For professional engineers in private practice
TORONTO’S
UNION STATION REVITALIZATION
MARCH/APRIL 2015
BIKE PATHS MAKING SPACE
LNG BOOM IN B.C. PROSPECTS FOR ENGINEERS?
www.canad ianco nsu ltingen gi n eer.c om
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contents
March/April 2015 Volume 56, No. 2
Work on splicing columns below Union Station in downtown Toronto. Photograph: NORR. See story page 16.
features Revitalization of Union Station, Toronto. The extraordinary structural engineering involved in using a “dig down” approach to expand the historic building is unprecedented in Canada. By Hassan Saffarini, P.Eng., Ph.D., NORR 16 Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks. In Kamloops, B.C., a lagoon — the most basic technology for sewage treatment — has been modified to provide tertiary treatment with biological nutrient removal. By Troy D. Vassos, Ph.D., P.Eng., Sam Turk, Ph.D, P.Eng., Chris Town, P.Eng., Golder Associates & Urban Systems 24 Space for Bikes. Municipalities and road engineers are wrestling with how to provide safe bikeways for the growing number of cyclists who use the roads. Norma Moores, P.Eng. of IBI Group identifies new design tools being used. By Bronwen Parsons 28
Space for Bikes See story page 28.
departments 4
Up Front
6 11
Products 27 Advertiser Index
on topic
Comment ACEC Review
A Piece of the LNG Pie? British Columbia has set its sights on a billion dollar LNG industry. While consulting engineers are doing early preparatory work, they wonder how much other business will be sent offshore. By Jean Sorensen 35
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Next issue: Data centres, University of Manitoba’s green building research, Ontario Teachers Federation Headquarters, solar technologies.
ENGINEERS & THE LAW Caution: Limitation Clauses May Not Apply. A decision by the Alberta Court of Appeal leaves consultants unprotected. By Philip A. Carson, Miller Thomson 34 PERSONAL AFFAIRS Marital Breakdown Collaborative negotiation can ease the impact on your business. By Nathalie Boutet 38
CONVERSATIONS Beakerhead. Lisa Konopski of Urban Systems volunteered to help plan the crazy extravaganza of art, science and engineering that attracted 73,000 people to the streets of Calgary last fall. Interview by CCE 42
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comment FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE
engineer C A N A D I A N C O N S U LT I N G
Transit planning – just build
A
s an undergraduate I took a course in the history of western architecture which included studying how cities were formed. We reviewed the superbly rational, orthogonal plans of Ancient Greek and Roman cities and compared them with the higgledy-piggledy way that towns evolved in medieval Europe. A city like Athens or Miletus had a beautiful order; it was drawn up according to a plan. A city like York or Bruges grew organically. So the streets might radiate out from a cathedral and market square, then wind around in squiggly ways, following paths that met the immediate needs of the people who lived and worked in those harsh, threadbare times. Today, listening to planners struggling to sort out the transportation and development needs of the Greater Toronto Area, I recall those contrasting city types. North American cities were drawn up largely in the rational, orthogonal model that is so congenial to the organizing mind of engineers. But life today is messy. First, engineers working in urban cores have to weave their structures into a dense fabric of existing infrastructure. See, for example, the extraordinary work being done below Union Station by NORR in Toronto’s downtown core (page 16). Second, in the big planning picture we see that North American cities that were planned on a Modernist, rational plan are now evolving organically and sporadically. Satellite nodes have sprouted up in outlying and suburban areas, mostly following expressways. These nodes are growing fast, which means finding ways to connect them with public transit that actually works — that is located where people need it and will use it — is imperative. But it’s complicated. A planner responsible for one of the myriad transit proposals in Toronto spoke in February to the Council for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Iain Dobson is studying where the vast office developments expected in the GTA over the next 30 years should occur in order to sustain new transit routes. He argues that urban planning and economic policies need to be put in place to encourage development along transit lines. But even he admits this isn’t a foolproof remedy. Sometimes, for example, when a transit line is announced, property values along it start rising to the point where it’s not feasible for developers to actually build. A suggestion that you give tax relief for properties along the transit lines may not work, as private land owners are often happy to simply raise their rates to match those of the surrounding properties. They can reap the difference as profit and don’t bother to develop more space. Studies Dobson has done of new transit built in 18 cities outside North America found that the only lines paying their way are those that connect areas that are already developed – they already have the population density to provide enough riders. That’s no solace for nascent cities in Canada where the vast landscape encourages loose and organic development. But the good news here is that citizens across Canada are engaged like never before in transportation issues. Everyone has a stake, everyone wants new transit built, and consulting engineers are hard at work in this sector. So maybe the answer is just to get on and build, trusting that over time development will accrete around around transit lines, the same as it has been congealing around expressways for the past half-century. Bronwen Parsons
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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
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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,
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian Heritage.
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Dialog
up front
LEGAL
Ontario launches review of Construction Lien Act Ontario is moving ahead with a review of the Construction Lien Act and has appointed Bruce Reynolds of Borden Ladner Gervais to lead it. The review comes in the wake of a skirmish in the industry after the Prompt Payment Act was introduced in 2013. That legislation would have initiated wide rangCHZM HILL
Edmonton International Airport Control Tower. AWARDS
Airports and Fort McMurray projects win in Alberta Consulting Engineers of Alberta handed out its 2015 Showcase Awards on February 5. Announcing the winners at the Edmonton Expo Centre, CEA President Matt Brassard, P.Eng., said: “The winners this year are exceptional examples of what can be done by Alberta’s consulting engineering community. The citizens of Alberta are the real beneficiaries of these examples of engineering excellence.” Airport projects won two awards. One went to CH2M HILL in the project management category for Calgary’s Airport Trail Tunnel. The 620-m long cast-in-place concrete structure carries six lanes of traffic under the Calgary International Airport’s new runway. An award in the buildings category went to DIALOG for the Edmonton International Airport Offices and Control Tower. The striking, curvaceous structure combines the control tower with a retail precinct and administrative offices and is targeting LEED Silver designation. Two awards went to projects in Fort McMurray, urban centre for the oil sands. One went to Stantec for Highway 63:11 South of the Athabasca River to North of Confederation Way (trans6
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ing new changes, such as giving contractors the right to suspend work if a progress payment were not made. It also proposed only 20 days for the consultant and owner to review an application for a progress payment.
Calgary Airport Trail Tunnel.
portation category). The $400-million upgrade expanded the road from 6 to 10 traffic lanes and added Alberta’s largest bridge deck at 472 x 32 metres. The other went to Associated Engineering for the Fort McMurray Water Treatment Plant Upgrade (water and energy production category). The $160-million facilities had to be constructed on a small footprint adjacent to the existing treatment plant. Winner in the environment category was Golder Associates' for the No Net Loss Lake at the Fort Hills Oil Sands. The project created a naturallooking, long-term-sustainable lake that enhanced the fish habitat and will cope with extreme weather events. Opus Stewart Weir won in the natural resources, mining and industry category for the Edith Lake to Sarah Lake Transmission Line Construction. SMA Consulting won two awards. One was in the small firm -- big impact category for the WESS Stage W13 proj-
INTERNATIONAL
Bigger than Panama Nicaragua has started work on a canal to cut through the Central American country from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean. The channel will be 278 kilometres long, more than three times longer than the Panama Canal. Although the passage goes through tropical Lake Nicaragua, forests and wetlands, little research has been done on environmental impacts. The Hong Kong Nicaragua Canal Development company is building the project. The estimate is for a cost of $50 billion and a timeline of five years. continued on page 8
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up front
continued from page 6
CEA
ton to have more than 300 employees in western Canada, focused on transportation, land and water projects. COMPANIES
Roman Wozniak (left) and Gary Mack of ISL Engineering.
ect. This new sanitary tunnel in West Edmonton eliminates a critical bottleneck that contributed to flooding in 2004. SMA also won in the studies, software and special services category for the Clover Bar risk analysis. Stantec was prime consultant. In the sustainable design category, MPE Engineering won for the Turner Valley and Black Diamond Water Supply System. In community development, Read Jones Christoffersen won for the Elbow River Traverse, a new pedestrian crossing in Calgary that has a graceful design of slender weathering steel arches. “Stantec in the Community Day” won in the community outreach category. On September 15, 2014, approximately 5,500 Stantec employees worldwide volunteered in support of 33 different charities. Gary Mack, P.Eng. and Roman Wozniak, P.Eng., were awarded CEA’s Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Distinguished Service. They have led ISL Engineering and Land Services of Edmon-
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SNC-Lavalin refutes charges After charges were brought by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada and the RCMP against SNC-Lavalin in February, the Montreal engineering giant immediately issued a statement: "SNC-Lavalin firmly considers that the charges are without merit and will vigorously defend itself and plead not guilty in the interest of its current employees, families, partners, clients, investors and other stakeholders." Each of SNC-Lavalin Group, SNCLavalin International, and SNC-Lavalin Construction has been charged with one count of fraud under section 380 of the Criminal Code of Canada and one count of corruption under Section 3(1) (b) of the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act. Robert G. Card, President and chief executive officer of SNC-Lavalin Group, noted in the release: “The charges stem from the same alleged activities of former employees from over three years ago in Libya, which are publicly known, and that the company has cooperated on with authorities since then." The statement continued: "If charges are appropriate, we believe that they would be correctly applied against the individuals in question
and not the company. The company has and will continue to fully cooperate with authorities to ensure that any individuals who are believed to have committed illegal acts are brought to justice. The company will also consider claims against these individuals to recover any damages the company has suffered as a result. "Over the past three years, we have made significant changes to the company and remained focused on continuous improvements in ethics and compliance. The tone from the top is clear and unequivocal; there is zero tolerance for ethics violations. The individuals alleged to have been involved in past ethical issues are no longer with the company, and a new CEO has changed the face of the Robert executive team." G. Card ENVIRONMENT
Municipal environmental assessment process takes a toll A construction labour and management organization in Ontario has found that the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) process holds up projects by more than two years on average and costs $386,000, not counting municipal staff time. The Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO), said the delays and duplication are too costly and are delaying infrastructure
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continued from page 8
renewal unnecessarily. The independent study, “Comparing Ontario’s Municipal Class EA System to Other Jurisdictions; Public Intervention in Local Infrastructure Projects,” February 2015, was written by Frank Zechner, P.Eng. It compared the Ontario EA system with others, including systems in the U.K., South Korea, Austria and the Netherlands. He concluded that Ontario's is "out of step with other jurisdictions." He found, for example, that other countries focus their environmental reviews on new roads rather than on changes to existing roads, such as widening roads for HOV lanes. The report recommended streamlining the process and in particular refers to “Bump Up” requests as a problem. A single municipal project could be subject to two appeal mechanisms — a Bump Up request under
the EA Act and an appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board under the Planning Act. Under current rules it only needs one person to trigger a full environmental review from the province. WASTEWATER
Grand Bend Area Plant first to be verified by Envision The Grand Bend Area Wastewater Treatment Facility under construction on the shores of Lake Huron in southwest Ontario has won an ISI Envision Platinum award for sustainable infrastructure. This is the first project to be verified by Envision in Canada, and the first wastewater facility to be verified by Envision in the world. Envision is a trademarked rating system of the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI), which is affiliated with the Harvard University Graduate
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Stantec
up front
Grand Bend Area Wastewater Treatment Facility, Ontario.
School of Design. According to the Envision website (http://research.gsd. harvard.edu/zofnass/menu/envision/): "What LEED has done for building-scale sustainability, Envision aims to do for infrastructure..." Envision assesses project’s sustainability in five categories in the design states. It also accredits professionals to administer the system. For the Grand Bend project, the municipalities of Lambton Shores and South Huron commissioned Stantec to convert one of four existing lagoons into an extended aeration mechanical treatment facility and wetland nature reserve. Stantec used the ISI Envision framework during the design. Elvio Zaghi was Stantec’s project manager. LAND
New guidelines for developments near railways The City of Montreal has become the first major urban area in Canada to adopt the 2013 Guidelines for New Development in Proximity to Railway Operations into its long-term development plan. The guidelines were developed by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and the Railway Association of Canada (RAC). DIALOG and J.E. Coulter Associates were consultants for the team that prepared the document. The guidelines identify requirements such as setback distances and vibration thresholds that must be met if sensitive land uses are proposed adjacent to a main railway line or yard.
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ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW CHAIR’S MESSAGE
Investing in success
Consulting engineering more vital than ever to our prosperity
T
he consequences of the current economic climate and resultant government deficits are creating pressure in the public and private sectors to reduce spending, presenting both a challenge and an opportunity to the consulting engineering sector. With our clients currently facing a need to manage limited resources and maximize return on investment, we have an opportunity to demonstrate that selecting a consulting engineering firm is an investment decision. Consultant fees typically amount to less than 10% of the construction costs and less than 2% of the life-cycle costs associated with engineered assets. Yet this modest investment has a dramatic impact on a project’s success. An appropriate investment in professional services at the outset of a project can potentially reduce capital, maintenance and operating costs while improving reliability and extending service life. This is why ACEC-Canada and its provincial and territorial consulting engineering associations continue to recommend qualifications-based selection (QBS) for procuring engineer-
ing services. QBS encourages the selection of the most qualified team that will work with the owner to develop the required scope of services, an appropriate schedule and a fee commensurate with the scope. The objective is to agree on expectations and what can be accomplished within budgets while delivering innovative solutions to complete the project and meet expectations. Thanks to the efforts of consulting engineering associations across the country, QBS is gaining more acceptance from informed and knowledgeable clients. Building upon the proven track record of QBS at the City of Calgary, Consulting Engineers of Alberta is working with Members of the Legislative Assembly towards legislated use of QBS. The close working relationship of Consulting Engineers of Ontario with Metrolinx resulted in QBS being used for the procurement of engineering services for two high profile projects – with more on the horizon. We, along with our clients, need to continue to share these success stories and build upon them. ANNE POSCHMANN, P.ENG. CHAIR, ACEC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MESSAGE DE LA PRÉSIDENTE DU CONSEIL
Investir dans le succès
Le génie-conseil est plus vital que jamais pour notre prospérité
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es conséquences du climat économique actuel et des déficits gouvernementaux résultants imposent aux secteurs public et privé des pressions à la réduction des dépenses, qui présentent des défis et des débouchés pour le secteur du génie-conseil. Alors que nos clients doivent aujourd’hui gérer des ressources limitées tout en maximisant le rendement de leurs investissements, nous avons l’occasion de démontrer que le choix de la bonne firme de génie-conseil pour un projet donné est une décision d’investissement. Les coûts des services de génie-conseil représentent typiquement moins de 10 % du coût de construction et moins de 2 % du coût du cycle de vie d’un projet. Or, cet investissement modeste a un impact important sur la réussite d’un projet. Un investissement approprié dans les services professionnels au départ peut réduire les coûts d’investissement, d’entretien et d’exploitation tout en améliorant la fiabilité et en prolongeant la durée de vie du projet. C’est pourquoi l’AFIC et ses associations provinciales et territoriales membres continuent de recommander la sélection basée sur les compétences (SBC) pour le choix de firmes de génie-conseil. La SBC encourage la sélection de
l’équipe la mieux qualifiée qui travaillera avec le propriétaire pour développer ensemble la portée des services requis ainsi qu’un échéancier et des honoraires à la mesure de la portée des services. L’objectif est de convenir des attentes et de ce qui peut être accompli à l’intérieur des budgets tout en livrant des solutions innovatrices pour réaliser le projet et répondre aux attentes. Grâce aux efforts des associations de génie-conseil partout au pays, la SBC devient de plus en plus acceptée par des clients informés et avertis. Tirant parti du succès de la SBC dans la ville de Calgary, Consulting Engineers of Alberta travaille avec les membres de l’Assemblée législative de la province pour faire adopter une loi qui imposera l’utilisation de la SBC. Grâce à l’excellente relation de travail de la Consulting Engineers of Ontario avec Metrolinx, la SBC est utilisée pour l’achat de services-conseils pour deux projets très en vue, avec d’autres projets à l’horizon. Nous devons, avec nos clients, continuer de partager ces histoires de succès et ainsi mettre en valeur notre industrie. ANNE POSCHMANN, P.ENG. PRÉSIDENTE DU CONSEIL DE L’AFIC
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Why Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS) is important
Q
BS is a method of procurement of consulting engineering services where the first phase of the selection process focuses on qualifications. The client issues an RFQ. Firms submit their qualifications for the project. The RFQs are evaluated and the three most qualified firms are short-listed. Terms of reference are developed and the shortlisted firms are requested to submit a proposal. The responses are evaluated and ranked against criteria and a choice is made. The preferred (most qualified) firm then meets with the client to clearly define the scope of work. The firm then submits a fee proposal based upon agreed scope. The client and firm can negotiate fees and scope as necessary. When agreement on scope and price is achieved, the project proceeds. If agreement on price cannot be reached, the second most qualified firm is asked to negotiate scope and price. 21 benefits of QualificationsBased Selection (QBS) 1. QBS emphasizes finding the consulting engineering firm most suitable for the specific project resulting in maximum benefits for the client. 2. Price remains a critical component of the selection process but is considered in context of the scope of services to be provided and/or the objectives to be met. 3. During the price negotiations the consulting engineering firm offers advice and clarifies all the project’s specifics. The net result is a reduction or elimination of cost-overruns that typically result from unclear or misunderstood project scope. 4. QBS simplifies the procurement of consulting engineering services re12
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sulting in reduction of costs for both the project’s proponent and the provider of services. 5. QBS develops mutual trust between a project owner and a professional service provider so that responsibilities and risks are understood and budgets, planning and an owner’s project expectations are respected. 6. QBS enables the total project value over the project’s life cycle to be maximized because of a project-focused consultant selection rather than solely a price-based selection. 7. QBS is applicable to the owner’s preferred model of construction (e.g. design-bid-build, design-build, P3 or best value models). 8. A close owner and engineering consultant relationship fostered by QBS encourages creative and innovative solutions in solving complex project challenges. 9. The QBS process is recommended by InfraGuide (a municipal guide to infrastructure developed by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities). 10. QBS recognizes the public interest by being based upon the professional obligations of consulting engineers as established by law. 11. QBS conforms to the New West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWPTA) by establishing an open and transparent selection process for professional consulting engineering services. 12. QBS mitigates liability issues for the project owner. (A recent B.C. Court of Appeal ruling assessed liability on the basis of a municipality’s failure to appropriately consider the qualifications of all prime and subconsultants engaged in a project). 13. QBS reduces potential for litiga-
tion between a project owner and service provider and thus reduces overall costs for insurance for both parties by reducing potential for insurance claims. 14. QBS was established by law in the United States in 1972 through The Brooks Act. It applies to selection of engineering consultants for most projects funded by the federal government. Similar laws have since been adopted in most states. Studies have shown lower overall costs and higher levels of engineering excellence through QBS. 15. QBS is supported by engineering societies and professional engineering regulatory bodies across Canada. 16. QBS is supported by numerous other associations representing the design and construction sector across Canada. 17. The Province of Quebec has legislated QBS for procurement of consulting engineering services by provincial departments and agencies. 18. The QBS process prevents price rigging which can occur when price is the only consideration. 19. QBS promotes high standards and engineering excellence which has the added benefit of creating a positive environment to attract the brightest minds that graduate from our schools of engineering to the consulting engineering profession. 20. QBS allows the consulting engineering sector to attract exceptional talent to the industry. 21. QBS ensures that there will be a strong local consulting engineering industry that supports the economic and social well-being of Canada. Adapted from Consulting Engineers of Alberta’s “The CEA Minute.”
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ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW
On the right footing: laying the foundation for subcontract work
S
By Kelly Kolke, Partner, Grant Thornton LLP
uccessfully seeing a project through to completion, while meeting all financial and scheduling parameters, is the goal of any engineer consulting in the construction field. Hiring subcontractors in the process of achieving this goal can be an anxiety-inducing undertaking since relinquishing control to a third party involves risk — and without proper risk mitigation strategies, a project can easily spiral out of control. What many fail to realize, however, is that risk management starts even before the bidding process begins. By laying the groundwork ahead of time, you can protect yourself when bumps in the road occur. To that end, here are some best practices that can help you adhere to your budgets and timelines, while simultaneously helping you receive the quality of work you expect.
form some work yourself, make sure this is clearly identified and a competitive bid is prepared. Emphasizing complete transparency from the outset can also curb many problems before they arise — such as when one contractor wins multiple contracts within the same project, or two subcontractors work together to rig the bidding process. One way to do this is by requiring bidders to disclose their status as a “related party” upfront and asking them to clearly specify the precise nature of the contemplated transaction. For contractors who win multiple contracts in the same project, take steps to monitor them carefully and ensure they’re not charging overages from one contract to another — something that can occur if one contract is a fixed price and the other is time and materials.
Eliminate confusion upfront One of the best ways to reduce postcontract disputes — so your bidding process may attract reliable bids — is by preparing a total cost estimate before a project begins. This step doesn’t simply help you understand how much a project is likely to cost; it also serves as a baseline for evaluating bids. To further strengthen the bidding process, prepare complete document packages for candidates to use when bidding. If you plan to per-
Set expectations early Prequalifying bidders is a great way to let potential subcontractors know what is expected of them before they put in the effort to submit a bid. A typical prequalification statement should include confirmation that the bidder • is qualified to perform the work and has the financial means to do it; • has the minimum insurance and liability coverage required; • possesses proper licenses and bonding, and
• has reliable references. A pre-bid conference call can give you an opportunity to explain the project and bidding process, as well as answer any technical questions regarding the project and previouslydistributed bid documents (such as plans and specifications). With expectations clearly set, the bidding process should be straightforward — provided you perform your due diligence and require certification with each submission. A bidder’s certification should state that the bid was prepared without collusion and that the bidder examined all applicable sections of the contract documents. It should also confirm that the bidder understands where the work is to be performed, as well as the nature of the work and conditions of its performance. It may be beneficial to include a clause that allows you to reserve the right to reject all bids should project objectives change, or if bid amounts exceed the owner’s budget. Moving forward When it comes time to review and tabulate bids, remember that the lowest bid isn’t always the best — particularly if the contract will be billed according to time and materials. Instead, try to focus on the companies that have previous experience, and that also come across as professional, continued on page 14
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. March/April 2015 Canadian Consulting Engineer
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ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW
responsive and responsible. Once you have your top choices in hand, convene a post-bid conference to further assist you in selecting the best provider. When this is done, convert your chosen subcontractor’s bid into a contract, and all material quotes into purchase orders. Take the time now to insert specifications for such things as permitting the use of like products, so that you can avoid the headaches associated with products of lesser quali-
ty. Also, try to lock in material prices for the duration of the project. While some subcontractors may balk at this — not wanting to exceed the standard 30-day guarantee included in most bids — it’s definitely worth a try as it can save you quite a bit of money in the long run. Even if you’ve implemented a seamless bidding process — and selected your ideal subcontractor — things can still go off-course. With a proper foundation in place, however,
you’ll have the tools you need to curb any potential damage and keep the delays and overages to a minimum. Kelly Kolke, C.A. is a partner with Grant Thornton LLP. He is based in Nova Scotia. E-mail Kelly.kolke@ca.gt.com. Grant Thornton is a Corporate Partner of ACEC.
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transportation
By Hassan Saffarini, P.Eng., Ph.D., NORR
Revitalization of Union Station The extraordinary structural engineering involved in expanding Toronto’s Union Station using a "dig down" approach is unprecedented in Canada. The lead structural engineer explains what is involved.
A
fter years of deliberation about congestion at Union Station, the City of Toronto moved forward with the ambitious and yet undeniably vital undertaking of redeveloping this transportation hub, which serves 65 million passengers annually. The project aims at enhancing the transportation functions of the station, revitalizing it as a destination, and implementing capital improvements. These include preserving and restoring its heritage character as a designated national historic site. Located on Front Street West between Bay and York Streets, the station serves intercity passenger trains and has a rail passenger concourse and commuter GO train concourse in the basement. Toronto-based NORR was commissioned to plan and design the renovations, produce tender documents and administer the construction contracts of the $640-million revitalization project. NORR’s scope covered architecture, interior design, structure, mechanical and electrical engineering. With the site's considerable spatial limitations and heritage conservation constraints, expanding the concourse, improving its services and creating viable retail space presented an enormous challenge. In 2007, NORR had been working with the City of Toronto together with stakeholders to come up with feasible options. An idea was put forward then to expand underneath the station. The concept was frowned upon at the time by some of the stakeholders and many doubted its constructability. But building on top of the track level was not permissible from a heritage standpoint, and the existing basement space below the tracks was simply too limited to fulfil even the most basic needs of the revitalization. NORR went on to study and verify the viability of what was termed the "dig-down" approach. The basic concept is to create a second basement level below the existing one, 16
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Above: main portals to the 1921 station's head house in downtown Toronto.
which technically is termed a viaduct structure as it supports trains. The project is unprecedented in Canada in scale and engineering, and logistical complexities. The city and the various stakeholders finally gave their blessings for design to proceed in 2008. The revitalization project now underway will increase Union Station's gross floor area from 822,000 to 936,000 sq. ft., all within the existing heritage envelope. GO Transit's space will increase from 30,000 to 120,000 sq.ft. and will transform the first basement into a concourse. The concourse will be connected to the Toronto Transit Commission's new subway train concourse to the north through a beautiful massive skylight roof over the historic building’s moat. The pedestrian experience will be further enhanced by walking through an atrium space that is crossed by a glass bridge. Commercial retail space will increase from 35,000 to 152,000 sq.ft., the majority of which will be in the dig-down second basement. The "dig down" involves incrementally shoring the track slab, excavating, extending columns down, and building two new slabs; the lower slab serving as a retail floor and the upper one housing the concourse. The modified viaduct is being seismically upgraded with a combination of shear walls, column jacketing and column reinforcement using continued on page 18
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Dig-down in process with columns in different stages of completion.
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Above: sequence of excavation, shoring and column extension to create a second basement for retail.
carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP). Construction began in 2010 and is likely to continue through 2017, taking place in stages. The dig-down constitutes only one component of this major project. In fact the total area of the renovated and new space amounts to just under 1 million square feet. Other major projects at the station’s site have coincided in time with the Union Station Revitalization project and will upon completion change the quality of the area beyond recognition. These include the Second Platform and Concourse Improvement at the Toronto Transit Commission's Union subway station just to the north; Metrolinx’s Train Shed Roof Revitalization above this project, and finally the Northwest PATH Tunnel. The engineering of these three projects is done by other consultants, while NORR is the architect of the third, which aims to enhance the flow to and through Toronto’s extensive pedestrian underground PATH system. Adapting the historical structure and monitoring Union Station was opened in 1927 after two decades of planning, design and construction. The head house of the station was completed in 1921 as a fine example of BeauxArts architecture. The building is a hybrid of steel and masonry structure common to that period and has a unique Guastavino vaulted ceiling which is supported by a steel roof truss over the great hall of the station. A reinforced concrete flat slab viaduct structure supported the tracks at an elevated level above the adjacent Bay and York streets. The space below this track slab had been grossly underused for decades, but now would be incorpo18
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rated into the station expansion. The green light given for the project was predicated on two conditions; that train operations are completely unaffected by the construction work below, and that the movement of the track slab is tightly monitored to verify the designer's forecasts and assure stakeholders that movements resulting from the construction are negligible. Monitoring is being done by several techniques, including the use of robotic total stations which measure movement of the track slab 24/7 and automatically send out alerts by emails if movement at any location exceeds a predefined threshold. Electrolevel beam sensors are also used. These are basically segmented electrical levels mounted to the underside of the track slab that measure tilt and transform it into deflection values. It is believed that this monitoring program is the most extensive and innovative of its kind in Canada. Cutting of columns and construction below While the 1920s design drawings were, at least partially, available, a number of unknowns remained. Testing and exploration from the surface could not cover every concealed detail, but a fair understanding of the subterranean conditions of soil and structure were ascertained for a rational design. The slab supporting the trains is shored, hydraulically jacked by 80% of columns’ locked-in forces, columns are cut, foundations demolished and new columns are instated at a depth that is 3 to 4 metres below the current basement level. The removal of columns and construction of the two-storey structure below is performed in a well defined sequence to ensure the lateral stability of the 220-m long viaduct. The
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use of self-consolidating concrete in conjunction with high performance grout for the top part of the column is essential for structural integrity and ease of construction. At the time of writing this article the majority of the concrete columns marked for replacement have been successfully executed, and the new concourse and retail slabs have in large part been cast and in some cases architecturally finished. A transition to the new concourse is being coordinated to allow the current GO concourse to be excavated and redeveloped. The column gridlines in the middle part of the viaduct are 4 metres on centre which is quite narrow for a modern high-end mall. A structural solution had to be found for shifting 1.2 x 1.2-m wide columns, again with trains running on the tracks above. Two lines of columns along the mall’s main corridor were removed and replaced by more widely spaced steel columns. Major steel beams transferred load from the cut columns to the new ones. A column-free loading dock is also crucial to any mall’s operation. A line of columns thus had to be completely removed, and the track slab above is being supported instead on storey-high steel trusses. This approach created a 16-m wide truck loading zone.
Background Google Maps
transportation
Aerial photo of site. The Union Station Revitalization project described in this article takes place below the station head house and viaduct structure that carries the train tracks. The new glass roof structure over the train shed (at centre of viaduct) and the TTC station rehabilitation to the north on Front Street West are separate projects by other teams.
Maintaining escalators and services during construction During the latter part of the 20th century the station was equipped with a number of escalators taking passengers from the concourse level to the platforms. These escalators were supported by steel posts and helical piers, which were screwed into the soil-fill that overlaid bedrock and formed the substrate for the existing basement. All of this soil had to be excavated as part of the dig-down, which would have
NORR
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Above: 90-year old column shored and cut, with bars spliced to new reinforcement cage.
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Even more complicated... A structural solution was improvised to keep the escalators Perhaps the most interesting and unique component of the operational as work proceeded beneath. The escalators were project will be embarked upon in the months to come when supported from within the dig-down by properly designed the second stage of the project commences. To date, all the steel frames that were anchored to the main viaduct columns. dig-down has taken place underneath the one-storey viaThe escalators were jacked and their load was transferred duct structure. A significant portion of the stage II dig-down onto the new steel framing, which is now completely hidden occurs under the five-storey east wing of the head house. in the ceiling space of the retail level. Another challenge is making sure that existing services continue to operate during construction, that new systems are installed and that these are transitioned into operation seamlessly. When one considers the history of the station and the maze of service tunnels housing old and relatively new lines, from steam to fibre optics, one can appreciate the complexities involved. The problem is compounded when much of the station is being dug under. Some old tunnels disappeared, others were Eliminate the need for fusing carved in the shale bedrock, and with the new Refuse-to-Fuse™ above-grade services had to be Victaulic® Style 905 coupling threaded into the existing building Patented for 2 – 6" HDPE pipe. fabric and through limited ceiling space. 3D BIM models of the strucSpeed ture and duct/pipe-work, much like submarine design, were applied to • Up to 10 times faster than traditional fusing optimize the use of space. • Installs without the need to disassemble the coupling left the escalators with no support.
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Rock issues As with many projects in Toronto's downtown, rock creep was flagged as a potential source of exceptionally high lateral pressure on tunnel walls as a result of a phenomenon called rock-squeeze. Soil-structure interaction analysis was undertaken to quantify the true impact of a possible rock movement on the tunnels. This was augmented by detailed monitoring of actual rock movement in the tunnel trenches. To mitigate the impact of excavating in rock close to the existing foundations an ingenious approach was improvised involving drilling holes roughly 3 metres apart to the desired excavation depth, and running steel wires to saw cut the shale. This method produced perfectly intact, almost polished, vertical surfaces in the rock.
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Removing the columns of this steel framed building cannot be done by simply shoring the lowest floor. In fact, each floor would need to be shored down to bedrock before the columns could be cut safely. The alternative, which was selected, is to grip the columns from the bottom, jack the entire building and cut the columns below the grip point. This approach was used 15 years ago in San Francisco City Hall, a building of the same vintage and almost identical structural system. The objective was different there, as 530 columns were cut and temporarily jacked to install seismic base isolators. The San Francisco
case inspired NORR engineers and contact was made with the sub-trade that carried out the jacking. Details were then developed to suit Toronto’s Union Station. Not only will the revitalization project have a long-lasting impact on the vibrancy of Toronto, but also it promises to leave a legacy for years to come of innovation in architecture and engineering thatwas undertaken locally. CCE Hassan Saffarini, P.Eng, Ph.D, is the structural engineering manager, senior project manager, at NORR in Toronto and the lead structural engineer on the Union Station Revitalization project.
Below: storey-high trusses used to eliminate obstructing columns in the loading dock.
Project: Union Station Revitalization Client/owner: City of Toronto Prime consultant, planning, design, contract documents, contract administration; project managers, architects, structural, mechanical, electrical engineers: NORR (Silvio Baldassarra, David Barrington, P.Eng., Paul Noskiewicz, Hadi Khouzam, David Clusiau, Hassan Saffarini, P.Eng., Ted Robertson, P.Eng., Domenico Scappaticci, Adrian Sarbu. P.Eng., Mila Legge) Construction management/general contractor: Carillion Canada Geotechnical: SPL Other key players: Monir (monitoring), CSE (temporary works), Isherwood (excavation shoring), Fyfe (CFRP), Freyssinet (flat jacks). Above: atrium space in the new concourse leading to retail space below.
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wastewater
Urban Systems
By Troy D. Vassos, Ph.D, P.Eng., Sam Turk, Ph.D, P.Eng., Golder Associates & Chris Town, P.Eng., Urban Systems
Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks
F
In Kamloops, B.C., a lagoon — the most basic technology for sewage treatment — has been modified to provide state-of-theart tertiary treatment with biological nutrient removal (BNR). ical-based biological nutrient removal (BNR) process. The capital and accumulated operating costs over 20 years for a mechanical plant were estimated to be $73 million. However, an environmental impact study and biological response risk assessment verified that a total phospho-
Golder Associates
or decades the City of Kamloops' wastewater treatment facility, located on the Thompson River across from the Kamloops Airport, has used lagoons for secondary treatment, adding chemicals to reduce phosphorus levels in the effluent. The effluent is released into the river. To accommodate a projected population growth from 80,000 to 125,000 while continuing to meet the stringent permitted effluent phosphorous levels, it appeared the city would need to replace its lagoon system with a mechan-
rus effluent concentration of 1.0 mg/L would maintain the ecological balance and protect aquatic life in the Thompson River, with little to no effect on the algal and invertebrate communities or fish population. Mechanical BNR plants are often constructed in order to meet the need for low effluent total phosphorus concentrations of typically less than 0.3 mg/L. The finding that a Top: aerial view of the completed facility. The modified lagoons are located in the upper left (BNR modification) and middle (membrane modification) of the photo. Left: diagram illustrating the process conditions and recirculation required to achieve biological phosphorus and nitrogen removal within a mechanical tertiary wastewater treatment plant.
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higher concentration would protect the environment opened the door to less expensive treatment alternatives. Golder Associates and Urban Systems were retained to complete a detailed concept study. The study concluded that a lagoon could be modified by partitioning it with floating membranes and adding equipment to create the BNR process conditions. The system would achieve similar tertiary nutrient removal levels as a more expensive mechanical BNR process. The resulting lagoon-based tertiary treatment process that was designed and constructed is a simple but state-of-the-art, sustainable solution that will save the city millions over the 20-year life of the facility. It also uses existing operator skills and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
bic environmental conditions. These mechanical plant configurations can be quite complex: the first BNR process in North America consisted of 21 individual bioreactor tanks. While simpler configurations have since been developed, BNR processes are still generally considered to be among the most complex and expensive domestic wastewater treatment systems to build and operate. In contrast, lagoon wastewater treatment processes are generally considered to be among the simplest and lowest cost treatment processes. Their primary disadvantages are the large amount of land that they typically require and the inability to significantly alter or control the treatment conditions. They are also generally considered to be, at best, a passive means of achieving secondary wastewater treatment.
ing recirculation pumps, aeration equipment, and mixers, along with a concrete wall and two floating bafflewalls to partition the lagoon into aerobic, anoxic and anaerobic zones, as shown in the photo below. The concrete wall that extends into the lagoon between the anaerobic and aerobic zones provides structural support for the mechanical equipment and electrical power required for the tethered mixers and recirculation pumps, as well as serving to anchor the two floating baffle-partitions (shown in red) that separate the three zones. Two new clarifiers were constructed to retain and recycle bacteria back to the front of the modified aerated lagoon. The treated effluent is disinfected using ultraviolet light, eliminating the need for chlorine. This approach addresses the Canadian EnviMechanical BNR vs. lagoons ronmental Protection Act requireAs illustrated in the diagram on p. 24, Modifying the lagoons ment that effluent is free of toxic biological phosphorus and nitrogen Ignoring this technology bias, the chlorine residuals. removal is achieved in a mechanical project team developed a design conThe design modified an existing tertiary treatment plant by recirculatcept that involved modifying one of anaerobic lagoon for the purpose of ing wastewater and bacteria between the existing secondary treatment lapre-treating the raw wastewater while structural tanks that are designed to goons to achieve tertiary treatment. generating volatile fatty acids that are maintain anaerobic, anoxic and aeroThe modifications included installessential to biological nutrient removal. The anaerobic lagoon was covered to isolate the water from oxygen in the atmosphere, as well as to capture methane. Although the city is currently flaring the methane while decreasing greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 8,900 tonnes per year (carbon dioxide equivalent), the intent is to consider energy recovery options in the future. Several of the existing aerated lagoons were also retained to Above: BNR-modifed lagoon with mixers, recirculation pumps, aeration diffusers and concrete wall in place. The red sustainably treat 5,500 lines illustrate the location of the floating baffle partitions. They are anchored to the concrete wall and separate the anaerobic, anoxic and aerobic zones.
continued on page 26
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m³/d of wastewater to a secondary standard for agricultural and golf course irrigation reuse. The effluent used for irrigation did not need to have the nitrogen and phosphorus reduced because these nutrients will benefit the vegetation. The reuse water application reduces the amount of potable water that would otherwise be required to satisfy irrigation demands. Savings of $33 million and a "blue collar" process A comparable mechanical membrane bioreactor (MBR) tertiary treatment process with a design horizon of approximately 20 years and a maximum daily flow of 60,000 m³/d was estimated in 2009 to cost approximately $73 million. In comparison the modified lagoon-based tertiary treatment process cost was $40 million, saving the
city an estimated $33 million in capital costs. This novel solution maximized the use of existing infrastructure and freed up a considerable area of land for other uses, such as composting. Completed in September 2014, the new facility is a unique wastewater treatment process based on the lagoon — which is arguably the most basic and common form of wastewater treatment used in rural areas across North America. A "blue-collar" process, the modified lagoon system is designed to remove both nitrogen and phosphorus robustly and inexpensively. Education and sustainability As public education is important to prevent contaminants, such as flushables, from being discharged to sewers, the City of Kamloops will use the new administration building that was part
of the project to host tours and school groups. The BNR facility is highly sustainable in that it: • is the lowest-cost solution compared to a mechanical BNR process and meets regulatory requirements; • improves the agronomic value of the residual waste biosolids by increasing the phosphorus content; • saves up to $200,000 per year in chemicals to remove phosphorus; • incorporates existing wastewater treatment lagoon infrastructure and operator skills; • protects the aquatic environment in the Thompson River; and • captures methane gas while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 8,900 tonnes per year, and makes bio-energy recovery possible in the future. CCE Troy D. Vassos, Ph.D., P.Eng. is a senior process engineer with Golder Associates in Vancouver. Sam Turk, Ph.D., P.Eng. is with Golder Associates in Vancouver and was responsible for the BNR-lagoon process design. Chris Town, P.Eng. is with Urban Systems in Kamloops and was responsible for overall project management.
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Project: Kamloops Sewage Treatment Upgrade, Lagoon Based BNR, B.C. Client/owner: City of Kamloops Prime consultants: Golder Associates and Urban Systems (Sam Turk, Ph.D. P.Eng., Chris Town, P.Eng., Peter Coxon, P.Eng., Matt Smith, P.Eng., Mary Boulanger, P.Eng.) Structural: CWWM Consulting (Don Bergman P.Eng.); Watson Engineering (Andrew Watson P.Eng.) Electrical: Ready Engineering (Russ Visser P.Eng.) Geotechnical: Thurber Engineering (Kevin Sterne P.Eng.) Architects: Owen and Hunter General contractor: Maple Reinders Other key players: Extreme (excavation); Betts (electrical contractor); Geomembrane Technologies (anaerobic lagoon biogas membrane)
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Koch Membrane Systems has launched its PURON MP hollow fibre ultrafiltration cartridge. It is designed for highsolids water and wastewater applications, including surface water treatment, reverse osmosis pre-treatment and tertiary treatment (average continuous solids tolerance of up to 25 mg/L). www.ksb.ca A biosolids management system developed by Lystek International of Cambridge, Ontario has been installed in a wastewater treatment plant in North Battleford, Saskatchewan. The application is the first in a Western Canada municipality. The Lystek process involves a combination of heat, alkali and high shear mixing to break down biological material into a saleable liquified fertilizer, LysteGro. www.lystek.com SOFTWARE
The R11.1.14 update to S-FRAME Analysis for structural analysis, design and modelling has several new features. They include allowing users to automatically define and
apply Rigid Offsets to beam-column intersections, and allowing them to automatically locate and remove overlapping panels and shells. Also new is S-Foundation, which allows users to analyze, design and detail concrete foundations in one complete package. www.s-frame.com Bentley Systems has acquired France-based Acute3D, which makes Smart3DCapture software for advanced reality modeling. The technology can be used on infrastructure projects, allowing existing conditions to be processed into design and construction modeling environments. Existing conditions are processed using scanning, photography and unmanned aerial vehicles. www.bentley.com SKYSITE is a cloud-based, enterprise-level, document management solution for the A/E/C industry from ARC Document Solutions. The program allows users to collaborate on construction documents in real time, with secure access available on any mobile or desktop device. Users can view, manage, and distribute documents in more than 100 different file types. www.e-arc.com March/April 2015
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By Bronwen Parsons
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Municipalities and road engineers are wrestling with how to provide safe bikeways for the growing number of cyclists who use the roads. Norma Moores of IBI shares her insights.
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IBI Group
iding along on a bike you feel as free as a bird. With the wind in your face, objects flying by, you experience the world almost as if you're defying gravity. No wonder then that cycling is becoming more popular. It's healthy for the planet. It's healthy for your body. You can avoid cramming into crowded transit, and it let's you speed on your way past frustrated drivers sitting idling in cars on clogged city streets. Norma Moores, P.Eng., an associate with IBI Group in Hamilton, Ontario, is an engineer and a cyclist. She has also been involved in designing bikeways and cycling networks since the late 1980s and has made bikeways her specialty. Moores explains that according to the 2011 National Household Survey, around 1.3% of Canadians cycle to work. However, the percentages are much higher in downtown areas of cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, as well as in some smaller centres. And a much greater percentage of the population uses their bicycles for pleasure or non-work trips. She points out that the 2014 Share the Road Coalition found that 32% of Ontarians, for example, ride at least once a month. A majority — 54% — said they would like to ride more often. What is holding more people back from riding is their fear of having to travel on roads alongside cars, buses and trucks hurtling past them at breakneck speeds. But it's a two-way street in more ways than one. For every avid cyclist, there are many more motorists who are nervous about driving close to those on two wheels and concerned about the increasing numbers of cyclists on the roads. The obvious answer from a safety point of view and to lessen the conflicts is to have more separation between the two transport modes. What this means is that cities need to build more bike lanes and bike networks. Moores understands that muncipalities are cash-strapped and struggling to find funds for infrastructure already. But,
she says, "Even if municipalities were to take 2% of their road capital budget and put it towards cycling infrastructure, we would see an expansion of our cycling networks." The engineer's conundrum There are physical as well as financial constraints. For engineers the challenge comes in finding the space for bike continued on page 30
Moores leading a cycling tour with local planners and engineers in Kitchener, Ontario.
Norma Moores, P.Eng., became involved in bikeway design in the late 1980s when she designed and assessed bike lanes in Guelph, southern Ontario as part of an environmental assessment. She has worked for several consulting engineering firms on bike lane projects in scores of cities across Canada and in Upstate New York and Brazil. She was on the working group responsible for the Transportation Association of Canada first Bikeway Traffic Control Guidelines and helped prepare the second edition. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Transportation Engineers and has won awards for her work, including the Albany Cycling Master Plan and Kitchener Bikeway Study. She is currently leading IBI's comprehensive study for the Cty of Toronto which will outline the bikeways to be built over the next 10 years.
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John Lutton
lanes on existing roadways. "It's hard to shoehorn everything into the right-of-way that is available," Moores says. Even on the most ideal roads there will be clash points. Bridges, underpasses, steep ravine slopes, ditches and expressway crossings can narrow a roadway so much that they force the bikeway to end. Moores once had a project where the obstacle was a cemetery that came close to the road with graves that couldn't be moved to enable the necessary road widening. Or there can be a conflict with underground infrastructure. Moores recalls a proposed bike lane in Waterloo, Ontario: "The boulevard has both a hydro corridor and a watermain. So we were stuck. How do we widen the road for the bike lane without moving the poles or without the new curb [being] on top of the watermain? " Some of the most dangerous points are at intersections where bike lanes end to make room for a vehicle turn lane. A 38-year old female cyclist in west end Toronto was killed in November 2011 when she was dragged under the wheels of a heavy truck while both were turning right on a corner. She had a child's trailer attached to the back of her bike, but thankfully it was empty.
NEW DESIGN TOOLS Engineers and urban designers are working on solutions to the conflicts and constantly striving to make the roads safer for everyone. Moores describes some of the tools and techniques they are starting to use. Bicycle Boulevards To encourage cyclists to use local, residential streets rather than busy arterials, cities are creating "traffic calmed bicycle boulevards" or “neighbourhood greenways," Moores explains. These roads usually have no more than 5,000-7,000 vehicles a day and a speed limit of less than 50 kilometres an hour. The traffic calming devices might include an island that allows cyclists but not vehicles to travel across it in order to discourage cut-through traffic. Or stop signs may be replaced with traffic circles, which slow traffic but do not force cyclists to stop often along the route. At busier intersections, push buttons within reach of cyclists allow them to trigger a traffic signal to cross safely. "Vancouver has an excellent network of these local street bikeways," says Moores. "It's a combination of little elements strung out along the route that make a bicycle boulevard work really well," she adds. Buffered and Segregated Bicycle Lanes "Next is to provide actual space on the roadway," says Moores. A conventional bike lane would be 1.5 metres wide but could also have a painted buffer 0.5 metres wide to
IBI Group
Left: Local “Bicycle Boulevard” where it crosses an arterial in Vancouver. Cyclists can activate a traffic signal and an island diverter prevents motorists using the route to cut through a neighbourhood. Below: Study for a multi-use path along Grand Lake Road Trail connecting Sydney to Cape Breton University and Reserve Mines. The task was trying to fit a 3-metre wide trail between a high-speed busy highway, a ditch and hydro poles.
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transportation make it more comfortable for cyclists and motorists. A segregated bike lane or cycle track has something like flexible posts, planters or a raised curb to segregate it from the traffic lane. "They're on busier routes and they're more continuous. And there are bigger costs associated with them."
continued on page 32
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Reassigning Road Space "Whereas we used to build travel lanes at 3.5 to 3.7 metres wide," says Moores, "new guidance and safety studies out of the U.S. suggest that in an urban area, a lane that's only 3.0 or 3.25 metres wide can operate just as well. So if you have a four or sixlane roadway with lanes all built at 3.5 or 3.7 metres, you can start shaving those down to be narrower and you find a little extra space to fit in bike lanes or buffer bike lanes. "Another technique that we're using is a 'Road Diet,'" says Moores. "If you have a four-lane roadway, you can restripe it to three lanes so that you have one travel lane in each direction and the centre turn lane allows left turns from both directions. What's left over you can give to the bike lanes. It's a nice result, but you have to apply it carefully based on the volumes. We know that if you have less than 20,000 cars a day, generally a Road Diet can work quite well on a four-lane road."
Avoiding conflicts with buses ... On busy city roads with a frequent bus service, the combination of buses and cyclists can be troublesome. The cyclist passes the bus picking up passengers; the bus speeds up and passes the cyclist; the cyclist catches up at the next bus stop, and so they continue "leapfrogging," as Moores describes it.
Above: "Road Diet" at Davenport Road, Waterloo, Ontario. Four travel lanes were converted to two travel lanes with bike lanes, and a median (helpful to pedestrians crossing) and turn lanes. The project coincided with road resurfacing. CCEA_122014.indd 1
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transportation
continued from page 31
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Guidelines for Bikeway Design
Above: segregated bike lane going eastbound along a one-way busy artery, Richmond Street in downtown Toronto. A companion track going westbound is installed along Adelaide Street, another one-way street running parallel. These tracks were installed as a pilot project under an environmental assessment study and have proved highly popular, with more than 1,500 cyclists a day using the corridors.
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Ontario Traffic Manual Book 18: Cycling Facilities (December 2013). www.library.mto.gov.on.ca NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide (New York: 2013, National Association of City Transportation Officials) NACTO Urban Street Design Guide (New York: 2013), http://nacto.org
The mix creates tense and precarious situations for both cyclist and bus driver. As a solution, the example Moores gives is Sherbourne Street, a north-south street in downtown Toronto that has a segregated bike lane with a curb barrier. The bike lane is raised 150 mm at each bus stop and the pedestrians walk across this raised section to board or alight from the bus. The cyclists have to yield to the bus passengers, but they do not have to contend with the bus merging into and out of the bike lane at the stops. ... and surface rapid transit Light rail and bus rapid transit systems (LRTs and BRTs) are being installed in cities across Canada, but these surface transit modes create daunting situations for cyclists. "York Region has done a great job on their rapid transit corridor designs to put in a bus and bike lane on Highway 7 in Markham," Moores says. The question was, "How do we make it safe not only for people to ride along a corridor, but actually to be able to make a left turn from this corridor? With all the travel lanes, and left-turn lane, and the bus rapid transit in the median, it would be daunting to be riding along and then trying to turn left." What York Region came up with, Moores continues, "is a new type of "Two Stage, Left-Turn Bike Box." This is simply space set aside in the corner at a signalized intersection out of the way of the bike lane and sidewalk. Cyclists wait in the box until they can safely cross to the other side when the side street light turns green. A video explaining the procedure is on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IBruUhR9QU
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Regional Municipality of York
IBI Group
transportation
Top: raised bike lane to accommodate buses on Sherbourne Street in Toronto. Cyclists yield to pedestrians boarding the bus. Above: Two-Stage, Left-Turn Bike Box on Highway 7 in York Region north of Toronto. These boxes at signalized intersections allow cyclists to wait safely until they can turn left across multiple traffic lanes and a bus rapid transit route.
Costs and the Complete Streets approach Even where conditions are so ideal that creating a bikeway seems to be a simple matter of painting lines on the existing roadway, the budget has to account for additional features. The city might need to put up signals for cyclists riding against traffic, for example, or dedicate more funds for patching potholes. There are also maintenance issues, especially with segregated bike lanes that might require special snow clearing equipment. The best solution to keeping costs down is to integrate a bike lane as part of a larger construction project, says Moores. Designers call this the "Complete Streets" approach. "Obviously if you can build a bikeway as part of a larger capital project, you're going to see savings because you're already mobilizing for construction," she says. "We are starting to think, O.K. I've got to rehabilitate this road. What can I do to help cyclists, pedestrians, transit and other users?" The other important aspect is collaboration. Engineers and their clients are often focused on producing a roadway as quickly and economically as possible. Adding bicycle lanes just adds to their stress load. Moores has advice here too: "Generally within the engineering community we are working in very complex urban areas and we need to come together collaboratively, whether we're somebody who is concerned about the underground facilities, or with a hydro company and wanting to maintain that infrastructure, or we're looking at drainage or structures, or traffic systems and electrical systems. It's all very complex and we need to work together to understand what each other needs to make it work." CCE
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Canadian Consulting Engineer
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engineers & the law
By Philip A. Carson, Ph.D., Miller Thomson
A decision by the Alberta Court of Appeal means that engineers and architects are not protected by a limitation of liability clause in two surprising situations.
Caution: Limitation Clauses May Not Apply
A
decision of the Alberta Court of Appeal, Swift v To- the limitation clause applied to both spouses. mecek Roney Little & Associates Ltd., last year has The Court of Appeal reversed the decision of the trial significantly reduced the protection that consultants judge on both issues. And in doing so it reduced the conrely upon when they include limitations of liability provi- tractual protection consultants often rely upon. sions in their contracts. As well, the case highlights issues The Alberta Court of Appeal ruled that there was noththat can arise when a consultant enters into an agreement ing in the agreement or in the conduct of the parties that with an owner on a project that has multiple owners. could make Mrs. Swift a party to the agreement with the In this case (2014 ABCA 49), plaintiffs Mr. and Mrs. Swift architect. Without an express agent-principle relationship, jointly purchased land on Vancouver Island to build a large Mr. Swift could not affect the legal rights of Mrs. Swift so as custom home. Mr. Swift, as sole signatory, entered into a to bind her to the limitation clause. design agreement with an architecMost significantly, the court ruled Going forward, a consultant tural firm that contained a limitathat when the engineer issued defition of liability clause that purport- should ensure that any limitation cient revised drawings to address the ed to limit the architect’s liability to seismic issue, that was a “misrepreof liability provision expressly $500,000 for: “any and all claims … sentation." The Court of Appeal limits liability for the original which arise solely and directly out ruled that the revisions, not being of the Designer's duties and respondesign – and for any revisions. the original work, did not arise “solesibilities pursuant to this Agreely and directly out of the Designer's ment … whether such claims sound in contract or in tort." duties,” and that the misrepresentation was not the kind of This limitation clause purported to extend protection to the tort (i.e. negligence) that the clause was intended to limit. architect’s sub-consultants. Consequently, the engineer’s liability was not limited. An issue arose during construction suggesting that the Going forward, a consultant should ensure that any structural design did not meet the building code in respect limitation of liability provision expressly limits liability for of seismic design. The structural engineer issued design the original design work and any revisions, and that it exrevisions that it considered sufficient to bring the design pressly limits liability for any misrepresentations in the up to code. Construction of the house was completed design work. A sub-consultant should also understand the using the revised design. protections that it may or may not enjoy under the prime The trial judge found that the revised design did not consultant agreement. To avoid some of the trouble faced by the engineer in meet the building code and that $1.9 million in remedial work was required. He also found that the limitation clause this action, a consultant should ensure that all owners of a limited liability to $500,000 and that the clause applied to property are parties to the consulting agreement. And the limit the liability of the engineer. consultant should also ensure that a limitation of liability One of the issues in the case was whether Mrs. Swift, who provision is extended to future owners, partners or anyone did not sign the agreement with the architect, was also bound else who might later make a claim against the consultant, or by the limitation clause. The trial judge held that even ensure that an indemnity is given by the current owner to though Mrs. Swift was not a signatory to the agreement there protect against claims by subsequent owners. was sufficient evidence to establish that Mr. Swift was acting on behalf of both himself and Mrs. Swift when he signed the Philip A. Carson, Ph.D, is a partner of Miller Thomson, LLP, in agreement with the architect. The trial judge concluded that the Calgary office. pcarson@millerthomson.com 34
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infrastructure
A Piece of
the LNG Pie? British Columbia has set its sights on a billion dollar LNG industry.While consulting engineers are already reaping benefits doing early preparatory work, they wonder how much work will be sent offshore. By Jean Sorensen
C
onsulting engineering firms in B.C. are capturing early works contracts for the massive liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects that are in B.C.'s sights. The province calls these LNG proposals "some of the largest capital projects in the province's history," and anticipates a final investment decision on some during 2015. Renata King, director of business development for Northern Development Initiative Trust, a provincial funding corporation, says that early works in Northern B.C. have already translated into construction activity preparing sites. For example there has already been site preparation for camps and roads at major LNG sites located at Prince Rupert, the District of Port Edward, and Kitimat. "That is only millions of dollars (in contracts) compared to the billions that will be invested when projects go ahead," she says. Currently, provincial environmental assessment certificates have been issued for six LNG projects – the Westcoast Connector Gas Transmission pipeline, the Pacific Northwest LNG export facility in Port Edward, the continued on page 36
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infrastructure
Š Getty Images/iStockphoto/ peterotool
Canadian engineering companies routinely team up on complex mega-projects to bid on contracts in other countries, so it would be advocating a double standard to suggest a protectionist attitude. Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline, the Pacific Trail Pipeline, the Kitimat LNG project in Bish Cove, and Coastal GasLink Pipeline. The $40 billion dollar Shell-led project filed for a provincial environmental review of its project in November 2014, followed by two others, Woodfibre LNG and WCC LNG in early 2015. B.C. consulting engineer firms acknowledge they are doing business but are reluctant to name clients. McElhanney, Golder, Stantec, Hatch, and Moffat & Nichol are all active in LNG projects. Other contracts have gone offshore or to a combination of offshore and local companies. As an example of the wide scale and scope involved in LNG projects, the proposed LNG liquefaction facility at Bish Cove near Kitimat is a project of Chevron Canada and Apache Canada. They have given an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract to Fluor, which has an office in Vancouver, and JGC Corporation which is headquartered in Japan. The work scope includes detailed engineering and procurement services for the initial phases, and completion of the existing front end engineering design (FEED) package. As well there are two liquefied natural gas trains (5.5 million tons per annum), utilities, two 190,000cu.m LNG storage tanks, product loading facilities, material offloading facilities, marine installations, and other related infrastructure. Pressure on costs Despite all the work that's promised, there is a question of how much will be outsourced, and how much will fall to Canadian engineers. Petronas, Malaysia's national energy firm, has openly said that costs in Canada for its Pacific Northwest LNG project 36
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are higher than anticipated, and in a Globe and Mail article spoke of moving work offshore. The article pointed out that there are lower engineering costs in countries such as India and China. Keith Sashaw, president of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies-BC (ACEC-BC), says: "Obviously, we get concerned when the price becomes the major determinate when hiring consulting engineer firms." He acknowledges that some work will go offshore simply because Canadian companies don't have the expertise of LNG projects that many global engineering companies have. "But," he says, "BC consulting engineers will continue playing a strong role in providing access to the LNG facilities, around the design of the plant, and other building construction at the sites." He adds, "It is the strength of the B.C. consulting engineers that they know the local market and the terrain. You have to have knowledge of the local conditions." Catherine Fritter, P.Eng., business unit leader for Moffat & Nichol, has been pacing the various LNG developments since her company's first involvement in 2004. "We have been involved in about 90% of the early works and studies in B.C. for the LNG projects," she estimates. Fritter, who also chairs the ACEC-BC board of directors, acknowledges that "We don't have the expertise in Canada for the process design and some things are better done offshore." That said, Fritter maintains that B.C. companies are strong contenders with their regional and local historical knowledge to compete on components such as the LNG marine terminals, pipelines, access roads and structures. "There is concern that the local components are sent overseas," she
says, explaining that's what happened in 2010 when projects were moved offshore to get lower costs. She says an ACEC-BC committee is being struck to monitor the situation. Global reality B.C.'s LNG industry is at a neophyte stage, but internationally LNG is an industry that has flourished for four decades. Chris Mealing, P.Eng., regional director for LNG projects with Hatch, and senior vice-president of Hatch Mott MacDonald, says the reality today is that engineering has become a global industry, which impacts both the level of expertise and the cost structure that an engineering firm can bring to a large scale project. "There is a globalizing trend in engineering, and most major firms today, have international links," Mealing says. He points out that Canadian engineering companies routinely team up on complex mega-projects to bid on contracts in other countries, so it would be advocating a double standard to suggest that a protectionist attitude should be in place to provide Canadian companies an advantage on B.C.'s large-scale LNG projects. Hatch has been involved in the burgeoning LNG industry in Australia and in other countries, and it will bring that expertise to any proposal it bids on in B.C. The reality, Mealing adds, is that other companies will do the same whether they are Canadian engineering firms in strategic alliances, or global companies able to draw expertise from other divisions. McElhanney is a company with local offices throughout northwestern B.C. and a history of more than half a century of opening resource and infrastructure developments in the area now pegged for LNG development. Allan Russell, P.Eng., president and chief executive officer of McElhanney, says that on large scale projects such as the proposed LNG projects, B.C. companies have teamed to provide the services required. "Just one of these projects is huge. While there are only cer-
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infrastructure tain companies that have that expertise or the technology to design the plants, there is the potential for a huge volume of Canadian work locally." Already McElhanney, (through subsidiary Infinity Engineering) has snapped up the Petronas contract to assist in the planning of a long span 2.7 kilometre bridge to carry LNG pipes at Port Edward. Colin Adam, P.Eng., LNG market sector leader at McElhanney, says that the ability to know local conditions and what can realistically be delivered in a northern climate, plus contractor relationships, permitting requirements, working with local authorities and First Nations, and knowing the geotechnical aspects of an area, are all essential to keeping a project on schedule.
pete with the larger firms in the area." But he is hopeful that some engineers will remain. He is also optimistic that Lapointe's expertise will yield alliances with outside firms. While opinion is divided on which project will go forward first, there is
Will there be enough people? A looming issue, in fact, is whether there will be enough engineers to do the work if several of the mega-billion projects go ahead. Adam says, "We have noticed that big, large-scale projects have a certain allure," and adds that working in more moderate climates such as the B.C. coast compared to more northern areas also helps attract engineers. But, he continues, "If the projects move to the next level, what we are seeing now is just the tip of the iceberg. The demand for labour is going to be unprecedented and we don't know where we may find [it]." That's an aspect that engineers may also have to consider in designs they put forward. The need to ensure that there are enough engineers available has not been ignored by ACEC-BC Sashaw says he is currently working with APEGBC and the ASTTBC to assess potential supply and demand. Alex Ramos-Espinoza P.Eng., general manager of Lapointe Engineering, which has longevity in Kitimat since 1980, says LNG projects have already impacted hiring at the local level. "There is the expectation of a boom and we foresee there will be requests for higher wages and more benefits. We will be challenged to comTt_ad_CCE_halfisland_MAR15.indd 1
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one generally held view. While the process engineering may go offshore, McElhanney's Adam says: "We still CCE have a good bite of the pie." Jean Sorensen is a freelance writer based in Vancouver.
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personal affairs
By Nathalie Boutet
Engineers are not immune from the devastating impacts of marriage breakdown, but using "collaborative negotiation" can help ease the division of assets and the impact on your business.
Marital Breakdown
E
ngineers have it made. According to a 2010 study from Radford University in Virginia, engineers are among the professions with the lowest divorce rates. They also rank amongst professions with the top-paying starting salary in Canada. Still, with the Canadian divorce rate continuing to hover around 30-40% of first marriages in the general population, some engineers are bound to suffer a family breakdown, which can devastate a lifetime of hard work. This article summarizes matrimonial property laws and how they can affect your busines. It then describes best practices for completing a legal separation. Married spouses Canadian provinces and territories create what is often referred to as "community of property" where the net value of certain assets acquired during the marriage are divided equally on separation. Assets acquired by gift or inheritance are not shared with a separating spouse provided they are not co-mingled with other property. To ensure a spouse’s compliance with family law obligations, Canadian family laws convey significant powers to the court, including vesting assets into the name of the other spouse, ordering the partition and sale of property, or making a preservation order against the business. If the non-title spouse becomes the owner of shares in the other’s business through a vesting process, that spouse will have access to the financial statements of the corporation and will have the right to vote on matters affecting the shareholders. If the separation is litigated in court, sensitive and private financial and business information filed with the court will become public and accessible by anyone, including competitors. This can have devastating impacts on the operations of a corporation or a partnership. Common law spouses Depending on the province or territory, common law spouses are generally classed as spouses who live together for two or three years. In some provinces such as Saskatchewan and Nova Sco38
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tia, common law couples have the same rights as married couples to divide their marital assets upon a marital breakdown. But in the majority of the provinces and territories, common law couples do not have the same rights and the division of assets on separation can become even more complicated than for married couples. Normally each common law spouse keeps the assets in their respective name. However, a spouse without title could make a claim against the assets of the other if they can establish that they made some contribution towards the value of the assets of the other spouse. This becomes complicated and costly. Processes for legal separation A mistake professionals make is not to research what legal separation process is best suited to their situation before embarking on it. There are generally six legal processes available to separating families: (1) spouse-to-spouse negotiation, (2) collaborative negotiation, (3) mediation, (4) traditional negotiation, (5) arbitration, and (6) court. Going to court is a last resort because people have no control over the outcome. Also, their personal and sensitive business information becomes public, and judges have the power to make seriously disruptive orders. Collaborative negotiations and mediation are much better suited for resolving marital disputes, especially for families that have a high net worth and when there is a business involved. In these private out-of-court systems, separating spouses can constructively address their personal, business and financial affairs, craft solutions that are personal to them and their business, and find more attractive tax and financial solutions. For example, the separating couple could work together to design their spousal support arrangement to maximize the tax deductions possible for the support payor in cases where there is a high income earner and a low income earner such as a stay-at-home parent. The collaborative law lawyers or mediator will likely recommend the use of jointly retained, neutral professionals such as certified business valuators to limit disputes and contain professional fees. Collaborative negotiation differs from traditional negocontinued on page 40
March/April 2015
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continued from page 38
tiation in that collaborative lawyers are trained in the most advanced negotiation system called “interest based negotiation," a methodology inspired by the Harvard University model, with high standards and ethics. By contrast, in traditional negotiation, because there are no negotiation protocols or code of conduct, spouses frequently end up being subjected to bullying tactics, such as the threat that the matter will be taken to court unless a proposal is accepted. Spouse-to-spouse negotiation occurs when the spouses discuss their issues and try to resolve them by themselves. This is only recommended in simple cases where there is a high degree of trust between the spouses. Going through a divorce is a devastating experience that impacts the emotional and financial well-being of the family. Everyone benefits when it’s done amicably. Nathalie Boutet is a family law lawyer and negotiation expert whose practice focuses on keeping divorces out of court. She is based in Toronto. www.boutetfamilylaw.com or nboutet@ boutetfamilylaw.com. 40
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T conversations
Interview by CCE
Beakerhead
s
Lisa Konopski of Urban Systems helped plan the crazy "smash up" of art, science and engineering that transformed Calgary's streets for several days last fall.
L
Beakerhead/Denise Kitagawa
isa Konopski was one of three people at Urban Systems who volunteered to help organize a part of the "Beakerhead," event last fall in Calgary. An extravaganza of art, spectacle and entertainment with science and engineering as its theme, the event drew 73,000 people onto the city streets and into venues over five days from September 10-14.
Q. What is Beakerhead? And why is it called a "smash up"? It was sparked by an idea of having an engineer-focused festival instead of a solely arts focused event. Calgary has many festivals, but Beakerhead is different — it gets the community engaged in something that celebrates being smart, being a scientist, being adventurous, following your dreams, having a Laser Cat, a 16-foot high installation, shot people's artwork through its laser eyes. "The more art he career. It's about trying to build excite- gets, the bigger he grows." ment around science and creativity. The whole spirit behind it is to break down the borders dens and I were on the team at Urban Systems. about how things should be. So the Beakerhead organizers We also helped Beakerhead through a lot of the logistics don't necessarily want it to be called a festival, or a fair. They — things like permitting. Where do we put the washrooms? don't want it to be labelled. I think that's where the "smash Where are all the buses going to go? How wide do the up" comes from. streets need to be? Fire permits, temporary development permits, and so on. Q. How was Urban Systems involved? Our involvement was with a specific portion of Beaker- Q. Some of the installations look phenomenal. head called "Little Big Street." It was on the Calgary There was a balance between local, grass roots installations, Stampede grounds and had around 15 installations. They and then larger scale ones like the Flaming Octopus and the all played off the idea of community — what it means to Laser Cat. Laser Cat is a 16-foot high interactive engineered design and inhabit communities. It was aimed at school installation created by Art Director's Club in the U.S. and outreach, but also open to the public in the evenings and Hungry Castle in Barcelona. The cat projects art through its on the weekend. laser beam eyes and people are encourUrban Systems helped Beakerhead procure the site and aged to submit their art work. The more then helped draw up the site plan. We had to plan how up art he gets, the bigger he grows. Another to 1,000 students at any one time would make their way one on Little Big Street was the "Flaming through what is essentially just a parking lot. In addition to Genome," in the shape of a garden the safe movement of people, we wanted it to be an experi- gnome. This guy stood about eight feet ence. So we played with how different installations and the tall and shot flames 30 feet into the air entertainers were interspersed throughout and the order — like Beakerhead itself, something that that they would be experienced in. Roberto Binda, Lee Gid- is just fun, different, crazy and bizarre. Lisa Konopski. 42
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