Canadian Consulting Engineer January/February 2015

For professional engineers in private practice

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015

FLIPPING THE CLASSROOM YORK UNIVERSITY’S NEW ENGINEERING SCHOOL

COMPETENCE WHAT’S UP WITH MANDATORY CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT?

Mail Agreement #40069240

ENERGY AUDITS

p01 JanFeb a.indd 1

www.canad ianco nsu ltingen gi n eer.c om

2015-02-02 2:31 PM

Flexibility. Now in a smaller package.

The SIMPLEX 4007ES from Tyco Integrated Fire & Safety combines big panel features with a small panel footprint perfect for small- to mid-sized buildings. Seamless integration with TrueAlert ES addressable notification appliances, a flexible wiring infrastructure and compatibility with legacy conventional devices—even ones from other brands—gives you much more design freedom. Your clients will enjoy remote diagnostics, ample secure data storage to make compliance reports a snap, and easier maintenance. One look at the SIMPLEX 4007ES and you’ll understand why, when it comes to fire and life safety, smaller can be better.

Find out more about the SIMPLEX 4007ES. Visit us at www.TycoIFS.com.

p02-05 JanFeb14 .indd 2

2015-02-02 2:34 PM

contents

January/February 2015 Volume 56, No. 1

Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence, York University, Toronto. Architectural rendering courtesy ZAS Architects. See pages 16 & 19.

features Flipping the Classroom. York University is taking a radical approach to teaching engineering students and moving into a new building that is just as surprising.

16 Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence, Engineering Highlights.

The bold new building at York University integrates heavy duty material testing laboratories along with clean rooms and environmental chambers.

By Hassan Ally, P.Eng., Arup 19

Keeping Up See p. 30

departments Comment

4

Up Front

6

ACEC Review

11

Call for Entries

36

High Definition 3D Laser Scanning. Technology is enabling engineers to survey the finest details in everything from vast industrial plants to civil structures.

By Peter Srajer, P.Eng., MMM Group 22 Energy Audits. A building automation system can be useful in diagnosing trouble spots in a building’s HVAC system.

By Kyle Hasenkox, Rocky Point Engineering.

26

Big Box Stores and Fire Protection. The sprawling structures present challenges for fire protection owing to the contents and equipment they contain.

By Sophie Kneisel 28

Products 36 Advertiser Index

37

Business

38

Keeping Up. Are mandatory Continuing Professional Development programs necessary? Some engineers support them, while others are passionately against.

By Bronwen Parsons 30

Next issue: Toronto’s Union Station renewal, designing for bike paths, wastewater treatment innovations.

January/February 2015

p02-05 JanFeb14 .indd 3

Canadian Consulting Engineer

3

2015-02-02 3:43 PM

comment

Professional development should be more targeted

M

ost professional engineers across Canada now have to undertake continuing professional development (CPD) activities if they wish to keep their licences to practice. The big exceptions are engineers in British Columbia, Ontario, Yukon and Northwest Territories. However, chances are these holdouts will soon be entering the fold (see “Keeping Up,” p. 30).

The big question today is whether the CPD programs that have been mandated are adequate. Are they really measuring an engineer’s knowledge and adequacy, or are they just window dressing?

The main purpose of mandatory professional development programs is presumably to protect public safety. For structural and civil engineers it’s obvious why they have to keep abreast of current knowledge and research.

When buildings fall, they kill. For mechanical HVAC engineers a mistake is generally not so dire, but still there are issues like Legionnaires’ disease and ventilation that have a health impact. Water and wastewater plant engineers need to know their treatments and flows, fire protection engineers their systems, and so on. Almost every field that engineers work in has its healthsafety aspect, which is why the public has to rely on the engineer’s ongoing knowledge and competence.

So it only makes sense that engineers should take CPD programs that relate to their technical fields of practice. Industry codes and standards change; knowledge increases; brains and aptitude can always be honed. But if an engineer takes a business management or marketing workshop as part of his or her CPD requirements, the activity may help them run a successful business but it has nothing to do with public safety. Such activities are essentially self-serving. Or if an engineer mentors a young professional or internationally trained engineer, it shows the mentor is kind and has a social conscience, but the activity doesn’t protect anybody from danger.

Yet most CPD programs count business, outreach, and other non-technical activities as professional development and allow them as part of an engineer’s required CPD hours.

Most CPD programs also give a large percentage (35%+) of their credits to “professional practice” i.e. one earns them simply by doing one’s job.

While experience is the ultimate mark of expertise, it doesn’t guarantee that the person is keeping up his or her skills. And the value of those practice hours in terms of public safety depends on what role the engineer is playing.

In my opinion, therefore, the demands of current CPD programs are too diluted. If CPD programs were to focus on each engineer’s specialist field and required him or her only to take the necessary technical update courses in that field, then the number of professional development hours engineers are required to complete could be greatly reduced.

Admittedly, focusing CPD programs more tightly on technical learning will be difficult to administer. Who, for example, decides what are appropriate courses for each individual engineer? Would it be the licensing associations or perhaps the learned technical engineering societies?

As others have speculated, perhaps within the P.Eng. designation there could be different streams: those who are technical experts or specialists; those who work in project management (which would include many consulting engineers); and those who like to keep their P.Eng. title but are not working in engineering at all.

Bronwen Parsons 4

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

engineer FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE

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

Editor

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

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

Jessica Sharpe Contributing Editor

Rosalind Cairncross, P.Eng. Advertising Sales Manager

Vince Naccarato (416) 510-5118 vnaccarato@ccemag.com 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. Circulation

Barbara Adelt (416) 442-5600 x3546 E-mail: badelt@bizinfogroup.ca Production Co-ordinator

Kim Collins (416) 510-6779 Vice President, Annex Business Media East

Tim Dimopoulos (416) 510-5100 tdimopoulos@canadianmanufacturing.com President & CEO

Mike Fredericks mfredericks@annexweb.com CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER is published by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc.

80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON Canada M3B 2S9 Tel: (416) 442-5600 Fax: (416) 510-5134 EDITORIAL PURPOSE: Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine covers innovative engineering projects, news and business information for professional engineers engaged in private consulting practice. The editors assume no liability for the accuracy of the text or its fitness for any particular purpose.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: Canada, 1 year $60.95; 2 years $91.95 + taxes Single copy $8.00 Cdn + taxes. (HST 86717 2652 RT0001).

United States U.S. $60.95. Foreign U.S. $60.95.

PRINTED IN CANADA. Title registered at Trademarks O ­ ffice, Ottawa. Copyright 1964. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in full without the consent of the copyright owner(s).

ISSN: 0712-4996 (print), ISSN: 1923-3337 (digital) POSTAL INFORMATION: Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation Dept., Canadian Consulting Engineer, 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON Canada M3B 2S9.

USPS 016-099. US office of publication: 2424 Niagara Falls Blvd., Niagara Falls, NY 14304-5709. Periodicals postage paid at Niagara Falls, NY. US Postmaster: send address changes to Canadian Consulting Engineer, PO Box 1118, Niagara Falls NY 14304.

PRIVACY: From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us. tel: 1-800-668-2374, fax: 416-510-5134, e-mail: jhunter@businessinformationgroup.ca, mail to: Privacy Officer, 80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON Canada M3B 2S9.

Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

Member of the Canadian Business Press

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

January/February 2015

Canadian C p02-05 JanFeb14 .indd 4

2015-02-02 2:34 PM

A Familiar Face with New Features Our Vitocrossal 200, CM2 gas-fired condensing boiler – featuring the Viessmann technology you know and the performance and value you expect.

NEW! Vitotronic 300, GW6B Touch Screen control with integrated single and master boiler functionality NEW! Common Venting up to four boilers now available Thermal Efficiencies up to 97% Ideal for large residential or commercial applications with inputs up to 2245 MBH (single)/17,960 MBH (cascade up to 8 boilers) Generous heat transfer surface area/heat input ratio with 316Ti stainless steel heat exchanger to maximize heat extraction Extremely low NOx emissions from fullymodulating Viessmann pre-mix cylinder burner Seamless integration of Viessmann control technology and building management systems Multiple venting possibilities with preinstalled air intake kit for direct or chimney venting (PP or stainless steel) up to 200 ft.

Menu

Heating Circuit 1 2 3

14º

08.07.14 11:56 AM

20º

Gas fuel flexibility (NG/LPG/LNG) with simple electronic conversion Low inlet gas pressure capability (NG) as low as 4 inches of water column

Boiler temperature

Vitotronic 300, GW6B Touch Screen Control

www.viessmann.ca info@viessmann.ca 1-800-387-7373

Canadian Consulting Engineer - CM2 Full Page Ad - 01 01-2015.indd 1 p02-05 JanFeb14 .indd 5

1/21/2015 11:34:16 AM 2015-02-02 2:34 PM

up front

Diamond Schmitt

Y

i

EMPLOYMENT

Artist's view of renovated National Arts Centre, Ottawa.

BUILDINGS

BUSINESS

Ottawa's National Arts Centre gets $110-million rebirth The National Arts Centre on Confederation Square in the heart of Ottawa is undergoing a $110-million transformation and renovation.

The existing 107,600-sq.m complex was completed in 1969 as a massive, Brutalist concrete structure typical of government buildings of the time. Its plan is based on a triangle and a hexagon.

Peter Herrndorf, president and chief executive officer of the NAC, said at the launch of the renovations. “Visitors have often remarked to me that it’s unfortunate the NAC turns its back on the city. With this new design we will finally face the city and its most important square.”

The revitalization includes adding a grand entrance and tower on Elgin Street. The public atrium will have a new upper level lounge giving views of Parliament Hill, the Rideau Canal and Confederation Square. Mandatory seismic upgrades are also being done to the structure, and its systems are being upgraded to LEED levels.

Diamond Schmitt Architects' team includes Fast + Epp (structural), Crossey (mechanical and electrical), Parsons (civil) and Halsall (building envelope). Others are Threshold (acoustics), LMDG (code) and Vermeulens (costing).

Alberta consulting engineers face worrisome future The drop in the price of oil to below $50 a barrel is shaking up economic plans across Canada, but engineers in Alberta are the most at risk. With lower revenues, the provincial government is having to rethink its spending. Meanwhile, among the oil sands operators Suncor is cutting $1 billion from its capital spending program.

Ken Pilip, P.Eng., who heads up Consulting Engineers of Alberta as chief executive officer and registrar, remained upbeat in mid-January: “There will probably be some ramifications this year and next, and then hopefully we pull out of it," he said.

Besides, he adds: “We’ve been down this road before." As a result, "many of the companies and building firms in Alberta don’t necessarily have all their eggs in one basket. Hopefully what the companies can do is find a way of deploying people into other areas.”

He says there is continuing work in infrastructure. In Edmonton, for example, "There is a large amount of work — Ken Pilip.

LRT work, again, sewer upgrades — everything that a city needs. About 30,000 new people came to the city last

6

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

p06-10 JanFeb15.indd 6

Crisis talk The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers released “Crisis in Ontario’s Engineering Labour Market: Underemployment Among Ontario’s Engineering-Degree Holders” on January 19. OSPE found that 30% of engineering graduates work in positions that don’t require them even to have a university degree.

This discrepancy between education and employment among engineers differed by a wide margin from the experience of professionals in medicine, law and education.

ENVIRONMENT

Oil sands effects vs. natural Scientists at the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University have developed a way of measuring levels of contamination that existed in river sediments in pre-industrial times.

The study was funded by Suncor but published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Research Letters. It focused on sediments in floodplain lakes of the Athabasca Delta in Alberta.

Using the method, the researchers were able to compare results with what would be natural releases of metals and hydrocarbons, and found that the Alberta oil sands have not raised the concentrations of heavy metals in sediments 200 kilometres away in the delta. continued on page 8

January/February 2015

2015-02-02 2:34 PM

You see the world differently –

including your retirement

See the difference lower investment management fees could make to your retirement savings. Join the

My group advantage app

group plan sponsored by Engineers Canada for professional engineers

Let the numbers speak for themselves.

Visit www.engineerscanadafsp.grsaccess.com/app Sponsored by:

and geoscientists.

Scan this QR code to get the app

Find out more – call

May not work on all mobile devices

1-866-788-1293 ext. 5786 and reference plan number 35408.

Great-West Life and key design are trademarks of The Great-West Life Assurance Company (Great-West Life), used under licence by its subsidiaries, London Life Insurance Company (London Life) and The Canada Life Assurance Company (Canada Life). As described in this advertisement, the group retirement and savings products are issued by London Life and the payout annuity products are issued by Canada Life.

p06-10 JanFeb15.indd 7

2015-02-02 2:34 PM

continued from page 6

BUILDINGS

Halifax Central Library opens A new central library has opened in Halifax, creating a bright and transparent landmark in the downtown.

The 15,000-sq.m, $57-million building sits at Spring Garden Road and Queen Street, is five storeys high and appears as rectangular blocks twisted on top of one another. The interior opens into a large light-filled atrium that has dramatic long-span stairs and bridges. The building includes a 300-seat theatre, music rooms and a First Nations Circle.

Prime consultant is Fowler Bauld & Mitchell, who are also architects with Schmidt Hammer Lassen of Denmark.

SNC-Lavalin and Ove Arup are structural and civil engineers; CBCL and Ove Arup are the mechanical and electrical engineers. Also involved were Solterre

COMPANIES

WSP buys Dessau subsidiary WSP Global of Montreal has acquired the Colombian subsidiary of another Montreal company, Dessau. Dessau CEI in Colombia has 415 employees based in Bogota, and is in the transportation and oil and gas sectors. The announcement by WSP follows another in September by Stantec that it is acquiring the Canadian operations of Dessau. That transaction is due to be finalized this first quarter of 2015.

8

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

p06-10 JanFeb15.indd 8

(sustainability), Swallow (acoustics), R.J. Bartlett (code), BVDA (curtain wall), Theakston (wind and snow), F.C. O'Neill Scriven (commissioning), and EllisDon (construction manager).

TRANSPORTATION

Buses speed up in Mississauga The first four stations in Phase 1 of a new dedicated bus transit way in Mississauga, west of Toronto, had a grand opening in December. The $460-mil-

Dixie Station on MiWay, Mississauga, Ont.

City of Mississauga/Mike Douglas.

year and approximately 100,000 people in total come to the province.

They’re still coming, so you need to provide housing, etc.”

The economic situation can even work out well for construction projects, Pilip says. “Using smart borrowing, you can actually get significant value for doing some things that are necessary because labour and goods and services are going to be at depressed prices. So if you invest, say in a road or a bridge that is needed, instead of paying at the high end of a cost cycle, you are getting it at a bargain rate and therefore you are able to do more with the same dollars.”

“Obviously we’re going to feel some pain,” he adds. “At the same time hopefully others understand our plight and make decisions prudently so that in fact we all come through this and are ready to be there when the good times come back, which they will.”

Adam Mørk

up front

Halifax Central Library, Nova Scotia.

January/February 2015

2015-02-02 2:34 PM

up front lion MiWay corridor runs east-west from the city centre. It will have 12 stations and will be 18 kilometres long when the final station at Renforth Gateway is completed in 2017. MMM Group has been involved in the project since the 1980s and is currently providing construction management for the east section.

BRIDGES

CSCE Conference calls for case studies This year’s Canadian Society for Civil Engineering Annual Conference in Regina, Saskatchewan on May 27-30 includes the 1st Annual Conference on

Innovation in Engineering Practice.

CSCE is inviting case studies, project implementation and technology summaries, from consulting engineers, public sector infrastructure managers and applied research organizations.

Tel. (514) 933.2634, info@csce.ca

DID YOU JUST SPEC

THE END OF YOUR CAREER WITH THE WRONG WATERPROOFING?

Trankslink

Pattullo Bridge goes into rehab Work will begin this spring on upgrading one of Metro Vancouver’s biggest and oldest bridges until a new crossing can be built.

The Pattullo Bridge spans the Fraser River connecting New Westminster on the north and Surrey on the south. Built in 1937, the four-lane through-arch structure stretches over a kilometre. Today it is congested, carrying approximately 67,000 cars and 3,400 trucks daily.

The region’s Mayors’ Council Transportation Vision has recommended that the bridge be eventually replaced with a toll bridge, but in the

EVENTS

Aerial view of the Pattullo Bridge in Vancouver.

meantime Translink is proceeding with the rehabilitation. It includes adding seismic bearings and strengthening some pier columns and members.

Hatch Mott MacDonald along with GeoPentech, Cornerstone Planning Group, Collings Johnston and Hemmera are providing design/construction advisory services to TransLink on the rehabilitation.

Prime design consultant is Buckland & Taylor, with McElhanney, MEG, Levelton Consultants, PBX, Northwest Hydraulics, Archer CRM and Armeni.

CCEA_122014.indd 1

p06-10 JanFeb15.indd 9

January/February 2015

15/12/2014 2:02:35 PM

Canadian Consulting Engineer

9

2015-02-02 2:34 PM

UponorGetConnected_CCE_Ad_Layout 1 14-01-15 8:05 AM Page 1

From far and wide… we’re Connecting Canadians From coast to beautiful coast, Uponor works with partners to provide innovative, efficient and trusted solutions. Whether a hotel in Toronto, a government building in Montreal, or a Condominium in Vancouver, the Uponor PEX-a Plumbing System, featuring Uponor AquaPEX tubing and ProPEX expansion fittings, consistently provides cost and labour savings, without compromising quality.

At Uponor, we stand on guard for our partners. We work with you to find the right solution each and every time.

• Most trusted, tested and listed in the industry • ULC S102.2 plenum listing* • Shape memory — kink reparable • Full-service design and technical support • Engineer’s resource portal: CAD, Specs, BIM, LEED®

Get connected, change your business

* Please visit listing agency website for complete listing www.QAI.org

p06-10 JanFeb15.indd 10

2015-02-02 2:34 PM

ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW CHAIR’S MESSAGE

Speaking out for consulting engineering

A

CEC has made the voice of consulting engineering heard on business, public policy and regulatory issues over the past year. ACEC and the consulting engineering sector are regarded as credible and key stakeholders on many issues by both the public and private sectors. Working with provincial and territorial consulting engineering associations across Canada, ACEC and volunteers from the consulting engineering sector have spoken out on the need for infrastructure investment, responsible resource development and a more favourable business and regulatory climate for the industry. In this issue of Canadian Consulting Engineer, we are looking at some of the key issues that ACEC and its members have taken on.

Looking ahead, the beginning of 2015 marks the unofficial start of the federal election year. As such, our meetings with elected officials both on Parliament Hill and in the ridings, as well as with nominated candidates, will allow us to educate each of the parties on our industry issues and

even influence their platforms leading up to the election.

ACEC’s Parliamentary Partners program, launched as a pilot in summer 2014, invites past participants of ACEC’s Parliament Hill Day to liaise with Members of Parliament in their own communities. Parliamentary Partners exposes members to, and directly engages them in, ACEC’s advocacy on a more frequent and consistent basis. Building upon the successes of ACEC’s annual Parliament Hill Day where participants need to be in Ottawa, the Parliamentary Partners program allows the association to leverage ACEC members’ local connections in their ridings and their communities year-round, engaging them in advocacy on behalf of the industry. Over time, as the number of participants grows, there may be opportunities to coordinate a very large and broad grassroots campaign on future issues important to our members locally and nationally.

I encourage you to contact ACEC or your provincial/ territorial association and support our efforts to promote and strengthen the consulting engineering sector.

ANNE POSCHMANN, P.ENG. CHAIR, ACEC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MESSAGE DE LA PRÉSIDENTE DU CONSEIL

L’industrie du génie-conseil se fait entendre

A

u cours de la dernière année, l’AFIC a encore fait entendre la voix de l’industrie du génie-conseil sur des questions d’affaires, de politiques publiques et de réglementation. Les secteurs public et privé considèrent l’AFIC et le secteur du génie-conseil comme des porteparoles clés et crédibles sur de nombreux enjeux. Travaillant avec les associations de génie-conseil provinciales et territoriales du Canada, l’AFIC et ses bénévoles du secteur du génie-conseil insistent depuis longtemps sur le besoin d’investir dans les infrastructures, d’assurer un développement responsable des ressources et de créer un climat d’affaires et réglementaire plus favorable pour l’industrie.

Dans ce numéro de Canadian Consulting Engineer, nous explorons certains des enjeux qui se présentent à l’AFIC et à ses membres.

L’année 2015 marque le début non officiel de l’année électorale fédérale. Dans ce contexte, nos rencontres avec des élus de la Colline du Parlement et dans leurs circonscriptions, ainsi qu’avec les candidats aux élections, nous permettront d’informer tous les partis sur les enjeux de notre industrie et même d’influencer leurs plateformes électorales.

Le programme des partenaires parlementaires de l’AFIC, qui a été lancé comme programme pilote à l’été de 2014, vise

à encourager des anciens participants à la Journée sur la Colline du Parlement de l’AFIC à établir des relations avec les députés de leurs circonscriptions. Le programme des partenaires parlementaires invite les membres de l’AFIC à contribuer aux efforts de représentation de l’AFIC d’une manière plus fréquente et plus suivie. Tirant parti du succès de la Journée sur la Colline du Parlement annuelle de l’AFIC où les participants se rendent à Ottawa, le programme des partenaires parlementaires permet à l’association de tirer parti des relations locales des membres de l’AFIC dans leurs circonscriptions et leurs collectivités à l’année longue, de les engager dans nos activités de représentation au nom de l’industrie. Avec le temps et à mesure que le nombre de participants croîtra, il pourrait y avoir une occasion de coordonner une vaste campagne de représentation sur les enjeux futurs qui sont importants pour nos membres à l’échelle locale et nationale.

Je vous encourage à communiquer avec l’AFIC ou avec votre association provinciale ou territoriale et d’appuyer nos efforts visant à promouvoir et à renforcer le secteur du génie-conseil.

ANNE POSCHMANN, P.ENG. PRÉSIDENTE DU CONSEIL DE L’AFIC

January/February 2015 Canadian Consulting Engineer

p11-15 JanFeb15 ACEC.indd 11

11

2015-02-02 2:33 PM

ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW

Voice of industry: advocating on behalf of our members ACEC year in review

O

ver the past year, ACEC’s advocacy on behalf of the Canadian consulting engineering industry has succeeded in advancing several important issues and brought numerous benefits to our members and the sector at large.

Investing in infrastructure Effective advocacy by ACEC yielded positive results with the announcement of the $53 billion, 10-year New

Building Canada Plan (NBCP) in February 2014. The announcement

was welcome news for consulting engineers and their clients. Subsequently, ACEC and other stakeholders identified a number of outstanding issues and opportunities to strengthen the NBCP. These issues, for consideration by the government, were raised directly with the office of Infrastructure Minister Denis Lebel. Moving forward, ACEC believes responsible

Looking Ahead: More infrastructure investment still needed ACEC recommends that a portion of any budget surplus be dedicated to infrastructure with a long-term goal that investments by all three levels of government return to historical levels of 6% of GDP.

Percentage of GDP

10% 8%

Canada’s economic competitors China and India

Infrastructure investment in Canada

9%

6% 4%

6%

2% 0

3.4% Canada 1950-1960

Canada 2006-Today

China and India Today

fiscal management and the elimination of the deficit provide governments the opportunity to improve Canada’s prosperity through further investments in infrastructure.

Supporting responsible resource development Investment in Canada’s North

Supporting northern and remote infrastructure to improve access to Canada’s natural resources and allow their transport to market will not only strengthen Canada’s economy, but also it will allow Canada’s resource sector to create skilled jobs and develop expertise while making public infrastructure for northern communities more affordable and effective.

ACEC is collaborating with the Mining Association of Canada, the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada and other resource sector stakeholders to identify possible policies and/or programs to encourage more investment.

Energy infrastructure

Traditional and renewable energy sources have always been important contributors to Canada’s prosperity. With the input of Canadian consulting engineering firms’ experience and expertise, energy projects can be delivered in a socially, environmentally and economically responsible manner. ACEC has spoken out publicly in support of strategic energy pipeline projects based on good science and sound engineering alongside continued development of renewable energy.

Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Canada (ACEC-Canada), 420-130 Albert Street, Ottawa, ON, K1P 5G4, tel: (613) 236-0569, fax: (613) 236-6193, info@acec.ca, www.acec.ca. ACEC Member Organizations: Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – British Columbia, Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Yukon, Consulting Engineers of Alberta, Consulting Engineers of Northwest Territories, Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Saskatchewan, Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Manitoba, Consulting Engineers of Ontario, Association des Ingénieursconseils du Québec, Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – New Brunswick, Consulting Engineers of Nova Scotia, Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Prince Edward Island, Consulting Engineers of Newfoundland and Labrador.

12

Canadian Consulting Engineer

p11-15 JanFeb15 ACEC.indd 12

January/February 2015

2015-02-02 2:33 PM

ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW

Creating a better business and regulatory climate Statement of principles and policies: business integrity and transparency

At ACEC’s 2014 AGM, members voted unanimously to adopt a statement of principles and policies pertaining to business integrity and transparency. The adopted principles are consistent with those of the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC). ACEC is developing tools and training to help members, particularly SMEs, adopt integrity management systems and protocols.

Members’ right to litigation and alternative dispute resolution (ADR)

Certain municipalities and other public agencies are prohibiting engineering firms and contractors from participating in procurement opportunities with the municipality, sometimes for an extended period of time, if they are or have

been engaged in either litigation or alternative dispute resolution (ADR) with that municipality. ACEC categorically opposes this practice and ACEC’s Board of Directors has formally adopted a position on procurement during litigation and ADR.

Letter to Premiers on infrastructure, interprovincial trade and procurement

ACEC issued an open letter to Canada’s Premiers applauding them for the significant attention given to the need for infrastructure investment by all levels of government. In addition, ACEC cautioned that the recent New West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWPTA) contains provisions that have unintentionally discouraged the use of qualifications-based selection (QBS), the recognized best practice for procurement of engineering services. ACEC believes that QBS will provide innovation and long-term savings on some infrastructure projects.

Parliamentary Partners program

In light of the cancellation of ACEC’s Parliament Hill Day (due to the tragic events in Ottawa on October 22), ACEC refocused its advocacy efforts and coordinated additional outreach to MPs through its recently launched Parliamentary Partners program. The program, which operates year-round, leverages members’ local connections in their ridings and communities, creating a pool of experienced “citizen lobbyists” leading up to the 2015 election. ACEC members across the country have met with parliamentarians from all parties to discuss issues of importance to the industry.

With a federal election on the horizon, we anticipate an exciting year ahead with many opportunities for raising awareness of our sector’s priorities and engaging members through our advocacy activities. Visit www.acec.ca/ advocacy to learn more about our initiatives and how you can get involved.

When is a contract a contract?

By John Singleton, Q.C. Partner, Singleton Urquhart LLP

Introduction and Summary by Stephen Panciuk, P.Eng., Vice-President, Architects and Engineers, ENCON Group Inc.

form your contractual obligations • The manner in which disputes will be resolved • The limitations on your liability • The time period during which you might be exposed to claims by your client.

A contract does not have to be in writing in order to be enforceable, as we know verbal contracts are legal and binding. In these cases, it is a mystery as to what the terms and conditions of the contract are beyond your obligation to provide services in return for payment.

What you have done by entering into a

Introduction A written contract is the single most important tool a design professional can use to protect against liability exposures. Astonishingly, 40 per cent of the claims reported to ENCON are for projects where there was no written contract in place.

This article, written by John Singleton, provides an overview of what should be included in a proper contract, the importance of having concise and clearly written terms and conditions, and some of the

problems you may face if proper contracting practices are not followed.

U

nderstanding what a contract is and why it is so important will hopefully encourage design consultants to pay closer attention to this aspect of their practices.

A proper contract should include, at a minimum, the following terms and conditions: • A description of the responsibilities of you and your client • The basis upon which you will be paid • The consequences if you are not paid • The consequences if you do not per-

continued on page 14

This publication has been prepared for general information use. It should not be relied upon as legal advice or legal opinion with respect to any specific factual circumstances.

January/February 2015 Canadian Consulting Engineer

p11-15 JanFeb15 ACEC.indd 13

13

2015-02-02 2:33 PM

T ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW

contract of this nature is to leave it to chance — or to a judge in a courtroom — to determine what the other critical terms and conditions of your contract are. Such practices will put you and your firm in dangerous territory, creating more issues than they resolve.

The common law will imply, or a court will impose, a number of terms into such contractual relationships, including these obligations:

• Providing services in accordance with the standard prevalent in the profession at the time • Performing services in a diligent and timely manner so as not to delay other aspects of the project • Warning the client and the public of any substantial risks to human health and safety associated with the project • Making full and accurate disclosure of all aspects of your design so as not to cause financial harm to your client.

Although obligations of this nature will be implied or imposed, there will be no implied limitation of liability, no agreed upon manner of resolving disputes, no mechanism for terminating the relationship and no boundary to the liability to which you might be exposed if things go wrong.

Needless to say, the absence of a written contract delivers you into a very perilous world — but, in most instances, its existence will save you from falling into that pit.

It is also not uncommon for a consultant, or a client for that matter, to forward a negotiated contract to the other party after its execution with a request to sign the contract and return a copy — but the other party fails to return the signed document. Similarly, it is not unusual for parties to enter into a contractual relationship based on terms and conditions forwarded by one party to the other without either party signing or acknowledging agreement with the terms and conditions.

14

Canadian Consulting Engineer

p11-15 JanFeb15 ACEC.indd 14

Or, parties sometimes agree to enter into a contractual relationship, exchange conflicting terms and conditions, and never sit down to iron out the differences.

This is a brief overview of some of the problems you can be faced with for a failure to invoke proper contracting practices. There really is no good excuse for failing to do so.

There are multiple standard form contracts available in the marketplace from both your professional and national construction associations, all of which cover the topics first mentioned above. Professional liability insurers also offer excellent contracting practices advice on their websites and even suggested wording for short-form contracts. And, of course, there is another profession — the legal profession — which can offer you proper guidance in this area when you are in doubt.

Yes, a handshake, a phone call or mere performance can lead to con-

tractual relations — but it is very risky conduct.

s

Summary Clearly, the contract is an essential practice management tool for all design professionals. As indicated in this article, it is strongly recommended that standard form agreements be used when negotiating professional services with clients. The Association of Consulting Engineering Companies (ACEC) and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) each offer standard form agreements for their members that are written in clear language with an equitable allocation of duties and responsibilities. These documents — ACEC Document 31 and RAIC Document Six — can be found on the respective website for each association (www.acec.ca and www.raic.org). However, we also recommend that appropriate legal advice be obtained when negotiating any legal document — including your professional services agreement.

ACEC Chair named one of Canada’s most powerful women

A

nne Poschmann, ACEC Chair, has been named one of Canada’s most powerful women in the Women’s Executive Network Top 100 Awards.

Ms. Poschmann was honored in the “Sun Life Financial Trailblazers & Trendsetters” category.

Anne Poschmann is a recognized leader in consulting engineering and has been a pioneer within our industry. She is the first female Chair in ACEC’s 89-year history and has played an instrumental role in strengthening and modernizing the association through her participation over a

number of years and as Chair of the ACEC governance committee. Ms. Poschmann is a Principal and Senior Geotechnical Engineer at Golder Associates Limited. She has 29 years of experience — in all geotechnical aspects of foundation design, slope stability, tunnelling, excavations, dewatering, and construction works in difficult ground conditions — acquired through a wide range of projects. Ms. Poschmann was appointed an Associate at Golder in 1989, one of the youngest appointments in the company’s history. In 1994, she was appointed a Principal, making her the second female Principal at Golder.

January/February 2015

2015-02-02 2:33 PM

He fac sch su ww

The Logical Choice for Green Buildings

solutions for sustainability Approximately one out of every four LEED Platinum-Certified commercial buildings in British Columbia depend on Reliable Controls.

James Puritch

Vice President, R&D Camosun & UVic Co-op Alumnus

Headquartered in Victoria, British Columbia, in a modern and environmentally constructed LEED Platinum-Certified facility, we design and develop internet-connected building controls for a wide range of green buildings, including schools, hospitals, universities, recreational and commercial facilities. To learn more about our solutions for sustainability, and opportunities in the green buildings industry, please visit our website or sign-up for a facility tour at: www.reliablecontrols.com/corporate/facility/tour.php

p11-15 JanFeb15 ACEC.indd 15

2015-02-02 2:33 PM

buildings

By Bronwen Parsons

BERGERON CENTRE FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE

FLIPPING THE

CLASSROOM

York University's engineering school is expanding and moving into an extraordinary new building. At the same time it is embarking on a radically different way of teaching engineering students.

R

ising high and looking stunningly different from its neighbours, a new engineering building is nearing completion at York University in Toronto's north end.

The Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence, due to open this fall on the large York campus is the home of the Lassonde School of Engineering.

The $100-million, 15,700-sq.m Bergeron Centre provides space for the expanded programs the school is embarking upon. But as well, the building is designed to nurture a whole new approach to educating engineers.

The engineering school is one of Canada's youngest. It opened in 2012 with a donation from Pierre Lassonde, and for its first years focused on three special programs: space engineering (designing space exploration equipment and systems, satellite monitoring, etc.), computer engineering, and geomatics.

In 2013 the school took its first electrical students, and last year began mechanical and civil engineering. It has plans to add chemical engineering in a few years. By 2020 the school will grow from its current 1,600 undergraduates to around 2,000, and from 200 graduates to around 500.

16

p16-21 JanFeb15.indd 16

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

The Renaissance Engineer The school's ambitions go far beyond numbers. It is driven by a whole new vision of what engineers can be and how they learn. Dean Janusz Kozinski, P.Eng., explains that its mandate is to create "renaissance" engineers, that is, engineers who are "rational, ingenious, passionate, confident, and creative." He has a chart of 32 concepts that further define a renaissance engineer. He explains that the school is also dedicated to creating engineers who are entrepreneurs, oriented towards projects and practice.

These ideals are to be achieved by completely reversing the conventional teaching approach. The school contains absolutely no lecture halls. Instead of coming to campus and joining hundreds of other students listening to a professor at the podium, students will view lectures online.

"Because there is so much excellent lecture material available on the internet, what we wanted to do was deliver

January/February 2015

2015-02-02 2:33 PM

buildings

Above: the five-storey building's facade is designed mathematically in random triangular patterns.

a substantial part of our program via the "flipping the classroom concept" says Dean Kozinski. "So what it means is that our students can take lectures wherever they are: at home, on the bus, in a cafeteria, on a train."

"But when they come to our building," the dean continues, "they are going to work in small groups directly with professors. Rather than solving problems themselves, they will be doing it together with professors. There is a substantial difference in the mentality of what we are doing."

The new building has plenty of flexible meeting spaces and studios where the professor-student team collaborations can take place.

And in another stark difference from traditional engineering schools, first year students at York are not asked to stream into any one discipline. Instead, the dean explains: "We start with a passion project. They have to select what it

is they are interested in, and we let them do it. Sometimes they create groups to do a project. Sometimes they do a project individually. But while doing this project it is natural that they will realize that they have to know more about some concepts in physics, or some mathematical expressions. So they are being introduced to science in a way that they are longing for it, rather than us imposing on them."

In this way the school hopes to avoid the syndrome where 18 and 19-year olds often become disillusioned in their first year by the grind of being in pre-defined programs.

All the programs are co-op, giving the students work experience, and the school has partnerships with York's business and law schools, who provide special courses geared to engineering students. But the renaissance engineering education experience spreads wide. For example, "We also give continued on page 18

January/February 2015

p16-21 JanFeb15.indd 17

Canadian Consulting Engineer

17

2015-02-02 2:33 PM

buildings

Above: Collaborative classroom. Right: Level 2 floor plan, with flexible classrooms and design studio.

our students an opportunity to learn about Latin American dance," says the dean.

Building for a new pedagogy The dynamic teaching approach has materialized in the building's extraordinary architecture. The large five-storey structure sits on the west side of the campus, close to the Scott Library and next to the Arboretum and Stong Pond.

The dean and the architects, ZAS, describe the building being inspired by two metaphors: the "cloud" and the "rock." The cloud is "an image of the building as something that is constantly changing," thereby expressing "a fundamental curiosity shared by students and faculty."

In building terms the "cloud" consists of a high curvilinear and horizontal form five storeys high, wrapped around the solid "rock" lower levels that are set into a sloping site and contain large civil engineering labs.

From a distance the "cloud" is a singular facade of glass and aluminum, set in random triangulated patterns. Paul Stevens, principal of ZAS, explains. "We worked with a mathematician to develop a facade which is random and with no particular order. But in fact there are really only three triangles." The trwiangles are positioned, rotated and grouped differently.

The building's main entrance and all the student social spaces are on level 1 and face south. They have panoramic views over the Stong stormwater retention pond towards Toronto's downtown. Levels 2 and 3 include the design studies and flexible teaching spaces for electrical and computer engineering, as well as faculty offices. Level 4 below the green roof contains mechanical engineering.

18

p16-21 JanFeb15.indd 18

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

The civil engineering labs in the lower level are "pretty rough and tough spaces," buried within the building, says Stevens. They include a three-bay high square lab with heavy equipment for crushing and testing materials. (See article

by Arup, the project's engineers, on page 19).

Stevens says: "The biggest challenge was trying to come up with a unique building that fully realizes the aspirations of the university for its engineering program, as well as a building that needs to function very well and service quite a different education pedagogy. Most people think of an engineering school as "same old, same old, lecture rooms.

This is far from it. There are a lot of Blue Sky aspirations for this project. It's been challenging, but a lot of fun." CCE

BERGERON CENTRE FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE DESIGN TEAM Architects: ZAS Architects Civil, structural, mechanical-electrical engineers, ITC, and security: Arup (Richard Terry, Alan Duggan, C.Eng.; Lyonne Rippie, PE; Jennifer McArthur, P.Eng.; Aaron Savage, P.Eng.; Val Strong; Zoran Markovic, P.Eng., Svetan Veliov, P.Eng.; Francesco Agueci, P.Eng.; Tudor Munteanu; Asmir Alicelebic; Hassan Ally, P.Eng.; Reece McCorkindale; Walid Elsayed, P.Eng.; Justin Trevan; Fernando Neto; Peter Preston, P.Eng.; Derek Anderson, PE; Alex Hucal) Facade: MESH (geometry); Blackwell Engineering/Faetlab (structure) Construction management: Laing O'Rourke and Gillam Group Landscape: Scott Torrance

January/February 2015

2015-02-02 2:33 PM

buildings

By Hassan Ally, P.Eng., Arup

BERGERON CENTRE FOR ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE

Engineering Highlights

Engineering the new home for engineers at York University involved heavy duty, large-scale testing labs, flexible spaces, environmental chambers and unusual architectural features.

A

rup provided multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy services for the Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence at York University in Toronto. Our work included civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, information technology and security engineering, as well as providing initial engineering advice for the facade.

Several engineering challenges were addressed to achieve the university’s vision and objectives for the building, resulting in quite unique solutions.

Structural: foundations, high bay civil lab The 15,744-sq.m, five storey building is founded on a hybrid system of foundations that include spread footings and deep pile foundations. Crystalline concrete was placed at different locations in the slab-on-grade to provide a waterproofed environment for the basement spaces at level 0. In addition, mass footings were placed underneath sensitive equipment, with neoprene isolation around to minimize the transmission of vibrations.

Above: Strong wall/floor for anchoring heavy equipment in the civil engineering lab.

The building includes a triple-height civil engineering lab which is structurally isolated from the remainder of the building to minimize the transfer of noise and vibrations.

It is also equipped with a strong wall/floor to accommodate the forces imposed by the hydraulic test equipment.

The equipment is used to test to destruction prototype structural elements and construction materials like concrete and steel. The strong floor is 18 m x 18 m in plan and 1 m thick, while the L-shaped strong wall is 6 m high and 1.5 m thick. These elements incorporate a grid of 75-mm diameter anchor holes through their full depth at 600 mm centres to facilitate fixing of the specialist machinery used for testing.

Other structural highlights include special 800-mm diameter daylighting tubes that were designed to be founded in the level 1 slab to allow natural lighting to enter the workshops and laboratories at level 0.

An underground utility tunnel links the basement level to an adjoining building. It was designed to accommodate heavy traffic and truck loading during the construction phase. A green roof impacted the structural design on both levels 1 and level 5.

Additionally, the structural team addressed special architectural features, such as the feature freestanding stairs that are in plate steel and geometrically unusual. the trapezoidal windows, the irregularly-shaped retaining walls, and the framing for the irregular "cloud" cladding.

The essence of our structural input in this project, however, is appreciating other disciplines' challenges, anticipating site problems, and working closely with the contractor to respect the aggressive construction schedule without compromising quality and value.

Mechanical: central plant, clean rooms, environmental chambers The heating requirements for the building are met by the university campus central steam plant, with shell and tube heat exchangers used to generate heating hot water. Heating to the building is provided through terminal devices such as trench heaters under double and triple-height glazing, through radiant ceiling panels within perimeter laboracontinued on page 20

January/February 2015

p16-21 JanFeb15.indd 19

Canadian Consulting Engineer

19

2015-02-02 2:33 PM

buildings tory and classroom areas, and through the ventilation systems in central areas.

The building's cooling requirements are served from the campus chilled water central plant which nominally runs from spring through fall. A dry cooler is provided at roof level to meet the cooling requirements for the laboratory process loads and for the 24/7/365 cooling loads associated with the IT and electrical rooms.

The mechanical systems are systematically exposed to become architectural features in themselves and to showcase them for the engineering students and faculty. The energy efficient systems include demand control ventilation, variable speed fans and pumps, and airside energy recovery. The laboratory exhaust system has variable speed highly efficient fans and motors, and it incorporates a heat recovery system that meets 100% of the make-up heating load in winter.

A clean room rated at ISO Class 7 filtration levels is located at level 0 and is provided with its own dedicated air handling plant. In addition three environmental chambers located in the building can each provide individual tight temperature control from 85째C down to -35째 C to facilitate experiments.

Another special system is provided for the spray paint booth which is located at roof level for the mechanical engineering department. The booth has a dedicated filtration exhaust and make-up air system.

The building has been designed to meet LEED Silver, certification, while provisions have been made to achieve LEED Gold, including providing cable routes and the structural capacity for a proposed photovoltaic array to generate electricity at roof level.

The building is fully protected with a sprinkler system to NFPA 13 and a standpipe system to NFPA 14.

Electrical and lighting Power is derived from the campus HV network through a 2MVA unit substation at 13.8kV/600V. The substation can be expanded into a double ended arrangement for future extensions.

Cat 6 cabling supported by a fibre optic backbone meets the IT requirements. Security provisions include IP CCTV cameras on a converged network, with scheduled access control to all laboratories for students and faculty.

In addition the public address system uses IP speakers on a converged network.

Emergency power is derived from a new generator installation at an adjoining building.

The lighting controls are a mix of sophisticated central relay based control and local dimming/switching touch screen control. Designed to meet the requirements of ASHRAE-2010, the system will manage light levels in every space based on occupancy, daylight levels and time of day scheduling. The lighting has a sleek look, with slim, sharp linear pendant fixtures which accentuate architectural elements of the building.

20

p16-21 JanFeb15.indd 20

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

A mix of LED and T5 fluorescent technologies will result in energy efficiency surpassing ASHRAE requirements. Direct and indirect lighting allows for comfort and enhanced learning, while dimming capabilities in the presentation and event spaces add ambiance. In the offices, switched receptacles will allow for the automatic shutdown of monitors, desk lamps and other such devices when the room is unoccupied.

Civil: underground sewers and stormwater management ponds Arup's civil team developed an early enabling works package to expedite the relocation of deep underground storm and sanitary sewers which service approximately 50% of the campus. The sewers ran through the middle of the proposed footprint of the building and were at between 9 m and 11 m depth. This work meant that construction on the building foundation started early, helping in the constrained construction schedule. In diverting the sewers we had to carefully consider any impacts to adjacent foundations and the building loads. The installation sequence had to minimize service disruptions for the campus.

Arup minimized the footprint of the stormwater management system by designing a two-pond system to offset peak run-off flows from different areas of the site. Each dry pond complements the retaining walls and landscape features and is designed for potential future development in the area. The building's green roof and underground infiltration chamber system also promote on-site rainfall retention and groundwater recharge, ensuring that the increased imperviousness of the site will not increase stormwater flows to the downstream stormwater management pond, Stong Pond, which is already at maximum capacity.

BIM: 3D modelling and prefabrication of components The entire project was developed in BIM. This technology has allowed the design to be developed in 3D and provided early warning for identifying possible clashes. For the underground services installation, for example, the sub-trade contractor was able to take our model and use it to generate off site materials take-off and prefabrication. The prefabricated materials were individually tagged, cut to measure and delivered to the site in packaged crates, which reduced the installation period that would normally take two weeks to three days. The same method is being used for the above ground services, with pipework, ductwork and conduit being prefabricated and installed on frames off site, before being delivered to the building.

CCE Hassan Ally, P.Eng., is an associate-principal at Arup in Toronto and the project leader for engineering design of the Bergeron Centre for Engineering Excellence. See credits on page 18 for Arup's full project team members.

January/February 2015

2015-02-02 2:33 PM

37 annual th

p16-21 JanFeb15.indd 21

2015-02-02 2:33 PM

technology

HIGH DEFINITION 3D LASER SCANNING

By Peter Srajer, P.Eng. MMM Group

New tools are enabling engineers to survey and re-envision everything from vast industrial plants to civil structures with an extreme degree of precision.

W

ithin the field of surveying, spatial data collection is undergoing a rapid evolution. The focus is on gaining ever higher levels of accuracy and precision, and to achieve this consulting engineers are adopting advanced technologies such as 3D laser scanning.

This sophisticated technology is being used not just for topographical surveys of land and resources, but also for the detailed measuring and representation of as-built conditions in various types of projects, be they industrial plants, civil infrastructure, or buildings and heritage structures.

3D laser scanning can measure every rock, crag, rill and lump of dirt when conducting a topographic survey. In a structural survey it can measure every bolt and flange and every pipe and conduct, even in a narrow dark corridor. In addition the survey can be conducted safely away from the

22

p22-25 JanFeb15.indd 22

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

targets. This means that stockpiles can be surveyed without setting foot upon them; roads can be surveyed without working in traffic; and open excavation can be safely surveyed from high ground far from any moving equipment.

Exteriors and interior scans of buildings, plants and other infrastructure can be combined to create a full walkthrough 3D model as well as a deformation analysis of the structures if the need arises. This is a toolset that when combined with other data sources can yield a comprehensive model, combining what exists and what is being envisioned to ensure a safe and efficient process.

How it works 3D laser scanning picks up thousands to millions of points per second, measuring everything within your area of in-

January/February 2015

2015-02-02 2:32 PM

technology

Left: Laser scan point cloud data and high-resolution images are merged to create a "3D-Photo." Above: Revit model of a substation detail.

terest. The technology creates what is called a “point cloud,” which in-turn can be used to create a 3D-model.

This data can be exported to various standard CAD, GIS and 3D modelling programs.

At the same time that the device is picking up 3D points, it can also take high-resolution digital images which are then mosaicked together to create a single image. This image is merged with the point cloud to create a “3D-Photo." Every pixel shown in the merged photograph has 3D coordinates, providing accurate measurements between features. Scanners can be statically mounted for high resolution scans of a specific area, or mounted on vehicles to scan longer linear features while moving.

Types of laser scanner There are generally two types of laser scanner, each with its own features and usage areas: • "Time of flight scanners" are usually of a longer range (more than 1,500 metres in some cases). They collect tens

of thousands of points a second with a larger point spacing and a larger diameter laser spot size. These scanners are ideal for applications in mining or large area scale projects where centimetre-level precision is not required and where large or difficult-to-access features (stockpiles, mine faces), production or safety requirements dictate that the surveyor must remain at a greater distance.

• "Phase based and hybrid scanners" are generally used in plant site and industrial site settings where we need to locate smaller features such as pipes or conduits. The scanners have a level of precision that is critical to enable accurate modelling of these features. They can collect up to 1,000,000 points per second, and they can have millimetre level point spacing and laser spot sizes. The disadvantage is that their scanning range is effectively limited to around 200 metres. We have found that it is most efficient and practical to keep the range to around 100 metres or less for most indoor applications.

Phase based and hybrid scanners tend to use a target based system of registering the individual scans together.

Registration is the process of tying multiple scans together to create a single point cloud dataset. The targets are used as readily identifiable and precise features that are visible in overlapping scans. It is possible to use existing features such as building corners, signs and utility features, but the targets generally need to be more precise so that they can be automatically picked up and processed by the scanner post-processing software. The targets can be a variety of types from spherical single colour globes, to flat black and white plates, and even printed paper targets in areas where you may not expect to be able to retrieve the targets due to safety or operational requirements.

All of these technologies have some interrelation to one another, so the user's skills and workflow from one are transferable to another. Companies can leverage the training and software they have invested in one technology with newer technologies as they become available. continued on page 24

January/February 2015

p22-25 JanFeb15.indd 23

Canadian Consulting Engineer

23

2015-02-02 2:32 PM

technology

continued from page 23

User benefits • Reduced field time • Can work in complete darkness (photo off) • Collect data in tighter time windows • Provide project results faster • Reduce time spent in hazardous locations • Collect higher density, more complex and complete datasets • Reduce rework and revisiting field locations; the scanner picks up everything in the line of sight, reducing the potential for “I wish we had picked that up as well.”

Another aspect of 3D laser scanning that sets it apart from other surveying technologies is the fact that it not only measures things spatially, but also provides an accurate and effective visual representation.

The point cloud can be overlaid onto the imagery and provide a stunning 3D composition. We can also make highly accurate measurements of the components, even down to the bolt size of a structure that we are scanning. In addition, the point cloud can be combined with other asbuilt or design data to check for conflicts. One recent use involved a scan of a tunnel and overlaying the outline of the train. The train could be run through the tunnel virtually to check for sufficient clearances and obstructions.

3D laser scanning can be used to provide: • AutoCAD DWG & Revit 3D models • ArcGIS models • 3D PDFs It can be a valuable tool for: • Fly through video files • Communicating topography visually • Giving presentations and in discussions away from the field • Checking for conflicts by adding in planned features and existing CAD and GIS features.

Future directions: hobbyists and professionals 3D laser scanning offers tremendous opportunities for safely collecting information in a way and at a level never before possible. More importantly, it makes the information available to a larger audience due to its more accessible visual presentation.

The next wave of surveying could take an entirely new direction, as high definition 3D laser scanners, their mobile counterparts, and the introduction of unmanned aerial vehicles have brought the ability to collect spatial data to an entirely different demographic. The use of such tools still resides in the hands of professionals to get the most of their use, but the advent of lower end sensors (hobbyist UAV’s, open source navigation software and guidance systems), as well as the proliferation of easy-touse and access GIS software, will entail making changes in 24

p22-25 JanFeb15.indd 24

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

the industry. In fact, the wave of the future seems to be not so much on the data collection aspect, but on the ability to understand and make coherent decisions and supporting analysis based on the data — in essence turning the spatial data into value added information.

CCE Peter Srajer, M.Eng., P.Eng., CLS is the advanced technologies manager - geomatics, and an associate partner, with MMM Group.

He is based in Calgary.

Above: Scan of a complex pipe rack at an industrial site. Scans like this are done to see where new utilities can be routed in the existing space and where we can safely fit a new pipe with the least amount of disturbance to the existing infrastructure. Depending on the plant size and requirements, this work may entail 30-40 or more scans. Each scan takes about 30 minutes from set-up to teardown.

Above: Scanned bridge structure is combined with existing ground lidar data. In the vicinity of the bridge the laser scan data was used for the hard surfaces, while farther away existing LiDAR data that penetrates vegetation showed the actual ground surfaces. The laser scan shows any damage to the bridge structure or surface, as well as the verticality and dimensions of the structure itself. The surveyors can stand away from the road and work without putting themselves in harm's way.

January/February 2015

2015-02-02 2:32 PM

HOW WILL YOU SPEND YOUR LAST 10 YEARS? The average Canadian will spend their last ten years in sickness.

Change your future now.

p22-25 JanFeb15.indd 25

2015-02-02 2:32 PM

buildings

By Kyle Hasenkox, Rocky Point Engineering

HVAC

Energy Audits Building automation systems can be useful in diagnosing problems in a building's HVAC systems. Here are some typical trouble spots that arise.

ŠGetty Images/iStockphoto/kadmy

B

uilding Automation Systems (BAS) have become common in larger buildings over the last few decades, but many building owners and operators do not use the BAS's capabilities to their full advantage.

Once configured, the systems are often rarely viewed and only accessed when there is a complaint or failure.

Yet a BAS can help you find energy conservation measures. Also, using the BAS and relatively simple strategies it is possible to diagnose issues in the HVAC system before the components have failed and complaints arise.

The best way to find potential problems is to do energy reviews when the building is unoccupied because often the activities of building users can alter the buildings operations and make it harder to detect problems.

However, because it is not always possible to do the reviews when the building is unoccupied we have often used the BAS system's trend logs. The logs enable us to document potential problems and check on them in the future.

Points in manual override A common clue to a potential problem is when points are found in manual override. Points that have been 26

p26-33 JanFeb15.indd 26

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

overridden and locked in manual are not allowing the building to operate under its intended parameters. Sometimes the points are overridden to alleviate a temporary problem and are never released. At other times the operation of the building or space requires modifications to the parameters, but instead of updating the schedules or set points someone permanently overrides them. Or someone has overriden the point to test something and then never released it back into automatic. In general, manual override should only be used as a diagnostic tool, and any points should be released to automatic and the parameters should be updated.

Outside air dampers Outside air dampers are exposed to large temperature fluctuations and frequent modulation. Due to these and other factors they often fall out of calibration or get stuck which can result in over ventilation. If you check them during periods of cooler weather and review the mixed air temperature, return air temperature, and outside air temperature points, you can find what the ratio of return air is to outside air through a simple calculation. If the

damper positions don't reflect the ratios there is a good possibility that they are not properly calibrated.

During periods when the building is unoccupied or has low occupancy, you can also manually override the return damper to full open and the outside air damper to full closed positions; then let the system run for a few minutes and review the stabilized air temperature. If there is a significant difference in temperature between the return air and mixed air temperature when the outside air damper is closed, then it is likely that the damper is not closing completely. The reverse can also be done with the return air damper closed and the outside air damper open.

While this latter approach does not have as much of an impact on energy use, it will affect the system’s ability to free cool and it will impact the indoor environmental quality. As a caution, it is advisable not to open the outside air damper to full open position when the outside air temperature is below freezing as this can lead to frozen coils. After you have checked and recorded the temperatures, release all the points back into automatic operation.

Carbon dioxide sensors are commonly used to detect CO2 levels in a zone and to modulate the damper to provide no more outside air than is required. While CO2 sensors alleviate the over ventilation issue, they also create a maintenance point. During the lifespan of a sensor they can be knocked out or drift out of calibration and should be periodically reviewed to see if they are still reading accurately.

Heating and cooling control valves Heating and cooling valves are also subject to frequent modulation and large temperature variations so should be checked periodically. While these valves are configured to fail to full open or full closed, faulty actuators, poorly calibrated travel and valve

January/February 2015

2015-02-02 2:32 PM

buildings

seating failures often go by unnoticed. A simple way to verify their operation is to command the valves shut and review the mixed air and supply air temperatures. After manually commanding the valves closed and allowing some time for the coil temperature to stabilize, the mixed air and supply air temperatures should be recorded. If there is a temperature rise it is likely that the heating valve is passing, and conversely a drop in temperature would suggest that the cooling valve is passing. Beyond the waste of energy of the passing valve, the problem will also create a load that the other coil has to counter, so it effectively doubles the energy used from the failure. These failures will typically only be identified during peak loads and can easily be missed.

Occupancy schedules One of the most common wastes of energy in building automation systems is that the occupancy schedules do not match the building's occupancy. Most building automation systems place systems into a setback mode and reduce outside air during periods of non-occupancy. But often the building will be operating in occupied mode even when there is noone inside. The schedules sometimes get changed to accommodate a special event or to alleviate a cold complaint when staff came in early, and then are never returned back to normal. Ideally a smart start or building warm up routine will be incorporated into the system to allow sufficient time to bring the space to the occupied temperature settings. Building schedules should be monitored frequently, including reviewing calendars to update them for holidays.

Unoccupied setbacks Another common point of adjustment is the setback temperatures. When the building is unoccupied it is possible to

reduce the temperature requirements in order to save energy. Often when staff come in before the scheduled occupancy they complain that the space is too cold and so the building operator adjusts the night time setback.

While this may be better than switching the building into occupied mode, it also eliminates any savings created by the setback. The range of setbacks varies depending on the system, but typically they are in the range of 2-3°C. Dead band optimization Depending on how the BAS is configured it may be possible to adjust both the heating and cooling setpoints independently. If these values are too close together, or worse, overlapping, then it can result in a large amount of energy being wasted as the system frequently shifts from heating to cooling.

In addition to the energy consumed, this problem results in additional wear on equipment. As a minimum there should be 2°C separation between the heating and cooling during the occupied and unoccupied periods. It is common in many systems that mechanical cooling is disabled during unoccupied periods, although free cooling is often still enabled. Trend logs will reveal if the heating and cooling valves are operating simultaneously or with very small gaps.

PID controller tuning Proportional, Integral, Derivative (PID) controllers sound more complicated than they are. Their purpose is to modulate smoothly the operation of control valves, resets, dampers, etc. and eliminate hunting. Hunting is when a system modulates around a setback that it is trying to achieve. For example, if the supply air temperature setpoint was reset to be 25°C, the heating valve was at 0% and the mixed air temperature was 17°C, the system would call the heating control valve to open. As it modulates open the PID controller

monitors how far below its setpoint it is, how much it has changed since the valve started opening, and how quickly the temperature is increasing. The goal is to avoid the valve opening past what is required and then closing off, opening, closing and so on. Not only does this waste energy, it can result in the actuators failing prematurely, as well as comfort complaints from people feeling “drafty” due to the frequent temperature modulations. By reviewing trend logs it is possible to see if the PID loop is operating as intended.

Economizer optimization Economizers use larger volumes of outside air to provide free cooling when it is required by the system and air conditions outside are cooler than inside.

The simple way of checking the function of an economizer is by reviewing a trend log of the economizer, indoor and outdoor temperatures. If the economizer is operating when the outdoor air temperature is higher than the indoor temperature there is a problem.

Final thoughts Depending on the skill sets of the building operator some of the above points can be easily remediated but others may require outside experts to do the repair. Being able to identify, articulate and precisely state the scope of work will make it much easier to bring in specialists. Also, although it is rarely done, keeping a log of the testing and any changes made to the building automation system is advisable. Then in the future you will be able to find settings that have been changed.

CCE Kyle Hasenkox is a principal with Rocky Point Engineering in its Victoria, B.C. office. He is also ASHRAE Chapter #145 president, secretary of TC 9.7-Educational Facilities, corresponding member of TC 7.5-Smart Building Systems and TC 9.9Data Centers, and Region XI-YEA Regional Coordinator with ASHRAE.

January/February 2015

p26-33 JanFeb15.indd 27

Canadian Consulting Engineer

27

2015-02-02 2:32 PM

fire protection

By Sophie Kneisel

BIG BOX STORES The sprawling precast stores and distribution centres seen across Canada present challenges for fire protection owing to the contents and equipment they contain.

©Getty Images/iStockphoto/Steve Rosset

T

he sheer size of "big box” stores and distribution centres puts them beyond the prescriptive limits of most fire codes. That leaves designers like Adam Nadem, AIBC, AScT, an associate principal at Vancouver’s GHL Consultants, preparing “alternative solution reports” and finding applicable codes in other jurisdictions.

And designing fire and life safety systems for these large buildings has other challenges: the merchandise consists of everything from paint and construction materials to soft goods, household cleaners and plastic furniture.

Large quantities of these goods are stored on racks 25 feet high or more; there is a potential for exit paths to be blocked by automated cranes, conveyors and storage systems; and finally changes in the tenancy or layout can abruptly cause fire code violations.

A typical big box store by one definition is over 8,000 square metres, with precast walls containing rigid insulation. Its wall to roof ratio might be 0.3 per cent, its wall to window ratio 7.5 per cent. The building is likely heated and cooled by rooftop units.

The majority of the floor area is dedicated to sales, but there are small sec28

p26-33 JanFeb15.indd 28

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

tions for offices, storage, receiving and a greenhouse.

Code issues Code issues arise when local codes may not address either the type of material or the method of storage in these facilities. Nadem has been involved in projects where elevated rack platforms with multi-level mezzanines essentially created a four- or five-storey “building within a building.” Building and fire code compliance in such a case is usually based on an alternative solution using additional standards: some international, some from other provinces.

“Some local authorities will allow us to use other codes, some won’t,” Nadem says. “It varies from one municipality to another.”

Fortunately, codes are moving more towards being performance-based rather than prescriptive. “The design has to meet the same performance objectives as those indicated by the prescriptive requirements,” says Nadem. As a result, fire modelling (to determine how long it would take for fire to make the building untenable) is being used more and more to establish that performancebased codes can be met.

Timed exit studies (using data from industry programs, engineering judgement and technical organizations like the Society of Fire Protection Engineers) are also vital tools for meeting code requirements in big box stores and distribution centres.

“Automated crane and storage systems obstruct normal code-required egress paths, resulting in a longer travel distance to exits,” says Simon Crosby, CET, project manager at Toronto’s RBA Engineering. He uses data from timed exit studies in these instances. Distribution centres also have equipment such as massive conveyors running at ground level that may lie in the way of exit paths, presenting a fire-safety challenge.

Sprinklers Sprinkler coverage is also a major issue in stores that can have 35-ft. ceilings and 25-ft. shelving racks holding double rows of a wide variety of goods, all mixed together. “Group A” plastics represent the worst-case commodity in storage, says Paul Wagner, P.Eng., senior associate at LRI Engineering in Toronto. These highly combustible plastics melt quickly and create toxic

January/February 2015

2015-02-02 2:32 PM

fire protection fumes. The International Code Council describes them as “plastic materials having a heat of combustion that is much higher than that of ordinary combustibles.” Group A includes such common materials as ABS, fibre-reinforced polyester (FRP), acrylic, butyl rubber, polystyrene, polyurethane, PET and PVC. Special sprinkler systems are required to meet building codes for these materials in this type of storage.

“NFPA 13 design parameters (a National Fire Protection Association code, referenced by Canada’s National Fire Code), which call for Early Suppression Fast Response (ESFR) sprinklers, 20 psi minimum water pressure and one-hour watersupply duration, avoid the need to add in-rack sprinklers. They minimize the water pressure required at the sprinkler heads, and hence the need to add a fire pump to the facility,” Wagner says. He adds that if the ceiling and storage heights exceed 35 ft. and 25 ft. respectively (which many do), a different sprinkler design is required.

GHL’s Nadem points out that in the case of shelving racks with in-rack sprinklers, an employee could block the flues between shelves simply by adding an extra row of boxes, and thereby violate the fire code. A change in tenants or layout (such as splitting a space with a wall, completely altering the means of egress in an emergency) can also suddenly render a building non-compliant, he says.

systems installed in the last six years.

Conventional panels are still the norm for smaller applications, but intelligent panels offer the benefit of identifying exactly where the problems is: each device has an individual address, so firefighters and staff can

identify the exact location of an individual device that is signaling an alarm or a malfunction.

CCE Sophie Kneisel is a freelance writer based in Baltimore, Ontario and a former editor of Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine.

Tetra Tech is pleased to be recognized for our contribution to the Port Mann/Highway 1 Improvement Project.

For almost 50 years Tetra Tech has provided smart solutions for water, environment, energy, and infrastructure.

Alarms From an alarm system perspective, big box facilities don't offer many challenges. Smoke detectors are generally only placed in offices and electrical, computer and lunch rooms, rather than in the store itself, says John Gallo of Mircom Group. Horns and strobes for notification are placed on pillars throughout the store (two to four per pillar); 50 to 60 fire alarm pull stations per store is not uncommon.

Gallo says there has been an increase in the number of addressable

tetratech.com

January/February 2015

p26-33 JanFeb15.indd 29

Canadian Consulting Engineer

29

2015-02-02 2:32 PM

profession

Keeping Up Are mandatory continuing professional development programs necessary to show that engineers are competent? Some engineers support them, and others are passionately against.

By Bronwen Parsons

©Getty Images/iStockphoto/Sergey Nivens

I

am surprised that these questions are still being asked," wrote one respondent to CCE's question about whether engineers should be required to do continuing professional development courses and activities.

"Mandatory professional development is what the public expects and requires of our professional engineers," continued Dave Chalcroft, P.Eng. of Calgary, a past president of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta. He gives three reasons: "P.Eng.'s must be current in practices that affect public safety"; "provincial legislation requires our provincial professional associations to license only those individuals who are competent to practise"; and (last but not least) "mandatory professional development is the way to ensure every licence holder remains competent through his or her career."

Certainly, most members of the public assume that practising engineers are required to demonstrate that they are competent and educating themselves on an ongoing basis. When they find out that is not the case, they "express surprise and concern," said one executive from a licensing organization.

Engineers work in the physical realm, creating structures and systems that people rely on to be safe. So we ex30

p26-33 JanFeb15.indd 30

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

pect and trust that they will stay on top of their skills and abreast of the latest technologies and knowledge. That's why we call them "professionals."

Ontario and British Columbia still don't have it Today most of the traditional licensed professions: doctors, lawyers, accountants and teachers, for example, are required to do continuing professional development (CPD).

Architects too. Hence sessions at Construct Canada in Toronto are packed with architects anxious to accumulate their required number of continuing education hours.

Yet for engineers the situation with CPD is patchy. In two of Canada's largest provinces — Ontario and British Columbia, which together represent approximately 110,000 licensed engineers or 40% of the total in Canada — CPD is not mandatory. Nor is it mandatory for engineers in the Yukon and Northwest Territories.

The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C. (APEGBC) tried to pass a bylaw to introduce mandatory CPD in 2009, but failed to get the required two-thirds majority approval. Now the association is consulting its members for feedback and is set to have continued on page 32

January/February 2015

2015-02-02 2:32 PM

profession

WHAT DO ENGINEERS THINK? Opinions from CCE readers across Canada about mandatory continuing professional development (CPD).

IT'S JUST PUBLIC RELATIONS "Get rid of it. Engineers need to do professional development, but the most effective methods are also the hardest to monitor. So there is no real way to check compliance, which makes mandatory CPD meaningless. As far as I can see, CPD programs are just a public relations exercise." — Anon.

FIRMS SELDOM PAY "I think CPD is worthwhile as long as it's not fluff (e.g. how to become a better manager). However, I do not think it should be mandatory. I have been in the engineering consulting business since 1971 as both an employee and self-employed. I have seldom seen a Canadian consulting firm pay for employee CPD unless it was absolutely necessary for the person to have the course certificate.

Usually any training is paid for by the employee at his own (after-tax) cost and with lost wages." — Steve Graham, P.Eng., P.Geo., Delta, B.C.

MAKE IT MORE RIGOROUS "I would make the CPD requirement much harder so that professional members really think about whether they wish to continue as active professional members.

Yo u c o u l d e a s i l y double the number of required hours. At the moment, I do not feel the amount of work required to maintain a professional status is sufficient for members to take the program seriously." — David P. Thompson, P.Eng., Calgary.

January/February 2015

p26-33 JanFeb15.indd 31

Canadian Consulting Engineer

31

2015-02-02 2:32 PM

profession

continued from page 30

another vote this fall.

In Ontario, Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO), which has 80,000 members including EITs, has come under pressure since October 2014. That's when Justice Belanger issued his report as Commissioner of the Inquiry into the collapse of the roof at the Algo Mall in Elliot Lake (CCE December 2015, p. 25). The Commissioner recommended that PEO "should establish a system of mandatory continuing education for its members as soon as possible, and in any event no later than 18 months from the release of this Report."

Gerard McDonald, registrar of PEO, says their task force was already in place to look into different models of mandatory programs and is due to report back right on cue by the end of 2015. The task force is headed by Annette Bergeron, P.Eng. and includes members of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE), the voluntary advocacy organization which has been lobbying PEO for years to introduce mandatory CPD. In June 2013 OSPE issued a lengthy report and recommendations for a program, which the PEO task force is reviewing.

Alberta is the model Many of the provincial associations that have already adopted mandatory programs have used Alberta's as a model.

The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) was the first licensing body in Canada to make continuing professional development a requirement for its members — approximately 15 years ago.

Based on the Alberta model, most existing CPD programs allow members credit for hours in six categories: professional practice (working as an engineer or geoscientist); formal activities (e.g. university and other courses of at least four hours); informal activity (attendance at conferences, seminars and meetings); participation (being a mentor, providing service on public bodies or technical committees); presentations (at conferences outside your normal job function); and contributions to knowledge (helping to develop codes and standards, writing papers, reviewing articles).

Self-declaring as "non-practising" What's interesting is that Alberta has a provision for mem-

THE FIRST ENVIRONMENTAL DATA PROVIDER FOR ALL OF NORTH AMERICA Now, no matter where you are in North America, you can get all your environmental risk information from ERIS. The Greatest Geographic Range We’ve uploaded data for all 50 US states. We’ve added it to our national coverage of Canada. And now you’re the one who can benefit. Contact us to place orders for products and services for all of North America!

Take Environmental Data to New Heights Considering a new environmental data provider? Or adding a great option to your supplier list? Expand your horizon -- with high-quality data for all of North America, in an easy-to-use report format, at an extremely competitive price!

www.erisinfo.com

32

p26-33 JanFeb15.indd 32

Toll-Free: 1-866-517-5204

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

Tel: 1-416-510-5204

E-mail: info@erisinfo.com

January/February 2015

2015-02-02 3:44 PM

profession

bers to opt out of the program if they are not actively practising engineering, a policy which other associations have also adopted.

Michael Neth, director of registration at APEGA, explains: "If someone isn't able to keep up with their CPD, then they can self-declare as non-practising. And that takes away the obligation for them to keep up with their CPD." Importantly, he adds: "It allows them to continue to use the title Professional Engineer or Professional Geoscientist. They remain bound by the Code of Ethics and all of the obligations of the profession in terms of professional conduct. But they are indicating to the profession and to the public that they aren't practising."

Why do some engineers choose to opt out? Neth explains: "Some people go through steps in their career where they just aren't doing any actual engineering work. People might sell real estate for a couple of years, or they might do other things that take them away from their practice."

Only about 4.5% of APEGA members are currently opting out of the program. This figure is surprising. In other provinces it's generally known that a larger proportion of licensed engineers have gone into other fields and so might be expected not to bother participating in CPD programs.

In B.C. too APEGBC intends to make exceptions. Ailene Lim, professional development coordinator at APEGBC, explains: "If members are unemployed, or have health issues or disability, or are on parental leave, then we intend to give them special consideration, whether it would be whole or partial exemption, in terms of what they have to do to fulfil their CPD requirements."

Different provinces: different rules Engineers Canada, the umbrella national organization, has endorsed mandatory CPD programs. The policy was endorsed in February 2012 and is part of its Canadian Framework for Licensure.

The organization would like to see the different provincial licensing associations agree on a consistent program. Uniform requirements and centralized reporting could ease the provincial associations' administrative burdens. It would also cut down on the time engineers have to spend on reporting their CPD activities — something that is a sore point, especially among those who work in more than one province and have to file multiple CPD reports.

Currently, most of the provinces/territories require their members to do the same number of professional development hours: 240 PDHs over three years.

However, Quebec is an exception, requiring 30 hours over two years, and of course Ontario still has no requirement.

Between the provinces the reporting requirements vary.

So, for example, while the Alberta association requires all its members to report their CPD hours, Saskatchewan makes it

WHAT DO ENGINEERS THINK? EXEMPT CONSULTING ENGINEERS "Simply remove the CPD requirement for the consulting engineering industry. In this industry we constantly explore and maintain currency in our disciplines. Otherwise we can't compete. So it doesn't have to be a regulatory requirement." — Hubert Alacoque, P.Eng., St. John's, Nfld.

SHOULD BE CONSISTENT ACROSS CANADA I strongly believe that there should be a common CPD process and program nationally to allow engineers to be registered in other provinces and to be able to seamlessly update their CPD credits. I detest the balkanization of separate provincial associations deriving their own processes and systems, which likely leads to the less-than-enthusiasic support." — Geoff McDonell, P.Eng., Vancouver.

PROBLEMS WITH "DABBLERS" "I strongly believe that all practising professionals are obligated not only to maintain competeny, but also to be transparent in reporting CPD. [In B.C.] there can be issues with "dabblers," generally older, semi-retired engineers who have not kept up with current practice requirements. An example could be sealing a Record of Sewerage System and Certification as a favour for your neighbour's summer cabin. Septic system design is much more complicated than it was 15 years ago and if you haven't kept up with current regulations, there may be a complaint laid. A mandatory CPD reporting requirement on an annual basis may convince a retired engineer that when you stop CPD, it's also time to stop practising. — Jeff Holm, P.Eng., Kamloops, B.C.

continued on page 34

January/February 2015

p26-33 JanFeb15.indd 33

Canadian Consulting Engineer

33

2015-02-02 2:32 PM

profession

continued from page 33

voluntary, and New Brunswick requires reporting only when the association requests it.

The OSPE report recommends that practising engineers in Ontario should only have to report on an "as requested basis." As well, OSPE recommends that only a sample of the reports from licensees would be reviewed.

The sample would be chosen partly on the risks involved in the engineer's field of engineering. OSPE also recommends that engineers of 50 years and older should not have to complete the full number of hours.

A standard and consistent program for engineers across Canada still seems a long way off.

Supporters and outliers When APEGBC held its vote on mandatory CPD in 2009, it did not receive the two-thirds majority it required, yet it did receive 57.7% support. When this magazine held an informal website poll in 2011 the response was 75% in favour of mandatory CPD. This past December we again asked our readers for input on the question and received e-mails about 50/50 on either side. Some of the responses are reprinted in this article. Whichever position engineers take, they are all passionate in their opinions. Clearly a good proportion of engineers support mandatory programs. But there's also a lot of unease.

"The concerns are actually sometimes misconceptions about the whole program," says Lim of APEGBC. "One of the concerns is that it is too expensive. The assumption is that CPD is just about taking courses, or attending seminars, all of which essentially lead to costs. Whereas the guideline is structured to be very flexible. There are a variety of different ways to obtain PD hours, and taking courses is just one of them. It is up to members, as professionals, to determine what professional development is relevant to their practice."

She adds: "Our members' practices are diverse and our program is flexible to reflect that."

McDonald of PEO agrees that the prospect of a mandatory CPD program is causing concern. "In the past 25 years we formed at least three committees or task forces to investigate the need for it. Obviously the fact that we weren't able to implement it on the past three occasions speaks to the apprehension that's out there."

"That being said," he continues, "I think there are a lot of proponents for continuing professional development and they see that certainly if we're going to remain relevant as a self regulated profession, it is something that we should be seriously considering."

Neth of APEGA says: "In general the people are welcoming of the CPD program. As professionals they see a need to continuously improve and enhance their skill set. But as in any large population when you're dealing with tens of thousands of people, there are a few outliers. By and large the concerns that they bring are not that they have an issue 34

p26-33 JanFeb15.indd 34

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

SELF-DIRECTED STUDY IS VALID "Self-directed study should remain a recognized means of fulfilling professional development requirements for licensing, as not all professional engineers can afford to go to increasingly expensive conferences, short courses and university courses. This especially applies to senior engineers who only work part-time, unemployed engineers, and professional engineers in the more low-paying branches of the profession.

Nevertheless, the means of evaluating selfdirected study are presently based on the honour system i.e. there does not seem to be a standard way of evaluating self-directed study compared to evaluated courses." — Brian C. Burrell, P.Eng., Fredericton, N.B.

SHOULD FOCUS ON THE NONPRACTISING "I believe that CPD programs need to focus on those who no longer practise engineering, or very little, but who still maintain their professional status. However the difficulty comes in targeting these people over those who do regularly practice." — Paul Sceviour, P.Eng., St. John's, Nfld.

with CPD per se, it's just that they disagree with the mandatory reporting portion of it. But those are very small in number. We get a few people a year who bring that concern to us. And they come around."

It is almost certain that mandatory CPD programs will become part of the engineering landscape across all Canada very soon. How those programs can be implemented and organized effectively is the difficult question now.

Engineering covers such a conglomerate of different fields and individuals that the licensing bodies will have their hands full for many years sorting through the details, not to mention dealing with all the emotions that these programs evoke among their engineers.

CCE

January/February 2015

2015-02-02 3:44 PM

Specifier’s Literature Review

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 www.flexhead.com for more information.

SUPPLIER: FLEXHEAD INDUSTRIES

KRYSTOL TECHNOLOGY: THE DURABLE WATERPROOFING SOLUTION

BENEFIT FROM YOUR FINANCIAL SECURITY PROGRAM

WEG E-CATALOG MOBILE APP

MACH-PROAIR™: ENERGY CONSCIOUS, VERSATILE VAV

Kryton International Inc. is the inventor of the crystalline waterproofing admixture and has been waterproofing concrete structures with its proprietary Krystol technology since 1973.

Kryton’s innovative technology leads the way for the construction of more durable, resilient and sustainable concrete structures. Kryton manufactures and exports its products to more than 50 countries globally. To learn more, visit www.kryton.com or call 800.267.8280 SUPPLIER: KRYTON INTERNATIONAL INC.

This application will allow WEG Electric Motor customers in NEMA markets to search an electronic catalog for motors and produce data sheets and technical drawings. The application will also allow the user to download or email PDF data sheets and drawings. The app is available for iOS, Blackberry, Android. Go to www.pamensky.com/downloads SUPPLIER: V.J. PAMENSKY

UPONOR HYDRONIC DISTRIBUTION PIPING SYSTEMS PRODUCT GUIDE

With more than 40 years of proven performance, Uponor Wirsbo hePEX™ is the durable, cost-effective solution for transporting water to terminal units such as chilled beams and fan coil units. This full-color, 8-page brochure offers a comprehensive overview of product details, codes and standards, system applications and installation methods for hydronic distribution piping systems featuring Wirsbo hePEX pipe.

To learn more, visit www.uponorpro.com.

SUPPLIER: UPONOR

p34-40 JanFeb15.indd 35

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

Sponsored by Engineers Canada, this program is designed for professional engineers, geoscientists and their families across Canada. We offer access to group retirement and savings plans at generally lower than market retail fees and provide personal, professional service. Get more information about the benefits of this program at www.engineerscanadafsp.grsaccess.com or call 1-800-724-3402.

SUPPLIER: GREAT-WEST LIFE

Engineered to exceed the specifications for a wide variety of Variable Air Volume (VAV) applications, the Reliable Controls® MACH-ProAir™ is a fully programmable BACnet Building Controller (B-BC) with numerous downloadable standard codes and flexible I/O options, all priced to meet a modest budget, as it continues the Reliable Controls® tradition of intrinsic simplicity, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. www.reliablecontrols.com/products/ controllers/MPA SUPPLIER: RELIABLE CONTROLS CORPORATION

CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER 2015 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 2015 media kit, please send along your request to Maureen Levy at (416) 510-5111, email: mlevy@ccemag.com or visit www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

2015-02-02 2:31 PM

awards 2015 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS

CALL FOR ENTRIES G

ain national recognition and acclaim in Canada's longest running and most important awards for consulting engineering projects. Now in their 47th Year.

Projects of all kinds completed in the last three years are eligible. At least one of the entering firms must be a member of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies-Canada (ACEC/AFIC).

20 AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE 5 SPECIAL AWARDS • Schreyer Award for best technical entry • Tree for Life Award for outstanding environmental stewardship • Ambassador Award for a project constructed or executed outside Canada • Engineering a Better Canada Award for enhancing the social, economic or cultural quality of life of Canadians • Outreach Award for donations of time or services in Canada or internationally.

products

PRIX CANADIENS DU GÉNIE-CONSEIL 2015

APPEL DE CANDIDATURES

L

a marque de reconnaissance la plus prestigieuse au Canada pour les projets. Une initiative conjointe de l’Association des firmes d’ingénieurs-conseils - Canada (AFIC) et de la revue Canadian Consulting Engineer.

Etape 1, mardi, le 24 Mars: Avis d’intention de présenter un projet & Frais d’inscription: $350.00 Voir www.canadianconsultingengineer.com/2015-entriesinformation-entry-forms/

DEADLINES Stage 1 - Tuesday, March 24 Notice of Intention to Enter & Entry Fee $350.00 Stages 2 & 3 - Tuesday, April 21 & Thursday, April 23.

FOR MORE DETAILS: Visit www.canadianconsultingengineer.com/2015-entries-information-entry-forms/ Or contact Bronwen Parsons, Editor, Canadian Consulting Engineer, tel. 416-510-5119, bparsons@ccemag.com This is a joint program of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies - Canada (ACEC), l'Association des firmes des ingénieurs-conseils - Canada (AFIC) and Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine.

professional directory

BUILDING CONTROLS

Distech Controls has launched its ECLYPSE Connected IP and Wi-Fi Product Series, and ENVYSION web-based design and visualization interface. The Eclypse Connected System Controller is a modular platform providing BACnet/IP, wired and wireless IP connectivity, permitting integration with building management and IT networks. www.distech-controls.com For optimum energy efficiency across all building loads, Armstrong Fluid Technology's Design Envelope pumps are now available with single phase power. The flexible Design Envelope line has sensorless variable speed control, integrated pump and controller, and space-saving Vertical In-Line design. www.armstrongfluidtechnology.com

Schneider Electric has launched Conext Insight, a remote monitoring and asset management platform for distributed PV plants. The web portal gives detailed insight into performance.

Schneider has also expanded its single-phase Smart-UPS OnLine with 5 – 10 kVA models. The 5 kVA UPS units have a power factor of 0.9, while the 6 – 10 kVA units feature unity power factor capability. www.schneider-electric.com 36

Experts in Measurement, Analysis & Control

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

For information on placing an advertisement in the Canadian Consulting Engineer Professional Directory, contact Maureen Levy, Senior Publisher, 416-510-5111, email: mlevy@ccemag.com, or Vince Naccarato, Sales Manager, 416-510-5118, email: vnaccarato@ccemag.com

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com January/February 2015

p34-40 JanFeb15.indd 36

2015-02-02 2:31 PM

ad index

Need more Info? Contact Our Advertisers Listed Below Advertiser

Pg#

January/February 2015

Email

Telephone

Website

Construction Specifications Canada Toronto Chapter

21

djfournier@csctradeshow.com

1-888-494-9350

www.csctradeshow.com

ERIS

32

mchester@erisinfo.com

1-416-510-5205

www.erisinfo.com

Great-West Life Assurance Company

7

angela.harvey@gwl.ca

1-866-788-1293 ext 5786

Kryton International Inc.

9

info@kryton.com

Navien America, Inc

39

marketing@navienamerica.com

VJ Pamensky

8

anthonyz@pamensky.com

1-877-726-3675

www.pamensky.com

Reliable Control Corporation

15

info@reliablecontrols.com

1-250-475-2036

www.reliablecontrols.com

S-Frame Software Inc

40

sales@s-frame.com

1-604-273-7737

www.s-frame.com

SimplexGrinnell

2

ChWoodcock@simplexgrinnell.com

1-978-731-7052

www.simplexgrinnell.com

Tetra Tech

29

charlie.macpherson@tetratech.com

1-626-470-2439

www.tetratech.com

Uponor

10

una.getconnected@uponor.com

1-888-994-7726

www.uponorpro.com

Viessmann Manufacturing

5

info@viessmann.ca

1-800-387-7373

www.viessmann.ca

1-800-267-8280

*available to qualified readers.

SIGN UP ON-LINE AT www.CanadianConsultingEngineer.com/Subscribe

www.navienamerica.com

I wish to receive/continue to receive Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine (7 times a year) D igital Print B oth Select your format:

OR SIGN, COMPLETE AND SEND THIS FORM By fax to: 416-510-6875 By mail to: Canadian Consulting Engineer,

80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON, Canada, M3B 2S9 Name___________________________________________________________________________________ Title____________________________________________________________________________________ Company________________________________________________________________________________ Address_________________________________________________________________________________ City_________________________________ Province________ Postal Code_______________________ )___________________________ Fax (

www.kryton.com

1-949-420-0420 / 1-800-519-8794

FREE SUBSCRIPTION

Telephone (

www.greatwestlife.com

)_____________________________

E-Mail___________________________________________________________________________________ Signature_____________________________________ Date_____________________________________

Canadian Consulting Engineer Weekly E-Newsletter

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS I am engaged in the following Professional Engineer in a consulting engineering practice Specification Writer in a consulting engineering or architectural firm, government department or development company Engineering Technologist/Technician in a consulting engineering firm Other (Please specify)_________________________________________ Engineering discipline (Check one box only) C ivil S tructural M echanical E lectrical Other (Please specify)_________________________________________

Contact: Barbara Adelt, badelt@bizinfogroup.ca, Tel. 416-442-5600 x3546

January/February 2015

p34-40 JanFeb15.indd 37

Canadian Consulting Engineer

37

2015-02-03 3:07 PM

business

By Kelly Kolke, Grant Thornton

Acquisitions

If you are considering acquiring another firm as a way of expanding your business, here's advice on different steps you need to consider.

I

n any professional services firm there are a number of when will that happen? What about your communications ways to grow your business. You can expand the ways you strategy? How and when will you tell your customers? These get involved in projects, add new lines of business, or are just some of the important post-merger questions you grow areas of specialty. You can look at geographic growth should negotiate up front. and entering new markets. But for many professional serOnce both firms have determined there’s a good busivices firms, growth is often tied to acquisition, which can be ness case, it’s time to begin the due diligence process. an easier and faster route than organic growth.

While the firm you are acquiring has a duty to be forthOur firm released a global survey last year that showed coming, you still need to do some digging to uncover any mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity is on the rise. In hidden surprises. I’ve found that some owners don’t have Canada, 40% of businesses we surveyed said they plan to a solid understanding of due diligence methodology, and grow through M&A in the next three years (up two many turn to outside consultants to help them comb points), and almost half said they through all the data.

"Remember that your people had seriously considered at least Sound a bit time consuming? one acquisition in the past year. I Yes. In fact, that’s one of the other will be going through a lot suspect that the numbers would potential pitfalls of acquisitions of change, which is stressful be even higher for professional — many underestimate the time and scary. Ensure you are services firms. involved. It’s not something that If you are thinking about an you should try to do “off the side communicating with them acquisition, what you first need is of your desk.” Think about assignthroughout the whole process." a solid, long-term growth strategy ing someone to oversee the projso you can see how an acquisition fits into the big picture. ect so you can continue to run the business. This person will It’s kind of like driving a car — you should know your be critical in the negotiation phase, but their role is just as destination before you put the pedal to the metal. Ask important after the deal is signed and the champagne cork yourself what growth really means to you, and establish is popped. In some ways, that’s when the real work — sucmeasurable goals. cessful operational integration — happens. “Status quo” is a As you begin to kick the tires of potential targets, many bad integration strategy. questions will come up. Are you paying the right price?

Remember that your people will be going through a lot What about their books — do the numbers look right? of change, which is stressful and scary. Stay in tune with However, an acquisition is more than just the numbers. how people are feeling, and ensure you are communicatYou need to look at all aspects of the target firm. Does it fit ing with them throughout the whole process. Make sure your strategy? Do they have the types of clients that you they are getting the right level of training and support as want to deal with? Are they in the market you want to be the new systems and processes roll out, and ensure that in? What kinds of systems do they use, and how easy will it they see the benefits in their personal role. As well, idenbe to integrate? How solid are their operational processes, tify key people in advance (particularly in head office funcand what kind of controls do they have in place? What tions like IT and accounting), and make sure that they about their culture and people? Even when a merger have appropriate incentives to stay around. makes perfect sense on paper, it can fall apart if there’s a The bottom line is that engineering firms without a difference in what the two companies want to achieve and growth strategy simply won’t have consistent growth, so how they want to do it. Many underestimate how vast the make sure you have one and consider whether an acquisicultural and people differences might be. tion might be part of it.

Also, start thinking about integration issues from the beginning, and build these into your negotiations. For ex- Kelly Kolke, C.A. is a partner with Grant Thornton LLP. He is ample, will there be a name change, and exactly how and based in Nova Scotia. E-mail Kelly.kolke@ca.gt.com 38

p34-40 JanFeb15.indd 38

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com January/February 2015

2015-02-02 2:31 PM

N N

Navien innovation.

Now available in a boiler.

Introducing the Navien NHB condensing boilers As the leader in condensing technology, Navien has already reinvented the water heating industry with the award-winning NPE tankless water heaters and the NCB combi-boilers. The new NHB boiler series is the next in line of innovations from Navien. All NHB boilers have Navien’s advanced burner system, an AFUE of 95% and turn down ratios up to 15:1. Now available in four sizes: NHB-55, NHB-80, NHB-110 and NHB-150.

Reinvent your thinking about boilers at BoilersMadeSmart.com or Navien.com.

T H E

p34-40 JanFeb15.indd 39

L E A D E R

I N

C O N D E N S I N G

T E C H N O L O G Y

2015-02-02 2:31 PM

p34-40 JanFeb15.indd 40

2015-02-02 2:31 PM