Canadian Consulting Engineer January February 2024

Enter the 2024 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards! p. 6

Ensuring Resiliency for Data Centres p. 18

Cost-efficient Earthquake Resistance p. 22 Januray/February 2024

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Building A Legacy

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PM40065710

Dennis Hodgkinson, P.Eng., is one of three winners of our second annual Lifetime Achievement Awards.

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CONTENTS

January/February 2024 Volume 65 | ISSUE 1 ccemag.com

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12 COLUMNS

FEATURES

04 | Comment Canadian Consulting Engineer is getting up to a lot in 2024, including both returning projects and new initiatives.

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22 | Conversation Leon Plett, managing principal of RJC's structural engineering team in Victoria, seeks to make earthquake resistance more cost-efficient.

DEPARTMENTS 06 | 2024 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards Call for Entries Canada’s most prestigious program of its kind returns for its 56th year!

07 | ACEC Review 2023 involved advancing federal budget priorities, championing the industry, deepening strategic partnerships and shaping public policy.

The Buildings Show Engineers Success Drawing more than 18,000 professionals to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the event enjoyed a strong reception in 2023, surpassing not only the most recent annual editions, but even its prepandemic total attendance in 2019.

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COVER STORY Lifetime Achievement Awards For the second time, Canadian Consulting Engineer has sought to recognize leading professional engineers for their exceptional careers and legacies. The community responded strongly and now we can reveal this year’s winners.

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Data Centres: Continuity for Computations The growing demand for data centres in the face of the environmental challenges of climate change underscores the urgency to take proactive measures to ensure resilience and sustainability.

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The Psychological Safety Equation Real-world experiences show how inclusion is key to creating a work environment where employees can be honest and speak up with ideas, questions and concerns about mistakes.

ON THE COVER Dennis Hodgkinson, founder and president of DGH Engineering in Saint Andrews, Man., retired at the end of January, following a more than 45-year career in agricultural and industrial building design and project management. See story on p. 12.

PHOTO COU RT E SY D G H E NG I N E E R I NG

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Comment

by Peter Saunders READER SERVICE Print and digital subscription inquiries or changes, please contact: Angelita Potal Tel: 416-510-5113 Fax: (416) 510-6875 email: apotal@annexbusinessmedia.com Mail: 111 Gordon Baker Rd., Suite 400 Toronto, ON M2H 3R1

Looking Ahead

B

y the time you are reading this issue, it might seem a bit too late to say ‘Happy New Year’ … but we’ve been greeting 2024 in a few of our own ways here at Canadian Consulting Engineer.

First, as always, we start the new year with a Call for Entries for the annual Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards, the longest-running and most prestigious national mark of recognition for consulting engineering firms in Canada (see page 6 for further details). As we co-sponsor this program with the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Canada (ACEC-Canada), we encourage all of its member firms to submit their notices of intention (NoIs) and completed project entry forms by the posted deadlines in March and April, respectively.

“There have been some changes to the Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards rules.”

The online entry rules and forms went live in mid-January. You can find them all now at www.ccemag.com/awards/enter.

Make sure to review the information and rules carefully before filling out the forms, as we have also welcomed the new year with some small but significant changes.

The Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards experienced a true ‘comeback year’ in 2023, with a significant bump in the overall number of entries (to more than 70), following a pandemic-era slowdown.

We hope this momentum will continue in 2024 for the program’s 56th edition, as a higher number of nominations makes for a more competitive field of entries … and presents a more interesting challenge for our jury of industry experts, as they determine the winners of 20 Awards of Excellence and up to five Special Awards.

While you're online, check out my recap 4

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of the 2024 AHR Expo in Chicago, Ill. Inclement weather did not prevent large crowds from gathering to check out the latest and greatest in HVAC+R products and services.)

This issue also welcomes the new year by revealing the winners of our second annual Lifetime Achievement Awards. We once again received many nominations from across the country, for highly qualified individuals currently working for (or retired from) a wide variety of Canadian consulting engineering firms, and it was no easy task to determine the three winners. You’ll find their stories starting on page 12.

(And please keep in mind that if you nominated someone who wasn’t honoured this year, don’t give up! They can still be considered for next year’s awards.)

Another returning feature for 2024, which achieved strong results in 2022 and 2023, will be our Top 10 Under 40 Awards Program. If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to start thinking about which of your colleagues and employees would be most deserving of this honour.

Beyond these awards programs, we are in the midst of planning some new virtual events and webinars for 2024. Keep an eye out for announcements and updates in our newsletters your inbox, on our website and on LinkedIn. Finally, a new year is an opportunity for brainstorming new ideas. What else would you like to see from Canadian Consulting Engineer in the months and years to come?

In-person events? Articles on any particular trending topics? Industry sruveys?

Please feel free to reach out to me with your suggestions; my email address appears below.

EDITOR Peter Saunders (416) 510-5119 psaunders@ccemag.com SENIOR PUBLISHER Maureen Levy (416) 510-5111 mlevy@ccemag.com MEDIA DESIGNER Lisa Zambri EDITORIAL ADVISORS Darryl Boyce, Todd Busch, Guy Bruce, Andrew Macklin, Sadaf Parvaiz ACCOUNT CO-ORDINATOR Cheryl Fisher (416) 510-5194 cfisher@annexbusinessmedia.com AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Beata Olechnowicz (416) 510-5182 bolechnowicz@annexbusinessmedia.com GROUP PUBLISHER Paul Grossinger (416) 510-5240 pgrossinger@annexbusinessmedia.com PRESIDENT/COO Scott Jamieson sjamieson@annexbusinessmedia.com CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER is published 6 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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Peter Saunders • psaunders@ccemag.com SCAN CODE TO VISIT CCE’S WEBSITE: Find the latest engineer-related news, stories, blogs and analysis from across Canada

January/February 2024

SAVE THE DATE

DECARBONIZING

REMOTE COMMUNITIES VIRTUAL SUMMIT • APRIL 11, 2024 Canadian Consulting Engineer will host a special thought leadership event focusing on a key topic in Canada’s energy transition: the need to decarbonize remote communities.

Through a combination of tax credits, infrastructure funding and carbon pricing, the federal government is incentivizing communities across the country to switch from traditional hydrocarbons to emissions-free and/or renewable energy sources, such as solar, nuclear and biomass. This move, which can help wean residential, commercial and industrial facilities off of increasingly costly diesel and natural gas, also promises to help meet goals relating to First Nations prosperity, equity and business development.

Canadian Consulting Engineer is gathering a lineup of industry experts to speak to the scale of such opportunities, the progress made so far and the current reality on the ground.

In addition to our established audience of consulting engineers, this event will be of keen interest to municipal and provincial government leaders, technology suppliers and others who will be directly involved in these new opportunities.

PRESENTED BY

For more information contact Maureen Levy, Sr Publisher O: 416-510-5111 / Mobile 437-219-0623

Awards

Call for Entries 2024 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS Canada’s most prestigious awards for engineering projects!

20 AWARDS & FIVE SPECIAL AWARDS!

The Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards / Prix Canadiens du Génie-Conseil are given out annually to projects that demonstrate a high quality of engineering, imagination and innovation. Now in their 56th year, the awards are the most prestigious mark of recognition for consulting engineers in Canada.

This is a joint program of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Canada (ACEC-Canada), l’Association des firmes de génie-conseil – Canada (AFGC) and Canadian Consulting Engineer.

The awards are an unequalled opportunity to gain recognition for your firm and your employees. The list of winners is publicized nationwide, the projects are published in the September/October issue of Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine and ACEC-Canada’s award-winning #20DaysofExcellence campaign provides additional visibility.

Entries are invited in English or French. The awards are presented in the fall in Ottawa.

An expert jury will choose the winners of 20 Awards of Excellence. Of these projects, up to five could also earn additional recognition with a Special Award.

CATEGORIES

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This is the awards program's 56th year!

TECHNICAL A. Buildings B. Transportation C. Water Resources D. Environmental Remediation E. Natural Resources, Mining, Industry and Energy F. Special Projects G. Project Management H. International

The Special Awards are: • Engineering A Better Canada Award – Presented to the project that best showcases how engineering enhances the social, economic or cultural life of Canadians.

• Breton Environmental Award – Presented to the project that best demonstrates outstanding environmental achievement.

• Outreach Award – Presented to the project that best demonstrates donation of a firm’s time and/or services for the benefit of a community or group.

• Ambassador Award – Presented to the project constructed or executed outside Canada that best showcases Canadian engineering expertise.

• Schreyer Award – The highest honour, presented to the best technical entry.

DEADLINES STAGE 1 – TUESDAY, MARCH 19 Notice of Intention to Enter Entry Fee $425.00 + HST due (non-refundable) STAGE 2 – WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17 Entry Form, Project Outline, Photos, etc.

NON-TECHNICAL I. Community Outreach J. In-House Initiatives

FOR MORE DETAILS You can find further information and all entry forms at: www.ccemag.com/awards/enter QUESTIONS? Contact Peter Saunders, Editor, Canadian Consulting Engineer, tel. 416-510-5119, e-mail psaunders@ccemag.com 6

CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER

January/February 2024

MY VISION FOR A STRONG AND RESILIENT CANADA Since October, I have delved into my new role as Chair of ACEC-Canada’s Board of Directors with enthusiasm and determination. Highlighting the essential role of consulting engineers in Canadian society is an incredibly important task, and it requires effective advocacy and sound planning.

That’s why I was pleased that, over the summer, ACEC’s Board adopted a new Strategic Plan laying out our Vision: “A strong and resilient Canada designed and built by a thriving consulting engineering industry,” as well as a new Mission: “Promoting our members as community-building experts and driving policy solutions that benefit this generation and the next, in Canada and around the world.” To achieve these goals, ACEC will prioritize championing our industry, strengthening firms, and supporting our members. Our new Strategic Plan outlines an ambitious path forward to help the consulting engineering industry flourish, and in my view, it couldn’t come at a more crucial time.

Our new Strategic Plan outlines an ambitious path forward to help the consulting engineering industry flourish.

In an era when climate change is one of the greatest threats to our communities—from devastating wildfires and deadly heat waves, to severe droughts and extreme flooding—it’s clear that we ignore this threat at our peril. I have long believed that consulting engineering firms are well-placed to mitigate the adverse effects of our changing climate, and that our industry is key to building a sustainable, net-zero future that benefits everyone.

Our members have the drive, the skill set, and the expertise to build future-proof towns and cities. We have been delivering on nation-building work for decades, with an approach that constantly evolves to ensure that our designs and construction work is built to last. Our professionals consider a project’s life cycle and ways to reduce waste, while also ensuring optimal efficiency in terms of energy usage and maintenance.

The solutions you put forward every day […] are making a real difference for generations to come.

The fight against climate change can often seem like an insurmountable challenge. We’re at the precipice of a major societal shift, but I’m confident that our members are ready and able to tackle it head on. The solutions you put forward every day—to protect the environment, promote safe and healthy communities, and connect Canadians—are making a real difference for generations to come.

The new year will surely bring many more opportunities to promote our members as innovative leaders in problem-solving and community-building. As we begin 2024 with renewed energy and purpose, I want to sincerely thank you, our members, for your important work. Wishing you all, including the Board and our provincial and territorial Member Organizations, a wonderful year ahead.

Allyson Desgroseilliers, P.Eng. Chair, Board of Directors ACEC-Canada ccemag.com

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2 YEAR I 0 2 3 N REVI EW 8

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It’s hard to believe that another year has come and gone. 2023 brought many opportunities for ACEC to ensure your voices are heard in Ottawa. Below are a few selected highlights of our work to advocate for our member firms and promote public policies that benefit the consulting engineering industry.

ADVANCING YOUR PRIORITIES IN BUDGET 2023 As a trusted and influential partner to the federal government, ACEC continued outreach with parliamentarians and officials over the past year, with emphasis on advancing the National Infrastructure Assessment (NIA), a national infrastructure corridor, and Qualifications-Based Selection.

We ensured ACEC’s Budget 2023 recommendations were front and centre with our submission to the pre-budget consultation process leading up to its release. The Budget, released in March, contained investments that will create significant opportunities for consulting engineering companies, including in skilled trades, clean energy, and attracting investment into Canada.

January/February 2024

CHAMPIONING OUR INDUSTRY Following the release of a new procurement policy in 2022 that requires all engineering and architectural documents prepared for federal government tenders to be submitted in both official languages, ACEC has been quick to raise concerns about its unintended consequences—notably, that it precludes many consulting engineering firms from participating in federal procurement, while also increasing risk of higher costs, delays, and commercial and professional liability. Furthermore, it will severely diminish the federal government’s capacity to deliver on its capital programs.

ACEC has twice met with the office of the Public Services and Procurement Minister on this issue and continues to engage with relevant departments. Further, as we have not yet seen the government’s often-promised public consultation on this new policy, ACEC commissioned its own third-party, independent research to study its impacts on engineering firms. The research was completed in the fall, and ACEC has met with government officials in late December to discuss the results and further stress the magnitude of the problems created by the new requirements.

DEEPENING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS Finding alignment with other stakeholders strengthens ACEC’s ability to shape federal public policy. In June, ACEC met with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities—Canada’s foremost municipal advocacy organization—to leverage our strong alignment on the delivery of the NIA, which will lay important groundwork for the next national infrastructure funding program.

SHAPING PUBLIC POLICY AND CELEBRATING OUR MEMBERS ACEC quickly engaged with the new federal Cabinet after the major shuffle in July 2023, including the new Ministers for public services and procurement, and infrastructure and housing.

In August, ACEC was excited to participate in the House of Commons Finance Committee’s Pre-Budget consultation once again. ACEC made three recommendations that champion our industry, enable strategic infrastructure investments, and align with government’s focus on economic growth.

On October 19th, ACEC hosted our annual Parliament Hill Day— our cornerstone government relations event since its inception over a decade ago. ACEC members from across the country had the opportunity to share their perspectives and reinforce policy recommendations with legislators in person for the first time since the pandemic. The event was a success: it resulted in a total of 35 meetings with MPs, Senators, and political staff from across party lines, with close to 95% of participants expressing their support for ACEC’s goals and advocacy messages.

Later that evening, ACEC celebrated the incredible accomplishments of our member firms at the Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards Gala. This annual event recognized a number of incredible projects that connect and strengthen communities, improve safety and sustainability, and enhance quality of life for Canadians and people around the world.

ACEC has also been advocating for a national infrastructure corridor, calling it “Canada’s Infrastructure Network.” A concept that has been around for over 50 years, it has the transformative potential to create jobs, encourage investment, empower Indigenous communities, and promote sustainability. Over the summer, ACEC was pleased to host a multi-stakeholder luncheon to discuss potential collaboration on this, with participation of many organizations across infrastructure-related industries, such as the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Electricity Canada, and the Mining Association of Canada.

PROMOTING EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION IN CONSULTING ENGINEERING ACEC recognizes that equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) helps facilitate healthy workplaces and creative problemsolving, while also being key to attracting and retaining the next generation of consulting engineers.

In June 2023, ACEC released a report to summarize the findings of our national EDI research project. Our Board accepted all of the recommendations, including building an EDI framework for firms, providing more training, advocating for better parental leave and pathways to leadership, and more. ACEC’s Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee has begun the groundwork to implement the recommendations and support our member firms as they advance EDI across our industry. ccemag.com

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2024 After another solid year of promoting the consulting engineering industry, we are well-positioned for 2024.

We look forward to the busy year ahead and continue to be strategic and deliberate when it comes to our advocacy, partnerships, and government engagement— particularly leading up to a likely 2025 federal election.

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EXPOS

The Buildings Show Engineers Success The 2023 show surpassed even the 2019 edition in terms of attendance. By Peter Saunders

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said Wong. “Fittings can be customized to the project’s requirements.”

Canadian Consulting Engineer editorial advisory board (EAB) member Todd Busch, P.Eng., who recently joined Veneklasen Associates as a senior associate, summarized the evolution of acoustical provisions within the National Building Code of Canada (NBC)—which has been slower than he would hope.

“There are currently no uniform standards for reducing noise from exterior sources, such as transportation and industrial facilities, in terms of allowable interior noise levels,” he said, “although Ontario has its own.”

One of the show’s biggest themes was decarbonization. RDH Building Science described the process of planning retrofits of existing buildings to reduce their associated emissions. As the climate emergency demands massive action, the firm pointed out, new emission reduction standards for such buildings will soon become mandatory in cities like Vancouver and Toronto.

For its part, RDH has already assisted Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) with net-zero planning for its Crown real property portfolio. This process has involved assessing the federal department’s many facilities’ baselines and then referring to benchmarks for comparable buildings of similar vintage, so as to identify the strongest opportunities for improvement.

With a high-rise office tower, for example, the roof is not a significant culprit for heat loss, so it makes more sense to invest in the thermal performance of its exterior walls and many windows.

The Canadian Prestressed Concrete Institute (CPCI) was among The Building Show’s 500-plus exhibitors.

One of the show's biggest themes was decarbonization.

In a similar vein, Concrete Ontario president Bart Kanters and technical services director Alen Keri exJanuary/February 2024

PHOTO BY PET E R SAU N DE R S.

T

he Buildings Show, produced by Informa Connect, enjoyed strong success late last year, with more than 500 exhibitors, 33% growth compared to 2022 and a 20% increase in attendance. Indeed, by drawing more than 18,000 professionals to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, the show surpassed not only its most recent annual editions, but also its pre-pandemic total attendance of 2019.

One reason for such numbers is the event’s cross-sector appeal, as it is really a ‘show of shows,’ combining Construct Canada, PM Expo, the Homebuilder and Renovator Expo and more under one roof. It is worth noting more than 970 attendees—who include engineers, architects, contractors, property managers, real estate developers, renovators and other professionals— opted for all-access passes to the show’s accredited educational seminars (26 of which sold out), live product demonstrations and roundtable industry conversations on trends like artificial intelligence (AI) in construction.

Among the show’s educational highlights, CK Dickson Wong and Simon Phillips—both senior associates with Inhabit, an international consulting engineering firm that is still new to the Canadian market—discussed the structural principles of glass wall design. Curtain wall systems using glass panels without continuous, gasketed metal framing components have become popular with architects around the world for their minimalistic esthetics, low weight and flexibility. They have also become more feasible, given advances in oversized glass fabrication technologies.

“Façade designers must understand their material and its mechanical aspects,” Phillips emphasized.

“There are many ways to connect structural glass,”

plored the cement and concrete industry’s goal of becoming net-zero by 2050, using environmental product declarations (EPDs) to quantify performance and

working in partnership with specifiers, contractors and owners to implement low-carbon concrete in more and more construction projects.

They also cited the contributions of consulting engineering firms, including Entuitive and RJC Engineers. The latter, by way of example, has helped Concrete Ontario analyze emission reductions associated with TD Terrace, a 46-storey structural steel-framed commercial office tower.

“We looked in-depth at 5,294 loads of concrete for that building,” Keri explained. “There was a 12% overall reduction of carbon in that concrete.”

TD Terrace is set to open this year—just east of the MTCC, in fact, where the next edition of The Buildings Show will be held from Dec. 4 to 6.

INDUSTRY LEADERS

Lifetime Achievement Awards We proudly present this year’s winners.

By Peter Saunders

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January/February 2024

I

PHOTOS COU RT E SY D G H E NG I N E E R I NG.

n late 2023, for the second time, Canadian Consulting Engineer reached out to the consulting engineering community in an effort to recognize its leaders for their exceptional careers in—and legacies of contributions to—the fields of construction and infrastructure. The community once again responded strongly, with a wide variety of nominations for these accolades. The following are the chosen winners.

Dennis Hodgkinson Dennis Hodgkinson, founder and president of DGH Engineering in Saint Andrews, Man., is retiring at the end of January, following a more than 45-year career in agricultural and industrial building design and project management.

“His expertise, ability to find practical solutions to a variety of engineering problems and open-door policy will be missed,” says DGH structural engineer Alex Korotkov.

Growing up on a ranch, Hodgkinson sought to combine his affinity for agriculture with his skills in physics, math and science.

“My high school teachers told me I was a prime candidate for engineering,” he says. “I studied civil engineering at the University of Manitoba, on a structural track, then shifted to agricultural engineering, which included structural, mechanical and environmental classes, but was presented with a focus on application to agriculture.”

Hodgkinson began his career with the provincial department of agriculture’s engineering group, serving as a waste management

Hodgkinson has mentored many engineers over the course of his career.

"It was rewarding to apply disease control and health management to the design of buildings and HVAC systems."

- Dennis Hodgkinson ccemag.com

specialist and livestock building design specialist for 12 years.

“The department was running a technology transfer program, teaching people to build better buildings,” he recalls. “Under the auspices of the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), the Canada Plan Service was created, enabling nationwide collaboration between engineers engaged in similar technology transfer work. I was allied with that group and we developed standard building plans, design tools, guides and other resources to help farmers apply engineering principles in their operations. It was also particularly rewarding to work closely with veterinarians to apply fundamentals of disease control and health management to the design of buildings and HVAC systems for commercial animal production, which was of great benefit to the industry at that time.”

The experience gave Hodgkinson a strong background in construction and remote fieldwork, along with valuable connections to construction industry contacts across Canada, positioning him to launch DGH in 1989.

The business grew from a one-man practice to a firm with more than 70 employees today, providing engin-

eering, design and construction management to agricultural, industrial, institutional and commercial building projects. While diversification was important given the cyclical nature of the agricultural industry, DGH established a particularly strong niche by specializing in the modernization of animal research facilities, later expanding to institutional building upgrades in general.

“And on the food side,” says Hodgkinson, “we became go-to engineers for meat harvesting and processing, grain and feed milling and crop handling, processing and storage facilities.”

Along the way, a trade mission to Kazakhstan following the collapse of the Soviet Union inspired the formation of Canagrotek, an alliance that coupled agrologists and agricultural production specialists with engineering and construction expertise.

Building on the base of new inland grain terminal projects, the group offered further technology transfer to develop fully integrated agricultural production opportunities.

Canagrotek remains active on projects in Kazakhstan to this day.

Over his long and storied career, Hodgkinson has contributed to the integration of wood, structural steel and concrete elements to optimize CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER

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cost-effectiveness and energy efficiency for large complexes. He has also helped to develop precast concrete building products, non-combustible modular buildings, HVAC equipment for heat recovery and systems for biomass energy production.

“Helping people build businesses has been really rewarding,” he says.

“I treasure my working relationships with clients, manufacturers, equipment suppliers and contractors, some of which have spanned three generations of their business ownership! I have also thoroughly

enjoyed mentoring younger engineers. I’m very optimistic about the future of DGH, which is fully employee-owned. I’m ready to switch gears to the pursuit of personal interests and activities. My last transaction will be to transfer my shares to my employees!”

Barry Charnish Barry Charnish, founding principal of Entuitive in Toronto, has nearly 50 years’ experience in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. A structural engineer, he has designed many institutional, commercial and residential buildings and sports facilities across Canada and beyond.

“I was brought up in Hamilton, a.k.a. Steeltown, where manufacturing was all about building,” he says.

“My father’s passion was building with wood, from framing our house to designing furniture. Education

was the cornerstone of our family, so a profession was encouraged. I originally thought of being an architect, but couldn’t draw very well at the time. Instead, with the encouragement of my professors at the University of Toronto (U of T), structural engineering became my passion.”

After graduating from with a bach-

elor’s degree of applied science in 1974, Charnish began his career at Yolles, working under the direction of engineers Morden Yolles and Roly Bergmann.

“When I graduated, I was quite fortunate that there were many job offers on the table,” he recalls. “I ended up choosing Yolles, the leading firm in the commercial office space at the time. I was keen to work on their signature project, First Canadian Place (FCP), the tallest building in Canada.”

Before Charnish had the chance to work on that skyscraper in Toronto’s

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"I like both large and small projects if their design challenges are unique." Barry Charnish

January/February 2024

PHOTO COU RT E SY E N T U I T I V E .

INDUSTRY LEADERS

BAY A D EL A ID E C E N TR E W E S T TORON TO, ON

C E L E BR ATING

Barry Charnish

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entuitive.com ccemag.com

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to ensure they make economical and functional sense,” says Charnish.

“The first solution is seldom the last solution.”

Following the sale of Yolles to Halcrow in 2004, he became senior principal, which proved frustrating, as he felt he was becoming too involved in administration, rather than design. He resigned and co-founded Entuitive in 2011.

One of their first projects, as it happened, was Bay Adelaide’s East Tower, continuing Charnish’s involvement on the site that had started at Yolles.

“Now we’re completing the north tower,” he says. “I like both large and small projects if their design challenges are unique.”

Entuitive has grown to employ more than 300 staff across six offices in two countries. Among its projects,

Soon after Charnish co-founded Entuitive in 2011, the firm was approached to work on the Manhattan West Platform in New York, N.Y.

Malhotra’s work has included alterations to the Parliament Buildings.

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Charnish and his team recently completed the challenging, speed-focused renovation of Toronto’s Rogers Centre. And in 2022, Entuitive’s work on the Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences in Lubbock, Texas, won an Award of Excellence and an Ambassador Award at the Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards.

“Entuitive has seen phenomenal growth,” says Charnish. “We have expanded from structure to building envelopes, fire engineering, transportation, construction engineering and the addition of our sustainable performance group.”

Today, much of his focus has turned to mixed-use and transit-oriented developments (TODs).

“You’ll see many more of these in the future,” he says. “There’s a need, so let’s go!”

Ashok Malhotra Ashok Malhotra, an Ottawa-based senior principal in WSP’s buildings practice, has worked for 61 years in consulting engineering, including 58 in Canada. Born in India, he earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Roorkee in 1962.

“My grandfather, who lived with us when I was growing up, worked on the railways as a permanent way inspector,” he explains. “He wanted at least one of his grandsons to become an engineer. I studied subjects ranging from transportation to January/February 2024

PHOTO COU RT E SY WS P.

financial district, however, his first project was Vancouver’s Harbour Centre, which became iconic for its rotating restaurant and lookout.

He was licensed as a professional engineer in 1976 and promoted to partner at Yolles in 1982.

“After the first 12 years of my career, I’d really only worked on four jobs!” says Charnish. “But they were all large and significant in terms of technical requirements. These types of long-term projects allowed me time to conceptualize and collaborate with my teams. Sitting down with sketch paper has always relaxed me, allowing me to think through multiple solutions.”

Another notable project was Toronto’s Bay Adelaide Centre, which he worked on for more than 30 years.

Construction of its original tower started in 1987, but was halted by a real estate market crash in 1990.

Charnish shifted his focus and did eight building projects in China before the North American market rebounded in 1998 and ’99. And eventually, the Bay Adelaide site was reimagined in the mid-2000s as a three-tower development, incorporating his suggestion of composite truss framing to help make steel competitive with concrete.

“I enjoy exploring different ideas

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INDUSTRY LEADERS

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sanitation, but structural design interested me the most.”

Malhotra started his career in Delhi and Calcutta, then immigrated to Canada in 1965.

“Back then, I had no trouble getting a job in two or three days in Montreal!” he recalls, citing such iconic projects as Expo 67 in Montreal and Place Bonaventure.

He completed a graduate course in bridges at McGill University.

Following a brief stint as a structural engineer in Montreal, he set down roots in Ottawa, joining Halsall Associates in 1966 and completing a graduate course in the use of computers in structural design at the ccemag.com

University of Ottawa.

Over the years, Malhotra rose to manager and vice-president (VP) in charge of Halsall’s Ottawa office and eventually a member of the firm’s board of directors. He worked on everything from Department of National Defence (DND) projects to high-rise apartment buildings, schools, the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian War Museum and alterations to the Parliament Buildings.

"Today, I enjoy continuing to learn new things that are difficult to do." - Ashok Malhotra

“I took a keen interest in all of the different things that can take shape on empty land,” he says. “During the recession in the 1990s, when we had to find other sources of work, I turned to building science and learned more about why buildings deteriorate.”

Malhotra established himself further in this field by researching and writing some much-needed books, including best practice guides for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) on flashings and brick veneer concrete masonry unit backing, as well as two volumes of guidelines for Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) on building wall envelopes and designing, repairing and maintaining parking structures.

These books, in turn, helped land further work for the firm.

“They always say if you want to be an expert in something, write a book on it!” he says.

Another new area of focus, following the terrorist attacks of Sept.

11, 2001, was blast resistance design.

Malhotra developed in-house software for this purpose and published several papers on the subject in association with other engineers in the office.

“It was a totally new subject for me,” he says. “A lot of secrecy surrounded the subject in those days, but we were able to expand our skills and offer new services to the federal and provincial governments.”

Halsall was acquired by Parsons Brinkerhoff in 2010, which in turn was acquired by WSP in 2014.

While Halsall had employed 350 people at its peak, Malhotra was now one of 35,000 … and 67,000 by 2024.

“Yet, I was getting to work with the same people,” he explains, “and today, I enjoy continuing to learn new things that are difficult to do!”

CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER

17

DATA CENTRES

Continuity for Computations Data centre operators need to navigate many challenges to achieve resilience and sustainability.

By James See

I

n 2023, operators of large data centres in London, England, struggled to keep their servers cool as temperatures rose. Ultimately, several of these facilities had to be shut down after their redundant cooling systems failed.

Put simply, temperatures had exceeded their design parameters.

While this particular issue attracted much attention in the news, London’s data centres are hardly alone in contending with unexpected environmental and energy-related volatility in recent years. Their struggle in maintaining operations is a stark reminder that has also resonated in Canada, where the same threats constrain uptime, profitability and the engineering of new facility locations.

The growing demand for data centres in the face of the environmental challenges of climate change underscores the urgency to take proactive measures to ensure their resilience and sustainability. As changes in the energy system precipitate further volatility in 2024, it is certainly time for improvements in efficiency, the diversification of procurement and the engineering of on-site energy systems.

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CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER

Challenges Three key challenges are as follows:

1. Energy cost volatility Climate change, geopolitical tensions and supply chain stress combined to causes record levels of energy price volatility in 2022 and continued risk in 2023. Canada, where the energy sector constituted 11.8% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022, is not immune.

Ranking sixth globally in total primary energy production, Canada faces such challenges as aging infrastructure, stringent environmental regulations and market access issues. These factors contribute to the complexity of managing energy costs and sustainability. The resulting volatility can make it difficult for data centre operators to attract capital, plan investments and anticipate profitability.

2. Grid constraints Grid power and transmission capacity represent a growing constraint on the construction and placement of data centres, further contributing to energy price uncertainty for their operators. For a sense of perspective, data centres consume about 1% of Canada’s energy every year. About 50% of this energy powers the servers, while another 40% goes into

cooling them.

Throughout 2024, the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, with their high demands for computational power, will exert additional pressure on already strained electrical grids, amplifying the uncertainties facing data centre operations.

3. Increasingly frequent and severe outages Climate change is challenging grid reliability in multiple ways, including droughts, wildfires and severe storms.

In April 2023, an ice storm caused the largest power outage in Quebec since 1998, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. In the U.S., meanwhile, power outages caused by severe weather are growing in frequency and duration. Long-term outages, like those precipitated by wildfires in California and freezes in Texas, can challenge a data centre’s store of diesel fuel for backup generators and, for that matter, intensify competition for supply and impede delivery. Extreme weather can also impact data centres’ energy infrastructure directly, threatening on-site transformers and distribution equipment.

Incidents of sabotage are also on the rise.

Solutions The following are three ways for data centre operators to address the challenges of energy volatility:

1. Energy efficiency upgrades The first step is to maximize a data centre’s energy efficiency. This metric, expressed as ‘power usage

The proliferation of AI is increasing demand for computational power.

January/February 2024

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not only help to alleviate constraints, but also demonstrate to the public that the data centre is acting in the community’s interests.

effectiveness’ (PUE), is a ratio between the total energy consumed by the facility and the actual energy delivered to the servers and related equipment. Thus, operators aim for the lowest PUE possible, at 1.0.

Over the past five years, the industry-wide average PUE has remained relatively flat. New innovations will be necessary for further gains.

Some such developments that are now coming to operators include new cooling systems, increasingly efficient uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) and advanced power, building and information technology (IT) monitoring and control systems. Running a UPS in high-efficiency mode, for example, can save hundreds of thousands of dollars for a typical data centre, over the life of the UPS. Data centre infrastructure management (DCIM) software can monitor both ccemag.com

Running a UPS in high-efficiency mode can save hundreds of thousands of dollars.

IT equipment and the underlying infrastructure, to help improve operational efficiency, while digital twin platforms can expedite the digitization process throughout the complete life cycle of power systems.

2. Energy procurement diversification A diverse energy portfolio can help data centre operators manage volatility. Renewable energy sources are shielded from fuel cost fluctuations, reduce the facility’s carbon footprint, help combat climate change and mitigate future volatility.

Strategic investment in off-site renewables can help add clean capacity to the power grid, which can

3. On-site energy resources/ microgrids Increasingly, data centre operators are looking to replace backup diesel generation with on-site energy resources (both generation and storage) to facilitate grid interaction and as a cleaner solution for primary power.

For one thing, a microgrid built around larger-capacity assets—such as a natural gas-based generator or fuel cell—could allow a facility to withstand longer grid power outages than would be feasible with on-site diesel fuel storage.

For another, it can be controlled to optimize cost performance through automated grid interaction.

Reducing the load on the grid can help to relieve congestion and associated public opposition.

Energy market volatility is likely to continue as systems undergo fundamental restructuring and the impacts of climate change grow.

Data centre operators need to protect their operations from cost fluctuations and outages. At the same time, they must convince their host communities they are part of the solution, not competitors for scarce resources.

Of course, no one can realize this full potential on their own. Operators, engineers and technology providers must come together as partners to develop and adopt new solutions and propel the evolution of a more sustainable, resilient and predictably profitable data centre industry.

James See is national sales director for Schneider Electric Canada’s systems business, interacting with data centre and IT infrastructure clients. For more information, visit www.se.com/ca.

CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER

19

WORKPLACES

The Psychological Safety Equation There can be no safety without inclusion.

By Julie Cafley and Sadaf Parvaiz

tario, a revised Construction Projects Regulation took effect in 2023, requiring new standards for construction site washrooms and properly fitting gear for all body types. Whether they are regulated or not, however, employers can signal they care by addressing basic needs and, in turn, employees can feel safer raising concerns.

While many organizations already focus on safety, they may face more risk than they realize without fostering inclusion and psychological safety. Performance indicators often miss negative effects on well-being, such as stress-related illness, absenteeism and loss of productivity due to emotional health impacts.

Addressing the hierarchy of needs We heard about the experience of a recent petroleum engineering graduate, responsible for controls of a drilling operation.

Working overnight in a remote location was part of the job, but proved more challenging than anticipated. As the only woman in the middle of nowhere, facing a long walk in darkness to use the toilet, she was overcome with fear for her safety.

Her fear was not unfounded, given Catalyst research shows women face increased harassment when working in male-dominated industries.

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CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER

In 2022, a Catalyst report on the energy sector found women had accounted for 18.7% of the labour force in the oil and gas extraction, mining and quarrying industries in 2021. People of colour also accounted for a small share of Canada’s energy sector in 2019, with 18% identifying as visible minority and 5% as Indigenous.

Speaking up is more challenging when you’re the only woman or person of colour, because you already face other barriers.

Suppose employees like the aforementioned engineering graduate do not feel included at the most basic level, from having a place to use the bathroom that’s safe and well-lit to being provided protective equipment that fits. Women also still experience inappropriate jokes, off-hand comments and situations where their view is not valued like their male colleagues’. In those cases, they will not likely feel safe bringing forward other issues.

Legislation will force the issue. In On-

Expanding the definition of safety The solution to this issue is to expand health and safety plans to address inclusion. In addition to mandatory training about threats like live wires and corrosive chemicals, we must help all engineers feel they belong and can speak up for themselves and in support of their colleagues.

Returning to the petroleum industry worker’s experience, what role could her colleagues have played in supporting her?

Workplaces should prioritize training on allyship, encouraging those who know someone on their team is different in some way—and who see or hear something that negatively impacts them—to take an active role in advocating for them.

Safety is already an essential part of the culture in the engineering community; now it is time to expand the definition.

Julie Cafley is executive director of Catalyst Canada, a global non-profit organization that advances inclusive workplaces. Sadaf Parvaiz is global enterprise inclusion and diversity leader for consulting engineering firm GHD and a member of Canadian Consulting Engineer’s editorial advisory board (EAB).

January/February 2024

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W

e see hard hats, steeltoed boots and neon vests on the frontlines of the construction and energy sectors to keep workers safe, but what about the protocols we can’t see?

Researcher and professor Amy Edmondson coined the term ‘psychological safety’ to describe work environments where employees feel they can be honest and speak up with their ideas, questions and concerns. Her research shows organizations with high levels of psychological safety benefit from greater innovation, individual and team well-being, learning, development and resilience. At the core of creating this feeling of safety is inclusion.

At this point, however, psychological safety has yet to make it into most engineering firms' health and safety plans.

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CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER

21

Conversation

L

eon Plett is managing principal of RJC Engineers’ structural engineering team in Victoria.

Their provincial level of designation differs from elsewhere, due to the complex engineering required to address the region’s risk of earthquakes. And as seismic codes continue to evolve to ensure new buildings are more resilient, they face the challenge of keeping costs reasonable, during a housing crisis.

Why are seismic codes changing?

As we gain more information about the geological record in this region, we find out there have been more frequent earthquakes over the course of history than previously thought, which increases their probability today. Newly discovered faults further increase risk. Modern building designs are based on these updated seismic hazards.

In addition to the Cascadia fault that runs all the way down the west coast, the more recently discovered Devil’s Mountain Leech River fault extends from southwestern Vancouver Island into the Strait of Georgia over to northwest Washington State.

It runs right through the most populated areas of southern Vancouver Island, including Victoria.

Those hazards feed into the response spectrum, which measures the risk of ground shaking to our buildings.

How does that affect your work?

It changes the magnitude of what we need to do for new buildings. We resist seismic forces primarily through the use of shear walls or bracing. These structural elements must become larger and more numerous to resist more force, which in turn requires a larger foundation, all of which increases the building’s structural cost.

In a residential tower with a concrete core for stairs and elevators, that core’s walls must now be 30% to 70% thicker, depending on site class (i.e. based on soil and other geological conditions). A 1-m thick wall in the old code could become a 1.5-m thick wall in the new code, which adds to the cost and reduces occupiable floor area. Such incremental costs have a significant impact during a housing crisis.

Leon Plett

30% A mass-timber tower is 30% lighter than a concrete tower, reducing the shear walls and foundation,

So, how can you make safety affordable?

As structural engineers, it is very important to try to guide the design process early on, to develop building forms that are naturally resilient and safer. Simplifying the built form can

Eight storeys of affordable housing top the new Victoria Fire Station No. 1, which is designed to ensure immediate post-disaster occupancy.

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CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER

offset costs.

Also, a lighter building is safer in a quake. The forces on a building come from its own inertia—i.e. a heavy building wants to stay where it already is— versus ground movement. When we make a building lighter, we reduce the seismic forces on it, so it requires less bracing, saving costs.

In midrise woodframe, for example, rather than use a concrete topping for acoustics—which can account for half the weight of the structure—we try to address acoustics through sprung ceilings and resilient floormats.

A mass-timber tower is 30% lighter than a concrete tower, reducing the shear walls and foundation, which offsets the additional cost of the building material. We also have more sophisticated design software and technology today and contractors can use higher-strength concrete and steel to limit the costs of seismic safety measures.

In most cases, we design for anticipated loads in scenarios where people will escape with their lives, but there will be enough damage that the building will be not occupiable post-quake. We did recently work on a unique project, however, the new Victoria Fire Station No. 1, which due to its purpose was designed in accordance with the post-disaster occupancy requirements of the 2018 B.C. Building Code and the 2015 National Building Code of Canada (NBCC).

There are eight storeys of affordable social housing above the four-storey fire hall and two levels of underground parking. Those are the safest residential units in the city!

January/February 2024

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Cost-efficient Earthquake Resistance

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