Canadian Consulting Engineer August/September 2020

For professional engineers in private practice

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2020

FUTUREPROOFING

STORMWATER MANAGEMENT Adapting to Climate Change

COVID-19 and Elevators Mining: Preventing Tailings Dam Failures LRT Station Design

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the ART of Building Sustainability TECHNOLOGY

THAT SUPPORTS REAL-TIME

USING EXISTING NETWORK

FDD ARCHITECTURES. Does your IoT vendor offer real-time fault detection and diagnostics without third-party involvement?

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Y

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MY

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In addition to a high level of integration between HVAC, lighting, and security systems, sustainability demands other technological and supporting elements that will endure over the long term. At Reliable Controls, we provide nine important elements to help you create true building sustainability—now and into the future. One of these elements demands the use of technology that integrates real-time fault detection and diagnostics into existing network infrastructure. Reliable Controls integrates real-time fault detection and diagnostics capabilities into its products, helping you to avoid the costs and delays assoicated with third-party reporting. Using existing infrastructure, our live fault-reporting technology empowers building operators to diagnose and resolve issues as they happen—so your facilities run smoothly and efficiently.

To learn more about the art of building sustainability please visit reliablecontrols.com/TABS9CCE20

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contents August/September 2020 Volume 61, No. 5

Cover photo courtesy DSV Global Transport and Logistics See page 20

See page 16

features Vertical Transportation: Elevated Risk Safety has always been a key consideration for elevator engineering, but now the pandemic has added a new dimension—can large groups of people be moved efficiently within high-rise buildings while mitigating the risk of infection?

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Mining: Preventing Tailings Dam Failures In the wake of increasing numbers of tailings dam failures, including the 2014 collapse at British Columbia’s Mount Polley copper and gold mine, the industry is now getting ready for a new safety standard.

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Building the Finch West LRT Arup and partners in the Mosaic Transit Group joint venture (JV) recently broke ground on Toronto’s Finch West light-rail transit (LRT) line, specifying a modular ‘kit of parts’ for ease of construction and maintenance from station to station.

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departments Comment

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Up Front

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ACEC Review

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Products 22

Next issue: All the winners of the 2020 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards!

on topic BUSINESS

CONVERSATION

One of the best ways for engineers to get their firms noticed by potential clients is by producing ‘thought leadership’ content and ensuring it appears where the ideal audience is already looking.

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Nick Mocan, P.Eng., newly promoted to president of C.F. Crozier & Associates, discusses why research is needed to improve the performance of stormwater management (SWM) ponds. 20

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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

Peter Saunders (416) 510-5119 psaunders@ccemag.com

Preparing for a second wave

Senior Publisher

Maureen Levy (416) 510-5111 mlevy@ccemag.com Media Designer

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he first wave of COVID-19 hit Canada hard. We took dramatic measures in response, but had little idea of what we were dealing with and how it would play out, particularly with regard to the terrible extent of the disease’s impact in long-term care homes.

Now, with half a year of the pandemic behind us, engineers are playing a role in detecting and mitigating a second wave. The importance of this role has been highlighted by the lessons of history; notably, the second wave of the so-called Spanish flu was much deadlier than the first.

Cole Engineering Group, for example, is contributing $30,000 to a project that aims to detect a second wave by collecting and testing untreated sewage samples from water pollution control plants. Researchers with Ontario Tech University are working with Durham Region’s health and works departments to check the samples for traces of the novel coronavirus and develop a model for predicting cases and identifying new hot spots. In turn, the health department will determine appropriate steps to prevent or limit further infection.

The development of early detection tools for wastewater could indicate the severity of infection in a community, based on viral DNA, pharmaceutical and metabolite indicators and symptom-related biomarkers. The project’s sampling protocol and models will also be made available for use by other communities across Canada.

RWDI, meanwhile, has teamed up with biotechnology organization PurityIQ to launch Songbird Life Science, a new venture set up to provide COVID19 testing and health protection services for shared spaces, as Canadian businesses cautiously reopen. Combining the first company’s knowledge of ventilation, air flow and pathogen spread in building design with the second company’s rapid testing technology, the business offers a mix of diagnostics, containment, layout plans and air quality monitoring, with air testing currently in the R&D phase.

Similarly, as scientific evidence increasingly suggests the virus is airborne, Pinchin has partnered with wireless Internet of Things (IoT) system supplier Eleven-x to offer monitoring of carbon dioxide (CO2), temperature and humidity for indoor environments to help business owners conduct building risk assessments as part of the reopening process.

“Real-time monitoring is now more important than ever,” says Jeff Grossi, Pinchin’s CEO. “We are excited to be able to help in offices and buildings.”

The initiative follows research from ASHRAE that links a lack of adequate ventilation (of which CO2 levels are proven indicators) with increased risk of airborne transmission of COVID-19.

Research also suggests keeping humidity levels between 40% and 60% reduces transmission. At ASHRAE’s recent virtual conference, concerns were raised about increased danger during a cold, dry Canadian winter. Stay tuned for solutions …

Peter Saunders

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Andrea M. Smith Contributing Editor

Rosalind Cairncross, P.Eng. Editorial Advisors

Bruce Bodden, 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 Manager

Shawn Arul (416) 510-5181 sarul@annexbusinessmedia.com Account Co-ordinator

Cheryl Fisher (416) 510-5194 cfisher@annexbusinessmedia.com COO

Scott Jamieson sjamieson@annexbusinessmedia.com CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER

is published 7 times per year

by Annex Business Media 111 Gordon Baker Road, Suite 400, Toronto, ON M2H 3R1 Tel: (416) 442-5600 Fax: (416) 510-6875 or (416) 442-2191 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.

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up front

Three new principals have joined the Smith + Andersen partnership: Dugan Doherty, P.Eng., in Vancouver; Ian Grannary, P.Eng., in Kelowna, B.C.; and Brad Tilson, Bertha Lai P.Eng., in London, Ont. The firm has also appointed three new associate principals in Toronto—Bertha Lai, P.Eng., Marc Hubert, P.Eng., and Simon Graham, P.Eng.—and one new associate, Raed El-Khatib, P.Eng., in London.

HDR

Ron Birkelbach has joined HDR as vice-president (VP) of its advanced train control systems practice, both throughout North America and around the world.

He will work with clients and Ron Birkelbach multidisciplinary teams to support the development and management of rail system projects, including Toronto’s new Ontario Line subway.

CEO

Michelle West recently joined Consulting Engineers of Ontario (CEO) as director of marketing and communications (marcom).

She has nearly 20 years’ progressive experience in nonprofit and business-to-business (B2B) environments across a variety of industries.

Image courtesy CaGBC

Smith + Andersen

CaGBC encourages zero-carbon building ‘upskilling’ for engineers A new Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) report highlight gaps in ‘zero-carbon’ training for engineers and other professionals working in the building industry.

Titled Accelerating to Zero: Upskilling for Engineers, Architects and Renewable Energy Specialists, the study establishes an industry baseline for skills and knowledge for delivering zero-carbon buildings at scale, defining both core competencies and sub-competencies.

It offers consideration for education and training providers, accreditation and professional bodies and policy decision-makers.

Following the federal government’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% below 2005 levels and intention to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, CaGBC highlights recent signals indicating COVID-19 spending may support related climate initiatives, suggesting demand for zero-carbon building practices.

“Transitioning to zero-carbon buildings requires a shift in thinking across the sector,” says Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of CaGBC, whose own zero-carbon standard requires project teams to collaborate from design through completion and operation.

New Fast + Epp HQ to use ‘groundbreaking’ seismic tech Superstructure erection has been completed for structural engineering firm Fast + Epp’s new mass-timber hybrid home office in Vancouver, using Tectonus seismic technology for the first time in North America.

The four-storey superstructure, located near the intersection of 7th Avenue and Yukon Street, was erected in four weeks using cross-laminated timber (CLT) floor and wall panels, glued laminated timber (glulam) beams and steel posts. Exterior wall panels, including a firewall at the property line, have been pre-clad with membrane and insulation.

Tectonus connectors have been installed at the base of the CLT shear walls to act as shock absorbers, ‘snapping’ the building back into position without damage after a significant earthquake and allowing for an immediate return to occupancy. They will be left uncovered as part of the building’s design esthetic, along with exposed timber as the interior finish.

An electro-chromatic glazing system will be used on the north, south, and west elevations. This will allow window tint levels to be automated or remotely adjusted to accommodate natural daylight, so as to reduce energy costs and optimize comfort.

Meanwhile, Fast + Epp is using accelerometer testing to assess the vibration performance of the building’s floor system, comprising 105mm thick CLT panels with a 50-mm concrete topping.

The firm designed the building in

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

Photo courtesy Michael Elkan Photography

To access a summary or the full report, visit www.cagbc.org/upskill.

PEOPLE

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up front

and a heat pump. We will also be adding a green roof.”

It took three weeks to print the house, which will be open to visitors by appointment starting in September. In the future, Kamp C predicts, an entire house could be printed in less than two days.

World first: 3-D printing a two-storey house in one piece Kamp C, a centre for construction sustainability and innovation in Westerlo, Belgium, produced on its premises what it says is the world’s first house to be 3-D printed in one piece.

The 90-m2 model dwelling was created using a modular COBOD 3-D concrete construction printer, the largest of its kind in Europe. The 8-m tall, two-storey house is the average size of a terraced house in the municipality (located within the province of Antwerp and the region of Flanders).

“What makes this house unique is we printed it with a fixed 3-D concrete printer,” explains Emiel Ascione, project manager. “Other 3-D printed houses around the world only have one floor and, in many cases, their components were printed in a factory and then assembled on-site. We printed the entire building envelope in one piece on-site.”

The house’s material provides compressive strength that is reportedly three times sturdier than a house constructed conventionally with quick-build bricks, so the amount of wire-mesh reinforcement is minimal and formwork is redundant.

“We also eliminated cold thermal bridges altogether,” says Ascione. “We developed a low-energy house with all the modern conveniences, including floor and ceiling heating, solar panels 6

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COMPANIES

WSP, Altus Group spin off Geoverra

Photo courtesy CIB

Photo © Kamp C and Jasmien Smets

collaboration with F2A Architect and HCMA Architecture + Design and expects to move there later this year.

Calgary-Banff commuter rail service to be studied The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in partnership with Alberta’s ministry of transportation to study and conduct due diligence for a 130-km Calgary-Banff passenger rail service project.

The vision is for six stops—Calgary International Airport, Downtown Calgary, Cochrane, Morley, Canmore and Banff National Park—along a dedicated line built within an existing Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway corridor. The service could combine (a) up to eight departures per day from the airport to Banff and (b) an express service from the airport to downtown Calgary every 20 minutes.

Alberta’s government intends to structure the project as a public-private partnership (P3).

The project could increase pedestrian-friendly tourism in Banff and labour mobility, including greater employment opportunities for residents of First Nations communities, while reducing congestion and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions along the travel corridor. The MOU confirms the partnership will review estimated costs and revenues, explore financing options and assess environmental, social and economic benefits prior to any CIB investment decision.

Following the close of a transaction between WSP Global and Altus Group, Canada’s newest surveying and geomatics firm—Edmonton-headquartered Geoverra—has opened its doors for business. As part of the transaction, WSP and Altus carved out their geomatics teams to form the new firm, which will provide land surveying, mapping and geospatial technology to a variety of industries, with offices in 29 cities across Western Canada and Ontario.

CRB comes to Canada

CRB has opened an office in Mississauga, Ont., marking its first entry in the Canadian market.

The firm, which has 18 other locations across North America and Europe, specializes in integrated project delivery (IPD) for clients in the life sciences and advanced technology markets, from architecture, engineering development and design to construction and commissioning.

NEA joins GHD

Niblett Environmental Associates (NEA), a biological consultancy based in Lindsay, Ont., has joined GHD. NEA’s 10-person team, led by president and senior biologist Chris Ellingwood, has provided expertise in the fields of terrestrial, aquatic and wetland ecology throughout Central and Eastern Ontario, including part of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), since 1985.

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ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW

CHAIR’S MESSAGE

ACEC advises government on COVID-19 response and recovery plan

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ince the COVID-19 crisis began to impact Canadian society and business, the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies - Canada (ACEC) has worked diligently to support the consulting engineering sector through these unprecedented events.

And while jurisdictions across Canada begin to re-open services and industries, ACEC has been advocating on behalf of consulting engineering firms on how our sector can respond to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and collaborate with government in developing strong recovery measures.

ACEC continues to communicate with leadership within the federal government and with key stakeholder partners.

ACEC has written the Prime Minister and several key cabinet ministers with specific recommendations as to how the consulting engineering sector can retain its capacity in order to help the government mitigate the current crisis and support the post-crisis recovery.

Our interaction with the federal government also includes direct engagement with senior policy staff and senior departmental officials as well as outreach to the Chairs of the Standing Committee on Finance and Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology.

ACEC has pointed out that an evaluation of the effectiveness of stimulus during the 2009 recession by the Conference Board of Canada concluded that every $1.00 invested in infrastructure yielded $1.20 in GDP. Therefore, to facilitate recovery, ACEC has continued to advocate for government to accelerate timelines and re-profile infrastructure investments from the backend of existing programming to the next two or three years to create a more even distribution of investments over the remainder of the program. ACEC has also stressed the importance of consulting engineering firms being able to retain their expertise and capacity in the weeks and months ahead so that they can contribute to the recovery.

Construction Industry Roundtable ACEC was invited to and participated in the inaugural Construction Industry Roundtable created in response to the COVID-19 crisis convened by the federal government and hosted by the Parliamentary Secretary to Public Services

and Procurement Canada (PSPC).

The creation of this stakeholder roundtable is consistent with one of the key recommendations ACEC made to the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities in a letter dated April 16, 2020. The roundtable includes stakeholder groups in the infrastructure and construction industry, such as ACEC, the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) and the Canadian Council for Public Private Partnerships (CCPPP), as well as various labour and construction organizations. Senior representatives, including senior civil servants, elected officials and political staff from PSPC, Infrastructure Canada, and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) also participated.

The roundtable provides an opportunity for open discussion and dialogue on potential ways forward for the construction industry during and after the COVID-19 crisis and allowed supporting industry organizations to provide clarity and certainty on how sectors like ours are ready and able to support major infrastructure projects. ACEC has stressed that the effectiveness of infrastructure investments depends on a robust and sustained project pipeline.

This would allow all the project partners including owners, designers and constructors as well as the labour and supply chains to retain expertise and capacity and allocate their resources effectively.

This opportunity establishes ACEC as an important stakeholder to the government as it starts its planning for economic recovery in the aftermath of COVID-19. The Parliamentary Secretaries and senior government officials have been very receptive to the points raised by industry participants and welcomed the opportunity for further dialogue in the near future through ongoing meetings and discussions. ACEC believes this will be an important forum moving forward and is pleased to be at the table to ensure the voice of the consulting engineering sector is heard and considered.

Recognizing problems and opportunities and then providing solutions is essentially the core business of the consulting engineering sector. We can be an important part of the solution to these unprecedented challenges that we all face.

LAWRENCE LUKEY, P.ENG. CHAIR, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, ACEC–CANADA

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IN DISCUSSION with I

n Discussion with ACEC is a series of informal conversations between ACEC-Canada, government decision makers and business leaders. This edition features Mary Van Buren, President of the Canadian Construction Association (CCA).

Representing more than 20,000 member firms drawn from 63 local and provincial integrated partner associations, CCA gives voice to the public policy, legal and standards development goals of contractors, suppliers and allied business professionals working in, or with, Canada’s heavy civil, institutional, commercial and industrial construction industry.

CCA along with ACEC and other stakeholders are part of a Construction Industry Roundtable convened by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 crisis.

What would you like to see come out of this roundtable – both in the short-term and in the longer-term?

The Construction Industry Roundtable is a welcome forum for all sectors and stakeholders in the industry to share information and discuss solutions to issues arising from the COVID-19 crisis. The roundtable demonstrates the government’s leadership in partnering with industry experts, recognizing the critical role infrastructure plays in the economic and social well-being of Canadians.

Although construction was deemed an "essential" activity in most provinces the industry was and continues to face particular challenges due to project and tendering stops and starts; shortages of material and workers; 8

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productivity losses and supply-chain problems. This is why we continue to advocate for government leadership in reimbursing costs for federal projects from the pandemic now, and not at the end of the contract.

This will ensure continued cash flow as the industry ramps up to deliver on delayed projects and new investments. Providing extensions of time and fair compensation for reasonable costs incurred, supported by sufficient documentation from the contractor, would alleviate some of the pressure on businesses, 70% of which are small, family-run businesses, already dealing with financial repercussions from the COVID-19 crisis.

In the near-term, our goal is to ensure there is economic stimulus in the form of infrastructure investment.

Our recommendation to the government is that this stimulus funding be coordinated, balanced and flexible.

We also firmly believe that construction should be a career of first choice and are seeking a partnership with the government to promote the wideranging opportunities available that will attract and retain a diverse workforce.

Longer-term, our objective is to collaborate with the federal government on a 25-year commitment to infrastructure investment and maintenance, supported by an innovation fund to drive sustainable solutions.

A long-term strategy will provide confidence to businesses to invest in apprentices and productivity improvements.

What do you believe is the key role of the design and construction sector during the COVID-19 recovery phase?

The construction industry employs 1.5 million Canadians and contributes 7% towards the gross domestic product (GDP). The construction industry demonstrated its ability to safely continue working – which was critical as many sectors were shut down. It will also be a key part of Canada’s economic recovery – creating jobs and helping to build and maintain important public services.

CCA has and continues to support the message that projects be tendered during the crisis and as we move into recovery. The economy cannot afford for construction to stall simply because governments put their tendering on pause. Projects often require detailed engineering, environmental review, permitting, or other work before shovels hit the ground.

This can take months; and any delays at the front end could mean that workers, including those in the engineering and design firms, as well as apprentices, may be laid off.

An area of opportunity is to work together on reducing red tape, in addition to the important collaboration we already have in updating and improving contracting and new project delivery models.

What can the government do now to best support our sectors to ensure we are able to retain our knowledge and

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Photo credit: iStock.com/Bohdan Skrypnyk

expertise so that we can play a role in mitigating the current crisis and supporting the postcrisis recovery?

To keep the country moving towards post-crisis recovery the government needs to remain laser-focused on getting tenders out, reducing red tape and working collaboratively with provinces, municipalities and Indigenous groups. This will increase confidence in the sector, allowing businesses throughout the design and construction supply chain to confidently rehire or grow their staff.

Similarly, investments in pre-construction services offered by engineering and architectural firms are also urgently required to ensure there will be a reliable and predictable pipeline of construction projects in the months and years ahead, that will strengthen the economy and improve our communities. Construction will inarguably be one of the most important sectors driving economic recovery, job creation and confidence in consumer spending.

The construction industry is ripe to employ workers who have been displaced from other industries hit by mass layoffs due to the pandemic.

Construction is also an industry with diverse career options in science, technology, engineering and math. There is a place for tomorrow’s workforce in the post-COVID world within the construction industry.

Both ACEC and CCA have made a number of recommendations

to the federal government, in some cases jointly. Is there any one recommendation that you feel should be the number one priority of the federal government?

The construction industry is ready and able to contribute to the recovery of the Canadian economy in a stronger way. Together with ACEC, we believe that an infrastructure stimulus package will generate immediate dividends to the economy and will contribute over the longer-term to ensuring Canada is globally competitive, and that we have an unparalleled quality of life and increased participation of under-represented groups in the economy. To achieve these positive outcomes, the stimulus must be coordinated, balanced and flexible.

In particular, federal departments need to work together with provinces and municipalities to eliminate red tape and make project money flow as quickly as possible to get people back to work. The Parliamentary Budget Officer estimated that there is still $2 billion on the table from the Investing in Canada Plan. This lower spending resulted in lower growth in GDP and job creation – and we can’t afford this right now. We need funds flowing.

The plan needs to be balanced, with projects for all sectors, regions and size of firms available over an 18-month period to minimize a boom and bust cycle. Flexibility is also needed in dealing with COVID-19 related project costs and delays. Companies remain concerned about how existing

Mary Van Buren

contracts will address project disruptions, increased costs and payment delays.

CCA was encouraged to hear news about the announced flexibility in the Investing in Canada Plan to help infrastructure projects move through the approval process more quickly. Both ACEC and CCA believe that increased investments in infrastructure and maintenance will lead to improved community benefits for all Canadians – through new employment opportunities, placement of apprentices as well as from the infrastructure itself – the roads we drive on, the clean water we drink, the schools where our children attend or the hospitals where we receive care, the ports that support our exports, and the maintenance of defence and legal institutions.

The construction and design sectors continue to demonstrate our ability to respond quickly, safely, collaboratively and effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic while delivering on projects for the federal government and all levels of governments, Indigenous communities and private projects. We remain jointly committed to helping our country rebuild its economy and improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

To view more of our In Discussion with ACEC series, please visit www.acec.ca/ indiscussion.

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ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW

A

Global Pandemic Provides a Unique Opportunity for Digital Transformation

By Marc St-Jacques, Vice President – Sales and Digital Transformation The engineering community in Canada has been continuously evolving over the course of the last 100 years or so.

During this period, the profession’s talents have been on full display as challenges arose such as the industrial revolution, pandemics and larger-than-life endeavours that still stand today. Ironically though, authentication methods and their related requirements have been slow to follow the pace of ingenuity.

Wet stamps and paper have been the prevailing method of authentication for firms and government agencies. However, despite the progress made with respect to electronic authentication standards for professional work products in the last decade, change management has been relatively anecdotal.

A slow start Engineering associations began updating their authentication standards in the early 2000s and, after 15 years, less than 15% of engineers are authenticating documents electronically. Even still, many municipalities and government agencies in the energy, transportation, infrastructure and environmental fields continue to require, for the most part, paper originals.

An accelerated pace Over the last few months, a record number of government agencies at the municipal, provincial and federal levels have undertaken efforts to accept digital records instead of paper. Deployments that were under evaluation in recent years got fast-tracked within just a few months. This was the case for a transportation agency, which transitioned from paper to digital in less than three months. This was previously unheard of and there are plenty of stories like this from coast to coast. Firms were able to deploy their staff to home-based offices in record time, and digital signatures were among the solutions provided.

As a member of this vibrant community, we can attest to the ingenuity of our industry and we are proud of the transition we are seeing. Although change is never easy, most agree that once you’ve “It is not the gone digital, you won’t go back to paper. strongest or the Even once we return to a new normal, whatever that looks like, many will likely see most intelligent how we can start digitally authenticating who will survive file formats beyond PDF.

but those who can best manage change.”

What’s next?

Where do we go from here in this brave new world? After the initial shock of this Charles Darwin extraordinary event, we will need to reevaluate our priorities. For engineering A game changer associations, this may mean providing clearer standards on Enter COVID-19. As we have all witnessed, the recent pan- digital authentication. For governments and clients, there demic has greatly reshaped the workflow of most firms (and will be a need for a digital road map, and for engineering firms, it may be to invest in certain technologies to reduce family life) as we transition to work-from-home environments. This paradigm shift is evident by the fact that, almost the overall operational cost of producing professional work instantly, engineers lost access to their plotters or even the products. What we know is that status quo is not an option.

Over the course of the last two decades, Notarius has had ability to send or receive documents easily.

Firms have a variety of reasons for going digital, includ- the opportunity to contribute to this digital future with all the key stakeholders. We look forward to continuing to serve ing security, quality, cost savings, productivity and the as a partner in bridging the gap between paper and electronic environment, but in the end, the loss of access to printers during the pandemic was the proverbial straw that broke authentication for years to come. the camel’s back.

The good news is that, in the face of the inevitable, For more information about digital authentication of professional work products, feel free to reach out to us by email, phone or even a engineering firms were quick to embrace technologies that can provide digitally signed documents which meet their letter, we will be happy to help you.

Visit us at https://notarius.com association’s professional standards.

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CCE_202

Canadian Consulting Engineering

Awards 2020 It’s time to celebrate all the award winners and partners for their project expertise

Virtual gala: October 29 7 pm ET Watch for the link

October/November issue closing: September 11, 2020 For advertising contact: Maureen Levy • mlevy@ccemag.com • Tel: 416-510-5111 For updates on the awards gala, visit: ccemag.com and acec.ca The awards are co-sponsored by

CCE_AugSept2020_AMS.indd 11 CCE_2020_AwardsAd_AugSep_AMS.indd 1

2020-08-13 8:10 9:53 AM 2020-08-12

vertical transportation

ELEVATED

RISK COVID-19 has made high-rise buildings difficult to navigate safely.

By Peter Saunders

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Image courtesy Thyssenkrupp Elevator

T

he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) In terms of preventing infection via surfaces, options recently shared a research letter, previewing an article include oversized foot-pedal buttons, which one of Soberto be published in the September 2020 edition of its man's clients has placed in an elevator for a mid-rise univerEmerging Infectious Diseases (EID) Journal, describing sity residence—while in taller buildings, card readers and how a single, asymptomatic carrier of COVID-19 generated smartphone apps can call elevators and direct them to an a cluster of at least 71 cases after returning from the U.S. individual’s chosen floor. to China’s Heilongjiang province in the spring. Referred “You can also have people press buttons with their to as ‘case-patient A0,’ she self-quarantined at home, but elbows or specify naturally antimicrobial copper buttons,” it is believed her downstairs neighbour, case-patient B1.1, he says. was infected via contact with surfaces in their apartment As for airborne particles, he says air-conditioning sysbuilding’s elevator, which they had used at different times. tems and higher-capacity exhaust for elevators could help.

The study highlights the risk of elevators as contagion “There are exhaust fans at the tops and vents on the vectors. While occupants can easily wear masks, distancing floors, but there could be more of them,” he says. “The from each other and avoiding touching surfaces are much biggest exchange of air is when the doors open. The best more difficult in the normal context of vertical transportation systems.

“We can design elevators to carry only two people per trip, but then you’re going to need a lot more of them in a high-rise building,” says Jonathan Soberman, P.Eng, who runs a Toronto-based vertical transportation consulting firm, Soberman Engineering. “Fewer people have been going into office buildings, but in residential highrises, they have no choice Guidelines have been publicized to help make elevator rides safer. except to take the risk.”

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vertical transportation

approach would be combining the air handling system with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration.”

Andrew Wells, senior vice-president (SVP) of Torontobased KJA Consultants, used to work for Soberman and has similarly tackled the question of how elevators can be made safer during the global pandemic. As he puts it, ‘best practice’ recommendations are subject to change as we learn more about the virus.

“Masking and distancing can help mitigate risk,” he says. “I understand that in Asia, Salesforce has introduced a ticket-booking system for elevators in its buildings. In big cities like Toronto, residential high-rise buildings could do that too to stagger use, giving priority to immunocompromised tenants.”

Wells has also researched disinfection by UV-C light.

This type of lamp is used for sterilization in health-care and food-production facilities, as its radiation damages viruses’ genetic material sufficiently to leave them inactive. It can also hurt people, so it is only used in isolation from them, but Wells spies such opportunities even for busy elevators.

“Working within the recommended guidelines, I’ve seen a ventilation fan at the top of the elevator incorporating a contained UV-C bulb to sterilize the air passing through it,” he says. “In addition, as buildings are getting cleaned more frequently, so are their elevators’ surfaces.”

As for avoiding pressing buttons, he adds, “technology is coming where proximity sensors will mean you won’t have to,” citing the security-driven example of One World Trade Center in New York, where swiping a card at a turnstile books a call and assigns an elevator to take the carrier to their destination.

“There will be long-term, significant changes,” says Wells. “Society can capitalize on lessons learned during this pandemic.”

Manufacturers have already responded. Thyssenkrupp Elevator, for one, launched a task force at the onset of the pandemic to consider both physical and digital technological measures.

On the physical side, the company has looked into handrail sanitizers, no-touch buttons (including the aforementioned foot pedals), HEPA filtration and UV-C air disinfection, including lamps that could operate overnight to clean the entire elevator cabin.

“There have been massive numbers of requests from our clients to adjust controls for our new and existing elevators to help their tenants get back to work,” explains Jon Clarine, head of digital services. “Many of these changes are digital, such as programming elevators to only load a certain number of people or support remote smartphone calls based on proximity and identification. We’ve updated our software for hundreds of buildings applying these changes.”

There is also the issue of maintenance, which should not be deferred if possible, but has been difficult for emptied buildings.

“We also launched our Internet of Things (IoT) platform, Max, in 2015,” says Clarine, “It connects elevators through the cloud and lets our customers manage maintenance remotely, meaning fewer people have to go into the building.”

Otis, another manufacturer, has seen a similar increase in interest from building managers and developers in technologies that can address concerns raised by COVID-19. On the physical side, the company’s elevator purification fan can use either an anion generator (i.e. air ionizer, which produces negative ions) to reduce airborne transmission or the aforementioned UV-C lamp to inactivate viruses.

On the digital side, Otis’ Compass destination-based dispatching system can limit the number of passengers assigned to an elevator cab, while its eCall app allows smartphone users to remotely call and direct their elevator to where they want to go. And like Thyssenkrupp, Otis offers an IoT service, dubbed ‘One,’ which along with remote monitoring is intended to improve elevator uptime and limit physical, on-site service visits.

“Trends we’ve seen among building owners are to work with tenants to stagger passenger arrival and departure times, install temperature checkpoints, use social distancing floor markers, limit elevator occupancy and install hand sanitizer stations through common areas of the building,” says Jordy McMillan, director of sales for Otis Canada. “We see COVID-19 accelerating demand for current digital technologies to promote social distancing. IoT, predictive maintenance, destination dispatching, touch-less, keycard readers and in-car communications are all relatively new developments that may become more common.”

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mining

PREVENTING

TAILINGS DAM FAILURES I

n the wake of several high-profile tailings dam failures— including the 2014 collapse at British Columbia’s Mount Polley copper and gold mine, the worst mining disaster in Canada’s history in environmental terms, and another in 2019 at Brazil’s Córrego do Feijão iron ore mine, which killed more than 250 people and destroyed a town—an international group recently published ‘Safety First: Guidelines for Responsible Mine Tailings Management.’

Released in June, the report was co-written by Ugo Lapointe and Jamie Kneen of Ottawa-based MiningWatch Canada and Jan Morrill and Payal Sampat of Earthworks in 14

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Washington, D.C., but represents the broader efforts of 142 scientists, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community groups from 24 countries.

The report offers a set of 16 guidelines for safer storage of these muddy or sandy mine wastes, as the facilities for this purpose have been failing more frequently, with more severe outcomes. Since 2010, there have been 71 known cases of tailings failures, which have led to 482 deaths and damaged more than 2,100 km of waterways.

“We’ve seen the disasters of Mount Polley Mine and other failures worldwide, now at an average of more than

Photo by Chris Blake, courtesy MiningWatch Canada

The mining industry is getting ready for a new safety standard.

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mining

22 every decade,” says Loretta Williams, founding member Simeon, campaigns director for Victoria-based Respecting of British Columbia’s First Nations Women Advocating Aboriginal Values and Environmental Needs (RAVEN). “To Responsible Mining (FNWARM). allow unsafe mining operations in or near Indigenous com“Protecting water and communities needs to become munities is a clear instance of environmental racism, which the primary consideration for deciding if a mine is to we should act swiftly to eradicate.” be permitted and how toxic waste will The report goes on to address the be managed,” says Gretchen Fitzgerald, independence of evaluations, consent national program director for the Sierra from affected communities, grievance The report Club Canada Foundation. procedures, emergency preparedness, Some of the guidelines are particupublic disclosure, financial risk and the calls for a ban larly pertinent to the consulting engiaccountability of boards of directors. on new tailings neering community. For example, in Its publication comes as the Global facilities immediately working toward the goal of zero harm Tailings Review (GTR), co-convened by to people and the environment, safety is UNEP, the International Council on upstream from indicated as the top guiding principle in Mining and Metals (ICMM) and the inhabited areas. design, construction, operation and cloPrinciples for Responsible Investment sure, echoing the 2017 United Nations (PRI), prepares to release a new stanEnvironment Programme (UNEP) dard for safer management of tailings Global Resource Information Database (GRID) Arendal storage facilities, which has been delayed by COVID-19. The special report on tailings storage, which in turn cited the report argues the draft of this standard, released in 2019, Mount Polley Independent Expert Engineering Investigadid not provide adequate protection for communities and tion and Review Panel. ecosystems, so the question now is what changes will be Further, if an operating company identifies any potential made between the draft and final version. Stay tuned. CCE loss of life as a result of a tailings dam failure, the report says the dam must be designed to withstand the most extreme credible meteorological and seismic events. It cites the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE’s) application of the strictest category of safety standards “to the design of dams capable of placing human life at risk or causing a catastrophe, should they fail. Structural designs will be such that the dam will safely pass an inflow design flood (IDF) computed from probable maximum precipitation (PMP) occurring over the watershed above the site.”

Again echoing the Mount Polley investigation and review, the report demands all new mine proposals begin with an analysis of the use of the best available technology (BAT), particularly filtering tailings prior to storage, for ease of eventual cleanup.

Detailed engineering evaluations of dam foundations and tailings’ physical and chemical properties—with special attention to clay content and potential for liquefaction— are called for prior to permitting, followed by monitoring and annual reporting to verify dam construction and operations adhere to the documented design.

Also at the regulatory level, the report calls for a ban on new tailings facilities immediately upstream from inhabited areas, a ban on upstream dams at new mines and the closure of all existing upstream facilities.

“Upstream dam construction is an inherently risky design and poses an unacceptable risk to the health and safety of communities downstream from these structures,” says Al Gedicks, executive secretary of the Wisconsin Resources Protection Council.

“Mining disasters disproportionately affect Indigenous communities, where operations are often located,” says Ana August/September 2020 CCE_Thurber_AugSept20.indd 1

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transportation

Building the

FINCH WEST

LRT

A major project gets underway during the pandemic’s reduced traffic.

By Peter Saunders

T

orontonians could be forgiven if they weren’t aware of the start of construction for their city’s newest lightrail transit (LRT) line. The project got rolling in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, when public health authorities encouraged them to stay at home as much as possible to help flatten the infection curve, rather than walking, taking transit or driving along the project’s Finch Avenue West route as in typical times. Even a rapid bridge replacement (RBR) component of the project, which forced the temporary closure of Highway 400, was not particularly disruptive and went relatively unnoticed.

“This project is categorized as essential, so there was never any pause on design and construction and we haven’t missed a beat,” says Simon Stephenson, associate principal for Arup, the consulting engineering firm serving as the project’s designer. “Permitting agencies worked hard to reconfigure themselves, our dispersed team connected via video calls and the supply chain was strong, in part because other construction projects were stalled.”

The 11-km, 18-stop, $2.5-billion Finch West LRT line in the city’s northwest corner will carry passengers from the Toronto Transit Commission’s (TTC’s) Finch West subway station, which opened in 2017 near the intersection of Finch and Keele Street, to Humber College’s north campus in Etobicoke, where a 90-degree turn southbound could 16

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The line’s eastern terminus will connect to the TTC subway system.

lead to a further extension running alongside Highway 27 at some point in the future.

“Finch West station was identified as a mobility hub,” explains Omid Nakhaei, another associate principal with Arup. “The LRT line will help encourage development, community and business investment around this node. At the other end, the line will provide a gateway to the Humber campus, 250 m from the entrance, and a pedestrian bridge over the highway is planned to connect to Etobicoke General Hospital.”

In addition to 16 at-grade stops and the two aforementioned termini, the project—slated for completion in 2023—includes a large-scale maintenance facility just east of Highway 400 and eight traction power substations.

Designing the line for Metrolinx, Arup is working in

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Renderings courtesy Arup and Mosaic Transit Group

Photo courtesy Mosaic Transit Group

transportation

The construction process has also prioritized a maintenance facility near Jane Street.

partnership with Mosaic Transit Group, a joint venture (JV) between Aecon Concessions, ACS Infrastructure Canada (owned by Dragados) and CRH Canada Group (which owns Dufferin Construction), through a public-private partnership (P3) model.

“We have helped guide the design process based on our experience,” says Eric Chiasson, facilities design manager for Aecon. “There are a lot of similarities to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.” The east terminus station will feature a transparent façade, skylights and architectural wayfinding elements.

The public entranceway will be situated near the southeast corner of Finch and Keele Street, leading to an underground platform—though not as deep as the connecting

subway station, which was intentionally built further belowgrade to allow for the new infrastructure right above it.

This way, passengers arriving from downtown Toronto and parts beyond will be able to connect directly to the LRT to continue their journey westward.

“Minimizing the station’s land-use footprint was welcomed by stakeholders,” says Nakhaei. “It will be simple, efficient and elegant.”

“The subway station was designed to allow for underground access between the two lines,” says Wade O’Leary, Metrolinx’s vice-president (VP) for the project. “The LRT vehicles will then emerge to the road surface. The vast majority of the route is above-grade, which is quicker to build than a subway and, as a result, carries a much lower construction cost per kilometre.”

“The upside of an LRT includes good value for money, expandability, lower power consumption and ease of maintenance,” adds Arup’s Stephenson. “The downside is you have to have enough land to accommodate the track. Eglinton is much more densely packed than Finch, so a lot more of that line had to go underground.”

The stops along the route will repeat a shared, modular ‘kit of parts’ to provide both a cohesive appearance and adaptability to various site constraints, all aligning with Metrolinx’s standards and helping to facilitate ease of construction and maintenance.

Meanwhile, Finch Avenue itself will see new multi-use paths and pulled-back sidewalks to increase pedestrians’ comfort and safety.

“We are upgrading the corridor as a whole,” Stephenson says, “and all of the stops along it will be sheltered. We’ve dynamically modelled and simulated operations for all of them.”

Finally, the west terminus near Humber College will be a trenched stop, due to a grade separation between Highway 27 and another underground section of the LRT track.

“We dive again, into a trench, to contain noise and reduce visual intrusion,” Stephenson explains, "to minimize the line’s impact on the college and nearby houses.”

While the platform will sit partly beneath a bridge, roof and canopies, it will be open-air—sort of a hybrid between a station and a stop.

“It will have the features of a station, such as access control barriers, and there will be a huge walkway to Humber College,” explains Raja Tenneti, director of P3 services for AECOM, which is leading technical advisory services for the project’s alternate financing and procurement (AFP) model. “The trench will contain tail track for the possible future extension, which could run along the west side of the highway.”

That potential project is just a concept for now. In the meantime, the Finch West LRT line is expected to provide strong community benefits in a busy area of Toronto that has long been underserved in terms of public transCCE portation.

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public relations

PUTTING

YOUR MESSAGE where clients are

LOOKING Thought leadership can reach new audiences.

By Carl Friesen

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today, virtual events.

She might also do an online search for references to the new legislation and then choose listings from the sources she knows to be credible. And if among those sources she encounters your firm’s ideas on managing noise and vibration, she’s more likely to read, watch and trust what she sees— and, as a result, become open to working with your firm.

That’s why not only should you post some of your firm’s content on your own platforms, such as your website or YouTube channel, but it is also well worth the effort to get it published elsewhere.

There are three main reasons for this, as illustrated in the aforementioned example: 1. Prospective clients like Aisha already follow specialized news sources to stay informed about their industry or their profession.

2.

These sources are often the first place these professionals will start actively looking, when they are researching a new topic.

3.

When Aisha searches the topic online, your content is more likely to

show up in her results if it is on a site Google considers credible, based on traffic volume, reciprocal links, etc.

The changing face of publication As little as 10 years ago, the main ways to reach niche industry audiences were printed magazines and in-person conferences. Things have changed since then. And while it used to be said in the 1990s that “the Internet changes everything,” now we can add “COVID19 changes everything.”

The following are some examples of such changes in action: Edited media Niche B2B magazine brands were long anchored by print publications, then by websites that could add content that would not fit in the printed editions.

Today, there is an increased focus on building online communities with electronic versions of magazines, email newsletters and other digital content, such as white papers, infographics and videos.

Some niche media are commercial ventures, while others are produced by

Top: motortion - stock.adobe.com

P

ublishing ‘thought leadership’ content is one of the best ways to help your engineering firm stand out and get noticed by potential clients. Yet, many firms struggle with getting their message heard. It can be hard to get your public relations (PR) content to rank high in search engine listings and to get your emails opened.

So, as well as publishing your ideas on your own platforms, consider putting your content in places where your ideal clients are already looking.

To see how this works, consider someone who’s your firm’s ideal client. For the sake of discussion, let’s say Aisha is a construction company CEO who’s concerned about complying with a new provincial regulation about noise and vibration—and as it happens, you are seeking to build your acoustical engineering practice.

Aisha grabs a coffee, sets her smartphone to ‘do not disturb’ and gets into research mode. She starts with sources she trusts, including a variety of print and online business-to-business (B2B) media in her industry. She’ll look for articles, white papers, e-books, webinars, conferences or, more relevantly

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public relations

professional or industry associations, but all are hungry for content that meets their audience’s interests and is authoritative and well-researched, not a sales pitch.

Moderated media Spoken presentations have long been a mainstay of professional services marketing, such as papers, workshops and plenary sessions. At press time, of course, the future of live events is very much an open question. Many have already been transitioning online as virtual conferences and webinars.

Many firms have hosted their own in-person and online events over the years, but it is worthwhile to get their message across in places where prospective clients are already showing up, including industry-specific media and professional organization platforms.

These are more likely to provide a larger audience and, even more crucially, an audience of people who are

not already aware of your firm and the services it offers.

Podcasts have become a useful way to reach new audiences, both before and during COVID-19 times. Many podcasters are actively looking for credible guests to interview.

approach. Your message will get lost if you don’t find out who makes the decisions, whether it is an editor, conference organizer, podcast host or someone else who sets the agenda.

Next, approach them with your idea for an article, speech, workshop, webinar or other communication piece. Make sure to do so in a way that answers the following four questions:

Approaching gatekeepers the way they want Each of these niche platforms has a gatekeeper, i.e. someone who plans the content that is presented and, thus, needs to be persuaded your message is one they should help share. And one of the keys to persuading them is to approach them in a way they would want to be approached.

What follows is the formula I have found works, based on more than 20 years’ experience getting articles published, giving speeches, hosting workshops and making guest appearances on podcasts and webinars.

Start by finding the right person to

1. What’s the idea?

Be sure to state it simply. In the aforementioned example, for instance, it might be pitched as ‘How to deal with new regulations for noise and vibration.’

2. Why should the audience care?

You need to demonstrate how you can help the platform’s readers, viewers or listeners (a) gain a benefit or (b) avoid a problem.

3. How will you cover the topic?

Moving on from your simple idea statement, provide a point-form outline of the messaging you want to get across.

Photo by Carl Friesen

4. Why should the audience trust the message?

One way to help answer this question is to list the professional, academic and experiential qualifications of the author or speaker.

Webinars are now being produced from home offices.

Having the right help Another key to success in such efforts is to have the right professional skills at your side to help. Just like how your own clients hire you for your expertise, you may need to engage a ghost writer to prepare an article or speech, a graphic designer to create infographics or even a speaking coach to help prepare you to make appearances on podcasts and webinars.

The result is worth the effort, as when you are able to talk directly with Aisha, she will already be predisposed to work with your firm.

CCE Carl Friesen is principal of Thought Leadership Resources. For more ideas and information, please visit www. thoughtleadershipresources.com.

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conversation

Futureproofing STORMWATER MANAGEMENT Climate change suggests a need for targeted vegetation.

Stevens, assistant professor at Laurier, in an effort to leverage our combined expertise to study these sites and look for ways to optimize future designs.

Our work is also being funded by Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

Why has this work been important?

Photos courtesy C.F. Crozier & Associates

Nick Mocan, P.Eng., is the newly appointed president of C.F. Crozier & Associates, a land development engineering firm with offices in Milton, Toronto, Bradford and Collingwood, Ont. In recent years, he has led research projects with two universities—Wilfrid Laurier and Western—to improve the performance of stormwater management (SWM) ponds across the province, through design and targeted vegetation plantings, in response to threats posed by climate change and nutrient loads.

In Ontario, for the most part, we’re following provincial ministry of environment guidelines from 2003, but since then, (a) we’ve observed changes in the climate and (b) lowimpact development techniques like bioretention systems have become increasingly popular. New research is needed to find out how these systems are functioning in the field and how we can further optimize their performance.

Phosphorus, for example, is an increasingly important issue in areas like the Lake Simcoe watershed, but

there is little existing research into how SWM facilities and bioretention systems can be optimized to minimize the discharge of phosphorus into receiving surface waters. The land development industry can do better.

That’s where we fit in.

One of the issues we wanted to address is that SWM facilities are designed and regulated to primarily deal with larger, occasional summertime storms, but changes in climate mean they’re now more active in winter, when temperatures are rising above 0 C more frequently, so there is more potential for both rainfall and snow melt. In fact, in winter, many SWM facilities are receiving water every day.

As engineers, we need to draw on other fields of expertise. Collaborating with Kevin at Laurier, we’ve learned that much of the traditional vegetation planted in SWM facilities to help filter water and remove contami-

How did you get involved in these research initiatives?

I’m a water resource engineer by training, as is our firm’s founder, CEO and former president, Chris Crozier, P.Eng. After looking at how our own SWM facility and bioretention system projects were performing, we reached out to Clare Robinson, associate professor at Western, and Kevin 20

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Assistant professor Kevin Stevens (right) of Wilfrid Laurier University has conducted submerged vegetation sampling at SWM ponds with his students. Now, he is conducing lab research to check which plants work better than others.

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conversation

nants becomes dormant in the winter. So, during winter runoff events, they’re no longer improving the water quality as intended.

To address this issue, we are studying cold-tolerant vegetation that could be implemented at SWM facilities. By examining vegetation characteristics at existing facilities—including species richness, percentage of cover and diversity—and water quality samples obtained from each inlet and outlet, we hope to identify species that can remain active in the winter and continue to remove contaminants.

What’s next for these projects?

For our SWM facility research, we are partnering with DSV Global Transport and Logistics to develop a ‘living lab’ at the large SWM facility next to their

one million square foot industrial facility in Milton. We’ll be setting up monitoring equipment throughout the pond and engaging DSV’s own staff to help take water and vegetation samples. Kevin from Laurier will be installing ‘plugs’ of cold-tolerant vegetation to examine their water quality treatment performance throughout different seasons. By enhancing the pond’s performance, we’ll also be creating a more lush and beautiful environment for DSV’s staff to enjoy.

Meanwhile, with our bioretention research program, the initial round of field examination at six sites is complete and we’re moving into Western’s labs for a series of staged bench-scale experiments. We are nearing our goal of developing revised bioretention media specifications that address defi-

Specifier’s Literature New Road Materials Review

ciencies we’ve seen in the field, like phosphorus leaching instead of being removed. To do this, we need to set up lab experiments that replicate field conditions as well as possible.

So, our next step will be to run these experiments by applying storm runoff onto the bioretention media collected from the field. Upon doing so and comparing with the field results, we’ll begin developing revised media specifications for testing in the lab. Then we hope to start field-testing the revised media in spring 2021.

Optimizing design to address the challenges faced by the land development industry and its regulators is going to be critical over the next several years, but the future of SWM in Ontario is exciting and we’re pleased to be contributing to its advancement.

CCE

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products

INDOOR MAPPING

Faro Technologies has released Focus Swift, reportedly the first fully integrated indoor mobile mapping system for professionals in the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industry.

The portable extension of Faro’s earlier Focus laser scanner is designed to balance accuracy and efficiency as it captures large-area as-built data.

Depending on a job’s accuracy requirements, it can take mobile scans of large, complex areas up to 10 times faster than traditional static scans.

Swift uses Faro’s Scene software to process two-dimensional (2-D) data into three-dimensional (3-D) point clouds, which users can then import directly into computer-aided design (CAD) systems to simplify plans and optimize their building information modelling (BIM) workflow. The interface can run on any mobile device.

The cable-free system includes a carbon fibre tripod and three-wheeled vehicle that can be folded up for transport in two carry-on sized cases. faro.com GAS DETECTION

CleanAir Engineering recently completed a feasibility study that used the Picarro G2910 gas concentration analyzer to measure levels of hazardous air pollutant ethylene oxide (ETO) in real time, at detection limits of parts-per-trillion (ppt) from a stack.

While the mutagenic properties of ETO have been known since the 1940s, the regulation of emissions and exposure limits has evolved over time. Today, while the

toxic gas is an important chemical for the sterilization of medical equipment, it is also believed to be more harmful than previously realized, requiring analytical instrumentation to better characterize its risks.

In the feasibility study, CleanAir performed comparative measurements by applying the G2910 to a variety of process streams in a sterilization facility, including dry scrubbers, wet scrubbers and thermal oxidizers, as well as monitoring fugitive emissions and leaks in and around a chemical plant. picarro.com LOAD BALANCING

Festo Canada, based in Mississauga, Ont., has introduced its YHBP drive system for servo-pneumatic balancers to allow workers to move loads of 70 to 999 kg with the mere touch of a finger, whether they are doing so for loading, stacking, destacking, tilting, unloading, rotating or swivelling.

Designed for assembly functions in auto plant and other production lines, each YHBP is operated using a pneumatically activated ‘smart’ handle and control system, which detects whether the user wants to move a load up or down and automatically detects and adjusts for that load’s weight. The package also features a pneumatic ISO cylinder, displacement encoder and balancer valve unit.

The drive packages are available in basic and safety configurations, the latter of which achieves Performance Level D with a sensor interface and relay for dual-channel speed monitoring and power shutdown, ensuring (a) it is brought to a safe state in the event of a faulty component and (b) dangerous movements are prevented in case of any voltage failure or sudden drop in pressure. festo.com

professional directory Experts in Measurement, Analysis & Control

905-826-4546 answers@hgcengineering.com www.hgcengineering.com

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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

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