Canadian Consulting Engineer OctoberNovember 2010

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010

For professional engineers in private practice

Schreyer Award

Tree for Life Award

Canada Line in Vancouver by SNC-Lavalin

Pine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Calgary by CH2M HILL

2010

A W A R D S

www.canadianconsultingeng ineer.com

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contents

October/November 2010 Volume 51, No. 6

Cover photo: Pine Creek Water Treatment Plant, Calgary. See story page 23

Exit - Prize Employees.

See story page 50

departments Comment

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Up Front

6

ACEC Review

11

Advertiser Index

57

The Human Edge

58

Next issue: Young Professionals Forum; Campus Buildings; the New LEED.

features 2010 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards Defining a Sustainable Future. Introduction and comments by jury chair Claude Benton Robert, ing.

16

Schreyer Award Canada Line Rapid Transit Project

20

Tree for Life Award & Award of Excellence Pine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant

23

Awards of Excellence Richmond Olympic Oval

27

Manitoba Hydro Downtown Office

29

Kingsway Pedestrian Bridge

31

Ravensview Wastewater Treatment Plant

33

Tatamagouche Water Treatment Plant

35

Joseph and Gaukel Streets Remediation

37

Nam Theun 2 Hydro Project

39

Transfer from Taksebt Dam

41

Bruce A Steam Generator Replacement

42

Winners’ Gallery Faces from the winning teams.

44

Business Exit - Prize Employees. When senior engineers leave a company, what’s the danger that they’ll take clients with them?

By Bronwen Parsons

50

October/November 2010

Canadian Consulting Engineer

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engineer FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE

comment

C A N A D I A N C O N S U LT I N G

Editor

Bronwen Parsons E-mail: bparsons@ccemag.com (416) 510-5119 Senior Publisher

Writing up a project?

Good luck!

Maureen Levy E-mail: mlevy@ccemag.com (416) 510-5111 Art Director

Ellie Robinson

E

very engineering project involves a myriad stories. Trying to reduce them into a digestible form for public or reader consumption is no easy task. To explain and convey all the detail and effort that went into a magnificent project like the Schreyerwinning Canada Line (page 20) is next to impossible. No matter the size of the project, I’m sure the engineers who write the descriptions must struggle and sweat when putting their entries together.

While processing entries for the Canadian Consulting Engineering awards over the past decade or so, I have seen many excellent write-ups. Some entries, however, have left me (and probably the jurors) baffled. I have seen entries where the project engineers got so caught up in explaining the background (geography, history of the problem, client consortia, etc.), and how they tested various technical solutions (pilot and bench studies, different configurations, etc.), that they forgot to explain what solution they actually did build in the end. The most pertinent information was as deeply buried as the sewage treatment plant the text failed to describe.

Assuming that “engineers are not writers,” some firms will hand over the task of writing up a project to a marketing person. This sometimes produces a different problem. The entry looks gorgeous from a graphic point of view, but the engineers have been too distant from the submission so there is not enough technical detail for the jurors to appreciate its worth.

What’s the answer? I don’t profess to know how firms could write the ideal award-winning entry. However, given the criteria of these awards, entries do need to point out clearly and early in the text what makes the project technically stand out from similar projects of its type.

That means that you have to include technical information. But it also means using plain language and explaining your terms. The jurors are deliberately selected from a diverse range of backgrounds, so as a water treatment engineer or a building HVAC specialist, you have to climb out of your own skin to find terminology that is accessible to engineers from other disciplines.

It’s a similar difficulty when engineers have to communicate with the public -- something they increasingly have to do for environmental assessments.

The trick is to draw out only the most unusual and innovative aspects of your project. And it requires finding ways to explain specialized technologies and terms without dumbing them down to a meaningless level. Terms like “penstock bifurcation,” “nanofiltration vs. ultrafiltration,” or “displacement ventilation” don’t mean an awful lot to most people. But it’s alright to use such specialized terms sparingly as long as you explain them first. Using acronyms just makes things worse.

Simplifying ideas and being selective about what information you pass on goes against the grain of an engineer who has been taught to be thorough about every little detail. But that is what communication is all about -- finding a way to organize the complex messages your brain has stored in order to convey them to a person whose brain resides in a very different complex world to yours.

Bronwen Parsons

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October/November 2010

Contributing Editor

Rosalind Cairncross, P.Eng. Advertising Sales Manager

Vince Naccarato E-mail: vnaccarato@ccemag.com (416) 510-5118 Editorial Advisors

Bruce Bodden, P.Eng., Gerald Epp, P.Eng., Chris Newcomb, P.Eng., Laurier Nichols, ing., Lee Norton, P.Eng., Jonathan Rubes, P.Eng., Paul Ruffell, P.Eng., Andrew Steeves, P.Eng., Ron Wilson, P.Eng. Circulation

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up front

ENERGY

The Academy and Dr. Suzuki The Canadian Academy of Engineering has joined with the David Suzuki Foundation and the Trottier Family Foundation in a project to map out the future of energy production in Canada.

The Trottier Energy Futures Project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector by 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.

Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge, Ottawa.

ENVIRONMENT STRUCTURES

BUSINESS

New bridge on World Heritage Site Delcan are the engineers of a new bridge under construction over the Rideau Canal and Rideau River at the south end of Ottawa. The bridge connects Strandherd Drive and Earl Armstrong Road at a point where the canal and river run together.

The design was critical because the Rideau Canal is designated as a national Historic Site in Canada and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The bridge therefore had to meet strict aesthetic guidelines, which were developed by DuToit Allsopp Hillier (DTAH) Architects of Toronto. For example, the bridge had to “respond to the history of engineering innovation on the Rideau Canal,” and it had to be as transparent and open as possible.

The final design has been embraced “enthusiastically” by authorities on behalf of the United Nations’ UNESCO and the Canadian governments. The bridge has three arches with a main span of 125 metres. The arches support a suspended structural steel grillage that supports a deck approximately 50 metres wide. The bridge carries vehicles and pedestrians, and allows boat passage below.

Post Stimulus, What Now? On September 27 the federal government announced that 97% of the projects funded by Canada’s Economic Action Plan were either under way or had been completed. But Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said there is still another $22 billion in federal stimulus

6

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

Rebuilding an ambulance station in Toronto at Pape and O’Connor.

funding to be delivered in 2010-2011.

The government announced that the program had produced 430,000 new jobs since July 2009, which brought employment numbers back to where they were before the recession.

Activity at construction sites across Canada is frantic as contractors hurry to complete projects in time for the March

October/November 2010

continued on page 8

Cook stoves and brown clouds The United Nations Environment Program has launched a program to dramatically boost the efficiency of 3 billion cook stoves across Africa, Asia and Latin America. Inefficient wood stoves are blamed for approximately 25% of the world’s emissions of black carbon, or soot. It is estimated that black carbon could be responsible for 10-40% of current climate change.

Black carbon is also contributing to “brown clouds,” which are making cities in Asia up to 25% dimmer than they were half a century ago and could be harming agriculture.

The UN’s new “Global Alliance for Clean Cook Stoves” will help fund more efficient charcoal stoves, and cookers powered by solar energy.

The Top ERV– Topvex for compact installations

Photo: Scanpix

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The Topvex FR is considered to be high performance by combining two rotary wheel heat exchangers in parallel, with low pressure loss within the cabinet and EC (brushless DC) fan motors for maximum efficiency. This results in a very low specific fan performance (SFP) value indicating maximum energy transfer at very low fan power consumption.

When designing the Topvex FR we have focused on creating a unit that is easy to choose, install, commission and use. The Topvex FR comes complete with a remote control system compatible with building/energy management systems or demand control devices such as CO2 sensors. Once installed it’s just a matter of switching it on and then relaxing, knowing the benefits of Topvex.

Systemair was founded in 1974 and has today subsidiaries in 38 countries all over the world, employes around 2150.The broad product range includes duct fans, roof fans, axial fans, smoke extract fans, air handling units, air terminal devices, air curtains and accessories.We sell on a regular basis to 100 countries. In October 2007 Systemair was listed on the Nasdaq OMX Nordic Exchange in Stockholm.

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Systemair’s most energy efficient products are marked with this Green Ventilation symbol

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continued from page 6

2011 cut-off for stimulus funding. The government is, however, hinting that it may be flexible about the deadline in some cases.

At the CanaData/Reed Construction Industry Forecasts Conference held on September 23 in Toronto, economist Alex Carrick said that the question for the Canadian construction industry is what’s going to happen after the federal stimulus program ends. He asked whether the private sector will become fully engaged again, suggesting that while a cyclical recovery will be kicking in, it won’t bring huge amounts of work.

Carrick’s forecast for construction investment in current dollars for all new construction shows only 2.8% growth in 2011, compared to 7.4% growth in 2010.

His forecast for the engineering sector for 2011 is 4.5% growth in dol-

lar terms. This compares with 12.7% growth this year. For 2012 he forecasts 7.3%, and for 2013 he forecasts 9.8% growth. Alberta and Ontario currently have most engineering activity, with Alberta at $31.4 billion in engineering construction investment and Ontario at $19 billion. B.C.’s engineering investment is $15.4 billion and Quebec’s is $14.6 billion.

Transportation accounts for 18% of the Canadian investment in engineering construction. Water and sewage works account for 6%. Energy projects account for 12%, and marine, mining and “other” account for 11%.

Communications represents 2%, leaving the lion’s share in the oil and gas sector at 51%.

In looking at specific markets, Carrick noted that the inventory of condominiums is too high and “ripe for correction.”

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BUILDINGS

EPCOR changes Edmonton skyline The $200-million, 28-storey EPCOR tower under construction in Edmonton is the first high-rise office tower built in the Alberta capital in more than two decades.

Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning

up front

EPCOR Tower, Edmonton (at right).

Situated just north of the core near the city hall, the tower will have 623,900 square feet of leaseable space.

It represents the first phase of the Station Lands development, a 9-acre parcel of land on former railway lands on which a developer is envisioning building 2.5 million square feet of multi-use high-rises.

Kasian is the prime consultant for the new tower, with AECOM as structural, mechanical, electrical and civil engineering consultant. Other consultants include Building Science Engineering, Integrated Designs, Leber Rubes, Bunt and Associates, EIDOS Consultants and Stantec.

Canada’s selection team for the International Initiative for a Sustainable Built Environment (iiSBE) has picked the tower as a poster project for next year’s Sustainable Buildings 2011, in Helsinki, Finland. Its green features include earth tubes to precool or pre-heat incoming air, and a recycled water system.

PROFESSIONAL

From LEED AP to Specialists The Green Building Certification Institute in the U.S. is contacting 8

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

October/November 2010

up front LEED Accredited Professionals (APs) in Canada to see whether they are interested in applying for specialist designations. The LEED AP credentials, which were launched in the U.S. at the beginning of this year, require candidates to take exams in their area of expertise.

The specialist categories so far are in BD + C (building design and construction), ND (neighbourhood development); Homes; O+M (operations and maintenance) and ID+C (interior design and construction).

The Green Building Certification Institute is in Washington, DC and was established in 2009. The Canada Green Building Council and U.S. Green Building Council promote and run LEED programs, but the GBCI is now the third party organization to oversee and verify the LEED process and certifications in both countries.

tional sessions featuring 450 speakers.

The 22nd annual conference will be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre South Building.

Seminars will cover a wide range of topics, including project delivery and smart business practices.

The conference is being held con-

currently with Concrete Canada and the National GreenBuilding Conference. The latter will focus on sustainable and energy efficient best practices for the design and construction of all types of buildings.

See www constructcanada.com www.nationalgreenbuildingexpo.com.

Precise Control Victaulic provides a complete line of balancing products that accurately control building temperature while optimizing energy efficiency.

COMPANIES

t

t

Big Firms get Bigger AECOM is to acquire RSW, a large Quebec consulting engineering company based in Montreal. RSW has 550 employees and works extensively in the energy sector Georges Dick, with projects around president and general director of the world.

Stantec has annRSW of Montreal. ounced it is planning to become one of the world’s leading architecture practices. Late this summer it announced an intention to acquire Burt Hill, an architecture and engineering firm based in Pennsylvania with over 600 employees and 13 offices. Around the same time, Stantec also said it is acquiring Anshen + Allen, an architecture firm with 200 employees, which is based in San Francisco.

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On your next project requiring maximum reliability, define redundancy with Generac.

Computer Alternative Processing Sites (CAPS), a data backup company in Shelton, Connecticut, defines redundancy with Generac’s MPS. For this and more case studies visit generac.com.

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ACEC REVIEW

CHAIR’S MESSAGE

Engineering excellence makes Canada a winner

A

s indicated in a previous column, building the profile of the Canadian consulting engineering sector is a strategic priority for ACEC. Nothing speaks more highly of the contributions of the consulting engineering sector than the projects that they conceive, design and implement. That is why the Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards gala is an important opportunity to showcase the contribution of ACEC members to our social, economic and environmental quality of life in Canada.

Consulting engineers are instrumental to the planning, development and management of our natural and built environment. Safe drinking water, secure transportation, reliable communications and efficient energy are the backbone of our global economy. The best results occur when consulting engineers are given the opportunity to act as trusted

advisors to their clients and as partners to their stakeholders. The Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards allow us to recognize and celebrate the winners’ efforts with their peers, with their clients and with societal leaders from business and politics.

It is the projects themselves that best highlight the accomplishments of ACEC members. This year’s well-deserving award winners were selected from a record 77 projects that were nominated. However, we should be mindful that the awards program is merely illustrative of thousands of projects that improve our economic competitiveness; that improve our standard of living; and that protect and preserve our environment every day.

When one considers the skill, knowledge and creativity in the Canadian consulting engineering sector, the biggest winner of all is Canada.

WILFRID MORIN, ING., CHAIR ACEC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MESSAGE DU PRÉSIDENT DU CONSEIL

L’excellence en ingénierie profite au Canada

C

omme je l’ai mentionné dans un article précédent, élaborer le profil de l’industrie du génie-conseil au Canada est une priorité stratégique pour l’AFIC. Rien ne donne une opinion plus positive des contributions de l’industrie du génie-conseil que les projets qu’elle conçoit, crée et met sur pied. C’est pour cette raison que le gala des Prix canadiens du génie-conseil est un événement important servant à présenter la contribution des membres de l’AFIC à la qualité de vie au Canada, aux niveaux social, économique et environnemental.

Les ingénieurs-conseils contribuent à la planification, au développement et à la gestion de notre environnement naturel et bâti. L’eau potable, les transports sécuritaires, les communications fiables et les énergies efficaces sont les piliers de l’économie globale. On obtient les meilleurs résultats lorsque les ingénieurs-conseils ont l’occasion d’agir à titre de conseillers fiables de leurs clients, ou comme partenaires de leurs intervenants. Les Prix canadiens du génie-

conseil nous permettent de reconnaître et de célébrer leurs efforts en compagnie de leurs pairs et de leurs clients, ainsi que des leaders de la société venant des secteurs des affaires et de la politique.

Ce sont les projets eux-mêmes qui soulignent le mieux les réalisations des membres de l’AFIC. Les récipiendaires de cette année, qui l’ont bien mérité, ont été sélectionnés parmi un nombre record de 77 projets mis en nomination. Par contre, nous ne devons pas oublier que les Prix ne représentent qu’un aperçu des milliers de projets qui améliorent notre compétitivité économique et notre niveau de vie, en plus de protéger et de préserver notre environnement à tous les jours.

Avec le talent, le savoir et la créativité de l’industrie du génie-conseil du pays, le Canada en sort gagnant.

WILFRID MORIN, ING., PRÉSIDENT CONSEIL D’ADMINISTRATION DE L’AFIC

October/November 2010

Canadian Consulting Engineer

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ACEC REVIEW

Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards 2010

O

n October 26, 2010, ACEC in collaboration with Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine hosted the 42nd Annual Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards at the Château Laurier in Ottawa. ACEC welcomed award winners and nominees from all across Canada to recognize the accomplishments of the industry. The prestigious event was attended by approximately 200 people, many of them leaders of the Canadian consulting engineering industry.

“The Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards play an important role in recognizing the significant contributions consulting engineers make to Canadian society and the positive impacts they have on Canadian quality of life,” says John Gamble, President of ACEC.

CCE Awards Entertainment a Hit! Under the theme, “Soirée des artistes with the Painchaud Family”, the evening not only celebrated the achievements of the industry, but also featured humorous, musical entertainment by the well-renowned Painchaud Family.

Château Laurier, Ottawa

For more information on the Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards, visit www.canadianconsultingengineer.com. Nominations for the 2011 Awards will be available soon!

Beaubien Award is Handed Out to Two Exceptional Engineers

O

n October 26, 2010 the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies presented Beaubien Awards to two very deserving recipients; Mr. Dave Chalcroft, P.Eng., formerly of UMA Engineering Inc., and Mr. Andrew Steeves, P.Eng., ADI Group.

The Beaubien Award is bestowed annually to Dave Chalcroft, P.Eng. Andrew Steeves, P.Eng. an individual or individuals for exceptional work as a Dave Chalcroft, member of ACEC and for making FEC, FCAE, P.Eng. contributions to the advancement During a 37 year career with UMA of consulting engineering through Engineering Ltd., Dave Chalcroft their professional accomplishmanaged several engineering teams ments. and tackled many challenging proj-

ects. Dave was Senior Vice-President responsible for UMA’s operations in southern Alberta and for international projects in California, India, Uzbekistan, and St. Lucia, and he was Senior Vice-President in charge of UMA’s national Earth and Water Division. Dave holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Manitoba. Dave retired in 2002 and now operates as an independent consulting engineer.

“Being a recipient of the Beaubien Award is a great honour. The Beaubien Award was created by ACEC in 1984 in honour of Dr. James deGaspe Beaubien, founder of ACEC in 1925. To be considered among the 30 or so individuals who have received the Award since

ACEC Member Organizations: Consulting Engineers of British Columbia, Consulting Engineers of Yukon, Consulting Engineers of Alberta, Consulting Engineers of Northwest Territories, Consulting Engineers of Saskatchewan, Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Manitoba, Consulting Engineers of Ontario, Association des Ingénieurs-conseils du Québec, Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – New Brunswick, Consulting Engineers of Nova Scotia, Consulting Engineers of Prince Edward Island, Consulting Engineers of Newfoundland and Labrador.

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October/November 2010

ACEC REVIEW

its inception is indeed very humbling,” says Dave, reflecting on what it means to receive the Beaubien.

Over the years, Dave has volunteered on several boards and committees, serving as President for Consulting Engineers of Alberta (1994-1995) and Chair of ACEC (2000-2001). He played an integral role in mobilizing a fund-raising campaign for RedR Canada which raised a quarter of a million dollars for relief programs in support of the tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean in 2004-2005. He also served as President for the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists, and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA) (2006).

“The giving back phase of my career has been very rewarding. I have had the good fortune of working on many endeavors with many gifted individuals,” says Dave.

As a result of his long-serving work and dedication to the engineering industry, Dave has received many honours. In 2006, Dave was made Fellow of the Canadian Engineering Academy of Engineering and most recently as 2008, received the Consulting Engineers of Alberta LieutenantGovernor’s Award for service to the engineering profession in Alberta.

He was also honoured by APPEGA in 2002 with the L.C. Charlesworth Professional Service Award and was a recipient of Alberta’s Centennial Award in 2005.

Dave and his wife Margaret have two grown children and four grandchildren, and enjoy golfing, travelling, and wintering in Arizona.

Above: Chalcroft (far right ) in 2002 at a RedR meeting in London, England.

Andrew Steeves, P.Eng. Andrew Steeves, P.Eng., has been part of the ADI Group of Companies for over 30 years, and is currently Strategic Senior Advisor with Trow ADI. Previously he held several senior positions with the firm including VicePresident Administration, Manager of the Public Works Division and Secretary-Treasurer. In 2009 he accepted responsibility for special projects at ADI Limited, now part of Trow Global.

“It was a great honour to be nominated for the Beaubien Award,” says Andrew. “I was surprised to learn that my colleagues had submitted my name for the Award and more surprised when I was notified that I had won. I am very pleased to be a corecipient with David Chalcroft.”

Andrew is a graduate of the University of New Brunswick holding degrees in Engineering and Business. He is a past-Chair of ACEC and a winner of

ACEC CO-ORDINATES The Association of Consulting Engineering Companies’ national office is located at 130 Albert Street, Suite 616, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5G4, tel: 1-800-565-0569; 613-236-0569; e-mail: memserv@acec.ca. website: www.acec.ca

the ACEC Chairman’s Award for his efforts promoting Qualifications-Based Selection. He is also past-President of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – New Brunswick.

Regarded as an expert in the field of engineering business management, Andrew has authored “How Consulting Engineers Make Money,” several technical papers, and has delivered business and engineering courses at many Canadian universities.

When speaking about his own career, Andrew is extremely passionate.

“It has been very interesting and I have enjoyed every minute of it. Early on I was offered the choice of working as a process design engineer or working in business management. I chose business management and most of my ADI colleagues will tell you that I have not done any “real work” since. They are right because “real work” is chargeable work in our business,” Andrew remarks.

“In the past, human relations, marketing, business planning, quality management and other front office functions were often seen as necessary evils in our business, but ADI was an early adopter of management systems and procedures. Doing so made us a better company and helped us continued on page 14

October/November 2010

Canadian Consulting Engineer

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ACEC REVIEW

Andrew Steeves, P.Eng. continued from page 13 to succeed in Canada, the U.S. and overseas.”

Andrew feels very fortunate about the opportunities given to him over the years.

“The employee-owners and managers supported me through the transition to professional management,” he says. “They also supported me in my continuing education (MBA) and my involvement in organizations like ACEC. For that I am very grateful.”

Over recent years, Andrew has been involved in FIDIC (the international association for consulting engineers) serving as Co-Chair of the 2008 FIDIC Conference in Quebec City and continuing to sit on FIDIC’s Qualifications-Based Selection Task Force.

He has served on committees for the Canadian Council for Professional Engineers (CCPE) and the Ca-

Andrew Steeves (right) in Budapest for the 2006 FIDIC Conference, with President of ACECCanada John Gamble (centre), and Jay Simson of ACEC-New York (left).

nadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE). He has also been active in several organizations including Enterprise Fredericton and the Greater Fredericton Airport Authority. He is

currently Vice-President of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce.

He resides in Fredericton with his wife, Hope, and children, Laura and Graham.

Canadian Engineers Prominent on World Stage at FIDIC

A

delegation of 20 Canadians, representing consulting firms from across Canada, attended the 2010 conference of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) in New Delhi, India last month.

In addition to the regular conference programming, ACEC partnered with Export Development Canada (EDC) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) to arrange exclusive information and networking sessions for ACEC members attending FIDIC. These special opportunities included an information seminar on “Doing Business in India” and an informal networking reception and dinner at the residence of the Canadian High Commission. The Government of India is making significant infrastructure investments and a number

14

Canadian Consulting Engineer

of Indian firms attending the High Commission reception were eager to network and explore business opportunities with Canadian firms.

Canada’s influence within FIDIC was apparent with numerous members of the FIDIC Executive Committee also in attendance as guests of ACEC. Many of the Canadian participants were very involved with the conference program in a variety of roles. ACEC Chairman Wilfrid Morin and Chairman-elect Herb Kuehne represented Canada at the international presidents meeting, and ACEC President John Gamble and Vice-President Susie Grynol similarly represented Canada at the directors and secretaries meeting.

Stantec’s Rick Prentice chaired the

October/November 2010

FIDIC business practices workshop, and ADI’s Andrew Steeves played a role in FIDIC’s new procurement guidelines. Ken Morrison and Sanjay Devnani of R.V. Anderson Associates were presenters in the “Doing Business in India” seminar.

Three Canadians also participated in the FIDIC Young Professionals (YP) Program, including YP steering committee member Selena Wilson, Allen D. Williams Scholarship winner Kimberly Mowat, and Joel McAllister.

Canada expects to be prominent again next year at FIDIC 2011 in Tunis where ACEC will be arranging similar business development opportunities for ACEC members that choose to attend FIDIC.

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AWARDS

2010 A W A R D S

2010

42nd Year

Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards Defining a Sustainable Future

By Claude Benton Robert, ing., Jury Chair June 11, 2010: it promised to be a full day for the jury members. Ahead lay the task of evaluating, comparing and discussing 73 of the best projects demonstrating excellence in the work of Canadian engineering firms. The day presented a substantial challenge, given that, in one day only, the jury members would be working in teams to identify and award the top 12 projects. Although we had been given the project briefs beforehand, the scope, complexity and level of innovation, as well as the impacts on both society and the environment that were associated with these projects, could only be properly assessed by examining the detailed documents on-site at this gathering, which took place at the Albany Club, in downtown Toronto.

The objective was to select 10 awards of excellence, and two special awards — the Schreyer Award for the best technical project, and the Tree for Life Award (Un Arbre à Aimer) for a project that demonstrated outstanding environmental stewardship.

The jurors were assembled into teams in order to have in-depth discussions and deliberations, but they were still torn by the difficulty of choosing from among so many excellent projects. Of course, each member’s evaluation would reflect a certain amount of subjectivity, but this would be offset when the scores of all 11 jury members were added together. By the time the

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scores were compiled the results were unanimous — even if the members would have liked to present more awards of excellence. Eleven projects were selected, one of them having been given both an Award of Excellence and the Tree for Life award.

In this contest, there were only winners. The projects presented were eloquent proof of the contribution that Canadian engineering is making to sustainable development, environmental conservation, the well-being of society, the health and safety of citizens, and the advancement of the engineering profession. Several of the projects demonstrated the importance of and requirement for ecological construction, as well as the positive impact it can have on the renewal and reuse of natural resources in meeting our basic needs.

In short, these projects made us aware of the ingenuity and ability to meet new challenges, as well as the influence that our engineering firms have, both in Canada and abroad.

Their achievements are meeting the growing challenges of sustainable development, and are undoubtedly a source of inspiration for young engineers and for those enrolled in universities who aspire to this profession.

For me, it was both an honour and a privilege to work with the other members of the jury. They came from all over Canada with their knowledge and expertise, as well as a desire to contribute to this event. They voluntarily gave of their time and energy to make difficult choices to showcase excellence amongst our colleagues of the consulting world.

ABOUT THE AWARDS - Joint program of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies - Canada (ACEC)/ Association des firmes d’ingénieurs-conseils - Canada (AFIC) and Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine.

- Given annually since 1968, the awards recognize outstanding work on projects completed in the previous three years by consulting engineers.

- The Schreyer Award is presented annually to the best technical entry.

- The Tree for Life Award/Prix Un Arbre à Aimer is given to a project that demonstrates outstanding environmental stewardship.

- Up to 12 Awards of Excellence are given.

For more details, see www.canadianconsultingengineer.com/awards

October/November 2010

2010

AWARDS

Judging under way in Toronto.

THE ENTRIES 73 entries this year (new record). Last year 60.

— Entries per category. Last year’s numbers are in parentheses: Buildings 11 (16); Transportation 11 (13); Water Resources 13 (10); Environmental Remediation 9 (3); Natural Resources, Mining, Industry and Energy 9 (5); Special Projects 10 (7); Project Management 4 (4); International 3 (2); Community Outreach & In-House Initiatives 3 (0). Note: awards are given according to merit; not assigned as one per category.

— Location of entering firms. Last year’s numbers are in parentheses: Maritimes 5 (1); Quebec 16 (11); Ontario 14 (20); Manitoba 2 (5); Saskatchewan 3 (1); Alberta 18 (10); B.C. 15 (12). continued on page 18 October/November 2010

Canadian Consulting Engineer

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AWARDS

continued from page 17

The Jurors CHAIR 1. Claude B. Robert, ing., is Chief Engineering, Design and Construction, at the National Capital Commission in Ottawa where he oversees multi-year capital projects. Previously, Mr. Robert worked in the oil refinery business on mechanical and environmental engineering projects. He also managed construction on hydro-electric and mining projects in Northern Quebec and Labrador. He has taught project management at McGill University Faculty of Engineering, and is a past-president of the Montreal Chapter of the Project Management Institute.

JURORS 2. Michel F. Couturier, P.Eng. is Associate Dean for the Faculty of Engineering at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton and also a Professor in the Chemical Engineering Department. Professor Couturier’s areas of technical expertise include wastewater treatment, reaction engineering, process control, heat transfer and fluidization.

3. Mike Reinders, P.Eng. is the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Maple Reinders Group, based in Mississauga, Ontario. The company is active across Canada in design-build, general contracting and environmental infrastructure projects. He began his career with a consulting engineering company in B.C. and since then has spent most of his career managing construction operations.

4. Barry J. Adams, Ph.D., P.Eng. is a Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Toronto. From 1991-1995 he was

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Chair of the Environmental Engineering Program at the university, and from 1994-2003 was Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering. He has published over 100 papers, books, and technical reports in his field of water resources and urban structure.

5. John Bremner, P.Eng. has 40 years of experience in engineering and public works. From 1996 to 2004 he was Executive Director and Registrar of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C., and for 18 years before that he was Director of Parks and Engineering, and Deputy Municipal Manager, for the District of North Vancouver.

6. Michael E. Charles, Ph.D., P.Eng. is President of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and is also Professor Emeritus and Dean Emeritus of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, University of Toronto. He served as Dean of the faculty from 1993 to 2001. A chemical engineer, he has expertise in pipeline transport of complex crude oils and particulate solids.

7. Gordon Griffith, P.Eng. is the Director of Education with Engineers Canada, based in Ottawa. He is also Secretary to the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board. A graduate in mechanical and aeronautical engineering from Carleton University, he also has a masters degree in engineering management from the University of Ottawa.

8. Carolyn M. Hansson, Ph.D., P.Eng. is a Professor in both the Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering and the Civil and Environ-

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mental Engineering Departments at the University of Waterloo. She is also Co-Director of the Centre for Pavement and Transportation Technology at the university. Professor Hansson has served on the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada and the U.S. National Materials Advisory Board.

9. George Jergeas, Ph.D., P.Eng. is a Professor of Project Management in the Schullich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary. Before joining the university in 1994, his career was in the delivery of infrastructure projects, and in consulting in construction and engineering disputes, both in Canada and the U.S. He has a strong interest in the infrastructure and oil and gas sectors.

10. Kathleen Llewellyn-Thomas, P.Eng. is the Commissioner of Transportation Services for the Regional Municipality of York, north of Toronto. She is responsible for the regional roads, York Region and Viva transit operations, and natural heritage and forestry services. She was previously Director of Engineering for the City of Toronto and is Chair of the Transportation and Roads Sub-Committee for the Regional Public Works Commissioners of Ontario.

11. Jatin Nathwani, Ph.D., P.Eng. is a Professor and Ontario Research Chair in Public Policy and Sustainable Energy at the University of Waterloo, in the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Environment. He is also the Executive Director, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, and Chair of the Canadian University Network of Excellence in Nuclear Engineering.

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T R A N S P O R TAT I O N

SCHREYER AWARD | SNC-Lavalin

Canada Line Rapid Transit The top technical award went to Vancouver’s latest rapid transit line. It has structures of every kind within a complex urban environment.

Train entering Aberdeen Station in Richmond.

The Canada Line is Vancouver’s newest addition to the region’s transportation network. Measuring approximately 18.5 kilometres, the automated rapid transit line has 16 stations, three water crossings, and elevated, at-grade, and underground track sections. The line connects the Vancouver International Airport with the city of Richmond and downtown Vancouver, and is truly intermodal, with connections to the existing SkyTrain line, buses and rapid buses, the sea bus, commuter rail, and helijet.

SNC-Lavalin was the prime entity selected to design, build, operate, and partially finance the project in a $1.9-billion public-private partnership in 2005. The company’s transportation division assembled and managed a project management team that met an aggressive 51-month schedule on budget and 110 days early.

The team was faced with challenges in every facet of the project, including constrained corridors, environmentally sensitive and heritage sites, 20

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and highly compressible soils and high water tables. It was also a tight fast-track construction schedule that required coordinating with different jurisdictions and consulting multiple stakeholders.

With a ridership capacity equivalent to 10 lanes of commuter traffic, the new line is estimated to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by 20-27 kilotonnes per year. During the first eight months of operation, the line has achieved a 98.9% service reliability.

During the Winter Olympics it carried up to 287,000 trips in a single day.

Threading Through the City The 18.5-kilometre alignment was an engineering achievement that involved fitting virtually every kind of guideway and station configuration associated with a major transportation project into a complex urban environment.

Twin 2.5-kilometre bored tunnels were threaded under Vancouver’s constrained downtown core. The downtown stations all interfaced with

October/November 2010

existing buildings and demanded complex renovations. Waterfront Station, for example, linked the past with the present, involving an intricate pedestrian connection between the Canada Line and the historic CP Rail station. The Vancouver City Centre station connected with two separate underground shopping malls. Yaletown Station, sandwiched between two high-rise towers, had to route its vertical circulation through an existing parkade and integrate its entrance delicately with a highly prized community park.

The cut-and-cover tunnel alignment along Cambie Street alternated between side-by-side and stacked configurations in order to fit the alignment through tight pinch points and maintain traffic during construction. The cut-and-cover tunnel was also instrumental in preserving over 450 trees along the Cambie Heritage Boulevard, trees that would have been lost in the original preliminary design. SNC-Lavalin extended

T R A N S P O R TAT I O N

SCHREYER AWARD

Launcher erecting precast segments of the elevated guideway at Bridgeport Station.

the tunnel for an additional three kilometres in order to conserve the boulevard.

The line’s elevated structures are a visible embodiment of innovative engineering. Connecting Vancouver and Richmond is the North Arm Bridge, North America’s first extradosed, cable-stayed bridge, complete with pedestrian and bicycle lanes alongside the transit line (CCE OctNov. 2008, p.40).

At the heart of the Canada Line are the complex systems and exhaustive subsystems required to automatically and effortlessly control the trains. The systems continuously monitor, report and respond to the ever changing dynamics of operation. In a central supervising station a team of five people view a 30-m2 computer screen served by more than 170 computer processors and have complete control of the system.

The project’s multidisciplinary nature needed strong management and integration to transform the Can-

ada Line into a cohesive, working system. The management team implemented a fast-track approach that overlapped design, construction and commissioning activities. There were 117 engineering design contracts and 8.5 million hours of work during construction.

When the Canada Line generated public interest far beyond the traditional scope of construction projects, it took a strong management team to undertake one of the province’s largest major public communications and

outreach initiatives. Senior engineering staff worked alongside the public consultation team and spoke on project issues and listened to stakeholder concerns.

The line was developed with a focus on sustainable principles, including measures to restore, and protect areas that were impacted by the project.

The Canada Line’s success is lasting proof of the value of engineers and engineering in society, when ingenuity is mixed with effective design and project management. CCE

Project name: Canada Line Rapid Transit Project Award-winning firm: (design, build, operate and partially finance) SNC-Lavalin, Vancouver (Jim Burke, P.Eng., Mike O’Connor, P.Eng., Robert Newland, P.Eng., Dr. Roger Woodhead, P.Eng.) Owner: Canada Line Rapid Transit (CLCO) Client: InTransit BC Other key players: EBA Engineering (geotechnical); Busby Perkins + Will, Fast + Epp, Genivar, Glotman-Simpson, Hotson Bakker Boniface Haden, Kasian, Read Jones Christoffersen, VIA, Walter Francl (station architecture and engineering) Subcontractors/suppliers: Kerr Wood Leidal (engineering), MCW (electrical/mechanical), McElhanney (surveying); Wesco Distribution (power/ventilation) October/November 2010

Canadian Consulting Engineer

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W AT E R R E S O U R C E S

T R E E F O R L I F E AWA R D & AWA R D O F E X C E L L E N C E

TREE FOR LIFE AWARD | CH2M HILL

Pine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant The construction of a new wastewater treatment plant in Calgary received the special award for environmental stewardship.

Secondary clarifiers.

The Pine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant in Calgary is a facility that incorporates advanced technology and provides the highest quality of treated effluent among all major cities in western Canada. The plant also protects the integrity of the Bow River, which is an important habitat for fish and wildlife and one of the province’s vital water resources.

The facility is designed to accommodate the city of Calgary’s immediate and long-term needs in an efficient, economic and environmentally responsible manner. It has an initial capacity of 100 ML/d to serve a population of 250,000. It also allows for expansion to an ultimate capacity of 700 ML/d to serve 1.75 million people.

As prime consultant, CH2M HILL together with its subconsultants provided conceptual, functional, and detailed design; construction services; commissioning; and post-construction

services. Construction was completed in October 2009 although the plant has been treating wastewater since October 2008.

Groundbreaking Treatment Processes The plant incorporates next generation treatment processes, including biological nutrient removal (BNR), effluent filtration employing filter disk technology, and ultra-violet (UV) light disinfection. BNR technology reduces the volume of waste sludge produced and increases the nutrient value of the biosolids so that they can be used as a soil conditioner and fertilizer.

The treatment process also generates biogas that is used to generate process heat plus centralized space heating for the entire plant. In the future, the biogas will be used to generate electrical power for the plant.

The BNR, effluent filtration and UV disinfection processes reduce the

need for chemical treatment.

The tertiary filtration facility is the largest of its kind in the world.

The technology uses low-head fabric disk filters that produce high quality effluent with very little amounts of suspended solids or phosphorus. The project team used a collaborative pilot project to address the performance and risks of advancing this technology to such a large-scale installation.

Once treated, the effluent is discharged to the Bow River via diffusers constructed below the river bed to avoid affecting the river’s flow regime.

The plant exceeds all treatment guidelines and regulatory requirements, easily achieving the following effluent criteria even though the facility is now approaching design capacity: CBOD (15 mg/L); TSS (20 mg/L); total phosphorus (0.5 mg/L); total nitrogen (15 mg/L); ammonia (summer/winter) (5/10 mg/L); and

October/November 2010

continued on page 24 Canadian Consulting Engineer

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continued from page 23

An engineer walks between the odour control covers on the primary clarifiers.

fecal coliforms (200 per 100 mL).

A portion of Pine Creek’s treated effluent is reused within the plant and to irrigate a nearby city-owned tree nursery and the Blue Devil golf course. This use of the treated effluent helps Calgary achieve its longterm water efficiency goal, which is to reduce the use of potable water for non-potable needs.

Reduced Ecological Footprint The city of Calgary embraced sustainable development principles for the project to minimize its ecological footprint and use of resources.

Triple-bottom-line analyses that balance environmental, societal, and economic needs were an integral part of the decision-making process.

The plant is surrounded by established and future residential neighbourhoods, and two golf courses. It is a highly visible facility overlooked by a 50-metre high escarpment with an important wildlife corridor at its base. Additionally several archaeological sites are located along the Bow River’s banks.

The approach to the planning and design was therefore to work with the natural elements of the site and to integrate the facility into the landscape. Between the plant and the 24

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river and escarpment, for example, landscape buffers were laid out in vegetation patterns found elsewhere along the valley. Also the landscaping provides stormwater treatment and river edge protection.

The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building rating system guided the design and led to features such as green roofs, the use of locally-available and recycled construction materials, and the minimization of construction waste. The heating and cooling systems maximize energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Operations, Maintenance and Administration Building has achieved LEED Gold Status.

Managing the project in Alberta’s overheated economy and construction environment demanded the proj-

ect team operate with both flexibility and agility.

The project involved 31 construction and procurement contracts. To manage them the team developed the following three-pronged approach: establish an appropriate size for the contract packages, adopt a risk-sharing approach, and customize the construction schedule.

A future addition to the site will be the Pine Creek Research Centre, which is in design development. A collaborative effort between the city and the University of Calgary, the centre will be used for operator training and for testing new treatment technologies. It will have a research pilot plant and a series of research streams to study the fate of micro-constituents in the natural environment.

CCE

Project name: Pine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, Calgary Award-winning firm (prime consultant, project management, and process mechanical engineering lead): CH2M HILL, Calgary (J. Warren Switzer, P.Eng., M. Kim Fries, P .Eng.) Owner: City of Calgary Other key players: Stantec (process mechanical, civil, structural); AECOM Canada (process mechanical, building mechanical, electrical, instrumentation & controls); GEC (architecture); O2 Planning & Design (landscape); Thurber Engineering (geotechnical); Hydroconsult EN3 (water quality, hydrotechnical); Designworks (LEED); BTY (costing); Robinson, Stafford & Rude (value engineering) Supplier: Trojan Technologies (UV disinfection)

October/November 2010

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BUILDINGS

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Fast + Epp / Glotman • Simpson

Richmond Olympic Oval For this award-winning B.C. project, the structural engineers designed a sweeping wood and steel arch roof, set on a concrete raft base.

When the city of Richmond was awarded the long track speed skating venue for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, it asked the design team to create an iconic building that would meet international speed skating ice standards.

Architecturally the building was to reflect the speed skaters’ “flight and flow” movements, as well as capture views to the nearby Fraser River and North Shore Mountains. The structure also had to showcase B.C. wood products and reflect sustainable design practices.

View through the wide arches, with “wood wave panels” above. .

Hubert Kang

Base Structure For Glotman Simpson, who were structural engineers for the building’s base structure, a true challenge was designing a building with a level ice surface that would meet the Olympics’ exacting standards. The challenge arose because the site has notoriously unstable soils. Pressure from the 33,000-m2 building had to be spread in almost perfect uniformity across the site’s boggy surface. Nearby buildings were known to settle as much as 200 mm, but the level of the Richmond Olympic Oval could not vary any more than 3 mm in 3000 mm, nor 20 mm over its full length — a distance 4½ times the length of a football field.

The solution is a concrete basement structure on a very large, 6-acre concrete foundation raft (see photo p. 28). The approach provides exceptionally good control over the levelness of the building. The raft raised the ice slab to above grade, which improved the interior environment,

and it eliminated the need for expensive deep foundations.

Three contingency plans have been devised in case the ice structure needs to be readjusted to level at any time in the future. The plans include adjusting the column length, adjusting the ice slab by screw jacks, or foam injection.

Sweeping Arched Roof Fast + Epp structural engineers designed the roof, which has achieved much acclaim. It has sweeping longspan timber and steel hybrid arches -- a world first. The arches support an array of “Wood Wave” panels.

The hybrid hollow wood-steel arches span 310 ft. to support the primary roof loads. The arches are V-shaped

in cross-section and consist of 67” high glue-laminated timber slabs connected at the bottom apex with a steel blade and at the top with shallow steel I-beams and angle bracing. The arches are supported at each end by the concrete buttresses that cantilever out of the basement substructure.

The hollow arches conceal all the mechanical and electrical services within the arch, creating a striking, uncluttered architectural expression.

The silver-coloured structural steel blade on the bottom of the arch metaphorically refers to the speed skating function of the Oval.

Between the primary arches, the Wood Wave roof panels span roughly

October/November 2010

continued on page 28 Canadian Consulting Engineer

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AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

continued from page 27

45 feet. Comprising pine-beetle kill 2x4’s and plywood sheeting, the 12-ft. wide panels are tied with tension rods and take on a wave form in cross section in order to maximize their structural stability. The wave form also increases the exposed roof surface area by 40% and, when fitted with acoustic insulation, optimizes the building’s acoustic performance.

The Oval’s roof structure responds to global environmental challenges by using a rapidly renewable resource -– wood -– on an unprecedented scale.

The roof incorporates large volumes of wood from forests being killed by the pine beetle epidemic; the wood is harvested before it deteriorates and loses its structural capacity. The base structure reduces its carbon footprint by incorporating recycled steel and high volumes of fly ash in the concrete.

Computer Models, Studies and Fabrication Sophisticated structural analysis software was used for the design. A major issue with the composite wood and steel arches was the different temperature related expansion and contraction characteristics of the materials, as well as shrinkage in the large wood pieces. The connection details were designed to accommodate the materials’ differential movement.

Only one steel fabricator was willing to have its ironworkers receive massive slabs of glulam timber in its shop, execute the complicated tasks

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Raft base structure and buttresses under construction.

of assembling the wood with the steel components, and carry out the complex erection procedure.

Close to a full year of analysis and testing was required to achieve the optimal solution for the Wood Wave panels. An affiliated company of Fast + Epp, StructureCraft Builders, produced the 450 panels for a fixed price and on a tight delivery schedule.

At roughly $80 per square foot, the roof structure was not only eco-

nomically viable, but was completed a full year ahead of the 2010 Olympics.

The use of precast modular elements in the base structure also helped achieve the budget and schedule efficiencies.

Though it was built for the 2010 Olympics, the speed skating oval has been designed for a 100-year life, and is poised to provide significant and long-lasting benefits for the local community.

CCE

Project name: Richmond Olympic Oval, B.C., Structural Engineering Award-winning firms: (roof structure engineers) Fast + Epp, Vancouver (Paul Fast, P.Eng., Gerald Epp, P.Eng., Julien Fagnan, P.Eng., Derek Ratzlaff, P.Eng., Mark Robertson, P.Eng.); (base structure engineers) Glotman Simpson, Vancouver (Rob Simpson, P.Eng., Anthony El-Araj, P.Eng.) Owner: City of Richmond Architect: Cannon Design; Hotson Bakker Boniface Haden (urban design) Other key players: MHPM (project manager); Stantec (mechanical/electrical); Thurber Engineering (geotechnical); Golder Associates (environmental); Delcan (civil)

October/November 2010

C AT E G O R Y: B U I L D I N G S

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

AECOM Canada/Crosier Kilgour & Partners

Manitoba Hydro Downtown Office Located in downtown Winnipeg, this award-winner is a showcase of sustainable building for a cold climate.

At 64,000 square metres, Manitoba Hydro Place is the largest office building in Winnipeg. The 22-storey “cold climate sustainable” headquarters is home to 1,800 employees of Manitoba Hydro. The building integrates time-tested environmental concepts with advanced technologies to achieve a “living building” that responds to the local climate.

Even in Winnipeg’s extreme climate (-35ºC to +34ºC), the building maximizes the use of “passive” energy technologies and minimizes the use of “active” mechanical energy systems.

Passive systems -- such as south-facing winter gardens and a solar chimney -- take advantage of natural processes to reduce the building’s use of energy.

Since opening in February 2009, The building has performed 64% more efficiently than a building designed to Canada’s Model National Energy Code for Buildings.

Manitoba Hydro required that the building should be designed using an integrated design process, whereby architects, engineers and others are all involved from the early stages.

Radiant Heat, Solar Chimney The triangular shape of the building maximizes its exposure to the south and minimizes its exposure to the cold north, while narrow floor plates and tall floor-to-ceiling glazing allow sunlight to penetrate into the core.

A double facade curtain-wall system forms a 1-metre-wide buffer zone that insulates the building against the heat and cold outside. The buffer has manually operated windows

View from south..

Eduard Hueber

in the inside wall, and vents in the exterior facade which automatically open when the building mechanical ventilation systems are shut down.

Automated shades control glare and heat gain through the curtain wall.

The building’s thermal comfort relies on radiant surfaces in the building rather than traditional air heating and air conditioning. The exposed concrete ceilings have embedded plastic tubes that circulate heated or cooled water. The radiant heating provides superior comfort for the

occupants, and it is more energy efficient than a traditional air system.

A 115-metre tall solar chimney on the north side marks the building entrance on Portage Avenue and is a key element in the passive ventilation system. It relies on the natural stack effect to draw used air out of the building during summer months. A solar absorber (thermal mass) assists the operation after sunset. In winter, exhaust air is drawn down to the bottom of the chimney by fans, and heat recovered from continued on page 30

October/November 2010

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AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

continued from page 29

this exhaust air is used to warm the parkade and to preheat incoming cold air from the south atria.

100% Fresh Air, Geothermal System In contrast to conventional North American buildings, Manitoba Hydro Place is ventilated with 100% fresh air whenever it is occupied. Within the splay of the two towers, a series of three six-storey south atria, or winter gardens, form the “lungs” of the building. They draw in outside air and precondition it to a minimum of +10ºC. The air is distributed at each floor level via an underfloor raised flooring system and rises through the space using displacement ventilation until it is exhausted by the solar chimney.

Depending on the season, a 24-metre tall waterfall in each atria humidifies or dehumidifies the incoming air.

The building also has the largest closed-loop geothermal system in Manitoba. The exchanger is located completely below the structure and consists of 280 boreholes which penetrate 125 metres underground. Water from this system’s heat exchanger is circulated through the pipes in the concrete structure, providing radiant heating or cooling.

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Structural System The structural system was selected to provide the thermal mass for energy savings, and to provide large columnfree floor plates that are flexible spaces for the occupants. The concrete structural frame consists of shallow and wide slab bands that span 11 metres. The combination provides a clean ceiling surface for better light reflectance and made it easier to install the radiant tubing.

Innovative ideas that came during the integrated design process sessions included adding a raised edge to the floor plate to allow for more daylight inside.

The building envelope was a critical feature. The double wall on the east and west elevations is a unitized

system for ease and speed of erection. The north and south elevations have a similar system, but the glazing is a triple pane, low-iron glass for occupant comfort.

Revitalizing a City With this building Manitoba Hydro has created a supportive workplace and revitalized Winnipeg’s downtown. The building reduces greenhouse gas emissions through its reduced energy consumption, and the utility will benefit from avoiding energy costs over the building’s anticipated 60-year life cycle. It uses 100 kwWh per square metre per year, whereas a typical Canadian building uses over 400 kWh per square metre.

CCE

Project name: Manitoba Hydro Downtown Office, Winnipeg Award-winning firms: (mechanical & electrical engineers) AECOM Canada, Edmonton, Calgary & Winnipeg (John Munroe, P.Eng., Michael Shewchuk, P.Eng., Alan Aftanas, P.Eng.); (structural engineers) Crosier Kilgour & Partners, Winnipeg (Tom Malkiewicz) Owner: Manitoba Hydro Architects: KPMB, Smith Carter Climate/energy engineer: Trans Solar Energietechnik Other key players: PCL (construction), Hanscomb (costing), Prairie Architects (advocate architect), Halcrow Yolles (joint venture structural engineer), Natural Resources Canada (C-2000 advisor)

October/November 2010

T R A N S P O R TAT I O N

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Fast + Epp

Kingsway Pedestrian Bridge

The Kingsway Pedestrian Bridge is a 44-metre (145-ft.) clear span structure spanning the busy intersection of Kingsway and McMurray Avenue in Burnaby, a city in Metro-Vancouver, B.C. The bridge’s signature design creates an aesthetically striking portal for traffic entering Burnaby along the Kingsway corridor.

The structure consists of an extremely thin edge concrete walkway which is suspended from a gracefully curving arch structure that incorporates three different materials: wood, steel, and concrete. The covered wood portion of the arch features a series of bi-axially curved glue-laminated beams that are anchored by custom shaped steel haunches at both ends.

The composite arch construction using steel haunches and a timber drop-in span is thought to be a “world first.” Bending and warping glue-laminated wood to achieve the desired dynamic aesthetic expression in a pedestrian bridge has rarely if ever been done. Supporting glass guards on tension rods in a bridge structure is also very unusual.

The timber components exude warmth, enhance the dynamic multimaterial expression of the bridge, and demonstrate the viability of using a rapidly renewable resource in a construction sector that is dominated by steel and concrete.

Underlying Complexity The apparent simplicity of the final design belies its underlying complexity. In fact the bridge is one of the most difficult designs Fast + Epp had undertaken. The design was

Fast + Epp

This award-winning project in Burnaby, B.C. displays a rare — and technically challenging — use of wood in a bridge structure.

The 44-m arch with “pinched” glu-lam beams.

complex in the following respects.

The glue-laminated arch’s double curvature results in biaxial stresses that required careful analysis with a 3-D SAP program. The two edge beams actually had to be split into two halves in order to make them more flexible and achieve the large horizontal bend to create the desired

“pinched” shape of the arch. The result was probably some of the longest and thinnest wood components ever manufactured — spaghetti-like 100-ft. long and 3-in. thick pieces!

Extreme caution was required to avoid damaging the pieces when shipping them to the job site.

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The stainless steel rods supporting the concrete bridge deck tend to overstress the edge of the glulam beams by virtue of their support points being immediately adjacent to the edge of the arch. In order to create a more desirable uniform stress distribution in all the wood members, care was taken to incorporate properly Aerial view.

Fast + Epp

detailed blocking pieces to transfer load from the edge of the arch to the more interior wood members. The design also included on-site tensioning of the individual glulam elements with steel rods that were glued into the cross holes to ensure a tight fit.

Because a hybrid wood-steel arch has, to the best of the designers’ knowledge, never been constructed before, they had to do careful analysis of the joints and custom details to ensure the successful transfer of bending, axial, and shear forces. Keeping in mind construction tolerances and the potential differential shrinkage between the wood arch and steel haunch, it was necessary to ensure tight fitting connections to avoid potentially “soft” structural behaviour and undesirable sagging and vibration in the bridge.

The bridge deck was originally envisioned to be a stiffened steel plate

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with concrete infill. However, to minimize long-term maintenance, and also in order to provide additional mass to mitigate against vibrations, it was decided to construct the bridge using precast concrete planks posttensioned together. This approach required more attention to the erection procedure, but the extra effort was worth it, and a thin concrete bridge edge aesthetic was achieved.

The architect chose to incorporate tall 2.4-m high glass guards. Rather than add chunky guardrail posts that would have compromised the bridge aesthetics, the glass guards were structurally fastened to the stainless steel tension rods that support the bridge deck. This is a very uncommon method of supporting glass guards which results in large horizontal wind forces being imparted to the tension rods, and required detailed analysis.

Since the concrete platform acts as a tension tie to resist the arch thrust forces, it required careful detailing for the steel haunch-to-concrete platform connections, including a sliding connection to avoid large thrust forces on the south concrete support structure.

The engineers also had to determine a seismic resistance strategy.

The wood arch component was fabricated in a nearby department store parking lot in a short time frame, and erection required only a single day of traffic closure. The structure successfully met its budget and schedule constraints, although the budget was increased from $1.7 to $2.7 million during design in view of the rapidly escalating construction costs during the pre-Olympic buildCCE ing frenzy.

Project name: Kingsway Pedestrian Bridge Award-winning firm: (structural engineer) Fast + Epp, Vancouver (Paul Fast, P.Eng., John Miller, P.Eng.) Owner: City of Burnaby Architect: Busby Perkins + Will Other key players: RFA Consulting (electrical); Dominion Fairmile (contractor); Solid Rock (steel fabricator).

W AT E R R E S O U R C E S

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

J.L. Richards & Associates

Ravensview Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades to a wastewater treatment plant in Kingston, Ontario have made it one of North America’s most environmentally progressive facilities.

Upgraded plant. New components include the biological aerated filter building at left-hand side.

The existing Ravensview Wastewater Treatment Plant located along the St. Lawrence River in Kingston, Ontario underwent a $115-million upgrade and expansion.

J.L. Richards & Associates were the prime consultants on the project, which increased the plant’s capacity by 30% and also added a secondary treatment to make it one of the most environmentally progressive wastewater treatment plants in North America. As a result of the upgrades, the plant’s effluent quality is greatly improved and exceeds expectations and all regulatory requirements.

Biological Aerated Filters The existing chemically-assisted primary treatment process consisted of screening, grit removal and primary clarification through seven rectangular clarifiers.

The upgrade added Biological Aerated Filters, a high-rate secondary

treatment process that has a very compact footprint. It requires only 20% of the land area of a conventional activated secondary treatment process, which meant that nearby waterfront properties did not need to be expropriated and an adjacent mature woodlot was preserved.

This secondary process includes a leading edge aeration technology — high-speed blowers using air bearings.

Manufactured in South Korea and new to North America, the blowers operate at a speed of 30,000 rpm, similar to jet engines.

The technology is much quieter than standard North American aeration technologies and is more efficient. (Standard technologies operate at around 3,000 rpm, and produce so much noise and vibration that they require more significant structural and acoustic mitigation measures.)

Implementing these high speed blowers reduced the plant’s electri-

cal load for the aeration system from 675 kW to 450 kW — a 33% reduction. Despite the capital premium of $300,000, the payback is estimated at less than five years.

Sludge Treatment Innovations To improve the quality of the biosolids produced from the upgraded plant, the project team added temperaturephased anaerobic sludge digestion.

The common practice is to operate these systems at 37° C in a single stage digestion process. The Ravensview plant has a dual stage process operating at 55° C followed by a second stage at 37° C. The dual process kills more pathogens and stabilizes the sludge more effectively, thereby helping to continue the success of Kingston’s biosolids land application program.

Another benefit of stabilizing the sludge at a higher temperature is the increased production of methane bio-

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Inside a biological aerated filter cell.

gas as a by-product. This “free” source of energy is used in a dual-fuel 375 kW cogeneration system to produce electricity and heat year-round.

The high-speed turbo blowers and cogeneration/biogas system as well as other energy-efficiency measures have reduced the plant’s electrical load by 0.6 MW and reduced its greenhouse gas emissions.

Thinking Like Contractors A fully enclosed biosolids storage facility was added. It operates under negative air pressure and the exhaust air is

discharged through activated carbon filters. This approach helps to address the odour problems from the plant, which have historically caused a nuisance to nearby residents.

The existing plant was renovated over a three year period while the plant continued to operate. The upgrades included replacing all the electrical, instrumentation and control systems.

The J.L. Richards’ team, who provided all structural, civil, mechanical and electrical engineering, as well as the planning, architecture, and project management, “thought like contractors” in reviewing how to construct the works. The specifications not only provided a detailed outline and sequence to assist the contractor in the construction, but also now

guide the plant’s operators in maintaining the plant.

The buildings’ architecture has a more refined look than typical industrial buildings and they were all designed according to LEED environmental principles.

The upgraded plant has a capacity of 95,000 m3/day and is one of the largest of its kind in Canada.

The $115-million project was completed in late 2009 approximately 10% under budget and six months ahead of schedule, in time to ensure a combined contribution of $50 million from the Canadian and Ontario governments.

The plant now serves as a benchmark and training centre for the public, other municipalities, and Kingston-based education centres.

CCE

Project name: Ravensview Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades, Kingston, Ont. Award-winning firm: (prime consultant, project management, structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, architecture, planning) J.L. Richards & Associates, Kingston & Ottawa (Dan Lalande, P.Eng., Dale Craig, P.Eng., Brian Davies, P.Eng., Mike Duivenvoorden, P.Eng., Louis Fournier, P.Eng., Brent Whaley, P.Eng., Jim Steele, P.Eng., Randy Romanin, Ted Portmann, P.Eng., James O’Connor, P.Eng.) Owner/client: Utilities Kingston Other key players: XCG (process); Dakins (system integration); C & R (health, safety); Inspec-Sol (geotechnical, materials); Enermodal (LEED); RWDI (noise, air); Williamson (public consultations) Supplier: Eaton (coordination study)

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W AT E R R E S O U R C E S

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

CBCL, Consulting Engineers

Tatamagouche Water Treatment Plant An award went to a small water treatment plant in Nova Scotia, which is one of the first to combine nanofiltration and ultrafiltration.

Plant beside the French River.

The new water treatment plant at Tatamagouche, a village of 800 people on the northern shores of Nova Scotia, uses an innovative combination of treatment processes to produce extremely high quality potable water. Owned by the county of Colchester, the plant is believed to be the first municipal water treatment plant to combine both ultrafiltration and nanofiltration technologies.

The quality of raw water in the French River that supplies the plant is highly variable. It has extreme levels of particulate and dissolved contaminants that make conventional treatment approaches very challenging.

With the help of CBCL Consulting Engineers and Dalhousie University, the municipality investigated many different advanced treatment solutions for the new plant.

Among the advanced processes tested were microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF) and nanofiltration (NF). The three systems have

membranes with progressively smaller pore sizes. The smaller the pore size, the better the water quality produced.

The tests revealed that while the NF process achieved excellent quality water, it could not handle the loading of contaminants without clogging or fouling prematurely. The UF system was effective at removing particulate material, but did not remove much dissolved organic material.

During the analysis, an “A-ha” moment came when it became obvious that the UF process could effectively function as a pretreatment system, protecting the NF system while removing virtually all particulate material. The NF system would remove dissolved organic material to ensure that disinfection by-products (potentially cancer causing) are kept very low.

What one system can’t remove, the other can, making the new process an effective teaming of well proven technologies.

Challenges remained, however. Five

vendors submitted bids for the project, but few had experience with both types of systems, which meant there were compatibility issues. The selected manufacturer, GE, is a large company with many treatment lines, but they had never supplied the ultrafiltration and nanofiltration systems together for a municipal system. It meant the control system logic for each process had to be reworked so that the systems could effectively communicate via the plant’s new computer control system.

The task required extensive liaison between CBCL staff and GE. Complex Treatment Path Raw water from the French River follows a complex path through the new treatment system, which can process 400 litres per minute. From an infiltration gallery under the riverbed, the water is pumped through a pre-treatment strainer and conveyed to two ZBOX-18 UF membrane skids oper-

October/November 2010

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ated in parallel. The raw water fills three membrane tanks each containing six ZeeWeed 1000 UF modules, which have a nominal pore size of 0.02 microns. After processing through the UF systems, the water enters the NF treatment units. It passes through two cartridge filters and into two GE Osmonics PRO-100NF skids installed in parallel. Each skid contains a total of six pressure vessels and each pressure vessel contains four spiral wound NF membrane modules.

Following the NF units the permeate (treated water) is disinfected and pumped to the community’s water storage reservoir, and the concentrate (waste stream) is combined with the UF reject and discharged to the environment. The system is designed to provide full redundancy to ensure the plant can provide water to the community at peak rates even when a UF and NF treatment train is off line.

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Reduced Chemicals The combination of the two processes ensures that the treated water far exceeds current regulatory requirements without the use of chemical coagulants.

The current regulatory limit for THM’s (trihalomethanes), the most prevalent of the disinfection by-products, is 100 g/L. THM levels of 200-300 g/L common previously have been reduced to 10-15 g/L in the new plant. Turbidity levels in the French River often peak to over 100 NTU (nephelometric turbidity units) yet the plant reliably produces treated water with turbidity readings of 0.01 NTU or less.

As a result, the plant requires 80% less chlorine than the plant it replaced and has a lower environmental footprint. It addresses many of the challenges of operating a smaller municipal water treatment facility, and has a lower life cycle cost. The project met the budget and a six-month construction schedule, starting up in January 2008. CCE Project name: Tatamagouche Water Treatment Plant, N.S. Award-winning firm: (prime consultant) CBCL, Consulting Engineers, Halifax, N.S. (Andrew Gates, P.Eng., Kevin Bezanson, P.Eng., Michael Chaulk, P.Eng., Dwayne Doucette, P.Eng., Randy O’Connor, P.Eng., Matthew Rodgers, P.Eng.) Owner: County of Colchester Other key players: Maritime Testing (geotechnical); L & R Construction (general contractor); GE Water (equipment)

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October/November 2008

E N V I R O N M E N TA L R E M E D I AT I O N

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

MTE Consultants

Joseph and Gaukel Streets Remediation Consulting engineers organized the safe removal of hazardous coal tar from a site in downtown Kitchener.

This project in downtown Kitchener, Ontario transformed a site at the heart of the city’s downtown core from a contamination nightmare into a grand public space that will be a legacy for future residents.

From 1883 until the late 1950s, the Kitchener’s utility company operated a coal gasification plant located at what is now #44 Gaukel Street, on the corner with Joseph Street. A biproduct of the operation was coal tar, a hazardous waste that was buried in tanks and forgotten.

When the environmental impacts of the former plant came to light in recent years, the city decided to “right the wrong” and remediate the problem. MTE Consultants was retained without a prescribed scope of work and helped to drive the project, identifying the challenges and leading the city and the project team to find effective solutions.

The major complexities of the

$27.5-million project included not only cleaning up the coal tar contamination, but also replacing and upgrading aging infrastructure along 1.4 kilometres of roadway. The project involved creating a new streetscape and entrance into Victoria Park opposite Gaukel Street. The entrance was to provide a scenic vista towards a heritage Clock Tower in the park.

Excavation Challenges and Public Concerns A major stressor on the project related to the financial picture and timing.

Work on the #44 Gaukel site could not start until late 2006 and the remediation component had to be completed

by December 2007.

Maintaining the structural integrity of existing buildings adjacent to the deep excavations for the coal tar contamination was difficult. The excavation extended right to the edge of the foundation walls of the build-

ings and below the footing elevations.

To minimize the impacts, a complex temporary wall system of interlocking caissons and whaler/strut supports was used, and the entire structure and supports were closely monitored using daily precision surveys, seismic monitors and crack sensors. The site was excavated and backfilled without damage or incident.

It was well publicized that coal tar contains benzene, a carcinogen, so air quality was a concern. Coal tar also has a strong “moth ball” odour related to the volatilization of naphthalene. As a result, air quality testing and monitoring was conducted throughout the work day, downwind of the site, using photoionization detectors. Dust samples were collected and analyzed on two portable gas chromatographs for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, and naphthalene. As well, odour suppressing foam and tarps were used. Much of the contaminated soil excavation was continued on page 38

New park entrance opposite Gaukel Street.

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done during cold winter months when volatilization was reduced.

The comprehensive health and safety plan for workers included an on-site de-contamination trailer complete with showers and first aid facilities, and a resident certified industrial hygienist to monitor conditions. The work was completed without injury or incident, and the public’s concerns were mitigated.

Dealing with Contamination Approximately 20,000 tonnes of “hazardous” contaminated soil and 60,000 tonnes of “non-hazardous” contaminated soil were hauled off-site for disposal. Due to the quality and quantity of the borehole and soil characterization data, the excavation and disposal process was completed as a seamless turnkey operation. No costly and time consuming stockpiling or sampling on site was required prior to removing the soils. This saved the city an estimated $3 million in disposal

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Excavating contaminated soil and groundwater at #44.

costs. Strict protocols for chain-of-custody were imposed to minimize risks of future litigation to the city.

When heavily contaminated perched groundwater was encountered at a depth of 2 metres and approximately 8 metres deep, it was collected, treated and discharged to the municipal sanitary sewer under the scrutiny of the region’s waste management division. This approach resulted in cost savings of over $1 million.

Once the excavation was complete, a 1-metre thick impermeable clay barrier was constructed around the perimeter of the site to prevent (unrelated) up-gradient contaminated groundwater from recontaminating the site.

As part of the final risk assessment, a sacrificial sweeper system was installed and connected to a system of collection manholes around the perimeter to allow for both long-term monitoring and the collection of residual contaminated groundwater.

The remediation project involved numerous stakeholders and agencies, and was the object of intense public scrutiny. With construction completed in June 2009, the positive end result is the transformation of an under-used area that can revitalize Kitchener’s downtown core. CCE Project name: Joseph & Gaukel Streets, Road Reconstruction and Environmental Remediation, Kitchener, Ont. Award-winning firm: (prime consultant, civil, environmental, structural engineers) MTE Consultants (Duane Lindner, P.Eng., Angelo Innocente, CET, Dave Innocente, CET, Robert Fedy, P.Eng., Yulun Sze, P.Eng., Nathan Duimering, Rich Bohnsack, Brodie McArthur, CET) Owner: City of Kitchener Other key players: GSP (planners); Shaw Creek (environmental); CRA (air monitoring); Bel-Air Construction; Bermingham Construction (caisson wall)

N AT U R A L R E S O U R C E S , I N D U S T R Y & E N E R G Y

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Klohn Crippen Berger

Nam Theun 2 Hydro Canadian consulting engineers designed the massive civil works for a hydroelectricity project in Laos. The design includes one of the largest high-pressure penstock bifurcations ever constructed.

Penstock bifurcation or “Y” branch.

The 1,074-MW Nam Theun 2 Hydroelectric Project is part of a long-term collaboration between Laos and Thailand to develop up to 3,000 MW of energy in Laos for exporting to Thailand.

This project entails a trans-basin diversion of waters from the Nam Theun River to a powerhouse at the base of the Nakai escarpment, and from there to the Mekong River. Électricité de France, the majority owner of the Nam Theun 2 Power Company, envisions that the project will provide “inexpensive electricity to drive human development.” The hydro project will produce power for about three million Thai homes, and will contribute annual revenues equal to 7-9% of the Lao national budget.

On behalf of the International

Design-Build Construction Consortium Joint Venture (ITD-NCC JV), the Vancouver office of Klohn Crippen Berger provided civil, hydrotechnical, structural, geotechnical, electrical and mechanical engineering services for the project’s two main civil works packages.

High Floods Called for Roller-Compacted Concrete Construction The Nam Theun River has very large annual floods, so Klohn Crippen Berger designed an innovative method for flood handling that was economic and advantageous for the construction schedule. They convinced the ITD-NCC JV that rather than constructing two or more diversion tunnels to handle the flood flows during construction, it

would be better to use one diversion “D” shaped tunnel and roller-compacted concrete construction for not only the main dam, but also the upstream and downstream cofferdams. Roller compacted construction has the same ingredients as conventional concrete (i.e. cement, aggregate, sand, water) but is a drier, stiffer mix suitable for compacting by vibratory rollers.

The RCC construction enabled the cofferdams and the main dam elements to be overtopped and flooded during the wet season. At the end of the wet season the structures were intact and all that was necessary before construction could resume was de-watering and cleanup of the work area between the cofferdams.

The main dam is 39 metres high, with a crest length of 320 metres, while the “D” shaped diversion tunnel is 8.6 metres high, 240 metres long and has a flow capacity of 550 m3/s.

The underground works are large in scale and complex, requiring Klohn Crippen Berger to exercise the most advanced design and analysis techniques. Especially challenging were the pressure shaft, pressure tunnel and penstock tunnel sections of the conveyance system.

The headrace tunnel is 9.2 m in diameter and the underground chamber for the main penstock bifurcation spans 25 m. Near the powerhouse, the normal pressure head is over 350 m (3.4 MPa) and up to 500 m (4.9 MPa) under transient load rejection conditions.

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Huge Penstock Bifurcation The main penstock bifurcation is one of the largest, if not the largest, pressure x diameter bifurcations (i.e. “Y Branch”) ever designed and constructed. Klohn Crippen Berger performed complex computer analyses using finite element methods to produce a design that establishes a precedent in the hydro industry for the use of the selected steel types and thicknesses.

The main bifurcation uses HT80 highstrength, quenched and tempered steel (minimum ultimate strength 760 MPa) with plate thicknesses of up to 75 mm. The bifurcation’s internal stiffener is 170 mm thick, one of the thickest steel elements every produced in this type of steel.

Protecting the Landscape Whether temporary or permanent, all the constructed facilities were designed according to best environ-

Aerial view

being provided include housing with electricity, schools, new roads and a clean water supply.

The project also provided 650 boats and fishing equipment for villagers to access the fishing grounds in the new 450 sq.km. reservoir.

CCE

mental practices. For example, ditches and settlement ponds were used to convey run-off waters to defined water courses without causing erosion of the landscape.

The project was completed in December 2009 and achieved commercial operation in April 2010.

Together with the World Bank, Laos is using revenues from the Nam Theun 2 project for reducing poverty.

For the people in the project area on the Nakai Plateau, long-term benefits

Project name: Nam Theun 2 Hydro Project, Lao People’s Democratic Republic Award-winning firm: (prime design consultant for main hydro civil works) Klohn Crippen Berger, Vancouver (Shane Johnson, P.Eng., Garry Stevenson, P.Eng., Neil Heidstra, P.Eng., Ryan Douglas, P.Eng., Bruno Bagnérès, P.Eng., Manuel Reyes, P.Eng., Simon Douglas, P.Eng., Dirk Duivestein, P.Eng., Lubos Petrik, P.Eng., Ron Braam, P.Eng.) Project owner: Nam Theun 2 Power Company/Electricité de France Client: JV Design-Build Contractor/ Italian-Thai Development/Nishimatsu Construction

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I N T E R N AT I O N A L

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

SNC-Lavalin

Water Transfer from Taksebt Dam Canadian engineers worked with Algerian employees to build an 80-kilometre water pipeline and a treatment plant, serving four million people.

This project supplies drinking water from the Taksebt Dam to a population of four million people along the Tizi Ouzou-Algiers corridor in Algeria. Previously water was only being delivered a few days a week to the cities along this corridor, including the city of Algiers.

The water transfer project covers a distance of approximately 80 kilometres and is the largest project of this type involving both the treatment and transportation of water in Africa.

Algeria’s Agence nationale des barrages et transferts (ANBT) contracted SNC-Lavalin to design, build and operate the water treatment and transfer operations for the US $700-million project. The huge project — 605,000 m³ capacity — was completed in 37 months in 2009.

SNC-Lavalin will operate the plant for five years.

The work included: • a raw water pumping station with a capacity of 7.15 m³/s and a total dynamic head of 59 m; • a drinking water treatment plant with a capacity of 605,000 m³/day; • 92 kilometres of ductile iron pipes, 1.8 and 2.0 metres diameter; • four tunnels, 2.5 m internal diameter, totalling 11.4 kilometres; • six reservoirs, two of 50,000 m³; • a rechlorination station at Boudouaou; • a centralized fibre optic telecommunications system.

Completing a project of this size in a foreign country in such a short time not only requires experience, adaptability and daring, but also an excellent relationship with the client.

Management team at water treatment plant.

In addition to providing a water supply, the Algerian project led to major social and economic spin-offs for Algeria. SNC-Lavalin opted for a multi-disciplinary team composed of 95% Algerians, supervised by the experienced Canadian employees.

The design (hydraulics, water treatment, structures, tunnels, mechanical and electrical engineering, telecommunications) as well as global coordination were executed by the Canadian team. Meanwhile, SNC-Lavalin employed over 3,000 Algerians in all areas of the project (engineering, procurement, construction, quality control, environment, etc.) and indi-

rectly employed tens of thousands of others. This organizational structure supported the transfer of skills to the Algerian employees, giving them reliable training in the field of construction and the ability to find work in this field. Some are still employed by the company on other projects.

The Canadian employees adapted to the local culture and customs in Algeria, including working in a different language and respecting local business practices. The employees, both local and Canadian, learned to work together and demonstrated flexibility for the sake of the project.

October/November 2010

continued on page 43 Canadian Consulting Engineer

41

N AT U R A L R E S O U R C E S , I N D U S T R Y & E N E R G Y

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

SNC-Lavalin Nuclear

Bruce A Steam Generator Replacement An award goes to the careful engineering involved in replacing massive equipment inside a CANDU nuclear station.

ment and plant areas, which allowed them to create a representative 3D model of the work areas. The model was used by the engineering team to supplement out-of-date station drawings and then to develop the method for replacing the generators. Spatial analysis techniques were used to measure, certify, adjust, align, re-position and machine the equipment to very tight tolerances.

Placing steam drum on temporary saddle supports.

The replacement of steam generators in Units 1 and 2 at the Bruce Power Nuclear plant near Kincardine, Ontario made history as the first steam generator replacement ever at a CANDU plant.

The Bruce A plant’s unique design includes an arrangement of bulbless steam generators connected to a horizontal, integrated steam drum. The steam generators were being replaced because of corroded internal tubing. Since all the internal tubing is contained in the lower steam generator sections, the steam drums were not affected and could therefore be re-used.

Replacing the 16 steam generators required careful engineering; the most critical aspect was aligning the replacement steam generators with the steam drums and the primary 42

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heat transport piping. This work was completed using advanced laser alignment and scanning technology.

Several methods were considered for removing and replacing the steam generators. An approach to replace them horizontally through openings in the 2-metre thick boiler room walls or through the reactor building’s north wall was discarded as too risky and too complex.

The method chosen was to perform the operation vertically through the reactor building roof. This approach required sourcing one of the largest cranes in the world to reach up and over the reactor building to lift the steam generators and the mammoth steam drums.

SNC-Lavalin Nuclear used highprecision laser scanning equipment to obtain 3D images of the equip-

October/November 2010

Method of Removal The steam generators at Bruce A are arranged vertically in banks of four. There are eight steam generators in each Unit and each weighs 100 tonnes. Each bank of steam generators is supported by a trapeze framework, which is suspended from vertical hangers embedded in concrete.

Each bank of generators is attached to an overhead, horizontal 100-ft.-long steam drum. At 250 tonnes, the massive stream drums are the size of a small submarine.

To permit the steam generators to be replaced, the steam drums had to be cut free and temporarily relocated.

Instead of removing them from the reactor building, which would have been a huge undertaking, SNC-Lavalin Nuclear designed several large temporary steel structures to be placed on the floor of the reactor building next to the steam drum enclosures.

The steam drums were lifted out of their enclosures and carefully set on the temporary structures high off the floor and out of the way.

Before the steam drums were relocated the roof of their enclosure had to be removed. The roof consisted of

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Water Transfer from Taksebt Dam continued from page 41

iron ore-laced concrete that was more than 0.6 m (2-ft.) thick for radiation shielding purposes. The concrete was cut into 10-tonne chunks using a special diamond wire cutting process, and then removed by crane.

Before the steam generators could be cut free from the primary heat transport piping, restraints were designed and fitted to limit movement of the pipe during the severing operations. The steam generators were replaced two at a time from each bank of four, thus leaving two generators still welded in place to the primary heat transport piping to help restrain the system.

Completing the steam generator replacement at Bruce A has moved Bruce Power closer to attaining its goal of restarting the facility. The refurbished plant will enable the production of clean electrical power to meet demand and help to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal. When Bruce A is fully operational, the refurbished units will contribute 1,500 megawatts of power to the electrical grid.

CCE

Technical Challenges Engineering was done at the same time as construction, with all of the logistical issues inherent to this procedure.

The team faced major problems with unresolved expropriations and security issues that limited access.

Technical challenges included the hydraulic and transient phenomena which are related to very long pipeline systems. There were sensitive soils to deal with, tunneling in heaving shale, and many wadis (temporary waterways), highway and railway crossings. The system involves huge concrete thrust blocks (up to 2,500 m³), and a pumping station that operates with flows in width-ranging from 2.1 to 7.15 m³, with pressure-sensing heads from 10 to 59 m.

The project was designed with a great deal of concern for quality and a sustainable development approach. Flow between the treatment plant and final reservoir near Algiers is entirely gravity-based, saving pumping energy. As well, the operating matrix for pumps in the raw water pumping station optimizes energy consumption. Rejects from the water treatment plant are minimal because wash water is returned upstream of the water treatment chain and the sludge is stored in a basin after thickening.

Depending on the raw water quality, the station can operate in filtered flocculation mode, thus minimizing its requirements for chemical agents and energy.

Topsoil was carefully replaced over the pipes and rights-of-way were reduced from 40 to 25 metres wide and replanted. The presence of the transfer network is not apparent except for some glimpses of the vent and drainage chambers.

The design of the Taksebt project should be a source of pride for Canadian engineering. ANBT confirms that the Taksebt project is one of the few water transfer projects in Algeria that has met contractual schedules. In fact, almost all of the taps were connected even before the work was provisionally CCE accepted.

Project name: Bruce A Units 1&2 Steam Generator Replacement Kincardine, Ont. Award-winning firm: (engineering, procurement & construction EPC) SNC-Lavalin Nuclear, Oakville, Ont. (Walt Tomkiewicz, Brian Savage, P.Eng.) Owner: Bruce Power A Limited Partnership Other key players: Mammoet Canada Eastern (heavy lift crane), Crossby-Dewar (insulation and concrete), Comstock Canada (trade labour); Trentec (concrete/shielding removal), Jamko (remote inspection), Lancaster (HVAC & sheet metal), Aitec (non-destructive examination)

Project name: Water Transfer from Taksebt Dam, Algeria Award-winning firm: (design, build & operation) SNC-Lavalin, Montreal (Michel Grégoire, eng., Nadia Feknous, eng., Jean Fournier, eng., Nancy Plante, eng., René Légaré, eng., Nicholas Turgeon, eng., Cherif Baleh, eng., Jean-Luc Beaudoin, eng., Michel Moreau, eng.)

Owner: Agence Nationale des Barrages et Transfer (ANBT) Other key players: Degrémont (water treatment); Siemens (mechanical-electrical) October/November 2010

Canadian Consulting Engineer

43

2 0 1 0 AWA R D S

W I N N E R S ’ G A L L E RY

Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards 2010

The Faces of Success

1

2

3

5 6 Schreyer Award 1. Canada Line Rapid Transit Project, Vancouver.

Left to right: Jim Burke, Roger Woodhead, Robert Newland.

Tree for Life Award & Award of Excellence 2. Pine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, Calgary. Left to right: Andy Dutton, J. Warren Switzer, Jim Miller, M. Kim Fries, Wolf Keller.

Awards of Excellence 3. Tatamagouche Water Treatment Plant, N.S. CBCL., Consulting Engineers. Left to right: Andrew Gates, Kevin Bezanson, Matthew Rodgers, Michael Chaulk.

4. R avensview Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades, Kingston, Ont. J.L. Richards & Associates. Left to right: Allen Lucas, Dale Craig, Jim Keech, Dan Lalande.

4

5. K ingsway Pedestrian Bridge, Burnaby, B.C. Fast + Epp. Left: John Miller. Right: Paul Fast.

In many cases the photographs only show a few of the key team members from the winning firms. For a complete list, see the project features on the preceding pages.

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October/November 2010

W I N N E R S ’ G A L L E RY

2 0 1 0 AWA R D S

6. M anitoba Hydro Downtown Office, Winnipeg. AECOM & Crosier Kilgour & Partners. Left to right: Alan Aftanas, Mike Shewchuk, John Munroe, Tom Malkiewicz.

7. W ater Transfer from Taksebt Dam, Algeria. SNC-Lavalin, Montreal.

Left to right: Nancy Plante, Michel Grégoire, Jean Fournier.

8. R ichmond Olympic Oval, B.C. Fast + Epp & Glotman Simpson.

Left to right: Derek Ratzlaff, Paul Fast, Julien Fagnan, Robert Simpson, Anthony El Araji.

9. J oseph and Gaukel Streets Remediation, Kitchener, Ont. MTE Consultants. Left to right: Duane Lindner, Julun Sze, David J. Innocente, Ronald Brecher.

10. Nam Theun 2 Hydro Project, Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

Klohn Crippen Berger, Vancouver. Left to right: Neil Heistra, Shane Johnson, Bruno Bagneres, Gary Stevenson, Ryan Douglas.

9

11. Bruce A Steam Generator Replacement, Kincardine, Ont. SNC-Lavalin Nuclear. Left to right: Brian Savage, Leslie Davis, Walt Tomkiewicz.

10

6

7

11

8 October/November 2010

Canadian Consulting Engineer

45

2010 WINNERS CIRCLE Congratulations to all the winners of the 2010 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards

Celebrating the success of the Canada Line Built on-budget and delivered 110 days ahead of schedule, the Canada Line Rapid Transit Project has already exceeded ridership projections and rapid transit expectations.

The world is our workplace. www.snclavalin.com

Congratulations to SNC-Lavalin for its award-winning work on the Canada Line

Proud to have provided engineering services for three Canada Line stations at YVR Vancouver International Airport Congratulations SNC-Lavalin for an outstanding project!

KWL is proud to have designed the Canada Line sewer realignments.

YVR Domestic Terminal Building and YVR Canada Line Station, Vancouver, BC

Water Infrastructure Engineers Vancouver Tel. 604-294-2088

Victoria 250-595-4223

Vernon 250-503-0841

www.kwl.ca

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October/November 2010

Vancouver • Kelowna • Winnipeg • Toronto • Moncton • Saint John • Halifax

WINNERS CIRCLE

2010

Congratulations to all the winners of the 2010 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards

Eaton Electrical Services & Systems

Congratulations CH2M Hill.

We were honoured to be part of the Pine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Project – yet another one of your award-winning engineering accomplishments.

Design

Support

Build www.trojanuv.com

Eaton Electrical Services & Systems would like to congratulate J. L. Richards & Associates Limited in recognition of their award winning project: Ravensview Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrades. www.eatoncanada.ca PowerChain Management is a registered trademark of Eaton Corporation

October/November 2010

Canadian Consulting Engineer

47

2010 WINNERS CIRCLE Congratulations to all the winners of the 2010 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards

AWARDWINNING PROJECT

Taksebt Water Transfer Project This award-winning water transportation system provides more than four million people with reliable access to clean drinking water. It spans over 80 kilometres and includes four major tunnels and numerous wadi, highway and railway crossings.

Designed and developed with a view to sustainable development, over 3,000 Algerians were trained to work on the project.

www.snclavalin.com INFRASTRUCTURE | ENVIRONMENT | POWER | CHEMICALS & PETROLEUM | MINING & METALLURGY | OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE | INFRASTRUCTURE CONCESSION INVESTMENTS | AGRIFOOD | INDUSTRIAL | PHARMACEUTICALS & BIOTECHNOLOGY

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October/November 2010

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business

EXIT — Prize Employees

Belle Mellor/Three in a Box

B Y B RO N W E N PA R S O N S

When senior engineers leave a firm, they leave a big hole — especially when they lure away your clients.

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October/November 2010

Every

consulting engineering firm has senior people with a golden touch when it comes to dealing with clients. You know the type: the grey-haired guy in the corner office who always has time to chat with clients and set them at ease. His expertise is second to none, and if a client comes in for his type of project, he’s the one they want; he’s the one they trust.

So when Jack-in-the-corner-office hands in his notice and walks out of the door, it is a great blow to the company.

business

Lose the person and many of your clients go with him -- the two told some of their closest clients that they were going. along with their fees.

They ended up taking with them several major accounts.

Anticipating that staff will desert the ship at some point The employees apparently had not been asked to sign in the future, most firms ask their senior people to sign non- non-compete agreements, so the court case pivoted on their compete or non-solicitation agreements. Such contracts fiduciary duty. The judge found that the engineers did have are intended to restrict your ex-employee from working in a fiduciary duty to their former employer, but that they had competition with you for a certain period in a certain area not breached that duty. and region. They are also written to prevent your former The case is under appeal, so it’s too early to say whethemployee from soliciting your clients. er the decision will stand if it goes to a higher court.

Even when an ex-employee has not signed a nonHowever, the defendants’ lawyer, Sarit Batner, of McCarcompete agreement, they are bound by common law. And thy Tetrault in Toronto, believes the case raises important if they held a senior or key position in your firm, that law questions for engineers as professionals. “What this case is deems they have a “fiduciary duty” to you as their former interesting for, as far as I am concerned, is the intersection employer. As fiduciaries they may not unfairly poach for- between fiduciary law and professionals,” Batner says. mer clients or business opportunities that they know about She explains: “Historically if you are a fiduciary -- a key from the time they worked or senior employee – then for you. you have certain duties All well and good. Can to your former employer, you sit back and relax, conwhich, even if you don’t fident in knowing that Jackhave a contract at all, sur“I argued that it was in-the-corner-office can’t vive your leaving. take off tomorrow with your “What are those duties? perfectly acceptable — clients?

No. 1, you can’t directly Not quite. solicit the clients of your former employer for a reaand that is the whole sonable period of time. And Setting up shop No. 2, you can’t usurp corRecently there was a surprisprofessional point — porate opportunities -- those ing decision in an Ontario are opportunities that you court. A consulting engifor them to call their neering company (they have knew about because of the asked not to be named) unique nature of your role clients before they left brought an action for up when you were at your forto $3.2 million against two mer employer. Now you’ve and tell them they former employees who left left, you shouldn’t be able and started their own firm. to capitalize on them. were leaving.”

The case was dismissed, “That’s all fine and even though the two senior dandy for a scenario where engineers had proceeded to you have a senior vacuum set up their new business in ways that traditionally would be salesman or insurance salesman,” Batner argues, “but considered off-limits. professionals are different. An engineer, like a lawyer, They had given only a few weeks notice, though their like a doctor, actually owes fiduciary duties to the client. billings represented about 25% of the company’s gross rev- Which means a duty of good faith, trust, loyalty, a duty to enues. They had started setting up the new business while act in their best interests when you’re working for them. they were still working out their notice. They leased office “So the question is: What happens when you have space and on evenings and weekends they and their families senior key employees who owe these fiduciary duties to spent time renovating their new premises. They advertised their employer, but they’re also professionals, so they also for an office assistant, applied for a certificate of authoriza- owe serious and significant duties to their clients? tion to practice, and created a business plan.

“I argued that it was perfectly acceptable -- and that is Furthermore, in those few days before they left their jobs, the whole professional point -- for them to call their clients continued on page 52 October/November 2010

Canadian Consulting Engineer

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business

continued from page 51

before they left and tell them they were leaving,” Batner continues. “They were not allowed to directly solicit the clients, and we called a lot of evidence at trial to satisfy the judge that they did not solicit them. They didn’t say, ‘Come with me.’ They didn’t say, ‘Don’t stay here, they can’t do your work.’”

Batner also argued that it was perfectly acceptable for the engineers to “get their ducks in order” before they left their former employee. Setting up shop while working their notice wasn’t “secret planning,” she says, so much as simply acting professionally to get their careers and business in order.

Are contracts the answer?

What, then, is the best solution to ensure that Jack-in-thecorner-office won’t one day take off with a big chunk of the company’s business?

The obvious answer is to draw up non-compete contracts with key employees to restrict their options once they leave.

But it’s not that easy. According to Correna Jones, a lawyer with Fraser Milner Casgrain in Calgary: “The big challenge with ‘non-competes’ is that very often the courts won’t find them enforceable.” (For engineers involved in mergers and acquisitions, it’s a different story.)

Jones says it is well known in legal circles that, “One of the very toughest things for an employment lawyer to do well is to draft an enforceable non-competition provision.”

The reason, Jones suggests, “is that courts are loath to put restraints on trade. And they also don’t want to see people prevented from working. So if we’re talking about employees who are professional engineers with a very particular skill set, an agreement that is too restrictive could actually prevent them from earning a living for a period of time. The courts will almost never uphold a non-compete agreement in that type of situation.”

Judges are more likely to support a non-compete agreement that is specific rather than broad, Jones says. “Very often employers want really overarching, long-term clauses with a broad geographical range that would actually prevent their key people from working for an extended period of time.”

But, she explains, “The courts are going in the direction of a ‘less is more’ philosophy. Therefore, the type of agreement that would be more likely to stand up in court, is one with a narrower restriction. An example, Jones says, would be an agreement covering three months in the city of Waterloo rather than one covering five years in the province of Ontario.

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October/November 2010

“The big challenge with ‘noncompetes’ is that very often the courts won’t find them enforceable.”

Why it’s important to work things out

Evidently many companies are facing the problem of employees absconding with former clients and confidential information. Between 15-20% of Jones’ employment law business involves these types of conflicts. On the bright side, only about 1 in 10 of these cases ever goes to trial.

When the company and the ex-employee start talking, she says, they often come to a financial settlement or other agreement.

For consulting engineers, it can leave a huge hole when senior staff leave because people are a consulting engineering company’s most valuable assets. Engineering might be about technology and physical “things,” but engineering consulting is very much a business and requires working side by side with other human beings.

Ask Naseem Bashir, P.Eng., president of Williams Engineering, in Edmonton: “It depends on what kind of project you’re dealing with and where you are, but fundamentally, the business is all about relationships. The client might have to follow procurement policies, but the reality is that if you as a consulting engineer are liked, you have a somewhat better chance of getting the work.”

As a result, Bashir says, “We spend a significant amount of time building relationships with clients in this industry, and those are one-to-one relationships.”

With so much invested in employees, companies like Williams Engineering are taking steps to ensure their staff know they are working for a progressive firm and so might not be tempted to stray. Firms are competing fiercely for experienced staff these days and Jack-in-thecorner-office probably has his pick of the best firms out there.

Be prepared. If Jack were to leave, not only would you suffer the emotional trauma of having a friend -- or someone you thought was a friend -- desert you, but also you CCE would have lost a major financial investment.

manufacturer case study

corrosion protection

Denso SeaShield Series 500 remediates piles in Bay of Fundy

A

lthough the Canadian coast line is one of the most extensive in the world, very little of the vast coast itself is developed with ports, loading structures and docking facilities.

This lack of development somewhat limits the large potential for sales of Denso SeaShield systems.

SeaShield systems provide a method for controlling corrosion on jetty piling in the splash and intertidal zones.

Denso Canada has, however, been extremely successful of late in capturing a large percentage of the available piling protection jobs on both the East and West Coasts. Some of this work has involved SeaShield Series 100, Series 2000HD and Series 90, as well as Series 500 systems.

The most recent project was located on the East Coast of Canada in what is known as the Bay of Fundy. This particular bay has some of the world’s largest tidal movements.

The job involved the application of Series 500 FRP jackets, and the pumping of 550 epoxy and aggregate. The job was unique due to the characteristics of the tidal movement in this area of Canada.

Twice a day the Bay of Fundy experiences high and low tides over a distance of approximately 30 ft. During a 12-hour period the tide moves from a position of high tide to a position of low tide, with a brief resting period in between of approximately 15-20 minutes.

When the high tide begins to drop, or when the low tide begins to rise, however, the rate of change is 4 ft. per hour, which leaves a very short time window for working in the water and applying jackets, pumping aggregate, etc. An added difficulty was having to install the system from a small boat tied to the piling.

The project involves the protection of approximately 200 existing concrete piles that have badly eroded. Some of the concrete grout has eroded down to the original steel piling, making the annulus anywhere from ¾˝ up to 6˝ in some cases.

The job involved installing the SeaShield FRP jackets on stagings, as the pile protection was required part way up the pile, approximately 12 ft. from the mud line. The 10-ft. long jackets were then filled with aggregate by pumping from the upper deck where the epoxy and aggregate were mixed. The mixed epoxy aggregate was pumped for a distance of 63 ft. down to the injection ports below the deck.

Overall, the job was very successful and Denso is looking forward to continuing with more piling encapsulations based on their SeaShield Marine Piling technology.

ADVERTORIAL

DENSO CANADA

Article provided by Denso North America Inc.- Canada. Tel. 416-291-3435, www.densona.com

October/November 2010

Canadian Consulting Engineer

53

ADVERTORIAL

manufacturer case study

hvac pumps

GRUNDFOS

Grundfos gets underneath Canada’s tallest hotel tower

H

ilton Hotel and Suites located near Niagara’s famous Horseshoe Falls underwent a $150-million transformation to become Canada’s tallest hotel tower. The 500-room, all-suite tower required an HVAC and booster system that would be reliable and energy efficient. Most importantly, the booster system had to boost water to the top of the 53-story building.

Smith + Andersen was the engineering firm who designed the mechanical systems to do the job. When it came time for E.S. Fox Ltd. to choose a supplier, the reliability and energy efficiency of Grundfos pumps was the determining factor.

The HVAC system installed consists of UP, UPS, TP pumps and PACO pumps, with motors ranging from ¾ hp to 50 hp.

This combination of pumps was chosen for their reliability for the following reasons: • The UP and UPS pumps are maintenance-free, have no bearing, seal or coupling. This will save the owner future maintenance costs.

• The TP pumps are epoxy coated, have a The hotel under construction. wear ring and an SS impeller. The pumps will operate cleanly and reliably for years, and when it comes time to repair a pump, the wear ring can be replaced to return the pump to a “like-new” condition.

• The PACO pumps have a double volute, wear ring, inside mechanical seal and suction splitter.

Seal repairs will be less frequent, and when they are required, they will be half the cost of a repair for a pump that has an outside mechanical seal.

The three pump BoosterpaQ pumping system installed consists of CR vertical inline multistage pumps for variable speed operation, with 40 hp motors. The operating set point is 250 psi and 675 gpm.

The BoosterpaQ system was chosen for the following reasons: • The multi-pump controller (MPC) alternates between the lead and lag pumps. This feature, in combination with the pumps running at a slower speed, extends the life of the pumps and reduces maintenance costs.

• The pumping system is variable speed for energy savings. Additional savings are accomplished due to the high efficiency of the Grundfos pumps.

• The package includes a corrosion-free stainless steel base frame, panel brackets and manifolds, which make for reliability, durability and cleanliness.

Both the HVAC and BoosterpaQ systems were installed between May 2008 and May 2009. There are 37 pumps in total and since the project’s completion they have been working extremely reliably. The only service issue has been a single seal failure, which is remarkable for the number of pumps installed.

Grundfos is the world’s largest manufacturer of pumps and pumping systems. Grundfos’ Canadian headquarters is located in Oakville, Ont. 1-800-644-9599, www.grundfos.ca

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October/November 2010

Specifier’s Literature Review

INFRA-RED HEATING: RE-VERBER-RAY TECHNOLOGY

The DX-2 Series single input tube-type infra-red heaters offer standard control of a heated space while the HL-2 Series twostage will offer additional control and energy savings. Contact us today for information on the complete Re-VerberRay product line. Call 1-800-387-4778 or visit www.brantradiant.com SUPPLIER: BRANDT RADIANT HEATERS

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DANFOSS PRESSURE INDEPENDENT CONTROL VALVES

The Canam Info-Tech bulletin, aimed at the consulting engineering community, is intended to keep decision-makers informed about the various products Canam fabricates. By consulting Canam Info-Tech, designers will learn how to make optimum use of Canam products for the benefit of their customers. Register free of charge at www.canam.ws/engineers. For more information, contact us at www.canam-steeljoist. ws/contactus-engineering.

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Proven worldwide for well over 100 years, Denso Petrolatum Tapes offer the best, most economical, long-term corrosion protection for all above and below ground metal surfaces. Requiring only minimum surface preparation and environmentally responsible, Denso Petrolatum Tape is the solution to your corrosion problems in any corrosive environment.

For applications in mines, mills, refineries, steel mills, pulp & paper, oil & gas, and the waterworks industry. The answer is Denso!

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OVER 20 YEARS AGO, FLEXHEAD INVENTED THE FIRST FLEXIBLE FIRE SPRINKLER CONNECTION.

That system was used in protecting billion dollar clean room facilities. Now, we’ve applied the same technology and quality to the commercial marketplace, and offer flexible fire sprinkler connections designed for use in suspended ceilings. FlexHeads are fast and simple to install; requiring no measuring, no cutting and no infield assembly. Benefits include simplified project management, faster occupancy, easier retrofits, and cost effective code compliance.

FlexHead has also been seismically qualified for use in seismic areas and offer green benefits to building owners. Call us at (800) 829-6975 or visit flexhead.com for more information.

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Discover Structal-Bridges composite orthotropic bridge deck, the solution of choice for the rapid replacement of traditional bridge deck. Built in long prefabricated composite panels, our shop-fabricated orthotropic decks facilitate transportation, minimize field assembly and limit disruption of traffic following installation since field work is limited to a few finishing touches. Call 1-877-304-2561 or visit www.structalbridges.ws/orthotropic.

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Danfoss AB-QM pressure independent control valves provide superb control and dynamic hydronic balance in one compact valve. With a built in pressure differential controller maintaining a constant pressure across the control valve, the AB-QM has 100% authority at all load conditions - eliminating over flows and under flows resulting from pressure fluctuations in the system.

• Achieve design _T • Increase efficiency of chillers and condensing boilers • Reduce system pumping costs Available with an industry leading range of actuators for all control strategies: On/Off, 3 point floating and modulating.

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As a pioneer of innovative pumping solutions, Grundfos is dedicated to developing, producing, and selling the highest quality pumping systems while at the same time contributing to a better quality of life and a healthier environment. This brochure will give you a great visual overview of Grundfos / Paco solutions for Heating, Air conditioning, Pressure Boosting and Wastewater applications. For more information please visit our website at www.grundfos.com SUPPLIER: GRUNDFOS CANADA

City Multi HydraDan is a shining example of Mitsubishi Electric’s commitment to leadingedge energy efficient HVAC technology.

City Multi is famous for its industry-leading VRF technology, geothermal applications, and the world’s only 2-pipe system featuring simultaneous heating and cooling. The new HydraDan units work with City Multi to convert recovered heat energy into hot water for sanitary use or hydronic heating, facilitates virtually no energy waste, reduced CO2 emissions, operating costs and installation costs, ultimately helping your future projects to achieve LEED certifications. For more information please visit www.HydraDan.ca SUPPLIER: MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC

S-CONCRETE is a reinforced concrete section design and detailing software that operates in stand-alone mode or integrated with our structural analyis software, S-FRAME and P-FRAME. S-CONCRETE supports the current American, Canadian, British, and Singapore standards. It will design beams, columns, composite columns, and shear walls subjected to wind and earthquake loads. For more information please visit our website at www.s-frame.com SUPPLIER: SOFTEK SERVICES LTD.

VICTAULIC CIRCUIT BALANCING

Enhance comfort and cut energy costs through precise control of building temperature.

Hydronic balancing is the means and method to control hydronic systems thus providing a comfortable indoor climate, minimizing energy costs and preventing problems during operations. Victaulic provides a complete line of balancing products that allow for accurate control of building temperatures while optimizing energy efficiency. For more information visit, www.victaulic.com/balancing SUPPLIER: VICTAULIC

From oilsands and drilling platforms to refineries and pipelines, KSB pumps, valves and systems are employed in all essential transport systems and production processes in the oil and gas industry as well as in refineries and petrochemical plants. Whether the job is transporting abrasive sandy residues, seawater or acids, KSB has rugged solutions for many fluid substances and provides customers in over 100 countries with local support by experienced engineers. KSB’s sector-specific product brochure is available for downloading @ www.ksb.ca.

SUPPLIER: KSB PUMPS INC.

The SSW-06 is WEG’s third generation Soft Starter line. Its Keypad with dual display provides high visibility with bright red LED digits and easy programming. With built-in bypass contacts to eliminate heat dissipation once the motor is at full voltage it is extremely compact. This allows for simple integration in non-ventilated enclosures and replacement of electromechanical starters in Motor Control Centers. This product recently won the IF Design Award - Industrial Products Category. The main design attributes which conferred this award to the SSW-06 were the simplicity of constructive solutions and its user friendly operator interface. Call 1 877 PAMENSKY www.pamensky.com SUPPLIER: V.J. PAMENSKY

The Topvex series of air handlers are equipped with ECM motors, aluminum energy recovery wheel(s), hydronic or electric coils and a control system compatible with most building/energy management systems. www.systemair.net (416) 689-9693.

SUPPLIER: SYSTEMAIR

CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER 2011 MEDIA KIT

Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine provides high quality editorial coverage of the most pertinent and timely issues that affect engineers across Canada. The magazine reaches the consulting engineers who make the critical decisions on building and construction projects. This is exactly the audience you need to reach. Advertise your product or service with us. Be seen and be specified!

To order your 2011 media kit, please send along your request to Maureen Levy at (416) 510-5111 or email: mlevy@ccemag.com

engineer CANADIAN CONSULTING

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19

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Denso SeaShield Series 500 remediates piles in Bay of Fundy

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professional directory

October/November 2010

Canadian Consulting Engineer

57

the human edge

Into Politics

Why Diane Freeman became a city councillor

D

iane Freeman, P.Eng. is not only the president of Professional Engineers Ontario, she is also an associate with consulting engineers Conestoga-Rovers & Associates, and she is a councillor for the City of Waterloo.

At the time of this interview, she was campaigning for reelection.

CCE: WHY DID YOU BECOME A CITY COUNCILLOR?

It really goes back to the iron ring ceremony. As part of that ceremony engineers are called to serve. They’re called to serve the public, and they’re called to serve as sons and daughters of Martha to serve the sons and daughters of Mary. I think that is a really profound idea.

Yet we often have a willingness to sit on the outside of politics, and say, “Well if they only did it this way, or if they only did it that way, maybe things would be a little bit different.” Both engineers and the broader citizenry are guilty of that.

I felt that there was something in the idea of someone putting engineering principles to work in politics -- the idea of analytical thinking, and questioning answers. Also, if we want to see more women represented in politics, we have to look hard amongst ourselves as women to identify individuals to run, and then support them to be successful.

So I decided to put two things on the ballot in 2006, and that was being an engineer and being a woman. I thought I would see whether or not the citizens of Waterloo felt that an engineer and a woman would bring some value to the decision-making table. It would appear that they did. But it was a tight race.

CCE. AS A POLITICIAN, DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE?

I work really hard to try to be responsive to the community, to return peoples’ phone calls and respond to e-mails as fast as I can. And I try to recognize where I need to step up and help make a difference.

There are several things that I am particularly proud of. One was bringing together a group of individuals in a neighbourhood to launch a Parks Watch program. The other was working with the same neighbourhood to have a school constructed that the majority of students could walk to.

My background is civil engineering and I spent a lot 58

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

October/November 2010

of time doing municipal engineering in my earlier career. I think that has really brought a lot of value to the discussion.

Q. HOW DO YOU FIT BEING A COUNCILLOR AND PEO PRESIDENT INTO YOUR DAY JOB?

I couldn’t possibly begin to even consider taking this on -any of it -- if Conestoga-Rovers and Associates did not have a forward vision. They’re taking a real leadership role as a firm in terms of trying to shape the profession and grow the community. I’ve worked for them since I was a student in 1991.

I’m also very scheduled. Where some people do one thing a day, or two things a day, I might do five things a day.

My sons are 15 and 12, and my husband is an engineer.

I have to say I’m one of the luckiest people in the world. My family is awesome, and politics really is a family commitment. A lot of people think that to do the things I do, I make choices to not spend time with my family, but that’s really not the case.

I also really believe that as a parent, if I can’t mentor volunteerism to my children, who can?

CCE

The world’s leading trade fair The Bathroom Experience, Building, Energy, Air-conditioning Technology, Renewable Energies

Frankfurt am Main, 15 – 19. 3. 2011

Water for People Efficient Systems and Renewable Energies Aircontec – Air-conditioning, Cooling, Ventilation In 2011 the leading international ISH show is focusing on the issue of sustainability in water and energy use. Manufacturers will be showcasing sustainable and design-oriented bathroom solutions in the Bathroom Experience. In the building, energy and air-conditioning technology product areas you’ll find a wide range of green building technologies with efficient systems that use modern heating and air-conditioning systems in combination with renewable sources of energy.

Don’t miss ISH 2011 – for more than 50 years now the industry’s leading trade fair. www.ish.messefrankfurt.com info@canada.messefrankfurt.com Tel. 905-824-5017