Canadian Consulting Engineer September October 2022 by Annex Business Media

Fort Severn Solar Array wins for Engineering a Better Canada p. 18

Blatchford District Energy System wins the Tree for Life Award p. 20

It’s a tie for the Ambassador Award! pp. 22 and 24

September/ October 2022

ccemag.com

2022 Awards

Calgary International Airport East Deicing Apron wins the Schreyer. P. 16

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CONTENTS

September/October 2022 Volume 63 | ISSUE 5 ccemag.com

28 20 COLUMNS 04 | Comment This year’s award winners reflect Canada’s ongoing need for infrastructure projects.

FEATURES

COVER STORY 2022 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards Introduction, jury and chair’s comments.

DEPARTMENTS 06 | Letter to the Editor Engineers Canada’s CEO responds to a July/August 2022 feature. 07 | ACEC Review Honouring individual contributions in the consulting engineering community.

ON THE COVER Stantec wins this year’s top honour, the Schreyer Award, for its work on the Calgary International Airport East Deicing Apron. See profile on p. 16.

SPECIAL AWARDS 16 | Schreyer Award Calgary International Airport East Deicing Apron 18 | Engineering a Better Canada Award Fort Severn First Nation Solar Array 20 | Tree for Life Award Blatchford District Energy System Phase 1 22 | Ambassador Award (tie) Gordie Howe International Bridge Environmental Management Program 24 | Ambassador Award (tie) Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE 26 | Wii Gyemsiga Siwilaawksat Student Building

28 | St. Andrew’s Wesley United Church Heritage Conservation and Seismic Upgrade 30 | Unité de Stérilisation Mobile pour le CISSS des Laurentides 32 | Fast + Epp Home Office Building 34 | Crowchild Trail Bow River Bridge Widening and Rehabilitation 36 | Adapting Infrastructure in the Face of Extreme Weather 38 | Highway 1 Keith Road / Mt. Seymour Parkway Interchange 40 | Combined Sewage Storage Tunnel 42 | United Boulevard Recycling and Waste Centre 44 | Alberta’s First Grid-scale Battery Energy Storage System 46 | Region of Waterloo Cogeneration Facilities 48 | Wanuskewin Heritage Park Bison Facilities 50 | Process Gas Project and Particulate Emissions Project 52 | Drayton Valley Raw Water Pump Station 54 | Stantec Inclusion and Diversity Program

PHOTO COU RT E SY STA N T EC.

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Comment by Peter Saunders

READER SERVICE

More than buildings

ou could be forgiven for assuming, from time to time at least, that this is a magazine about buildings. Yes, it certainly is, but only partially so. It is also about all sorts of other projects undertaken by Canada’s consulting engineering firms, including those focused on transportation, water, energy, environmental remediation and mining, just to name a few examples. I bring this point up because in the annual Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards, the ranks of winning projects could sometimes be said to be dominated by buildings. Each year, we and ACEC-Canada, the program's co-sponsors, announce and hand out 20 Awards of Excellence, as chosen by our esteemed panel of expert judges. In 2020, by way of example, seven of these awards went to projects in the Buildings category. And in 2021, nine of the winners—i.e. nearly half—did so.

“The spread among categories was highly welcome.” This year, as you will notice in the pages that follow, the trend has reversed direction and there are ‘only’ five winners in the Buildings category, allowing for greater variety among the other types of projects to win awards. In this sense, the list of winners in 2022 is perhaps better representative in reflecting Canada’s various, ongoing needs for major infrastructure projects. Also, as you will see in our Showcase of Entries (which will soon be updated at ccemag.com), this year’s program attracted 12 eligible entries in Buildings, 15 in Transportation, six in Water Resources, three in Environmental Remediation, five

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in Natural Resources, Mining, Industry and Energy, three in Special Projects, three (all of which won!) in Project Management, one in International and one in Community Outreach. Overall, that meant fewer entries than we received in 2020 or 2021, possibly as an ‘echo’ of the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic, but the spread among categories was highly welcome. Further, the quality of this year’s entries was so high, our jury singled out five winners for Special Awards, compared to three in 2020 and four in 2021. Geographically, too, there was a bit of a change. Most of this year’s winning projects were based in Western Canada, a handful in Ontario, one in Quebec and none in the territories or the Atlantic Provinces. We hope to see more submissions from parts north and east next year. Our judges once again deliberated over Zoom, rather than in person, to make their final decisions, but ACEC-Canada was able to return to the tradition of a live awards ceremony in Ottawa. (We’ve tried to ensure this issue reaches you as soon as possible thereafter.) One thing that hasn’t changed is an emphasis on key social themes, from Indigenous community support to the transfer of specialized skills, from carbon reduction to electrification, from quality of life to enhanced diversity and inclusion. In thise sense, we can all remain proud of Canada’s consulting engineering community and its efforts to build a brighter future. 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.

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 EDITOR

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

Maureen Levy (416) 510-5111 mlevy@ccemag.com MEDIA DESIGNER

Brooke Shaw 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. 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 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.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Canada, 1 year $66.00, 2 years $106.00. Single copy $8.50 Cdn + taxes. (HST 86717 2652 RT0001). United States $150.00 (CAD). Foreign $172.00 (CAD). PRINTED IN CANADA. Title registered at Trademarks Office, Ottawa. Copyright 1964. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in full without the consent of the copyright owner(s). Annex Privacy Officer: Privacy@ annexbusinessmedia.com Tel: 800-668-2374. ISSN: 0712-4996 (print), ISSN: 1923-3337 (digital) POSTAL INFORMATION: Publications Mail Agreement No. 40065710. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation Dept., Canadian Consulting Engineer, 111 Gordon Baker Road, Suite 400, Toronto, ON M2H 3R1. PRIVACY: From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us. Tel: 1-800-668-2374, fax: 416510-6875 or 416-442-2191, e-mail: vmoore@annexbusinessmedia.com, mail to: Privacy Officer, 111 Gordon Baker Road, Suite 400, Toronto, ON M2H 3R1. Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Member of Magazines Canada

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Letter to the Editor

Pathways for U.S. licensing of Canadian engineers

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al engineers. The agreement with Nevada builds upon the work of the International Engineering Alliance’s (IEA’s) International Professional Engineers Agreement (IPEA) and the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) Engineers Agreement (APEC-EA). Engineers Canada is a member of both IPEA and APEC-EA, which are intended to help streamline the review of professional credentials for engineers wishing to practise in another member country. Each member country maintains a national register, listing all of those engineers who meet the international standard of professional competence, a standard that is higher than either the American and Canadian standards for initial licensure. Being on the Canadian register facilitates licensure in Nevada for experienced engineers. We would be happy to see additional agreements established

with other states or at the national level to enhance the recognition of qualified engineers. Finally, we feel it would be worth pointing out that once a PE is licensed in a particular U.S. jurisdiction, their National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) record can be used to reduce the amount of information that needs to be re-uploaded and resubmitted if and when an engineer wishes to become licensed in additional U.S. jurisdictions, making it even easier for PEs to be mobile within jurisdictions (a process they refer to as “comity”). Jurisdictional acceptance of NCEES records is presented on the NCEES website. Generally, we applaud the content and intent of the July/August Canadian Consulting Engineer article and hope it will provide continuing benefit for readers well into the future. Gerard McDonald, P.Eng. CEO, Engineers Canada September/October 2022

PHOTO COU RT E SY ST EV E N_K R I E M A DI S/G ET T Y

ngineers Canada was pleased to see a plain-language article describing the process and potential benefits for Canadian engineers seeking licensure in the U.S. (‘U.S. licensing of Canadian engineers’ by Todd Busch, Canadian Consulting Engineer, July/August 2022). While we might avoid using the term “balkanized” to describe either Canadian provincial regulators or U.S. state boards (as the term suggests a hostile relationship among peers that we don’t feel exists), we would agree that, similar to Canada, each state has its own licensure and registration system, jurisdictional requirements may vary and an engineer must become licensed in each jurisdiction in which they wish to practice. To add further benefit to the article, we would point out there are additional pathways available to Canadian engineers seeking to be licensed in certain U.S. jurisdictions. Though Engineers Canada is not a licensing body, it is signatory to mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) with the states of Texas and Nevada which, to verifying degrees, have proved successful at providing mobility between our two countries and facilitating the licensure of Canadian professional engineers in the U.S. The agreement with Texas was developed pursuant to the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)—since replaced by the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA)—to provide temporary licensure for Canadian profession-

ACEC Review

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ACEC Review

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September/October 2022

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Introduction

2022 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS / PRIX CANADIENS DU GÉNIE-CONSEIL

his year marks the 54th annual edition of the Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards, a program produced jointly by Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine and the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Canada (ACEC-Canada). The awards are the longest-running and most important national mark of recognition for consulting engineers in Canada. The following pages present this year’s 20 Award of Excellence winners, selected from nearly 50 qualifying entries from across the country. From these top 20 selections, the competition’s esteemed jury singled out five for Special Awards. The Schreyer Award, the top prize presented to the project that best demonstrates technical excellence and innovation, went to Stantec for the Calgary International Airport East Deicing Apron. The jury praised this “exciting,” large-scale, advanced infrastructure project for reducing the airport’s carbon emissions while simultaneously benefiting airline passengers. The Engineering a Better Canada Award, which honours the project that best showcases how engineering enhances the social, economic or cultural quality of life of Canadians, was presented to Hedgehog Technologies for the Fort Severn First Nation Solar Array. It stood out to the jury as a small but complex project that achieved a positive legacy for its community. The Tree for Life Award, presented to the project that best demonstrates outstanding environment12

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Calgary International Airport East Deicing Apron

Blatchford District Energy System Phase 1

Fort Severn First Nation Solar Array

Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences

Gordie Howe International Bridge Environmental Management Program

al stewardship, went to Associated Engineering for Phase 1 of the Blatchford District Energy System. The jury called this project “a fantastic idea” for “the neighbourhood of the future,” praising its vision for urban living and, especially, its modular and scalable nature. Finally, there was a tie for the Ambassador Award, which honours projects outside Canada that best showcase Canadian engineering expertise. AECOM was honoured for the Gordie Howe International Bridge Environmental Management Program, which had to integrate Canadian and American regulatory requirements in a cross-border initiative; and Entuitive won for the Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences in Lubbock, Texas, which the jury called a “beautiful, light and artistic building.” The 54th annual Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards were presented at a special celebration in Ottawa on Nov. 3. Congratulations to all of our winners! September/October 2022

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Jury

Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards Jury This year’s lineup of industry expert judges convened online in June to discuss and vote on the candidates in the final round of award selections. The following are the esteemed members of the 2022 jury:

CHAIR

Erin Bird, P.Eng. Erin Bird is leader of stakeholder and industry relations for the city of Calgary’s infrastructure services and capital investment planning. She has been with the municipal government since 2006 and her roles have included project delivery and structural oversight of transportation infrastructure projects, infrastructure planning in water resources and corporate capital project strategy. She previously worked for a general contractor and two consulting engineering firms and has worked in the U.S. and Europe.

Guy Bruce, P.Eng. Guy Bruce is an electric utility expert with more than 40 years’ experience. He retired in 2017 from SaskPower as vice-president (VP) of planning, environment and sustainable development. He has served as chair of the Canadian Electricity Association’s (CEA’s) generation council and on the board of the Energy Council of Canada. He continues to be a member of the council and is now an independent consultant based in Regina, supporting clients like the First Nations Power Authority (FNPA).

Jack Crooks, Ph.D. Jack Crooks lectured at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Island while earning his Ph.D. in soil mechanics, then immigrated in 1973 to Canada, where he worked for Golder Associates—first in Mississauga, Ont., then in Calgary, where he still lives today. During his career with the firm, he handled ground engineering projects and management work all over the world, including a three-year stint in Taiwan and four in Europe. After he formally retired in 2012, he continued to work part-time for Golder for about five years.

CHAIR’S COMMENTS

ada’s net-zero future and climate adaptation for our cities and infrastructure. Moreover, I was moved by the clear commitment many project teams displayed to equity, inclusion and meaningful recognition with First Nations through thoughtful consultation and respectful relationship-building. Reviewing so many innovative design projects from across

Canada was truly inspiring. Once again, the panel of judges met virtually to debate and deliberate this year’s winning projects, but we look forward to congratulating award winners in person this fall in Ottawa. Thank you to all of the teams and companies that submitted projects this year. The quality and significance of your professional work are remarkable. Thank you for taking the time

to highlight your important achievements. The judges noted exceptionally high-quality submissions this year and the task of selecting winners was exceedingly difficult. Congratulations to all of the Award of Excellence winners and special congratulations to the Special Award winners. We applaud you for your successes! —Jennifer Drake, Ph.D., P.Eng., Jury Chair

Jennifer Drake, Ph.D., P.Eng. Jennifer Drake is an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Carleton University in Ottawa. She specializes in drainage engineering, low-impact development (LID) and green infrastructure and her work draws heavily on principles of sustainability, best management practices and holistic, interdisciplinary design. Her research team works to advance stormwater design, operations and maintenance for the unique climate and urban environments of Canadian cities.

It was an honour to return as the chair of the awards committee for a second year and to take on the pleasurable but challenging task of selecting award winners from among so many worthy engineering achievements. I was encouraged by the exceptional contributions Canadian consulting engineers continue to make toward Can14

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September/October 2022

John T. Evers, Ph.D. Special guest judge John T. Evers is president and CEO of the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York (ACEC New York), an association of nearly 300 engineering and related firms. He has spent 30 years working in government, association management and legislative affairs. Prior to his current role, he was senior director of government affairs for the Business Council of New York State (BCNYS), responsible for construction, transportation, telecommunications, technology, contract procurement and manufacturing issues.

Peter Judd, P.Eng. Peter Judd earned his civil engineering degree from the University of British Columbia (UBC). He subsequently served as general manager (GM) of engineering for the city of Vancouver, overseeing 1,800 employees and a department that provided everything from public works planning and design to construction and maintenance, until he retired in 2015. He led many of the city’s green initiatives and spearheaded Olympic and Paralympic operations during the 2010 Winter Games.

Guy Mailhot, Eng., M.Eng. Guy Mailhot is a McGill University graduate (M.Eng. 1984), fellow of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (FCSCE) and fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada (FEIC). After working for 15 years for consulting firms in Vancouver and Montreal in bridge engineering, he joined the Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges in 1999 as principal director of engineering. Under a federal government exchange program, he has been on loan to Infrastructure Canada since 2012 as chief engineer for Montreal’s Samuel De Champlain Bridge Corridor.

Louise Millette, Eng., Ch.O.M., FEC, Ph.D. Louise Millette has been an associate professor at Polytechnique Montréal since 2002 and was chair of its civil, geological and mining engineering department until 2021. She proposed the school's first environmental policy and created its sustainable development office, which spearheaded efforts to obtain the Sustainability Tracking Assessment & Rating System’s (STARS’) gold accreditation in 2019. She is a knight of the Ordre de Montréal and fellow of Engineers Canada.

Steve Panciuk, P.Eng. Ottawa-based Steve Panciuk is senior vice-president (SVP) and national engineering professional lead for Marsh Canada’s construction practice, which provides expertise to clients with risks related to commercial and residential construction. With a civil engineering degree from Queen’s University and five years’ experience in heavy construction, he specializes in developing and implementing a national strategy for large design firms and single project errors and omissions in Canada and manages Marsh’s relationships with engineering associations.

Clive Thurston Based in Oakville, Ont., Clive Thurston has extensive experience in the construction industry, having worked as a superintendent, estimator, project manager and owner/ operator. He was a bylaw/ building official for the city of Brampton and chief building official for Prince Edward County before becoming president of the Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA), where his duties included promoting the industry and education and providing advice on contracts and supplementary conditions.

Judy Wall Judy Wall has been involved in developing, leasing and managing office and industrial buildings in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and New Brunswick for more than 35 years. A number of these have been ‘firsts’, including Canada’s first multi-tenant LEED-certified warehouse (in Dartmouth, N.S.), the first fully LEED-certified business park campus in Mount Pearl, N.L., and the first two Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) zero-carbon building (ZCB) certifications for multi-tenant industrial buildings, in Dartmouth.

Sarah Wells, P.Eng., Ph.D. Sarah Wells earned degrees in civil engineering at University of Waterloo. She is executive director of the Ottawa-based Transportation Association of Canada (TAC), which focuses on road and highway infrastructure and urban transportation. Over her career, she has led national transportation research projects and managed the development of numerous publications for transportation professionals. She has also been a sessional lecturer for graduate courses in civil engineering at Carleton University.

ccemag.com

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Transportation Schreyer Award and Award of Excellence

Calgary International Airport East Deicing Apron Stantec

Custom techniques and designs The EDA project comprises approximately 11 ha of airfield pavement, more than 1,000 m of specialized stormwater drainage infrastructure, the new apron covering an area of approximately 110,000 m2 south of the airport’s new terminal and an underground diversion structure that is more than 10 m deep and redirects glycol runoff for treatment. Two key points of innovation for this project stemmed from Stantec’s use of Autodesk’s Civil 3D engineering design and documentation software, which reduced the design effort by 200%, and from the firm’s stormwater modelling 16

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design, which reduced construction costs by more than $300,000. Stantec used an advanced technique that involved replicating a single grading design across all of the composite pads, while the grading design was undertaken with dual-lane concrete slipform pavers in mind, to minimize construction co-ordination. If the design required alteration, only one pad would need to be updated and the rest of the apron grading would be updated automatically. As a result, more than 110,000 m2 of concrete apron was completed within two weeks. Stantec also developed a three-dimensional (3-D) model of the 12 x 12 x 10-m diversion structure and invited the project team to walk through it in virtual reality (VR). The model included all process piping and electrical conduit connections around the diversion structure, the near-

by control building and the proposed excavation limit to build the structure. This allowed the team to visualize the size and details of the structure and inspired discussions regarding constructability. The stormwater modelling was based on historical intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves to predict the required pipe sizing for the conveyance system. When reviewing historical precipitation data for the deicing season from Environment Canada’s records, the team overlaid that information with the historically applied spent aircraft deicing fluid (ADF) volumes, so as to optimally size the EDA’s recycling piping design. This analysis was then transferred into a design tailored specifically for the EDA, which reduced the cost of the piping system compared to a design based on a 100-year storm event. By using parts of September/October 2022

PHOTO COU RT E SY STA N T EC

n 2018, WestJet and Air Canada indicated the need for a centralized deicing facility at Calgary International Airport (YYC). Due to growing demands of air traffic and wide-body aircrafts, existing at-gate deicing operations—which could take up to 40 minutes—were no longer viable for keeping the airport running efficiently. The Calgary Airport Authority engaged Stantec to design the east deicing apron (EDA) with a diversion structure to treat glycol runoff. This reduced average taxi times from 40 to 17 minutes, reinforced environmental stewardship and maintained consistent glycol containment. The EDA enables YYC to be self-sufficient in recycling spent glycol and removes the chemical treatment burden from Calgary's municipal government.

the diversion structure’s cells for storage, the pipe sizes were reduced upstream of that structure, which is what saved more than $300,000 in construction costs and significantly reduced the material procurement lead time as often seen with large pipe sizes. At the heart of the deicing facility’s recovery system is the diversion structure, which consolidates incoming contaminated stormwater from the deicing operation, then ‘intelligently’ diverts the runoff for recycling, treatment or discharge, depending on its glycol concentration. This multi-cell, intricate structure, designed specifically for YYC, contains two 750-mm actuator valves and a sampling system that helps direct the contaminated stormwater accurately to its respective compartments. Clean stormwater is discharged through this structure into Nose Creek, reducing the overall strain on the recycling and treatment systems at YYC. Tolerances and deadlines Apron grading criteria for aircrafts call for very tight tolerances, ideally between 0.5 and 1.0%. If the grade is too flat, it will not drain; if it is too steep, the aircraft will exhaust too much fuel to maneuver. For YYC’s EDA, this tolerance limit was coupled with a site-specific challenge, where grades are locked by all four sides of the facility. Stantec designed an apron that met all of the given criteria, but also built undisclosed tolerances into the grading, to account for the contractor potentially missing the tolerance target. Another challenge was a six-month construction deadline. The diversion structure required five months of construction, while the apron paving required three. To expedite the schedule, Stantec designed the grading with the paving plan in mind, while simultaneously working with the rest of the project team to plan that paving operation. The paving started on the north side as soon as underground infrastructure was completed and while the diversion structure was still under construction on the south side. This approach enabled the construction of the diversion structure to ccemag.com

start early to meet the deadline. The backfill of the structure was completed by the time the paving operation had reached the excavation limit of the structure. Sustainability objectives One of the main objectives of the EDA is to minimize the mixing of precipitation with glycol contamination. Ethelene glycol, a toxic, green chemical, makes up 88% of ADF’s composition. If ADF is allowed to mix with stormwater runoff and discharge into a nearby body of water, it depletes oxygen in the water stream, effectively killing living organisms. For this reason, Environment Canada’s mandate for the fluid’s discharge into nearby water bodies is limitedto 100 parts per million, a concentration of 0.01%. Stantec prepared five conceptual facility options for YYC and a consortium of airlines prior to commencing its full design process, so as to determine the most cost-effective and, more importantly, environmentally responsible solution. This process would ultimately reduce the would-be glycol-contaminated area from 55 hectares of the original apron to the 11 hectares of the EDA, achieving more than an 80% reduction in the catchment area. With further sustainability in mind, the Stantec team’s concrete apron design also involved a technology that injects precise dosages of recycled carbon dioxide (CO2) into fresh concrete during batching and mixing, so as to reduce its carbon footprint without compromising the its performance. The recycled CO2 content came from industrial sites in Fort St. John, B.C., and was mineralized during the concrete mixing process. With this carbon injection, the overall cement content within the concrete was lowered while still meeting the EDA’s strength requirements. The total carbon reduction achieved by this project was more than 259 tons, equivalent to 138 hectares of forest absorbing CO2 over the course of one year. In addition, as the facility manager operates fully electric deicing vehicles, which further reduce the airport’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the project team prepared electric vehicle (EV)

charging stations for 14 stalls. Saving time and money The Calgary Airport Authority’s objectives included keeping the capital budget low and completing the project by the 2019/2020 deicing season. All design elements were chosen with consideration for ease of operation and maintenance (O&M), such that staff training could be minimized to save time in advance of the deicing season. This philosophy of efficiency was carried beyond the proposed design, as the EDA also has the potential to be expanded and mirrored for added capacity in the future. Stantec and the Calgary Airport Authority studied the surrounding area and placed the diversion structure in the middle of the ultimate apron buildout. This arrangement means the grading design can be fully duplicated for future expansion and the stormwater conveyance system underneath the apron can be mirrored across the ultimate buildout. This ease of expansion will save a significant amount of design effort in the future, further reduce taxi time and improve the passenger experience. Stantec’s strategic civil design methodology proved a significant success in maintaining the project’s scope, shortening its schedule and minimizing its budget, as demonstrated through the associated fees. The engineering fee for the civil design was only about 0.27% of the civil construction cost, while the overall consulting fee—including full-time construction—is only about 2% of the total capital budget for the project, far below industry standards. In this sense, the team provided unbeatable value. Calgary International Airport East Deicing Apron, Calgary Award-winning firm (prime consultant): Stantec, Calgary. (Joseph Chen, P.Eng.; Dave Crawford, P.Eng.; Taha Lotia, P.Eng.; Bryce Pasiuk, P.Eng.; Michael Magas, C.E.T, M.E; Chad Zettel, C.E.T; Stephen Lee, B.Eng., M.Sc., P.Eng.; Murray Miller, C.E.T; Kevin Travis; Al Leskow) Owner: Calgary Airport Authority. Other key players: Autodesk, PCL Construction, Carbon Cure, Aéro Mag.

CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER

Natural Resources, Mining, Industry and Energy Engineering a Better Canada Award and Award of Excellence

Fort Severn First Nation Solar Array Hedgehog Technologies

A project revisited In 2016, FSFN hired a contractor to manage a solar project. Given the remote nature of the community and the corresponding complexity, including seasonal weather challenges, the contractor underestimated the project’s needs, exceeded the budget and had to be replaced. Hedgehog principal engineer Michael Wrinch, P.Eng., subsequently visited Fort Severn to learn about the unique aspects of local culture, foreseeable challenges and how to revive the project within the client's budget. The nature of the project involved several key stakeholders beyond FSFN, including Hydro One Remote Communities, the Electric Safety Authority of Ontario (ESA), the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO). Working with all of these parties, Hedgehog applied a risk-based project management approach to complete the 18

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deliverables. This approach included conducting studies, including a projection of annual power generation, and co-ordinating protective devices to ensure the solar array would not cause disruptions for the local utility. Through the dedication of each party, the once-abandoned project became a reality. Agile risk management Renewable energy system projects in remote regions are challenging to manage in terms of location, harsh weather conditions, availability of resources and communications. To navigate these challenges, Hedgehog adopted an innovative strategy that combined agile and riskbased project management. Compared to a typical resource-based project plan, where sequential steps are interdependent, agile risk management uses a standard list of objectives in conjunction with a regularly updated project

risk register. This allows for ‘sprints’ to address higher-risk activities—i.e. those that could result in technical, financial or indefinite delays and a failed project—and for real-time re-ordering of prioritization. (A medium-risk activity could cause significant delays or costly remediation, while a low-risk activity would be considered non-contentious and not change the project’s direction.) The agile risk management approach to project planning helped the team react to unpredictable events, such as severe weather impacts, the COVID-19 pandemic, equipment failure and major design modifications—while remaining on schedule and within budget. Challenging logistics Fort Severn is located close to the mouth of the Severn River, which spills into Hudson Bay. FSFN has relied on diesel generators to power its infrastructure, but September/October 2022

PHOTOS COU RT E SY H E D G E HO G T EC H NOLO G I E S

s protectors of a declining polar bear population in Northern Ontario, the Fort Severn First Nation (FSFN) has a vision for renewable energy to power its remote community. Part of this vision is a 300-kW solar array. Hedgehog Technologies led the project management, engineering and co-ordination of logistics. Community training programs were also developed to support maintenance of the project after its completion.

economic drivers are important to Fort Severn’s future. Further, the solar array is expected to generate savings between $250,000 to $350,000 annually, depending on the amount of available sunlight. Chief Burke recognizes the cost savings will provide more control over finances and he plans to invest them into the development of new homes across Fort Severn.

The e-house was installed during a blizzard.

without an all-season road, extreme weather conditions made it difficult to access essential goods, with a supply route shifting between ice road, barge and air cargo, depending on the season. With the added complexity of the COVID-19 pandemic, logistics played a defining role in the outcome of this project. Any miscalculations, shifting weather patterns or replacement components made the budget vulnerable to rising costs within the supply chain. In spring 2020, for example, a large crane was scheduled for shipment by barge across James Bay, to position an electrical house (e-house) near the solar installation. With an unusually extensive build-up of ice from the winter season, however, the barge was denied clearance to leave the port until the following year. Hedgehog devised a contingency plan for local excavators to pull the e-house into position. Any damage sustained to the structure would have been expensive to replace and would delay the project indefinitely. Hedgehog also performed a finite element analysis (FEA) to determine how temperature and friction could affect the e-house. This was important to confirm its structural weak points would withstand a lateral pull motion. Then, on the day of installation, as a blizzard reached Fort Severn, Hedgehog and the contractors at Bower Electric proceeded to drag ccemag.com

the e-house to its destination through the snowy terrain. Setting an example With its transition away from fossil fuels to solar power, FSFN has become a blueprint for other Indigenous communities to follow. For one thing, the project is proof that renewables can operate on microgrids, through which a First Nation community can independently manage its own energy needs. For another, FSFN improved its connection to the ecosystem and forged strong partnerships that were needed to make the project successful, while showing determination and perseverance in the face of logistical challenges. One key step was developing an operations and maintenance (O&M) program, including training, manuals and procedures. A community energy champion was trained as the local operator, who oversees repairs with Hedgehog’s support. Economic opportunities In collaboration with FSFN Chief Paul Burke, Hedgehog developed community training programs to teach local residents how to maintain and repair the solar array in the future. Through this initiative, new economic opportunities have emerged. One example is a young electrician, Owen Miles, who was designated the community energy champion to oversee the solar project after completion. Such

Environmental responsibility Fort Severn shares the wetlands of Hudson Bay with an at-risk polar bear population. Climate change is a major factor affecting the FSFN, whose members depend on trapping, fishing and hunting to thrive. The community recognizes wildlife as an important part of the ecosystem and takes pride in protecting polar bear dens during mating season. The completion of the solar array provides a sustainable energy source for Fort Severn and offsets its dependence on diesel generators. Specifically, the array is expected to displace up to 400,000 L of diesel on an annual basis, factoring in the additional costs of transporting barrels using cargo planes, ice roads or barge ships across changes in season. (It is also worth noting a barge previously sank on its route through James Bay. It contained food supplies, so its loss negatively affected the community, but had it been filled with barrels of fuel instead, it had the potential to be an environmental catastrophe.) FSFN took an innovative approach to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the use of solar energy. Next, Chief Burke wants to empower other remote First Nation communities across Canada to do the same.

Fort Severn First Nation Solar Array, Fort Severn, Ont. Award-winning firm (project manager and electrical engineering group): Hedgehog Technologies, Burnaby, B.C. (Michael Wrinch, PhD, P.Eng, PMP; Charles Lewthwaite, EIT, EMIT) Owner: Fort Severn First Nation (FSFN). Other key players: Canadian Solar, Enerquest Services, Bower Electric.

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Natural Resources, Mining, Industry and Energy Tree for Life Award and Award of Excellence

Blatchford District Energy System Phase 1 Associated Engineering

A broad mandate AE supported design, construction and operation planning for Blatchford’s energy system. The firm provided ownership and operations delineation, builder design guidelines, maintenance and operations guides, infrastructure and controls design, stakeholder engagement, regulatory review, end-user pricing analysis (i.e. rate setting) and GHG reductions analysis. Review and feedback bodies included the city’s finance department, city council, public and private stakeholder committees and third-party technical reviewers. This joint approach helped ensure the cityowned and -operated community would serve a broad mandate, addressing climate change while balancing technical, financial and social needs. 20

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Modular growth Edmonton’s vision for Blatchford is to accommodate up to 30,000 people in a sustainable community that uses 100% renewable energy, is carbon-neutral, significantly reduces its ecological footprint and empowers more sustainable lifestyle choices. As the largest application of an ambient-temperature energy distribution system in Canada, the design features: interconnected nodes of centralized heat pumps, which distribute ambient temperature water to heat pumps in each building; the integration of renewable and low-GHG energy sources, such as geoexchange (i.e. transferring heat from and to the ground), sewer heat exchange, auxiliary boilers, cooling towers and a solar photovoltaic (PV) array; and the sharing of energy between those buildings rejecting heat and those requiring it. The system is also modular, as the neighbourhood is being built out in stages over 25 years. The heat pump nodes allow flex-

ibility for connected additional energy sources over time. The first phase Phase 1 involves a nearly 3-km long ambient-temperature (approximately 10 C) high-density polyethylene (HDPE) distribution pipe system (DPS), featuring supply/ return fusion-welded piping up to 600 mm in diameter. The DPS is largely collocated with other major utilities. Most of the renewable energy for heating and cooling in the first phase comes from a ground-coupled heat exchanger (GHX). Geoexchange test drilling and conductivity testing were completed to develop a site-specific 570-borehole field design. The holes were drilled 150 m beneath a naturalized stormwater retention pond. As the neighbourhood continues to grow, the number of boreholes will increase to 2,100. Subsequent phases will also use heat from sewer water that otherwise would be wasted. September/October 2022

PHOTO COU RT E SY A S S O C I AT E D E NG I N E E R I NG

fter the 2013 closure of Edmonton’s city centre airport, the municipal government sought to develop an environmentally friendly community in the area. Associated Engineering (AE) collaborated with the city to design the Blatchford neighbourhood’s district energy sharing system. Powered by renewable energy for heating, cooling and hot water, it will be the largest system of its kind in Canada, with homes using heat pumps to share unused energy, thus reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Blatchford’s energy strategy was developed around three key pillars that increase resiliency while minimizing emissions: conservation, efficiency and renewables. Sustainable by design, the project looks set to serve as a model for the future.

The first phase had to be commissioned before homes were occupied. In addition to the DPS and GHX field, it includes a 3-MW plant—dubbed Energy Centre One (pictured, p. 12)—with solar panels. Commissioning of the energy system was completed in 2019 and Energy Centre One opened with an initial 1-MW capacity, using the GHX field as its renewable energy source. High-temperature geoexchange systems, as their name suggests, require distribution at a temperature high enough to meet the most demanding load, e.g. domestic hot water. Blatchford’s system allows for more flexibility. Homeowners use water-to-air heat pumps to provide space heating and cooling and water-to-water heat pumps to provide in-floor radiant heat and domestic hot water. This arrangement helps minimize energy use and costs. Maintaining the project’s tight schedule was critical, as subdivision development

was progressing while Energy Centre One was being constructed. An energy transition hub Edmonton is home to nearly one million residents and there are plans to double its population. A changing climate, however, creates new demands for infrastructure, urban density, public transit and preparation for extreme weather events. Blatchford showcases a possible future by using sustainable energy efficiently. Its strategy commits to higher building standards and will reduce GHG emissions from buildings by about 75% in comparison to a typical Edmonton neighbourhood. At its full buildout of 12,000 townhomes, the community expects to reduce emissions by about 30,000 tonnes annually. Blatchford’s district energy sharing system began serving residential customers in September 2020. Current projections sug-

gest the system will eventually produce more than 90% of its thermal energy output using a combination of renewable heat exchange technologies. As a model for future developments, the Blatchford neighbourhood will showcase a carbon-neutral, cold climate, urban community in Canada, powered by shared, renewable energy.

Blatchford District Energy System Phase 1, Edmonton Award-winning firm (prime consultant): Associated Engineering, Edmonton. (Owen Mierke, P.Eng.; Ruben Arellano, P.Eng.; Aaron McCartie, P.Eng.; Nicole Scherer; Jermyn Wong, P.Eng.; Kevin Darrach, P.Eng.; Scott Friel, P.Eng.; Sean McInroy, P.Eng.). Owner: City of Edmonton. Other key players: Pinchin (mechanical engineering), ONPA Architects (architecture), Cimco Refrigeration (heat pump).

Congratulations to all Award Winners!

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2022-10-07 9:42 AM

Special Projects Ambassador Award and Award of Excellence

Gordie Howe International Bridge Environmental Management Program AECOM

disciplines and provides a mechanism to manage and monitor all environmental works. It assures agencies, stakeholders and the public that WDBA will meet its environmental commitments throughout design and construction. AECOM’s environmental responsibilities for the project have included facilitating interagency and interdisciplinary consultation and co-ordination, securing permits and obtaining approvals from key federal,

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provincial, state, regional and local agencies. Multidisciplinary management Used during design and construction to mitigate environmental impacts and ensure regulatory compliance, the EMS involves monthly reporting to WDBA and discipline-specific management and monitoring plans that address site, project and regulatory details from several jurisdictions. An interdisciplinary environ-

mental management plan (EMP) provides the framework. The EMP includes customized checklists that were communicated to design leads early and monitored throughout the project for seamless integration and to minimize changes. Comprehensive constraint maps were developed for both countries to characterize environmental features. Environmental obligation matrices were created to ensure regulatory and project agreement commitments were incorporSeptember/October 2022

PHOTO COU RT E SY A ECOM

ECOM, as a member of Bridging North America (BNA) and working on behalf of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), is lead designer for the $5.7-billion Gordie Howe International Bridge project. At 2.5 km long and with a main span of 853 m, the structure itself will be the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America and one of the largest in the world. Within the scope of its assignment, AECOM developed a cross-border environmental management system (EMS) to meet both Canadian and American regulatory requirements and integrate with the project’s quality, health, safety, security and sustainability systems. This is one of the first public-private partnership (P3) projects in Canada to achieve International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001:2015 certification. The program includes 40 environmental plans in 10

ated into plans and procedures. These matrices outline requirements and define how they will be managed through training, monitoring, inspections, audits and 22 discipline-specific environmental management and mitigation plans (EMMPs) that specify roles, responsibilities, authorities, competencies, resources, equipment, procedures, operational controls, compliance, mitigation, notifications, reporting and record-keeping. The EMMPs cover: • Air quality – Controlling fugitive emissions generated during construction and addressing ongoing air-quality monitoring. • Noise and vibration – Monitoring and addressing pre-construction, construction and post-construction noise and vibration levels for sensitive receptors and providing procedures to support compliance with relevant guidelines. • Hazardous material and waste management and spill prevention and response – Addressing the use and handling of materials to manage and reduce risks to human health and the natural environment during construction. • Sediment and erosion control, groundwater, dewatering and excavated materials – Addressing sedimentation, erosion and contamination controls to protect the Detroit River and nearby resources. • Vegetation, invasive species, wildlife, species-at-risk (SAR) and aquatic resources – Providing information and protocols to protect aquatic and terrestrial species, contain and control weeds and minimize natural heritage ccemag.com

impacts during construction. • Archaeology and cultural heritage resources – Defining protocols if unanticipated archaeological materials or human remains are discovered during construction and outlining measures for protecting known cultural heritage resources. The project also incorporates environmentally sound innovations aimed at meeting Envision and LEED Silver requirements and prescribed energy targets during a 30-year operations and management (O&M) period. EMS technical reporting is interconnected among the project’s technical working groups (TWGs) through Autodesk’s BIM 360 construction management software platform, where field data is collected and made available in real time using collaboration tools like Bentley Systems’ ProjectWise, Microsoft’s SharePoint, Trimble’s e-Builder and the project’s own environmental performance trackers. These tools enable simultaneous interdisciplinary reviews to promptly identify issues, inform decision-making and ensure compliance throughout design and construction. A complex process Establishing the EMS was a complex process, as it needed to satisfy environmental regulations for Canada, the U.S., Ontario and Michigan. The project not only encompasses the bridge itself, but also the Canadian and U.S. ports of entry and Michigan’s I-75 Interchange. The EMS also follows requirements of various environmental assessments that were completed in the project’s planning stage, which spanned more than

a decade. Consolidation of these requirements was achieved through the obligations matrices. Given the complex regulatory nature of this international project, the audit program was intricate. To simplify and optimize the process, compliance audits were phased across the assessment period, with site tours scheduled to allow observations when the most relevant field activities were underway. Further, the design project team spans 36 offices, with more than 20 subconsultants and a globally dispersed team of more than 500. A TWG meetings plan was developed and implemented to ensure the environmental commitments were incorporated as design progressed. With the outbreak of COVID-19, the team quickly adapted to accommodate work from hundreds of home offices and implemented virtual audits to ensure there was no gap in the EMS implementation and associated compliance program. Community benefits Developing the transportation corridor in a socially and fiscally responsible fashion will support economic growth through tourism, trade and job creation. Federal, provincial, state, regional and local regulatory/ permitting agencies, other

stakeholders and the public all benefit from a project that meets environmental mitigation, permitting and other commitments. While the EMS regulates and monitors environmental impacts during construction and mitigates disruption to local communities, it also addresses areas of cultural significance. It involves archaeological studies, for example, to prevent impacts to cultural heritage resources. Between 2015 and 2019, a two-phase consultation approach was undertaken with Ontario and Michigan residents, Indigenous peoples, business owners and community and municipal leaders, resulting in more than 230 suggestions for community benefits. Priorities included workforce training strategies, community safety, esthetics, landscaping and community development.

Gordie Howe International Bridge Environmental Management Program, Detroit, Mich., and Windsor, Ont. Award-winning firm (lead designer): AECOM, Mississauga, Ont. (Gilian Opolko, BSc; Andrea Peak, PE; Brian Kennedy, AICP; Peter Byrne, P.Eng.). Owner: Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority. Other key players: Bridging North America (client), MDOT (WDBA project partner).

Experts in Measurement, Analysis & Control

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Buildings Ambassador Award and Award of Excellence

Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences Entuitive

A cultural cornerstone The roots of the project go back to 2011, when a group of citizens identified the need for a new performing arts space. This led to the formation of LEPAA to raise private funds to design and construct the US$158-million project and then to own and operate it. The building brought together the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Lubbock, touring productions and the Lubbock Independent School District (LISD) to provide student access. Shaped for success The theatre features an audience chamber with a large main level and three horseshoe-shaped balconies to enhance proximity to the stage. Steel rakers cantilever up to 10 m from columns behind the theatre’s back wall to allow unobstructed views. Vibration on the balconies was a major consideration, given the cantilever length of the rakers. To ensure audience comfort, 24

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Entuitive used the horseshoe shape to its advantage by adding a steel tension ring member near the front of the balcony. The shape of the balconies required bending each of the steel members for the risers to follow the curvature of the space. On the lower balconies, standard beam sections were used for the risers, but on the uppermost balcony, the height of the risers meant they were not practical. An innovative custom steel ‘Z’ profile was created— not only curved, but also varied in height to follow the profile of the seating—by bending angles for the top and bottom of the profile, then welding on a variable-height steel plate for the web. In the three-storey main lobby, the most striking element is the monumental stair,

which is more than 17 m tall and uses 130 tonnes of steel. The thin outer edge and glass guard contrast with the solid white plastered central spine, which supports stair treads that cantilever up to 4.2 m. To form the helical shape, the steel was flexed in two directions through induction bending. The long spans and slender profile were particularly vulnerable to vibrations from human activity. After finite element modelling and analysis, a tuned mass damper (TMD) was added on the second and third flights. The seen and the unseen To keep the lobby space column-free, a 41-tonne truss, spanning more than 45 m, September/October 2022

PHOTO BY CA S EY DU N N, COU RT E SY E N T U I T I V E

he Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences is a new venue in Lubbock, Texas, with two theatres, a multi-purpose room, a ballet studio and a bistro. Collaborating with the Lubbock Entertainment and Performing Arts Association (LEPAA), Entuitive’s structural engineers designed the building’s 2,297-seat Christine DeVitt main theatre and the main lobby, which features a monumental stair.

was introduced. Hangers extend down from the truss to support alternating bands of windows and cladding, plus a sloping roof that pushes out from the line. This roof is supported by columns along the curtain wall below, before cantilevering past to provide a sunshade to the curtain wall. Round, slender, architecturally exposed structural steel hangers emerge indoors from below the sloping roof and extend down to support one end of custom tapered steel plate girders at Level 2. These girders cantilever out 7.6 m to create the main entrance canopy. Targeting LEED Silver certification, the hall’s façade counters temperature fluctuations and significantly reduces cooling loads. Glass fibre-reinforced concrete fins contribute to shading the large expanse of curtain wall. One of the challenges for Entuitive was how to support undulating fins that are 1.5

m off the wall while giving them the appearance of floating. The solution was to fit a slender steel element within their profile, with sufficient strength to support the fin weight and stiffness to prevent wind-induced fluttering. Many steel sizes and profiles (e.g. circular and rectangular) were considered, but would not fit within the sleek architectural profile. Oval steel sections were chosen as the optimal shape for minimizing the

visibility of the supporting steel, providing the required strength and maintaining the architectural profile. The elements are supported by the sloping roof overhang above and vary in profile over their height, with three sections spliced together: a larger oval inside the fin and a smaller oval above and below it. The height of each architectural fin varies, so no two supporting steel elements are the same. The facility opened in January 2021.

Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences, Lubbock, Texas Award-winning firm (structural engineer): Entuitive, Toronto. (Barry Charnish, P.Eng.; Tom Greenough, P.Eng.; Laura Young, P.Eng.; Matt Smith, P.Eng.; Sean Smith, P.Eng., PE; Ian Trudeau, C.Tech; Raj Thavarajah, Dipl. Arch. Tech.). Owner: Lubbock Entertainment and Performing Arts Association. Other key players: Garfield Public/Private (developer), Diamond Schmitt (design architect), Parkhill (architect of record and civil engineer), MWM Architects (associate architect), Crossey Engineering (mechanical, electrical and plumbing), Jaffe Holden Acoustics (acoustics), Schuler Shook (theatre planner and consultant), Lee Lewis Construction (general contractor), Basden Steel (structural steel fabricator), Beck Steel (monumental stair fabricator).

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2022-09-29 3:55 PM

Buildings Award of Excellence

Wii Gyemsiga Siwilaawksat Student Building Morrison Hershfield

An integrated process The three-storey, 230,000-sf building replaces four aging student housing buildings. It features a cultural space, 108 student rooms, two visitor suites, an elder suite, two shared kitchens, two collaboration areas, a computer lab, an esports room, two shared kitchens and bike storage. The college selected a design-build team to deliver the volumetric modular and mass-timber hybrid student building in a fast-tracked 17-month schedule. The prime consultant, HCMA Architecture + Design, retained MH. The performance of the building envelope was verified by a blower door test conducted in compliance with ASTM E779, Standard Test Method for Determining Air Leakage Rate by Fan Pressurizatio. The final building envelope airtightness was measured at 0.25 L/s/m2 @ 75 Pa. 26

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By integrating MH’s energy consulting with façade-envelope design, a larger variety of options for achieving (and exceeding) the energy-performance threshold were available. Factory-built and site-built The project involved site-built hybrid structures and volumetric modulars with wood framing and metal-skinned structurally insulated panels (SIPs) for the floors and roofs. Air, vapour and moisture control detailing improvements were needed to integrate the SIPs with the conventional envelope system and co-ordinate various high-performance assemblies, to reduce thermal bridging between the site-built and factory-built construction.

Thermal component modelling was undertaken to determine assembly performance and overall thermal bridging impact for compliance with the energy model. The building envelope of the volumetric modulars was partially completed in a factory in Edmonton, then tied-in to the site-built steel and mass timber hybrid atrium structure and finished on-site. The cladding design repeats custom metal brake-shape profiles a pattern to form a closed-joint rainscreen system. Fabrication, sequencing and flashing details were developed on-site. An unconventional, site-specific foundation was constructed as an above-grade insulated void system for the residential-wing volumetric modulars and September/October 2022

PHOTO BY B RUC E DE N I S, COU RT E SY COA ST MOU N TA I N COL L EG E

he Wii Gyemsiga Siwilaawksat Student Building at Coast Mountain College in Terrace, B.C., integrates light wood-framed modular housing units with a site-built mass-timber central atrium. Morrison Hershfield’s (MH’s) energy modelling and airtightness testing resulted in a high-performing building envelope that contributes significantly to the residence being net-zero ready. It exceeds the minimum threshold of the BC Energy Step Code 4 energy-efficiency requirements in a particularly cold, northern coastal climate (Zone 6).

aligned to a raised slab on compacted fill for the central atrium area. Early co-ordination enabled a rapid start for volumetric modular manufacturing, which overlapped with on-site foundation construction. Reducing emissions The project featured many energy-saving and environmental measures, including the following: • a high-performance envelope with triple-glazed windows. • exterior wall thermal bridging reductions and efficient detailing (R-22.5 effective). • a minimum R-40 roof. • in-suite electric baseboards to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of natural gas. • ventilation air heat recovery in suites and the atrium. • natural and energy-efficient lighting.

Also, wood is a natural, renewable and sustainable construction material. The building combines wood-framed volumetric modulars and heavy timber to satisfy the BC Wood First Act. Rapid construction The design-build process was successfully delivered within a tight schedule using non-traditional construction. Air barrier terminations were pre-stripped in the modular manufacturing factory and tied-in

on-site. The atrium building and the entire shared foundation were constructed onsite before the modular components arrived. The residential corridors and stair cores were infilled afterwards. The site-specific foundation design enabled a rapid start to the construction, avoiding winter delays and fast-tracking approvals for the start of modular manufacturing. Once construction was completed, Wii Gyemsiga Siwilaawksat was able to welcome students in January 2022.

Wii Gyemsiga Siwilaawksat Student Building, Terrace, B.C. Award-winning firm (building envelope and energy modelling consultant): Morrison Hershfield, Burnaby, B.C. (Brett Pattrick, P.Eng.; Eric Wood; Voytek Gretka, P.Eng.; Stephen Wong, EIT). Owner: Coast Mountain College. Other key players: HCMA Architecture (prime consultant, architect), IDL Projects Inc. (design-build contractor), MODUS Structures (modular manufacturer), McAuley Architectural Consulting (code consultant), Scouten Engineering (structural), Interior Mechanical Consultants (mechanical), NRS Engineering (electrical), L&M Engineering (civil), GeoNorth Engineering (geotechnical), A&J Roofing (supplier), Competition Glass (supplier), Acadia Mechanical (supplier), Bryant Electric (supplier).

ENGAGING with our clients and communities helps us understand their sustainability goals, so we can provide balanced and resilient solutions.

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2022-09-29 10:39 AM

Buildings Award of Excellence

St. Andrew’s Wesley United Church Heritage Conservation and Seismic Upgrade RJC Engineers

Showing its age Designed by architects Twizell and Twizell, the church is a notable example in Western Canada of the gothic revival style traditional to Europe. Completed in 1933, it featured locally sourced materials (such as Nelson Island granite and Haddington Island stone), a soaring vaulted timber roof and French and Italian stained windows. Unfortunately, the stone-clad concrete structure suffered decades of wear, as the austerity measures of the Great Depression affected its long-term durability. As well, over time, recurring roof leaks negatively impacted interior plaster elements. Initially, the renovation project entailed a roof replacement. Once the extent of interior deterioration was determined, however, the scope of the project expanded to 28

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replacing all of the interior plaster surfaces. This presented an opportunity for a seismic upgrade. Concealing everything As a stand-alone Class A heritage building, St. Andrews was precluded from typical adaptive reuse schemes. A restoration-based conservation plan was necessary for the interior, as well as a clever approach to constructability to ‘conceal everything’ and maintain the heritage esthetic. Much of the work involved replicating

the existing finished-surface plane. New shell castings of the original plaster helped recreate the interior’s original appearance. Concrete overlays, steel drag struts and fibre-reinforced polymer wraps were thoroughly hidden. New cast plaster was anchored to the structure to prevent debonding. The upgraded structure was topped with a new copper roof, detailed to reflect the church’s heritage while increasing thermal performance. A façade stabilization program restored weathered mortar and added September/October 2022

PHOTO BY A DR I E N W I L L I A M S, COU RT E SY R JC E NG I N E E R S

JC Engineers led the renewal of St. Andrew’s Wesley United Church, a downtown Vancouver landmark. The structure was preserved through key improvements to seismic resiliency, building envelope durability, occupant safety and accessibility. Following a concerted heritage conservation process, the revitalized exterior reflects the building’s history and the restored interior renews its original glory for generations to come.

mechanical fastening to secure the exterior stone and terra cotta features. Structural challenges Considerable concrete in the original build was used as a fill material within a stone masonry construction. As such, many walls and columns lacked embedded reinforcing steel. A strict drift limit was applied to the building analysis, to minimize the effects on the unreinforced concrete elements. New thermal modelling and hidden mechanical systems were implemented to prevent excessive thermal bridging through hidden structural steel in the roof deck. The bell tower lacked an effective foundation to resist overturning. Judiciously applied structural steel and concrete resulted in a moderately ductile design, fully restraining all of the stone and terra cotta features while leaving room for the bells. Modern touches A bespoke plan was needed for the church to continue to be a significant community fixture. Adam James, principal at Ryder Architecture, described the process as “using a 21st-century skill set to analyze and facilitate remediation and upgrades to retain the building’s heritage value for the next hundred years.”

Among the decisions during design was to create a new functional space plan for the main sanctuary. This included replacing the original pews with chairs for a more flexible layout for community functions, weddings and concerts. Changes also included renovations to meeting and multi-purpose rooms to accommodate additional programming needs, accessibility improvements (such as ramps) and upgrades to audio/visual (AV) systems. Sustainable and resilient The uncovering of the 1930s building also opened several opportunities to improve the church’s environmental impact. The design team worked to discover where sustainability and resiliency upgrades could be applied. Resiliency reduces the future need to invest more embodied carbon into repairs and replacements. The roof, for example, was restored with copper, a 100% recyclable material with indefinite service life, and a high-performance assembly to achieve airtightness and significantly reduce heating and cooling demands. The seismic and structural upgrading, meanwhile, is expected to achieve earthquake resiliency similar to that of buildings constructed today with life-safe perform-

ance, thereby reducing repair and downtime costs should the church be subject to the design earthquake in the current National Building Code of Canada (NBCC). While extensive use of reinforced concrete was necessary for seismic resiliency, this embodiment of energy and carbon is offset by the project’s 100-year design service life. The renewal of this significant civic and architectural landmark both celebrates the church’s rich history and ensures its longterm future through substantial improvements to seismic resiliency, building envelope performance, occupant safety and accessibility, “navigating the complexity of the project and delivering a beautiful result that the church can be immensely proud of,” according to the church’s executive director, Diane Mitchell.

St. Andrew’s Wesley United Church Heritage Conservation and Seismic Upgrade, Vancouver Award-winning firm (prime consultant): RJC Engineers, Vancouver. (Michael Maclean, P.Eng.; Dennis Gam, P.Eng.; Julia Halipchuk, P.Eng.). Owner: St. Andrew’s Wesley United Church. Other key players: Ryder Architecture (architect), Heatherbrae Builders (construction manager), Donald Luxton & Associates (heritage), AME Group (mechanical), AES Engineering (electrical/ lighting), GHL Consultants (code), BKL Consultants (acoustics), MC Squared (audio/visual), GeoPacific (geotechnical).

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2019-06-24 1:26 PM

Buildings Award of Excellence

Unité de Stérilisation Mobile pour le CISSS des Laurentides gbi

e Centre Intégré de Santé et de Services Sociaux (CISSS) des Laurentides selected gbi to design Quebec’s first mobile medical device reprocessing unit, a first in Quebec. The project included an installation at l’Hôpital de Mont-Laurier, followed by a move and an installation at l’Hôpital de Saint-Jérôme.

Logistical challenges The number of modules had to be reduced to ensure the mobility of the 1,600-sf unit. (In a hospital, a URDM usually occupies 2,500 to 3,000 sf.) The layout was designed to limit the piping and equip30

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ment having to cross the joints in the mechanical room. Electrification also posed a logistical challenge. With part of the roof and a false ceiling being separate modules, the conduits could not run to junction boxes vertically. So, a horizontal band was reserved at the top. Each of the ducts stops before the vertical joint where a box is installed. This allows the wiring to be rolled up and limits access traps. The mobile unit offered a more economical solution than renting temporary, safe, suitable spaces for sterilization or bringing over a trailer from the U.S. with the same types of systems (and which would not necessarily be adapted to local operating methods). During the unit’s first stop in Mont-Laurier, more than 10,000 medical devices were sterilized and reprocessed. The unit’s components will probably be used for at least 15 years.

Unité de stérilisation mobile pour le CISSS des Laurentides, Mont-Laurier, Que. Award-winning firm (mechanical/electrical engineer): gbi, Montreal (Alexandre Blain, P.Eng.; Alexandre Desmeules-Gagnon, P.Eng.; Sahar Benalem, P.Eng; Louis Mercier-Desjardins, CPI). Owner: Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) des Laurentides. Other key players: CDLL Architectes (architecture), DWB Consultants (structural engineering), Getinge (washer-decontaminators and sterilizers), Class1 (air compressor instrumentation), Spirax Sarco (vapour exchanger and components).

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Flexibility and compatibility The project involved fitting out sterilization equipment to increase capacity for hospitals that lack sufficient space or during repairs. The mandate included installing the mobile unité de retraitement des dispositifs médicaux (URDM) at two such hospitals. It was necessary to ensure flexibility and compatibility for the building’s components. Flange joints were installed on the piping, at the intersection of each module, for protection during the move. Pure water and instrumentation air were produced inside the unit to current standards for quality and pressure, respectively. A ventilation unit was installed, capable of ensuring a high level of dehumidification and a high air-conditioning (A/C) load. Relative humidity is particularly important in a sterile area; if it rises above 60%, medical devices may need to be re-sterilized. And most medical appliances generate steam in large quantities. The direction of the airflow was also an important issue. Its tightness had to allow the circulation of sterile to clean to dirty air. Therefore, the only connections to the building are for drainage, domestic water supply, steam and electricity with a general point provided for control and fire alarm. The team decided to install an addressable alarm system with connection points to the existing building via addressable transmission and control modules, so the unit could connect to any panel in a flexible and mobile fashion. The independent control panel is supervised by a binary signal (general alarm), while the controller with display, also independent, is inside the unit.

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Buildings Award of Excellence

Fast + Epp Home Office Building Fast + Epp

Building blocks The building uses hybrid mass timber and steel to demonstrate efficiency, cost-effectiveness and sustainable construction. The lateral design of the four-storey structure features Tectonus devices installed at the base of cross-laminated timber (CLT) shear walls and within steel-braced frames—a first for North America. These act as shock absorbers during an earthquake, providing energy dissipation and damping, and can snap back to their original position once shaking ends. The Tectonus connectors undergo no damage, allowing for immediate return to occupancy after a significant earthquake. View glass, meanwhile, eliminates the need for blinds and associated cleaning and maintenance. As sun exposure changes throughout the day, proprietary View Intelligence control software dynamically optimizes the tint of each window using a low-voltage current. The transition between varying tint levels enables these windows to control glare and solar heat gain, while maximizing natural light and views. To further maximize light and views to the exterior, glued laminated timber (glulam) beams are supported on the west side by slender steel hollow structural section 32

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(HSS) columns. Generous glazing and the smart-glass technology allow ample daylighting of the mass-timber interiors, reduce energy consumption and improve ambiance. Concept Lab is a research and development (R&D) space, on the ground floor and half of the second floor, for design professionals, academia and industry associations, focused on structural design, construction methods and architecture. The space provides access for Fast + Epp staff to brainstorm and develop concepts, a full shop to fabricate models, prototypes and mock-ups, a 100,000-lb loading frame for structural testing and digital suites to develop design visualizations, software and tools. Keeping it simple Shoehorning 1,400 m2 of permissible area into a tight site entailed planning challen-

ges, but collaboration between Fast + Epp and f2a Architecture yielded a four-storey building with generous daylighting at the north, south and west sides, ample balcony space arising from setbacks at the north and south end of the fourth floor and a two-storey central atrium connecting the third and fourth floors, all above a single-storey underground parking level. Many prefabricated timber and hybrid timber-steel panel options were considered for the floor construction. Simplicity won out with the choice to use glulam beams clear-spanning 12 m, at 3-m spacing, supporting CLT floor panels. The beams were designed with 608-mm depth to satisfy strength requirements while pushing the limits on vibration performance. An extensive testing program using accelerometers was established to ascertain the impact of various building elements on the performSeptember/October 2022

PHOTO COU RT E SY FA ST + E PP

onsulting engineering firm Fast + Epp’s four-storey home office building serves as a ‘living laboratory,’ with new ideas and technologies being tested both during construction and throughout the life of the building. With an emphasis on employee wellness and productivity, the building combines the latest sustainable design strategies.

ance of mass-timber floors. The floor structure consists of three-ply CLT panels, with 105-mm thickness at floor levels and 87-mm at the roof. A timber beam and panel ceiling remains exposed over the majority of the floor, with mechanical, electrical and sprinkler services carefully located to ensure a clean and tidy expression of the building’s systems. The entire superstructure was erected by Seagate Mass Timber within four weeks. Environmental measures CLT is utilized extensively throughout the building for the floor plates, stairwells and elevator cores and firewall. Wood from across Western Canada was chosen specifically for its embodied carbon attributes. The comparison of global warming potential (GWP) for the different assembly groups indicates reductions across all elements for a timber building, most significantly in the walls and floors. In total, the timber superstructure design produces less than half the CO2 emissions of concrete. Floor-to-ceiling glazing maximizes views and daylighting, but to reduce glare and control temperatures for occupants close to the building perimeter, the options are to introduce solid wall elements or shading. To get the best of both worlds and keep visibility as a ‘must-have’ design feature, the choice was made to use electrochromic glass in a curtain wall assembly. Combined with natural ventilation, the View dynamic glass enables a reduction in cooling requirements and, thus, energy and maintenance costs. The annual energy savings are expected to be around $5,000.

An inspirational hub The project represents a new approach to commercial buildings and employee well-being, offering a key opportunity to showcase and test contemporary hybrid mass-timber office construction and seismic dampening technology.

With a balance between structural simplicity, innovative technology and the warmth of exposed wood, Fast + Epp hopes its new home in the heart of Vancouver will serve as an inspirational hub of activity, where engineering design and idea generation will flourish.

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Fast + Epp Home Office Building, Vancouver Award-winning firm (structural engineer): Fast + Epp, Vancouver. (Paul Fast, P.Eng., Struct.Eng., P.E., F.I.Struct.E., IngKH (de), Hon. AIBC; Tobias Fast, P.Eng., P.E., M.A.Sc.; Carla Dickof, P.Eng., M.A.Sc.). Owner: Fast + Epp. Other key players: f2A Architecture (architect), GHL Consultants (building codes), HCMA Architecture + Design (interior design), Structurlam (CLT), Western Archrib (glulam), View Glass (glazing), Solid Rock Steel (steel), Tectonus (seismic technology), Seagaten Mass Timber (mass timber), Companion Construction (contractor).

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2022-10-04 1:09 PM

Transportation Award of Excellence

Crowchild Trail Bow River Bridge Widening and Rehabilitation

ssociated Engineering’s (AE’s) design for rehabilitating and widening Calgary’s Crowchild Trail Bow River Bridge enhances the functionality, safety and useful life of the structure. The cost-effective, sustainable project reused the existing structure, reducing demolition, limiting waste and protecting the river, while a complex traffic staging plan mitigated interruption to commuters, railways and businesses. An alternative strategy Crowchild Trail is Calgary’s busiest corridor, connecting people, goods and services from Glenmore Trail to 16th Avenue. The bridge, one of a few to cross the Bow River, was built in 1968. After 50 years of service, it was severely deteriorated. The municipal government considered options for replacement, some of which were projected at more than $1 billion and required the expropriation of several blocks of homes. Instead, the city engaged AE to rehabilitate the bridge, making it wider and safer by adding a full traffic lane in each direction. This strategy, which included ramp reconfigurations, would restore the structural integrity of the substructure, increase capacity and improve the functionality of the interchange. AE suggested construction could be 34

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completed without interrupting traffic service or the nearby Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway tracks, eliminating the need for a temporary structure and additional investment over two years of construction. To accommodate the increase in rolling surface and an extra girder-line on each side

of the bridge, the project team explored ways to expand the deck, strengthen the piers and modify the load path transfer to the existing piers and abutments, in an effort to rearticulate the entire structure. They recommended tying piers together horizontally using encapsulation, redistributing load using existing infrastructure. The river piers were supported by a spread footing on bedrock. The foundations were in good condition, sufficient to sustain added weight. The pier caps, however, needed to be longer, wider and deeper to accommodate the additional girder-lines. To accomplish this, the pier caps were tied in using reinforced concrete. The original pier caps were encapsulated into the new widened pier caps. This provided enough strength and horizontal stability to accommodate interface shear. The load from the pier caps is redistributed vertically down the pier shaft before arriving on the foundations. South of the river, two piers were piled into bedrock and four were founded on spread footings. All of the land-based piers were encapsulated from the pile foundation to the underside of the deck at the pier caps. The spread footing was dug out and piles were added before encapsulating the foundation. Pile caps were also encapsulated. The encapsulated shell provides sufficient September/October 2022

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Associated Engineering

strength to support the full load of the widened structure. AE designed safety improvements for all modes of transportation, including new lighting for pedestrians, increased shoulder widths a new median and side single-slope barriers. Intermediate diaphragms were extended and are now architectural features. The project has extended the bridge’s service life for another 30-plus years and, at $27.5 million, saved hundreds of millions of dollars compared to replacement. The bridge widening enabled the realignment of the intersection of 10 th Avenue and Bow Trail and the relocation of the Memorial Drive exit ramps. ‘Untangling’ the existing ramps and lengthening the weave distance substantially improved safety. The original infrastructure included unfavourable merge lanes and ramps that created

gridlock and increased risk of collisions. The bridge’s rehabilitation and widening were complicated by six power transmission ducts built into its deck. The high-voltage lines inside these ducts provided a large portion of southwest Calgary’s power supply. Working with the utility, Enmax, AE designed and built a new duct alignment into the widened section of bridge deck. To allow for bearing replacement, AE developed a bridge jacking strategy that accommodated traffic loads and allowable stresses in the ducts due to deflection. Construction sequencing was planned down to the hour. Services to nearby amenities and businesses remained uninterrupted, heavy traffic was safely accommodated with 3.3-m wide lanes and the number of available lanes was never reduced during construction. As Calgary’s population has more than

doubled in the last 50 years, the bridge struggled to handle the increased traffic demand. This project marked the first combined widening and rehabilitation of any major in-service bridge in Alberta’s history.

Crowchild Trail Bow River Bridge Widening and Rehabilitation, Calgary Award-winning firm (prime consultant): Associated Engineering, Calgary (Jim Zagas, RET, P.L. (Eng.); David Nagy, P.Eng.; Jonathan Wiens, P. Eng., PMP; Peter Grant, B.E. (Civil), PMP; Mitch Koepke, P.Eng.; David Harvey, M.Sc., P.Eng., Struc. Eng., FEC; Simon Cook, P.Eng.; Howard Chu, P.Eng.; Tijana Vulic, P.Eng.; Christel Lope, C.E.T.). Owner: City of Calgary. Other key players: Thurber Engineering (subconsultant), Graham Construction (contractor), ISL Engineering and Land Services, LaFarge (girders, concrete, asphalt), LCL-Bridge Products Technology (bridge bearings).

Celebrating 65 years of Building Canada with great people and great ideas. Thurber Engineering Ltd. is proud to have delivered the geotechnical services for Hwy 1 at Keith/Seymour Interchange and Lynx Creek Connectivity, the Crowchild Trail Bow River Bridge Widening and Rehabilitation, and the United Boulevard Recycling and Waste Centre. Congratulations to this year’s CCE award recipients. colours:

PMS 2756

www.thurber.ca

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2022-09-16 9:20:30 AM 35 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER 2022-09-19 12:15 PM

Transportation Award of Excellence

Adapting Infrastructure in the Face of Extreme Weather Tetra Tech

Proactive planning The highway is both a gateway and lifeline to the north. PSPC’s foundational responsibility in managing this transportation corridor is establishing the most cost-effective way to continue supplying the needs of Alaska’s population. This involves significant proactive planning to reduce the risk of supply chain disruptions and the isolation of local communities. As such, Tetra Tech’s methodology calculated the societal cost of a failure of each asset in its existing condition, the societal benefit of added resiliency and the construction cost of that added resiliency. A washout of an under-capacity culvert, for example, carries a much higher monetized consequence of failure than simply the cost of the culvert itself, as it can result in a road closure for several days or weeks. If such an event were to occur, the impact on the movement of 36

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goods and services through the transportation corridor could be catastrophic, with the resulting detours increasing travel distances by more than 1,000 km. Developing a novel approach Tetra Tech derived the project solution by working backward from the final objective. The team devised a methodology whereby the costs and benefits of improving the resiliency of the highway assets could be determined in such a way that these improvements could compete equitably for funding with other potential improvements. The approach, a first-of-its-kind implementation relating to transportation corridors, combined monetized risk-and-reliability with a climate change vulnerability asset management program. The project was delivered by a team of 10 specialists within the fields of climate science, hydrotechnical engineering, geotechnical engineering, geographic information system (GIS) analysis, highway design and construction and asset management engineering. For the client, the outcome provided a credible and defendable means for justifying capital expenditure decision making. September/October 2022

PHOTOS COU RT E SY T ET R A T EC H

ritish Columbia’s Alaska Highway is the primary transportation corridor connecting the contiguous U.S. with Alaska. It is of high strategic importance, providing a critical link to the north. The 900-km corridor travels through several ecological regions, crosses five mountain summits and runs alongside portions of several major rivers. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) teamed with Tetra Tech to develop a multidisciplinary study to evaluate the vulnerability of corridor assets against the potential effects of climate change. The project required an innovative approach for compiling and assessing the variety of asset components (based on type, location and condition). And then that approach had to be interwoven with a multifaceted decision-making schema to define the level of an asset’s climate resiliency risk, quantify all of the risks and weight them against social and economic drivers. The study included the evaluation of 410 large culverts across 361 sites, 74 geotechnical hazards and the 24 bridges within the corridor.

Project tasks included assessing the condition of 410 large culverts across 361 sites.

The approach adopted and expanded on the methodology documented in the vulnerability assessment and adaptation framework developed by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and built upon on a method previously developed by Tetra Tech and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Establishing the costs of adding resiliency (e.g. greater capacity and protection) is straightforward, but establishing a societal cost of current and potentially increasing vulnerability, due to increasing frequency of extreme weather, is more complicated. The latter involves determining the likelihood of asset failure due not only to the increased probability of extreme events, but also to natural deterioration over a long-term planning horizon (in this case, 60 years). The method was grounded on risk-based asset management fundamentals. The approach incorporated a means for assessing and forecasting the probability of failure for each individual asset and then assessed that failure’s consequence in dollars. When applied to all of the Alaska Highway transportation assets, this approach provided a quantitative cost benefit or risk measure, without any of the bias that often influences such decision making. The outcome was a detailed priority ranking, where asset replacement was categorized by benefit cost, allowing for a genuinely optimal asset management plan. While this approach addressed many of the unique characteristics of the Alaska Highway corridor, the same principles can be applied to any asset network, anywhere else in the world. The project involved: • data gathering from disparate sources, assembled into a GIS. • mass delineation of watersheds through GIS-based drainage modelling applications for the purposes of hydraulic modelling and evaluation of more than 400 drainage structures. • geotechnical evaluations. • developing up to five increased resiliency adaptations and associated costs for each asset class. • developing software to complete the multi-strategy 60-year lifecycle cost analysis. Calculating environmental benefits Building resilience against the impacts of climate change requires technical assessments and the development of solutions within policy and programming at regional and local levels, so as to improve the ability to handle more frequent and severe weather events. In calculating the reduction in societal costs achieved through added resiliency, the potential for reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions was one of the benefits to be quantified.

If a road segment is closed, for example, there will be increased user delays and/or detours, in addition to the costs of reinstating the lost infrastructure. The construction, delay and detour activities all generate GHGs through fuel consumption. Tetra Tech quantified and monetized these increased GHGs in its economic analysis of risk reduction. Uncalculated environmental benefits are also accrued in the form of protection of downstream habitat, reduced turbidity, etc., that are intrinsic to the reduction in probability of a washout event. When assets last longer and perform better, they limit the need for future replacement and restoration, thereby reducing the consumption of natural resource and construction materials.

Adapting Infrastructure in the Face of Extreme Weather, Alaska Highway, B.C. Award-winning firm (prime consultant): Tetra Tech, Vancouver. (Gary St. Michel, P.Eng.; David Moschini, P.Eng.; Albert Leung, M.A.Sc., P.Eng., PE; Travis Miguez, B.Sc., P.Met.; Afzal Waseem, M.A.Sc., P.Eng.; Gordon Fung, P.Eng.; Chironjeev Kanjilal, B.Sc., B.Mus.; Mark Aylward-Nally, P.Eng.; Matt Keleher, B. Eng., EIT). Owner: Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC). Other key players: Paul Frame, P.Eng., PSPC (chief engineer, Alaska Highway).

Leading with Science® to improve people’s lives

Tetra Tech is proud to have worked with Public Service Procurement Canada on the CCE award winning, first-of-its-kind, climate change vulnerability assessment of infrastructure assets on the Alaska Highway. tetratech.com CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER

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2022-10-03 11:14 AM

Transportation Award of Excellence

Highway 1 Keith Road / Mt. Seymour Parkway Interchange McElhanney

An alternative solution MoTI’s greatest need was to complete the project within a constrained timeline to meet the funding requirements of three levels of government. During conceptual design of the Lower Lynn Improvement Program, the project came up against strong public and political pressure, as some partners felt $150 million in funding did not go far enough to resolve congestion. Instead, they believed an eight-lane collector-distributor arrangement was needed, estimated to cost more than $265 million. 38

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McElhanney assessed an alternative solution to meet stakeholder needs while maintaining the schedule and reducing the cost. Within three months, the firm developed a $198-million plan that was unanimously approved by all stakeholders, funding partners and local First Nations, saving the provincial government $67 million while maintaining the program schedule. Key strategies McElhanney’s key strategy was shortening the design schedule from 15 to six months. The time saved provided an additional construction season to ensure the project was completed by its deadline. To accomplish this, McElhanney had three bridge and three highway design teams work simultaneously, in parallel and integrated with geotechnical, drainage, hydrotechnical, utilities, active transporta-

tion and multi-use path teams. Environmental specialists secured regulatory permits within four months, enabling MoTI to release an advance works package to install bridge piles and riprap in Lynn Creek during the in-stream fisheries work window, one year ahead of its own expectations. All four bridge sites along Highway 1 had liquefiable soils in areas of high seismicity. Pile foundations with consideration of liquefaction and lateral deformation were required for the Lynn Creek bridges. Geotechnical and structural engineers collaborated to incorporate springs in the overall structural model to simulate and estimate the lateral behaviour of the bridge and piles under seismic hazards. In addition, cast-in-place parapets on the Lynn Creek structure retrofit added 30 years to its service life and allowed for simplified traffic detouring during construction. September/October 2022

PHOTO COU RT E SY MC E L H A N N EY

he Highway 1 Keith Road/ Mt. Seymour Parkway Interchange Project and Lynn Connectivity Creek Improvement Program has addressed congestion, road safety and connectivity for Vancouver’s North Shore communities. At $98 million, it is one of the largest and most complex design-bidbuild projects British Columbia’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) has ever undertaken. Part of the larger $198 million Lower Lynn Improvement Program, the project was developed to reduce public frustration over one of the province’s busiest sections of highway. McElhanney had to overcome the challenge of working within a suburban, constrained corridor, including fish-bearing habitat, parks, residences and commercial properties. The firm delivered the project for MoTI through innovative design and scheduling strategies and added environmental and active transportation benefits.

To mitigate the differential settlement of geotechnically challenging soils, the project was constructed in a staged manner, with the approach fills built early on, allowing traffic to be detoured onto the new bridges and highway for one to two years before the top lift asphalt was installed. This provided additional ‘insurance’ for the province; should additional settlement occur, the top lift paving would smooth out any differential settlement. The result is a smooth highway, resilient for the long term. The project also included multi-use paths, a pedestrian tunnel and sound walls incorporating artwork from local Indigenous artists. A range of benefits McElhanney used a regional transportation model to determine traffic time savings for highway and municipal road users, but also

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built a project-specific model with PTV Vissim traffic simulation software to test operations, develop the proof of concept and optimize the detailed design, providing the most efficient geometry. Through co-ordination with North Vancouver’s new Phibbs Exchange, McElhanney worked to add bus bays at the exchange and increase transit access along the corridor to further reduce traffic congestion. With the addition of 3.5 km of new bike paths, sidewalks, trails and other active transportation features along the corridor, cyclists, pedestrians and transit users would all enjoy increased access. McElhanney also prepared the general arrangement and design of sound walls to reduce noise impacts for residents, while beautifying the space. The walls use a mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) retainer that blends into surrounding nature.

Through upgrades to ramps with widened shoulders, as well as the development of a collector-distributor road system within the context of multiple closely spaced highway interchanges, the corridor is expected to achieve a 25 to 45% reduction in collisions, improving overall safety. Highway 1 Keith Road / Mt Seymour Parkway Interchange, Vancouver Award-winning firm (prime consultant): McElhanney, Vancouver (Kevin Leggett, P.Eng.; Chad Amiel, P.Eng.; Patty Burt, R.P.Bio, P.Biol.; David Ellis, P.Eng.; Jack McKee, MESc, ENV SP, P.Eng.; Julie Schooling, MSc, BCSLA, CSLA; Joe Vorlicek, P.Eng.; Doug Johnston, P.Eng.; Brett Oystensen, P.Eng.). Owner: Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI). Other key players: WSP (structural, utilities, active transportation, construction contract administration and supervision), Thurber Engineering (geotechnical), PBX Engineering (electrical), Lafarge Canada (equipment/material supplier).

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2022-09-28 8:58 AM

Water Resources Award of Excellence

Combined Sewage Storage Tunnel Stantec

Underground issues The project’s challenges largely resulted from geologic subsurface conditions across the city’s downtown core and tie-ins to collector sewers, which entailed stakeholder engagement related to mitigation of construction impacts to existing facilities and utilities. Construction required excavating more than 6 km of deep rock tunnel and eight shafts, including 25-m deep shafts for a single-pass tunnel boring machine (TBM) using a precast concrete tunnel lining (PCTL). The TBM would cross under a new light-rail transit (LRT) tunnel, the Rideau River and the Rideau Canal and above the existing interceptor outfall sewer (IOS). Groundwater drawdown was a key risk, with potential for widespread underdrainage of the sensitive marine clay deposits overlying the rock and for subsequent building and structure impacts. To mitigate this risk, the project team specified the TBM’s operational control requirements, with segmental PCTL as excavation advanced and sealed shaft excavations in several locations. Specific performance criteria were specified in areas of concern, such as high groundwater, low rock cover and fault zones, and the project involved an extensive geotechnical and hydrogeological conditions monitoring program. 40

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A key feature of the CSST’s design is adaptability, as it can be extended all the way to the downstream wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in the future, allowing the twinning of the entire length of the more than 60-year-old interceptor sewer, providing added resiliency, performance capability and capacity to address changing conditions. After its first year of continuous operation, the CSST had already led to a reduction in the frequency of CSOs discharged to the Ottawa River. The innovative gravity-based tunnel design has allowed the city to meet its CSO control objectives within its funding limits. Further, it positions Ottawa as a leader in environmental protection among Canada’s municipalities.

Combined Sewage Storage Tunnel, Ottawa Award-winning firm (prime consultant): Stantec, Ottawa. (Adrien Comeau, P. Eng.; Gerald Bauer, P.Eng.; Pascal Pitre, P.Eng.; Steve Fradkin; Anil Dean, Eng.; Stephane D’Aoust, P.Eng.; Colin Goodwin, P.Eng.; Shawn Ireland, P.Eng.; Jordan Beukeboom, P.Eng.; Darren Vanderydt, P.Eng.). Owner: City of Ottawa. Other key players: Jacobs Engineering (subconsultant for design and construction inspection services), Golder Associates (subconsultant for geotechnical engineering), Dragados Tomlinson Joint Venture (general contractor), Power Precast Solutions (precast concrete tunnel liners), Herrenknecht (tunnel boring machine), ECS Environmental Solutions (odour control vessels), Floval (stainless steel gates), Auma (electrical gate actuators), Siemens (level instruments), Access Industrial (ladders, platforms and railings), MSU Mississauga (hatches).

September/October 2022

PHOTO COU RT E SY STA N T EC

ne of the key objectives of the Combined Sewage Storage Tunnel (CSST), which comprises two 3-m diameter interconnected tunnels that provide more than 43,000 m3 of storage volume, is to reduce the volume and frequency of combined sewer overflows (CSOs) to the Ottawa River. The tunnel, which entered use in 2020, builds on the success of real-time control (RTC) for the operation of Ottawa's sewer system and acts as both a tunnel flow conveyance and a storage tunnel that drains by gravity, avoiding a costly dewatering pumping station. The CSST comprises a 4.1-km long east-west tunnel (EWT) and a 1.9-km long north-south tunnel (NST), with an overflow frequency target of one to two CSOs per year. With its implementation, the city now meets and exceeds its CSO control objectives. Beyond CSO control, the design maximizes resiliency to prevent basement flooding in the downtown core by providing a high-level relief outlet during extreme events. Twinning the collector system maximizes reliability by providing the ability to inspect and undertake the future rehabilitation of the main interceptor.

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Project: Combined Sewage Storage Tunnel, Ottawa, ON | Engineer: Stantec Consulting LTD Precast Supplier: Power Precast Solutions | Photo: Stantec

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• Transit applications (subways, light rail) • New utility tunnels and enclosures • Relining of failing structures and • • •

large culverts Sewer and water conduits Tunnel lining Vertical shafts

CPCI Congratulates Stantec Consulting LTD on their CCE Award of Excellence for the Ottawa Combined Sewage Storage Tunnel and also Congratulates our CPCI member Power Precast Solutions as the precast concrete product supplier on this award-winning project.

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CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER .ca 41 .ca

Environmental Remediation Award of Excellence

United Boulevard Recycling and Waste Centre Morrison Hershfield

Supporting sustainability More than 40,000 tonnes of incinerator bottom ash that would otherwise go to waste was used as structural fill. In fact, no material excavated on the site ever left; it was all reused. A concrete mat foundation supports the transfer building, to eliminate potential complications related to piles penetrating the base of the landfill. The site is sealed to prevent infiltration and leaching of contaminated water. An impermeable geomembrane barrier, asphalt and concrete meet BC Landfill Closure Criteria. Surface rainwater is redirected to the stormwater collection system, while landfill gas is directed from below to its own collection system, which burns methane and other harmful emissions, reducing them by 99%. Building on landfill Constructing on a former landfill involved structural and environmental challenges, such as mitigation of landfill gas, total and differential settlement due to municipal waste compression, vector control and cut/fill balance of grading. Municipal solid waste (MSW) and compressible soil restricted 42

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the site’s layout, grading and structural design. Modelling the geological profile provided parameters for settlement and seismic design. The buildings were designed to accommodate differential settlement. The prefabricated metal building has flexible utility connections and rests on a slab-on-grade concrete foundation to resist twisting and cracking. Site grades avoid significant excavation depths into the MSW and grading fill heights that would trigger significant settlement. Landfill gas is managed by an active system, a liner system including utility ‘boots’ for slab penetrations and a liquid membrane beneath the building slabs. Raft foundations sitting well above the MSW allow for easier application of membranes to prevent landfill gas from accessing the building. Construction began in 2018. The centre opened to the public in March 2022. United Boulevard Recycling and Waste Facility, Coquitlam, B.C. Award-winning firm (prime consultant): Morrison Hershfield, Burnaby, B.C. (Lillian Siu, P.Eng.; Don McCallum, P.Eng.; Todd Baker; Jeremy Hapchina, P.Eng.; Rex Dimaano; Matthew Yim; Nathalie Marble; Dwight Dancy; Eva Robertsson, EIT; Jeff Kemps). Owner: Metro Vancouver. Other key players: HDR (civil, architecture), Thurber Engineering (geotechnical), Watson & Barnard (surveying), Stuart Olson (general contractor), Mettler Toledo (scales), SSI Shredding Systems (compactor).

September/October 2022

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etro Vancouver’s United Boulevard Recycling and Waste Centre sits on 6.2 ha of brownfield on the former Coquitlam Landfill. Morrison Hershfield’s (MH’s) project team facilitated development on a closed site. The steel superstructure is nearly the size of four hockey rinks, with a clear span of 71.4 x 98.5 m providing flexibility for operations. The transfer building has a 5,800-m2 flat tipping floor, three material chutes, a below-grade compactor and a maintenance garage. The site also hosts an administration building, two scale houses, six scales and a recycling attendant booth. The project includes a landfill closure system, landfill gas collection and street upgrades. By replacing an old facility that was situated on leased land, the new centre saves Metro Vancouver the cost of rent. As a one-stop drop-off facility, it has a processing capacity of about 600 tonnes per day and is open 363 days a year. And the site is expandable.

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Natural Resources, Mining, Industry and Energy Award of Excellence

Alberta’s First Gridscale Battery Energy Storage System BBA

BA provided studies, designs, commissioning and interconnection services for WindCharger, Alberta’s first grid-scale battery energy storage system (BESS). Owned by TransAlta Renewables, the facility captures and stores energy generated at the 66-MW Summerview II wind farm in Pincher Creek, Alta., then discharges power to the provincial grid during peak demand or low wind conditions. In so doing, it compensates for the intermittent nature of wind power and makes the grid more reliable. The facility officially began commercial operations in October 2020 with a nameplate capacity of 10 MW, a total energy storage capability of 20 MWh and two-hour charge time.

Hitting environmental targets Electricity generation accounts for 18% of Alberta’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to use of coal and natural gas. Hence the focus on increasing generation from renewable sources, including wind and solar. 44

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WindCharger is already a fully operational and profitable energy storage facility. Its batteries have the capacity to power the equivalent of all homes in Pincher Creek for 90 minutes. Connecting to a brighter future WindCharger will make it easier for renewable power generators to develop new BESS facilities. The result will be a greener, reliable energy grid. This is particularly significant for Alberta. With limited opportunities to develop additional hydropower, the province needs to expand its reliance on wind and solar energy to help reduce emissions. This shift will also help protect individuals and businesses from the volatility of fossil fuel prices. Alberta’s First Grid-scale Battery Energy Storage System, Pincher Creek, Alta. Award-winning firm (prime consultant): BBA, Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que. (Sebastien Gregoire, P.Eng.; Martin Rheault, P.Eng.; Marc Durocher, Tech.; Behrad Biklikli, P.Eng.; Mario Gignac, P.Eng.; Marie-France Proulx, P. Eng., PMP; Jonathan Ma; Scott Fleming, P.Eng., PMP). Owner: TransAlta Renewables. Other key players: Tesla Megapacks (battery storage system), PTI Transformers (medium-voltage transformers).

September/October 2022

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A new power landscape With a total capital cost of $14.5 million, WindCharger was the first major energy-storage project to be connected to the Alberta grid using Tesla’s Megapack lithium-ion battery technology. To prepare, BBA assembled experts from its electrical, civil, structural and automation departments, who recommended modular lithium-ion battery technology for optimal storage density. At the time, specific requirements for BESS-to-grid connections were still under development. BBA’s engineers fulfilled the roles of system designers and technical consultants for integrating energy storage through the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) connection process. When the project was in the functional specification stage, AESO released its short-term market implementation requirements. BBA responded with adaptability to ensure design compliance. From start to finish, the interconnection process was completed in approximately 21 months, a major accomplishment given the extent of the ‘unknowns.’

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Natural Resources, Mining, Industry and Energy Award of Excellence

Region of Waterloo Cogeneration Facilities Jacobs

One size does not fit all Jacobs worked with W.A. Stephenson Mechanical Contractors to manage the schedule and budget. The project had a high level of complexity, as the sites entailed different existing conditions that had to be evaluated so the detailed design would provide a constructable and cost-effective solution for all of them. The structures had to be flood-proof, for example, due to their proximity to watercourses; and the gas quality and quantity varied, which needed to be considered from a process perspective to size the generator engines appropriately. Construction management was also complicated. Each of the three sites had its own operational staff, natural gas authority and electrical local distribution company (LDC). Enhancing efficiency The Galt and Waterloo facilities each generate 600 kilowatt-electric (kWe) capacity, which delivers more than 33% of their electrical loads, while the Kitchener facility generates 800 kWe, more than 70% of its load. The generated heat is transferred to the plants’ hot water systems. It is then used to heat the buildings and digester sludge, reducing the natural gas load to the boilers. Before, digester gas was inefficiently used in boilers, with excess sent to flare. The complete combustion of digester gas releases carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere, but incomplete com46

CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER

bustion results in the emission of methane, a GHG with 25 times greater global warming potential (GWP). When the cogeneration facilities are running 100% on biogas, the reduction of GHG emissions compared to pre-construction levels is equivalent to 934 tonnes of CO2 for Waterloo, 425 tonnes for Kitchener and 554 tonnes for Galt, annually. Before the blend of digester gas and natural gas is combusted in the engine generator, it is dried, filtered and cooled by the gas conditioning system to remove constituents that may hinder the efficiency or reliability of the combustion process. Similarly, exhaust from the generator engine is treated with urea to lower the concentration of harmful constituents emitted to the atmosphere. Typical energy recovery of the cogeneration facilities is 70% of digester gas energy value, with 35% as electricity and 35% as heat.

Region of Waterloo Cogeneration Facilities, Kitchener, Ont. Award-winning firm (prime consultant): Jacobs, Kitchener, Ont. (Ryan Connor, MBA, P.Eng.; Mitch Jewson, EIT; Frank Absi, P.Eng.; Taryn Davis, P.Eng.; Faiz Lawand, P. Eng.; Thomas Kowpak, M.Sc., P.Eng.; Brian Sudic, P.Eng.; Maggy Au, P.Eng.; Derek Murray, CET). Owner: Regional Municipality of Waterloo. Other key players: CIMA+ (sub-consultant), Eramosa (sub-consultant), WA Stephenson Mechanical Contractors (mechanical), Selectra Contracting (electrical), GAL/2G (cogeneration units), Thomson Power Systems (switchgear), Toromont Caterpillar (switchgear), Biospark Clean Energy (gas conditioning equipment).

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PHOTO COU RT E SY JACOB S

ntario’s Regional Municipality of Waterloo operates wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) that produce digester gas as waste byproduct. Jacobs, CIMA+ and Eramosa Engineering led design and services during construction for the installation of cogeneration facilities at the region’s three largest WWTPs in Waterloo, Kitchener and Galt. These facilities now combust digester gas to produce electricity and heat. The resulting energy is used on-site, thereby reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the cost of externally provided electricity and natural gas. Jacobs’ design offered economic and environmental benefits, including offsetting electricity costs for the sites and reducing emissions. By way of example, if digester gas production at a site is low or unavailable, the cogeneration facilities have the capability to run on natural gas or a blend of natural gas and digester gas.

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Project Management Award of Excellence

Wanuskewin Heritage Park Bison Facilities Associated Engineering

An opportunity in refurbishment For thousands of years, the Indigenous peoples of the Northern Plains followed the bison, which provided food, clothing, shelter and tools. Following the arrival of settlers and the construction of homesteads and ranches in the late 1800s, hunting and loss of habitat drove the bison to near-extinction, reducing their population from 30 million to less than 1,000. The demise of the bison, sacred to the identity of the Plains Cree, was simultaneous with the destruction of the way of life for Indigenous people. Wanuskewin Heritage Park was established in 1992. By 2015, it needed to be refurbished and upgraded. The Wanuskewin Heritage Park Authority saw an opportunity to return a resident herd of genetically pure bison to the Northern Plains. The authority retained AE to design, tender, oversee construction of and manage a $3.5-million program. AE’s team learned from leaders and elders, participated in cultural events and consulted with equipment vendors, facility contractors and experienced bison herd managers from Parks Canada, who had previously helped establish herds at Banff, 48

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Elk Island and Grasslands National Parks. The design included 73 ha of paddocks, conversion of lands to native grasses, perimeter fencing, a 223-m2 bison handling building with fenced sorting facility, a 201m2 maintenance operations building, an 84-m2 storage building, site grading, utility servicing and sanitary sewer upgrades. Construction had to be completed ahead of the bison’s arrival. Through a collaborative approach with the park authority, First Nations, elders, stakeholders and experts, AE delivered Wanuskewin’s bison facilities on time and under budget. A symbol of hope and reconciliation The Wanuskewin Heritage Park Authority owns and operates an internationally renowned interpretive centre for research and improving the public’s understanding of the Indigenous tribes of the Northern Plains. It wished to further increase the visibility of the park through advancement of educational programs, preservation of its biodiversity and unique ecology and the return

of the bison. To achieve its vision, the authority announced a $40-million ‘Thundering Ahead’ campaign to renew and upgrade its facilities. AE managed the design and construction of infrastructure to facilitate the return of, care for and safe public engagement with the bison. A collaborative approach fostered a free flow of ideas. In December 2019, six young bison from the Grasslands National Park herd in southwestern Saskatchewan returned to Wanuskewin. A month later, four pregnant cows and a mature bull from the U.S. reconnected with the herd. All were descendants of the historic Northern Plains bison. Four months later, the first bison calf in 150 years was born at Wanuskewin. Today, with a herd of 17 bison, the facility has begun to fulfil the vision of returning the animals to the Northern Plains as a symbol of hope and reconciliation. Leading to discovery The project restored what had become cattle September/October 2022

PHOTO COU RT E SY A S S O C I AT E D E NG I N E E R I NG

anuskewin Heritage Park near Saskatoon is a research centre that honours Indigenous peoples and educates visitors about local tribes. Associated Engineering (AE) provided design and project management for facilities to care for bison. Thus, in 2019, 150 years after they were driven to near-extinction, bison returned to graze again on the Northern Plains.

pasture and crop land back to natural grassland, allowing the Northern Plains to be grazed by bison once again. Indeed, like the animals themselves, the plains’ grassland ecology is one of the most threatened on the planet. In 2020, bison activity—including wallowing, where the animals roll in the grass and create dust pits—uncovered a major archaeological discovery: submerged boulders with carved drawings (petroglyphs) and the stone knife used to create them, near an ancient bison jump. Later, archaeologists found three additional petroglyphs dating back 300 to 1,800 years. The return of the bison to the Northern Plains led to the discovery of these historic, hidden petroglyphs, which shed additional light on the connection between the Indigenous tribes and the animals.

Accommodating bison and people AE drew upon its previous experience with livestock facilities to design a facility to nurture bison throughout their life cycle. Understanding cattle and bison are different animals and the facility would require a unique design and specifications, the team used advanced software and analyzed a set of factors based on the physical attributes of North America’s largest native mammal. The design of the paddocks, alleys and pens focused on moving the animals with as little stress as possible, with equal importance placed on the safety of the handlers and general public. The alley leading to the main building is long and wide, with watering stations and feed to encourage the animals to become comfortable in the space throughout the year. Heavy board fencing was constructed in the main facility’s loading area so handlers

in an alley or chute could quickly climb out to safety. The gap in the fencing was designed to be wide enough to fit handlers’ heavy winter boots. To ensure public safety, AE incorporated a high ‘people fence’ adjacent to the viewing area and public facilities, in addition to the double fencing around the paddocks. In these senses, Wanuskewin’s project is a model for future facilities to support the return of bison elsewhere.

Wanuskewin Heritage Park Bison Facilities, Saskatoon Award-winning firm (prime consultant): Associated Engineering, Saskatoon (Doug Thomson, P.Eng.; Mark Guidinger, P.Eng.; Joshua Yohnke, B.Tech., A.Sc.T.). Owner: Wanuskewin Heritage Park Authority. Other key players: Zak’s Building Group, Berlinic Manufacturing, Global Fabrication.

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Project Management Award of Excellence

Process Gas Project and Particulate Emissions Project Hatch

he Process Gas Project (PGP) and the Particulate Emissions Project (PEP) represent a $288-million investment by Glencore to reduce sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulate emissions and improve productivity for the smelter at its integrated nickel operation (INO) in Sudbury, Ont. Hatch was engaged to respond to government-mandated SO2 and emissions-reduction requirements, providing full engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services.

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An industry first The CFA system was an industry first. No other engineering consultant had attempted to tie tail gas from an acid plant into an electric furnace before. The concept was first proven by injecting nitrogen gas into the operating furnace as a full-scale test. The design required improved freeboard pressure control, fast isolation dampers to shut off tail gas flow in an emergency, 12 injection points around the furnace to ensure uniform coverage (designed using CFD modelling), dampers at injection points to allow flow distribution to be modified during operation, stainless steel sloped ductwork to prevent corrosion and drain tail gas sludge, precise duct construction to contain positive-pressure tail gas near personnel areas and accurate and verifiable instrumentation to ensure proper monitoring. The system significantly improved furnace temperature control. Addressing challenges Planning ensured critical tie-ins could be made during short shutdown windows. Equipment layout was complicated by the brownfield environment and required a high degree of field presence, including a full-time team on-site daily to facilitate quick resolution of issues. September/October 2022

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Major upgrades These projects involved modifying virtually every major smelter process while maintaining 24-hour-per-day operations. The upgrades included: • Expanded nickel concentrate receiving and handling facilities, bringing operations were indoors with ventilated dust control systems to eliminate particulate emissions. • An upgraded concentrate thawing facility. • Improved feed slurry preparation facilities, including blending tanks and mixer, to allow a uniform feed profile, reducing spikes in sulfur and emissions. • Upgraded capacity for fluid bed roaster off-gas systems, increasing sulfur removal from the calcine. • Debottlenecking the acid plant to allow processing of increased sulfur dioxide in the roaster off-gas. • Implementation of an innovative controlled furnace atmosphere (CFA) to control oxygen levels in the electric furnace freeboard by injecting low-oxygen acid plant tail gas to reduce SO2 formation. • A hybrid converter vessel and associated feed infrastructure, increasing efficiency for the converter aisle and reducing emissions from ladle transfer operations. • A system to continuously inject combustion air into the furnace uptakes to improve safety during occasional high carbon monoxide (CO) concentrations. • A secondary ventilation system in the converter aisle, including fume capture hoods with moving doors to collect emissions from converter charging and pouring.

The following factors contributed to the projects’ success: • Safety practices were rigorously enforced from the beginning. • Design development and execution were carefully staged over 11 years, in three implementation phases. • Continuous improvement, lessons learned and value improvement practices were implemented through all phases, reducing costs (the projects were brought in 16% under budget). • Shop inspections of equipment packages were completed before delivery to ensure quality. • Regular computer-aided design (CAD) model reviews with stakeholders were completed to ensure technical alignment. Environmental improvements The PGP reduced SO2, cadmium, nickel and cobalt measured in the community by 50% to 65%, total SO2 emissions from 40,000 to 26,000 t per annum and SO2 emission intensity from 0.45 to 0.3 t per t Ni + Cu. To address energy efficiency, the team invested in variable frequency drives (VFDs) for process ventilation systems. The project included efforts to minimize noise. Where one of the largest fans Hatch has ever incorporated on a project needed to be installed close to the property line with the community, for example,

the project incorporated control measures, including a specially designed building to mitigate impacts below nighttime limits. The Sudbury INO is a major employer in the region. Complying with environmental regulations was essential to keeping the facility viable for the community. The improved emission abatement has resulted in fewer periods during which the facility needs to curtail production due to weather conditions that would otherwise contribute to elevated contaminant concentrations. In this way, the project has also improved the economic performance of the facility.

Process Gas Project and Particulate Emissions Project, Sudbury, Ont. Award-winning firm (engineering, procurement and construction management): Hatch, Sudbury, Ont. (Keith Joiner, P.Eng.; Ben Paillé, P.Eng.; Gary Norvall, FIEAust CP Eng, MBA; Josh Lilley, P.Eng.; Aaron Clackett, P.Eng.; Gio Cortolezzis; Mike Lesk, CET; Megan Giroux; Jean Halle; Laura Depatie) Owner: Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations (a Glencore company). Other key players: Space-Ray (gas-fired products), Advanced Integrated Resources (baghouses), Jeamar (primary and secondary hood door drives), Chemetics (cross-flow stripper), Lopes (ductwork), TESC (ductwork), Anmar (ductwork).

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Project Management Award of Excellence

Drayton Valley Raw Water Pump Station ISL Engineering and Land Services

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station on a flood plain carried substantial challenges, particularly with the lower budget. The mission changed from building a fully encompassing pump station as its own independent building to determining how to move water from the river up to the new facility, 96 m above water level and 2.2 km west of the river. Highs and lows The design needed to ensure the pump could operate in both high and low flow years. Owing to the old building’s location in a flood plain and its relative age, it had high operational costs. The town started decommissioning the WTP in the mid-2010s, yet even once the new facility was online, the town still had to maintain the old one to pump raw water. Finding efficiencies The contract naturally aligned with target value delivery (TVD), a management prac-

tice that encourages lean design strategies to answer clients’ needs within fixed budget constraints. This included streamlining roles, such as having the construction project manager double as the superintendent. The team collaborated in live estimating sessions using market data. This helped set the project schedule and eliminate waste by only providing the implementation drawings the construction team needed, avoiding unnecessary iterations and eliminating the need to design for multiple outcomes. Another solution that reduced capital costs was using non-traditional submersible pumps. As a result, the new pump station functions even when fully submerged in a flood. Benefits of IPD The collaborative design process enabled unconventional solutions, like separating mechanical and electrical components that are traditionally in one building. This helped the pump station resist flooding and reduced September/October 2022

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ommunities have grown along the North Saskatchewan River over time. Situated on these banks, the town of Drayton Valley’s original water treatment plant (WTP) was abandoned in place, left solely to pump raw water to a new WTP. Two concerns became apparent. First, without storage for raw water, rising levels occasionally bypassed protective berms surrounding the old WTP, compromising the town’s drinking water supply for weeks at a time. Second, it became prohibitively expensive to maintain. It was clear Drayton Valley needed a new raw water pump station. This led to the first-ever implementation of a Canadian Construction Documents Committee (CCDC) 30 Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) Contract for a municipal infrastructure project. The team, including ISL, focused on securing the town’s water source from routine contamination brought on by flooding, thus providing a reliable source of drinking water for more than 7,000 residents. The operation’s first objective was to supply enough raw water to meet the new WTP’s capacity requirement, allowing the town to focus on securing funding. ISL’s experience with similarly sized projects suggested it warranted approximately $6 million for a conventional build, before design costs, but Drayton Valley was only able to secure $4.2 million. The town’s best value would come from IPD, with collaboration from all parties (owner, consultant, general contractor, major sub-consultants and major trades) throughout each project phase. Designing a visually unobtrusive pump

the excavation work, capital costs and overall carbon footprint. Creative solutions arising from IPD collaboration saved the town 35% (or $1.8 million) on total capital costs. ISL also minimized future costs by designing the system with low complexity, so exclusive, skilled operators would not be needed to run and maintain the new facility. ISL reused as much existing infrastructure as possible, which reduced construction costs and the project’s carbon footprint and extended the infrastructure’s operational life. The team also repaired the gravel access road and connected a 2.2-km fibre optic line to existing wastewater ultraviolet (UV) infrastructure, enabling remote monitoring instead of costlier daily inspections. Through extensive transient analysis and water hammer modelling, ISL controlled the pressure surges that would wear down

components. Using the existing steel well casing—and not installing a concrete wet well—saved on concrete, eliminated the need for deep excavation and mitigated slope slippage risks in an unstable area. The team used a spider plough to install the fibre optic line, further reducing the need for open excavation and minimizing habitat disturbances. The visually unobtrusive pump station did not look like traditional, unappealing models. No added costs were incurred and all work was included in the project budget. A local success Drayton Valley’s new pump station supplies raw water to a facility that treats up to 18 million L per day (MLD), with 2,800 m3 of additional potable water storage. The team completed the project with the lowest possible capital costs, reduced future operation-

al costs and, whenever possible, favoured local services, trades and vendors. The design provides unhindered scenery, for users enjoying the natural beauty of the river, compared to typical pump stations, which also often attract unwanted attention, like vandalism, theft and other petty crimes. Drayton Valley Raw Water Pump Station, Rocky Rapids, Alta. Award-winning firm (prime consultant): ISL Engineering and Land Services, Edmonton. (Jason Kopan, P.Eng.; Deon Wilner, P.Eng., CCCA; Greg Germain, P.Eng.; Richard Tombs, P.Eng., C.Eng., MIChemE; David Benke, C.E.T.). Owner: Town of Drayton Valley. Other key players: Magna IV Engineering (electrical), Chandos/Bird Joint Venture (contractor), J.R. Paine & Associates (geotechnical), Group 2 Architecture (IPD facilitation), Superior Equipment Sales (pump supplier), Goulds Water Technology (pump manufacturer).

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The Right Team for Your Project Our diverse group of professionals share an enthusiasm for community infrastructure. From planning through to design and construction management, we create nimble teams to tackle the unique requirements of every project. This integrated service offering gives you the experts you need, when you need them.

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Community Outreach and In-House Initiatives Award of Excellence

Stantec Inclusion and Diversity Program Stantec

tantec’s inclusion and diversity (I&D) program recognizes the importance of distinct perspectives and experiences on delivering innovation and producing transformational work. The program focuses on driving I&D not only within Stantec’s offices and projects, but also within the larger engineering industry and community.

new ERGs, councils, training and other initiatives. Engineering equity Stantec has found its I&D program helps remove barriers, attracts the best and brightest employees to the firm, creates a sense of belonging and camaraderie and motivates colleagues to maximize their potential and productivity. Many of the firm’s clients are advancing similar I&D initiatives, to the point where such programs are no longer considered optional, but rather a criterion to win projects. Finally, the program proactively supports grassroots organizations that promote I&D, provide scholarships, participate in community partnerships and find opportunities to engage with and recruit women, people with diverse ethnic origins, visible minorities, Indigenous people and people with disabilities. By improving policies and practices, the program’s efforts will help lead to a greater depth in the talent pool and a more equitable engineering industry at large.

Stantec Inclusion and Diversity Program, Edmonton Award-winning firm: Stantec, Edmonton. (Asifa Samji, MBA, B.Sc., B.Tech; Arliss Szysky, P.Eng.; Erin Bradley, B.Sc., M.E.Des.; Lana Bertsch; Carrie Sabin, CSR-P, ENV-SP; Brandie Bennett; Jordyn Garner; Josh Workman, P.Eng.; Claudia Lee, B.Comm.; Ricardo Carlos Perez). Owner: Stantec. Other key players: n/a.

Since its launch in 2013, the program has expanded rapidly with 54

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September/October 2022

PHOTO BY S E A N B E L L I M AG E S, COU RT E SY STA N T EC

A multifaceted undertaking Stantec started its I&D program in 2013. Many companies have such programs, but Stantec’s is distinguished by its leadership commitment, depth, breadth, high employee activation, ability to deliver continuous improvement and resources invested by the firm, as demonstrated by the various initiatives, touchpoints and groups created to support a culture of I&D. These include: • I&D councils—Responsible for ‘actioning’ the firm’s I&D strategy and driving the creation of practices, goals and objectives. • Employee resource groups (ERGs)—Volunteer staff who strive to achieve a diverse and inclusive workplace by supporting networking, providing education and development opportunities, addressing business challenges and offering suggestions for improving corporate policies. • Training—To help all employees identify and overcome unconscious biases and unintended barriers to inclusion. (For example, Stantec recently partnered with the First Nations University of Canada in Regina for cultural awareness training.) • Partnerships—Formed with educational institutions and organizations like Workplace Pride, Catalyst and others that work with Black, Indigenous and People of Colour. • Resources and sharing—Inclusive hiring guidelines, the sharing of stories in meetings, a guide for race relations conversations and updates to corporate communication resources to incorporate the use of inclusive language. • Equity and diversity scholarships—To support underrepresented groups and communities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. • Diversity supplier program—Includes a small/diverse supplier policy statement, internal evaluation, reporting, benchmarking, online vendor profile registration and strategic partnerships.

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DUO LAARS® MagnaTherm® FT and Laars Plate™

The Complete Commercial Hot Water Solution MAGNATHERM® FT FIRETUBE BOILER • Tru Trac® O2 Actively manages combustion in real-time. • CF-Tech™ Corrosion-resistant contoured flue tubes that increase efficiency, maximize heat transfer, and extend the life of the heat exchanger. • Laars Linc® Intuitive control system with the intelligence to manage installations from the simple to the complex. • Flexible Installation Various electrical packages, and small footprint.

LAARS PLATE™ WATER HEATER • High DHW Output Efficiently produces up to 150 GPM of domestic hot water when paired with a boiler. • Unmatched Temperature Control Advanced PID control quickly responds to variable load patterns to maintain accurate hot water temperatures. • Flexibility User configurable controls, and optional gateways to support additional communication protocols. • Small Footprint

Built to be the Best ®

Learn more at laars.com 56

CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER

September/October 2022

Canadian Consulting Engineer September October 2022

Articles inside

Drayton Valley Raw Water Pump Station

Wanuskewin Heritage Park Bison Facilities

Stantec Inclusion and Diversity Program

Process Gas Project and Particulate Emissions Project

Region of Waterloo Cogeneration Facilities

Combined Sewage Storage Tunnel

United Boulevard Recycling and Waste Centre

Highway 1 Keith Road / Mt Seymour Parkway Interchange

Crowchild Trail Bow River Bridge Widening and Rehabilitation

Unité de Stérilisation Mobile pour le CISSS des Laurentides

Phase

Fast + Epp Home Office Building

Adapting Infrastructure in the Face of Extreme Weather

St. Andrew’s Wesley United Church Heritage Conservation and Seismic Upgrade

Wii Gyemsiga Siwilaawksat Student Building

Ambassador Award (tie

Engineering a Better Canada Award

ACEC Review

Comment

Letter to the Editor

Tree for Life Award

Ambassador Award (tie

Schreyer Award