Alberta Innovators - Fall 2015 by Venture Publishing

Fall 2015

The magazine of Consulting Engineers of Alberta

Municipal procurement is put to the test

Social Licence How engineers earn support for public projects

Risk and Reward Expert tips on saving money and mitigating pitfalls

Find the right firm: Pullout guide inside

PCL CONSTRUCTION’S NORTH AMERICAN HEADQUARTERS

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We are more than builders. We are construction partners who deliver Alberta’s top projects by understanding your goals, bringing innovative solutions, and sharing your vision of success.

MESSAGE FROM THE PREMIER

N BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT OF ALBERTA, IT IS MY pleasure to send greetings to the readers of the Fall 2015 issue of Alberta Innovators magazine. I am proud of the contributions the Consulting Engineers of Alberta make to promote sustainable practices that benefit our province’s society, grow our economy, and enhance our communities. I hope that together we can build a stronger, more prosperous Alberta, and leave a legacy for future generations. Many thanks to the writers and editors from the Consulting Engineers of Alberta for your efforts and dedication in producing Alberta Innovators magazine. I wish you the best for many more successful issues in the future. Rachel Notley September 2015

Serving Albertans

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PUBLISHED FOR: Consulting Engineers of Alberta Phipps-McKinnon Building Suite 870, 10020 - 101A Avenue Edmonton, AB T5J 3G2 Phone (780) 421-1852 Fax (780) 424-5225 Email: info@cea.ca www.cea.ca

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sa 3 th ge fr e P om re m ie r Me ss 6 a C g an EA e d C Pr fro EO es m Me /R ide ss e g nt ag ist e an fr ra r d P om re AC 7 sid E en C Ch M t a ai Yo ess nd r un ag CE gP ef O ro rom fe ss t h 8 io e C na E ls A’s Gr ou Fo p un da 9 CE tio AB ns oa rd CE of 3 AM Di 6 em re ct be or rs s hi p D 37 ire In ct de or xo fA 4 y dv 5 er tis Co er de s o En f gi Co 46 ne ns er ult in in gE g th ics

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER AND REGISTRAR Ken Pilip, P.Eng.

Features 18

Community Partners

‘Social licence’ has become a popular notion in many industries and professions — including consulting engineering

Young Guns Upstart firms help breathe new life and entrepreneurial spirit into a long-standing industry

Securing insurance and mitigating pitfalls in clauses are necessary steps in the engineering process

PUBLISHED BY: Venture Publishing Inc. 10259 105 Street Edmonton, AB T5J 1E3 Toll-free 1-866-227-4276 Phone (780) 990-0839 Fax (780) 425-4921 www.venturepublishing.ca PUBLISHER AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ruth Kelly DIRECTOR OF CUSTOM CONTENT Mifi Purvis

ART DIRECTOR Charles Burke ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Andrea deBoer PRODUCTION MANAGER Betty Feniak PRODUCTION TECHNICIANS Brent Felzien, Brandon Hoover VICE-PRESIDENT, SALES Anita McGillis CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Stephen Butterworth, Caitlin Crawshaw, Martin Dover, Jen Janzen, Robbie Jeffrey

Sustaining an Industry Consulting engineers want their profession to remain competitive, and they need the youth of the world to do it

EVENT MANAGER Chantal Sargent

MANAGING EDITOR Shelley Williamson

Risky Business

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Lisa Krewda

ACCOUNTING SPECIALIST Adama Barry

The Asset Management Process assists small municipalities with their capital planning so they can make informed decisions

Buzzword or Bend in the Road?

SPECIAL PROJECTS - PAST PRESIDENT Craig Clifton/Sheldon Hudson

ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST Jitka Holton

Civil Service Municipalities already work with local firms to deliver world-class engineering – but how can they do it better?

MEDIA AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS CEO, Ken Pilip; President, Deon Wilner; and Honorary Director, Ed Stelmach Consultant, Brian Stecyk

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ILLUSTRATORS Cooper & O’Hara Photography, Jessica Fern Facette, Buffy Goodman, Heff O’Reilly, Raymond Reid

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Water Woes Engineers help ensure communities have a sustainable supply of clean drinking water

Contents © 2015 by Consulting Engineers of Alberta. No part of this publication should be reproduced without written permission. Non-deliverable mail should be directed to CEA: Suite 870, 10020 - 101A Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5J 3G2.

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Cover illustration by Heff O’Reilly

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MESSAGE FROM CEA

Do the Right Thing

ACH YE AR , THE INCOMING

DEON WILNER, P.Eng. President, CEA

KEN PILIP, P.Eng. CEO & Registrar, CEA

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president of CEA chooses a theme and announces it at the AGM in May. The theme for 2015-16 is: “Do the Right Thing!” This is a broad and far-reaching statement that is used. For us, it means doing what is right by Albertans and CEA members. With a provincial economy still heavily dependent on oil and gas, the slump in West Texas Intermediate from just over $100 per barrel a year ago to less than $45 per barrel earlier this year – and now near $60 per barrel – has affected many. Capital dollars and funding for horizontal and vertical infrastructure projects are scarce, and our infrastructure deficit continues to increase. Also, after 44 years the political landscape in Alberta looks quite different: on May 5, 2015, Albertans elected a new government. CEA takes an unbiased position on political matters and we will continue to support the government and provide advice on infrastructure-related matters. It’s more important than ever that CEA shows leadership and an unwavering dedication to longterm solutions that will benefit Albertans and our industry. Too often governments and corporations alike have an excessive focus on short-term results. “Short-termism” can be defined as the concentration of short-term projects or objectives for immediate profit or results, at the expense of long-term security. While he was chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke said, “The Federal Reserve’s job is to do the right thing, to take the long-run interest of the economy to heart, and that sometimes means being unpopular. But we have to do the right thing.” There are two “right things” on CEA’s priority list: Qualifications Based Selection (QBS) to procure professional services, and the use of fair and equitable Standard Contract Documents. CEA and other organizations have been actively advocating and promoting the use of QBS. It provides the best value to governments, rate payers, and private entities, so much so that often the value gained exceeds the cost of the professional services all together. However, many governments and some private entities are hesitant to adopt QBS, perhaps because they feel that in order to obtain a compet-

itive fee for a knowledge-based service they must have a price component. No matter how small the price component, professional service providers will adjust their methodology or project approach to provide the most basic services in order to meet the project requirements and thus remain “competitive.” If they do not do this, then they run the risk of ultimately not winning the work. This approach may force professional service providers to be “creative” but it does not allow much room to provide long-term and lasting innovation. It also forces professional service providers to assign the lowest-fee individuals to the project team in order to keep costs low, which limits value. The other right thing to do is to employ Standard Contract Documents. After procuring professional services using QBS, it is vital to enter into a fair and equitable industry acceptable contract that assigns risk to the parties that are best able to manage and mitigate the risk. Too often contracts download the “any and all” risk to a party that is least equipped or able to deal with these risks. Standard Contract Documents are documents that are collaboratively developed and revised as legal precedence is set or changed. The Association of Consulting Engineering Companies of Canada (ACEC) and the Canadian Construction Documents Committee (CCDC) are two organizations that have excellent Standard Contract Documents that are promoted and endorsed by many in our industry. A great example is ACEC Document 31, “Engineering Agreement between Client and Engineer.” This document was first prepared in 1981 and has been updated four times, the last time in 2010. All too often, contracts used by governments or private entities have clauses for which an engineer is unable to obtain any insurance, therefore making it a pure business risk. This business risk could cause the engineer to become insolvent – this does not benefit the client or the project. It’s in the best interest of our clients and our industry to ensure that the necessary insurance is in place for a project and all those working on it. QBS and Standard Contract Documents are but two examples of “Do the Right Thing!” At CEA, we will continue to work with government, client groups and others to the benefit of a healthy and vibrant consulting engineering industry that benefits all Albertans, now and over the long term.

MESSAGE FROM ACEC

A Strategic Focus

CEC IS CANADA’S NATIONAL

voice of consulting engineering. ACEC works with provincial organizations like Consulting Engineers of Alberta (CEA) to create a business and regulatory climate that rewards consulting engineering firms for their expertise and contributions to society. No other profession or industry is more important to our social, economic and environmental quality of life. This past year has presented numerous challenges to both our member firms and to the association itself. However, while the market for engineering services remains soft in some sectors, there are some encouraging signs for the future. Over the past year, ACEC has continued to see success in its strategic priority areas of public and private sector advocacy on national issues; image and profile building; client liaison and business practice support; and member engagement and communications. Creating opportunities in the public sector, ACEC is at the forefront of advocating the need for the federal government leadership and investment in public infrastructure. The recently announced $53-billion Building Canada Plan and other commitments by the federal government is welcome news, but much more remains to be done. This is why, with an election set for October 2015, ACEC has drafted a detailed and engaging election strategy targeted at sitting Members of Parliament and all candidates in ridings across Canada. Leading with its tagline #VoteInfrastructure, ACEC launched a micro site VoteInfrastructure.ca to engage membership and the public by allowing visitors to the site the option to mail a letter directly to their MP and other candidates, asking them to make infrastructure investment a top election priority. Long-term, predictable infrastructure investment is not only vital to our economic, social and

environmental quality of life, it’s also an opportunity for our members to make a meaningful contribution to our clients and to Canadians as a whole. The business certainty offered by long-term, predictable investments allow our members to make informed business decisions that allow them to innovate, prosper and build capacity through investments in human and technology resources. Creating opportunities in the private sector Another area where the interests of ACEC members and the economic interests of Canada are aligned, and in which ACEC has become increasingly more active, is the promotion of responsible resource development. We are supporting the approval of nationally important resource projects based on good science and sound engineering. Both traditional and renewable energy sources will continue to be important to Canada’s future. That’s why ACEC has spoken out publicly on the need for strategic projects like Northern Gateway, Keystone XL and Energy East alongside continued development of renewable energy. Recently, ACEC and its partners, including the Mining Association of Canada and the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada, released recommendations from its study examining the cost differential between projects and mines in northern regions to comparable operations in more centrally-located areas. The study, entitled Levelling the Playing Field, reinforces the importance of infrastructure as the key to opening up regions to mineral exploration and mining development. There is significant promise for responsible mineral development in the territories and northern parts of our provinces. These initiatives to support and grow Canada’s resource sector, if adopted, will both create more opportunities for CEA member firms and will contribute to Canada’s prosperity.

PERRY MITCHELMORE, P.Eng. Chair, ACEC Board of Directors

JOHN D. GAMBLE, CET, P.Eng. President & CEO, ACEC

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MESSAGE FROM THE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

Change is the new normal

I MICHAEL WALKER, P.Eng, PE, PMP YP Director

alberta innovators

IT SEEMS THE MORE AND MORE

conferences, summits and speaker events that I attend, the more I hear about change. Changes in the economy, changes in the political landscape, changes in the workforce, changes in worker mentality and so on. This makes it appear like change is something no one has ever seen before! I believe that it’s not simply the fact that changes are occurring, but that the frequency at which it happens is increasing. I have heard numerous speakers quote Charles Darwin over the past few months, but I do believe that he deserves to be quoted at least once more. It is not a direct quote from On the Origin of Species, rather (after some intense Google research to back me up) an interpretation of that text by Leon C. Megginson during a speech he delivered in 1963. Keeping away from the ubiquitous Internet memes of Darwin’s face, here is a segment of the speech by Megginson: “Yes, change is the basic law of nature. But the changes wrought by the passage of time affects individuals and institutions in different ways. According to Darwin’s Origin of Species, it is not the most intellectual of the species that survives; it is not the strongest that survives; but the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself. Applying this theoretical concept to us as individuals, we can state that the civilization that is able to survive is the one that is able to adapt to the changing physical, social, political, moral, and spiritual environment in which it finds itself.” I believe that this quote is just as relevant today as it was more than 50 years ago. The addition to this is the fact that change is occurring ever more frequently due to the increased sharing of knowledge, increased computing power and the requirement to innovate to remain relevant. Consulting engineering is an industry of people, and the demographics and mindsets of those people are changing. I attended a very good (and timely) presentation by Dasa Chadwich at the second-annual CEA Young Professionals conference this year, where Dasa spoke on leveraging

generational differences for success. While this presentation was geared towards millennials, it gave an excellent overview of the different generations’ approaches to business and the work-life balance that everyone who is not a millennial loves to talk about. This presentation emphasized that business is made up of many different people, with not only generational differences, but also differences in heritage, experience (both professional and life) and view on life and work. Something that I discuss with other consulting engineers frequently is the issue of employee retention, and Dasa spoke about the views that the different generations have on this topic. I believe that the frequent changing of firms for young professionals is not a standalone issue, but rather a result of the miscommunication between young professionals and their management. Gone are the days of staying with one company from graduation to retirement. Young professionals who are early in their career are looking for a company that matches their goals, both professional and personal. Getting it right is not going to happen necessarily on the first attempt unless we are more honest with what we offer as firms. Some think that to work on large-scale projects, one must work for a large firm. Others believe that to get a more personal approach to clients and projects, a smaller firm is right for them. Some young professionals strive for leadership or management roles, and others loathe the idea of filling that role. But that is a topic for another day. All of this led me back to the main speaking points during the ACEC Summit. We as engineering consultants must not dwell in the past, and rather must embrace the opportunities that the new reality presents to us. This, combined with the fact that we are an industry of people, means that we must fully understand where our people are coming from and what they value to ensure that we are gaining the advantages that they bring to the table. We must learn who they are, beyond a degree on a wall or achievements on a resume. Only when we fully understand them can we then incorporate their skills or their experiences into our business and take advantage of the new environments that we are working in.

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2 + 2 = 50

Notable Bill in Ontario Ontario’s consulting engineers and owners of major projects can breathe easier and start planning ahead with greater confidence. In June, Ontario became the second province in Canada after Quebec to require long-term strategic planning for infrastructure with the passing of Bill 6, “the Infrastructure for Jobs and Prosperity Act.” The act means that, in the next 36 months, the province must table a long-term infrastructure plan, with follow-up plans to happen every five years. Consulting Engineers of Ontario were delighted, especially with the explicit inclusion in the act of their role. “Professional engineers play an integral role in bringing the government’s infrastructure plans to life,” said Barry Steinberg, chief executive officer of the organization, in a press release. His organization worked with government to include the role of engineers, which had been missing from the draft version of the act. The act also requires consistent asset management plans, making them easier to read and assess, letting government make more accurate decisions.

MY BEST MISTAKE

“I made a mistake that ever y consulting engineer makes early in his or her career. I thought that all I would need were my engineering skills. I very soon realized that in addition to the technical side, I would have to learn how to run a business, and all the skills that go along with that. Fortunately, I enjoyed learning the business of consulting engineering, so I guess that was my best mistake.” – Ken Pilip, CEO and Registrar, Consulting Engineers of Alberta

In conjunction with SAIT Polytechnic, the U of C’s Schulich School of Engineering welcomed a class of 50 students to the new bachelor of science in energy engineering program. It serves to address industry’s need for engineering grads with a mix of tech and engineering science to the workplace. The program takes graduates of approved two-year engineering technology diplomas, many from SAIT Polytechnic, and creates a course of study that earns them an engineering degree in an additional two years at Schulich. The course gives approved tech diploma grads a smooth entry into a university engineering degree program. The 2015 students spent the spring and summer in foundational courses to prepare them for the engineering curriculum. The new program was created in response to an industry and academic assessment of technology diplomas. It gives the students a Schulich engineering education and greater career opportunities, and it gives industry well-trained personnel.

Industry, Academia and Trenchless Tech The Consortium for Engineered Trenchless Technologies (CETT) is here to make sure that crossing existing infrastructure has never been easier or less invasive. CETT came about in 2012, a joint venture between the University of Alberta, The Crossing Company, the City of Edmonton, and IVIS Inc. (Telus joined in 2013.) It was the brainchild of University of Alberta prof Dr. Alireza Bayat, PEng and PhD, who established CETT to connect industry with grad students and faculty. In March 2015 Bayat, CETT’s director, was recognized for his work with the Trent Ralston Young Trenchless Achievement Award at the North American Society for Trenchless Technology No-Dig Show in Denver, Colorado. The award recognizes his vision, ingenuity and leadership in the growing field. CETT works to capture the skills and best practices in trenchless tech, which is increasingly important as a means to mitigate the disruptive effects of construction of infrastructure. alberta innovators

“OK Google, take me home.” FRESH COAT: What’s the most inefficient part of a roadway? The paint. Lanes are marked to a width of 3.7 metres, with the average car just two metres wide. The difference accounts for humans’ tendency to wander. Driverless cars could use existing roadways with greater accuracy and density, even using shoulders on an asneeded basis.

The latest and most ballyhooed aspect of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) is connected vehicle (CV) technology – and it’s already creeping into our cars. There is adaptive cruise control, blind spot adaptation, and lane-change assistance. “The ultimate in ITS is driverless cars,” says Sheldon Hudson, vice-president and director at Al-Terra Engineering. Hudson points to the Google Car as an early example. Driverless vehicles would know in real time about the location and speed of other vehicles on the road, as well as bad weather, road repair, nearby collisions and congestion, and more. CV cars could (and increasingly do) connect to other vehicles and infrastructure using wireless and wired technology.

“I’ve made lots of mistakes! You learn best when you make mistakes. Once, a supervisor asked me to take on a task, and he provided me with a bunch of examples of how he wanted it done. Well, I bypassed the stack of reference material and jumped right in. While I reached pretty much the same results, I had not demonstrated to him what he had wanted to see – that I had learned a process. I redid it and it was a lesson in process.” – David Nagy, Bridge Manager for AECOM

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Engineers and decision-makers are taking note that the growing use of this technology heralds a time to start shifting our design focus with new tech in mind. Case in point: the ACTIVE-AURORA Test Bed Network at the University of Alberta’s faculty of engineering is helping create a platform to investigate and – eventually – implement CV technologies. CEAs are likewise pondering the ramifications of CV and ITS. “Self-driving cars could significantly reduce the size and scale of infrastructure,” says Matt Brassard, principal at Urban Systems. “Yet here we are developing new interchanges on current traffic models with 50- to 70-year lifecycles in mind.” Hudson agrees. “I work with a design guide dated 1994. If we are working on projects based on current technology and linear growth, will they be accurate for future technology?” he asks. “Probably not. We know change is coming and we know we’ll have to design for it. We just don’t know when. ” Improved connected vehicle technology will allow cars to use existing roadways more effectively, reducing the weaving process, where humandriven cars dart from lane to lane – a rather inefficient way to drive. The ramifications could include merge lanes that are shorter and fewer and traffic lanes that are narrower, with ad hoc use of shoulders. Engineers like Hudson and Brassard, and groups like ACTIVE-AURORA (a partnership between academia, government and industry) are taking the challenge seriously. The problem is that there’s no way to tell how fast the change is coming, or how long the overlap period will be with the old and new technologies sharing the road. “Why are we still designing roads exclusively for old technology?” Brassard asks. With driverless traffic still a prospect for the future, it may be too soon to reinvent roadways. “But it’s not too soon to start thinking about it.”

IMAGE COURTESY DIAMOND SCHMITT ARCHITECTS

Calgary is deep into its $158.3-million expansion and renovation, which proponents hope will create more opportunities for engineering students and researchers, and increase its capacity to drive innovation in Alberta. The expansion and renovation adds 18,300 square metres to the engineering complex and renovates an additional 11,100 square metres. Some $142.5 million will come from the Government of Alberta, while $15.8 million is from the Engineering Leaders campaign. Construction on the new building is underway and it will open in 2016, to celebrate the university’s 50th anniversary.

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New Digs for Schulich

TOP 6 ISSUES FACING ENGINEERING TODAY “We provide a custom profes1 COMMODITIZATION. sional service,” says David Nagy of AECOM. “When owners try to bulk together services, it ignores that aspect. When you examine the details, it shows that there is no job exactly like another.” “To try to price professional services in the same manner as commodities is short-sighted,” agrees Craig Clifton, vice-president of Clifton and Associates. “It creates projects that are not scoped properly, producing cost overruns.” PROCUREME NT. “In an era of cheaper-is-better 2 philosophy, we miss the opportunity to create long-term value,” says Matt Brassard, principal at Urban Systems. “A cheaper building will cost more in maintenance and repair over the lifecycle of the building.” “Opting for the lowest price virtually ensures a less-experienced consultant,” says Kelly Yuzdepski, partner and vice-president of transportation for CIMA, Western Canada. ADAPTATION. “We recognize that our climate is 3 CLIMATE changing,” Matt Brassard says. “We advocate for policies

Big Thinking, Big Safety “Engineers are problem solvers,” says Geoff Graham, water resource specialist at Amec Foster Wheeler. And it seems like the bigger the problem, the bigger the solution. The company has undertaken a variety of water projects, but the most daring and innovative was doubtless the Springbank Off-stream Flood Storage project. It started with the vision of Ken Kress, of Amec Foster Wheeler. “Ken locked himself in his office and set to work,” says Graham. The scheme that he conceived of and fleshed out with the team was modelled after much smaller-scale municipal storm water storage projects and it dealt with the significant problem of where to direct the floodwaters of the Elbow River when they come. “We came up with a plan to divert storm water into a nearby natural basin and store it until after flood waters receded, releasing back into the river once the danger had passed,” Graham explains. “There is nothing else like it in Western Canada – maybe all of Canada.”

that allow communities be adaptable to change.” He adds that industry is challenged to come up with novel solutions, and offers an example of permeable asphalt to combat runoff and flooding. OF WORK. “The low price of oil has softened 4 VOLUME the market and created uncertainty,” says CIMA’s Kelly Yuzdepski. But necessary work will not wait for better oil prices. Today’s modest road and other infrastructure fixes become major costs for municipalities and other organizations if left for future decision-makers. OF ENGINEERS. Despite a softer market, 5 SHORTAGE there is a shortage of engineers, especially in the “missing generation” of mid-career engineers in Alberta. “When we look overseas to recruit, we don’t want temporary foreign workers,” Kelly Yuzdepski says. “It’s a lengthy process to find the right skill set. We want specialists, permanent workers.” ING BE HAVIOUR. “We are seeing young 6 CHANG Canadians moving to the centre of cities,” Matt Brassard says. “Many of them don’t own cars nor do they intend to, yet we are still required to design for a certain number of parking spaces per unit.” Brassard says that technologies, such as Pogo and Uber for example, are changing the way people move around, a developing pattern that will ultimately impact how we address infrastructure.

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Prefab and Efficiency Gains Prefabrication in construction sees parts of buildings assembled in a shop or other controlled manufacturing facility, then transported to a build site, in whole or by component assembly. This, of course, contrasts to the usual way of things: transporting discreet elements, such as sheet metal, wood and steel, to be constructed on site. Jeff DiBattista, principal at DIALOG, says that the time is right to look more closely at prefabrication in construction. “Prefabrication is not well-utilized yet,” he says, “but it offers a number of advantages.” The first is that the environment is controlled, out of the weather in safety, comfort and shelter. It avoids the errors and sometimes corner-cutting that can creep in to work in adverse conditions. Prefabrication is like a meeting space for your supply chain and constructors. “When you bring your supply chain to the design room,” explains Urban Sytems’ Matt Brassard, “you wind up using material far more efficiently.” On-the-spot fabrication means that builders won’t use too much material, and there is less loss due to damage and waste. “The trend to prefabrication is moving forward, but slowly,” DiBattista says. It’s due to the way we have created the building industry. “The industry is geared to creating the component parts in discreet factories and moving them to a construction site,” DiBattista explains. “We need leaders to change this way of doing things.” He says industry is making steps in the right direction and mentions Landmark Homes as a leader in factory builds in the residential sector. Larger projects, too, are starting to see efficiency gains by incorporating prefabricated components, and DiBattista cites the bathrooms in The Bow Building in Calgary as examples of discreet elements fabricated offsite, and later installed.

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“In 2000, I took a large engineering project in the U.K. – it was the first new railway to be built in 50 years. I made lots of mistakes, but I learned how to manage in the process. Mostly I micromanaged at first; I watched people too closely and ended up creating way too much work for myself. One of the things I did right was to surround myself with experienced people. I found out how to build a good team and we delivered good results on time.” – Alistair James, Golder and Associates

named one of Alberta Venture’s 50 most influential people this year. Boyle and her team have come up with novel outreach schemes that teach the computer coding languages Java and Python to children as young as eight – a feat no one thought likely. She says it’s about becoming producers of technology, rather than just users. “The everyday technology in our lives has so much more power than what we use it for, and if we teach these kids how to ‘break the system’ they can harness that power,” Boyle said in an article on the faculty of engineering website. “By the end of the term they will know how to use Python and Java and how to build an app. We want them to have the attitude that they can create whatever they want.”

GIRL POWER: DiscoveryE staffers, from left, Anne McDonald, Alyssa Boyle, Meagan O’Shea, Emma McDonald, and Ashley Stoltz.

PHOTO COURTESY THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA

The DiscoverE outreach team at the University of Alberta’s faculty of engineering has won a third Google RISE award; no other organization has won more than once. The tech giant created the awards to promote computer science education and to run initiatives that reach girls, underrepresented minorities, and students facing socio-economic barriers. DiscoverE’s first RISE award was its 2013 Girls Coding Club to bring engineering, science and technology programs to an aboriginal community in northern Alberta. In 2014 it created a winning MOOC for computer programming by and for girls. And 2015 brings the outreach group an additional $25,000 in funding for a second MOOC. This one will teach the students to learn Java, allowing them to program their own Android apps. In recognition for her work with DiscoverE, the organization’s director Alyssa Boyle was

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A Hat Trick for DiscoverE

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BY ROBBIE JEFFREY | ILLUSTRATION BY HEFF O’REILLY

Municipalities already work with local firms to deliver world-class engineering – but how can they do it better?

FTER 19 YEARS, THE SHINGLES ON DEON WILNER’S ROOF

were starting to show their age. The longtime engineer, whose career had landed him in major water and wastewater treatment plants across Canada and the world, brought to his home four different firms to compete for his business. “Everybody thinks, ‘Roofing should be fairly simple – give me some prices and I’ll pick the lowest,’ ” he says, admitting he was no different. Three companies came in, looked at his shingles and gave him a quote. And Wilner could have been forgiven for picking the lowest bidder – couldn’t 15 years go by before you’d even notice a difference? But one firm showed up with a stepladder and went straight to his attic, which confused Wilner. He thought, “What could be in the attic that was worth investigating?” After they left, he went online and found that, while shingles are designed to withstand surface heat, the main reason they fail is actually because of heat from below.

alberta innovators

That fourth company got the contract. They didn’t just give him a quote, they asked Wilner if he was ready for new shingles. They suggested possible cost overruns. They worked with him to determine the scope of the project. Wilner, as president of the Consulting Engineers of Alberta (CEA) and director at ISL Engineering and Land Services, a company he joined as manager of environmental infrastructure in 1998, is not a roofer, needless to say. So he needed a company he could trust. The point of Wilner’s story isn’t that he fixed his roof. Sure, Wilner’s roof got fixed – but his story illustrates a perfect point in how municipalities procure engineering services. Most municipalities in Alberta, particularly cities like Edmonton and Calgary, award the bulk of their engineering contracts to local firms who have local expertise and can be trusted to deliver high-quality projects within their communities. Like the meticulous roofers at Wilner’s house, they’re trusted advisors who act in their communities’ best interests. But some municipalities’ price-based procurement models – wherein professional services are treated as mere commodities, competing for business by offering an ever-so-slightly lower price tag – can prevent municipalities from making the most of the community’s local expertise. Of course, there are myriad factors at work in selecting professional services. But there is a simple way to ensure that local expertise gets its proper place at the bargaining table, and that municipalities get the projects they deserve.

DAN LAJEUNESSE, BRANCH MANAGER

for corporate procurement and the supply services branch with the City of Edmonton, wants the best engineering for his city. He says that the benefits of awarding engineering contracts to local firms are manifold, and if you’re not within the community, you won’t even be aware of what’s happening in the marketplace. He estimates that more than 90 per cent of the City’s contracts go to local firms, and says that even when contracting abroad, the firms always partner with local companies. The City of Edmonton also meets with the CEA every January, giving its design construction branches the opportunity to convene with industry and outline upcoming projects. “The City has a really good relationship with the consulting engineers,” he says. “We’re trying to work in partnership with industry because they play a significant role in helping us build a great city.” The City of

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While the City of Calgary uses Qualifications Based Selection (QBS) for its procurement, Edmonton uses what engineers call “QBS lite.” Edmonton might bring in outside firms for “really significant projects that might attract international or broader interest,” he says, “but most of our work is not the megaprojects – it’s manageable pieces of work that our local industry has the capability to do, and those firms are actively soliciting and bidding on that work and are very successful at it.” But there’s conflict between how engineers think municipal contracts should be procured and how the City actually does that. While the City of Calgary uses Qualifications Based Selection (QBS) for its procurement, Edmonton uses what engineers call “QBS lite.” This means that pricing also factors into the procurement process, though the City argues the share is minimal. There is a fundamental difference between QBS, a practice imported from the 1972 Brooks Act in the U.S., and QBS lite. QBS is not an abstraction – it has rules and precedent, and can be done the right way or the wrong way. At its core, QBS is a model by which the client and engineer collaboratively determine the scope of a project, like the roof-

ers who asked Wilner if he was ready for new shingles. “You don’t say, ‘Here’s what we’re looking for, here’s what it is, now tell me what you can put forward to deal with this,’ ” Wilner says. An engineer, in consultation with a client, can suggest alternatives, can help sort out the needs from the wants and can determine an area of focus. The client sends out a Request for Qualifications (RFQ ) and interviews the companies that submit. Then they sit down with the top selections and discuss the project’s scope, after which point the companies can submit a brand new proposal. Only then does the budget come into play. QBS is a tested-and-true method for avoiding unexpected price increases or changes to the scope of the project – things that make it into an adversarial process. QBS would also get rid of the bait-and- switch, which Wilner says is a common antagonism in his industry. This is when a client chooses a consultant based in part on the chosen team, but the consultant – citing any number of reasons – claims his team has since changed, that its members have been allocated to different projects. QBS

ensures that during the interview process between consultant and client, a team fully commits to the project. Matt Brassard, past president of the CEA and principal at Urban Systems, elaborates on the conflict that can arise from a traditional RFP, and how that can ultimately jeopardize the quality of municipal engineering projects. “The real challenge is that there’s an assumption of scope made by the consultant of what’s within the scope and what isn’t,” he says. “So if somebody says, ‘I think there’s less effort needed,’ or ‘I’m going to do this at a lower level of quality than what the client might want,’ then they can propose a lower fee and end up getting the work.” As Lajeunesse explains, the RFP process the City uses places “a very high percentage of the evaluation on criteria such as qualifications, experience and the qualifications of the team selected by the engineers.” The City does, however, place a percentage of its evaluation on pricing, typically in the 10 to 20 per cent range, though Lajeunesse says that in lower-risk projects, wherein a wider pool of qualified companies could bid on it, that weighting could ascend as high as 30 per cent. But the biggest difference between the

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City’s RFP process and QBS? “We outline the scope of work,” he says. Jeff DiBattista, principal engineer at DIALOG, proposes a hypothetical: Imagine the City of Edmonton wanted to hire a new senior manager to run one of its biggest departments, he says. When posting the ad, would they describe the qualifications they’re looking for? Or would they ask for the lowest possible salary the senior manager would be willing to accept? “That’s what the City is doing when they hire consultants,” DiBattista says. “Even saying that’s worth just 15 per cent of the scoring, it doesn’t make sense.”

LAJEUNESSE SAYS THAT THE CITY

is bound to trade agreements that ensure there are open, non-discriminatory procurement opportunities. One of them is the New West Partnership Trade Agreement – between Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan – which prohibits “having a local-preference policy.” And that’s fine by local engineers. “We’re prepared to compete with anyone in the world because we believe we’ve got the local experience, knowledge, capacity and expertise to beat anyone from around the world in delivering projects that provide the highest level

of value for tax dollars,” says Brassard. “We’re local and we understand the complexities.” Brassard says that there is a common misconception that engineers feel conf licted about trade agreements. The CEA, he says, fully supports current trade agreements, which are generally focused on reducing barriers to increased competiveness, economic growth and stability between the signatories. “Where we have trouble,” he says, “is with the perception by public bodies that trade agreements mean we have to compete based on the lowest price.” DiBattista adds that trade agreements can leave agencies nervous about compliance. “They tend to overreact and not see local knowledge as something of value.” So as long as municipalities consider pricing in their procurement process, local expertise tends to be treated as one factor among many – not as the most important element in determining the scope of a project. It’s the mandate of the CEA to promote QBS, and signs of progress are visible, so perhaps municipalities like Edmonton will take a page from Calgary’s book and adopt QBS for their own procurement. And in the meantime, engineers will take every opportunity to visit the attic first.

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ASSETS: Consulting engineers like Golnaz Azimi and Anika Palm of Urban Systems are increasingly being called on to help small municipalities with their asset management process.

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Community

PARTNERS The asset management process assists small municipalities with their capital planning so they can make informed decisions BY JEN JANZEN | PHOTOS BY COOPER AND O’HARA

CRUCIAL AND SOMETIMES VERY COMPLICATED STEP IN MUNICIPAL

infrastructure planning is about to become easier with the development of an asset management process designed to assist smaller Alberta communities. The intent is to help municipalities with careful inventorying and assessing of their municipal infrastructure in order to make informed decisions that, along with the smarter allocation of tax dollars, lead to more sustainable development. From water treatment to roads to facilities like arenas and swimming pools, performing regular infrastructure audits helps communities gauge where infrastructure is in its lifecycle, determining priorities and plans for replacement, upgrading or expansion. It’s also a necessary process that often gets overlooked in a small municipality. While large municipalities have in-house engineering departments that take care of monitoring infrastructure, smaller centres just don’t have the budget and personnel to devote to asset management. Since 2009, Alberta Municipal Affairs has required municipalities to report Tangible Capital Assets (TCA) in their annual financial statements. The TCA does require an inventory and historical value to be recorded for municipal infrastructure assets, but it doesn’t look at replacement cost and condition, and doesn’t provide a system to set priorities for replacement, upgrading or expansion. Also, in order to be eligible for grants, “municipalities should record and report their capital assets in their financial statements, including information on the condition of those assets,” says the Alberta Municipal Affairs website (municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca). One of the goals in the development of the asset management process is to combine the functionality of the new system with the TCA requirements. The intent is to collect and input information once and satisfy both the TCA and an Asset Management System, respecting the resource limitations in smaller municipalities. Through a selection and engagement process managed by the Consulting Engineers of Alberta (CEA) with Graeme Langford, P.Eng, and Harold Johnsrude, CA, as project managers earlier this year, the asset management process is being developed by Urban Systems Ltd. – an interdisciplinary municipal consulting firm based in Western Canada – and being piloted in the Village of Boyle and the Town of Elk Point. By this fall, Boyle and Elk Point alberta innovators

will know where they stand with their public infrastructure, and Urban Systems’ work with the two communities will help the company to create and test a framework that can help other small municipalities that wish to manage their assets and balance their cost and revenue streams. Even though every community is different, there are constant elements, like infrastructure, community services, revenue generation and the obligations and responsibilities that fall under the Municipal Government Act. Golnaz Azimi, municipal infrastructure consultant at Urban Systems, is the project manager for the contract. She says that small municipalities often don’t know where to start with their asset management process. “Small municipalities are overwhelmed, not knowing where to start, how to start, or what to use,” she says. “There are so many options out there; we don’t want to create another thing. The purpose of this project is to find out what would be really useful to them.”

That’s why the process is steeped in analysis and consultation: the team created a three-part survey for Alberta municipalities consisting of an online survey, interviews and an in-person analysis workshop that was held in Edmonton in late July. Azimi says one of the biggest challenges facing small municipalities is how to plan

to Fort McMurray and four pipelines come together,” Boyle’s official website says. In other words, there’s a lot of industrial activity around Boyle, and the village has had to keep up with a growing population. Alex Neumann is the public works superintendent for Boyle. Two months into the project, he says it’s been a good learning experience. “We’re going in the right direction as far as joining the 21st century,” Neumann says. Elk Point, 215 kilometres east of Edmonton, has just over 1,500 residents. Ken Gwozdz, Elk Point’s chief administrative officer, says the plan will help the town’s administration set capital plan priorities as well as manage the depreciation of capital assets. It will also help map out the town’s need for some new infrastructure: Gwozdz listed a paving plan, a new service road and variable pumps as some of Elk Point’s infrastructure goals.

“Small municipalities are overwhelmed, not knowing where to start, how to start, or what to use.” – Golnaz Azimi, Urban Systems

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around employee turnover. “How do you keep the continuity in asset management if you don’t have succession planning? That’s one of the things we’ll need to address,” she says. Boyle is 146 kilometres from Edmonton and is located on Highway 63, which heads north from Edmonton to Fort McMurray. “In a 10-kilometre wide swath, the main highway to Fort McMurray, the CN railway

THE ASSET MANAGEMENT PROCESS ISN’T

only breaking ground in the infrastructure planning department; it’s also a showcase for

the Qualifications Based Selection (QBS) process that’s being promoted by the CEA. The essence of QBS is to hire a professional based on their qualif ications, not on their price. For the asset management process, the CEA team put out an RFQ , or request for qualifications, instead of an RFP, or request for proposal. The QBS process requests that consultants put forward their qualifications, and to provide their understanding and approach to the project. With a dozen candidate consulting firms responding, the team of five people narrowed it down to two highly qualified companies. The final selection was made after conducting interviews. One of the benefits of QBS is its wider perspective and freedom to innovate. “The QBS procedure makes it easier to think about an engineering problem without obsessing over bidding at the lowest dollar figure possible,” reads a press release about QBS on the Urban Systems’ website (urbansystems.ca). “It allows engineers to consider the most creative and ultimately effective (and often the lowest costing in the long run) solutions to problems. It favours the best and brightest minds in the engineering community, rather than simply those with the lowest initial bids.” CEA argues that QBS makes more sense for engineering projects, especially for infrastructure with long life spans. If you are investing capital dollars in an infrastructure project, typical engineering fees might be in the order of 10 per cent of that cost, but then that infrastructure you’re designing probably has a 20- to 50-year lifespan, and the life cycle cost of the project makes that initial investment in design extremely important. On a life cycle cost basis, engineering cost can be as low as one per cent of the total cost, making the choice based on qualification even more important. Matt Brassard, principal of Urban Systems, thinks it’s just a matter of time before more municipalities switch over to QBS. He points out that the City of Calgary has been using it for 30 years and the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is currently working on a QBS pilot project. “As people become more familiar with the process and the benefits associated with this procurement model, we believe that it will become not only a best practice as recommended by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities but also standard practice by municipalities in the province,” he says. The asset management process pilot is due to wrap up this fall and will be presented at the AUMA conference this year.

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BUZZWORD OR BEND IN THE ROAD? ‘Social licence’ has become a popular notion in many industries and professions – including consulting engineering BY CAITLIN CRAWSHAW

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EARS AGO, THE NORTHERN GATEWAY SEEMED LIKE A SURE

thing – pending some regulatory approvals, of course. The twin pipeline project would transport bitumen and natural gas between Bruderheim, Alta., and Kitimat, B.C., effectively connecting Alberta’s energy sector with Asian markets. Many industry and government leaders praised the project for its economic gains: hundreds of jobs created in the building and maintenance of the pipeline facilities and a long-term boost to the energy sector and supporting industries. But somewhere along the line, the future of the Enbridge project became a question mark. Opponents came out of the woodwork – First Nations groups, B.C. municipalities, politicians, environmentalists and others – expressing concerns about the environmental risks. Grassroots opposition began to steadily mount and political supporters began to backpedal.

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The Canadian government accepted Enbridge’s project proposal in July 2014, but identified 209 issues that needed to be resolved in the next stage of the regulatory process, including consultation with First Nations’ groups. Since then, the company has said little of its plans, making some wonder if the project is being “quietly shelved,” as one CBC journalist put it. WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC ENGINEERING

projects, public support– what some now refer to as “social licence” – is critical. “Major projects don’t go ahead without it,” says Matt Brassard, principal engineer at Urban Systems in Edmonton. “A good example is the Northern Gateway, a project that didn’t have social licence and may never go ahead. Does it have the opportunity to have benefits for community, society, and stakeholders? Absolutely. But I don’t think it’ll ever happen.” In recent years, the idea of social licence has become a priceless commodity in a growing number of industries, including consulting engineering. The term was coined in 1997 by a Vancouver mining engineer named James Cooney. A consultant for a mining company, he came up with the term for a presentation to the World Bank about minimizing political risk in mining operations. Soon after, the phrase – also called “social licence to operate” (SLO) – was adopted by the World Bank and its consultants, eventually gaining traction across many different industries and professions. But while the term has become commonplace, its meaning – and significance – is still debated. For Sheldon Hudson, vice-president of Al-Terra Engineering Ltd. in Edmonton, the term is a bit overused. “I feel that as engineers, we’re provided with a social licence when we graduate,” he says. “We have a responsibility to the public, and there’s an oath we take and commit to for the rest of our careers. So, for us, I think social licence is about maintaining the trust with the public.” To that end, he and other engineers must consistently perform their work at a high standard (although Hudson admits this is rarely noticed by the public: “An engineer does his job when everything runs smoothly), and it’s only when things go wrong, and a bridge falls in or a stage collapses at a music festival, that engineers find themselves in the public eye.” To maintain a good rapport with the pub-

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lic, consulting engineers need to be seen doing good work in the community – even if that work is not eng ineering. Giving back through philanthropy or volunteerism is part of being a good corporate citizen, but it’s also a way to show the public that engineers care about their communities. In the long run, this helps the profession maintain a high regard, but it also makes engineering firms successful. “If you look at the long-term business outlook, our business does thrive when the public trusts our opinion and the work we do,” he says. Brassard takes a different view: “I think engineers used to have innate social licence,” he says. The public had unfailing respect for engineers and trusted them to work in ser-

infrastructure, or putting programming and planning in place. More firms are getting back to the core tenets of engineering – in his words, “course-correcting.”

Most engineers don’t learn about social licence, shared value or the social and environmental impacts of engineering during their university education. vice of society, but this has changed. “In the last four decades, that’s shifted for the engineering profession. We’ve lost a lot of trust.” This probably has a lot to do with large corporations – particularly in the mining sector – putting profit or risk assessment before the social interest. But it doesn’t help that consulting engineers don’t build relationships with members of the public like lawyers, dentists or other professionals. “Engineers rarely have that direct interface,” he says. “You don’t have individuals building bridges.” Instead, consulting engineers work for large companies or government bodies, with a great deal of distance from the public end-users or stakeholders. Regardless of why engineering has lost some of its lustre, Brassard thinks the social licence is being regained, little by little. More consulting engineering firms are shifting their focus back to the community when designing

Jeff DiBattista, a structural engineer and principal of DIALOG, says awareness of social licence may be growing, but it varies greatly: “Some firms are aware of it and it’s on the radar, but for others, it’s not in their consciousness.” At DIALOG, an Edmonton-based firm that does engineering design, architecture, urban planning and landscape design, social licence is always on the agenda – particularly lately. “We’ve actually recrafted our mission in life, as a firm, to meaningfully contribute to our community and the environment we all share,” he says. Still, he believes it should also be about more than that. “Social licence, to me, is when an organization is trying to advance its own interests by maintaining a good relationship with society and communities. I’d like to think we’re trying to go beyond that, to actually do more to enhance our communities. Not just trying to get benefit from it, but also

because it’s the right thing to do.” To that end, his company is focused on creating more liveable, transit-oriented neighbourhoods – a term he describes as “transit-urbanism.” Not only is this better for the environment, as people drive less, but it improves human health, encourages business development along transit lines, and provides affordable transportation options.

interest while remaining profitable. Another way to describe this is called “shared value,” an idea put forward by Drs. Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer at Harvard Business School. They argue that businesses can have a more powerful effect than non-profits or other entities. In this sense, social licence is about more than public approval or, as cynics

“We’re not just worrying about social licence, but running a business,” says Sheldon Hudson, vice-president of Al-Terra Engineering Ltd. As much as he can, DiBattista tries to find opportunities for his clients to work the principles of ‘transit-urbanism’ into their projects. “In thinking of a new way for our society to function, not everyone gets it right away,” he says. “We have to do a lot of education, persuasion and demonstration about how it works, to help people see the potential for what a city can be.” As a business owner, DiBattista knows that this approach is a gamble, since not all clients or prospects will bite. “Any time you’re advocating something that’s not the standard in our society, you’re taking a risk,” he says. But overall, this socially minded approach is working for DiBattista, his company, his clients and the community. This is what Brassard thinks social licence is all about – finding a way to advance the social

think, a way for companies to get what they want. “We shouldn’t look at it like a tool or something to convince someone of something. It’s about balanced care for outcomes, for the project, for the stakeholders or shareholders, and the community,” Brassard says. Like many things, this is easier said than done. Hudson notes that consulting engineers work for clients, whether they are private companies or government bodies. “We’re not necessarily involved in starting or mapping out a project,” he says. As a consultant working on a contract, he can’t determine the budget, scope, or benefits of a project. “We’re not just worrying about social licence, but running a business,” Hudson says. Brassard notes that how a consulting engineer wins a contract can also influence how well he or she can focus on social licence.

Price-based procurement methods can stifle innovation by forcing consulting engineers to focus on immediate cost, rather than longterm financial savings or other social benefits. “It’s much better if you can participate with a client to solve a problem as a partnership, rather than a commodity-based service. There’s no opportunity for that kind of thinking there,” he says. Anyone who has ever attended an iron ring ceremony knows how seriously engineers take their professional duties. New graduates recite The Obligation of The Engineer solemnly, pledging to practice with integrity, tolerance, respect and to “serve humanity” by using resources wisely. For the remainder of their careers, these men and women wear an iron ring on their pinkie fingers to remind them of their vows to the profession – and to the public at large. The trouble is that most engineers don’t learn about social licence, shared value or the social and environmental impacts of engineering during their university education. As a result, they may miss out on opportunities to make a difference in society, says DiBattista. Fortunately, the model of engineering education is changing and schools are moving away from a hyper-specialized, technical education towards a more interdisciplinary, integrated education for students. It’s likely that there will be more attention to the context of engineering, says DiBattista: “Just having the awareness that our work impacts society and having conversations about how to do our work better, is the first step.”

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DIY Social Licence Tips for building rapport with the community Social licence can make or break public projects. But for the consulting engineers who work on them, the value proposition of social licence has more to do with building a sustainable business — and doing good work. “As consulting engineers, we have a great opportunity to make a difference (and enhance our social licence) through our professional practice, every day,” says Jeff DiBattista of DIALOG. To maximize their social impact, consultants are wise to align their business model with social interests. But they can also take smaller steps to move in a better direction.

SHARE THE WEALTH: While writing a cheque can seem impersonal, it needn’t be – especially if the charity or cause is meaningful. Al-Terra Engineering Ltd. recently funded a position at a local preschool so a woman with disabilities could finish the work-experience portion of a child-care program. “To me, it’s the old adage of one person at a time,” says the company’s vice-president, Sheldon Hudson.

can be challenging, but it’s part of our job as consultants to educate our clients on the opportunity,” says DiBattista. Make the business case, be prepared to fail, and then try again. Remember, says Urban Systems’ Matt Brassard, that your ultimate “client” is the public.

ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES: Instead of giving cash, volunteer your time. In doing so, you’ll meet community members in person and build relationships. It’s not revolutionary, but it works.

SOCIALIZE ONLINE: Social media tools like Facebook and Twitter can help you raise awareness about important issues, share information, and gather feedback from the community. It’s also a way to help others understand the work of consulting engineers – a profession that can seem “abstract,” but plays “a significant role in the day-to-day lives of people in communities,” says Brassard.

IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES: You may not have the final say, but you can bring to light more socially responsible approaches or technical solutions. “Getting clients to buy in to a new way of thinking

DON’T FAKE IT: Be sincere – or don’t bother. “You have to be honestly and passionately engaged in the efforts you’re making in your community,” says DiBattista. Otherwise, it just won’t work.

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TRUST

RISKY

BUSINESS Securing insurance and mitigating pitfalls in clauses are necessary steps in the engineering process BY CORY SCHACHTEL

N ENGINEER’S JOB IS TO TAKE ACTION – to make things, or make existing things better, in new and more innovative ways. Hours of research, planning and continuous redesigns before the physical construction starts are the meticulous, even artful, parts of the job. Conversely, inspecting legal jargon, talking hypothetical dollars that won’t materialize unless things go wrong and worrying about the possibility of lawsuits – these are not what the engineer went to school for. But they are a part of the necessary, sometimes painful process and possibly the least-exciting part of a project: insurance.

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Insurance equates to money and risk. The client pays a consulting firm to assist with or oversee a project, and the firm’s insurance company decides whether or not to cover certain “if things go wrong” scenarios. It all comes down to clauses in the insurance agreement, a small but vital part of the process. “The best place for an insuring agreement is the bottom desk drawer, never to be taken out,” says Deon Wilner, president of the Consulting Engineers of Alberta (CEA). “It’s there when you first get things going, it’s there if things go wrong, but you shouldn’t be looking at it all the time because it’s all about working together.” Wilner stresses that consulting engineers are not a commodity, but instead a knowledge-based group of professionals, so collaboration is key. The client – or more accurately, the client’s lawyers and procurement department – often look only at the immediate bottom line, to save the most money and transfer

the most risk in the here and now. But getting a firm to sign a risky contract for cheap isn’t good for the public or the long-term life cycle of a project. And when a firm holds its nose and signs it anyway, it’s the industry at large that is hurt. “Every single one of us, when we accept clauses we shouldn’t, it sends ripple

other firms. This leaves consulting firms in a tough spot. They can sign and take on more risk, or listen to their insurance company, not sign and watch the job go to another firm. The client can simply walk away – a handy negotiating tool – and find another firm that’s willing to sign. The clauses themselves can vary – from clients claiming ownership of a consultant’s intellectual property rights, to requiring firms to act as property managers before the planning stage has even begun – but Mike Feeney, president of Quadrant/Lloyd Sadd Insurance Services, has found more than 20 years in the business that two issues come up repeatedly. “The most common are the indemnity obligations,” Feeney says. “The key one would be the limitations of liability or the absence thereof.” In that case, Feeney finds the clients will try to make the firm responsible for a consequential loss, beyond human error. “Ideally the consultant will try to be responsible only for the direct damage – if it costs $200,000 to fix a parkade roof, they will pay that. But if the parkade was closed for two months and lost potential business, should they be responsible for that as well?” The other key issue is standard of care. The engineer looks to achieve the same standards as those practising the same profession in their location, at the current time. “What happens is these owner agreements can change that,” Feeney says. Clauses like, “the engineer agrees to perform to the highest standard,” or, “to the level of nationally recognized firms,” go far beyond negligence. “You shouldn’t be able to say it’s not good enough that you’re a great structural engineer, you’ve got to be even greater. You would not get away with this with other true professionals.” Clients can play one firm against the other, and they can also get away with it. “Try going to a doctor, a lawyer, an accountant and saying you’re not going to sign their agreement, because you have your own. You’d never get away with it, because those industries have standard agreements,” Feeney says. There is an agreement like the ones Feeney cites in other industries, called Document 31, created by the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies (ACEC) in the 1980s. Its inception included both client and consultant input and it is routinely updated and modified, based on industry changes and precedent-setting court cases. The problem is that, unlike those other industries, it’s not

The engineer looks to achieve the same standards as those practising the same profession in their location, at the current time.

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effects through the industry,” Wilner says. “Of the 90 consulting firms registered in Alberta, we all accept unfair clauses. Begrudgingly, but we all do it.” They do it because they want the business or the project is intriguing. But it hurts the industry because once a firm agrees to a clause, it’s tougher to deny in the future, and other clients can cite it when bargaining with

standard, and many clients ignore it entirely. “I would refer any client to ACEC’s Document 31,” Wilner says. So would Robert Bourdages, senior associate at Stantec, who agrees that many agreements, specifically from the public sector, are heavily one-sided. When he arrived in Edmonton from the U.S. five years ago, he did a double-take after reading certain provisions in client agreements. “I was aghast,” he says. “For example, they’ll write that they can unilaterally withhold fees if they find the work – in their sole opinion – substandard. I found that extraordinary.” But Bourdages does see progress. Over the last few years the City of Edmonton has had a dialogue with the CEA, which presented what it feels is a fair agreement that was overseen by lawyers, insurance firms and an independent council. The City is reviewing the agreement. Alberta Infrastructure is likewise showing signs that they’re open to more evenhanded agreements, in part because the CEA is no longer negotiating alone. “We’re in negotiations about some of their agreements right now, along with the Consulting Architects of Alberta and the Contractors Association, too,” Bourdages says. “Individual firms have no influence, whereas collectively through the CEA, they do. Now with three entities weighing in, it has even more force. We have a stronger voice.” But these are recent discussions, relative to decades of “that’s how it’s always been done” mentality – inertia is tough to stop. Having public infrastructure at the table, listening to the CEA and reviewing agreements is a good sign, but as engineers like Bourdages know, progress can be slow. “They’re telling us that they’ve never sued anybody, so why does this have so much weight. We’re saying that doesn’t matter, if it’s in the agreement it has to stand on its own.” With major developments planned and already popping up in Edmonton and across the province, Alberta is in the middle of a growth spurt. It’s only prudent that those parties directly involved in shaping the final product mature along with it. That means, as always, that innovation remains forefront in the research, planning and making of things, but also in the less glamorous parts of a project, such as insurance. “I think the engineering industry is growing up a bit,” Bourdages says. “And part of that is making sure we have the best agreements we can to operate a profitable business and still serve clients, and the public. I think we’re seeing progress.”

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FIRM FOOTING: Nathan Miller and Jackie Mykytiuk have bucked the trend of working their way up at an existing engineering firm by starting their own.

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YOUNG GUNS Upstart firms help breathe new life and entrepreneurial spirit into a long-standing industry BY MARTIN DOVER | PHOTO BY BUFFY GOODMAN

ROWING UP, NATHAN MILLER AND

Jackie Mykytiuk knew what it was like to be self-employed. Miller’s dad ran his own pharmacy, and Mykytiuk’s father, his own construction f irm. To them, work was about more than just a paycheque – it was something that was a part of their identity. “I think that growing up in that atmosphere, you see the benefits and rewards of owning your own business,” says Mykytiuk. “Your own personal success and reward as well.” So when Miller and Mykytiuk decided to take their consulting engineering experience and branch out to start their own company, the two knew what they were in for. “When you have a normal job, you plan your vacation and you go. I grew up in an environment where you plan it and you hope that you can go, you hope that you don’t get called back early,” says Miller. “You have to have that f lexibility and commitment to pull through on the business side of things.” In the world of engineering, so often it’s the long-standing names and well-established companies that dominate the industry. For young engineers, landing a position at a big firm can mean a leg-up in the industry, with a well-worn career path laid before them. Which makes the pair’s founding their own, smaller company an ambitious – and unique – undertaking. “I think we share a lot of the same passion and there’s a lot of that inner entrepreneurial spirit always burning in there,” says Miller. “Branching out on your own can feel like the only way to fulfill that desire.” In the time since they started M2 Engineering, in February 2015, commitment hasn’t been

much of a problem for this team of water and wastewater engineers. “It’s been challenging,” notes Mykytiuk. “Coming from a technical engineering background, you really focus on what your technical expertise is – that’s water and wastewater treatment for both of us. But starting a new company, you really have to develop a lot of new skill sets.” That means doing actual engineering work, but also structuring their company, choosing an accounting system, taking on human resources work and often performing IT duties. “Then there’s the people side of the

from that goal, and is frustrating more than anything.” Still, the pair agrees that the benefits outweigh those unforeseen daily hiccups. In particular, they note that small companies can provide their clients benefits that large firms cannot – for instance, the speed at which they can troubleshoot problems in the field. “There’s a lot of flexibility in that sense,” says Mykytiuk. “We have full control of our own schedules and workload and can get out there when they need us, not making them wait for someone in the office who has the time.” A nd while they dea l w ith intense competition, Miller believes there is room in the industry for both: “We are seeing firms going larger and larger, which opens up a niche for firms like ours to open up a personal touch w it h ever y project that we work on,” he says. “The field of engineering is dominated by big companies, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for smaller firms that provide tailored expertise at a one-on-one level.” In order to foster this development, both Miller and Mykytiuk are involved in the Consulting Engineers of Alberta’s Young Professionals Group (YPG), where they work to encourage engineers to seek out opportunities outside of just oil and gas. “I remember being in university and truly understanding consulting engineering was a challenge,” says Miller, who is the current chair of the YPG. “We’re younger people going out on our own, and I hope that inspires them to do whatever they want to do,” adds Mykytiuk. “I hope they see there is diversity in the industry.”

“The field of engineering is dominated by big companies, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for smaller firms that provide tailored expertise at a one-on-one level.” – Nathan Miller, M2 Engineering business,” she adds. “Even though both of us did that in our past lives as consultants, it becomes more important to hone those skills when you own your own business.” Miller and Myky tiuk started their company fully aware of the personal and financial challenges that come along with running your own small business. “We had pretty good forecasts for everything we expected, but you never really know how much time things are going to take until you’re in the nitty gritty details,” says Miller. “Sometimes things can pop up and get in the way of that, it can be as simple as your cellphone not working. It distracts you

alberta innovators

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BRANCHING OUT: Mike Koziol, left, of MMM Group knows the importance of attracting new talent to the engineering industry, like engineer-in-training George Dal Bello.

SUSTAINING AN

Industry Consulting engineers want their profession to remain competitive, and they need the youth of the world to do it BY STEVEN BUTTERWORTH

alberta innovators

NG INE E R ING IS CRUCIAL TO THE

Albertan economy. During the recession of the 1980s, many engineers and companies left the province in the hope of greener grass elsewhere. Since that time, engineers have made a conscious effort to ensure that their industry is sustainable and the next generations of engineers have a home in Alberta. Still, the question remains: what is the industry doing to attract new employees? Alberta Innovators spoke with Mike Koziol, vice-president of transportation for MMM Group and Michael Walker, project manager at McElhanney Consulting Services, about how engineering firms are finding – and keeping – young talent. “The consulting engineering industry is reaching out to the universities and colleges across Alberta to show students and young professionals (not limited to engineers), what consulting can offer them,” says Walker. This is done through career fairs and mixers held on campuses through the Consulting Engineers of Alberta (CEA)’s Young Professional Group (YPG). However, the reach of consulting engineers does not stop there. “Looking beyond those sources, consulting engineers are working with APEGA [the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta] to identify opportunities to streamline the acceptance of foreign-trained engineers to Canada without compromising the high standards that Canadian engineers have achieved,” says Walker. And Koziol says similar methods are being used by MMM Group, which is try-

ing to maintain competitive salaries by paying close attention to the APEGA Salary Survey. The next generation of consulting engineers must ensure that they become the trusted advisors the industry needs and has a reputation for being, but it’s not all about book smarts. “Unfortunately, soft skills and effective communication are usually an afterthought once the student has graduated, so those must be gained through mentorship, or attending workshops or events such as the CEA Young Professional Conference,

ing industry, the question now becomes what actually entices potential recruits? “I think the biggest reason that makes us a great industry to work for is the variety of work,” says Koziol. “You touch all aspects of life in Alberta. We do everything from medical engineering to nanotechnology, the oil patch and even basic infrastructure. The sheer amount of variety of opportunities to have during your career is very widespread.” This sentiment has also been echoed by two up-and-comers from both the MMM Group and McElhanney. “I entered it because I like to do new and different things and I thought that consulting would give me the opportunity to work on varied projects,” says George Dal Bello, an engineer-in-training at MMM Group. “I would say that certainly the projects that I have worked on in the past three years had that varied level of experience and all the things I was looking for, and still is.” Simon Armstrong, transportation engineer at McElhanney, recalls his reasons for entering the field. “Like a lot of freshly graduated young engineers, I found the industry, its participants and their interrelationships a mystery,” he says. “After a handful of years in the public sector, it became obvious to me that the most interesting questions were always asked of consulting engineers. As a consulting engineer, you succeed by being useful; you’re focused wholly on finding real world pragmatic solutions to our clients’ most interesting and complex problems – and it’s great.”

Despite efforts to raise awareness and opportunities in the consulting engineering industry, the question now becomes what actually entices potential recruits?

alberta innovators

which is to be held in Calgary in 2016,” says Walker. At these events, young professionals can learn skills including leadership, conflict resolution and how to manage a team with generational differences. The events have a second purpose as well – to put these young hopefuls in stressful situations in a controlled environment, so they can learn confidence in real-world situations. “If the consultant is calm and confident, the client will usually respond positively and the two can get down to business,” Walker says. Despite efforts to raise awareness and opportunities in the consulting engineer-

WATER WOES Engineers are working with smaller Alberta communities to net potable, sustainable solutions for every Canadian

BY MARTIN DOVER HILE 90 PER CENT OF ALBERTANS

get their drinking water from larger municipal systems, the remainder – including First Nations and rural communities – often access theirs in other ways, such as private wells, water co-ops, even hauling in their own. Increasingly, consulting engineers are looking for solutions for small communities in need of a potable and sustainable water system. Among those are Stantec’s Todd Simonsen, and Tetra Tech’s Dharshan Kesavanathan and Paul Ruffell. They told Innovators about the challenges and advances engineers face when working in water supply and treatment for rural Alberta. Tech Talk. “The key issue has been accessibility of technology,” says Paul Ruffell, Tetra Tech’s president of infrastructure for Canada. “We are putting in very good systems – but the technical expertise needed to run the system has been beyond the community’s ability to use. Consequently, we’ve had lots of failures of these plants.” To mitigate this challenge, Ruffell sees the importance in consultations with engineers, government, regulators – and communities themselves. “We engineers can provide any level of technology under the sun, but the ability to provide appropriate technology is the one that’s most useful to that community.” Bundle Up. One of the ways Ruffell’s Tetra Tech colleague, Dharshan Kesavanathan, is dealing with the technology gaps and

aging infrastructure is by sharing resources, which he says is benef icial to the First Nations communities Tetra Tech consults with. He’s heading an unprecedented project that will see three First Nations (Beaver First Nation, Dene Tha’ First Nation, and Little Red River Cree Nation) each net an identical plant for its water treatment and distribution. “You can get an economy of scale by doing one common design. You don’t necessarily have to do things three times,” says Kesavanathan, Tetra Tech’s manager of water and wastewater. He adds that the project – slated for spring 2016 construction – can share the same contractor, which would also mean cost savings. “It’s an engineering-project management solution that can make a difference and expedite the process of getting some of these communities up to standard.” He is optimistic the project will be a valuable model for other communities. Money Matters. The means to fund water treatment projects in the province usually dries up before the need does. Though funding is available through the province’s water plan, Water for Life, it’s not enough, says Todd Simenson, Stantec’s sector lead, water group, for Alberta Central and the Territories. “I was told recently that there was $600 million worth of projects, and the allocation right now through Water for Life is $30 million a year. They have a lot of applications that are underfunded relative to the need.”

Kesavanathan agrees, saying the challenge is acute when it comes to First Nations communities, where money matters are magnified. “First Nations are dependent on funding allocated from Aboriginal Affairs,” he says. “And the smaller the community, the smaller the funding to maintain it. But there’s a minimum that needs to go into any plant, regardless of size.” Community Minded. One path to efficiency is to have several smaller communities create a regional water system, says Simenson, who cites the Shirley McClellan Regional Water Services Commission in Central and Eastern Alberta, which services 160 kilometres and 16 communities, as an example. “You could have one water treatment plant and then distribute that water to two, five, 20 communities,” he explains. It avoids redundancy, and one team maintains and operates the system. He adds that this rural regional system is ideal for engineers to bring in monitoring technology, such as SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) and to run plants remotely. “The operator might be in Gadsby, but there might be an issue in Coronation. So he can use an iPad or computer and see the status of the system,” he says. “Say the operator gets an alarm in the middle of the night, he could turn on a pump without having to drive all the way to site.” A lot of engineering technology goes into making these systems efficient. alberta innovators

Matt Brassard, P.Eng. Past President Urban Systems

Kelly Yuzdepski, P.Eng. Vice President CIMA+

Helder Afonso, P.Eng. Treasurer Associated Engineering

Alistair James, P.Eng. Director Golder Associates

Art Washuta, P.Eng. ACEC Liaison Opus Stewart Weir

Craig Clifton, P.Eng. Honorary Director Past President Liaison Clifton Associates

Sheldon Hudson, P.Eng. Honorary Director Past President Liaison Al-Terra Engineering

David Nagy, P.Eng. Director AECOM

Ed Stelmach Honorary Director

Grant Hallam, P.Eng. Director McElhanney Consulting

Ken Kozakewich, P.Eng. Director Amec Foster Wheeler

Linus Murphy CAA Liaison S2 Architecture

Manoj Mistry, P.Eng. Director Stantec Consulting

Michael Walker, P.Eng. YP Director McElhanney Consulting

Mike Koziol, P.Eng. Director MMM Group

Paul Ruffell, P.Eng. ACEC Liaison Tetra Tech EBA

alberta innovators

Rob Lonson, P.Eng. Director Opus Stewart Weir

Todd McGaw, P.Eng. Director MCW Hemisphere

2015-2016 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Deon Wilner, P.Eng. President ISL Engineering & Land Services

AECOM www.aecom.com 300, 48 Quarry Park Boulevard SE Calgary AB T2C 5P2 Tel: 403-270-9200 101, 18817 Stony Plain Road NW Edmonton AB T5S 0C2 Tel: 780-486-7000 Almor Testing Services Ltd. www.almor.com 7505 – 40 Street SE Calgary AB T2C 2H5 Tel: 403-236-8880 Al-Terra Engineering Ltd. www.al-terra.com 5307 – 47 Street NW Edmonton AB T6B 3T4 Tel: 780-440-4411 Al-Terra Engineering (Red Deer) Ltd. www.al-terra-rd.com Suite 202, 4708 – 50 Avenue Red Deer AB T4N 4A1 Tel: 403-340-3022 AMEC Foster Wheeler Environment & Infrastructure www.amec.com Bay 1, 5506 – 50 Avenue, Box 7699 Bonnyville AB T9N 2K8 Tel: 780-826-4759 140 Quarry Park Boulevard SE Calgary AB T2C 3G3 Tel: 403-248-4331 5681 – 70 Street NW Edmonton AB T6B 3P6 Tel: 780-436-2152 10204 Centennial Drive Fort McMurray AB T9H 1Y5 Tel: 780-791-0848 469 – 40 Street S Lethbridge AB T1J 4M1 Tel: 403-329-1467 PO Box 11606 2B, 5803 – 63 Avenue Lloydminster AB T9V 3B8 Tel: 780-875-8975 964A – 23 Street SW Medicine Hat AB T1A 8G3 Tel: 403-527-5871

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400 MacKennzie Boulevard Fort McMurray AB T9H 4C4 BBA Inc. www.bba.ca Suite 100, 227 – 11 Avenue SW Calgary AB T2R 1R9 Tel: 403-770-2111 BPTEC Engineering Ltd. www.bptec.ca 200, 4220 – 98 Street Edmonton AB T6E 6A1 Tel: 780-436-5376 Buckland & Taylor Ltd. www.b-t.com 1700 College Plaza, 8215 – 112 Street NW Edmonton AB T6G 2C8 Tel: 780-432-1301 CH2M HILL Canada LTD. www.ch2mhillcanada.com 540 – 12 Avenue SW Calgary AB T2R 0H4 Tel: 403-407-6000 6815 – 8 Street NE, Suite 300 Calgary AB T2E 7H7 Tel: 403-806-6060 Suite 800, 10010 – 106 Street NW Edmonton AB T5J 3L8 Tel: 780-409-9298 CIMA+ www.cima.ca 15 Royal Vista Place NW, Suite 280 Calgary AB T3R 0P3 Tel: 403-775-0100 10235 – 101 Street, 4th Floor Edmonton AB T5J 3G1 Tel: 780-297-2462 425 Gregoire Drive Fort McMurray AB T9H 4K7 Tel: 780-743-2038 Clifton Associates Ltd. www.clifton.ca 2222 – 30 Avenue NE Calgary AB T2E 7K9 Tel: 403-263-2556 Suite 200, 9636 – 51 Avenue NW Edmonton AB T6E 6A5 Tel: 780-432-6441 10, 6309 – 43 Street W Lloydminster AB T2V 2W9 Tel: 780-872-5980

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Coffey Geotechnics www.coffey.com Unit 21, 3030 Sunridge Way NE Calgary AB T1Y 7K4 Tel: 403-250-8850

exp Services Inc. www.exp.com 375, 7220 Fisher Street SE Calgary AB T2H 2H8 Tel: 403-509-3030

HDR Corporation www.hdrinc.com 4838 Richard Road SW, Suite 140 Calgary AB T3E 6L1 Tel: 403-537-0250

CTM Design Services Ltd. www.ctmdesign.ca 210, 340 Midpark Way SE Calgary AB T2X 1P1 Tel: 403-640-0990

101, 8616 – 51 Avenue Edmonton AB T6E 6E6 Tel: 780-435-3662

IBI Group www.ibigroup.com Suite 400, 1167 Kensington Crescent NW Calgary AB T2N 1X7 Tel: 403-270-5600

D.E.S. Engineering Limited www.deseng.ca #201, 8403 Coronet Road NW Edmonton AB T6E 4N7 Tel: 780-801-2700 DIALOG www.designdialog.ca 300, 134 – 11 Avenue SE Calgary AB T2G OX5 Tel: 403-245-5501 100, 10237 – 104 Street NW Edmonton AB T5J 1B1 Tel: 780-429-1580 Dillon Consulting Limited www.dillon.ca Suite 200, 334 – 11 Avenue SE Calgary AB T2G 0Y2 Tel: 403-215-8880 Eagle Engineering Corp. PO Box 208, 19 White Avenue Bragg Creek AB T0L 0K0 Tel: 403-949-3362 Emans Smith Andersen Engineering Ltd. www.emanssmithandersen.com 420, 840 – 6 Avenue SW Calgary AB T2P 3E5 Tel: 403-261-8897

105, 425 Gregoire Drive Fort McMurray AB T9H 4K7 FVB Energy Inc. www.fvbenergy.com 350, 13220 St. Albert Trail Edmonton AB T5L 4W1 Tel: 780-453-3410 GeoMetrix Group Engineering Ltd. www.geometrixgroup.ca 1227 – 91 Street SW Edmonton AB T2A 7W5 Tel: 780-738-3303 GHD Limited www.craworld.com 205, 3445 – 114 Avenue SE Calgary AB T2Z 0K6 Tel: 403-271-2000 Golder Associates Ltd. www.golder.com 102, 2535 – 3 Avenue SE Calgary AB T2A 7W5 Tel: 403-299-5600 16820 – 107 Avenue Edmonton AB T5P 4C3 Tel: 780-483-3499 340 MacLennan Crescent Fort McMurray AB T9H 5C8 Tel: 780-743-4040

Eramosa Engineering Inc. www.eramosa.com 18 Royal Vista Link NW, Unit 208 Calgary AB T3R 0K4 Tel: 403-208-7447

Great Northern Engineering Consultants www.gnec.ca 8703 – 53 Avenue NW Edmonton AB T6E 5E9 Tel: 780-490-7141

ESE-LSS Life Safety Systems Technologies www.ese-lss.com 531, 9768 – 170 Street NW Edmonton AB T5T 5L4 Tel: 780 482-6050

Hatch Mott Macdonald Ltd. www.hatchmott.com 1250, 840 – 7 Avenue SW Calgary AB T2P 3G2 Tel: 403-234-7978

Suite 207, 11044 – 51 Avenue Edmonton AB T6H 5B4 Tel: 866-745-2980

#200, 10830 Jasper Avenue NW Edmonton AB T5J 2B3 Tel: 780-421-0787

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#300, 10830 Jasper Avenue Edmonton AB T5J 2B3 Tel: 780-428-4000 #102, 9908 Franklin Avenue Fort McMurray AB T9H 2K5 Tel: 780-790-1034 Integral Group www.integralgroup.com 2nd Floor, 1214 – 9 Avenue SE Calgary AB T2G 0T1 Tel: 587-353-5141 ISL Engineering and Land Services Ltd. www.islengineering.com 1, 6325 – 12 Street SE Calgary AB T2H 2K1 Tel: 403-254-0544 101, 621 – 10 Street Canmore AB T1W 2A2 Tel: 403-678-4211 Suite 100, 7909 – 51 Avenue NW Edmonton AB T6E 5L9 Tel: 780-438-9000 202, 10537 – 98 Avenue Grande Prairie AB T8V 4L1 Tel: 780-532-4002 416B Stafford Drive South Lethbridge AB T1J 2L2 Tel: 403-327-3755 210, 4711 – 51 Avenue Red Deer AB T4N 6H8 Tel: 403-342-1476 J.R. Paine & Associates www.jrp.ca 17505 – 106 Avenue Edmonton AB T5S 1E7 Tel: 780-489-0700 11020 – 89 Avenue Grande Prairie AB T8V 3J8 Tel: 780-532-1515

MMM Group www.mmm.com 5151 – 3 Street SE Calgary AB T2H 2X6 Tel: 403-269-7440

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Suite 206, 610 – 70 Avenue SE Calgary AB T2H 2J6 Tel: 403-509-2005

Kerr Wood Leidal Associates Ltd. www.kwl.ca Suite 110, 1212 – 1 Street SE Calgary AB T2G 2H8 Tel: 403-262-4241

McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd. www.mcelhanney.com Suite 500, 999 – 8 Street SW Calgary AB T2R 1J5 Tel: 403-262-5042

KFR Engineering Services www.kfrengineering.com #100, 11404 – 142 Street NW Edmonton AB T5M 1V1 Tel: 780-488-6008

#203 - 502 Bow Valley Trail Canmore AB T1W 1N9 Tel: 403-609-3992

#200, 10576 – 113th Street Edmonton AB T5H 3H5 Tel: 780-423-4123

14904 – 121A Avenue NW Edmonton AB T5V 1A3 Tel: 780-809-3200

8026A Franklin Avenue Fort McMurray AB T9H 5K3 Tel: 780-743-3977

McIntosh Lalani Engineering Ltd. www.mcintoshlalani.com Bay 10, 4604 – 13 Street Calgary AB T2E 6P1 Tel: 403-291-2345

Morrison Hershfield Ltd. www.morrisonhershfield.com Suite 300, 6807 Railway Street SE Calgary AB T2H 2V6 Tel: 403-246-4500

MCW Hemisphere Ltd. www.hemisphere-eng.com 202, 838 – 11 Avenue SW Calgary AB T2R 0E5 Tel: 403-245-6446

Suite 300, 1603 – 91 Street SW Edmonton AB T6X 0W8 Tel: 780-483-5200

Khanatek Technologies Inc. www.khanatek.com 2048 – 43 Street Edmonton AB T6L 6L7 Tel: 780-702-0613 Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd. www.klohn.com 500, 2618 Hopewell Place NE Calgary AB T1Y 7J7 Tel: 403-274-3424 301, 2627 Ellwood Drive SW Edmonton AB T6X 0P7 Tel: 780-444-0706 Laviolette Engineering Ltd. www.laveng.com 7609 – 115 Street, Unit B Edmonton AB T6G 1N4 Tel: 780- 454-0884 Levelton Consultants Ltd. www.levelton.com 203, 6919 – 32 Avenue NW Calgary AB T3B 0K6 Tel: 403-247-1813 8884 – 48 Avenue Edmonton AB T6E 5L1 Tel: 780-438-0844

203, 729 – 10 Street Canmore AB T1W 2A3 Tel: 403-678-3500

Morton & Jagodich Incorporated www.mortonjagodich.com PO Box 78088, 383 Heritage Drive SE Calgary AB T2H 2Y1 Tel: 403-874-6135

10950 – 119 Street Edmonton AB T5H 3P5 Tel: 780-452-1800 Mechwave Engineering Ltd. www.mechwave.com 300, 1111 Olympic Way SE Calgary AB T2G 0E6 Tel: 403- 802-1090

PO Box 23342 Grande Prairie AB T8V 7G7 Tel: 780-874-6135

Metallurgical Consulting Services Ltd. www.metallurgicalconsulting.net #209, 5403 Crowchild Trail NW Calgary AB T3B 4Z1 Tel: 403-235-5456

MPA Engineering Ltd. www.mpaeng.ca #312, 9804 – 100 Avenue Grande Prairie AB T8V 0T8 Tel: 780-814-2392 9930 – 102 Street Peace River AB T8S 1T1 Tel: 780-624-8151

Magna Iv Engineering www.magnaiv.com 200, 688 Heritage Drive SE Calgary AB T2H 1M6 Tel: 403-723-0575 1103 Parsons Road SW Edmonton AB T6X 0X2 Tel: 780-462-3111 Maskell Plenzik & Partners Engineering Inc. www.mppeng.ca

Smart Solutions for a Complex World Tetra Tech’s scientists and engineers are developing sustainable solutions for the world’s most complex projects. With 3,500 employees in Canada and 13,000 total employees worldwide, we have grown to become one of North America’s largest engineering firms.

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We are passionate designers who believe in the power of built form to meaningfully improve the wellbeing of communities and the environment we all share. dialogdesign.ca Engineering | Architecture | Interior Design | Landscape Architecture | Urban Planning

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Inspiring Sustainable Thinking Committed to integrating sustainable solutions into our project work and our corporate culture, ISL Engineering and Land Services delivers planning and design solutions for transportation, water and land projects. ISL is dedicated to working with all levels of government and the private sector to address the challenges that come with growth in urban and rural communities. EDMONTON | CALGARY | CANMORE | LETHBRIDGE | RED DEER | GRANDE PRAIRIE

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#304 – 85 Cranford Way Sherwood Park AB T8H 0H9 Tel: 780-416-3034 MPE Engineering Ltd. www.mpe.ca #320, 6715 – 8 Street NE Calgary AB T2E 7H7 Tel: 403-250-1362 #101, 10630 – 172 Street Edmonton AB T5S 1H8 Tel: 780-486-2000 300, 714 – 5 Avenue S Lethbridge AB T1J 0V1 Tel: 403-329-3442 40, 1825 Bomford Crescent SW Medicine Hat AB T1A 5E8 Tel: 403-548-2626 302, 4702 – 49 Avenue Red Deer AB T4N 6L5 Tel: 403-348-8340 1F, 333 – 2 Street W Brooks AB T1R 1G4 Tel: 403-362-8545 Northwest Hydraulic Consultants Ltd. www.nhcweb.com 9819 – 12 Avenue SW Edmonton AB T6X 0E3 Tel: 780-436-5868 Opus Stewart Weir Ltd. www.swg.ca 4808A – 50 Avenue Bonnyville AB T9N 2H3 Tel: 866-812-3183 300, 926 – 5 Avenue SW Calgary AB T2P 0N7 Tel: 403-264-2585 99, 11039 – 78 Avenue Grande Prairie AB T8W 2J7 Tel: 1-877-814-5880 30, 491 W.T.Hill Boulevard S Lethbridge AB T1J 1Y6 Tel: 403-320-1135 140, 2121 Premier Way Sherwood Park AB T8H 0B8 Tel: 780-410-2580 P. Machibroda Engineering Ltd. www.machibroda.com 12114A – 163 Street NW

Edmonton AB T5V 1H4 Tel: 780-733-6575 Parsons Brinckerhoff Halsall Inc. www.halsall.com 5940 Macleod Trail SW, Suite 900 Calgary AB T2H 2G3 Tel: 403-255-7946 Parsons Inc. www.delcan.com Suite 100, 808 – 4 Avenue SW Calgary AB T2P 3E8 Tel: 403-228-9450 Pasquini & Associates Consulting Ltd. www.pasquini.ca #300, 929 – 11 Street SE Calgary AB T2G 0R4 Tel: 403-452-7677 Patching Associates Acoustical Engineering Ltd. www.patchingassociates.com 9, 4825 Westwinds Drive NE Calgary AB T3J 4L4 Tel: 403- 274-5882 Protostatix Engineering Consultants Inc. www.protostatix.com 1100, Royal Bank Building, 10117 Jasper Avenue Edmonton AB T5J 1W8 Tel: 780-423-5855 Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. www.rjc.ca Suite 500, 1816 Crowchild Trail NW Calgary AB T2M 3Y7 Tel: 403-283-5073

27 Rivergreen Road W Lethbridge AB T1K 7X5 Tel: 403-393-6170 Sameng Inc. www.sameng.com 1500 Baker Centre, 10025 – 106 Street Edmonton AB T5J 1G4 Tel: 780-482-2557 Fax: 780-482-2538 Sarpoint Engineering www.sarpointeng.com #6, 3530 – 11A Street NE Calgary AB T2E 6M7 9763 – 62 Avenue Edmonton AB T6E 5Y4 Tel: 780-453-6228 Scheffer Andrew Ltd. www.schefferandrew.com 12204 – 145 Street NW Edmonton AB T5L 4V7 Tel: 780-732-7800 5920 Macleod Trail SW. Calgary AB T2H 0K2 Tel: 403-244-9710 Unit 102, 505 – 1 Street SE

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Suite 100, 17415 – 102 Avenue Edmonton AB T5S 1J8 Tel: 780-452-2325 Ready Engineering Corporation www.readyengineering.com Suite 200A, 708 – 11 Avenue SW Calgary AB T2R 0E4 Tel: 403-301-5250 #10, 4051 – 4 Avenue S Lethbridge AB T1H 4B5 Tel: 403-327-2919 Suite 209, 215 McLeod Avenue Spruce Grove AB T7X 0G2 Tel: 780-960-6663 Roseke Engineering Ltd. www.roseke.com

www.lambertlaw.ca Contact Tony Lambert 780-448-0604

Medicine Hat AB T1A 0A9 Tel: 403-526-3434

Edmonton AB T5J 4A1 Tel: 780-701-0331

P.O. Box 8254, #208, 4807 – 51 Street Cold Lake AB T9M 1N2 Tel: 780-594-7500

SMP Consulting Electrical Engineers www.smpeng.com 403, 1240 Kensington Road NW Calgary AB T2N 3P7 Tel: 780-701-0331

SCL Engineering Ltd. 200, 7205 Roper Road Edmonton AB T6B 3J4 Tel: 780-440-6262 Sereca Fire Consulting Ltd. www.serecafire.com #106, 5855 – 9 Street SE Calgary AB T2H 1Z9 Tel: 403-984-5800 SMA Consulting Ltd. www.smaconsulting.ca 230 Sunlife Place, 10123 – 99 Street Edmonton AB T5J 3H1 Tel: 780-484-3313 Smith & Andersen Consulting Engineering www.smithandandersen.com Suite 501, 10320 – 102 Avenue

Tel: 403-716-8000 Suite 200, 1719 – 10 Avenue SW Calgary AB T3C 0K1 Tel: 403-245-5661 Suite 222, 4000 – 4 Street SE Calgary AB T2G 2W3 Tel: 403-214-3520

Suite 101, 10835 – 120 Street Edmonton AB T5H 3P9 Tel: 780-482-5931

Suite 300, 805 – 8 Avenue SW Calgary AB T2P 1H7 Tel: 403-269-5150

234 – 13 Street N Lethbridge AB T1H 2R7 Tel: 403-327-9433

Suite 340, 1200 – 59 Avenue SE Calgary AB T2H 2M4 Tel: 403-216-2140

Stantec Consulting www.stantec.com 10160 – 112 Street Edmonton AB T5K 2L6 Tel: 780-917-7000

212, 300 MacKenzie Boulevard Fort McMurray AB T9H 4C4 Tel: 780-791-7117

200, 37 Quarry Park Boulevard SE Calgary AB T2C 5H9 Tel: 403-252-3436 200, 325 – 25 Street SE Calgary AB T2A 7H8

290, 220 – 4 Street S Lethbridge AB T1J 4J7 Tel: 403-329-3344 1100, 4900 – 50 Street Red Deer AB T4N 1X7 Tel: 403-341-3320

Stephenson Engineering Ltd. www.stephenson-eng.com 608 – 7 Street SW, Suite 200 Calgary AB T2P 1Z2 Tel: 403-648-0033

Tel: 780-438-1460

Tetra Tech EBA Inc. www.eba.ca Riverbend Atrium One 115, 200 Rivercrest Drive SE Calgary AB T2C 2X5 Tel: 403-203-3355

TWD Technologies Limited http://twdepcm.com/ Calgary Place 1, Suite 750, 330 – 5 Avenue SW Calgary AB T2P 0H9 Tel: 403-262-3083

14940 – 123 Avenue Edmonton AB T5V 1B4 Tel: 780-451-2121

Unit 287, 2055 Premier Way Sherwood Park AB T8H 0G2 Tel: 780-410-0542

442 – 10 Street N Lethbridge AB T1H 2C7 Tel: 403-329-9009

Urban Systems Ltd. www.urbansystems.ca 101, 2716 Sunridge Way NE Calgary AB T1Y 0A5 Tel: 403-291-1193

Thurber Engineering Ltd. www.thurber.ca 180, 7330 Fisher Street SE Calgary AB T2H 2H8 Tel: 403-253-9217 4127 Roper Road Edmonton AB T6B 3S5

#10, 340 MacAlpine Crescent Fort McMurray AB T9H 4A8 Tel: 780-743-1566

200, 10345 – 105 Street Edmonton AB T5J 1E8 Tel: 780-430-4041 V3 Companies Of Canada Ltd www.v3co.ca

300, 6940 Fisher Road SE Calgary AB T2H 0W3 Tel: 403-860-1262 Suite 200, 9945 – 50 Street NW Edmonton AB T6A 0L4 Tel: 780-945-2576 Walters Chambers & Associates Ltd. www.walterschambers.com Suite 501, 10709 Jasper Avenue Edmonton AB T5J 3N3 Tel: 780-428-1740 Watt Consulting Group www.dawatt.com 310, 3016 – 5 Avenue NE Calgary AB T2A 6K4 Tel: 403-273-9001 Williams Engineering Canada Inc. www.williamsengineering.com N195, 3015 – 5 Avenue NE Calgary AB T2A 6T8 Tel: 403-263-2393 Suite 200, 10065 Jasper Avenue Edmonton AB T5J 3B1 Tel: 780-424-2393

SEE WHAT

Putting our clients’ needs first, as well as creating vibrant and innovative spaces are our main goals at Scheffer Andrew Ltd. For over 30 years, we have provided our clients in both the public and private sectors with planning and engineering design services using an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach. Whatever your project, big or small, we will bring you efficient, creative solutions. Together, let’s see what develops.

s chefferan dre w.co m

Bay 26, 7875 – 48 Avenue Red Deer AB T4P 2K1 Tel: 403-755-2395

Associate Members

WSP www.wspgroup.com 300, 9925 – 109 Street Edmonton AB T5K 2J8 Tel: 780-466-6555

Arup Canada Inc. 2 Bloor Street, East Toronto ON M4W 1A8 Tel: 416-515-0915 www.arup.com

7710 Edgar Industrial Court Red Deer AB T4P 4E2 Tel: 403-342-7650

Autodesk Kathleen Kewley AEC Territory Manager - Canada Tel: 778-279-3600 kathleen.kewley@autodesk.com www.autodesk.com

132, 2693 Broadmoor Boulevard Sherwood Park AB T8H 0G1 Tel: 780-410-6740 127, 808 – 42 Avenue SE Calgary AB T2G 1Y9 Tel: 403-272-8080 10070 – 117 Avenue Grande Prairie AB T8V 7S4 Tel: 780-538-2667 3509 – 6 Avenue N Lethbridge AB T1H 5C1 Tel: 403-327-7746 #110, 1222 Brier Park Road, NW Medicine Hat AB T1C 0B7 Tel: 403-528-8818 3, 8909 – 96 Street Peace River AB T8S 1G8 Tel: 780-624-5631 Zwierzchowski Associates Inc. www.za-inc.com 132 Thames Close NW Calgary AB T2K 5N3 Tel: 780-274-1910

C-FER Technologies (1999) Inc. Dawna Bergum 200 Karl Clark Road Edmonton AB T6N 1H2 Tel: 780-450-3300 d.bergum@cfertech.com www.cfertech.com City of Calgary Jennifer Enns Manager, Engineering & Energy Services PO Box 2100, Stn ‘M’ Calgary AB T2P 2M5 Tel:: 403-268-1765 jennifer.enns@calgary.ca www.calgary.ca City of Edmonton Chris Ward, Branch Manager Financial Services & Utilities 3rd Floor, 9803 – 102A Avenue Edmonton AB T5J 3A3 Tel: 780-496-5658 chris.ward@edmonton.ca www.edmonton.ca

Associated Engineering is a Canadian, employee-owned consulting firm specializing in planning, engineering, environmental science, and landscape architecture. We provide consulting services in the transportation, infrastructure, water, environmental, energy, building, and asset management sectors. For more information, please visit www.ae.ca

EPCOR Water Services Susan Ancel, P.Eng., Manager Network Services 10065 Jasper Avenue Edmonton AB T5J 3B1 Tel: 780-412-7633 sancel@epcor.ca www.epcor.ca Lloyd Sadd Insurance Brokers Ltd. Magdalena Cammidge, CIP, CCIB, CRM Suite 700, 10240 – 124 Street Edmonton Alberta T5N 3W6 Tel: 780-930-3884 mcammidge@lloydsadd.com M2 Engineering Jackie Mykytiuk and Nathan Miller 2226 Blue Jay Landing Edmonton AB T5S 0H8 Tel: 587-987-0927 jackie@m2eng.ca National Bank Financial Bruno Mercier 3500 Manulife Place, 10180-101 Street Edmonton AB T5J 3S4 Tel: 780-412-6614 bruno.mercier@nbf.ca Spatial Technologies Richard Andrews #2, 21 Highfield Circle SE Calgary AB T2G 5N6 Tel: 877-252-0070 randrews@stpg.ca TD Meloche Monnex Inc. Sukjit Mahmi CIP Relationship Manager 10025 – 102A Avenue NW, 23rd Floor Edmonton AB T5J 2Z2 Tel: 780-409-3233 sukjit.mahmi@tdinsurance.com

Civil Engineers specializing in Oil & Gas, Mining & Municipal Infrastructure Calgary Office: 110 - 1212 1st Street SE, Calgary, AB T2G 2H8, T. 403-262-4241

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Contact: Craig Kipkie, P.Eng., ckipkie@kwl.ca

We are pleased to partner with our colleagues at CEA to foster a positive business environment for design in Alberta. Advocating for enhancements to the way projects are: • procured; • contracted; • delivered; and how • services are valued www.consultingarchitects.ab.ca

Consulting Engineers Serving Western Canada

the business voice of architects in alberta

Index of Advertisers Company

Page No.

AECOM

Alberta Construction Association

Alberta Roadbuilders

Al-Terra Engineering Ltd.

Arrow Engineering Inc.

APEGA

32 44

Associated Engineering Alberta Ltd.

Reference Guide

Clifton Associates Ltd. Consulting Architects of Alberta

DIALOG

40 Reference Guide

Golder Associates Ltd.

MUNICIPAL SERVICES

WATER RESOURCES

BUILDING SERVICES

Proud of Our Past… Building the Future

www.mpe.ca

Hatch Mott MacDonald Ltd.

ISL Engineering and Land Services Ltd.

Kerr Wood Leidal Associates Ltd.

Lambert Intellectual Property Law

MPE Engineering Ltd.

McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd.

NAIT - Corporate and International Training (CIT)

NWS Inspection Inc.

PCL Constructors Inc.

Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd.

Sameng Inc.

Scheffer Andrew Ltd.

Stantec Consulting

Tetra Tech EBA Inc.

Thurber Engineering Ltd.

Urban Systems Ltd.

alberta innovators

CODE OF

ETHICS

CONSULTING ENGINEERS OF ALBERTA CEA member firms impose upon themselves a very strict Code of Ethics requiring disciplined fulfilment of their duties with honesty, justice and courtesy toward society, clients, other members of CEA and employees. Ongoing regulation by peers ensures quality management practices and the integrity of all CEA members. CEA membership accreditation criteria are stringent. In addition to conforming with the standards of practice set by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) and the requirement to hold an APEGA Permit to Practice, member firms must maintain permanent facilities with employees in Alberta; be managed by one or more professional engineers; have at least two years operating experience as a consulting engineering business; and employ an individual in Alberta who has at least five years experience in consulting engineering as a professional engineer. Clients benefit directly by dealing with CEA member firms, professionals who are keenly interested in maintaining and promoting their own business association which, in turn, advocates the veracity and trust which can be expected from each of its members.

Society

1. Members shall practise their profession with concern for the social and economic well-being of society. 2. Members shall conform with all laws, bylaws and regulations and with the APEGA Code of Ethics. 3. Members shall satisfy themselves that their designs and recommendations are safe and sound and, if their engineering judgment is overruled, shall report the possible consequences to clients, owners and, if necessary, the appropriate public authorities. 4. Members expressing engineering opinions to the public shall do so in a complete, objective, truthful and accurate manner. 5. Members are encouraged to participate in civic affairs and work for the benefit of their community and should encourage their employees to do likewise. Clients 6. Members shall discharge their professional and business responsibilities with integrity. 7. Members shall accept only those assignments for which they are competent or for which they associate with other competent experts. 8. Members shall immediately disclose any conflicts of interest to their clients. 9. Members shall respect the confidentiality of all information obtained for and from their clients but shall deal appropriately with any matters which may place the public in jeopardy. 10. Members shall obtain remuneration for their professional services solely through fees commensurate with the services rendered.

alberta innovators

11. Members shall promote consulting engineering services in accordance with a qualifications-based selection system endorsed by CEA. Other Members 12. Members shall relate to other members of CEA with integrity and in a manner that will enhance the professional stature of consulting engineering. 13. Members engaged by a client to review the work of another member of CEA shall avoid statements which may maliciously impugn the reputation or business of that member. 14. Members shall respect the clientele of other members of CEA and shall not attempt to supplant them when definite steps, including negotiations for an engagement, have been taken towards their engagement. 15. Members, when requesting professional engineering services from other consulting engineering businesses, including members of CEA, shall promote the use of a qualifications-based selection system endorsed by CEA. Employees 16. Members shall treat their employees with integrity, provide for their proper compensation, require that they conform to high ethical standards in their work and fully understand this Code of Consulting Engineering Ethics. 17. Members shall not require or permit their employees to take responsibility for work for which they are not qualified. 18. Members shall encourage their employees to enhance their professional qualifications and development through appropriate continuing education.

Built to deliver a better world AECOM is a premier, fully integrated professional and technical services firm positioned to design, build, finance and operate infrastructure assets around the world. We are a leader in all of the key markets that we serve, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, oil and gas, water, high-rise buildings and government. Partnering with clients across Canada, we provide the most innovative and appropriate solutions to deliver projects that leave proud legacies for tomorrow. Our vision is to make the world a better place.

Photo credit: Michael Mahesh, courtesy of PANYNJ www.aecom.ca

STRAIGHT FORWARD SOLUTIONS

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LEAD THE WAY

Acquire cutting-edge skills and competencies in process improvement and management to effect positive change in your organization. Why NAIT? Every month, more than 500 students from Alberta companies take classes in NAIT’s Project Management Certificate program*. Our courses, developed with ongoing input from business and industry, offer relevant curriculum that responds to today’s emerging business needs. Our students are essential to improving productivity, making companies more efficient and profitable. *NAIT’s program is recognized by the Project Management Institute and prepares students to write the exam to become a certified Project Management Professional.

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