into ACEC’s next strategic plan, or if you would like to learn more, please contact Martine Proulx at mproulx@acec.ca.
ACEC Strategic Plan 2013-2016 The following is excerpted from the current 2013-2016 ACEC strategic plan. ACEC regularly reviews and updates its strategic plan to ensure its relevance to the consulting engineering sector and provide value to the association’s members. The new strategic plan will guide ACEC priorities and activities from 2016 to 2019. VISION A successful, trusted and sustainable consulting engineering industry MISSION Promoting a business environment that recognizes and rewards our members’ expertise and contributions to society GOALS & OBJECTIVES • Have consulting engineers widely recognized as trusted advisors to society
• Promote a healthier business environment for consulting engineering • Provide value to member firms that service private and public sector clients • Increase the availability of and develop leaders for consulting engineering firms PRINCIPLES • We deliver value to society as an industry and as a profession • We provide a national voice for our members • We promote integrity and transparency • We provide strategic leadership • We promote quality, innovation and sustainability
STRATEGIC PILLARS • Public and private sector advocacy on national issues • Image and profile building • Client liaison and business practice support • Member engagement and communication KEY STRATEGIES • Engage organizations that represent private sector clients of consulting engineering firms and/ or that influence the business and regulatory environment of consulting engineering • Engage and empower members through communication and opportunities for participation • Deliver and demonstrate value to members
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Canadian Consulting Engineer
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ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW
Managing projects successfully By Barry Goman, Managing Director, AMR Group Limited
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significant attribute of leading consulting firms is the ability to execute projects successfully on a consistent basis. Project success translates to high client retention rates and the ability to attract new customers — ensuring business continuity and expansion. To achieve project success, a mix of activities, human capital, and processes must be organized and well managed. This effort includes planning and executing assignments, and monitoring performance. In this article we’ll examine some key project management responsibilities to help identify opportunities for improvement in your firm. Organizing and planning Planning a project is the starting point for being organized and ultimately executing project activities effectively. The chief objective is to develop a road map and reference points (milestones) for the project team that will result in the work being done on time and on budget. Effective plans are excellent com-
munication tools — they must be easily understood and not unnecessarily detailed. Plans should be broken into manageable pieces using lower level groupings like phases. In some cases aligning another level of activity (tasks) to phases is helpful. This type of plan structure, that facilitates delegation and analysis of work at high and low levels, is an important industry best practice. The planning process should begin once the pursuit of an opportunity for future business is approved. Planning systems must be able to support plans for potential and current business. It should also be possible to maintain multiple versions of plans so that they can be updated with new information and “what if” scenarios can be created easily. By applying realistic probabilities of winning future work, organizations can do a more accurate job of forecasting revenue and staffing requirements. Monitoring and control In the absence of a good planning process, the probability of project suc-
Infrastructure: an investment in our prosperity
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hank you to all ACEC members and our stakeholder friends who helped improve Canadians’ quality of life by supporting infrastructure investment through our Vote Infrastructure campaign. ACEC looks forward to reaching out to new and returning Members of Parliament from all parties to continue to advocate on issues of importance to consulting engineers, their clients and the Canadian public.
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cess diminishes. How can we determine if we are “on course” or “off course” (and need to take corrective action) without an accurate plan in place and the calculation of estimates to complete? This is especially true for more complex or lengthy projects. Deficient monitoring and control mechanisms inevitably lead to serious problems including poor decisionmaking, client dissatisfaction, and profit margin erosion. The essence of an effective control system is the capability to compare actual results to planned results on a regular basis, quickly and easily — and to alert executives to significant issues while providing sufficient time to implement corrective action. Conclusion It is interesting to note that owners and executives in the professional services industry generally appreciate the need for accounting controls, and timely feedback on results — and invest significantly in the controllership function and external accounting assistance. However, project control systems and resources, important as they are, do not seem to receive the same attention or priority. Therefore, evaluating the ingredients of project success and current approaches (including project manager training and education programs), merits serious consideration. This exercise will likely identify opportunities to reach a higher level of performance and profitability in your firm! Barry Goman, CMC, is Managing Director with AMR Group Limited. AMR’s mission is to help professional services organizations improve profitability by identifying and resolving problems with software systems, business processes, and staff training. www.amrgroup.ca
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ACO.
The Future of Drainage
As a world leader in drainage technology ACO creates solutions for tomorrow's environmental conditions. Increasingly extreme weather conditions & complex drainage requirements must be addressed by more sophisticated concepts. Each ACO product is designed to perform a function within the ACO System Chain - to collect, clean, hold & release water - supporting the natural water cycle & providing solutions for sustainable designs.
Introducing the Newly Redesigned ACO Drain ACO Drain is the market leading modular trench drain system, encompassing a variety of solutions ideal for all commercial & industrial applications. ACO Drain boasts pre-sloped and neutral system solutions, with over 20 grate designs and load class ratings from pedestrian to heavy duty. Integrally cast-in galvanized, stainless steel, or ductile iron rails provide additional strength, while the new V-shaped design improves hydraulic capability. Available in 4", 8", and 12" widths.
Trench Drains | Oil Water Separators | Stormwater Management Systems
For more information on the ACO Drain line, including spec sheets and other ACO product lines, visit: www.ACODrain.us
ACO Systems, Ltd.
Scan for the ACO Drain mobile website
CCE OctNov15 p11-16 ACEC.indd 15
(877) 226-4255 | info@acocan.ca | www.acocan.ca
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TESTED Beyond Limits
At Simpson Strong-Tie, we believe tested products are proven products. Our engineering and R&D team developed and performed a test protocol for the FX-70 ® Structural Repair and Strengthening System – one of our many products in our new line of Repair, Protection and Strengthening Systems for wood, concrete and masonry. This test is the industry’s first full-scale, cyclic test of a repaired wood pile. The test results not only offer real-world data to help designers evaluate the FX-70 system as a potential solution for structural repair applications, but validate that the system performs as expected. Call us about your next project at (800) 999-5099 and watch the FX-70 ® Pile Repair Cyclic Testing video at strongtie.com/videolibrary. © 2015 Simpson
Strong-Tie Company Inc. FX70TEST15E
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9/25/15 8:35 AM 15-10-01 2:41 PM
2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
INTRODUCTION
2015 AWARDS
C ANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
Queen-Richmond Centre West
PRIX C ANADIENS DU GÉNIE- CONSEIL
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he 20 engineering projects that won Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards of Excellence this year are presented on the following pages.
Held annually for 47 years, the awards are the highest mark of recognition for completed projects by Canadian consulting engineers. The program is a joint initiative of Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine with the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies-Canada (ACEC/AFIC). Five of the 20 projects won special awards. The Schreyer Award for top technical achievement went to a medium-sized firm, Stephenson Engineering for an extraordinary tower structure in Toronto. Hatch, one of Canada’s largest global companies, won the Tree for Life Award for environmental merit for a B.C. hydroelectricity project. Hatch and Hatch Mott MacDonald also won the special Outreach Award, partly for their collaboration with First Nations. Buckland & Taylor, a firm of bridge engineering specialists of Vancouver, won the Ambassador Award for international work with a bridge replacement over the Ohio River. The Engineering a Better Canada Award for social, economic and cultural contributions went to SNC-Lavalin for the Halifax Central Library. A big celebration was held on October 23 when the awards were presented at the Shaw Centre near the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. October/November 2015
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Canadian Consulting Engineer
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2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
C HA I R ’S COMMEN T S A Highly Gratifying Task I was honoured to chair a highly distinguished group of 12 juror colleagues when we met in Toronto on June 5 to select the 20 best of 64 entries submitted by Canadian consulting engineering companies for Awards of Excellence. From these, five were granted Special Awards. It was a difficult but highly gratifying task to evaluate the projects submitted by our competent Canadian engineers in many different engineering fields such as buildings, transportation, natural resources, project management, water, environment, international, special projects and outreach. As a retired educator, I am proud of what has been accomplished technically and socially by the profession in our country and elsewhere. The projects submitted year after year to the Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards need to be brought to the public attention to demonstrate the high quality of work and professionalism of the Canadian engineering community. This is one of the mandates of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies-Canada and Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine. I would like to thank the above organizations for supporting these awards. Finally, I congratulate not only the winners but also all the firms who submitted projects. — Denis Beaulieu, Ph.D., Ing., Jury Chair 2015 Showcase of Entries Portfolios of the entries — both winning and non-winning — and with full details, photographs and drawings, are posted on the Canadian Consulting Engineer website. The Showcase of Entries includes entries from previous years as well. Visit http://www. canadianconsultingengineer.com/awards/ showcase-entries/
ENTRIES PER CATEGORY
18 5
Buildings
6 2
Project Management
International
4
1
2
In-House Initiatives & Community Outreach
PROVINCE OF ENTERING FIRMS
19 Quebec
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Special Projects
Transportation
Environmental Remediation
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11
Natural Resources, Mining, Industry and Energy
TOTAL NUMBER OF ENTRIES
18
Water Resources
5
22
British Columbia
Alberta
15
Ontario
1
Nova Scotia
1 Manitoba
Saskatchewan
1
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2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
2015 C ANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS JURY
CCE/BP
JURY
CHAIR Denis Beaulieu, Ph.D., Ing. was a researcher and professor at Laval University from 1978 to 2009, acting as associate dean of research and technology transfer from 1993 to 1998. He was also vice-president for development of technology at the Quebec Industrial Research Centre (CRIQ) from 2004 to 2008. He is the author of textbooks on the design of steel and aluminum structures and is a past president of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering.
JURORS John M. Beck, P.Eng. is executive chairman of Aecon, a leading Canadian construction company based in Toronto. He has been on Aecon’s board of directors since 1963 and has more than 50 years of experience in construction in Canada and internationally. His other roles include serving as chairman of the board of the Ontario Power Authority and as director of the Canadian Council for Public Private Partnerships. He graduated in civil engineering from McGill University.
Annette Bergeron, P.Eng. is a past president of Professional Engineers Ontario (2012), and was president and chair of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (2005, 2010). At Queen’s University she has been general manager, lecturer for the school of business, and director in the Faculty of Applied Science. She has twice been named one of the Top 25 Women of Influence in Canada. She graduated in materials and metallurgical engineering at Queen’s.
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JURY
2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
Jim Burpee, P.Eng. retired last year as president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Electricity Association. Involved in the North American electricity industry for 38 years, he held senior executive roles in Ontario Power Generation and its predecessor Ontario Hydro. During that time he oversaw 17,000 MW of fossil and hydroelectric generation, two different nuclear sites, energy trading and corporate development. Gerry Chaput, P.Eng. is Assistant Deputy Minister of the provincial highways management division, Ontario Ministry of Transportation. His division oversees the planning, engineering, construction and maintenance of 16,500 kilometres of highways and 2,700 bridges, delivering the province’s largest capital construction program. He is also on the Ministry’s senior management team. Johanne Desrochers, BAA was president and chief executive officer of the Association des ingénieurs-conseils du Québec/Association of Consulting Engineers of Quebec. She was with the organization for 28 years, before leaving in June 2014. A graduate in business administration from the Université de Québec à Montréal (UQAM), she has served as treasurer for CERIU and was on the urban affairs committee of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. Catherine N. Mulligan, Ph.D., Eng. is a professor and associate dean in graduate studies and research at Concordia University in Montreal. She is also Concordia Research chair in Geoenvironmental Sustainability. After graduating from McGill University in chemical engineering, she was a research engineer for 14 years, then obtained her doctorate in geoenvironmental engineering. In 2010 she was given the A.G. Stermac Award for outstanding service to the Canadian Geotechnical Society.
Clive N. Thurston, CBCO, GSC, has been president of the Ontario General Contractors Association since 2002. Before that he operated a construction company in Toronto for 12 years and has wide experience in the construction industry, having also worked as a superintendent, estimator, and project manager. He is a former chief building official for Prince Edward County. Steve E. Hrudey, Ph.D., P.Eng. is professor emeritus at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Medicine and Dentisty. He has had an interdisciplinary career in environmental health sciences and risk management, winning many awards and publishing extensively. He served on the Research Advisory Panel to the Walkerton Inquiry (2000-2002), and Canada’s Expert Panel on Safe Drinking Water for First Nations (2006). He is president-elect of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA). Peter Judd, P.Eng. was the general manager of engineering for the City of Vancouver until his retirement earlier this year. He oversaw 1,800 employees and a department that provided everything from public works planning and design, to construction and maintenance. He also led many of the city’s green initiatives and spearheaded Vancouver’s Olympic and Paralympic Operations during the 2010 Winter Games. Mitchel W. Simpler, PE, is managing partner at Jaros, Baum & Bolles in New York City where he has been project manager of diverse building projects. He is also vice-chair of the American Council of Consulting Engineers (ACEC) — National, and chair emeritus of ACEC — New York. A graduate of Lehigh University in mechanical engineering, he is a member of the New York City International Building Code Rewrite Committee.
Eve Wyatt, P.Eng. is executive technical advisor in the policy, planning and innovation unit at Metrolinx, the Ontario government agency for coordinating transportation throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. With a 35-year career in transportation planning, she leads multi-agency projects, covering customer information, technology and transport for people with disabilities. She represents Metrolinx on the Greening Greater Toronto task force.
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Walters Group congratulates Stephenson Engineering Ltd on receiving an Award of Excellence for the Queen Richmond Centre West project. We are extremely proud to have been the structural steel detailer, fabricator and erector of this landmark development.
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2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
Queen Richmond Centre West Stephenson Engineering and Cast Connex
“We were totally amazed by this project. The engineers were able to put an 11-storey tower on a “tabletop” above two heritage buildings and develop special frame systems to take the loads.
The Queen Richmond Centre West project grew out of Allied Properties REITs’ goal to create a landmark mixed-use office structure at Peter and Richmond Streets in Toronto’s downtown Entertainment District. The project is a model of urban intensification, featuring the adaptive re-use of two historic buildings, together with a new 11-storey office tower above. In 2010, Allied Properties REIT commissioned Sweeny &Co Architects for the project. They presented structural engineers Stephenson Engineering with the challenge of suspending the office building above the two existing structures. This configuration would form a large L-shaped, glass-enclosed atrium that would have direct street access. In order to provide unobstructed ceilings in the office buildings, the architect selected an exposed reinforced concrete structural system for the 11-storey tower. Stephenson Engineering’s solution was to develop a “tabletop” platform seven stories in the air from which the office building could be constructed. The tabletop’s supporting structure was a significant challenge considering the enormous loads involved. The structure also needed to have lateral stiffness given the eccentric location of the elevator core and the more than 75-ft. unbraced height from the top of the foundation level to the underside of the tabletop. The architects also wanted a support structure that did not clutter the atrium.
The huge joints a metre thick are unique and very difficult to cast — completely innovative.”
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–Jury
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Mega Delta-Frame System Stephenson Engineering led a design charrette with the architects which resulted in the design of the “Mega Delta-Frame” system. Inspired by chil-
Sweeny &Co/Allied Properties
BUILDINGS
SCHREYER AWARD & AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Building in Toronto’s Entertainment District.
dren’s jacks, the structural support system consists of three frames, each in an hourglass configuration formed from two stacked rectangular-based space frame pyramids. The top pyramid is inverted such that the apex of both pyramids meet at one central node 40 ft. in the air. The system aligns each of the corners of the frames directly beneath tower columns above, providing a direct load path for gravity loading. Each frame consists of 1-metre diameter steel legs with a steel thickness of 2-inches, pressure-filled concrete, and a 17-ton cast steel node engineered by Cast Connex. The result is a soaring open air atrium that sets the development apart from any other. Each Mega Delta-Frame is capable of supporting forces of 80,000 kN, which is approximately equivalent to the weight of 400 transport trucks. The mega delta-frames also form a major part of the lateral system; the only other effectual lateral sup-
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2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
Sweeny &Co/Allied Properties
Sweeny &Co/Allied Properties
One of the three Mega Delta-Frames under construction.
port through the atrium space is provided by reinforced concrete stairs and an elevator core. In addition one of the existing buildings was fitted with new foundations and internal structure, including columns protruding through what was once the building’s roof to support a portion of the building above. Cast steel nodes of 17 tons The central point of the three delta frames presented a unique engineering and construction challenge. The extreme loading, weld access and
erectability requirements, and aesthetic considerations all drove the decision to engage Cast Connex to conceive of, engineer, and produce 17-ton cast steel nodes to meet the arProject name: Award-winning firms (structural engineer and steel casting engineer and supplier): Owner: Architect: General contractor: Structural steel detailer, fabricator and erector:
Heritage conservation and inspiring architecture The development brought much needed attention and activation to an often-avoided intersection of Toronto’s west core. In addition, the salvaging of one historic century-old brick building, which was originally constructed as a biscuit factory by Weston Bakery in 1915, helps retain a part of the neighbourhood’s heritage. The social significance of inspiring architecture is well known. While the building’s soaring atrium and retail spaces extend the public realm indoors, passers-by often stop to marvel at the extraordinary feat of structural engineering. Aiming for LEED Gold certification, the building design includes sustainable features such as rainwater collection, solar shading and light shelves on the facade, and operable windows. CCE
Queen Richmond Centre West, Toronto Stephenson Engineering and Cast Connex (Zoran Tanasijevic, P.Eng., Carlos de Oliveira, P.Eng.) Allied Properties REIT Sweeny &Co Architects Eastern Construction Walters Group
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BUILDINGS
duous structural and architectural requirements. The end result is that each of the delta frame’s legs appears to effortlessly curve while subtly merging with its neighbouring legs. To engineer and produce the steel nodes, project collaborators Cast Connex leveraged the latest technologies in 3-dimensional modelling, numerical stress analysis, computational fluid dynamics and casting solidification modelling. They also used state-of-the-art rapid prototyping, CNC-tooling production, 5-axis machining, and laser scanning technologies.
Canadian Consulting Engineer
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TREE FOR LIFE AWARD & AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Forrest Kerr Hydroelectric Project Hatch
“At this remote dam project in Northern B.C. the engineers used innovative and sustainable techniques, such as carefully protecting the fish habitat downstream with a creative use of turbines to quickly offload the power when necessary. The project involved First Nations and produces 195 MW of clean energy with minimal impact on their ancestral lands.”
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–Jury
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Eight months into the construction program of the Forrest Kerr Hydroelectric project, independent power producer AltaGas turned to Hatch to solve some serious design issues that threatened the viability of the project. Becoming prime consultant, Hatch mobilized a team to complete the detailed design. The work included the development of innovative concepts that solved engineering challenges at both the headworks and powerhouse locations. The 195 MW project located 100 kilometres northwest of Stewart in Northern B.C. involved not only multi-disciplinary engineering coordination, but also First Nations collaboration and sustainability. Headworks mixes inflow of two rivers For the headworks located at the convergence of the Iskut River and Forrest Kerr Creek, the Hatch design team developed an intake and sediment handling system that included optimizing the geometry of the various structures to “mix” the inflow of two converging rivers. The sediment handling and flushing system relies on a highly effective concrete box culvert design, which splits the sluiceway channel into an upper and lower compartment. The largest and heaviest material, travelling naturally at the bottom of the watercourse, is directed through the lower compartment of the structure. The tapered design of the structure ensures that water and bedload material are continually accelerated through the culvert and discharged back into the river. The upper portion of the water
B A
Above: aerial view, with (a) fish channel, (b) forebay control structure, and (c) main power tunnel intake. Right: inside the powerhouse; the nine turbines “freewheel” for a gradual shut-off to protect fish habitat downstream.
course remains on the upper level of the box culvert and is diverted to the de-sanding basin, which provides for a second level of filtration. The basin slows the water and allows particles larger than 2 mm to settle out and then be automatically flushed back into the river. The design of the sluiceway and approach channel prevents large bedload material from entering the facility. A desander with 8 “V”-shaped sediment collection chambers was designed and equipped with an automatic flushing system capable of completely flushing the desander without impacting plant operations. The convergence of the two rivers upstream of the intake area produces highly complex flow conditions (ranging from 10 m3/s to over 5000 m3/s).
Photos: Hatch
NATURAL RESOURCES, MINING, INDUSTRY & ENERGY
2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
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2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
Powerhouse flow ramping The underground powerhouse and headworks had to be constructed on unstable volcanic rock, requiring complex engineering solutions. To further complicate matters at the powerhouse, “flow ramping” rates were imposed that limited water level fluctuations downstream of the facility to 2 cm/hr in order to protect and enhance important fish habitat. It was therefore not possible to simply turn off the flow of water through the turbines following a full plant shutdown. A solution needed to be found that allowed the flow to be gradually shut off, dissipating the energy in the water before it is returned to the river. The only practical solution: allow the water to pass through the turbines “freewheeling” at twice their normal speed. Hatch engineers were able to double-up on the functionality of the Francis turbines by replacing the two large 83 MW and two small 23 MW units of the original design with nine 23.5 MW units. The design of the headworks includes a return channel to allow any fish caught in the sluiceway to easily return to the natural river. Indeed, the choice of the site itself was ideal for use as a hydroelectric development since the canyon that separates the water intake from the powerhouse Project name: Award-winning firm (prime consultant):
Owner: Physical hydraulic modeling:
acts as a natural barrier for fish, preventing them from entering the diversion reach. Working with First Nations on clean energy The dream of First Nations people is to live in harmony with nature — and the Tahltan First Nation is no exception. The Iskut River is the largest tributary of the Stikine, one of three rivers that originate in the Sacred Headwaters of this community. The local First Nations community has been directly involved in the success of the Forrest Kerr project by providing a third of the construction workforce. Moreover, First Nations staff holds a number of permanent key positions in the AltaGas operations monitoring groups. To further minimize the project’s environmental footprint, Hatch recorded different types of construction materials available locally and used them whenever possible. Waste rock from the excavation and blasting of underground tunnels was recovered to serve as a structural base for the foundation of the switchyard. In addition, 20,000 m3 of loam was recovered from the excavation of the headworks and used as conductive backfill to improve the ground resistivity and electrical safety of the switchyard. The project generates clean energy to supply 70,000 homes. It strengthens the power transmission system in Northern B.C. and will serve as a major catalyst for economic development in this remote area. CCE
Forrest Kerr 195 MW Hydroelectric Power Project, Iskut River, B.C. Hatch, Vancouver (Shawn Smith, P.Eng., Neil Ferguson, P.Eng., Doug McAndrew, P.Eng., Raj Mannem, P.Eng., Tim Dean, P.Eng., Don Murray, P.Eng., Adeel Afzal, P.Eng., Mark Kellaway, C.Geol., David Pinese, P.Eng., Ccee Chan, P.Eng.) AltaGas Northwest Hydraulic Consultants
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NATURAL RESOURCES, MINING, INDUSTRY & ENERGY
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Numerical flow modelling and the construction of a comprehensive physical model helped achieve an ideal configuration for the various headworks structures.
Canadian Consulting Engineer
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Innovative minds. Tangible results. Hatch is proud to have designed the award-winning Forrest Kerr hydroelectric project. Our innovative design captured the immense energy produced by the Iskut River in northwestern British Columbia.
ENGINEERING • CONSULTING • PROJECT DELIVERY • TECHNOLOGIES • OPER ATIONAL PERFORMANCE
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2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
AMBASSADOR AWARD & AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Buckland & Taylor is the Engineer of Record and the Erection Engineer for the permanent design and construction of the main spans for the new Milton-Madison Bridge, which spans the Ohio River from Milton, Kentucky to Madison, Indiana. The old Milton-Madison Bridge, built in 1929, was narrow, deteriorating, and both functionally and structurally obsolete. However, it provided a vital link between the two communities. The joint owners of the bridge, the states of Kentucky and Indiana, determined that the most cost-effective solution, as well as the least disruptive to the historic town of Madison,
Buckland & Taylor
was to replace the bridge on the same alignment with a completely new superstructure on rehabilitated piers. This challenging design-build project required an innovative engineering solution that would eliminate the need for a long bridge closure, eliminate the need for a ferry and reduce construction risks associated with the schedule. The answer to this problem was an advanced sliding procedure conceptualized by the Buckland & Taylor and Burgess & Niple design team. It involved keeping the existing bridge open to traffic while the piers were rehabilitated, constructing the new bridge superstructure
TRANSPORTATION
Milton-Madison Bridge Replacement
Lateral slide under way, with superstructure halfway onto the rehabilitated piers.
“This was an outstanding project. It was remarkable that the engineers came up with an alternative design that didn’t require the U.S. crossing to close. They used the existing piers and slid the new bridge onto them. We thought it was really innovative, creative and courageous.
Ambassador award for international work. The ultimate beneficiaries were the people who live in the area.”
–Jury
Walsh Construction/C. Gannon
We gave it the
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Canadian Consulting Engineer
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alongside on temporary piers, and then sliding it into its final position atop the rehabilitated piers. In the past, only bridges with much smaller spans have been subject to this advanced sliding technique. The longer length and continuity of the four truss spans of the MiltonMadison Bridge required the design team to adjust their procedure and scale their approach. New superstructure built alongside Before the sliding could take place, the design team had the task of building a new superstructure alongside the existing bridge. This required the design of temporary piers to not only support the dead load of the new superstructure, but also to allow the new bridge to act as a public roadway, subject to nearly all of the same loading conditions that would be experienced in the permanent condition. In particular, the temporary piers would need to resist accidental impacts from the large, heavy barge trains using the Ohio River as their highway. The design team’s solution was to place the temporary piers on the downstream side of the existing piers to partially shield them from runaway marine traffic. Also the temporary piers were connected to the existing piers to rely upon their lateral resistance. Heavy barge impact frames connected the temporary piers to the concrete piers at three levels to accommodate the varying river water levels. Longest lateral bridge slide: world record After demolishing the old bridge and pier tops, rehabilitating four of the existing piers and constructing a new fifth main pier and approach bents, the sliding took place in early 2014, during a bridge closure of just a few weeks. 28
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Walsh Construction/C. Gannon
TRANSPORTATION
2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
Strand jacks set up to pull new superstructure to its final location.
Strand jacks linked to a computerized, displacement-monitoring control system pulled simultaneously at all five main piers to slide the entire superstructure into its new position 16 metres upstream. One adjacent approach span was separately slid into place. Once the expansion joints of the bridge ends were complete, the bridge reopened to traffic in its permanent position. The methodology led to a successful slide and a world record for the longest lateral bridge slide ever made. One year bridge closure avoided The bridge officially opened to traffic in April of 2014. The new superstructure is a four-span continuous steel truss bridge with new concrete girder approach spans. The deck
provides wider, safer lanes, shoulders, and — for the first time ever at this crossing — a sidewalk. The main truss spans are 180 m, 180 m, 220 m, and 150 m, with 14 m spacing centreto-centre of trusses. The net result of the scheme saw the elimination of the ferry cost, the reduction of the total closure of the bridge from at least one year to just two closures totaling a few weeks, and a tender price that was several million dollars below the next bidder and more than $20 million under the original estimate. Keeping the bridge open through construction also kept the communities connected and in reach of vital services across the river, minimized the impact on the public, and reduced economic hardship that would have been associated with the loss of the connection. CCE
Project name:
Milton-Madison Bridge Replacement Project, Kentucky and Indiana
Award-winning firm (engineer of record and erection engineer for main spans):
Buckland & Taylor, North Vancouver (Murray Johnson, P.Eng., Nedim Alca, P.Eng., Peter Taylor, Ph.D., P.Eng., Erin Redl, P.Eng.)
Owner:
Indiana Dept. of Transportation and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
Client/prime engineer: Other key players:
In r a ri and
Leg gam vid
Th • • • • •
Burgess & Niple Walsh Construction (contractor), RWDI (wind engineers), VSL (heavy lifting)
D O R R F
leg (87
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MYTH: All fabric buildings are alike
In reality, there are wildly varying quality standards. Let’s start with the strength and agility of fabric and a rigid steel frame. Add the ability to compress a construction schedule plus complete customization and the result maximizes your - and your client’s - business investment for years to come. Legacy Building Solutions was the first to apply fabric cladding to a rigid steel frame. We changed the game in safety, engineering and client satisfaction. Seeing is believing! To see a drone fly-through video visit legacybuildingsolutions.com or contact Legacy with your next project requirements.
The Legacy Advantage: • • • • •
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ConsultingSpecifingEng-Sustainable-ad-full-pg-rev-C.pdf
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The Logical Choice for Green Buildings
solutions for sustainability Approximately one in three LEED Platinum-certified commercial buildings in British Columbia depend on Reliable Controls.
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James Puritch
Vice President, R&D Camosun & UVic Co-op Alumnus
Headquartered in Victoria, British Columbia, in a modern and environmentally constructed LEED Platinum-Certified facility, we design and develop internet-connected building controls for a wide range of green buildings, including schools, hospitals, universities, recreational and commercial facilities. To learn more about our solutions for sustainability, and opportunities in the green buildings industry, please visit our website or sign-up for a facility tour at: www.reliablecontrols.com/corporate/facility/tour.php
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2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
ENGINEERING A BETTER CANADA AWARD & AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
SNC-Lavalin
BUILDINGS
Halifax Central Library
The building at the corner of Spring Garden Road and Queen Street in downtown Halifax.
SNC Lavalin “This project is a combination of dramatic architecture with a complicated structural design to accommodate it. We gave it the special award for “social, economic and cultural benefits to the community.” The library serves as an important focal point that attracts people to Halifax. It also enhances the urban site.”
–Jury
The stunning Halifax Central Library in the capital of Nova Scotia is the hub of the city’s library system. The library was ranked by CNN as one of the world’s top 10 eye-popping new buildings of 2014. The facility is also a rich, democratic multi-generational resource centre for knowledge, learning and personal development. A vital centre for learning and culture, it blends the best of traditional library services with innovative spaces and the latest technology. SNC-Lavalin was awarded the contract as lead structural and civil engineers for the building in a competitive request-for-proposal process. The company provided design, tender and construction phase services as a sub-
consultant to the project architect. The 15,000-m2 building ranges from 4 to 6 storeys and includes a ground floor extended podium and belowgrade parking. “Stacked books” structural challenges The structural and civil engineers found novel and sustainable solutions to meet the needs of the building’s somewhat unusual, complex, cantilever geometry. The architectural vision for the library was to have a “stacked book” appearance, but some levels were offset and rotated at various angles. The unique exterior shape was achieved with a common structural grid of concrete columns, but using tapered perimeter concrete slabs and
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2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
transfer beams were designed as part of the Level 2 floor framing and were designed to support the gravity, live and snow loads of the floors and roof above. Post tensioning is used in bridge design but has not been commonly used before in building construction in Atlantic Canada. The method of delivery was
SNC-Lavalin
BUILDINGS
cantilevered overhangs framed with structural steel. Features that contributed to the engineering challenge include an atrium skylight measuring 35 x 7 metres. Twenty-three HSS moment frames were provided to support the glazed mullion framed skylight. What allowed for such a large atrium
Opening weekend in the library, showing the large atrium space.
was the symmetrical positioning of the cast-in-place concrete stair and elevator cores, with one in each corner of the building. The large atrium void occupied what would otherwise have been a concrete floor diaphragm. As a result, the engineers had to pay attention to torsion and shear effects in the remaining suspended floor slab area. Unique interior stair and bridge layouts posed an engineering challenge as well, as no two are the same. There is also a two-storey penthouse that cantilevers nine metres. This cantilever was achieved by designing custom Vierendeel trusses using structural steel plate that was fabricated into box or tube shapes. To allow for a column-free performance space on Level 2, a transfer structure was provided as part of the Level 2 floor framing to span an unsupported length of 17.4 metres. Two post-tensioned cast-in-place concrete 32
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through a construction management format that allowed for 15 separate trade packages. This format allowed for excavation and construction of the building foundations to proceed ahead of the overall final design. However the method required that the structural and civil engineering tender packages be issued early. The time difference between the earliest trade packages and latest trade packages was approximately 2.5 years. Sustainability, urban and cultural benefits The location of the new Central Library is on a site occupying the corner of Spring Garden Road and Project name: Award-winning firm (structural and civil engineer): Owner: Client/lead architect/ prime consultant:
Queen Street in Halifax’s downtown. In the 1700s, the site was home to Bellevue House, the residence of the British Army’s Commander-in-Chief for Halifax, and before that it might have been occupied by local First Nations. One of the earliest trade packages dealt with conducting a detailed archaeological dig and investigation on the building site to record, study and preserve any discovered items. Designed and built to achieve LEED Gold certification, the building will be socially, economically and environmentally sustainable. For a library, sustainability means that the facility must be built to last, and it must have a reduced environmental impact on an ongoing basis in its operations. It must also offer the flexibility to meet changing program requirements and it must support users’ social and cultural needs. The design team worked diligently to deliver on these commitments, integrating sustainable features and materials, including a green roof, to ensure the building’s optimal performance. The new Halifax Central Library represents the diverse communities, talents, and creativity of the residents of the municipality of Halifax and presents them to the world. As confirmation of the extent of the public’s interest and curiosity in the project, 20,000 people attended the opening weekend in December 2014, with approximately 3,500 people in the building at a time. Truly a civic success story, the library is a centrepiece of the provincial Capital District and a major contributor to the economic revitalization of CCE Halifax’s downtown core.
Halifax Central Library, Nova Scotia SNC-Lavalin (David Bulger, P.Eng., Art Pertus, P.Eng.) Halifax Regional Municipality Fowler Bauld and Mitchell Architecture & Interiors
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Building Strong Communities Hatch and Hatch Mott MacDonald are honored to receive the Canadian Consulting Engineering 2015 Outreach Award. From aboriginal outreach and environmental programs to supporting important causes, we thank our employees for doing their part to create positive change and build strong communities.
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2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
OUTREACH AWARD & AWARD OF EXCELLENCE COMMUNITY OUTREACH & IN-HOUSE INITIATIVES
Canadian Outreach Program
Employees engage the local community during an annual Sustainability Week
Hatch and Hatch Mott MacDonald
“This is a tremendous effort on the company’s part to reach out to their neighbourhoods and the wider world to show the value of engineering and
Sustainability is at the core of how Hatch conducts business and delivers value to clients. Whether in mining, energy, infrastructure, or other development sectors, the delivery of successful projects depends on engineering excellence, technological innovation and best practices in corporate social responsibility. A partnership approach guides Hatch’s commitment to building strong, sustainable communities, which means working together with business, governments, communities, and other
to encourage others to take up engineering as a career. It’s not about the money, it’s about the time. It’s making the effort. That’s a big deal.” –Jury
Engaging with people in the classroom.
stakeholders throughout the project’s lifecycle. Getting it right avoids the heavy costs of conflict and fosters longterm stakeholder support. Aboriginal engagement matters In Canada today Aboriginal communities are actively participating in the resource sector and asserting their traditional territories and treaty rights, with the support of governments. Hatch strives to develop respectful working relationships with Aboriginal communities and build the capacity of these communities to benefit from development projects. Hatch is a member of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB), and has earned the “Committed” status under the CCAB’s Progressive Aboriginal Relations certification program. Hatch also participates in the Aboriginal Human Resource Council and its Leadership Circle.
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COMMUNITY OUTREACH & IN-HOUSE INITIATIVES
2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
Within Hatch, an Aboriginal Engagement Committee implements ways to advance Indigenous inclusion and promote Aboriginal business development and education. Less than 1% of Canadian engineers are Aboriginal, although the demand for them is growing. In 2013, Hatch and Hatch Mott MacDonald (HMM) established the Northern Communities Outreach Initiative to build a pipeline of Aboriginal talent to support engineering projects in Northern B.C. well into the future. Hatch engineers have so far brought real-life engineering challenges and hands-on classroom experiences to more than 950 students in grades 8 to 12 in those remote communities. Hatch also provides undergradu-
ate engineering scholarships for Aboriginal students at leading Ontario schools, the University of Toronto, Queen’s University, McMaster University, and most recently, the University of British Columbia. The recipients are invited to work as interns at Hatch offices over the summer months to gain practical experience to complement their academic studies. Hatch also sponsors the Aboriginal Mentorship Program through Lakehead University, pairing science students with Aboriginal Project name: Award-winning firms:
high school students from across Northwestern Ontario. Over two years, Hatch has collaborated with the Chiefs of Ontario to develop and deliver mining and environmental assessment workshop sessions focused on the Ring of Fire mineral belt in Northern Ontario. These workshops are also helping the Matawa Tribal Council contribute to more informed discussions on how to broadly share the benefits of the Ring of Fire development.
Hatch and Hatch Mott MacDonald Canadian Outreach Program Hatch and Hatch Mott MacDonald, Mississauga, Ont. (Corinne Boone, Eleanor Gill, Doug Hinton, P.Eng., Tina Charalambu, Tony Cesta, P.Eng., Melissa Gallina, Joe Wabegijig, Bruce MacKay, P.Eng., John Pearson, P.Eng., Michael H. Schatz, P.Eng., Mohammed Ali, Tessa Boyle)
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to raise a total of $240,000. • E nvironmental events. Held at Hatch and HMM offices, these events include an annual Sustainability Award as part of the Hatch
Global Awards. A Sustainability Week in April coincides with Earth Day and includes lunch and learns and community clean-up initiatives near Hatch’s offices. CCE
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COMMUNITY OUTREACH & IN-HOUSE INITIATIVES
Appreciating the needs of our neighbours Hatch recognizes that employees make the best ambassadors in the community when they build relationships and gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the needs of neighbours. This spirit of giving creates a high level of mutual trust and employee pride, and it helps Hatch execute projects more effectively with clients. Some of the causes Hatch supports include: • Road Hockey to Conquer Cancer. This is a truly Canadian event that supports the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation in Toronto. In 2014, following months of fundraising activities, 10 teams made up of 115 Hatch and HMM employees raised more than $207,000 for critical cancer research. Hatch and HMM have retained the title as corporate cup champion for raising the most funds of any company three years running. • E ngineers Without Borders (EWB). Hatch supports this organization in various projects that benefit under-developed Africa countries, including Silver sponsorship of the 2015 EWB national conference in Montreal. Hatch and HMM participated in two sessions, including “Making Mining Work for Development.” Hatch has also been a lead sponsor of EWB’s annual conferences in 2011 and 2014, as well as fundraising activities. The companies have raised more than $50,000 in two years, and participated in the Run to End Poverty marathon in Toronto in 2013. • I nside Ride. A fundraiser for the Coast to Coast Against Cancer Foundation, Inside Ride is supported by Hatch and HMM teams, who raised $25,000 in the 2015 event. Hatch has participated in Inside Ride since 2010, managing
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2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Blackwell
BUILDINGS
University of Toronto Goldring Centre
One of the deep trusses is visible from the exterior, forming a bridge over the field house.
Blackwell “The tight urban site for this sports research and recreation complex necessitated a top-down built structure, in which the lower floors were suspended from a large truss. We admired this unusual arrangement which required complex detailing to deal with load deflections in the truss and movement in the lower levels.” –Jury
Part of an extensive renewal of the University of Toronto’s Varsity Centre, the Goldring Centre for High Perfomance Sport is a $58-million for sports research, medicine and recreation in the heart of downtown Toronto. The 150,000 sq.ft. complex has a fitness centre, a sport medicine clinic, and a 2,000 seat field house for basketball and volleyball. The designers had to surmount a major challenge: building setback requirements meant there was not enough space on the site for the field house, so it had to be located below grade. The resulting design is in essence a three-storey bridge. A system of six parallel truss sections running lengthwise across the building span 54 metres at each bay. The second and third floors contain-
ing offices, labs, and fitness facilities, are suspended from the centre truss sections. Many innovations were required to address the finer engineering requirements resulting from this design. Design rationale To keep the field house accessible and connected to the campus, and to minimize the depth of excavation required, the ceiling of the field house is one storey above grade. This meant transfers at the ground level were not possible, and the main structure had to be above the second floor. Spanning the building across the narrow dimension of the site would have resulted in columns passing through the field house, interfering with seating, sightlines and possibly
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Storey-deep trusses with suspended floors With the full-storey-deep trusses at the fourth floor level and the second and third floors suspended from them, the engineers minimized the size of the hangers and their impact on the building space by using small-diameter high-strength rods. These were placed inside a nonstructural hollow structural section, which was pumped full of grout for fire proofing. The approach provided the smallest overall hanger size, while accommodating a high-quality durable finish (painted steel) and providing a redundant load path. To pass the many doors and corridors through the web of the trusses, web arrangements had to be very strategic. In some places webs could be cranked out of the way by adding a bracing member. In areas of very high shear, however, a full steel plate beam web was used. Because the floors are suspended rather than supported, an innovative erection strategy was required: the top floor was constructed first and erection proceeded from the top down. Hollow-core precast slabs were threaded through the completed skeleton to fill in the floors. An as-yet-undesigned academic tower that is to be
Blackwell
BUILDINGS
even play. Instead, the structure spans the long way — a 54metre span requiring a structure depth of 3.5 metres.
Structural Engineer
The below-grade, column-free gymnasium with 54 metre spans.
built over the loading dock added a further challenge: a provisional tower design allowed the construction of foundations and ground floor columns in anticipation of the final design. Transferring loads, cantilevers, soil pressures Careful detailing was required to accommodate the ±54mm of live load deflection of the truss. The structure had to transfer lateral loads to the ground floor slab, while moving vertically using very shallow pre-stressed highstrength rod bracing. While the second and third floors could be suspended, the 54-mm truss deflection would have resulted in unacceptable slopes at the ground floor, so it had to be cantilevered from the perimeter using post-tensioned concrete to minimize the structural depth. The deep excavation generated extraordinary soil pressures, exacerbated by the fact that the interconnecs tion of the perimeter wall with the adjacent floors was heavily perforated with stair openings. A conventional foundation wall spanning from the lowest level to the ground floor was found to be the most economical solution. Through careful analysis of the soil and the structural movements, the geotechnical consultant allowed a 33% reduction in the design earth pressure. Energy savings and urban intensification The building combines a high-quality building envelope with energy efficient building systems and materials with a reduced embodied energy. Urban intensification is possibly this project’s greatest environmental feature: by shoehorning this building onto a tight urban site, the designers left open sites for other purposes such as parks, green space or housing. CCE
The Award Winning Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport at the University of Toronto www.blackwell.ca
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Project name: University of Toronto Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport Award-winning firms (structural engineer): Blackwell (David Bowick, P.Eng., Shannon Hilchie, P.Eng., Michael Feindal, P.Eng., Michael Robbins, Anthony Spick, P.Eng., Kerry Zhang, P.Eng., Greg Sawka, P.Eng.) Client: Patkau Architects and MJM Architects Owner: University of Toronto Other key players: Smith + Andersen (mechanical and electrical); Ellis Don (builder)
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2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE TRANSPORTATION
Ed White
Mountain Equipment Co-op Head Office
Wood and steel structural elements are exposed whenever possible.
Fast + Epp “This mid-rise commercial building in Vancouver is a hybrid timber and steel structure, with an extensive use of wood. It seems relatively simple construction, but the engineers had to work from first principles. The interface of the floor diaphragm with the steel lateral system, for example, needed careful design to meet the intent of seismic requirements in the code.”
–Jury
For its new head office in Vancouver’s False Creek Flats area, Mountain Equipment Co-op wanted to create a workplace that would inspire its employees to do their best work: a central atrium gathering space and open offices to encourage collaboration; natural building materials; abundant daylight and fresh air; use of sustainable building strategies and energy and water efficiency. Feedback from the company’s 300 head office employees allowed the design team to refine elements in response to their needs. The designers set LEED Gold as a minimum standard (the final review is still in progress), and many aspects of the design targeted LEED Platinum. In keeping with the company’s trend towards using wood as a major element in its retail stores, and to provide a warm aesthetic to the inte-
rior, wood became the material of
choice for the 110,000 sq. ft. building. Two narrow floor plates — one four-storeys tall and the other three storeys with a rooftop garden — intersect at a 40-degree angle, creating a central atrium inside the building. The non-traditional combination of structural timber (more than one million board feet) and steel required a “first principles” approach to design and detailing. Glulam beams and columns and nail-laminated timber (NLT) floor panels make up the majority of the structure. Wherever possible, these elements are left exposed to view. Nail-laminated timber Nail-laminated timber — dimensional lumber placed on edge and nailed together into a solid deck — is a very simple structural system. Common in
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Ed White
BUILDINGS
warehouse construction at the turn of the 20th century, it has since fallen out of favour. The use of NLT floors for this building presented three major technical hurdles: • There are no industry standard specifications or design guides for NLT floors, so great care was taken to properly document the structural and the aesthetic requirements for the finished product. • The design of the NLT floor diaphragm and its interface with the steel lateral system had to meet modern building codes. In high-seismic regions like Vancouver, codes encourage designs that provide an energy-dissipating fuse (in this case the steel braces), while other elements, such as the floor diaphragm, are intended to remain elastic. In light-frame wood buildings, plywood sheathing over wood joists creates a flexible diaphragm, but in this case, the floor is expected to behave more rigidly. The floors were designed with sufficient reinforcing and redundancy to ensure they meet the intent of the code. • Vancouver’s wet climate is a particular challenge for wood structures, so temporary protection of the wood was required during construction. As well, NLT panels were pre-fabricated off-site and put into place by crane to speed up erection.
Building with two wings intersecting.
With heavy timber to resist gravity loads, the structure relies on steel buckling-restrained braced frames to resist lateral loads rather than a shear wall system. The majority of office spaces are open plan, with extensive glazing at the perimeter to maximize daylight. In cases such as these, walls are often provided at the mechanical cores. However, ventilation in the building involves three central “wind towers” to collect air, which is then supplied to the building through plenum spaces. The large openings required above the floor diaphragm to feed these plenums prohibited the use of solid walls at the wind towers.
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Far-reaching effects To capitalize on the success of this project, the Canadian Wood Council funded a study to demonstrate the cost-competitiveness of wood structures; it is also contributing to the development of an NLT design guide. Conducted by a team including Fast + Epp, the Council’s cost study was a comprehensive look at how the building would compare to a similar building constructed with structural steel or reinforced concrete. The cost of the structure, as well as associated impacts on the cost of other systems such as envelope, mechanical-electrical and finishes, and the impact on construction time and soft costs like insurance were all considered. The study shows that wood can actually be cost-competitive with steel and concrete, when considered as part of a total construction budget. Fast + Epp also have a proposal before the Council to develop industry standards for NLT. While glulam and other engineered wood products are well-documented in the Canadian wood codes and suppliers’ literature, little information is available for NLT, which impedes its use on a wider scale. CCE Project name: Mountain Equipment Co-op Head Office, Vancouver Award-winning firm (structural sub-consultant): Fast + Epp (Paul A. Fast, P.Eng., Tanya Luthi, P.E., Julien Fagnan, P.Eng.) Owner: Mountain Equipment Co-op Other key players: Pageau Morel (electrical-mechanical engineering), GeoPacific Consultants (geotechnical), Kerr Wood Leidal (civil), LMDG (code), Ventana Construction (general contractor)
AIL-556 We have your bridges. And more. 42
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3.375" × 4.875"
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2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE BUILDINGS
Thunder Bay Courthouse – Acoustic Design Aercoustics Engineering
The Aboriginal Conference Settlement Suite has a special acoustic panel wall around it that prevents acoustic hot spots, or “whispering” effects.
“What was interesting about this building in northern Ontario was the close integration of the acoustic design with the construction. The acoustic engineers’ expertise provided natural acoustics inside courtrooms that are open and daylit, unlike the typical heavily insulated “black box” environments.”
–Jury
The Thunder Bay Consolidated Courthouse embodies the permanence and civic authority of the traditional courthouse. Modern day courtrooms have been designed as black box theatres, where there is little to no natural light or natural acoustics. In contrast, the Thunder Bay Courthouse, which opened in Spring 2014, has natural light in every courtroom as well as in its open public spaces. Aercoustics Engineering’s role was to optimize the space to enhance the natural acoustics in the building. The key acoustical innovation was to employ design parameters that are used for performing arts centres. Reverberation vs. "dead" spaces Typically, when courthouses are designed the focus for interior acoustics
relies on a single parameter: the reverberation time. Reverberation time generally indicates the amount of “echo” in a space. Traditional courthouses were built using stone and marble, providing a high reverberation time that allowed for unamplified speech to easily project across the courtrooms. In contrast, most modern courthouses are acoustically “dead” spaces with low reverberation times and they must rely on amplification. Courtroom design migrated to this type of environment because of the need to incorporate audio visual equipment and recording equipment. To achieve natural acoustics in this modern structure, Aercoustics used an innovative approach. The engineers designed for a higher reverberation time, but also considered additional acoustic parameters such as
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BUILDINGS
D50 (distinctness) and acoustic strength. As a general rule, achieving a ratio greater than 50% (D50) ensures good speech intelligibility. The second parameter, the acoustic strength (G), is a measure of how loud a space may be. By relying on the reverberation time, D50 and the acoustic strength, the engineers were successful in optimizing each of the courtrooms to allow for uniform and excellent speech intelligibility. The approach was a complete departure from existing guidelines. As a result, the amount of acoustic absorption materials needed in the Thunder Bay courtrooms is far less than the requirements of the Ministry of Attorney General’s design guidelines. Aercoustics worked with Adamson Associates Architects to strategically develop the acoustic design elements. For example, as this building was a steel structure, Aercoustics had to specifically determine the concrete thickness for the floor and ceiling assemblies to ensure the sound isolation and vibration response were sufficient for the courtrooms to function. The design and construction was so effective that when Aboriginal
drumming was performed in the atrium during the ribbon cutting ceremony for the building, the sound could not be heard inside the courtrooms. Aboriginal Conference Settlement Suite The most challenging space by far was the Aboriginal Conference Settlement Suite. The first in Ontario, the suite was designed with input from elders and leaders within the aboriginal community. It is designed to respect and acknowledge aboriginal traditions and encourage the healing process. The suite is a circular room with an elliptical domed roof. The circular plan, with seating in the round, means that speech could originate from any point in the room. This can create a negative effect known as ‘“whispering” where the acoustical energy is focused in “hot spots.” Aercoustics developed a customized 3D model for this space that simulated the sound waves and allowed them to determine exactly where the focal points would occur. The key was to create a customized diffusive wall along the circular portion of the wall. Diffusion essentially allows for the sound wave to scatter.
The wood panel included a geometric relief to create a more dispersive and diffuse reflection. As a result of this work the engineers went on to develop software tools and did further research involving the theory of sound diffusion. The vibrant acoustic quality of the Thunder Bay Courthouse creates an environment which is less stressful and less oppressive, given the sombre and sobering use of the space. Crown Attorney, Dan Mitchell, said, “Quite frankly, I think this building elevates the spirit, with the light and the spaciousness.” CCE Project name: Thunder Bay Consolidated Courthouse, Ont. Award-winning firm (acoustic, noise and vibration consultants): Aercoustics Engineering, Toronto (Steven Titus, P.Eng., Lindsay Davies, P.Eng., Kiyoshi Kuroiwa, P.Eng., Duncan Halstead, EIT, Derek Flake, P.Eng., Jihyun Cho, Ph.D., P.Eng., Bob Rimrott, P.Eng.) Owner: Infrastructure Ontario/Ministry of the Attorney General Client/Architect: Adamson Associates Architects Project Sponsor: Plenary Group Other key players: Read Jones Christoffersen (structural), VRM Engineering (mechanical), H.H. Angus (electrical), Sight N Sound (audio-visual), Bird Construction (contractor)
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October/November 2015
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2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
DIALOG
TRANSPORTATION
Edmonton International Airport Office and Control Tower
Combined tower and office building, built above the existing active terminal building.
DIALOG “This was visually a very impressive project. Combining the control tower with an office building above the terminal was challenging. The steel shear walls were innovative. A lot of the solutions are partly driven by the structure, partly driven by the architecture, which means it’s a truly integrated solution.”
–Jury
The Edmonton International Airport is a transportation hub that lies south of the city on the open Alberta prairie. DIALOG’s interdisciplinary team designed a new structure on top of the main terminal, creating a distinctive landmark for the Edmonton Region. The combined office and control tower is unique. Airport control towers are traditionally built as slender structures to maximize the controllers’ views of the runways and to minimize the structure’s impact on ground operations. In the case of this "Central Tower," combining a control tower with an office building meant carefully shaping the office floor plates to ensure clear sight lines from the control tower floors. These uniquely shaped floor plates had to be constructed on top of the existing
active terminal building, which also meant that long spans were necessary to minimize the number of new foundations required. However, Edmonton International Airport mandated that construction of the tower did not disrupt airline schedules. Therefore the spans were achieved using structural steel, avoiding the hazard of having concrete trucks driving onto the secure airside apron. Steel plate shear walls The structure’s lateral force resisting system relies on steel plate shear walls — an innovation first conceived in the early 1980s by Dr. Jim Montgomery of DIALOG in close collaboration with Dr. Geoffrey Kulak at the University of Alberta. Built from steel beams and columns with thin infill plates,
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TRANSPORTATION
steel plate shear walls can be quickly erected and have excellent ductility and robust performance to meet post-disaster performance requirements. Cladding has complex geometry The tower’s sculptural form, which is reminiscent of windswept prairie grasses and snow drifts, required designing cladding systems with elegant yet extraordinarily complex geometry. The asymmetric floor plan and undulating cladding means that no two zinc panels are the same. Close coordination of the architectural and structural BIM models was essential to meeting these challenges while also delivering a high-performance envelope. A “megacolumn” To avoid cluttering the airside apron with columns, the team designed a single built-up "megacolumn." To achieve redundancy and integrity as a post-disaster structure, the megacolumn is designed to resist impact by ground vehicles or aircraft, and will remain standing even if one half of the megacolumn were to be severely damaged. LEED Silver The tower is designed as a LEED Silver building, providing
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a healthy, sustainable environment for the airport staff. The open concept design maximizes accessibility to daylight and views, while the advanced building systems and a high performance building envelope with a 40% windowwall ratio optimize the energy efficiency. The use of sculptural zinc cladding, as well as the solar orientation, allows maximum daylight and passive heating into the interior spaces in the winter and shading in the summer to limit peak cooling loads. This passive sustainable design approach was fundamental in establishing the tower’s siting and orientation. Additional sustainable features include the HVAC system’s underfloor air distribution, energy recovered from the building exhaust for reuse, rainwater harvesting, and high efficiency lighting with energy-saving lighting controls. Mechanical system design The office building uses 100% outdoor air drawn from high above the airport apron and delivers the ventilation to occupants at 130% higher than minimum code requirement. Air is then delivered at a low velocity directly to the occupant breathing zone from the raised floor plenum. Cooling is provided through overhead hydronic radiant cooling panels, while radiant hydronic heating panels service perimeter spaces. Storm water is reused for toilet/urinal flushing, which reduces domestic water demand. Constructing a sculpture on the secure airside of one of western Canada’s busiest airports was a marriage of art and science: the essence of design engineering. CCE Project name: Edmonton International Airport Combined Office and Control Tower Award-winning firm (prime consultant, architecture, engineering, interior design): DIALOG (Dr. Jim Montgomery, P.Eng., Tim McGinn, P.Eng., Ed Pon, P.Eng.) Owner: Edmonton Airports Other key players: Tetra Tech EBA (geotechnical engineers)
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15-10-02 1:50 PM
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15-10-02 1:49 PM
2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE TRANSPORTATION
Associated Engineering/CH2M
Calgary International Airport Runway and Tunnel
Approaching the airport; the new runway is the longest in Canada.
Associated Engineering and CH2M
“The complexity of designing a runway on top of a tunnel to accommodate the new large aircraft was impressive, especially as there were no Canadian codes or standards for it. They also introduced LED lighting for the Category IIIA runway — a first in North America.”
–Jury
The Calgary Airport Authority needed a new runway not just to expand its capacity for flights, but also to handle the world’s largest aircraft, Code F aircraft, the Airbus A380 and Boeing B747-8. Concurrently, the City of Calgary wanted a tunnel under the runway in order to improve traffic flow in the northeast quadrant of the city and to allow for the possibility of a future light rail transit line. Prime consultants Associated Engineering and CH2M completed these two large, complex projects simultaneously on the same site for these two clients. They worked closely with the program manager, AECOM and Hatch Mott MacDonald on a tight schedule, completing the work in spring 2014. Structural loads, runway lighting, tunnel fire protection The runway is the longest in Canada:
4,270 metres long by 60 metres wide. The six-lane tunnel under the runway is 620 metres long. Also, two taxiway underpasses are 32 metres wide by 61 metres long and 13 metres wide by 166 metres long. Determining structural design loads for the tunnel and underpasses was a challenge since this information is not part of Canadian codes and standards, and few structures are exposed to such high loads. The use of complex finite element analysis models allowed for the design of reinforced concrete structures that will support the worst case static and dynamic loading scenarios, including the Airbus A380’s 600 tonne loading. More than 85,000 cubic metres of concrete and 16,000 tonnes of reinforcing steel were used to build the structures. The runway incorporates a Category IIIa runway landing system, which allows uninterrupted aircraft
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operations at visibility limits down to 200 metres. The team substituted energy-efficient LED lights for the specified runway lighting, marking the first use of LED lights for this type of runway in North America. The system includes more than 5,000 runway and taxiway lights with over 700 kilometres of airfield power cables. Using LED lights for all the airfield lighting reduces energy costs by more than 50 per cent. Special fire safety systems were used to satisfy the safety requirements in the tunnel. Additional concrete cover was provided, and a cementitious product was also sprayed on the ceiling to provide for increased resistance to fire and intense heat that could be generated by a catastrophic motor vehicle accident. An innovative Very Early Smoke Detection Apparatus system monitors air quality and automates exhaust fan controls. As well, CCTV cameras alert operations staff to assist with motorist incidents and provide security. The airport project included 15 new taxiways, an aircraft parking apron, field electric centre and 11 kilometres of service roads.
Scheduling and other issues • Segments of the tunnel had to be completed at set milestones so that the runway and taxiways above could be built within their tight construction schedule. Accelerated design and work packages allowed construction to begin during design. • A n innovative formwork system consisting of four separate sets of travelling forms mounted on rails was installed along the length of the tunnel in order to meet the aggressive, fast-track schedule. • To suit the Calgary climate, a custom concrete mix was developed that could be placed quickly and was not prone to degradation from freeze-thaw. • A n advanced earthwork model was developed to manage 8.1 million cubic metres of earthworks and optimize the use of on-site materials. • A life cycle cost assessment was completed to evaluate alternative pavement systems for the runway and taxiways. • Variable, unpredictable geotechnical conditions and wet weather and flooding challenged construction. The engineers worked with the contractors to maintain progress and pavement quality.
Solving your most complex infrastructure and natural resource challenges. We are delighted to be recognized by Canadian Consulting Engineer for our contribution to The City of Calgary’s Airport Trail Tunnel and YYC’s Runway projects.
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Reusing materials and protecting the watershed Environmental measures included recycling and reusing existing materials, such as using asphalt millings from an existing road and excavated rock as the road base. Also, the use of rigid Portland cement concrete pavement versus flexible asphalt pavement resulted in 74 per cent less material being imported to the airport site. A dry pond was created to protect the natural watershed from silt-laden stormwater run-off from the runway and tunnel. The city and the Airport Authority have agreed to do long-term monitoring of the dry pond’s performance. CCE Project name: Calgary International Airport Runway and Airport Trail Tunnel Award-winning firm (prime consultants): Associated Engineering and CH2M (Associated - David Anderson, P.Eng., Randy Stevenson, P.Eng, E.J. White, P.Eng., Joseph Chen, P.Eng., Howard Chu, P.Eng, Corinne Arkell, P.Eng., Scott Witzke, P.Eng., Simon Cook, P.Eng); CH2M - Josh Bolderheij, P.Eng., Andrew Boucher, P.Eng., Azita Azarnejad, P.Eng., Steve King, P.E., Dean Rue, P.E., Carla Gamet, P.Eng., Mike Southwick, P.Eng.) Owners: Calgary Airport Authority & the City of Calgary Runway development project manager & geotechnical, environmental: AECOM Project manager: Hatch Mott MacDonald Other key players: CNSS (air navigation systems), ADB (airfield lighting equipment), Thurber (geotechnical), PCL/Parsons/ Dufferin (construction managers)
October/November 2015
15-10-02 1:52 PM
2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
WSP/Parsons Brinckerhof
TRANSPORTATION
St. Patrick’s Bridge
The 182-metre arch structure “skips” across the water. Much of it was prefabricated.
WSP / Parsons Brinckerhoff and RFR
“The bridge is very elegant, very light and transparent, with an efficient structure that minimized its use of materials. It is also an innovative design that allowed much of the structure to be prefabricated. Despite the setbacks of the 2013 flood, it was completed on budget and for half the cost per square metre of other signature bridges in Calgary.”
–Jury
St. Patrick’s Bridge in Calgary spans the Bow River in the city’s East Village. It links this downtown community that is undergoing revitalization with a park on St. Patrick’s Island and popular pedestrian paths and communities along the river to the north. The bridge is a three-span, 182metre long network arch structure, likened to stones “skipping across the water.” Given its slender and unique architecture, the design and construction posed several challenges. The designers also had to deal with damage from the Calgary floods of June 2013. Slender open arches lean in The result of an international design competition, the bridge was designed to be as efficient and light as possible. The design minimizes the total length of the structure and avoids long ramps at the approaches. The bridge has three continuous steel arches forming a network arch system, with the post-tensioned concrete deck serving as the arch tie. The network cable arrangement permits
the deck and arch to work together to resist asymmetric loading, thereby creating an efficient and streamlined structure. On the two river spans the arches rise over the deck, leaning inwards to facilitate bracing. The open cable network gives views through the structure. On the island, the arches stay below the widened deck, providing a completely open viewing platform. The structural scheme of a network tied arch allowed the arch and deck to function together as one large truss, using much more slender members than would be possible with a traditional arch and vertical hangers. The lightness of the structure allowed for much of it to be prefabricated, increasing the quality and reducing the need for construction on site. As a result the bridge cost per square metre is nearly half that of other signature bridges in Calgary. Severe damage from Calgary Flood The flood of June 2013 caused severe damage to the bridge while it was still under construction. The scaffolding
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supporting the deck was knocked out, causing considerable deck deflections. In addition to extensive concrete cracking, the steel reinforcing bars and post-tensioning strands had yielded. As the post-tensioning strands spanning the deck’s full length had already been tensioned and grouted, it was necessary to remove the entire concrete deck. The south arch sections also had to be removed and reset since they were not fully welded into place before the flood and their position had shifted. At this stage all the arches had to be erected and fully welded before the deck was complete. The goal was to transfer the full load of the deck to the arches before the next potential flood. Careful control streamlined the construction. Despite the setbacks, the new bridge was delivered on budget and opened on October 20, 2014.
No in-water foundations or piers This slender, efficient design reduces the use of building materials and minimizes the bridge’s environmental impact. The bridge footprint also responds to the river hydraulics. The surface of the island is below the 100-year flood level, for example, so the bridge deck could not touch down on the island. Instead an access ramp is provided. Scouring of the soils around the interior piers in the event of a flood was a concern that was addressed by supporting the foundations on deep concrete drilled piles. With no in-water founda-
tions or piers, the bridge was designed to limit the impact on the river. Geometric modelling The team used cutting-edge software to undertake a series of parametric studies of the arch geometry. Numerous studies were done for the geometry and layout, including the rise-tospan ratio of each arch, arch inclination, and hangar cable layout. Oasys GSA software was used for the structural modelling, and Geometry Gym's Smart Structural Interpreter was used for importing the parametric geometric model with the touch of a button. CCE
Project name: St. Patrick’s Bridge, Calgary Award-winning firm (prime consultant, architecture, structural/field engineering, project management): WSP/Parsons Brinckerhoff, Calgary and RFR, France (Christian Rieser, P.Eng., Jean François Blassel, Michael D. McDonagh, P.Eng., Thomas Cooper, P.Eng., Chris Love, B.Tech, Navid Sasanian, P.Eng.) Owner: Calgary Municipal Land Corporation Other key players: Speirs + Major (lighting), Mulvey & Banani (electrical), Janet Rosenberg & Studio (landscape), Graham Construction (general contractor), Stantec (project manager)
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8/18/2015 10:01:46 AM
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2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE WATER RESOURCES
Golder Associates
Ruskin Dam, Right Abutment Seepage Control Upgrade
Cut-off wall to the concrete dam, plan and section views.
Golder Associates
“This was a challenging rehabilitation of a 1930s dam in Mission, B.C. It had suffered seepage issues that compromised its integrity. To address the problem the engineers basically had to cut a 25 metre deep slot in the existing dam and seal it with a mastic asphalt membrane. It required precise drilling techniques in challenging site conditions.” –Jury
Since the reservoir was filled 85 years ago upon completion of BC Hydro’s Ruskin Dam near Mission, B.C., seepage has occurred from the right abutment. The abutment was founded on dense, highly erodible sands. Over time, the seepage has resulted in serious safety concerns and compromised the dam’s integrity. BC Hydro’s Right Abutment Seepage Control Upgrade project — the most technically complex and highly constrained component of an overall $800-million dam and powerhouse upgrade — was undertaken to address the seepage issues and seismic performance. As the main contractor, Golder’s work on the project included the development and application of a flexi-
ble mastic asphalt membrane to connect the dam with a new cut-off wall. This is the first known application of the technology in North America. Golder’s role in the project included: • The installation of overlapping jet grout columns to replace existing soils, and to strengthen the abutment underneath the concrete dam. • Construction of a plastic concrete cut-off wall upstream and downstream of the dam using trenchcutter technology. • Design and installation of a unique flexible membrane to connect the cut-off wall with the concrete dam. This previously untried and untested means of flexible connectivity was successfully achieved.
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Creating the flexible membrane tie-in The flexible membrane tie-in connection was the most challenging aspect of the project. The flexibility specification was developed by BC Hydro to meet the requirements of a 1-in-500 seismic event. In the case of
an earthquake, the flexible membrane will allow for movement of the right abutment. Golder proposed bitumen-based mastic asphalt for the flexible membrane. To create a space into which the membrane could be poured, a perfectly straight slot 25-m deep,
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nominally 168-mm wide, and 7 metres long was drilled through three different construction materials: plastic concrete, jet grout columns and concrete dam (see graphic). The membrane also had to be keyed into the bedrock. During a lengthy pre-construction planning phase, which included finite element modelling, innovative solutions were adopted to address the challenges. This work involved: • Developing a highly accurate, lowimpact drilling technique to prevent deviation out of the dam, while maintaining dam stability. • Completing final-stage drilling with the slot filled with water to maintain stability, ensuring dam safety. • Completing a rigorous 15-month testing and trial program (including laboratory testing, batch-scale tests and field trials) for the mastic asphalt flexible membrane. • Developing an installation method to ensure optimal membrane performance. • Heating the water in the slot with a steam system to limit thermal losses and ensure mastic asphalt flow. • Implementing unique real-time verification controls to build client confidence that the flexible membrane was free from defects and would meet flexibility and permeability requirements. The first attempt at membrane installation had to be successful, because once the mastic was installed and cooled it could not be removed. Managing construction and protecting sensitive water bodies The site had spatial and access restrictions which had to be managed, along with other challenges such as variable ground conditions. Coordinating and scheduling the work, maintaining safety at the dam, and environmental considerations were also involved. The challenges led BC Hydro to initiate an “early contractor involvement” (ECI) process continued on page 62
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October/November 2015
15-10-02 1:59 PM
2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE WATER RESOURCES
Stantec
Orleans Watermain Link
The project is the first in Ottawa to use horizontal directional drilling for such a long crossing with such a large diameter watermain.
Stantec
“The City of Ottawa needed a large 900-mm diameter watermain to cross two environmentally sensitive creeks and the Rockcliffe Parkway, a key recreational area. Like several other awardwinning projects this year, the project saved money and time by being innovative.”
–Jury
The potable water supply for more than 100,000 people in the community of Orleans in Ottawa’s east end was at risk. A single large diameter feedermain, installed more than 40 years ago, serviced the area. A similar feedermain had failed in the neighbouring community of Barrhaven in 2011, which had cut water supply to 11,000 homes and required costly emergency repairs. It led to months of water restrictions and considerable public anxiety about the safety and health of the city’s water supply system. It was essential for the city to avoid a similar urgent situation in the Orleans community where this critical piece of infrastructure was aging and had become vulnerable. It was necessary to add a second redundant watermain feed from east to west to bring reliability to the system. The city therefore embarked on the Orleans Watermain Link Proj-
ect to install more than 7,000 metres of 914-mm diameter watermain to Orleans. The project faced operational challenges. The most difficult and risky part was crossing Green’s Creek, an environmentally sensitive watercourse, as well as the Rockcliffe Parkway, a “scenic” gateway to Ottawa owned by the National Capital Commission. To minimize impacts to the environment and the risk of construction delays, which could have severe impacts to the community, Stantec engineers completed substantial engineering and design analyses. They determined that horizontal directional drilling (HDD) was feasible for the 600-metre section of the watermain below Green’s Creek and the Rockcliffe Parkway. Why HDD? The Orleans Watermain Link project is the first of its kind in Ottawa to use
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HDD for such a long crossing with such a large diameter watermain. There were many reasons why the underground, trenchless method made sense. It was found to be the safest approach, had the least environmental impact, and could be completed in far less time than a conventional construction method. More traditional construction methods would have triggered the need for multiple approvals by organizations such as the Ministry of the Environment, the National Capital Commission and the local conservation authority. It was estimated that obtaining NCC approval alone for a traditional, open-cut installation would have taken up to two years — too long to wait for a community in need of critical water infrastructure.
would have had long-lasting impacts on the natural ecosystem, as well as severely impacting the stability of the adjacent roadway, which is in an area well known for unstable Leda clay. The HDD method selected also ensured that there was no impact on downstream fish habitats. By installing the watermain pipe more than 10 metres beneath the creek bed, Stantec minimized the potential for “fracout,” or leakage of the bentonite slurry into the creek. (Bentonite can be lethal to aquatic life.) Careful analysis and attention to detail at every stage of construction resulted in no frac-out into the creeks during construction. The success of the project has given the City of Ottawa the confidence to consider using HDD for virtually all sizes and lengths of new watermain installation. CCE
Saving a wildlife corridor The sensitive Green’s Creek watercourse was not impacted in any way during construction. The steep, forested slopes of the creek provide an important wildlife corridor and support a wide variety of provincially and regionally rare species. Traditional construction methods would have seen the removal of vegetation, which
Project name: Orleans Watermain Link Horizontal Directional Drilling, Ottawa Award-winning firm (prime consultant): Stantec Consulting (John Krug, P.Eng., Gregory Chochlinski, P.Eng., Gerald Bauer, P.Eng., Erez Allouche, Ph.D, P.Eng., Kevin Alemany, P.Eng., Raymond Haché, P.Eng., Sonny Sundaram, Ph.D, P.Geo., Loretta Hardwick, Maurice Best, P.Eng., Gaetan Seguin) Owner: City of Ottawa
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October/November 2015
15-10-02 2:03 PM
2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE WATER RESOURCES
Flood Mitigation in Calgary Golder Associates
A community under water.
“The flood situation that Calgary dealt with in 2013 was unprecedented. The engineers developed a creative modelling technique for mapping the changed conditions on the Bow and Elbow Rivers, which allowed the city to better plan its responses to future events. A lot of future resources will be tied to this activity.”
–Jury
In June 2013, large scale flooding occurred in southern Alberta. Thousands of people were displaced from their homes, residential and commercial property was damaged, and four people lost their lives in what was the worst flooding in southern Alberta in decades. Amid the extensive recovery efforts, the City of Calgary asked Golder Associates to update its flood maps as a tool for managing future floods. Golder had previously (2009 to 2012) conducted comprehensive surveys of the rivers in Calgary and produced one-dimensional hydraulic models to update flood maps. The floodwaters of 2013, however, rearranged the river beds, moved material on a large scale, and eroded banks and
shorelines. In some cases the floods had altered the river alignment. City needed high quality data The city required high quality data to ensure accurate hydraulic modelling. Typically, one-dimensional models are based on surveys conducted at cross-sections at regular intervals (for example every 200 metres along the river) under the assumption that a series of cross-sections provides a representative approximation of the channel geometry. However, the city planned to use the data generated by Golder for other applications that require bathymetry (the shape of river beds, ocean or lake floors) along a continuous path. The project required the
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interpolation of continuous bathymetry along the Bow and Elbow Rivers. Though anisotropic (directed) bathymetry interpolation is available offthe-shelf as part of hydraulic modelling packages, these tools interpolate between cross sections and take into account only the general alignment of a river. This results in a bathymetry surface that is unable to be seamlessly integrated into the terrain surrounding the river. Fishnet modelling Research revealed that there was no existing tool capable of creating the high-quality data that the city required. Golder needed to rethink the existing method
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of data interpolation. As a result, Golder devised and applied a technique that previously had only existed in theory. It was realized that a fishnet pattern would more accurately fit on a continuous irregular path like a river. The approach proved to be the solution. By using a fishnet method (a grid with lines drawn in longitudinal and cross-river direction) that was fitted in the river channel, it was possible to create a continuous dataset. Golder created a custom interpolation method and implemented the approach as a GIS-based tool. With this latest advancement, the quality of data produced by the fishnet interpolation method allows for more accurate modelling. Benefits for flood mapping, fish habitats, bank stabilization The project has contributed to more sophisticated flood maps which help the city to predict which areas will be affected by floodwaters at a given amount of rain and snowmelt. Today, thanks to this project, the City of Calgary can better plan long-term flood mitigation strategies and tactics, and put additional emergency response measures into place. The results of the fishnet interpolation method can also be used in applications such as the mapping of fish habitats. Also, with a better understanding of flow velocities, river engineering such as the development of bank protection, protecting against scouring (deep erosion forming holes), bank failure and erosion, is possible. CCE Project name: Recovery and Resilience: Flood Mitigation Innovation, Calgary Award-winning firm (prime consultants): Golder Associates (Peter Thiede, Dipl. Ing., Wolf Ploeger, Hua Zhang, Ph.D., P.Eng., Gaven Tang, EIT) Owner: City of Calgary
www.golder.com
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Left: floods downtown. Right: fishnet modelling of river channel.
October/November 2015
15-10-22 11:53 AM
2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION
Outboard Marine In Situ Environmental Remediation
Dillon Consulting
Dillon Consulting
Electrical feeds to the ET-DSP system.
“This old small engine manufacturing facility site in Peterborough, Ontario was contaminated with DNAPLs like lubricating oils and degreasing fluids. To remediate the land the engineers applied an in situ thermal process that has not been used in Canada before, called electrothermal dynamic stripping.” –Jury
In the late 1980s, the Outboard Marine Corporation of Canada (OMCC) began wrapping up operations at their Peterborough manufacturing facility where they had been building small engines for nearly 75 years. Environmental investigations by Dillon revealed the presence of a significant number of legacy environmental issues, including a subterranean pool of degreasing fluid used in the manufacturing processes. The pool consisted of an estimated 10,000 litres of dense nonaqueous phase liquid, or "DNAPL," composed primarily of trichloroethylene. Emanating from this pool was a dissolved-phase groundwater
plume of volatile organic compounds extending some 800 metres from the OMCC facility into an area of residential dwellings and small commercial establishments. In 2000, OMCC filed for creditor protection under Canada's Companies Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). The following year Dillon was courtappointed as the Environmental Remediation Receiver (ER Receiver) for OMCC, with a court mandate to act on its behalf on environmental matters. This receivership structure is the first of its kind to be established within the CCAA framework. This project is therefore an example of an engineering firm expanding beyond the
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boundaries of traditional engineering services. Managing the DNAPL contamination Between 2001 and 2013, activities to isolate, manage and remediate the DNAPL contamination were implemented. Acting as ER Receiver, Dillon successfully administered the remediation of the DNAPL pool in 2010 through 2013 using an in situ thermal process, the Electro-Thermal Dynamic Stripping Process (ET-DSP). While this is Canadian technology and has been used successfully in the U.S., this project was the first application of ET-DSP in Canada. The ET-DSP technology involves heating soil in the saturated and unsaturated zones by passing current between buried electrodes, while water is simultaneously circulated through the electrodes. A network of extraction wells was installed to act as collection points for the contaminants. A multi-phase extraction system was used to induce a high vacuum at each of the extraction wells, promoting the flow of contaminants into these wells. The application of ET-DSP allowed for the extracted contaminants to be treated at a centralized treatment
system. The vapour was treated by passing through activated carbon; phase-separated liquids were collected and sent for recycling; and water was treated using airstripping and carbon filtration. Site complications and selecting ET-DSP technology The remediation of the DNAPL source zone was complex given the nature of the contaminant. Its presence 3 to 4 metres below the water table, and at a depth of 6 to 7 metres below ground under an active warehouse containing museum artifacts (the Canadian Canoe Museum), provided complications, as did the need to achieve complete clean-up. Further, the site's position within a mixed commercial-residential area of Peterborough required that the remediation activities minimized residents' and workers' exposure to contaminants and to disruptions. To address these challenges, Dillon's approach included the use of a fixed-price, performance-based remediation contract for the remediation work whereby targets and timelines were developed and the proponent continued on page 62
Miller Thomson is proud to have been part of the Outboard Marine remediation project team. Congratulations to Dillon Consulting on a well-deserved award of excellence for its innovation and leadership in environmental remediation. Added experience. Added clarity. Added value.
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Outboard Marine, continued from page 62
for its contract with Golder. This approach set a precedent for BC Hydro and resulted in the exchange of innovative ideas between BC Hydro and Golder throughout the planning and construction process. The work was completed within budget and on schedule. Reducing the impacts of construction on the local community, as well as on the many recreational users of the Stave and Ruskin area, was important throughout the 17month project. In keeping with BC Hydro’s commitment, where possible Golder used locally sourced materials, labour and services.
was responsible for a process of their choosing. Dillon completed a request for proposal and a quantitative metric-based evaluation process. Through this process the remediation technology, ET-DSP developed by McMillan McGee of Calgary was selected. The approach minimized building disruption and exposure to remediation activities, provided the greatest certainty of success, was costeffective and could be completed in a relatively short timeframe. The remediation of the legacy environmental contamination at the OMCC facility resulted in two positive outcomes. The first was that it removed a major environmental liability on the former OMCC property. The second was that it negated the need for off-site measures to address contamination emanating from the OMC facility. Post-remediation monitoring by the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Change confirmed that levels of contaminants in the groundwater have remained low. As a result, other measures implemented as part of the Remedial Action Plan (e.g. pump-and-treat system) have recently been suspended. The remediation increased the property values of the adjacent lands. It removed a multi-million dollar environmental liability on property located within the City of Peterborough and it benefits the site's re-use as a converted brownfield. The ER Receiver concept provided a means of addressing legacy environmental issues left by an insolvent company in an effective manner, avoiding a protracted process that would have delayed or derailed the environmental remediaCCE tion indefinitely.
Golder Associates
Ruskin Dam, continued from page 54
Right abutment and dam.
Golder prepared a comprehensive environmental protection plan that identified ways to mitigate the environmental impacts. Any uncontrolled release of materials from construction activities could affect a drinking water reservoir and the Stave River, a significant spawning and rearing habitat for salmon and trout. Throughout the construction environmental guidelines were followed, and work involving large quantities of potentially deleterious materials was able to be completed very close to these sensitive water bodies without incident. The seismic improvements at the site will protect downstream inhabitants in the event of a 1-in-500 year seismic event. And once completed, the upgraded dam will produce enough electricity to serve more than 33,000 homes in B.C.’s CCE Lower Mainland. Project name: Ruskin Dam, Right Abutment Seepage Control Upgrade, Mission, B.C. Award-winning firm (main contractor): Golder Associates (Herb Hawson, P.Eng., Katherine McCann, Kevin Hachmeister, Philip Birett, Megan Atkinson, P.Eng., Tasia Balding) Owner-client: BC Hydro Other key players: Foundex Explorations (drilling)
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Project name: Outboard Marine (OMC) In Situ Environmental Remediation, Peterborough, Ont. Award-winning firm (project director/receiver/prime consultant): Dillon Consulting, Toronto (Andrew Wilson, P.Eng., Sean Salvatori, P.Geo., Tom Grimminck, P.Eng., Rob Kell, P.Eng. P.Geo., Renee Recoskie, Darin Burr, P.Geo., Sherry Dosman, AScT, Louis Tasfi, Ph.D., P.Eng., Shayne Giles,
P.Eng., Shawna Boakes, P.Eng.) Owner-client (court-appointed Environmental Remediation Receiver for Outboard Marine Corporation of Canada ): Dillon Consulting Subconsultants: McMillan McGee (ET-DSP remediation technology) Other key players: Miller Thomson (legal), Ernst & Young (Disbursement Receiver)
October/November 2015
15-10-02 2:00 PM
2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
Knight Piésold
Kokish River Hydroelectric Project
Left: vertical slotted fish ladder. Right: diversion weir with fish ladder entrance nearside.
Knight Piésold
“This 45 MW run-of-river project in Port McNeill, B.C. has innovative features to provide safe passage for both adult and juvenile steelhead trout and salmon. We also liked the fact that the local First Nation was part of the development team and were able to contribute their in-depth traditional knowledge of the site.”
–Jury
The Kokish River Hydroelectric Project is a 45 MW run-of-river facility 15 km east of Port McNeill, on the north of Vancouver Island, B.C. Every step during the development process took into consideration the diversity of fish habitats in Kokish River. The project has unique and innovative details throughout the diversion reach designed to cater to this sensitive environment, and in particular the presence of steelhead trout and salmon. It has one of the largest capacity Coanda screen intakes in the world, together with one of the smallest Obermeyer crest gates in the world, a wrap-around vertical slot fish ladder, and a tailrace fish screen. As the lead design engineer, Knight Piésold worked closely with the owner, Kwagis Power Limited Partnership, and the EPC Contractor, Peter Kiewit Infrastructure, to develop innovative and cost-effective solutions that more than met the stringent fisheries permitting requirements. The Knight Piésold team was involved throughout the project’s development.
“Fish first” design The intake and diversion weir were designed to: — Divert a portion of the natural stream flow to the water conveyance system, while excluding large sediment and debris to limit damage to the pipe and turbine generating equipment. — Provide safe passage — for both adult and juvenile salmon and steelhead trout — past the intake and diversion weir, for upstream and downstream migration. — Allow for precise control and realtime flow monitoring of the in-stream flow release downstream of the intake to maintain the natural aquatic ecology. The required in-stream flow releases varied by season and month from 3.4 m3/s to 12 m3/s. — Allow passage of flood flows without damage to the structure. The 9.3 km-long water conveyance system is unusually long for a high-head, run-of-river project in B.C. Its design had to be cost-effective, yet robust, because the penstock is exposed to hydraulic transient
October/November 2015
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NATURAL RESOURCES, INDUSTRY, MINING & ENERGY
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
continued on page 66
Canadian Consulting Engineer
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15-10-01 3:10 PM
2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
NATURAL RESOURCES, INDUSTRY, MINING & ENERGY
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Golder Associates
Giant Mine Remediation
Examining underground openings to be stabilized with cemented paste tailings.
Golder Associates
“As part of the remediation of one of the worst contaminated mining sites in Canada, this project in Yellowknife, NWT involved stabilizing underground voids and openings that were posing a safety hazard. The really impressive aspect was the creative use of the tailings materials on site to fill the voids and create barricades.” –Jury
The Giant Mine Remediation project aims to clean up one of the most contaminated and highly publicized orphaned mine sites in Canada. The remediation of this large mine site which operated outside Yellowknife, N.W.T. between 1948 and 2004, will realize innumerable social benefits when the work is eventually completed. As part of the remediation, Golder Associates was asked by Public Works and Government Services Canada/ AANDC to help stabilize underground openings at the site. An assessment of geotechnical hazards had showed that some portions of the underground mine posed an unacceptable risk of collapse, creating physical dangers to workers and the public. A collapse could also lead to surface water infiltrating the contaminated underground workings. Over time,
such events would jeopardize the current overall mine remediation plan, including the re-freezing of the arsenic trioxide vaults. Water treatment costs would increase substantially and Great Slave Lake could eventually become contaminated. Tackling the problem Golder extensively analyzed the complex underground mine workings to prioritize which voids required stabilizing. They developed mitigation plans that involved drilling boreholes, constructing bulkheads, and backfilling the stopes with cemented paste tailings. Studies and laboratory tests were done to assess the suitability of using the on-site mine tailings as a possible economic backfill feed material. Multiple paste mixes were developed for
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NATURAL RESOURCES, INDUSTRY, MINING & ENERGY
NATURAL RESOURCES, INDUSTRY, MINING & ENERGY
Giant Mine continued from page 65
different applications: some for filling voids in bulk, some for filling remote barricades, and others for plugging leaks. The team drilled investigative boreholes into openings as narrow as 2 metres wide and 140 metres deep. Using laser scanning, they were able to gather information about the inaccessible cavities and create 3D models and 2D plans in order to plot positions for delivering the backfill and building the containment barricades. Backfilling in extreme cold Backfilling began in October and ceased in mid-December 2014, with crews workin in the extreme cold (temperatures ranged from -25 to -52 C). Producing paste backfill with an outdoor mobile system using highly variable frozen arsenic and silica laden tailings at extremely cold temperatures had never been done before. The mine’s utilities were limited, so the team adapted by using portable artificial lighting, by heating water and equipment, erecting tents for monitoring and testing, and building indoor tailing storage facilities. With limited underground access and incomplete mine plans, the underground geometry was uncertain. The team had to adjust the paste recipes and delivery locations on the fly. This meant sequencing plans had to be developed for multiple options and "if-then-else" scenarios. The hazards to underground workers posed by leaked paste also had to be constantly assessed. Kokish River continued from page 63
pressures internally, and logging road traffic and natural forces externally. Over its entire length, its thin-walled pipe sections were designed to be buried in the natural ground. Engineered fills were used to restrain pipe movement, eliminating the need for concrete anchor blocks. A unique feature of the powerhouse — a fish fence across the tailrace outlet — prevents the adult fish from entering the tailrace, and generates flow patterns that would encourage the fish to continue on their upstream migration. Diversion weir and intake Coanda screen The diversion weir and intake structures are designed to ensure that during operations the natural rates of sediment movement are maintained over the life of the project. A purpose-built 1:12 scale hydraulic model of the intake and diversion weir was tested in Northwest Hydraulic Consultants’ laboratory to verify various aspects of the design.. The diversion weir incorporates Coanda shear effect screens that prevent debris, coarse sediment, and fish from entering the penstock. Knight Piésold conducted extensive research and model testing to optimize the Coanda screen configuration, resulting in a spillway screen through-put capacity that is one of the highest in the world for a hydropower project. Possibly the world’s smallest multi-segmented Obermeyer crest gate was added immediately upstream of the 66
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Teamwork, Aboriginal training, taxpayer benefits The technical team and contractors worked closely in a multi-disciplinary approach and counted on teamwork to overcome hurdles such as paste freezing in the pipeline in mid-pump stroke. Golder committed to providing a monetary award for work done by Aboriginal people in an educational setting and to support local communities through Aboriginal training and apprenticeships. Proving that local tailings material present at the site can be used to stabilize underground openings represented a large cost saving. The project was delivered on time and on budget, and it helped reduce the $903 million liability that the overall Giant Mine Remediation project is estimated to be by the federal government. CCE Project name: Giant Mine Remediation Project – Mine Support Services, Phase 1, Yellowknife, N.W.T. Award-winning firm (prime consultant): Golder Associates (Darren Kennard, P.Eng., Sue Longo, P.Eng., Hugh Carter, PMP, John Hull, P.Eng., Steve Otto, P.E., Ashley Pakula, P.Eng., Dave Caughill, P.Eng., Andres Quintero, P.Eng., Kevin Hachmeister, Theresa Bahry-Abbott) Owner: Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) Client: Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) Other key players: Clark Builders (contract management), RTL Construction (tailings excavation, processing and delivery and tailings site management); LPR Concrete (paste production and distribution), McCaw’s Drilling and Blasting (drilling of investigation and paste delivery boreholes).
Coanda screen to allow the concentration of low flows over the weir and prevent fish from being stranded on a seasonally dry screen surface. Local contributions and benefits The 28-month project brought direct and indirect socioeconomic benefits to the north Vancouver island area, creating work and nearly $30 million in goods and services. Designed and constructed on time and on budget, the runof-river facility will generate clean renewable energy to power 13,000 homes annually. The ‘Namgis First Nation was part of the owner’s development team, and provided significant benefits by sharing their in-depth knowledge of the site, the surrounding environment, and traditional use of the area. CCE Project name: Kokish River Hydroelectric Project, Vancouver Island, B.C. Award-winning firm (prime consultant/lead design engineer): Knight Piésold, Vancouver (Sam Mottram, P.Eng., Egbert Scherman, P.Eng., Travis Brown, P.Eng., Katrina Wechselberger, P.Eng., Benoit Otis, P.Eng., David Levi, P.Eng., Rob Adams, P.Eng., Jamie Cathcart, P.Eng., Daniel Friedman, P.Eng., Oscar Gustafson) Owner: Kwagis Power Limited Partnership (Brookfield Renewable Energy Group and ‘Namgis First Nation) Client: Peter Kiewit Infrastructure Other key players: Peter Kiewit Infrastructure (engineering-procurementconstruction contractor), Northwest Hydraulic Consultants (intake scale model testing), Rockwell Automation (design of electrical components and control system)
October/November 2015
15-10-02 2:06 PM
2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE SPECIAL PROJECTS
PINTER Associates
First Nation Land Management Regime
Numerous environmental problems were encountered on the Reserve lands.
PINTER & Associates
“The engineers worked closely with individual First Nations in Saskatchewan and Manitoba to provide environmental site assessments and remediation plans for their reserves. We appreciated how this work was then integrated with individual frameworks for future land management. These policies included social and economic factors specific to First Nations.”
–Jury
Several First Nations in Saskatchewan and Manitoba have joined the First Nation Land Man‑ agement (FNLM) Regime. The program helps them to protect and manage their Reserve lands, and will enable them to develop those lands' resources and their economies in a sustainable way. The program assists First Nations toward becoming self‑governing, vibrant, self-sustain‑ ing communities. The process in itself is an innova‑ tion. The federal government and First Nations had a vision in the 1990s to pass management of Reserve land over to the First Nations. There was no pro‑ cess, model or similar projects to follow at the time. PINTER assisted in devel‑ oping the process, which went through a number of changes along the way. The FNLM Regime that was im‑ plemented has six components. It in‑ volves individual environmental site assessments (ESAs) of entire reserves, detailed environmental testing and environmental remediation. It also involves identifying issues, developing management plans and legislation,
followed by implementation. The management planning stage involved developing unique, individualized legal and policy frameworks for each reserve’s future land and environ‑ mental management. Muskoday, Whitecap Dakota & Opaskwayak Cree First Nations PINTER has assisted with implement‑ ing the FNLM Regime at 12 First Na‑ tions, in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Among them are Muskoday First Na‑ tion, Whitecap Dakota First Nation and Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN). PINTER completed Phase 1 ESAs to identify potential impacts, Phase II as‑ sessments to confirm and delineate the suspected environmental impacts, and Phase III remediation of those impacts. The consulting engineers also gathered information from the First Nations and helped them to plan and develop environmental management and protection programs. These pro‑ grams arrange for the administra‑ tion, education, monitoring, compli‑ ance and enforcement of each First Nation’s environmental regime. The
October/November 2015
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14.6020 Engineers 2015_HD_DI_Advertorial_CCE-Sept-Oct_FINAL.indd 1 CCE OctNov15 p67-69 1st Nations.indd 68
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programs ensure that development occurs in line with both the environmental concerns and traditional culture of each First Nation. In 1999 PINTER was commissioned to carry out an environmental site assessment for the Muskoday Reserve. Muskoday continues to work with PINTER on implementing their environmental and legal framework to this day. The engineers went on to play a similar role for the Whitecap, which is currently actively engaged in developing their legal system. PINTER has also helped OCN develop their environmental and legal framework which they are planning to implement this year. Challenges and complexities The environmental problems that were encountered on the Reserve lands included everything from dump sites and salvage yards, to fuel storage tanks, agricultural chemicals, fence post treatment, copper wire burning sites, etc. As the program changed from a prescriptive model to a First Nation directed model, the procedures and policies evolved as PINTER began to better understand First Nations expectations and as those expectations changed over time. Working with multiple First Nations simultaneously, each with their own community and environmental issues, perspectives, priorities and political agendas was challenging. The First Nation expectations also had to be balanced with the mandates of government agencies. PINTER had regular communications with First Nation clients, AANDC, community members, project stakeholders and legal counsel.
The First Nation Land Management Regime is the first of its kind. The environmental assessments and remediation of legacy sites provided context and examples to First Nation Band Councils of negative environmental impacts. The land management process increased their knowledge of proper environmental stewardship and practices.
The project combined the use of engineering principles with community involvement to enable positive changes on these First Nation Reserves. First Nations in Canada are poised to become a large demographic and economic force. Strong, independent and sustainable First Nation economies benefit them and also Canada as a whole. CCE
SPECIAL PROJECTS
08.
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DID YOU JUST SPEC
THE END OF YOUR CAREER WITH THE WRONG WATERPROOFING?
Project name: First Nation Land Management Regime, Saskatchewan and Manitoba Award-winning firm (prime consultant): PINTER & Associates, Saskatoon (Lawrence Pinter, P.Eng., Keli Just, P.Eng.) Project owners: Opaskwayak Cree Nation, Whitecap Dakota First Nation, Muskoday First Nation
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October/November 2015
15/12/2014 2:02:35 PM
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2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
R.J. Burnside
INTERNATIONAL
Improving Water Supply in Mozambique
Left: rehabilitated Nampula water treatment plant. Right: workers install pipes at a new 5 ML reservoir in Nampula.
R.J. Burnside International
“We liked the fact that the funding clients used Canadian engineering expertise for this project in a struggling sub-Saharan country. The engineers
Half the population of Mozambique lives in poverty despite strong economic growth since it emerged from a devastating three-decade civil war in 1992. Improving the population’s access to water is a key element of the government’s plan for improving their situation. This project increased the accessibility to reliable and good quality water for eight cities in Northern Mozambique. Between 2009 and 2013, Burnside led a team that completed feasibility studies, drew up master plans and then completed detailed designs for each city. Finally, the team oversaw the construction of upgrades in one of the cities, Nampula.
provided eight cities with master plans for their water needs for the next 20 years, and they oversaw construction of one system. The solutions were appropriately designed to be low-maintenance.”
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Remnants of infrastructure and scarce supply In most of these cities, the existing water systems consisted mainly of remnants of infrastructure constructed before 1970. The scarcity of reliable water sources in this seasonally dry Pre-Cambrian environment heightened the challenges. The team conducted site investiga-
tions and gathered first-hand socioeconomic, financial, water and environmental information to understand the situation and what could be done to improve it. Construction in Nampula The construction of water infrastructure in Nampula doubled the supply of water to the city, from approximately 40 litres to 65 litres per person per day. The new system increased the access to a quality water supply from 52% to 64% of the population and extended it to a large segment of the population who live in a 20 square kilometre area southeast of the city. The construction provided about 400 full time jobs and infused about US $25 million into the local economy. A separate parallel project was also implemented by the government to improve sanitation and drainage and to mitigate the impacts from the increase in water use. For people whose dwellings, crops and ability to derive a livelihood were impacted, a relocation and compensacontinued on page 72
October/November 2015
15-10-06 3:04 PM
2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
COMMUNITY OUTREACH & IN-HOUSE INITIATIVES
AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park Golder Associates
From July 10 to August 14, 2014, members of the public had the opportunity to participate in an archaeological dig at the Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park on the Siksika Nation site near Cluny, Alberta. Golder Associates provided financial and volunteer support for the University of Calgary’s Public Archaeology Program on the site and in the lab. Golder’s contributions greatly enhanced this opportunity for Albertans and members of the Siksika Nation to work alongside the university students. They helped participants to make important Canadian archaeological discoveries and learn about Alberta’s First Nations’ culture and history. As well, the firm’s
assistance supported an application (still under consideration) to obtain World Heritage Site status from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Volunteers didn’t need previous archaeological experience to join the program: on-site training in archaeological excavation techniques was provided by University of Calgary graduate students and Golder staff. Only six volunteers at a time could work on the site due to the equipment and space constraints. During the six weeks of excavation, 87 volunteer participants contributed a total of 97 person-days of excavation to the program.
Golder Associates
Below: a University of Calgary doctorate student shows some discoveries made on the Siksika Nation site last summer.
“The consulting engineers donated financial support and their professional knowledge and personal time to an archaeological excavation at the Siksika Nation Site in Alberta. We found that this project was an interesting way of building relationships between the public and First Nations. And it provided valuable experience for the university students.” –Jury
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COMMUNITY OUTREACH & IN-HOUSE INITIATIVES
Blackfoot Crossing continued from page 71
Caring for the past The Siksika Nation enthusiastically supported the work and encouraged young Siksika Nation members to participate in the dig. The volunteers found bone and other food residue, suggesting that past occupants of the site ate bison, dog and other small and large mammals. All artifacts found are the property of the Siksika Nation and, ultimately, will be stored and displayed at the Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park Interpretive Centre. The Public Archaeology Program received media coverage from regional newspapers, television news (CBC, CTV, Calgary Herald), as well as on social media. Due to this favourable coverage, there was considerable interest among members of the public wanting to volunteer for a day or more. Even though participants had to drive for an hour to the dig site and pay a registration fee, the program was booked to capacity during the summer of 2014. Golder digs in Convincing Golder’s senior consultants of the benefits of involvement in this program was the first step. Once the firm’s Cultural Sciences Group was committed to the proj-
INTERNATIONAL
Mozambique continued from page 70
tion was provided. Most benefited from "better than before" improvements or replacements to their property. Passive and proven technologies The challenge of maintaining mechanical components in water treatment plants is exacerbated in countries such as Mozambique due to the lack of access to technical support and equipment. To mitigate these issues, Burnside implemented passive systems. Flocculators, similar to those in use in Canadian plants (e.g. Ottawa and Toronto) were used instead of mechanical systems, and inline static mixers were used instead of electric motor-driven rapid mix units. The plant’s electrical control and SCADA systems were also based on well established technologies that have been used in water works of similar size in Canada. At the same time Burnside incorporated equipment that is commonly supplied and serviced in Southern Africa. Multicultural “Canadian” approach The inclusive project management and team building styles prevalent in Canada can be unfamiliar in cultures where autocratic management styles prevail. Burnside’s incountry project team include individuals from several nationalities and there was a consistent effort to apply the multicultural “Canadian” approach to build an effective consultant team. The local staff was trained in administrative tools and in the virtual management of project documents, which 72
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ect, Golder technical specialists had to make sure the University of Calgary had knowledgeable students who could help educate and lead volunteers with no prior experience to participate effectively in the archaeological dig. Golder’s approach went beyond the minimum requirements expected for supporting the program. The firm’s archaeology consultants volunteered their time to lead public education discussions at the site about the archaeological process. They offered professional advice for site conservation and coached the participating students and volunteers. The Golder volunteers also promoted the archaeological program within the firm and with clients through a newsletter and social media. During the autumn of 2014 the program continued off-site with laboratory and museum work that introduced Siksika Nation students and members of the public to archaeological opportunities in Alberta and the rest of Canada. CCE Project name: Caring for the Past: Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park, Alta. Award-winning firm (sole donor): Golder Associates (Brent Murphy, M.A.) Owner: The University of Calgary Other Key Players: Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park, University of Calgary Public Archaeology Program.
helped to integrate the work of the in-country office with that of the home office in Canada. These tools were particularly useful in processing contractor shop drawings, payment certificates and statement of claims. Saving lives The project was funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation of the United States. Their involvement raised the bar for the environmental and health and safety practices compared to accepted practices in the region. For example, a two-cell sedimentation lagoon was constructed to treat the treatment plant’s backwash before it is discharged. Temporary and permanent erosion control works were also built. The World Health Organization estimates that every dollar invested to improve drinking water supply in SubSaharan Africa yields an average economic benefit of at least $2.50. Bottom line? It brings improvement to the quality life and ultimately it saves lives. CCE Project name: Improving Water Supply in Northern Mozambique Award-winning firm (prime consultant): R.J. Burnside International, Orangeville, Ont. (Rui De Carvalho, P.Eng., Eng. Eduardo Valdivia, M.Sc., Jordan Phillips, P.Eng., Morgan Pel, P.Eng., Michael O’Hara, P.Eng., Shawn Landry, CET, Michael Hofer, P.Eng., Kent Keys, Jackie Hunter, Paul Morrison (1956-2014)) Owner: Millennium Challenge Account, Mozambique Other key players: Eramosa Engineering (electrical, controls), Golder Associates S.Africa (geotechnical, hydrogeology), XCG Environmental (process design), CONSULTEC, Mozambique (water resources), COWI – Mozambique (social, economic and environmental)
October/November 2015
15-10-02 2:10 PM
2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
2015 AWARDS
MEET THE WINNERS WINNERS GALLERY
A photo gallery of people involved in the award-winning projects.
2.
1. SCHREYER AWARD 1. Queen Richmond Centre West, Toronto. Stephenson Engineering with Cast Connex. Back row, left to right: n/a, Mike Adams, Bill Munns, Carlos de Oliveira, Zoran Tanasijevic, John Gillanders, Edward Lacroix, Dermot Sweeny, Rob Long, n/a, James Cranford. Front row: Kathy Kajaks, Saundra Cullen. TREE FOR LIFE AWARD 2. Forrest Kerr Hydroelectric Project, Northern B.C. Hatch. Left to right: Ccee Chan, Will Fulcher, Shawn Smith, David Pinese, Arbelle Languador.
3.
4.
AMBASSADOR AWARD 3. Milton-Madison Bridge Replacement, Indiana and Kentucky, U.S. Buckland & Taylor, Vancouver. Left to right: Erin Redl, Murray Johnson, Nedim Alca. ENGINEERING A BETTER CANADA AWARD 4. Halifax Public Library, N.S. SNC-Lavalin. Left to right: Brian DeCoste, David Bulger, Vivek Tomar, Art Pertus.
5.
OUTREACH AWARD 5. Hatch and Hatch Mott MacDonald Canadian Outreach Program. Back row, left to right: Joe Wabegijig, Michael Schatz, Bruce MacKay. Front row: Melissa Gallina, Tony Cesta, Corinne Boone. The above special award-winners also won Awards of Excellence. See also the list of consulting engineering team members at the end of articles describing the projects. October/November 2015
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2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
6. 11.
7.
12. AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE 6. Calgary International Airport Runway and Tunnel. Associated Engineering and CH2M. Left to right: Dave Anderson, Melyssa Trnavskis, Henry Wong, Joost Bolderheij, Andrew Boucher. 7. Ruskin Dam, Right Abutment Seepage Control Upgrade, Mission, B.C. Golder Associates. Back row, left to right: Jorge Ramos, Megan Atkinson, Katherine McCann, n/a, n/a, Philip Birett, Jordan Price, n/a. Front row, centre: Calvin Stuckert.
8.
8. Mountain Equipment Co-op Head Office, Vancouver. Fast + Epp. Back row, left to right: Robert Jackson, Rodney Shinkewski, Paul Fast. Front row: Derek Ratzlaff, Tanya Luthi. 9. Edmonton International Airport Office and Control Tower. DIALOG. Left to right: Ed Pon, Tim McGinn, Stephen Boyd, Jim Montgomery.
9.
10. University of Toronto Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport, Toronto. Blackwell. Left to right: Shannon Hilchie, David Bowick, Michael Feindel, Anthony Spick, Kerry Zhang. 11. St. Patrick’s Bridge, Calgary. WSP / Parsons Brinckerhoff and RFR. Top row, left to right: Jean-François Blassel, Chris Love, Christian Rieser. Bottom row: Tom Cooper, Michael McDonagh, Navid Sasanian. 12. Thunder Bay Consolidated Courthouse – Acoustic Design, Thunder Bay, Ont. Aercoustics Engineering. Left to right: Lindsay Davies, Ken Cho, Steve Titus, Bob Rimrott, Kiyoshi Kuroiwa, Derek Flake.
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2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
WINNERS GALLERY
15. 13.
16. 14.
13. Improving Water Supply in Northern Mozambique. R.J. Burnside International, Orangeville, Ont. Left to right: Rui De Carvalho, Eduardo Valdivia.
17.
14. First Nation Land Management Regime, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. PINTER & Associates, Saskatoon. Left to right: Keli Just, Lawrence Pinter. 15. Flood Mitigation Innovation, Calgary. Golder Associates. Left to right: Gaven Tang, Wolf Ploeger, Peter Thiede. 16. Kokish River Hydroelectric Project, Port McNeill, B.C. Knight PiĂŠsold, Vancouver. Left to right: Sam Mottram, Katrina Wechselberger, Egbert Scherman.
18.
17. Outboard Marine (OMC) In Situ Environmental Remediation, Peterborough, Ont. Dillon Consulting. Left to right: Andrew Wilson, Sean Salvatori (in memoriam, d. August 8, 2015). 18. Orleans Watermain Link Horizontal Directional Drilling, Ottawa. Stantec Consulting. Left to right: Gregory Chochlinski, Gerald Bauer, John Krug.
19.
19. Giant Mine Remediation Project, Mine Support Services, Phase 1, Yellowknife, N.W.T. Golder Associates, Vancouver. Left to right: Hugh Carter, Darren Kennard, Theresa Bahry-Abbott, John Hull, Kevin Hachmeister. 20. Caring for the Past: Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park. Golder Associates, Calgary. Brent Murphy.
20. October/November 2015
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2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
WINNERS CIRCLE
Congratulations to all the winners of the 2015 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards
BUILT TO DELIVER A BETTER WORLD We partner with our clients to plan, design, construct, operate and manage transportation systems and infrastructure projects. AECOM’s comprehensive understanding of today’s transportation challenges help our clients and communities move into the future.
www.aecom.ca
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October/November 2015
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WINNERS CIRCLE
2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
Congratulations to all the winners of the 2015 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards
Celebrating Engineering Excellence Congratulations to the recipients of the 2015 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards. Knight Piésold is honoured to be a part of the award-winning Kokish River Hydroelectric Project team, supporting clean energy development in our communities.
Kokish River Hydroelectric Project Owner // Kwagis Power Limited Partnership EPC Contractor // Peter Kiewit Infrastructure Co. Lead Design Engineer // Knight Piésold Ltd.
Hydropower | Pumped Storage | Run-of-River | Wind Power | Solar Power | Thermal Power
October/November 2015
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www.knightpiesold.com
Canadian Consulting Engineer
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2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
WINNERS CIRCLE
Congratulations to all the winners of the 2015 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards
Congratulations to Dillon Consulting on
winning this prestigious award.
It was a pleasure and honour to be associated with this exciting project. From your friends and colleagues at
Kerr Wood Leidal Congratulates Fast+Epp on its Award for the MEC Head Office. We are proud to have provided stormwater management and civil infrastructure design for this award-winning project.
CONGRATULATIONS To all the winners of the 2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS
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October/November 2015
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HOW WILL YOU SPEND YOUR LAST 10 YEARS? The average Canadian will spend their last ten years in sickness. Change your future now.
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15-10-01 3:14 PM
T H E W O R L D ’ S L A R G E S T H VAC R M A R K E T P L AC E The AHR Expo brings 60,000 HVACR professionals together to see the latest products & technology, learn from industry experts, and build relationships. REGISTER FOR FREE
CCE OctNov15 p76-80 Winners circle.indd 80
AHREXPO.COM
15-10-01 3:19 PM
engineers & the law
By John Tidball and Joseph Marin, Miller Thomson LLP
Court Appointed Receiver After a manufacturer went bankrupt and left behind a contaminated site, consulting engineers took on an unusual role in the environmental remediation.
T
he award of a Canadian Consulting Engineering Award to Dillon Consulting for its work on the Outboard Marine in situ environmental remediation project (see p. 59) affords an opportunity to explore the experience of a Canadian consulting engineer acting in a very non-traditional role – that of court-appointed receiver. Outboard Marine Corporation of Canada (OMCC) operated a manufacturing facility in Peterborough, Ontario until 1990, when it began a systematic decommissioning of the facility. As a result of a bankruptcy filing by, and subsequent liquidation of, its parent corporation, all of the directors and officers of OMCC resigned in 2001. The situation left a contaminated site with no corporate governance and a problematic environmental legacy for the Peterborough community. In January 2000, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment had issued an Order requiring investigation and remediation of the legacy environmental issues. Dillon had been OMCC’s environmental consultant through the 1990s. The engineers had already undertaken a significant amount of investigative work at the site, although not all of the environmental issues had been fully investigated. Dillon had concluded that there were two contaminant plumes originating from two distinct source areas on the OMCC property. The plumes merged to form a single offsite plume that extended a distance downstream from the site. Off-site groundwater extraction wells were in operation to hydraulically control the migration of contaminants, but no steps had yet been taken to remediate the east and west source areas. In many similar cases, the story would have ended there. Fortunately for the environment and the Peterborough community, the OMCC story did not. With the assistance and cooperation of the Ministry of Environment, Dillon worked with Ernst & Young (the monitor in OMCC’s insolvency proceedings) and its respective legal counsel (including the authors), to come up with a creative plan to fund and undertake the remediation of the two source areas. In late-2001, Dillon was appointed by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice as Environmental Remediation Receiver of OMCC. Ernst & Young was appointed as Disbursement Receiver to collect and disburse the funds of OMCC. Dillon’s initial mandate was restricted to the construction of an in situ barrier to contain the west plume source area, but it soon broadened to include any environmental remediation activities approved by the Court. This receiver-
ship was initiated with the concurrence of OMCC’s stakeholders (principally property owners adjacent to the OMCC facility) and the Ministry, with whom a consultative process was implemented for approving all proposed remediation activities. The scope of remediation activities that Dillon could undertake was always subject to the amount of funds available for that purpose and the resultant need to prioritize the components of the remediation plan. The funds of OMCC at the outset of the receivership were enough to fund remediation activities for no more than two years. However, these funds were supplemented by the collection of receivables, refunds of tax instalments paid by OMCC prior to the receivership and the liquidation of distributions from an OMCC subsidiary, and by funds provided in trust by the Ministry for remediation purposes. The latter were primarily from financial assurance funds committed by OMCC prior to the receivership. The Dillon receivership continued until 2013, when Dillon was discharged as Environmental Remediation Receiver by the Court. Between 2001 and 2013, counsel for the receivers appeared 15 times to seek Court authorization for the expenditure of funds to investigate and remediate the OMCC contamination. The Court approved the expenditure of millions of dollars to fund contracts for the excavation and rehabilitation of the east plume source area, and the much more complicated remediation of the west plume source area. In addition to operating in the capacities of environmental consultant and consulting engineer in the vacuum of any OMCC management, Dillon staff were vitally important in the receivership process. Every motion made to the Superior Court to authorize remediation expenditures was accompanied by a lengthy Environmental Remediation Receiver’s Report and a schedule of proposed remediation activities. Legal counsel were accompanied and assisted by Dillon Consulting engineers Andrew Wilson and the late Sean Salvatori at the hearing of every motion. The OMCC remediation was achieved in highly unusual circumstances that may be an anomaly in the world of legacy contaminated sites. The project is testimony to the use of a creative Court-approved framework that maximized funds available for remediation activities, all within a conCCE sultative framework. John Tidball and Joseph Marin are partners at Miller Thomson LLP in Toronto. E-mails jtidball@millerthomson.com October/November 2015
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ADVERTORIAL
manufacturer case study
pumps
GRUNDFOS
Pump Audit Drives Sheraton Toronto toward Energy Conservation Goals
J
ust minutes away from the CN tower in the downtown core is Toronto’s tallest hotel; Sheraton Centre, boasting 1,450 luxurious rooms and spaces. Sheraton is one of Starwood International’s 10 corporate brands that are part of a strategic plan to save 30% of energy and 20% of water by year 2020. After looking at the property as a whole Starwood came to the realization that there was potential with Sheraton’s domestic cold-water booster system. Director of Engineering, Yousouf J.Khan, contacted Feras Marish of Grundfos for a pump audit that would profile the existing system’s flow, pressure and power consumption. Once the audit process began, it revealed that the 43-year-old original system was obsolete and unfortunately not meeting guests' high demand for constant water supply. The three 75 hp pumps were running at constant speed, wasting energy on a monthly basis. Based on analyzed audit results Grundfos redesigned the system for the application, making for a huge difference in energy savings. Grundfos proposed a turnkey solution: installation of a Hydro MPC (multi-pump controller) BoosterpaQ system consisting of three CR45-6 50 hp vertical inline multistage pumps, each equipped with a VFD (variable frequency drive). The BoosterpaQ was chosen for the following reasons: • The booster system is ideal for water supply and pressure boosting in multi-storey buildings where needs can vary significantly throughout the day. • CR pumps provide the best foundation for the booster system. They are extremely reliable and have the highest efficiency when compared to any other pumps of their kind in the market. • The MPC specially designed by Grundfos controls parallel-connected pumps. It alternates between lead and lag pumps, ensuring equal run hours on all of the pumps. With built in pump curves it can identify if it is more efficient to operate two pumps at a slower speed, rather than one pump at full speed. • The VFD located in the MPC adapts to variations in water flow, allowing the CR’s to continuously regulate speed while maintaining pre-set constant pressure. It ensures the CR’s run only when demand is detected, therefore extending the lifespan of the pumps and ultimately reducing energy consumption. Grundfos performed the transition of the old equipment to the new seamlessly and without any interruption to the building. Yousouf J.Khan is very happy with the decision because the system is very easy to use, reliable, and so far delivering per expectations. “This is huge for us; it's huge energy savings which allows us to qualify for an incentive rebate of $32,000 from Toronto Hydro, as well as around an estimated $40,000 worth of electrical savings a year,” said J.Khan. “We can clearly and confidently say that this new system is going to help Sheraton Toronto get closer to our energy savings goals." Article by Melissa Almonte of Grundfos. Grundfos is the world’s largest manufacturer of pumps and pumping systems. Grundfos’ Canadian headquarters is in Oakville, Ont. 1-800-644-9599, www.grundfos.ca
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manufacturer case study
fire protection
St. Michael’s Hospital 3.0: Fire Alarm System Retrofit
S
t. Michael's is a major teaching and research hospital located in downtown Toronto. Their ambitious redevelopment project called “St. Michael’s 3.0” includes a new patient care tower, a renovated emergency department, and significant upgrades to improve the existing hospital space. It also involves a complete retrofit of the existing fire alarm system, including the supply of equipment, the approvals by the City of Toronto and the electrical installation. The Challenge: St. Michael’s continued to be operational during the installation. The installation was divided so that work in one area did not disrupt the other areas of the hospital. In addition to working around ongoing patient care, this project involved retrofitting the existing fire system to comply with the FleX-Net intelligent fire system replacement. The previous equipment was a hard-wired system. The Mircom Solution: In order to complete the retrofit without compromising system operations, Mircom staff built a Central Alarm Control Facility (CACF) Room. They relocated the new equipment into this space, which allowed the existing, hard-wired system to continue operating while the new product was installed. Additionally, Mircom engineers created new programming so that the FleX-Net equipment began functioning immediately after the installation. This ensured that the building was never left unprotected. The Mircom team liaised with the Toronto Building and Fire Departments during the process of installation, routinely contacting them to ensure that inspections and certification would be passed without issue when the project was completed. The Mircom System: Mircom’s FleX-Net is designed for the most demanding fire protection and emergency communications applications. FleX-Net guarantees a faster, more accurate emergency response that’s fully customized to any project. FleX-Net is designed for peer-to-peer network communications, is expandable up to 63 nodes, and features built-in BACnet support for seamless integration. Benefits and Value Added: Mircom’s FleX-Net is very easy to install and operate compared to similar solutions on the market. The client had the advantage of direct access to Mircom’s Head Office team and manufacturing facility in Vaughan, Ontario. The close proximity of the team meant that Mircom was able to be on-site supervising the project and was available should any problems have arisen during the installation. Installation and Team: Mircom was awarded the contract in April of 2014 and took one year to complete the job. The consulting engineer was Lorence Fullerton from Manuel Jordao & Associates. Client Testimonial: “The fire alarm installation was completed flawlessly, and we are very pleased with the end product from Mircom. The ability to communicate directly and efficiently with the manufacturer was particularly effective. We have not had any complaints from building occupants, the Head of Security, or the Facilities Director regarding the installation … and in our industry, the absence of complaints is the ultimate compliment.” – Joseph McCole, Fire Safety, Emergency Management Consultant, St. Michael’s Hospital
ADVERTORIAL
MIRCOM
Founded in 1991, Mircom is a global designer, manufacturer and distributor of Intelligent Building Solutions. Reaching customers in over 100 countries worldwide, Mircom’s portfolio includes: fire detection & alarm, communications & security, mass notification, nurse call, and building automation & smart technologies. Mircom’s vision is to make buildings worldwide safer, smarter, and more livable. For full details on this project, visit go.mircom.com/stmichaels October/November 2015
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ADVERTORIAL
manufacturer case study
pumps
KSB
On-site Testing of Pumps E
xperts agree that operating pumps at or near their "best efficiency point" (BEP) improves energy efficiency while also resulting in smoother running, lower maintenance costs, fewer outages and longer pump lifetimes. However, while pump characteristics are usually well documented by the manufacturer, predicting system requirements (flow, pressure etc.) over the full range of system operating conditions can be a significant challenge. As well, plant modifications, changes to the operating profile and the gradual accumulation of solids and corrosion products inside pipes can cause significant changes to system characteristics over time.
On Site Testing KSB’s SES (System Efficiency Services) is a specialized service based around in-service data collection and analysis. System parameters such as pressure, flow rate and fluid temperature are monitored at multiple locations around the piping system. The pumps themselves are monitored to determine vibration levels, power consumption and rotation speed under various operating conditions. Data is logged over a period of time so that the information reflects a full range of operating conditions. Armed with this information, an experienced technician can compare a pump’s design performance characteristics to the actual conditions under which it is required to operate. Long-term data logging can also reveal trends that indicate gradual deterioration of equipment or facilities. The combination of in-service system performance data and KBS’s expert knowledge makes it possible to diagnose problems and find solutions that will improve efficiency, lower maintenance costs and reduce downtime. Quantitative data from on-site measurements can also be used to build a business case for system upgrades. Case Study: Wastewater pumping station The operators of a wastewater treatment plant found that several submersible pumps in an inlet tank were suffering from extreme vibration and premature failure. An SES investigation discovered that the most severe vibrations occurred when water levels in the tank were relatively low and the pumps were drawing in a mix of water and air. A curtain wall was installed around the pumps so that the water near the pump intakes was calmer and contained less entrained air. Replacement pumps were also right-sized for the application, resulting in improved pump efficiency. The savings in maintenance and energy costs paid for the new equipment within two years. Case Study: Cooling water circuit of a chemical plant In this case, an SES investigation discovered that the pumps powering a cooling water circuit in a large chemical plant were over-sized for normal operations. In an emergency, the cooling system could be called upon to deliver up to 400 cubic metres of water per hour for firefighting. However, 300 m3/h would meet normal operating requirements. The recommended solution involved replacement of the existing pumps and the installation of variable speed drives so that the flow capacity of the pumps could be varied to meet the full range of requirements. Here, the cost of the improvements was recovered in less than two years through lower energy bills. Article by Gary Zeidler, National Service Manager, KSB Pumps Inc. KSB provides sales and service for pumps for the industrial, municipal, energy, mining, agricultural and building services sectors. KSB Pumps is located at 5205 Tomken Road, Mississauga, Ontario, L4W 3N8, Tel: 905 568-9200. www.ksb.ca 84
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15-10-02 2:15 PM
Specifier’s Literature Review DESTINATION ORLANDO 2016: AHR EXPO - THE WORLD'S LARGEST HVACR MARKETPLACE
The AHR Expo brings the entire HVACR industry together under one roof to see the latest products and technology, learn about the innovations and trends that are shaping the future, and do business face to face. Returning to Orlando for the first time in six years, the AHR Expo is by far the largest HVACR event in the world. SUPPLIER: AHR EXPO
IP VIDEO PRODUCT OVERVIEW
Bosch Security Systems’ approach to IP video is based on three pillars. First, it provides the highest quality of relevant IP video images anytime, anywhere. Second, it guarantees the most efficient bitrates and lowest storage requirements. And third, it delivers superior intelligence and analytics at the edge. This guide provides details on key technologies and specifications for all products. Learn more at www.boschsecurity.com/hdsecurity SUPPLIER: BOSCH SECURITY SYSTEMS
STOP WATER INFILTRATION IN ONE SIMPLE STEP WITH DENSO
Road erosion, premature concrete failure or water ingress into wastewater systems? Denso’s 12” LT tape has been proven for nearly a century to block water from accessing assets. It won’t harden or crack and is the perfect solution for degrading concrete and persistent water infiltration. Applied in minutes, requiring minimal surface preparation, no product mixing and no curing, it can be buried immediately. Contact Stuart at Denso for more information or demonstration. T: 416-291-3435 F: 416-291-0898 Email: stuart@densona-ca.com Website: www.densona.com SUPPLIER: DENSO NORTH AMERICA INC.
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INTRODUCING ACO STORMBRIXX
ACO Stormbrixx is a unique and patented plastic geocellular stormwater management system. Designed for surface water infiltration and storage, its versatility allows it to be used in applications as a standalone solution or as part of an integrated sustainable urban drainage scheme. Its ingenious brickbonding and crossbonding feature delivers greater structural integrity – increasing reliability. Visit: http://www.acostormbrixx.us/ Contact: 1-877-226-4255. SUPPLIER: ACO SYSTEMS LTD.
BEHLEN COMBINES FUNCTION WITH VISUAL APPEAL
BEHLEN Industries’ Frameless building system uses engineered steel panels, roofing, and other steel components for a durable, longlasting performance and quick, easy construction. The Frameless system delivers spacious facilities with no structural columns and clear, unobstructed space up to 328’. Its lightweight structural components allow the buildings to be more energy efficient than traditional buildings with unobstructed interiors improving airflow and aiding the energy performance of HVAC systems. www.behlen.ca SUPPLIER: BEHLEN
THE CANADIAN COUNCIL OF INDEPENDENT LABORATORIES
CCIL represents the independent, private-sector testing industry in Canada. The more than 330 member facilities across the country play a vital role in ensuring the quality and safety of roads, buildings, manufactured goods, crops, food, air, water, soil and more. Because CCIL members are independent, they are able to conduct investigations and render reports objectively and without bias. This independence is fundamental to ensuring the highest level of confidence in the results. Find a CCILmember laboratory near you. Go to www.ccil. com or call us at 613-746-3919. SUPPLIER: CCIL
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
15-10-02 7:52 AM
NEW PUMPS CAN CUT ENERGY COSTS BY UP TO 80%
A Grundfos pump system refurbishment can deliver fantastic savings and performance improvements in older buildings – even without changes to the building envelope or piping. Learn more at www.thinkingbuildings.ca/ grundfoscrew SUPPLIER: GRUNDFOS
SERVICE BROCHURE FROM KSB
KSB Canada offers a comprehensive range of services for industrial pumps and valves from all manufacturers. These include hands-on training and support services for installation and maintenance activities at the customer’s location, plus repair/overhaul services performed on-site or in KSB’s fully equipped Mississauga facility. The company’s worldwide support network can help source outof-production or hard-to-find components 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
LG MULTI V IV 575V: COMMITTED TO THE CANADIAN MARKET. Once again, LG raises the bar for the HVAC industry with the introduction of Canada’s first 575V Air-Cooled VRF and low ambient solutions. With the elimination of transformers and smaller wiring, stakeholders can expect easier installation and considerable initial and operational cost savings. For more information, please visit www.LGVRF.ca or call 1-888-824-6211. SUPPLIER: LG ELECTRONICS CANADA
BENEFIT FROM YOUR FINANCIAL SECURITY PROGRAM
Sponsored by Engineers Canada, this program is designed for professional engineers, geoscientists and their families across Canada. We offer access to group retirement and savings plans at generally lower than market retail fees and provide personal, professional service. Get more information about the benefits of this program at www.engineerscanadafsp.grsaccess.com or call 1-800-724-3402. SUPPLIER: Great-West Life
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IECS PROVIDES THE WORLD'S MOST ADVANCED FORM OF HARD ARMOURED EROSION PROTECTION
Resolving or preventing environmental erosion issues - Cable Concrete® is the first choice of engineers, planners, conservation authorities, communities, municipalities and general contractors. IECS is seen as the leader in providing successful, sustainable erosion solutions to protect the environment and by extension, likely protect physical, human, livestock and wild life assets. 1-800-821-7462 | www.iecs.com SUPPLIER: IECS
KRYSTOL TECHNOLOGY: THE DURABLE WATERPROOFING SOLUTION
Kryton International Inc. is the inventor of the crystalline waterproofing admixture and has been waterproofing concrete structures with its proprietary Krystol technology since 1973. Kryton’s innovative technology leads the way for the construction of more durable, resilient and sustainable concrete structures. Kryton manufactures and exports its products to more than 50 countries globally. To learn more, visit www.kryton.com or call 800.267.8280 SUPPLIER: KRYTON INTERNATIONAL INC.
NOT ALL FABRIC STRUCTURES ARE ALIKE.
Let’s start with the strength and agility of fabric and a rigid steel frame. Add the ability to compress a construction schedule plus complete customization and the result maximizes your business investment for years to come. The Legacy Advantage: Full construction, concept to completion project management. Rapid installation up to 3X faster than conventional. Relocatable; construct as permanent then move if required. Seeing is believing! Watch a drone fly-through video today or call for an online demo. Visit www.legacybuildingsolutions.com SUPPLIER: LEGACY BUILDING SOLUTIONS
WEG E-CATALOG MOBILE APP
This application will allow WEG Electric Motor customers in NEMA markets to search an electronic catalog for motors and produce data sheets and technical drawings. The application will also allow the user to download or email PDF data sheets and drawings. The app is available for iOS, Blackberry, Android. Go to www.pamensky.com/downloads SUPPLIER: V.J. PAMENSKY
15-10-02 7:52 AM
NEW IN THE RITTAL TECHNOLOGY LIBRARY
MACH-PROAIR™: ENERGY CONSCIOUS, VERSATILE VAV
As Industrial infrastructure changes, the basic “Enclosures” does as well. The aim becomes to modernize the “Old Grey Box” into a scalable, modular & efficient Industrial enclosure solution. Rittal’s “Technical Aspects of Enclosures” guide aims to help you develop your Industrial Enclosure solution to ideally match your application requirement.
Engineered to exceed the specifications for a wide variety of Variable Air Volume (VAV) applications, the Reliable Controls® MACH-ProAir™ is a fully programmable BACnet Building Controller (B-BC) with numerous downloadable standard codes and flexible I/O options, all priced to meet a modest budget, as it continues the Reliable Controls® tradition of intrinsic simplicity, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. www.reliablecontrols.com/products/ controllers/MPA SUPPLIER: RELIABLE CONTROLS CORPORATION
Marketing@rittal.ca Tel: 1-800-399-0748 www.rittal.ca SUPPLIER: RITTAL SYSTEMS LTD.
SIMPSON STRONG-TIE OFFERS IN-PLACE REPAIR SOLUTION
UPONOR HYDRONIC DISTRIBUTION PIPING SYSTEMS PRODUCT GUIDE
The Simpson Strong-Tie® FX-70® Structural Repair and Protection System is an innovative solution for severe structural damage of concrete, steel and wood piles commonly found in marine environments. This system makes in-place repair of damaged piles possible and practical. By eliminating the need to dewater the repair site or take the structure out of service, FX-70 dramatically reduces the overall cost of restoring the damaged structure. For more information, visit http://www.strongtie.com/rps SUPPLIER: SIMPSON STRONG-TIE
With more than 40 years of proven performance, Uponor Wirsbo hePEX™ is the durable, cost-effective solution for transporting water to terminal units such as chilled beams and fan coil units. This full-color, 8-page brochure offers a comprehensive overview of product details, codes and standards, system applications and installation methods for hydronic distribution piping systems featuring Wirsbo hePEX pipe. To learn more, visit www.uponorpro.com. SUPPLIER: UPONOR
ELIMINATE FUSING WITH THE NEW VICTAULIC COUPLING FOR HDPE
CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER 2016 MEDIA KIT
The new Refuse-to-Fuse™ Victaulic Style 905 coupling is specifically designed to quickly join 2"- 6" high density - polyethylene (HDPE) pipe ranging from SRD 7-17 and eliminates the need for fusing. 10 times faster than traditional fusing, the Style 905 can be used on buried services. The coupling meets or exceeds the rating of the pipe. Exceeds bend capabilities specified in PPI (Plastic Pipe Institute) by a factor of 2X. To learn more, visit Victaulic.com and download PB-905: http://static.victaulic.com/assets/ uploads/literature/PB-905.pdf or contact viccanada@victaulic.com with any questions. SUPPLIER: VICTAULIC
Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine provides high quality editorial coverage of the most pertinent and timely issues that affect engineers across Canada. The magazine reaches the consulting engineers who make the critical decisions on building and construction projects. This is exactly the audience you need to reach. Advertise your product or service with us. Be seen and be specified! To order your 2016 media kit, please send along your request to Maureen Levy at (416) 510-5111, email: mlevy@ccemag.com or visit www.canadianconsultingengineer.com
products STRUCTURES
WASTEWATER
COMPUTERS
CINTEC International has developed a new type of dissipative wall anchor for protecting heritage buildings in earthquake-prone regions. The new anchor contains a sliding mechanism that allows the wall small amounts of movement and repairable drift. www.cintec.com
The SL Submersible Wastewater Pumps from Grundfos handle raw, unscreened sewage, effluent, large volumes of surface water and process water in municipal, utility and industrial applications. The series ranges from 1.5 to 15 horsepower and has two types of impeller: the SLV/SuperVortex Impeller and the SL1/S Tube Impeller. https://us.grundfos.com
Xplore Technologies has launched the XSLATE B10, a lightweight rugged tablet PC that can be used in harsh environments. It has a set of eight ports, four sealed from behind, and an IP65 rating. Its Intel Core i5 CPU can be upgraded to i7 vPro CPU to provide top speeds. Xplore acquired Motion Computing earlier this year. www.xploretech.com
October/November 2015
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up front
continued from page 8 MAILBOX
Company names: to acronym or not? As a career employee of ConestogaRovers & Assoc. (CRA), I am responding to the article, “Why are engineering firms blurring their names?” (CCE August-September, p. 4). While it is correct that CRA has become part of GHD, it is not correct to say we have also become more depersonalized or commoditized. The merger with GHD (and it was a true merger, not a traditional acquisition) has resulted in a firm with 4,000 employees and 165 principals in North America. Each of our principals runs a portion of our overall business and works directly with our clients. The merger actually allows us to realize the goals of the founders of CRA to become a full service, privately owned, global engineering
consulting firm offering a wider range of services to our clients and better career opportunities for our staff. It has also allowed us to expand the ownership of the firm to almost 25% of our staff. All of the active principals in the old CRA have remained with the new company and they remain active with our clients and with our staff. As CRA’s founder Frank Rovers said when the merger was announced, the firm is not about the letters on the building or on your shirt, it’s about the people, and those people are still here working with our clients. Ian K. Richardson, P.Eng, P.E. GHD, Kitchener, Ont. I would like to commend you on your excellent editorial in the August/September issue (Why are engineering firms blurring their names? p. 4). I have over the past few
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HVAC
A new family of multi-stage water pumps to provide pressure boosts in building HVAC systems, irrigation and light industrial applications has been launched by KSB. The compact Comeo pumps have an intake nozzle oriented along the pump’s axis. They deliver heads up to 79.5 m and flow rates of up to 10.8 m3/h. www.ksb.ca Navien has introduced the NPE-150S condensing tankless water heater. Ideal for small residences or to cascade, the smaller size standard version tanks have an efficiency of 0.97 EF and a heating capacity of 18,000 to 120,000 BTU/H. They will produce 5.3 GPM at 45 degree temperature rise. www.navien.com Manufacturers of ultraviolet-C equipment for HVACR systems UV Resources have a revamped website with educational resources. The company also has a free mobile App to help engineers size and source its fixtures. www.uvresources.com 88
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CCE OctNov15 p06-10,88 UpFront.indd 88
months been pondering these name changes and the anonymity that the big engineering companies seem to like to hide behind. I think in one case the name change was a tactical move in order to “clean the slate.” The old name had become tainted by shady practice, an acquisition was made (one of many) and the company decided to take on part of the name of this new acquisition and — voila! — it looked new and shiny. I also enjoyed “The Path to Leadership” in the same issue (p. 32). Chris Newcomb eloquently conveyed some very wise words about leadership. I hope the article is read by many engineers, young and old, because — unlike so much else being said about leadership these days — Chris really gets to the core values. Henning F. Rasmussen, P.Eng. Gibsons, B.C.
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For information on placing an advertisement in the Canadian Consulting Engineer Professional Directory, contact Maureen Levy, Senior Publisher, 416-510-5111, email: mlevy@ccemag.com, or Vince Naccarato, Sales Manager, 416-510-5118, email: vnaccarato@ccemag.com
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Canadian Consulting Engineer
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business
By Carl Friesen
Newsjacking and Trendspotting
W
hen it comes to acquiring new business, many engineering firms are hearing the message, “You have to show your expertise through publishing content. So “Blog! Tweet! Publish articles in the publications your clients read!” But what do you talk about in this published “content”? It’s best to select topics that are pressing on your clients — or better yet, on organizations you want to have as clients. The idea is that by showing potential clients that you understand their reality, you are showing that the work your firm does will suit their needs. There are two main ways to find content for articles — through “newsjacking” and “trendspotting.” These are terms borrowed from the world of content marketing, which involves developing articles that are offered freely, and without a sales pitch, to demonstrate the author’s expertise. This way, the author becomes a trusted source of insight and information — and eventually, a trusted service provider. With newsjacking you show that your firm is up to date on the issues that affect the client’s market. The news might involve a regulatory change, perhaps new federal, provincial or territorial regulations on anything from indoor air quality standards to asbestos management. It could also be a non-government change, such as a new ISO or ASHRAE standard. Whatever the topic, it must be one that will have a significant affect on your clients and prospects. Your article should start by describing the news event, and then describe what it means for people in the market. Then, give your informed opinion on how the change will play out in the near and longer term. Finally, give your recommendations on how to either avoid a problem as a result of the change, or how to gain a benefit. Trendspotting shows your firm understands the big picture. Sometimes, there’s no sudden news event — just a gradual trend — and one day your clients realize that part 90
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CCE OctNov15 p89-92 NewsIndexBusiness.indd 90
of their world has changed. For example, in many jurisdictions there has been a gradual reduction in allowable emissions for hazardous substances such as arsenic and mercury. Companies may find that their production facility that met emissions requirements a few years ago, can no longer be used unless it has expensive upgrades. Trendspotting content should be about a change that is outside your client’s usual information-gathering areas. So, think of trends that might blind-side your clients unless they take preventive action, hopefully by commissioning your firm. Trendsetting content starts by describing the trend, perhaps offering statistical evidence of its reality: “Ten years ago annual average daily traffic along this highway was 45,000 vehicles. Now, it’s twice that.” Like newsjacking, trendspotting content should give the author’s informed opinion on how the situation will develop, and make recommendations for avoiding problems or reaping benefits. In developing your content, think of how it will be found online. Think of the search terms, including the long, multi-word terms many people use today, and be sure to include those terms, particularly in the headlines. Many engineers naturally think “text” when they consider ways to develop content. However, electronic media are increasingly easy to use, including video shot with a standard consumer camera. Videos can be easily edited through programs such as iMovie, and then posted to YouTube. Because creating content can be time-consuming, it is important that the work be done by the right person. Busy senior professionals can assign junior staff or a marketing person or freelancer to ghost-write the content based on CCE an interview with a knowledgeable senior person. Carl Friesen is a freelance writer based in Toronto.
©Fakhri-sa/Getty Images/Thinkstock
Advice on how consulting engineers can borrow the latest marketing techniques to develop strong relations with clients.
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