Canadian Consulting Engineer October/November 2013

For professional engineers in private practice

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2013

20 3 ENGINEERING TO BE PROUD OF FIVE SPECIAL WINNERS

+

20 AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE

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contents

October/November 2013 Volume 54, No. 6

©iStockphoto/Thinkstock

features

Cover image: Engineering to be proud of. Full coverage of winning projects in the 2013 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards. See page 17.

2013 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards Introduction and Comments from the Chair of the Jury.

17

Schreyer Award. West Edmonton Sanitary Sewer Stage W12 Syphon.

24

Tree for Life Award. Sydney Tar Ponds & Coke Oven Sites Remediation.

26

Ambassador Award. Allain Duhangan Hydroelectric Project, India.

28

Engineering a Better Canada Award.

Seismic Retrofit Guidelines for BC Schools.

30

Outreach Award. Golder Associates’ Charitable Initiatives.

32

Awards of Excellence:

Allain Duhangan Hydroelectric Project, India. See story p. 28.

departments Comment 4 Up Front

6

ACEC Review

11

Advertiser Index

81

Next issue: University of Waterloo Environment 3 building, Toronto tower HVAC renewals, engineering building microclimates in Saudi Arabia.

Centre for Sustainable Development, Montreal Redevelopment of Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre, Waterloo, Ont. Surrey City Centre Library, B.C. Winnipeg’s Southwest Transitway Squamish Pedestrian Overpass, B.C. Lorne Park Water Treatment Expansion, Mississauga, Ont. Exshaw Municipal Water System, Alta.

Palo Viejo Hydroelectric Plant, Guatemala Rewriting the History of the Khmer Empire, Cambodia Harvest Energy Garden, Richmond, B.C. Alexandra District Energy Geothermal System, Richmond, B.C. Deh Cho Bridge, N.W.T. Calgary’s West LRT SIEPAC Electrical Network, Central America

34 38 39 41 45 47 49 51 55 58 60 62 64 67 68

The Winners Faces from the award-winning teams.

70

on topic BUSINESS Handling Objections. Tactics for turning a negative response around.

By Tara Landes.

75

October/November 2013

p03 CCE OctNov13 Cont FOR DE.indd 3

CONVERSATIONS For the Love of Rocks. Bill Ayrton uncovers earth’s mysteries in downtown Calgary.

82

Canadian Consulting Engineer

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engineer FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE

comment

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

Editor

Herculean engineering and the paper straitjacket

G

iven some of the bad press that engineers have been attracting from the Charbonneau and Elliot Lake Commissions, the Canadian Consulting Engineering awards are a refreshing reminder that engineers have very much to be proud of (hence the proud peacock on this issue’s cover).

Perhaps it’s because there are many more winners this year – 20 as opposed to 12 in previous years – that I have been struck more than ever by the sheer scale and complexity of engineers’ work. As I pore over the descriptions provided by the companies, it’s always a struggle to decide what must be left out for the articles in this issue. There are so many amazing aspects to each project. When I hear about Associated Engineering’s formidable steerage of the Deh Cho Bridge project in the NWT, or Dessau’s Herculean task of organizing, designing and managing the construction of the SIEPAC power line across six countries in Central America, I am left “gobsmacked” as we used to say in the U.K. It’s not just the scale of the engineering that is astonishing, it’s all the issues the engineers must navigate through. There are the myriad technical decisions both large and small; there’s dealing with government rules, environmental sensitivities, extreme weather, difficult terrain, community groups who want to stand in your way, not to mention keeping clients and stakeholders happy. Engineering today is as much about dealing with people as about dealing with physical phenomena.

This year there are five special award winners (three new ones in addition to the Schreyer and Tree for Life Awards). All five exhibit extraordinary complexity, whether it’s the W12 sewer tunnel built deep below downtown Edmonton, the long-awaited remediation of the infamous Sydney Tar Ponds, the Allain Duhangan hydroelectric project built high in the Himalayas, or the work of a team of structural engineering experts in B.C. producing guidelines for retrofitting schools to make children safer. Golder’s charitable initiatives also involve coordinating a diverse range of programs across the globe.

On the individual building scale, the engineering gymnastics that went into converting Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens into a retail store were so complicated they are compared to building a ship in a bottle, while having to dismantle a ship that was already inside. And at the Surrey City Centre Library and the Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre, we find structural engineers applying painstaking care and invention to create extraordinary architecture.

The brief descriptions on the following pages only brush the surface of the effort involved in the projects, and the short list of credits given at the end is also only a tiny fraction of the true picture. Movie-makers can let the credits roll for 10 minutes, listing everyone down to the people who trained the dog and brought the coffee. No such luck with the printed word. Given the straitjacket of the printed page, we have to impose strict restrictions on who the winning firms can mention. But we all know that behind the handful of names and companies listed, and the few faces that were able to be gathered for the winners’ photographs (p. 70), stand whole armies of engineers and people who made the projects a success.

Bronwen Parsons 4

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com

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

DC4 Dep

Senior Publisher

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

Ellie Robinson

The re econo center and ac doors saving

Contributing Editor

Rosalind Cairncross, P.Eng. Advertising Sales Manager

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

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

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

Karen Samuels (416) 510-5190 Vice President, Publishing Business Information Group (BIG)

Alex Papanou

President, Business Information Group (BIG)

Bruce Creighton Head Office

80 Valleybrook Drive, Toronto, ON Canada M3B 2S9 Tel: (416) 442-5600 Fax: (416) 510-5134 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEER is published by BIG Magazines LP, a division of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd. 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.

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ISSN: 0008-3267 (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.

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We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.

October/November 2013

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Wikipedia Commons

up front

Confederation Bridge, P.E.I. LANDMARKS

Confederation Bridge deemed one of best in 100 years Confederation Bridge, the 13-kilometre crossing that joined Prince Edward Island to mainland Canada in 1997, has won a Centenary Award from FIDIC, the International Federation of Consulting Engineers. The award of excellence marked the bridge as one of the most important civil engineering projects of the past 100 years. AECOM and Stantec were presented with the award which was announced in Barcelona, Spain at FIDIC’s annual meeting.

The 13-kilometre bridge stretches across the Northumberland Strait to New Brunswick. It was completed as a fast-track design-build project, which was unusual at the time. It required innovative precast construction and was completed in under four years, despite the massive scale of the project and the difficult weather.

The project earned Stantec (then Stanley Consulting Group of Calgary) the Schreyer Award in the 1998 Canadian Consulting Engineering awards.

old and has its head office in Sherwood Park, near Edmonton. It recently expanded its services from surveying and engineering to include industrial engineering, geographical information systems, and environmental services.

Opus International’s managing director and chief executive, Dr. David Prentice, suggested that the acquisition was partly to give Opus a bigger role in Canada’s growing pipeline and energy markets.

The new company will operate as Opus Stewart Weir, and Stewart Weir’s current chief Brian Pearse. executive officer, Brian Pearse, will stay as its president. The president of Opus’ Canadian operations will continue to be Sean Brophy, who is based in Vancouver.

Opus International acquired Dayton and Knight (now Opus Dayton Knight) of Vancouver in 2010, and now has 700 staff and 16 offices in Canada. It has 3,000 people around the world, in Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., U.S. and Canada.

COMPANIES

Opus acquires Stewart Weir of Alberta Opus International Consultants has acquired Stewart Weir, an employeeowned company of 550 people. With four offices in Alberta and one in Fort St. John, B.C., the company is 100 years

BUILDINGS

Globe & Mail gets new digs A new home for the Globe & Mail newspaper is due to break ground this month, with completion in 2016.

The 17-storey building is to be constructed in Toronto’s east downtown on

H C

Alberta rebuilds after floods Work continued early this fall on rebuilding bridges and roads in Alberta that were washed out during the floods at the end of June. Approximately 985 kilometres of provincial roads were closed due to flood damage, but by mid-September 87% of them had been reopened or partially reopened, including most of the major bridges.

Ultimate Limitations The Association of Consulting Engineering Companies - British Columbia has won an award from the Canadian Society of Association Executives, B.C. chapter, in recognition of the work the association has done on amending the province’s Ultimate Limitation Period.

Energy Star Canadian style ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager has been officially launched in Canada. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program was tailored to the Canadian market in association with Natural Resources Canada. The new tool has Canadian weather, postal codes, both official languages, the metric system and other data specific to Canada. Over 4,000 Canadian buildings are using the tool to monitor and rate their energy use.

M

continued on page 8 6

F

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continued from page 6

a block between King Street East, Front Street East and Berkeley Streets. It is within the original 10-block grid of the former Town of York, where Toronto began. The newspaper, which started publishing in 1844, has occupied offices on King Street before, but is currently in a building on Front Street West.

The new tower is being developed by First Gulf, with the Globe and Mail occupying levels 13 through 17. Level 17 has 15-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling vision glass, and a multipurpose room with adjacent terrace.

Diamond Schmitt Architects have designed the structure as stacked alternate-sized floor plates interlaid with terraces. Consultants include Read Jones Christoffersen (structural), Hidi Rae (mechanical-electrical), LMDG (code), RWDI (wind), Valcoustics (vibration), BA Consulting (transportation), and ERA Architects (heritage).

INFRASTRUCTURE

Development charges biased against transit On September 24, Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner, Gord Miller, released “Building Momentum: Provincial Policies for Municipal Energy and Carbon Reductions.”

The report examined how development charges are used to fund municipal transit expansions. It found that the funding formula is biased against transit when compared to how it treats other municipal services like roads.

Miller pointed out: “Right now, municipalities are prevented from using development charges to cover 100% of the capital costs for new transit service; they can only cover 90% of the costs. But they [development levies] can be used to pay for 100% of the capital costs of other municipal services like roads. Transit is not treated fairly.”

Miller found that another factor hobbling transit funding is that because the income from development charges is based on the past 10 years of service that a municipality provided, those municipalities that want to expand their transit don’t get the funds they need.

8

Diamond Schmitt

up front

New offices for the Globe and Mail, Toronto.

In 2011 municipalities in the province collected $1.3 billion from developers to pay for infrastructure. The Ontario government is promising to consult with municipalities and review the 1997 Development Charges Act. PEOPLE

Shifts at SNC-Lavalin, CH2M HILL SNC-Lavalin has created a new position on its public relations front. Erik J. Ryan will be its new executive vice-president, marketing, strategy and external relations. Ryan is a Quebec native and will be based in Montreal. He comes to SNC-Lavalin from Rio Tinto Alcan.

At CH2M HILL, Lee McIntire will step down as chief executive officer of the Denver-based company on January 1. McIntire, who has been CEO since June 2009, will continue as chairman of the board.

The new chief executive Erik J. Ryan officer will be Jacqueline Hinman, previously president of CH2M HILL International. Hinman was a key executive in many of CH2M HILL’s projects around the world, such as the London 2012 Jacqueline Olympic and Paralympic Hinman Games. She also served as chair and CEO of Halcrow companies after CH2M HILL’s 2011 acquisition of the 6,000-person U.K.-based firm. CCE magazine interviewed Hinman in the May 2013 issue, “Conversations,” page 42.

MAILBOX

Ethical choices not easy Re. “Perils of Whistleblowing”

by Tom Sisk of the APEGNB, (CCE August-September 2013, p. 58).

As engineers and scientists, or even as ordinary citizens, all of us face this dilemma during our life under various situations — at work, with neighbours and even within one’s family. What does one do being aware of some truth, and the consequences both of being quiet, or of revealing it?

Now a senior citizen and engineer, I have not only read many such articles on the topic, but also faced many such dilemmas. In the past as a young engineer with a family to support, I had no choice but to grin and bear the situation and move on, hoping for the best. Fortunately, my decision did not disappoint me much except for a stomach ulcer and some sleepless nights. Just as with the Tom Sisk’s article, I always end, even now, with an uneasy feeling of indecision.

As much as these articles are interesting, they provide little or no guidance to us and especially to young engineers and scientists. Is there some guidance possible at all?

At Ca

Over reliab comm proje walls soluti get an

Raj S.V. Rajan, P.Eng. Sherwood Park, Alberta

www.canadianconsultingengineer.com October/November 2013

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ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW

CHAIR’S MESSAGE

Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards – a Celebration of the Industry

T

he Association of Consulting Engineering Companies (ACEC), in collaboration with Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine, celebrates excellence in the consulting engineering sector at its annual awards gala. Interest in the awards has grown significantly in recent years and we are pleased to have expanded our awards program. This year, a record 20 exceptional projects were recognized with Awards of Excellence.

In addition to our annual presentations of the Tree for Life Award for environmental stewardship and the Schreyer Award – the highest honour for a consulting engineering firm in Canada – we have created three new special achievement awards. The Ambassador Award went to the project executed outside Canada that best showcases Canadian engineering expertise. Our Engineering a Better Canada Award was presented to the project that best showcases how engineering enhances the quality of life of Canadians, and the Outreach Award

recognizes an ACEC member firm for its contributions and services to a community. These new awards not only illustrate the diversity, innovation and creativity provided

by Canadian consulting engineers, but also how their skill and expertise touches our lives.

ACEC also made its annual presentation of the Beaubien Award, the highest honour bestowed on an individual for their lifetime contribution to the Canadian consulting engineering sector. This year, Norm Huggins was the deserving recipient of this honour.

Through these awards, consulting engineers receive well-deserved recognition for their contribution to our quality of life. The value we provide to our clients, and the contribution we make to society and to the economy, are matters of personal and professional pride to all of us who work in this extraordinary industry. We are all winners as Canadian consulting engineers build a sustainable future through innovative and exciting solutions.

JASON MEWIS, P.ENG. CHAIR, ACEC BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MESSAGE DU PRÉSIDENT DU CONSEIL

Les Prix canadiens du génie-conseil – Une célébration de l’industrie

L’

Association des firmes d’ingénieurs-conseils (AFIC), en collaboration avec la revue Canadian Consulting Engineer, célèbre l’excellence de secteur du génie-conseil lors de son gala des Prix annuel. L’intérêt pour le programme des prix s’est considérablement accru ces dernières années et nous sommes heureux de l’avoir étendu. Cette année, un nombre record de vingt projets exceptionnels ont mérité un Prix d’excellence.

En plus de la présentation annuelle du prix Un arbre à aimer pour l’intendance environnementale et du Prix Schreyer – qui est la plus haute distinction décernée à une firme de génie-conseil au Canada – nous avons créé trois nouveaux prix spéciaux. Le Prix Ambassadeur est octroyé pour le projet réalisé à l’extérieur du Canada et qui représente le mieux l’expertise canadienne en ingénierie. Le prix l’Ingénierie pour un Canada meilleur démontre comment l’ingénierie améliore la qualité de vie des Canadiens, tandis que le Prix Rayonnement reconnaît une firme membre de l’AFIC pour ses contributions et ses services à la communauté. En plus

d’illustrer la diversité, l’innovation et la créativité que procurent les ingénieurs-conseils canadiens, ces nouveaux prix démontrent aussi comment leurs compétences et leur expertise influencent nos vies.

L’AFIC a aussi présenté le Prix Beaubien, qui est le plus grand honneur décerné à une personne pour ses contributions au secteur canadien du génie-conseil. Cette année, le Prix Beaubien a été présenté à Norm Huggins.

Par le biais du programme des prix, les ingénieurs-conseils reçoivent une reconnaissance bien méritée pour leur contribution à notre qualité de vie. La valeur que nous procurons à nos clients et la contribution que nous faisons à la société et à l’économie sont des questions de fierté personnelle et professionnelle pour tous ceux qui œuvrent dans cette industrie extraordinaire. Nous sommes tous gagnants puisque les ingénieurs-conseils canadiens bâtissent un avenir durable par des solutions innovatrices et stimulantes.

JASON MEWIS, P.ENG. PRÉSIDENT DU CONSEIL D’ADMINISTRATION DE L’AFIC

October/November 2013

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

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ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW

Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards – a Successful Collaboration for over 45 Years

I

t was a night of high member firms. ComMission Statement spirits and celebration menting on the signifiThe Canadian Consulting on October 22 when cance of the awards, Engineering Awards are the 2013 Canadian ConACEC president John presented each year to sulting Engineering Gamble stated, “These the projects judged to have Awards were handed awards showcase the achieved the highest level out at the Ottawa Conimportant role of Caof excellence in the quality vention Centre. Conadian consulting enof engineering, innovation sponsors of the event gineers in every aspect and impact on society.

ACEC and Canadian of our lives.”

Consulting Engineer As a reflection of the magazine welcomed attendees from increased recognition generated by across the country, including representatives of award winning firms, clients and dignitaries.

ACEC, together with the magazine, launched the awards in 1969 and they have been going strong ever since.

CEC’s Beaubien Award recognizWhile their roles are clearly defined – es individuals for their excepCCE manages the entries and judging tional work as members of the associaprocess, and publishes a special edition and for their lifetime contribution on the winning projects, while tions to the advancement of the conACEC looks after all affairs related to sulting engineering profession. Norm the awards gala and promotion – the Huggins, P.Eng., is this year’s honororganizations work and collaborate ee, selected by his peers to receive this closely on all the big decisions. prestigious award at the 2013 CanadiBronwen Parsons, editor of Canaan Consulting Engineering Awards on dian Consulting Engineer, reflected on October 22, 2013. the success of the long-standing relaOn winning the award, Norm retionship. “For the magazine, working marked, “I sincerely believe that this with ACEC on this program helps us award was earned not by me, but by to deepen our involvement with the the solid ACEC organization in Ottaconsulting engineering industry in wa that keeps our industry as the go-to authority on Canada’s infrastructure Canada, and amounts to one of the future. Good business practices delivbest ways we can promote excellence er good projects to secure sustainable in engineering,” said Ms. Parsons. infrastructure for Canada’s future. I As the voice of consulting engiwould be remiss to not mention that neering in Canada, ACEC is a proud my opportunity to receive this award supporter of the awards which, for so comes only with the overwhelming many years, have brought to the foresupport of CH2M HILL, and my famfront the technical expertise, innovaily who now appreciate that my pastion and ingenuity offered by its

the awards and greater participation in recent years, the number of Awards of Excellence was expanded in 2013 and three new special awards were created.

ACEC and Canadian Consulting Engineer look forward to continuing their successful collaboration to provide an awards program that recognizes Canada’s outstanding achievements in engineering, thereby upholding and strengthening the consulting engineering industry.

Norm Huggins Receives 2013 Beaubien Award

A

sion for consulting engineering has its rewards.”

Norm is known for his outstanding Norm Huggins leadership and his contributions to the consulting engineering industry. He is highly regarded by the many colleagues who have developed their careers under his tutelage, as well as by the communities that have benefited from his expertise.

Norm started his career at CH2M HILL, formerly known as Gore and Storrie, as a summer student in 1966.

He joined the company full-time upon graduating with a degree in Civil Engineering from Queen’s University and this year, as Senior VicePresident, he celebrates his 45th year with CH2M HILL. Norm has given a lifetime of service, since 1972, to ACEC and Consulting Engineers of Ontario, advocating in the interest of engineers to governments,

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

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

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ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW clients and the public. Throughout his career he has also dedicated time and effort with the Toronto and Ontario chapters of the Engineering Institute of Canada and the Pollution Control Association of Ontario.

During his tenure on the Board of ACEC-Canada and as Chair, Norm was a strong advocate for the use of Qualifications-Based Selection for the procurement of professional engineering services. During this time, ACEC collaborated with the National Guide to Sustainable Municipal Infrastructure, also known as InfraGuide. As a result, when InfraGuide released its best practice for selecting a professional consultant, Qualifications-Based Selection was the recommended procurement method. This is one of the most important achievements of the consulting engineering sector in recent memory.

To this day, ACEC continues to promote InfraGuide and QualificationsBased Selection.

One of Norm’s greatest interests has been to encourage more young people to enter the consulting engineering indus-

Norm Huggins (right) served as Chair of the Toronto International Partnership (shown with Alan Tonks, former Chair of Metro Toronto).

try. He identified building human capital as one of his goals as Chair of ACECCanada and is known as a great mentor and model to other engineers for his quiet leadership, ethical behaviour, and strength in bringing groups together to accomplish common objectives.

As a recipient of the Beaubien Award,

Norm joins a list of over 30 individuals who have been identified by their peers for their outstanding contributions to the consulting engineering industry and engineering profession.

The award was created by ACEC in 1984 in honour of Dr. James de Gaspé Beaubien, who founded ACEC in 1925.

ACEC Calls for Fast Action on Framework Agreements and More Northern Infrastructure

D

uring the recess of the House of Commons over the summer, ACEC’s government relations team has worked hard on behalf of the association’s members to move forward on some key policy areas.

Submission to the House of Commons Finance Committee The Standing Committee on Finance is one of the most influential committees of the House of Commons. This committee provides recommendations, based on the submissions and testimony of government stakeholders such as ACEC, to the Department of Finance for the creation of the federal budget. In August, ACEC was pleased

to put forward the following positions on infrastructure to the Finance Committee on behalf of ACEC member firms.

Expediting Infrastructure Investments ACEC continues to promote investments in public infrastructure as a key to Canada’s economic prosperity.

ACEC’s position is as follows: • ACEC applauds the government for its commitment to a 10-year infrastructure plan which was announced in the 2013 federal budget (to be implemented in the 2014 budget).

• It is urgent that the framework and an efficient application process are in

place so that the new investments can begin immediately in 2014-2015. With the current program ending, jobs and expertise are already being lost, undermining some of the economic benefits of a stable, predictable 10-year program before it begins.

Recognizing that inter-governmental framework agreements can be complicated and take time, ACEC is concerned that there is already a lag between the expiry of the current Building Canada Fund and the launch of the new program. We therefore encourage the government to work quickly with the provinces and territories to establish the framework immecontinued on page 14

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

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ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTING ENGINEERING COMPANIES | REVIEW

ACEC Calls for Fast Action on Framework Agreements continued from page 13 diately so that applications for projects can commence and projects can get approved and underway.

We believe the government will be receptive to this request.

Developing Canada’s North ACEC believes there is enormous economic potential for Canada and opportunities for ACEC members through the development of infrastructure in northern and remote regions of Canada. ACEC’s position is as follows: • There is an acute need to access Canada’s natural resources and transport these resources to market.

• Lack of northern and remote infrastructure is a barrier to investment

by Canada’s resource sector.

• The federal government can and should do its part to create a better business climate for private sector investment in the North.

Despite efforts by successive federal governments to create programs to assist in the development of northern communities, Canada’s North remains largely underdeveloped. ACEC is partnering with the Mining Association of Canada, the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada and the NWT Chamber of Mines to study the challenges of doing business in the North. The

ACEC supports the development of infrastructure in northern and remote regions of Canada.

intent of the study is to identify the opportunities the North presents, the barriers to private sector involvement, and some specific recommendations that the federal government could implement to create a more favourable business climate for investing in the North. ACEC has also met with senior government officials who are interested in the results of the study and keen to hear forthcoming recommendations on creating prosperity in Canada’s northern regions.

Parliament Hill Day 2013 ACEC’s Parliament Hill Day contin-

ues to be the cornerstone of the association’s government relations program, bringing representatives of award winning firms to Ottawa to participate in advocacy on behalf of ACEC and the Canadian consulting engineering sector. On October 22, an ACEC delegation went to Parliament Hill to brief Members of Parliament from all parties on the messages outlined above. ACEC sincerely thanks the participants of this year’s Parliament Hill Day for their dedication and support, and for advocating effectively in the interest of all ACEC member firms.

Consulting Engineers Compensation Survey

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ll organizations need to know if they are paying their employees competitively, if their group insurance benefits and retirement plans are appropriate, and that they have sound compensation policies and procedures in place.

ACEC-Canada has partnered with Western Compensation & Benefits Consultants to produce an annual 14

Canadian Consulting Engineer

p11-16 CCE OctNov13 ACEC.indd 14

survey of Canadian Consulting Engineering companies.

The report which is published in October will contain comprehensive information on: • Current salaries and bonuses for 80 positions including: engineers/scientists, technician/technologist; executives/senior management, HR, IT, accounting and payroll, and administra-

tive staff • Expected changes in salaries for 2014 • Group insurance benefits and retirement plans • Compensation best practices.

Members of ACEC-Canada receive a 15% discount.

For more information visit: www. wcbc.ca/surveys/consultingengineers.

October/November 2013

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13-10-03 3:17 PM

2013 AWARDS

2013 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS

The Program Evolves In this, its 45th year, some exciting changes have been made to the Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards.

Five special awards are being given, and the number of Awards of Excellence has increased from 12 to 20.

Having more awards reflects the evolution and growing scope of the program, which now attracts many more entries than it did historically. And having special awards heightens the drama of the announcements and builds their profile.

The Schreyer Award was inaugurated in 1981, and the Tree for Life Award began in 2008.

This year, in addition to these two, the jurors were invited to assign an additional three special awards. These three in different ways recognize the contributions and vital role that engineering makes to society.

Advanced hydraulic modelling for the W12 Syphon, winner of the Schreyer Award.

continued on page 18

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

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2013 AWARDS

SPECIAL AWARDS All the projects that received an Award of Excellence were then considered for

Schreyer Award The Schreyer Award is presented annually to the project that best demonstrates technical excellence and innovation.

additional recognition as five special awards.

Tree for Life Award The Tree for Life Award is presented annually to the project that best demonstrates outstanding environmental stewardship in terms of protecting the natural environment, reducing pollution and conserving the earth’s resources.

Ambassador Award The Ambassador Award is presented to the project, constructed or executed outside Canada that best showcases Canadian engineering expertise.

Engineering a Better Canada Award The Engineering a Better Canada Award is presented to the project that best showcases how engineering enhances the social, economic or cultural quality of life of Canadians.

Outreach Award The Outreach Award is presented for a company’s role in donating their time or services for the benefit of a community or group either in Canada or on the international stage.

AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE Projects are given Awards of Excellence based on the following criteria: originality or innovation in the use of new technology or a new application of existing technology; complexity; environmental impact; social and economic benefits; and fulfilling the owner’s or client’s needs. These criteria are weighted differently for non-technical vs. technical categories.

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Technical entries are in the building, transportation, water resources, environmental remediation, natural resources, mining, industry and energy, and special projects categories.

Non-technical entries are in the international, project management, and community outreach categories.

Note that awards are given for merit, not assigned per category.

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CHAIR’S COMMENTS

2013 AWARDS

CHAIR’S COMMENTS

THIS N’ THAT

CONSULTING ENGINEERS SHOW LEADERSHIP THAT GOES BEYOND TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS

The awards are held as a joint program by the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies Canada (ACEC)/l’Association des firmes d’ingénieurs-conseils Canada (AFIC) and Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine.

What could be more enjoyable than reviewing some of Canada’s most interesting engineering accomplishments with a group of distinguished professionals? This year I had the privilege of chairing the 2013 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards selection committee. It was an honour to work with the jurors who are distinguished professionals with a keen appreciation for the value that engineers bring to society.

The jurors selected 20 of the best entries for Awards of Excellence and five for Special Awards. The variety and scale of the projects was considerable and all demonstrated the incredible dedication and skill of Canadian engineers. We selected the award winners through a consensus process, a significant challenge that speaks volumes about the professionalism of the group.

It is gratifying to see engineers contributing in a significant way to the overall benefit of Canadians. Not only are engineers producing solutions to some of the biggest environmental issues of the day, but also they are advancing en-

Program sponsors

gineered solutions that will reduce the future impact of human activities.

Canadian consulting engineers are advancing the application of science to the benefit of society not only in Canada but internationally as well.

Of particular interest to me is the extent to which some of the awardwinning projects demonstrated the leadership role undertaken by engineers. Their contributions extended well beyond technical solutions to include public consultation, negotiation and communication. Who better to bridge the gap between the interests of commerce and community than consulting engineers?

I would like to thank ACEC and Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine for continuing to support these awards and for the opportunity to be a part of this event. I wish all the ACEC member firms the very best success in their future endeavours.

by Ron de Vries, P.Eng. Jury Chair

Celebration!

The 2013 winning projects were presented at a gala dinner held at the Ottawa Convention Centre on October 23.

To see all projects entered

Projects entered in 2013 and recent years are viewable in full as PDF files.

Visit the Showcase of Entries in the Awards section of Canadian Consulting Engineer’s website. http://www. canadianconsultingengineer.com/ awards/showcaseOfEntries.aspx Number of entries

(last year in brackets) Total 61 (77) Entries per category

Buildings 10 (23) Transportation 15 (11) Water Resources 7 (14) Environmental Remediation 6 (4) Natural Resources, Mining, Industry and Energy 10 (4) Special Projects 7 (9) Project Management 3 (2) International 2 (6) In-House Initiatives and Community Outreach: 1 (4) Province of entering firms

British Columbia 13 Alberta 13 Saskatchewan 1 Manitoba 3 Ontario 18 Quebec 8 New Brunswick 1 Nova Scotia 4

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

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2013 AWARDS

AWARDS JURY

2013 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS JURY CHAIR

Ronald De Vries, P.Eng. is a civil engineer and former (retired) senior vice-president of operations with Defence Construction Canada where he spent 29 years. He has been a member of many boards and committees involved in advancing procurement standards and innovative practices within the consulting and construction industry. He is currently a member of the Canadian Construction Documents Committee.

Chantal Guay, ing., is vice-president of the Standards Council of Canada’s Accreditation Services in Ottawa. From 2008 to 2011 she was chief executive officer of Engineers Canada. A graduate in geological engineering from Université Laval and in environmental management from the Université de Sherbrooke, she has been involved in establishing an environmental engineering firm and planning brownfield redevelopment projects.

JURORS

Jean Claude Champagne, ing., arch., PMP was corporate vice-president of development and real estate with Loto-Québec between 1999 and 2010. For 10 years before that he was head of construction with the Société d’habitation du Québec. He has degrees in architecture from the Université de Montréal and in civil engineering from the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario.

Christophe Guy, P.Eng., Ph.D, FCAE, O.Q., is chief executive officer of Polytechnique Montréal, one of the largest engineering schools in Canada.

He is a professor, researcher and expert in environmental and chemical engineering and has helped support the establishment of several Quebec firms that emerged from university research. The author of eight invention patents, he is also vice-chair of the Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Quebec.

Guy Felio, Ph.D., P.Eng., is a civil engineer with 30 years’ experience in civil, geotechnical and municipal engineering. Now president of Infrastructure Strategies & Research, he was instrumental in producing the first Canadian Infrastructure Report Card and the National Guide to Sustainable Municipal Infrastructure, or “InfraGuide.” He is also an elected councillor for the city of Clarence Rockland in Ontario.

Darin Lamont, P.Eng., is vice president of engineering and operations with Saint John Energy in New Brunswick. A graduate in electrical engineering, he is currently responsible for engineering, operations, metering and information technology with the utility. He is a member of the Saint John Emergency Management Organization and sits on the planning advisory committee for the town of Quispamsis, N.B. continued on page 22

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October/November 2013

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2013 AWARDS

AWARDS JURY

continued from page 20

Alistair D. MacKenzie, P.Eng., FCSCE, FEIC, is a professor emeritus at Ryerson University in Toronto. He was previously chief engineer at George Wimpey in Canada where he worked on civil and oil and gas projects. He is a past president of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering and chaired its national history committee for several years. He is also the author of scores of conference papers and magazine articles.

Bob McDonald is the host of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s radio show Quirks & Quarks. He has hosted the show since 1992 and is also a regular science commentator on the CBC news network. His awards include the NSERC 2001 Michael Smith Award for Science Promotion and the Royal Society of Canada’s McNeil Medal for the public awareness of science. He has six honorary degrees and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2011.

Jane Pagel, M.Sc., has been president and chief executive officer of the Ontario Clean Water Agency since 2010. She also serves on the board of Sustainable Development Technology Canada and was a longstanding member of the Prime Minister’s Advisory Council on Science and Technology. Her previous experience includes executive positions with Stantec, Jacques Whitford and Zenon Environmental Laboratories.

Tarlachan S. Sidhu, Ph.D, P.Eng., has been dean and professor in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology in Oshawa since January 2012. Before that from 2002 to 2011 he was chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of the University of Western Ontario in London. He is a fellow of the Institution of Engineers in India and of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.

Brian Watkinson, OAA, FRAIC, had an architectural practice for 20 years in Niagara Falls, Ontario, before joining the Ontario Association of Architects where he was executive director for several years. Now the principal of Strategies 4 Impact! he provides strategic advice to the construction sector, including helping Infrastructure Ontario adopt new industry practices and contracts.

Chan Wirasinghe, Ph.D., P.Eng., has been a professor at the University of Calgary’s Department of Civil Engineering since 1976. He served as the university’s dean of engineering for 12 years and was the founding dean (emeritus) of the Schulich School of Engineering. A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Ceylon, he has over 40 years of experience and research in transportation engineering and planning. He is a member of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

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13-10-03 3:17 PM

SCHREYER AWARD & AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

WATER RESOURCES

SMA CONSULTING AND ASSOCIATED ENGINEERING

West Edmonton Sanitary Sewer W12 Syphon The Schreyer Award is presented to the project that best demonstrates technical excellence and innovation. This year it goes to a project

Three-dimensional model of the real-time control structure. It had to be tied into an existing old brick pipe under live flows.

constructed to reduce outflows of stormwater and sewage into the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton.

The completely successful result was achieved thanks to expert engineering and using sophisticated models and decisionsupport tools.

JUROR COMMENTS

“This was a difficult project to execute in a small space and it has resulted in a 100% reduction in combined sewer overflow events in its first year of operation.”

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The North Saskatchewan River that flows through the City of Edmonton supplies drinking water for the city and dozens of downstream communities. Unfortunately, like most pre1940 municipalities, Edmonton has sewer systems that also serve as stormwater systems, and during heavy rains these combined sewers occasionally overflow into the river.

A combined sewer outfall at Rat Creek located in the river valley near downtown was responsible for 6080% of the city’s combined sewer overflow. The outfall discharged up to 2 billion litres annually into the river, affecting water quality and fish

habitat, and raising safety concerns.

As part of Edmonton’s West Edmonton Sanitary Sewer (WESS) project, the city decided to remedy the situation at the Rat Creek outfall by building the WESS W12 syphon. The syphon, completed in 2011, connects the Rat Creek combined trunk sewer to the South Highlands Interceptor.

This then conveys the overflow safely to the Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant on the south side of the river.

The work done by SMA Consulting and Associated Engineering on the W12 syphon has been highly successful. The project was expected to reduce combined sewer overflows by

October/November 2013

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WATER RESOURCES

80%. Yet between November 2011 and July 2012 overflow events at the Rat Creek location were reduced 100%. The project has improved the water quality for Edmonton and municipalities downstream and provides much-needed capacity to accommodate Edmonton’s booming growth.

Sophisticated decision-making tools For this complex and high-risk project, the City of Edmonton’s Drainage Design and Construction Branch brought in Associated Engineering (AE) to design the tunnel and SMA Consulting (SMA) to optimize the project’s delivery.

AE was the lead design consultant for the W12 tunnel and additional projects that link it with the city’s existing drainage network. AE’s role included the design of control structures and tunnel connections; construction costing; hydraulic modeling of the system and syphon; computational fluid dynamics analysis of the inlet, control structures and drop shaft; odour control design; environmental impact mitigation; and public consultation.

SMA facilitated the decision-making process during the preliminary and detailed design phases using sophisticated decision-making support tools. For example, SMA’s structured risk analysis process was used to help the team make several key decisions, along with other techniques such as construction simulation, value analysis, failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). These tools were used to help determine the best construction sequence, to provide input on design decisions, and to determine the reliability of parts of the system. As well, SMA provided 3D and 4D visualizations that made it easy for decisionmakers to discuss solutions in workshops involving several city branches and experts.

Advanced hydraulic modelling of the real time control structure.

SMA also conducted project controls during construction, preparing daily site visit reports, tracking the budget and schedule, and using analysis modelling and forecasting techniques to predict performance and manage change orders.

In the footprint of abandoned coal mines The design and construction of W12 was extremely challenging. Almost the entire project is situated at an extreme depth — 70 metres below downtown Edmonton — and much of it is within the footprint of abandoned coal mines.

Five deep shafts and a 1.2-km tunnel had to be constructed in ground laden with coal seams, water pockets, and voids. Methane gas under pressure was detected in several locations.

Access was also severely limited: the northern construction site was in Edmonton’s downtown, and most of the tunnel alignment was under the Riverdale Golf Course and the river itself, running between two coal seams.

Real time control structure A real-time control structure (RTC) was installed for the Rat Creek outfall. Operated from ground level, it has precisely configured gates for controlling flow. The design required tying into an old, brick 3200-mm pipe while it continued in service with live flows. Multi-

ple rounds of modeling helped simplify the design to ensure its constructability.

The complex RTC structure has to function flawlessly to avoid flooding basements upstream or releasing unnecessary overflows into the river.

At the north end, in a residential area, special odour scrubbers were installed.

Thanks to the W12 project’s success, Edmonton’s river is now cleaner and safer. The project also protected the environmentally sensitive river valley during construction, such as by locating the working shaft for the tunnel boring machine in a previously disturbed area. This area was then later re-landscaped as parkland. CCE Project name: West Edmonton Sanitary Sewer (WESS) Stage W12 Syphon Award-winning firms/prime consultant, project controls, decision support: SMA Consulting (Hussien Al-Battaineh, P.Eng.; Mohammed Al-Bataineh, P.Eng.; Ethan (Yang) Zhang, P.Eng.).

Prime consultant, design: Associated Engineering (Herb Kuehne, P.Eng.; Jason Lueke, P.Eng.) Owner: City of Edmonton Other key players: Thurber Engineering (geotechnical); Maple Reinders (constructor); BPR-CSO (gate control strategy); gh3 (architect RTC#3 facility); City of Edmonton Design & Construction, Drainage Services (design)

October/November 2013

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SCHREYER AWARD & AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Canadian Consulting Engineer

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TREE FOR LIFE AWARD & AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION

AECOM CANADA AND CBCL

Sydney Tar Ponds and Coke Oven Sites The Tree for Life Award goes to a project that demonstrates outstanding environmental stewardship. This year it went to the remediation of one of Canada’s largest and most complex industrially polluted sites, located in the centre of a town in Nova Scotia.

JUROR COMMENTS

“A contaminated site that has been a very large issue for a significantly long time has a solution that allows the land to be given back to the community. This is a model for future clean-up projects.”

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The Sydney Tar Ponds in Sydney, Nova Scotia were the result of over 100 years of steel production. The process of turning coal into coke (used for steel production) had left behind polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), mercury and other heavy metals. What remained in the heart of Sydney was one million tonnes of contaminated soil and sediment spread over three major sites — the North Tar Pond, the South Tar Pond, and the former Coke Oven sites.

Spanning a total of 100 hectares, this was Canada’s largest and most complex urban contaminated site.

There had been two previous attempts to design and implement a remedial solution which had failed.

Then, in 2006, the Sydney Tar Ponds Agency, an implementing agency formed by the Province of Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada, engaged a team led by AECOM to perform detailed design engineering and construction oversight on a $400 million remediation and site restoration project.

Remediation and treatment addressed approximately 750,000 tonnes of sediment contaminated with coal tar and other pollutants such as those mentioned above. This took place in a marine estuarine environment connected to Sydney Harbour.

The results have been called “the signature Federal Canadian Contaminated Site Remediation Project.”

The $400-million project’s scope of work included: • handling, stabilization, in-situ solidification and capping of PCB and PAH contaminated sediments; • restoring creeks and creating channels;

• implementing groundwater collection and treatment systems; • creating a barrier wall; • capping the 70-hectare Coke Oven site; • creating a material removal, handling, recycling and decontamination facility; • creating site-wide road infrastructure and a landfill; • site-wide environment, social and economic restoration.

Solidification and stabilization in a marine environment The remediation successfully implemented the world’s largest marine application of solidification and stabilization (S/S) technology on a heterogeneous contaminated site. The customized solidification and stabilization mixture successfully met environmental, health and safety, sustainability, leachability, hydraulic conductivity, structural integrity, compressive strength and constructability criteria.

The following are among the technical achievements: • site specific procedures were developed to test the toxicity of leachate from the S/S remedy; • compressive strength parameters in the solidified material were developed, assessed, and customized to ensure that the remediated site would allow for the future use of the land for building, development, recreation and other community use; • intensive modeling of ground and surface waters was done for hydraulic conductivity to ensure a preferential deflection of ground waters on the site.

The remediation also included one of the largest water control and management systems amongst remediation projects in Canada and abroad.

The control system, involving steel

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ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION

TREE FOR LIFE AWARD & AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Above: 4-ft. diameter discharge pipes in the bypass pumping system at the Tar Ponds site; the system operated around the clock for four years.

sheet pile intake and outflow structures, diesel and electric pumps, and four x 4-ft. diameter discharge HDPE pipes, allowed the coal tar contaminated sediments to be treated in the dry. The system controlled any water intrusion from the ocean through Sydney Harbour and captured and pumped incoming streams sequentially around the working areas.

On the large 100 hectare site, which has materials of variable depth intermingled with large quantities of debris and with variable chemical and moisture content, construction activities needed to be carefully and precisely managed.

Community relations critical This high profile project required the rigorous management of stakeholder and community relations. Stakeholders included the federal and provincial governments, as well as local gov-

ernments, organizations, businesses and members of the community.

The AECOM team developed comprehensive public and project specific websites, formed a community liaison committee and held workshops, open houses, progress meetings, media placements, technical presentations and tours.

The project required extensive quality control and quality assurance measures. To control the air and odour emissions, for example, required a high rate of treatment and processing.

Now that the remediation is complete, brownfield development is underway and the STPA plans to transform the site into urban parkland. The park will include public art, walking trails, bike paths, a sports field, an amphitheatre and several lookout points, by late 2013.

In 2008, a feature story on a pilot

program for the solidification and stabilization’s technical design was voted the “Discovery Channel’s feature story of the year.”

CCE Project name: Sydney Tar Ponds and Coke Oven Sites Remediation, N.S. Owner: Sydney Tar Ponds Agency Award-winning firms/prime consultant: AECOM (David Wilson, P.Eng.; Bruce Noble, P.Eng.; Randy Pointkoski, P.Eng.; Ian Shrimpton, P.Eng.; Doug Allingham, P.Eng.; Colin Smith, P.Eng.; Paul Murray, P.Eng.; Don Shosky; John Fairclough, P.Geo.).

Design-construction oversight: CBCL (Dan MacDonald, P.Eng.; Ann Wilkie; Kevin Bezanson, P.Eng.; Pat Fitzgerald, P.Eng.) Other key players: Conestoga-Rovers (independent engineer); Stantec (independent quality assurance); Dillon (environmental monitoring); All-Tech (air monitoring); Nordlys/J&T VanZutphen, Tervita, Joneljim Concrete, McNally (contractors).

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

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AMBASSADOR AWARD & AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

NATURAL RESOURCES, MINING, INDUSTRY & ENERGY

AECOM

Allain Duhangan Hydroelectric Project The Ambassador Award is presented for a project, constructed or executed outside of Canada, that best showcases Canadian engineering expertise.

It went to Montreal engineers who dealt with huge natural and human constraints to deliver a 192-MW run-of-river hydroelectric project in the Northern Himalayas.

Above: desanding basin and sluiceway.

JUROR COMMENTS

“This project was very innovative, with the majority of the construction located under ground. The jury also appreciated the fact that the project brought social and community benefits such as creating new roads and using local people to do the work.”

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On behalf of AD Hydro Power in India, AECOM’s Montreal office provided the detailed design and construction supervision for this 192-MW underground run-of-river hydroelectric project that harnessed the flow of two rivers high in the Northern Himalayas.

AECOM’s professionals had to deal with huge natural and human constraints to deliver this low environmental impact project in an inaccessible region with inclement weather. The plant, supplying hydroelectricity in a region that traditionally relies on coal-fired power, will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 5 million tons over 10 years.

The project was complex in terms of its design, partly due to the space limits that did not allow traditional storage solutions at the site. Another challenge was

the difficulty in maintaining an appropriate flow in conditions varying from scarcity to flash floods.

Two river intake sources Were it not for its many innovations, this project would never have seen the light of day. From upstream to downstream, AECOM’s team provided creative solutions for tremendous constraints, such as two very different river intakes located at a differential elevation of 40 metres, which created a difficult hydraulic balance in the system.

The rivers’ flows converge towards the underground penstock into a combined flow of 26 m3/sec, under a gross head of 876 metres – one of the highest in the world.

A specially designed surge shaft was

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NATURAL RESOURCES, MINING, INDUSTRY & ENERGY

AMBASSADOR AWARD & AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

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needed to reduce the impact of the “water hammer” effect created by the transformation from free flow to pressure flow in the tunnel from the Duhangan river intake.

To harness a total of 308,500 m3 of water storage required to operate the plant during its four-hour daily peak during a lean period, an intermediate storage reservoir, with a capacity of 221,400 m3, was built at an altitude of about 2,500 metres above the sea level. The natural reservoir upstream added a total volume of 61,400 m3, which was insufficient, so the team calculated the volume available in the headrace tunnels and desanders and turned them into residual tanks with a capacity of 25,700 m3.

The intermediate reservoir incorporates several innovations in order to keep its ecological footprint to a minimum. For example, cantilever instead of gravity walls were used to increase the storage volume with a minimal amount of concrete. The high performance underground drainage system discharges excess water from below the reservoir slab into the river.

In order to deal with free flow and pressure flow entering the Duhangan tunnel, the engineers developed a mathematical study model and validated the results with a hydraulic model in a Montreal laboratory. Due to the size of the hydraulic system, the pipes representing the headrace tunnels of the hydraulic model had to take the form of a labyrinth and additional pressure losses needed to be compensated.

In a hydraulic structure of this size, any solid particles above 0.2 millimetres can cause extensive erosion and cavitation to turbines, so AECOM conceived an ultra-efficient desilting chamber as the water filtration system. It was necessary to develop two

types of non-standard gravel traps and desanding basins.

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Electricity, roads and other benefits During the summer monsoon, the plant can operate with 15% continuous overload. From October to May, it operates at its peak capacity of 192 MW for four hours per day. The energy is sent to a substation 175 kilometres to the south, from where it is sold to the northern India grid.

From 2004 to its completion in 2012 the construction brought many benefits to the people of the Himachal Pradesh region. Besides providing electrification for surrounding villages, the project was able to create a 23-kilometre network of access roads while respecting the traditional methods of road construction and cultural traditions. Other local benefits included social services, such as a doctor's office, pharmacy, schools, playgrounds, temples, police station, bridges, drains, irrigation, drinking water facilities, and street lights.

After the success of the Allain Duhangan project, AECOM will use the same approach, with the same client, to develop the hydrological potential of Nepal and Arunachal Pradesh of India through the design and construction of three other hydroelectric complexes.

CCE

•1⁄2" gas pipe capability up to 24'.

Project name: Allain Duhangan Hydroelectric Project, Hymachal Pradesh, India Owner: AD Hydro Power, India Award-winning firm: AECOM, Montreal (Claudio Vissa, eng.; German Vera-Lazo, M.Eng.; Ashraf Alam, eng.; Guru Panesar; Armand Guillet, eng.; Marc Badey, eng.; Rajindra Verma, eng.; R.P.Goel, M.Eng.; R.Mahajan, M.Eng.; B. S. Srinivas, M.Eng.; U.C. Dubey, M.Eng.)

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E A S Y

T A N K L E S S

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ENGINEERING A BETTER CANADA AWARD & AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

SPECIAL PROJECTS

AUSENCO ENGINEERING, BUSH BOHLMAN & PARTNERS, READ JONES CHRISTOFFERSEN, GENIVAR, ET AL

Seismic Retrofit Guidelines for BC Schools ACEC engineering firms were part of a team that collaborated to produce powerful structural engineering tools for making schools safer in British Columbia. Their project won the Engineering a Better Canada Award, which is given for engineering that enhances the social, economic or cultural quality of life of Canadians.

The British Columbia Ministry of Education is implementing a billiondollar-plus program to mitigate the seismic risks of the province’s school buildings. For this, the Ministry wanted a common engineering approach using innovative methods for assessing and then retrofitting existing schools.

In response, a unique collaboration between government, academia and the engineering community, with key involvement of ACEC-BC firms, has produced the Seismic Retrofit Guidelines for BC Schools, a nine-volume, 300page manual, together with a companion web-based “Seismic Performance Analyzer.” The Ministry contracted the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C. (APEGBC) to prepare the guidelines, and APEGBC subcontracted the various other parties involved (see credits below).

Rapid and consistent assessments The combined experience of over 150 years of seismic upgrading in B.C. was used to produce two volumes containing a “library” of 35 proven retrofit

details and 14 seismic retrofit strategies. This was the result of a collaborative sharing of information from the consulting firms involved.

The state-of-the-art and unique analyzer and guidelines enable structural engineers to rapidly and consistently determine the seismic risks of existing school buildings. The tools also enable engineers to optimize retrofits to achieve a “life-safety” seismic performance.

For example, the use of the guidelines by structural engineers has relieved them from selecting earthquake ground motion records or carrying out non-linear analyses; this is already done with results accessible in the analyzer. The tool allows engineers to focus on determining the capacity of the existing building to better determine risk, and enables them to consider a variety of retrofit options that address issues such as disruption, schedule, phasing, cost, implementation and constructability.

The guidelines also offer the capability of mixing different new structural systems in combination with existing systems.

JUROR COMMENTS

“This project takes a real problem and finds a solution that allows for priorities to be set for doing retrofits.

The technical stakeholder community worked together and the result is a guideline that can be used worldwide.”

Above: drift analysis in the guidelines.

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October/November 2013

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SPECIAL PROJECTS

ENGINEERING A BETTER CANADA AWARD & AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

LINKING PEOPLE & ENTERPRISE, SIMPLY ANYWHERE. As a leader in satellite communication technology, Infosat designs & integrates reliable wireless global communication systems where satellite facilities are a key component in remote & demanding locations.

Above: members of team doing a building inspection.

The “performance-based” guidelines have proven to be effective in selecting a very efficient, cost-effective retrofit scheme for a building. The required lateral capacity for the new structural components, to ensure specific drift limits are maintained, can be as low as 50% of current code force levels for new buildings, thus directly contributing to cost savings.

The use of the guidelines has allowed more school buildings to be upgraded and made safer within the available Ministry budget. By effectively assessing the building’s existing components, fewer buildings are ranked “high risk,” leading to less demolition and replacement (less landfill material, less energy for new materials). More heritage buildings are also expected to be retained.

A key aspect of the approach taken in the analysis and guidelines is that it allows for the contribution of archaic materials that are commonly found in existing buildings but not addressed by current standards. The approach also allows for novel materials and innovative retrofit methods as the guidelines evolve and further

p24-33 CCE OctNov13 Special Awards.indd 31

research and testing is done.

The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of B.C. (APEGBC) has endorsed the guidelines for use on all low-rise buildings in the province. This has resulted in private entities, with large inventories of buildings, using the guidelines and developing seismic mitigation programs.

CCE Project name: Seismic Retrofit Guidelines for BC Schools Award-winning ACEC-member firms (structural engineering for peer review; liaison with owner and other project participants): Ausenco Engineering Canada; Bush Bohlman & Partners; Read Jones Christoffersen; Genivar (John Sherstobitoff, P.Eng.; Clint Low, P.Eng.; Tim White, P.Eng.; Ron Devall, P.Eng.; John Wallace, P.Eng.), Owner: BC Ministry of Education Client: APEGBC Other key players: University of B.C. (lead developer); TBG Seismic (subconsultant to UBC); David Nairne & Assoc. (peer review), JWE, EPR External peer reviewers: Robert Hanson, PE; Farzad, Naiem, PE; Michael Mehrain, PE.

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13-10-03 12:21 PM

OUTREACH AWARD & AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

COMMUNITY OUTREACH & IN-HOUSE INITIATIVES

GOLDER ASSOCIATES

Golder Associates Charitable Initiatives A Canadian consulting engineering company and its employees are dedicated to making a positive contribution around the world, providing a range of humanitarian aid and long-term programs.

Their generosity and initiative have earned them this year’s special Outreach Award.

JUROR COMMENTS

"This project demonstrates the dedication of the company and its staff in contributing to the present and future wellbeing of the communities in which they operate. The initiatives extend beyond Canada’s borders to every country in which Golder is located."

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Golder Associates’ purpose, “Engineering Earth’s Development, Preserving Earth’s Integrity,” reflects a commitment to sustainable development.

Sustainable development is commonly defined as “... development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

To uphold these values, Golder continually strives to make positive contributions to local communities and national and international nongovernmental organizations. The company is dedicated to promoting the empowerment, knowledge, growth and development of its employees, providing staff opportunities for taking time off from work to volunteer in the communities in which they live, work and play. Each of the 180 Golder offices across 25 countries has a guideline of returning approximately 1% of their budgeted operating income to the community.

Building a culture of engagement across 180 offices across Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America has required coordinated effort at a local and global level.

Golder routinely coordinates efforts to financially support aid efforts when humanitarian crises arise, such as raising $111,2000 in 2011 for Japan’s 9.0-magnitude earthquake and following tsunami. Below, however, are some of the company’s special long-term initiatives.

Golder Trust for Orphans Golder’s employees formed the Golder Trust for Orphans in 2003 to support children and families in Africa who have been orphaned or displaced by the AIDS pandemic. The Trust, which is funded mainly by contributions from Golder employees and

Golder’s operating companies, supports organizations of all religions and ethnic groups and directs most of its funding towards development projects that help organizations fund their own activities in a sustainable way. As Golder covers all administrative costs, 100% of donations go to the projects.

To date the Trust has supported 11 projects in five countries in Africa, helping to improve the lives of over 1,500 children. Since 2003, over $2 million USD has been donated to the Trust and passed on to its projects.

Row for Kids The Row for Kids is an annual event held in support of the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation and youth rowing programs at the Edmonton Rowing Club. Golder first became involved in 2008, but that experience led to the company eventually taking over as Chair in 2012. Last year Golder provided over 20 volunteers to run the event, plus raised $25,600 as part of a total fundraising effort of almost $133,000. Golder’s participation has served as a team builder for the Edmonton offices.

Golder Associates’ Sustainability Awards Golder Associates’ sustainability awards provide an opportunity to celebrate how its own offices and people are applying sustainable development principles to their office environments and communities.

Each entry is evaluated based on the criteria of social/community, environmental, and economic benefit; staff engagement; client/stakeholder engagement; technical excellence; innovation or improvement over existing approaches; and value to Golder and the client or stakeholder.

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COMMUNITY OUTREACH & IN-HOUSE INITIATIVES

Above: Golder staff and children in Africa. To date the Golder Trust for Orphans has supported 11 projects in five countries in Africa.

For example, one winner in 2012 was Golder’s Pretoria, South Africa office. Along with friends and family, the staff spent a “Fun with Nature” day at a children’s home teaching value and conservation of the environment

through fun activities. Another winner was the Edmonton office for its “Green Initiatives” such as recycling the sample wastes from its geotechnical laboratory.

Golder believes that corporations, more than any other organiza-

tions, have the power and influence over human resources, and have the means and responsibility to promote the growth and development of all levels of society. The principals and associates of Golder are expected to champion the culture of caring, but the core values were developed in a broad-based consultation involving staff at all levels. The culture of 100% employee ownership provides the company with a strong platform from which to apply its core principles.

CCE Project name: Golder Associates Charitable Initiatives Award-winning firm: Golder Associates. Calgary

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OUTREACH AWARD & AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

Canadian Consulting Engineer

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Trim

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

BUILDINGS Live

BOUTHILLETTE PARIZEAU

Centre for Sustainable Development An Award of Excellence goes to a building in downtown Montreal that serves as an educational model for sustainable buildings.

The mechanical and electrical consulting engineers were instrumental in synergizing the system features and systems to create high energy savings.

Above: the public can visit the building and find out how it consumes 64% less energy than a typical building of its size.

JUROR COMMENTS

“This project is a showcase of fine engineering practice in the field of sustainable development. The jury liked the idea of it being a living laboratory for educating the public in green building. The proposed environmental model is a vision of the future.”

On behalf of its client Équiterre, Bouthillette-Parizeau provided the mechanical and electrical engineering for the Centre for Sustainable Development (Maison du développement durable) in downtown Montreal.

Built on a confined property on Ste. Catherine Street West, the complex is a centre for education in green buildings where the public can visit and learn about sustainable design. It was designed for LEED Platinum certification and built to exceed the latest environmental standards as a model for future generations.

The five-storey, 68,450-sq.ft. building’s tenant spaces are mostly offices for Équiterre and other non-profit organizations.

The design team performed a rigorous analysis of the functionality, occupancy profiles, building geometry, and local climate conditions. The synergy of these analyses helped optimize the architectural performance and reduced the requirement for mechanical and electrical infrastructure.

The result is a building that consumes

64% less energy than a reference building of similar size and reduces potable water use and sewer discharges by 54%.

Energy efficiency strategies A geothermal system satisfies nearly 100% of the building’s heating and cooling requirements. During summer cooling is provided solely by the geothermal heat pumps and a conventional water tower was not required.

Air distribution is achieved by an under-floor system which uses an air stratification strategy throughout the office areas. This measure allows for lower supply air rates and temperatures thereby reducing energy use, and it provides flexibility for reconfiguring the space. Another benefit is that no additional perimeter heating equipment is required.

In order to cool the atrium during hot summer days, windows and motorized dampers located at the top and bottom are used to create air movement. A 65-ft. tall living wall acts as an air filter, continued on page 36

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October/November 2013

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“Incentives for new construction helped us design and build new facilities that use less electricity and lower our operating costs.”

Darryl K. Boyce, P. Eng. Assistant Vice President Facility Management and Planning, Waterfront Project, Carleton University

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Energy efficiency incentives from your local electric utility are available for builders, architects and property owners like you. Whether your next project is for an institutional, commercial or manufacturing site, you may be covered for up to 100% of the cost of modeling your buildings’ electricity usage. And you could get additional financial incentives for major renovation projects and implementing energy efficiency measures in your new buildings’ design.

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Incentives are available on: • Energy-efficient new construction and major renovations (up to 50%)

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AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

BUILDINGS

continued from page 34

humidifier and decontaminant. Its plants and lighting were carefully chosen to promote photosynthesis. Return air is sent through the atrium for pre-treatment before being returned to the HVAC systems.

From the start, all the mechanical and electrical strategies were validated and refined by means of space usage analyses, load calculations, energy simulations and detailed heat balances.

The simplicity of the system and ease of operation was a priority to facilitate the maintenance and extend the useful life of the equipment.

Sharing knowledge An integrated design process based on shared knowledge and collaboration between the client and all the professionals involved was used. At the design charrettes the stakeholders could use the presentation console to

display their information. These recordings are now part of the educational materials and animations used to explain the building’s innovative construction to the users and visitors.

An education pathway has windows into the mechanical room to expose the services, and glass floor tiles to expose the operation of the underfloor air distribution system.

Data on energy and water use Actual energy bills indicate that the design achieves an energy intensity of 63 Btu/sqft/year compared to a conventional building of similar size which typically uses approximately 180 kBtu/sqft/year.

Measures to save water include low flow fixtures and an underground tank that collects rainwater from the green roof (the roof plants require no watering). For domestic hot water,

heat recovered from the cooling system is used to preheat incoming city water. The results are reductions in potable water of 54%, in sewer discharge of 54%, and in energy used for water heating of 80%, compared to a MNECB reference building. CCE Project name: Centre for Sustainable Development (Maison du développement durable), Montreal Award-winning firm (prime consultant, mechanical-electrical engineering): Bouthillette Parizeau (Jacques Lagacé, P.Eng., Pierre Jean, P.Eng., Alain Morin, Tech., Philippe Leblanc, Tech., Nathalie Boulet, eng., Mathieu St-Germain, eng., Jean-Sébastien Laberge, Tech.)

Owner: Équiterre Other key players: Menkès Shooner Dagenais Létourneux (architect); Pasquin St-Jean (structural engineer) Supplier: Zurn (sinks, urinals)

Zurn congratulates Bouthillette Parizeau Inc. on their award winning project Centre for Sustainable Development.

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9/10/13 9:47 AM

October/November 2013

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AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

BUILDINGS

exp SERVICES

Redevelopment of Maple Leaf Gardens Constructing both a retail store and an athletic centre with a rink inside Toronto’s famous historical hockey arena was an engineering feat.

Above: section showing new developments inside the existing building; the new construction was built at the same time as excavation and demolition were proceeding.

JUROR COMMENTS

“This is an outstanding example of the adaptive reuse of a heritage building where the requirement to fully preserve the historic brick facade and dome roof led to highly innovative engineering solutions. The engineers likened the challenge to building a ship in a bottle — after first dismantling the ship that was already there!”

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Built in 1931 and declared a Heritage Building in 1991, Maple Leaf Gardens in downtown Toronto stood empty and unused for 12 years after the NHL team moved. But in a unique partnership, the iconic building was redeveloped into a Loblaw store and Ryerson’s Athletic Centre.

The redevelopment of this landmark was more than just a cosmetic renovation to an existing building.

Constructing a multi-level parking, retail store and athletic centre is in itself not uncommon. But to construct these inside a heritage building with limited access for materials and equipment while preserving the historic brick façade and domed roof — this required detailed engineering and planning.

Loblaws required a store at ground level and a loading dock; Ryerson needed an arena with seating for 2,500 people, plus a gymnasium and training facilities. The Ryerson rink is on level 3, with a concourse level at the top of the seating bowl.

For much of the construction, the only access in and out was a new opening 18 ft. wide and 15 ft. high where a

loading dock would eventually be constructed. Figuratively, constructing the new structure was similar to building a ship in a bottle. The exception, being that the bottle already contained a ship that had to be dismantled piece by piece without breaking the bottle.

Shoring the old, inserting the new Starting in January 2010, demolition, excavation and construction proceeded simultaneously. Construction drawings were issued on a floor by floor basis.

Temporary steel bracing was installed within the original concrete frames at the east and west sides of the building, and at the north and south ends large temporary box trusses, 10 ft. deep and 26 ft. wide spanning 202 ft., were installed between existing buttresses at the corners of the building.

At the corner buttresses, which support the entire weight of the domed roof, caisson walls were installed adjacent to footings to laterally support the soil under them, while the continued on page 40

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BUILDINGS

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

HALSALL ASSOCIATES

The Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre For a world-renown research building at the University of Waterloo, the structural engineers were able to find solutions for the very strict laboratory requirements and yet create a stunning architectural form.

The University of Waterloo’s Lazaridis Quantum Nano Centre is a showcase for innovation. The centre is home to one of the largest concentrations of researchers in quantum information in the world. The discoveries and technologies that come from the research at LQNC will not only shape our generation, but also many generations to come.

Structural subconsultant Halsall Associates applied creative solutions to the complex geometric challenges of the building and its strict user requirements. The result is a world-renowned research facility.

A mushroom and honeycomb The complexity of the LQNC provided a unique challenge. This five-storey, 26,476-m2 building includes laboratories to accommodate ultra-sensitive research at the atomic and molecular scale, and a fabrication facility that will create nano-scale materials.

The laboratories are surrounded

by circulation and office spaces which extend over the laboratories on the second floor. The architectural and vibration limitations did not permit columns around the edge of the building, so the perimeter is hung from the roof structure, much like the structure of a mushroom.

Steel played a significant role in matching the strict building usage requirements with the sophisticated architecture. For example, the “honeycomb” structure gives the building a stunning visual identity, but at the same time, the honeycomb has a structural function to hang floors from the roof and transfer the load to interior bays, thereby avoiding potential vibration transmissions to the sensitive laboratory areas below the office spaces.

While it is uncommon to use steel in areas sensitive to vibrations, Halsall designed a two-way system using a steel structure, which in turn allowed for large column-free lecture rooms. continued on page 40

JUROR COMMENTS

“This building is a showcase of Canadian engineering innovation and excellence.

Complex structural engineering solutions were required to meet an architectural vision that theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking has recognized as a “work of architectural genius.”

Above: construction of the steel honeycomb structure.

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

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BUILDINGS

continued from page 38

surrounding area was excavated down to the parking level.

With the new parking level 13 ft. below ground level at the south side and up to 21 ft. below ground level at the north side, significant portions of the exterior foundation walls required underpinning, using a combination of traditional underpinning and mini-piles.

The new construction within the building is a combination of cast-inplace concrete and structural steel, both flat slab and beam and slab systems. The slab below the rink is extremely critical because of the flatness requirements for the rink slab.

Structural steel framing was used in the long span areas. Because of the limited access into the building and the long reaches required for steel erection, much of the upper steel was erected early in the construction.

Throughout the demolition and construction, the existing structure and exterior walls were remotely mon-

itored around the clock for any movement using an OSMOS system. Alarms were sounded and work stopped if movements exceeded a pre-determined safe threshold.

As the new interior structure was completed and connected to the original exterior, the temporary bracing and the last remnants of the original interior were removed. Final removal of construction equipment was through a temporary opening in the roof.

Revitalized and busy With the opening of Loblaws in November 2011 and the Mattamy Athletic Centre (the official name of Ryerson’s Athletic Centre) in September 2012, the corner of Carlton and Church Streets is once again filled with excitement, and Canadians can once again experience the ambience and history of Maple Leaf Gardens. The redevelopment is the very definition of adapted reuse. Unlike other historic arenas

in Boston, Detroit and Chicago that were completely demolished, the existing heritage structure was preserved and the Gardens live on.

CCE Project name: Redevelopment of Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto Award-winning firm / structural engineer: exp Services, Markham, Ont. (Paul Sandford, P.Eng.; Weimin Liang, P.Eng.; Gordon Ho, P.Eng.; Anthony Di Stefano, P.Eng.; Andrew Kaminker, P.Eng.; Allan Parker, Eng.; Gary Moloney, P.Eng.; Godfrey Ng) Owners: Loblaw Properties, Ryerson University Other key players: Loblaw - Turner Fleischer Architects (architect), LKM SNCLavalin (mechanical), Hammerschlag & Joffe (electrical). Ryerson University BBB (architect), Genivar (project management), TMP (mechanical), Mulvey and Banani (electrical).

ERA (heritage architect); Aercoustics Engineering (acoustics and vibration); Buttcon (general contractor).

continued from page 39

Several portions of the building have generous cantilevers and transfer structures to allow for open spaces.

Cantilever trusses occupy the roof and fifth floor of the mechanical penthouse. To support the floor structure below, one truss cantilevers over 7 metres to support the other truss, which spans over 21 metres.

Isolating vibrations and preventing electromagnetic interference Additional innovations were implemented in the design of the floor structure. For example, in the specialized laboratories that are highly sensitive at quantum and nano scales, glass fibre reinforcing elements were used in the floor structures to prevent electromagnetic interferences, while expansion joints were used to isolate areas of high vibration.

The vibration criteria (VC-E) needed for some of the laboratory spaces were extremely stringent. The VC-E 40

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required for the clean room, for example, was 3 micrometer/sec — that is 162 times more stringent than what is required in office spaces.

Concrete waffle slabs adjacent to the laboratories provide strength and stability to the structure and are proven to be very effective in mitigating low-frequency vibrations. The ribs in a waffle slab also provide low floor deflections compared to other types of suspended floor structures.

Everything from site selection to acoustical detailing to foundation and superstructure design was critical to the design.

Several green building concepts were incorporated, including green roofs and large vertical windows to provide natural lighting. Natural ventilation with heat recovery is used in the atrium to manage indoor air quality.

Often the architectural design of complex buildings of this nature is compromised due to the stringent technical requirements involved. The

LQNC is innovative in that it fulfils its function as a world-renowned research and testing facility, while doubling as an architectural showpiece.

CCE Project name: The Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre, University of Waterloo, Ont. Award-winning firm /structural engineer: Halsall Associates (Shahé Sagharian, P.Eng., Dino Verrelli, P.Eng., Ken Sissakis, P.Eng., Guillermo Gabrielli, P.Eng., Ian Trudeau, CET) Owner: University of Waterloo Client: KPMB Architects Other consultants: HDR Architecture (laboratory); H.H. Angus & Assoc. (electrical-mechanical); Aercoustics Engineering (acoustics); Colin Gordon & Assoc. (vibration); Vitatech Engineering (EMI-RFI); Conestoga-Rovers (civil); Chung & Vander Doelen (geotechnical); Martin Conboy (lighting); Leber Rubes (fire-life safety); RWDI (wind); cm2r (cost); Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg (landscape); AECON (general contractor).

October/November 2013

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BUILDINGS

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

FAST + EPP

With its complex geometrical form and tilted walls, this

Stephan Pasche

Surrey City Centre Library public building had to be carefully engineered.

The result is a dramatic structure that brings life to a developing downtown.

Above: interior of library showing the building’s geometric forms, with sharply tilted exterior walls and a wide column-free atrium space.

JUROR COMMENTS

“Forming a key element in the revitalization of the downtown core of Surrey, this visually attractive building incorporates complex and innovative structural elements and sustainable features. The design and environmental friendliness of the building identify it as an outstanding example of public buildings of this genre.”

Surrey City Centre Library is a contemporary and dynamic new public building in the city’s downtown core.

The iconic building serves to revitalize the area and facilitates community interaction.

With its complex geometrical form and dramatically tilted concrete walls, the four-storey concrete and steel building required structural engineers at Fast + Epp to develop innovative solutions under a tight project schedule, together with Bing Thom Architects.

Sloped, tilted and curved walls The four-storey, 85,000 sq. ft. concrete and steel facility has a dynamic, contemporary design. Its complex sculptural shapes are formed by cast-inplace concrete exterior cladding walls at the perimeter which are tilted at 10 degrees out-of-plane and 35 degrees

in-plane. These tilted walls are tied back for gravity and seismic forces to an internal steel and concrete structure. The west concrete-cladding wall also curves dramatically to follow University Drive.

The sloped, tilted and curved exterior walls created challenges for the design of the clad system. After reviewing various systems, a cast-inplace concrete system was selected requiring careful design and detailing, particularly for the unusual combination of out-of-plane gravity and seismic forces. This required developing a special ductile connector. The unusual form of the exposed exterior walls also demanded special consideration for the concrete placement and rebar detailing. Being relatively thin, at 250-mm, they required the careful

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

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AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

BUILDING

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placement of control joints to minimize cracking.

Column-free atrium The architect desired a four-storey column-free atrium space and shallow floor structures. Due to the large spans involved at the atrium roof and the third floor reading area, a steel structural system was necessary. These areas needed to be supported on tilted and sloped columns to closely match the exterior facade, along with a tilted upstand steel truss that needed to be hidden within a curving balustrade in the atrium.

The atrium’s complex steel structure was erected after the concrete cladding, with temporary bracing holding the cladding in place until it could be attached to the internal steel structure. This required the steel subtrade contractor to work to tight erection tolerances.

The pop-up central area of the atrium roof is an important feature that includes aesthetic, ventilation, daylighting, smoke exhaust and other design and coordination issues. The irregular plan shape of the roof area and the location of the pop-up in plan required the design of several large cus-

tom trusses to ensure an economic and efficient design. Due to the complex nature of this element and the tight design and construction schedule, it was tendered after the main steel structure was in the shop drawing stage.

Green features The building has a large expanse of high-performance glazing that provides an interior space with maximum daylight to reduce the energy demand. Other features, including a green roof, LED lighting and locallysourced materials, contribute to a building that meets Surrey’s Sustainability Charter for social, economic and environmental sustainability.

Construction in 15 months The building had to be designed and constructed in only 15 months in order to meet a federal government stimulus funding program. Diligent project management, communication and coordination between team members was crucial, as construction of the foundations started before the building design was complete.

In the original scope of work the library did not include any underground parking, but the team was

later instructed to add a basement which would become part of a future parkade that was still in the conceptual stage at the time.

The revitalization of Surrey’s downtown core has gained momentum as a result of the construction of this bold landmark, which was completed on time and economically in 2011. Future phases of Surrey’s revitalization involve the construction of a new city hall building and plaza, underground parking, a performing arts centre and a 52-storey mixed-use tower.

CCE Project name: Surrey City Centre Library, B.C. Award-winning firm / structural engineer: Fast + Epp (Gerald Epp, P.Eng.) Owner: City of Surrey Client: Bing Thom Architects Other key players: AME Consulting Group (mechanical); Applied Engineering Solutions (electrical); CitiWest (civil); Morrison Hershfield (envelope); exp (geotechnical); LMDG (building code); Stuart Olson Dominion (general contractor); Solid Rock (steel fabricating); Turnball (project manager); PFS Studio (landscape); LEC (quantity surveying); Brown & Strachan (acoustical); McElhanney Consulting (surveyors), Bunt and Assoc. (traffic)

Your local partner since 1910.

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Engineering | Surveying | Mapping | Community Planning | Environmental

www.mcelhanney.com

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TRANSPORTATION

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

DILLON CONSULTING

Winnipeg’s Southwest Transitway Designing and building a dedicated busway in a congested urban site on a fast-track schedule required innovation on the part of the engineers.

Above: Osborne Station was constructed on a new bridge that spans a busy arterial road.

JUROR COMMENTS

“This is a complex engineering project that is the first leg of a busway network. It will move Winnipeg significantly towards a sustainable transportation system, bringing major social and environmental benefits.”

The City of Winnipeg engaged Dillon Consulting for the design and construction management of its first rapid transit corridor - the Southwest Transitway.

The transitway is a key component of Winnipeg’s transportation master plan and consists of a high-speed busway that is physically separated from the regular street system. The intent of the project is to increase transit ridership, reduce traffic congestion and support the city’s growth.

The transitway was built within an existing dense urban environment on an alignment in immediate proximity to a CN mainline and the Red River. It is also near to a Manitoba Hydro substation, major arterial roads, multiple underground utilities, and several private properties.

The tight site created complexity in both design and construction.

Using a fast-track approach that involved seven tendered contracts, Dillon delivered the complex project over a three-year construction period, on time and on budget. Rapid transit

service commenced on April 8, 2012.

The project included the gradeseparated busway, stations, a tunnel beneath a CN railway mainline, a bridge with an enclosed station over a major arterial roadway, and bike paths. Also, portions of two major arterial roadways had to be relocated to create space for the transitway.

A complex construction staging plan was employed to minimize traffic disruptions.

Tunnel below a railway Below the active CN railway line the tunnel was built in two phases. It is a 200-metre cast-in-place concrete structure with an additional 150 metres of retaining/wing walls.

A complex shoring system was used to eliminate vertical obstacles, allow continuous unobstructed work, and increase safety. It consisted of sheet piling on three sides of the tunnel structure and struts that spanned between the sheet piles.

The tunnel needed to be con-

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structed at a very obtuse angle to the railway tracks to accommodate the roadway geometry and minimize land impacts. It was also designed to accommodate conversion to light rail transit (LRT) in the future.

Osborne station on a bridge Osborne Station, the transitway’s showpiece, is located atop a new bridge that spans a busy road. The bridge and station building had to be built at a skew angle in relation to the street beneath.

The site constraints required the termination of exterior girders at the west pier. To mimic the profile of continuous girders, innovative methods of analysis were used to generate a design that cast the terminated girders into the pier. A very shallow bridge girder was designed to provide sufficient roadway clearance and accommodate the necessary vertical curvature of

the transitway on the bridge.

To sustain the potential LRT loadings, thick member sizes and tight girder spacings were used. Also, expansion and contraction effects due to temperature variations had to be considered in the design for both the bridge and the station superstructure as the station is not completely enclosed and heated. Because the fixed points of the bridge and building superstructure are different, the superstructure could not be braced to the bridge and therefore is an independent structure.

A new pumping station and land drainage system, installed using tunnel boring technology, services the transitway as well as the CN mainline, tunnel and an adjacent development. Also, special design approaches were implemented to protect two 69-kilovolt lines located beneath a

300-metre length of the transitway.

City benefits The transitway has improved access to downtown and has already stimulated new development, including a community of 900 dwellings adjacent to Fort Rouge Station and a mixed-used tower at Osborne Station.

CCE Project name: Winnipeg’s First Rapid Transit Corridor - Southwest Transitway Award-winning firm/prime consultant: Dillon Consulting (Dave Krahn, P.Eng.; Bill Menzies; Robert Taylor, P.Eng.; Jeff Short, P.Eng.; Taran Peters, P.Eng.; Rick Pidsadny, C.Tech.; Tracey Kucheravy, CET) Owner: City of Winnipeg, Transit Dept.

Other key players: AECOM (geotechnical, rail engineering); GPP architecture (station architect); McGowan Russell Group (aesthetics and landscape)

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TRANSPORTATION

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

HATCH MOTT MacDONALD

Squamish Pedestrian Overpass This elegant footbridge not only provides safe passage for B.C. First Nations people over a busy highway and railway track, but also serves as an emblem of cultural pride.

Hatch Mott MacDonald (HMM) was retained by the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to design an overpass to span the Sea-to-Sky Highway and a CN Rail track near Squamish, B.C., about 50 kilometres north of Vancouver. HMM was responsible for project management, concept development, detailed design, and construction support.

The overpass connects one side of Squamish Nation land to the other, and the key goal of the project was to provide safe passage across the busy highway and track. Before the bridge, pedestrians had to cross at grade. The bridge also had to be a unique and meaningful structure that honours the native community and blends with the natural environment.

The overpass had to concurrently address the needs of the local com-

munity, meet BCMOTI standards, contend with technical site challenges, and maintain a strict budget.

HMM consulted and collaborated with many stakeholders during the design, including the Squamish Nation, the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, BCMOTI, CN Rail, and BC Hydro.

Slaying the Serpent Squamish cultural features created by Squamish Nation artist Xwalacktun grace the overpass. The aesthetic components were integrated seamlessly into the structure, adding visual impact without adding significant cost.

The overpass’ “thrust walls,” for example, capture the Squamish Nation tale of “Slaying the Serpent.” The spear-shaped bridge hangers and struts reinforce this theme, and mask continued on page 48

JUROR COMMENTS

“A delightful small project, this bridge demonstrates tremendous sensitivity to its context and gives expression to the history, art and culture of the Squamish Nation.”

Above: the bridge on opening day. Squamish art cast into the thrust walls is just one of several cultural symbols that are incorporated seamlessly into the structure.

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the bolted connections from view.

The 16 hangers and struts represent the 16 hereditary chiefs of the Squamish Nation.

On the reverse of the thrust walls the symbolic Thunderbird is represented. And a pair of upturned paddles greets travellers from the west, symbolizing peace and respect. The blue-grey colour of the arch represents the story of the “Great Flood” in Squamish folklore.

Site constraints and a flattened arch The bridge structural design was governed by difficult soil conditions, overhead clearances to high-voltage power lines, and other property and site constraints.

The overpass’ arch profile was flattened to maintain sufficient clearance from the overhead power lines. This

flattened profile necessitated the use of thrust walls at the east side of the highway to support the arch at height.

These thrust walls in turn became a giant canvas for Xwalacktun to cast his relief patterns into the sides. The steel main arch was fabricated ahead of time to speed placement during construction.

A trail connects the east end of the overpass to the Stawamus Elementary School. Stacked walls support the trail as it drops down a moderate elevation from the main arch. The terrain proved to be difficult, and the alignment had to be iterated multiple times to keep the maximum grades below 1:12 while minimizing the amount of excavation and fill.

The overpass incorporates an observation deck, which provides a rest area for pedestrians to pause and enjoy expansive views of the surround-

ing mountains.

The project illustrates how engineering efforts must satisfy disparate requirements. Its successful completion exemplifies how engineers not only build infrastructure to serve our communities, but also help to build pride in those communities.

CCE

Project name: Squamish Pedestrian Overpass, B.C. Award-winning firm/prime consultant: Hatch Mott MacDonald, Vancouver (Schaun Valdovinos, P.Eng.; Tony Martin, P.Eng.; Jamie McIntyre, P.Eng.; Thomas Chiu, E.I.T.) Owner: BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Other key players: Wilco Civil (construction); DMD (lighting and electrical); Xwalacktun (artist); Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre ; Xwalacktun (artist); CN Rail, BC Hydro.

CALGARY WEST LRT Calgary, AB

Engineering EXCELLENCE Award Winning

PROJECTS Proud recipients of the 2013 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards of Excellence

SQUAMISH PEDESTRIAN OVERPASS Squamish, BC

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WWW.HATCHMOTT.COM

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WATER RESOURCES

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

AECOM AND GENIVAR

Lorne Park Water Treatment Plant Expansion This expansion of a water treatment plant in Mississauga on Lake Ontario maintains the original footprint while incorporating the newest technologies.

Above: membrane tanks inside the expanded plant; the system provides constant and reduced feed and filter flow rates.

JUROR COMMENTS

“The jury appreciated how this expansion of an existing plant integrates and blends into the existing park, along with the engineers’ use of innovative technologies and holistic approach.”

AECOM, in partnership with GENIVAR and other sub-consultants, was commissioned by the Region of Peel to design the $200-million expansion of the Lorne Park Water Treatment Plant.

The plant provides water for the western parts of the cities of Mississauga and Brampton in southern Ontario.

The retrofit, completed in 2010, merges older approaches with new technologies to achieve high levels of water treatment. The plant now incorporates the largest retrofitted low pressure municipal membrane filtration system in the world, and the largest municipal ultra-violet advanced oxidation installation in North America.

The plant now has an expansion capacity of 500 million litres per day, which will enable it to service population growth in one of the fastest growing regions in Canada to the year 2031.

Saving space and costs The facility is built largely underground within picturesque Jack Darling Memorial Park on the north shore of Lake Ontario. The overall size of the

project was a challenge as it was necessary to contain the expansion within the existing footprint of the original 1976 plant and not impede on the park’s environment.

The design delivers construction cost savings to the region, while improving function, safety and aesthetics.

Some highlights of the project are: • A new low-lift pumping station was built, and while it used up the last available space on the east side, it gave an opportunity to retrofit the existing pumping station, ultimately increasing its capacity; • The installation of a UV disinfection process avoided the construction of an additional reservoir, saving space and money; • Previously engineered filters were retrofitted to provide additional treatment performance requirements; • The membrane system design allows for the potential deterioration of the raw water quality in the future; • Provisions in the membrane system design were made to provide constant and reduced feed and filter flow rates.

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islengineering.com

Inspiring Sustainable Thinking Committed to integrating sustainable solutions into our project work and our corporate culture, ISL Engineering and Land Services delivers planning and design solutions for transportation, water and land projects.

Inspiring Sustainable Legacies ISL’s water team works to resolve a wide variety of engineering and environmental challenges by providing expert assessment, design, construction and commissioning services for water, wastewater and stormwater systems.

Exshaw Water Treatment Plant We are proud to have won a Canadian Consulting Engineering Award of Excellence for Exshaw Water Treatment Plant. The project achieved excellence in the category of Water Resources.

EDMONTON

|

CALGARY

|

CANMORE

|

LETHBRIDGE

|

RED DEER

|

GRANDE PRAIRIE

LANGLEY | BURNABY | SQUAMISH | WEST KOOTENAY | EAST KOOTENAY | SASKATOON

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WATER RESOURCES

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

m ISL ENGINEERING AND LAND SERVICES

Exshaw Municipal Water System The consulting engineers designing a water treatment system for a community in Alberta adapted a simple technology to treat the complex aquifer source water.

ISL Engineering and Land Services designed and implemented a complete municipal water system to replace private water wells in Exshaw, a hamlet of 360 people in the Municipal District of Bighorn, east of Banff, Alberta.

The new water system consists of a low-tech, low maintenance water treatment process that also has a low lifecycle cost. It will provide safe treated water to the community for the next 25-plus years, serving 1,200 people at its full development.

A distribution system was also designed and installed within the existing community’s infrastructure to supply the treated water to the community, and for firefighting.

New aquifer water source had complications Given Alberta Environment’s regulations, ISL had to find a water source that is not connected to surface water for the new system. The engineers identified the Calgary Deep Aquifer (the pre-ice age river bed of the Bow River) as a suitable source. The raw water is considered high quality, but has elevated levels of iron and manga-

nese, which resulted in turbidity and aesthetic concerns. In addition, the aquifer was found to be contaminated with iron-reducing bacteria and sulphate-reducing bacteria, with the latter producing hydrogen sulphide as a toxic waste product.

These combined characteristics meant the water could not be effectively treated using existing technologies, so ISL investigated alternatives, aiming for low capital cost and ease of maintenance.

ISL identified a water treatment technology based upon traditional slow-sand filtration, using its natural effectiveness, but adapted to address its typical inadequacies. For example, the filter maintenance was simplified to minimize downtime by not requiring the physical removal and replacement of the filter media. These enhancements also allowed higher filter loadings, reduced the backwash cleaning frequency and operator input, and also enabled the system to function on demand.

The treatment system treats the complex source water effectively, while the enhancements make it relatively continued on page 53

JUROR COMMENTS

“We appreciated this project because it has changed the quality of life in an existing town with the use of local resources.”

N

Above: inside the plant. Blue pipes carry treated water from the filters; green pipes carry water for filter maintenance. In the foreground is distribution pumping.

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GE Power & Water Water & Process Technologies

Solving complex water challenges

Region of Peel, ON – Lorne Park WTF 383,000 m3/d Expansion of existing water treatment plant on a constrained site to support urban growth Picture courtesy of Maple Reinders Constructors Ltd.

City of London, ON – Oxford PCP 34,000 m3/d Expansion of constrained conventional activated sludge plant through membrane (MBR) retrofit with improved effluent quality

King County, WA – Brightwater WWTP 215,000 m3/d Greenfield membrane bioreactor discharging to sensitive environment and producing reclaimed water

GE would like to congratulate the Region of Peel, AECOM, and Genivar Inc. on their award-winning Lorne Park Water Treatment Plant Expansion project.

At GE, we develop advanced water reuse and wastewater technologies to navigate the complex web of water-related challenges and help our customers create a sustainable water supply for the future.

Insist on GE’s ZeeWeed Ultrafiltration (UF) and Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) technology for robust and reliable performance. With our vast global expertise and proven track record, GE can develop customized and pre-engineered solutions to help customers produce superior quality water, stay within a smaller plant footprint and meet the most stringent environmental requirements.

To learn more about how we can help you successfully meet your water treatment challenges, contact your local sales representative or e-mail us at news.engineeredsystems@ge.com.

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This approach eases operations and reduces the cost of other treatment processes.

• A 12-month pilot study was done to test potential membrane equipment and an 18-month catalytic carbon study was done that involved international vendors. The equipment procured was UV advanced oxidation (200 ML/d), disinfection (500 ML/d), membrane filtration (380 ML/d) and GAC (380 ML/d, catalytic carbon).

• Construction had to be staged to keep the plant operating at all times.

easy to operate and maintain. It also uses less energy and costs less to run than other treatments.

Enhancing the Park Environment The sewage pumping stations were upsized and located away from nearby Rattray Marsh to avoid polluting it.

The team’s landscaping expertise was applied to make Jack Darling Park a pleasant environment and the topography around the plant was used for developing park features.

For example, a narrow and steep sloped area in the expansion of the building became a gentle path up to a leash-free dog-walking zone on top of the plant. A toboggan run on the northeast side was maintained and the building walls were exposed as much as possible to create “garden walls.”

The project was completed 20 days ahead of schedule and produces high quality water that exceeds Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards.

CCE Project: Lorne Park Water Treatment Plant Expansion, Mississauga, Ont. Owner: Regional Municipality of Peel Award-winning firms: AECOM (prime consultant), GENIVAR (partner); (Brian Sahely, P.Eng., Martin Gravel, P.Eng., Hang Nguyen, P.Eng., Mike McGee, Matt Thurston, Brian Vistorino, P.Eng., Thomas Rapley, Joseph Eratostene, P.Eng., Ron Carligia, P.Eng.) Consultants: B.J. Tworzyanski (electrical); PROF&E (contract management); Brown & Storey (architects); Salvatori (landscape ) General contractor: Maple Reinders.

Other key players: Ontario Clean Water Agency, C&M McNally, Kenaidan, Lexsan Electrical Supplier: GE Water & Process Technologies (membrane filtration equipment).

Robust, modular and simple to operate The treatment system is robust enough to handle variations in the quality of the source water, while the modular structure of the filter equipment means that it can easily be increased in size to double its capacity.

The annual energy consumption of the water treatment is less than 6,000 kWh, compared to the 40,000 kWh estimated for more conventional technologies. And with monthly (rather than daily backwash) as the norm, the treatment process produces less than one-tenth the volume of wastewater compared to other treatment processes.

The process uses off-the-shelf equipment that can be operated by the municipality’s existing Level 1 operators.Chemical inputs were reduced to just the one required by regulators for disinfection: sodium hypochlorite. The chemical is generic, readily available and doesn’t require special handling.

A water distribution system was also provided in the community, which required relocating utilities and constructing water mains across roads, highways, rail tracks, creeks and floodplains, all within environmentally sensitive areas.

Households and industries in Exshaw now have a safe, secure potable water supply. The system also provides fire protection. Just two months after completion, firefighters used the supply to tackle a big fire at a local landfill. CCE Project name: Exshaw Municipal Water System, Alberta Owner: Municipal District of Bighorn No. 8 Award-winning firm/prime consultant: ISL Engineering and Land Services, Calgary (Josua le Roux, P.Eng.; Fadi Maalouf, P.Eng.; Michael Dobbin, RET; James Hanley, P.Eng.; Abhishek Garg, P.Eng.; Jose Zapote, P.Eng.; Wes Stambaugh, P.Eng.; Yanina Goyhman, CET; Ronald Loeppky, C.Tech; Michael Mullin, CET) Other key players: Oasis Filter (process); Tronnes Surveys (survey); Levelton Engineering (geotechnical); Colleaux Engineering (electrical, instrumentation, process control); DJA Engineering (electrical).

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Green power for Guatemala Hatch celebrates its 2013 Canadian Consulting Engineering Award for Enel Green Power’s Palo Viejo hydroelectric project.

Hatch operates around the world with a comprehensive array of technical and strategic consulting services in the mining, energy and infrastructure sectors.

We’re engineers. We’re consultants. We’re construction and project managers. And together, we’re writing the next chapter in Hatch’s legacy of excellence.

Learn more about us at www.hatch.ca

ENGINEERING • CONSULTING • TECHNOLOGIES • OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE • PROJECT & CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

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NATURAL RESOURCES, MINING, INDUSTRY & ENERGY

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

HATCH

Palo Viejo Hydroelectric Plant Canadian engineers used their creativity to design an 85-MW hydroelectricity generation plant in the mountains of Guatemala.

Above: nearly 20 kilometres of canals, tunnels and spillways were built through a mountainous, highly seismic region.

JUROR COMMENTS

“This is a very innovative project in its application of engineering techniques.

It is also admirable for how it responded to the community concerns.�

The Palo Viejo hydroelectric project in San Juan Cotzal, Quiche, Guatemala is a testament to complexity.

Through 20 km. of canals, 0.63 km of tunnel, 0.5 km of inverted siphons, and 1.4 km of steel penstock, the power flow is diverted from the river and creeks at elevations between 1200 and 1190 metres and conveyed to a 305,000-m3 daily storage regulating reservoir. An 85 MW surface powerhouse with two vertical turbines converts 5.5 m3/s of flow and 388 m of head into 370,000,000 kWh each year.

All these components are set in a remote, mountainous, highly seismic region, subject to tropical storms, landslides, and other geological issues. The project itself is situated in a working coffee plantation, presenting a number of social challenges. Innova-

tive solutions were required.

First the geometry of the river meant that a conventional tunnel was not economically feasible. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the river were two large river valleys which would have required a longer conveyance, multiple powerhouses, and significant additional costs.

Water from five waterways To solve this problem on behalf of owner Enel Green Power (EGP), Hatch designed the 20-km long surface canal system. The canal system required custom designs to suit the complex nature of the site topography and geological conditions.

Where the risks of landslides were highest, for example, Hatch designed

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NATURAL RESOURCES, MINING, INDUSTRY & ENERGY

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unique structures to divert the slides overtop of the canal. To deal with ponded water produced by landslide blockages, an innovative system of isolation gates and overflow spillways were designed to divert the water into existing dried watercourses. Removable covers protect the open canal from becoming filled with debris due to localized slope instabilities.

To bring water across the two steep valleys with minimal energy loss in a cost effective manner, Hatch designed specialized inverted siphons. These siphons, engineering marvels in themselves, are up to 100 metres in height, span river valleys as wide as 350 metres with slopes as steep as 60 degrees.

Ensuring that adequate environmental protection measures were in place was essential. For example, solutions were needed to ensure that lubricating oils from turbine machinery would not contaminate the river. To

address this problem, Hatch devised a unique oil separation technology commonly used in the petrochemical industry consisting of a custom-system comprised of separation baffles and valves. To Hatch’s knowledge, this is the first time the technology has been applied to a hydroelectric facility.

Water returned to watercourses The project has the environmental advantages of a run-of-river plant. It enables the storage of energy for maximizing revenue through the use of a regulating pond that did not result in any flooding of prime agricultural lands or the need to relocate people. The project returns the water to the watercourse to be used for agricultural and domestic needs.

The community benefits from the project by having green energy and fewer blackouts. As well, approximately 1,000 Guatemalans and 300 Ixil

First Nations were hired to construct the project.

EGP committed $1.4 million to conserving the ecosystem of the site and for reforestation. And after ruins of an ancient Mayan sports site were uncovered, a canal was rerouted and a structure was built to protect them.

The project was connected to the electricity grid in March 2012.

CCE Project name: Palo Viejo Hydroelectric Project, Guatemala Award-winning firm/owner’s engineer: Hatch, Mississauga, Ont. (Ian Ainslie, P.Eng.; Alan Mee, P.Eng.; Stephen Perkins, Tech; Mike Ragwen, P.Eng.; Shahin Motamedi, P.Eng.; Dragi Debeljevich, P.Eng.; Ralph Salfi, Tech; Richard Jack, Tech; Jason Molenaar, Tech; Manual Villalobos, Tech.)

Owner: Enel Green Power Other key players: Solel Boneh (civil contractor); Voith Hydro (W2W equipment contractor).

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AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

SPECIAL PROJECTS

McELHANNEY CONSULTING SERVICES

Rewriting the History of the Khmer Empire McElhanney’s consulting engineers and geomatics specialists used their expertise in LiDAR mapping technology to help archaeologists in Cambodia make exciting discoveries.

JUROR COMMENTS

“By taking a Canadian engineering tool and using it outside the normal applications, this innovative project helped to unearth ancient temples and settlements in Southeast Asia.”

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For 150 years, archaeologists in Cambodia have been researching the Khmer Empire that dominated Southeast Asia 1,000 years ago and left behind spectacular temples such as Angkor Wat. Vancouver-based McElhanney introduced new LiDAR mapping technology to the archaeologists and was instrumental in a massive data collection project in Siem Reap and Preah Vihear Provinces in northwestern Cambodia. The project has resulted in the discovery of 29 new temple sites and extensive urban development that was formerly obscured by forest. As a result, the history of the Khmer Empire is now being rewritten.

Light through the jungle Much of the exploration and research undertaken over the past 150 years in and around Angkor has been carried out by ground survey. More recently, aerial photography and radar surveys added to the information available.

However, the dense forest cover, decades of civil unrest, and the resulting presence of landmines and unexploded ordnance have combined to severely limit the ability of archaeologists to fully explore the extent of the Khmer Empire’s urban and agricultural development.

Using LiDAR, McElhanney helped substantially overcome these difficulties. Unlike other mapping techniques, airborne LiDAR technology uses light pulse emissions reflected by the ground. The technology works by measuring the time lapse between transmission and return of the light pulses to establish subtle ground forms with unprecedented accuracy.

McElhanney has pioneered the use of LiDAR since its inception in

the 1980s, but only in recent years has the technology become sophisticated enough to generate millions of ground elevation points per square kilometre, even through heavy vegetation.

Since 2002, McElhanney has been involved in projects in Cambodia, and recently became aware of the difficulties facing archaeological teams working in the region. After being inspired by the experimental use of LiDAR for archaeological research at the Stonehenge World Heritage Site in England and the ancient Maya city of Caracol, Belize, McElhanney persuaded Dr. Damian Evans, deputy director of the Greater Angkor Project, of the technology’s potential.

With McElhanney playing a coordinating role, eight archaeological research organizations from around the world formed the Khmer Archaeology LiDAR Consortium, headed by Dr. Evans, to raise funds for the project and share the resulting data.

Billions of data points McElhanney designed a gridded flight plan, customized to the site, to produce ground elevations at a high density and accuracy.

LiDAR data collection is usually carried out from a small plane, but the point density requirements and weather dictated using a helicopter.

McElhanney designed a custom pod to house the LiDAR system, which was then mounted on the port skid of the only suitable helicopter available locally, a Eurocopter AS350B3+.

The results of the data collection were even better than predicted, yielding billions of data points at an average density of 12-14 points per square metre, complemented by approximately 5,000 high-resolution

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eries will attract additional tourism and scientific exploration to Cambodia. In the long term, the survey will improve our understanding of how the Khmers managed water, which is believed to be a key factor in why their Empire rose and eventually fell.

Covering 270 square kilometres and completed on time and on budget in 2012, this was the largest archaeological mapping project ever undertaken.

CCE Above: LiDAR digital surface model of Angkor Wat.

digital aerial photographs.

The data collected will take many years to analyze but has already revealed the existence of more than two dozen previously unknown temple sites, as well as evidence of inhabitation and agriculture extending far beyond previous estimates.

As an example, the mapping of

the forested enclosure of Ta Prohm revealed in the words of Dr. Evans, “an entire ancient city beneath the forest, with a precisely laid out grid of streets, canals, ponds and occupation mounds, which no one had ever noticed in spite of 150 years of research and 2 million tourists per year.”

In the short term, the new discov-

Project name: Rewriting the History of the Khmer Empire Owner/client: Khmer Archaeology LiDAR Consortium Award-winning firm/prime consultant: McElhanney Consulting Services, B.C. & Indonesia (Chris Newcomb, P.Eng.; Jim Christie; Francisco Gonçalves; Chris Cromarty; Oliver Swaffield; Glorie Siahaan; Imam Hartono; Primaristianti Putri) Other key players: Helistar Cambodia (helicopter owner-operator)

Congratulations To the recipients of the 2013 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards.

McElhanney is proud to have been a part of two award-winning projects: > Rewriting the History of the Khmer Empire > Surrey City Centre Library (survey component)

www.mcelhanney.com

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ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION

OPUS DAYTON KNIGHT CONSULTANTS

Harvest Energy Garden Using a new German technology, Canadian engineers played a key role in the design of an organic waste facility in Richmond, B.C. that produces 8,000 MW and can process both mixed food and yard waste.

Above: aerial view of the plant in Richmond. It is designed so that waste handling is completely enclosed and the digestion processes are sealed.

JUROR COMMENTS

“By allowing waste to be turned into a resource on a large scale, this project sets an example for other locations.”

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Metro Vancouver is implementing an organics waste ban from landfills by 2015. As the largest local composter, Harvest Power needed a new, innovative technology to process comingled food and yard waste.

Opus DaytonKnight coordinated the design and construction of the Harvest Energy Garden in Richmond, B.C. using a new digestion technology developed in Germany.

This innovative facility — the first in North America — processes 30,000 tonnes per year of organic waste, generating 8,000 MWh of renewable electrical energy.

Developed in Germany by Grossmann Ingenieur Consult GmbH (GICON), the digestion technology is new and transformative because of its ability to accept high solids organic material such as mixed food and yard waste. It also produces high quality biogas in the range of 70 – 80% methane and high quality, nutrient rich compost.

Food waste is a difficult material to process, but is high in energy. The process employed at the Harvest En-

ergy Garden extracts the energy and turns this odorous waste into highly beneficial resources. This plant, located on York Road north of Blundell Road, demonstrates the first use of the technology to process food and yard waste.

What’s the difference?

The facility has been designed to completely contain the handling of raw food waste. The receiving and pre-processing areas are enclosed, and the digestion processes are entirely sealed. After digestion, the spent food waste composts easily with low odour emissions.

The process optimizes the production of biogas. The two main process steps in the conversion of organic material to biogas are hydroloysis and methanization. Typically these processes take place in parallel in completely mixed tanks. In this facility the steps are separated, and optimal conditions for each process are created. It requires very little energy to operate compared to alternative technologies.

In this Lower Mainland area, resi-

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dential food waste is collected as mixed food and yard waste while commercial food waste is concentrated and contaminated. For standard anaerobic digestion, these organic waste streams must be liquefied and heavily preprocessed to remove contaminants. The plant is capable of processing these waste streams as solid material with minimal pre-preprocessing.

Waste is first percolated The food waste is first tipped into a large receiving hall for processing prior to being fed into the anaerobic digestion process. Air in the receiving hall is extracted and passed through a dedicated biofilter to remove odours, vapours and VOCs. Pre-processing consists of shredding the food waste and removing large contaminants. The material is then blended and stockpiled into one of 10 large percolation tunnels, which is then sealed. Warm water is percolated through the organic matter, and recycled over several days, “leaching” out the biodegradable organic components which become concentrated in the recycled liquid.

A side stream of concentrated liquid is continuously fed to the methane digesters. After percolation, the digested matter is removed from the percolator and composted.

Energy for 800 homes The process is very energy efficient: after a percolator is filled, the only process step is the pumping of liquids, which allows a high level of control and optimization. Recycling retains heat energy in the system. The process is currently exceeding gas production and quality estimates.

The energy produced is sold to

local markets and is enough to meet the annual energy requirements of 800 single family residences. The estimated annual greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction attributable to the plant is 23,000 tonnes of CO2, and this benefit accumulates annually.

Deceptively simple to describe, the project integrated German technology, American management and Canadian engineering. The Harvest Energy Garden in Richmond presents an environmentally sustainable alternative for managing the large volumes of organic waste generated in large urban areas.

CCE

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Project name: Harvest Energy Garden, Richmond, B.C. Owner/clients: Harvest Power Canada and Gicon GMBH Award-winning firm/main consultant for substation, odour control/subconsultant to Gicon GMBH for biogas plant: Opus DaytonKnight Consultants (Seamus Frain, P.Eng.; Tjandra Tjondrotekodjojo, P.Eng.; Goran Vranic, P.Eng.; Bengul Kurtar, P.Eng.; John Boyle, P.Eng.; Harlan Kelly, P.Eng.) Subconsultants: WSB (structural); ISL Engineering & Land Services (civil); FWD (fire protection); DA (architect); Schenke Bawol (energy centre electrical) Supplier: NETZSCH (pumps)

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Canadian Consulting Engineer

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NATURAL RESOURCES, MINING, INDUSTRY & ENERGY

STANTEC

Alexandra District Energy Geothermal System A geothermal district energy system in Richmond, B.C. is providing space heating, cooling and domestic hot water for 400 residences, while saving greenhouse gas emissions — and at no cost to taxpayers.

Above: equipment in the energy centre.

JUROR COMMENTS

“Well integrated into a growing community, this project makes possible a large reduction in greenhouse gases that is a model for future projects.”

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Recognizing the benefit of a district energy system in advancing towards a more sustainable community, the City of Richmond engaged Stantec Consulting to design the Alexandra District Energy Utility (ADEU) geothermal system.

Having started operating in July 2012, the system currently provides space heating, cooling and domestic hot water, serving over 400 residences as well as a daycare.

The system provides a safe, clean and reliable energy source, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The system is currently reducing up to 750 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually, and reducing our dependency on non-renewable energy sources.

Due to Richmond’s beneficial geology and tidal effected high water table, ADEU’s vertical closed-loop geothermal district system is expected to be significantly more energy efficient and cost-effective than most other geothermal systems. As a result, the system can meet the client’s man-

date of ensuring that end users will pay equal or lower rates for heating and cooling than they would using a conventional system. And since the utility is self-financing, no cost will be incurred by taxpayers.

Massive geo-exchange field The ADEU system extracts energy from the ground using a network of 385 boreholes, each 76 metres deep, drilled in a massive geo-exchange field beneath a city greenway corridor. Using this greenway corridor provides the community with multiple benefits: open green space and an energy source.

From the geothermal field, 1.3 km of 500-mm high density polyethylene supply and return mains distributes water to the energy centre and to the connected buildings. Inside each building an energy transfer station monitors the heating and cooling requirements and modulates the flow of water from the utility.

Heat pump units in each building

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NATURAL RESOURCES, MINING, INDUSTRY & POWER

elevate the water temperatures for heating, or reject heat into the ADEU system for cooling.

During the peak heating season, the system operates at a minimum supply temperature of -1°C with a 6°C temperature drop. During the peak cooling season the system will operate at a maximum supply temperature of 32°C with the same 6°C temperature rise. The flow rate is carefully managed to ensure that pump energy is not wasted by circulating water when it is not required. A 1.0 MW condensing, gas-fired boiler is used as a back-up energy source for the geothermal system, as well as providing supplemental heating at peak loads.

able energy sources such as open and closed loop geo-exchange systems, solar thermal, biogas and sewer heat recovery. Initially the system is operating without any antifreeze. The loop temperatures is being monitored and logged, and in the event that temperatures approach freezing, glycol can be added.

The entire utility is controlled by an automated DDC system that allows the city to monitor the energy use and consumption recovery rate.

Achieving scale was critical, so a service bylaw that makes hook-up to the ADEU mandatory secured the customer base to support the longterm investment business case. Working with developers and owners prior to construction allowed for them to immediately connect to the district system, which was essential to reducing

Achieving scale was critical The system is designed to allow future phases to use different renew-

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their upfront in-building equipment cost and long term maintenance costs.

It is estimated that at build out, ADEU will achieve a reduction of up to 6,000 tonnes of GHG emissions annually, which is equivalent to removing approximately 2,000 cars off the road each year.

CCE Project name: Alexandra District Energy Geothermal System, Richmond, B.C. Award-winning firm/prime consultant: Stantec, Vancouver Owner: City of Richmond Client/design-build contractor: Oris Geo-Energy Other key players: Hemmera Envirochem (concept design); Compass Resource Management (prefeasibility study); Barnett Dembek (architecture); H.Y. Engineering (civil); Weiler Smith Bowers (structural); GeoPacific (geotechnical).

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Deh Cho Bridge - Fort Providence, NT

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT

ASSOCIATED ENGINEERING

Deh Cho Bridge Associated Engineering stepped in — midconstruction — to help the Government of the Northwest Territories build a vital link to the rest of Canada.

Spanning over one kilometre across the Mackenzie River near Fort Providence, the new Deh Cho Bridge now connects northern residents with the rest of Canada and helps create economic development opportunities in the North.

For decades, Highway 3 stopped at the point where travellers crossed the MacKenzie River by ferry or ice bridge. This meant that for up to five weeks during periods of freezing or

Construction underway: design incomplete When Associated Engineering stepped in as project manager, bridge construction had started, but the design was incomplete. The team faced immense public pressure, fueled by years of delays and cost escalation. Construction needed to proceed immediately, but the engineering consultant was still completing the design. Meanwhile, the quality of the constructed

Above: bridge under construction over the Mackenzie River. A project of this magnitude had never been built so far north in Canada.

JUROR COMMENTS

“The development and application of rigorous project management techniques resolved a failing project, revived it, and together with the input of the local community drew it to a successful conclusion. This approach, together with the problems of carrying out operations in a remote area with difficult access, makes this an outstanding project in its category.”

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ice break-up, the residents of the Northwest Territories had no land connection with the rest of Canada.

The only mode of transport for people or freight was expensive: by air.

In 2002, a public private partnership initiated design of the Deh Cho Bridge near Fort Providence. However, after continuing setbacks and delays, in 2010 the Government of the Northwest Territories assumed control of the project mid-construction.

The government retained a new bridge engineer and contractor and appointed Associated Engineering to help deliver the project.

works needed to be confirmed, and the team needed to understand the project issues.

A project of this magnitude had never been built so far north in Canada. The team quickly mobilized to understand the government’s project goals, regulatory requirements, and the many issues that had delayed the original project. It was a remote site with extreme weather conditions; the project team was geographically dispersed; and there were issues related to the bridge fabrication and delivery, skilled labour, the availability of equipment, and quality control. continued on page 66

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Award-Winning Excellence A proud partner of Associated Engineering, providing earthworks design for the awardwinning Deh Cho Bridge, NT

Tetra Tech’s scientists and engineers are developing sustainable solutions for the world’s most complex projects. With over 4,000 employees in Canada and more than 14,000 employees in 350 offices worldwide, we have grown to become one of North America’s largest engineering firms providing innovative solutions to complex problems focused on water, environment, energy, infrastructure, and natural resources.

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT

continued from page 64

Associated Engineering developed a plan to address the above issues. As project manager, and working closely with the owner, they brought together the engineer, contractor, and fabricator to develop a design solution that could be quickly fabricated and delivered to the site. The project included highway, structural, and electrical design completion, hydrotechnical design, bridge fabrication and delivery, construction planning, document control, communications, environmental services, construction inspection, and quality management.

Communication with the team and the public was critical Effective communication with the geographically dispersed project team, as well as regulators and the public, was critical. Regular meetings

and partnering sessions were held, meetings were recorded, and a tailored, online document control system was developed to distribute all project documents instantaneously to team members.

Real-time web camera feeds kept the public informed of the project status, and quarterly newsletters were distributed by the government to each household in the Northwest Territories. Two scale models of the bridge were displayed in prominent locations, so the public could visualize the structure and understand its complexity.

The Deh Cho Bridge establishes a new, fixed northern connection that will help increase tourism to the Northwest Territories. Goods can now be easily transported, while the most significant economic benefit will likely be to the natural resources sector,

which is a leading contributor to the region’s gross domestic product.

About 80 local residents worked on the project, receiving on-the-job training and building local capacity. CCE Project name: Deh Cho Bridge, Fort Providence, N.W.T. Owner/client: Government of Northwest Territories, Dept. of Transportation Award-winning / project manager, controller and engineering consultant: Associated Engineering, Burnaby, B.C. (Leslie Mihalik, P.Eng.) Other key players: Levelton Consultants (project quality assurance), EBA/TetraTech (earthworks); Infinity Engineering/Sargent & Associates (bridge superstructure design); BPTEC DNW/TY LIN (Territorial advisors); Buckland & Taylor (erection engineering); Allnorth Consultants (construction quality control); Ruskin Construction (contractor).

Congratulations to all of the Winners of the 2013 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards Associated Engineering is an employee-owned, Canadian consulting firm providing services in the water, infrastructure, environmental, transportation, energy, building, and asset management sectors.

Sustainability is part of our business, as well as in every project we undertake. It’s our commitment to improving the environment and reducing our carbon footprint.

Deh Cho Bridge North West Territories

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HATCH MOTT MacDONALD

Calgary’s West LRT The huge and complex scope of the $1.4-billion extension to Calgary’s C-Train was completed within an unprecedented five-year fast-track delivery process.

In November 2007, Calgary City Council approved the alignment and funding for the West LRT project, an eight kilometre extension to the Ctrain light rail system to serve communities in the west of the city.

The $1.4-billion West LRT, the largest infrastructure project in the city’s history, opened exactly on schedule on December 10, 2012. Delivery of an LRT project of this size and complexity in a five year period was unprecedented. It was the first leg of the

and constructed on a right-of-way within an existing fully developed urban environment. The technical complexity was therefore compounded by the fact that there were many stakeholders with critical interests that required monitoring and management.

The scope of work was extensive and included: • approximately 8 km of LRT right-ofway, with approximately 3.3 km at or near grade, 1.8 km elevated, and 2.9 km trenched, tunnel and portal;

Above: LRT train on elevated guideway section of the line.

JUROR COMMENTS

“All aspects of good project management are thoroughly covered by this project. By coping with the varied scope and challenging schedule, the engineers demonstrated their mastership of project management skills and knowledge.”

city’s LRT system to be implemented under a design-build delivery model with an integrated project team consisting of a dedicated City of Calgary group and Hatch Mott MacDonald as owner’s engineer.

SNC-Lavalin Constructors Pacific in joint venture with others (see credits below) was the design-build contractor.

Complexity in an urban context By their very nature new LRT lines are extremely complex multi-disciplinary undertakings, but in addition the West LRT was a classic “brownfields” project.

The infrastructure had to be designed

• LRT systems including traction power, signals and communications; • six stations, including one elevated, one underground, two trenched, and two at-grade; • nine traction power substations and two utility buildings; • two LRT Park ’n’ Ride facilities and two transit bus terminal facilities; • a four-storey transit orientated development building; • three pedestrian bridges, a new major freeway interchange and three new road bridges; • modifications to existing roads, sidewalks, and structures.

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continued on page 69

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INTERNATIONAL

DESSAU INTERNATIONAL

SIEPAC Electrical Network Canadian consulting engineers designed and managed the construction of an 1,800-kilometre power and telecommunications network that spans no less than six Central American countries.

JUROR COMMENTS

“This project is an outstanding demonstration of Canadian engineering capabilities applied in a complex international context. It not only brings to light the technical excellence of Canadian engineering, but also shows leading project management competencies and the generous transfer of technology and knowledge.”

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Above: the megaproject involved negotiating for access rights to land and establishing standardized designs and procedures through the six different countries.

The SIEPAC Project (Electrical Interconnection System for Central American Countries) is a high-voltage transmission and telecommunications network that extends over 1,800 kilometres, connecting six Central American countries: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Completed in 2012, the long-awaited investment improves electrical and communications services for over 30 million people.

SIEPAC’s owner, EPR (Empresa Propietaria de la Red), commissioned the Montreal-based consulting engineering firm Dessau for the design, turnkey tenders and supervision of equipment fabrication, detailed engineering, construction and commissioning of the project. In this central role, Dessau managed the project and supervised construction of the network, including 15 substations. In addition, the company worked with over 100 stakeholders — government and financial organizations, transmission companies, local contractors, etc. — and met unprecedented challenges.

SIEPAC has been operating since December 2012 with excellent results.

Dialogue and sharing The company put in place the best

possible multidisciplinary teams composed of 250 professionals who handled the complex technical, legislative and administrative situations and managed sensitive issues such as environmental protection.

The use of collaborative work methods optimized knowledge-sharing and accelerated decision-making. Seminars, for example, involved the project stakeholders, unlike the top-down approach often used in Central America.

This approach helped achieve a significant first: the standardizing of designs and procedures throughout six Central American countries.

Acquiring property rights The operation of an 1,800-km job site required high-calibre expertise and tools. Rights-of-way had to be acquired by each local electrical company since regional legislation did not grant such rights to SIEPAC. This crucial and delicate component had not been planned in detail by the project authorities, so Dessau had to serve as negotiator on behalf of the client. The route had to be modified several times due to refusals or exorbitant demands by landowners.

Dessau created a tailor-made, Internet-accessible project management

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INTERNATIONAL

system that facilitated the design, monitoring, procurement and construction activities.

Dessau also completely designed a cutting-edge telecommunications system complementing the high-voltage network to increase the quality and speed of telephone and Internet networks. Today, it is the most robust transborder network in the region.

Transnational standardization was key; thus, tender calls had to take into account very distinct and complex bureaucracies. At the same time, local contractors possessed varied and sometimes limited technical knowledge.

The region’s unique ecosystem is both a source of pride and a tourist attraction, and the project strictly met the environmental standards in effect in the six countries involved.

The route was modified several times when to avoid sensitive ecosystems.

On numerous occasions and depending on the season, the project team faced hurricanes, heavy rainfall and extreme heat. Meanwhile, criminal gang activity in the region was another problem and ensuring workers’ safety was a priority for Dessau.

Revolutionary gesture From a humanitarian standpoint, a mega-project that physically interconnects six countries through shared infrastructure is a revolutionary, peace-building endeavour in an area known for its tumultuous past riddled with conflicts and civil wars.

The SIEPAC project resulted in the construction of permanent road infrastructures, and has created business

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opportunities due to lower energy and telecommunications costs.

Awaited since the 1980s, SIEPAC provides efficient solutions to Central America’s energy problems. With its imminent connection to Mexico and Colombia, the system will soon become transcontinental.

CCE Project name: SIEPAC Network, Central America Owner: EPR (Empresa Proprietaria de la Red) Award-winning firm/engineering, construction contracts management & works supervision: Dessau International, Montreal, Chile, Colombia, Peru: (Homero Fuertes Mori, Eng.; Luis A. Nicho, Eng.; Michel Robitaille, Eng.; William Diaz, Eng.; Robinson Mauricio, Eng.; Miguel Camacho, Eng.; Carlos Irigoyen, Eng.)

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continued from page 67

• re-routing of existing utilities and installation of new ones; • environmental remediation of contaminated sites.

Project management strategies Effective project scheduling, cost estimating and controls ensured the successful completion of the fast-track project. In addition, the following project implementation strategies were used: • an accelerated nine month period for preliminary design and requestfor-proposal package; • the acquisition and possession of 50 properties under a “get it right the first time” approach; • the completion of enabling works and sub-projects prior to the primary LRT construction project.

• a comprehensive and reliable communications plan; • a strong commitment to a “One Team” culture of partnering.

The project also involved extensive

engagement with the project’s own stakeholders and a public engagement process that involved 115 public meetings. A comprehensive risk management process was also undertaken.

The project represented a number of “firsts” for the City of Calgary, including the first elevated and underground LRT stations, the first LRT tunnels to include fire-life-safety measures to protect the public in the event of an underground fire; and the first leg of the LRT system to be separately tested, commissioned, and integrated into the existing Operation and Control Centre.

44,000 people off the roads The West LRT carries approximately 44,000 people per day from the western quadrant to the downtown core of Calgary in an estimated travel time of 13 minutes. Ridership has increased 28% since opening day. The new line is estimated to divert up to 7,300 automobile trips per day, reduc-

ing emissions. Another benefit is the refurbishment of the Westbrook mall area with a new building.

Finally, the project provided over 3.7 million hours of work, mainly in the construction and consulting engineering industries.

CCE Project name: Calgary West LRT Owner: City of Calgary Award-winning firm/owner’s engineer: Hatch Mott MacDonald (Russel Delmar, P.Eng.; Paul Wilson, P.Eng.; Nathan Higgins, P.Eng.) Subconsultants: GEC (architecture); Thurber Engineering (geotechnical); Focus (roadways, utilities); Associated Engineering (traffic management); AECOM (environmental, station mechanical-electrical monitoring), Patching Associates (acoustics); Ground 3 (landscape) Design-build contractor: SNC-Lavalin Constructors Pacific (SLCP) joint venture with Graham Infrastructure, Cana, Enmax, A&B Rail. Design: MMM Group; SNCL; EBA/ Tetratech; RJC; Gibbs Gage; Wiebe Forest.

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2013 AWARDS

WINNERS’ GALLERY

2013 CANADIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERING AWARDS

Congratulations!

2

1 Schreyer Award 1. West Edmonton Sanitary Sewer W12 Syphon, Alberta. SMA Consulting & Associated Engineering. Left to right: Jason Lueke (Associated Engineering), Junhao Zou (City of Edmonton), Mohammed Al-Bataineh (SMA).

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Tree For Life Award 2. Sydney Tar Ponds and Coke Oven Sites Remediation, Nova Scotia.

AECOM Canada and CBCL. Left to right: Bruce Noble (AECOM), Randy Pointkoski (AECOM), Dan MacDonald (CBCL).

Ambassador Award 3. Allain Duhangan Hydroelectric Project, India. AECOM. Front, left to right: Claudio Vissa, Ashraf Alam. Back, left to right: Guru Panesar, German Vera Lazo De La Vega.

Engineering a Better Canada Award 4. Seismic Retrofit Guidelines for B.C. Schools. Ausenco Engineering, Bush Bohlman & Partners, Read Jones Christoffersen, Genivar, et al.

Front row, left to right: Armin Bebamzadeh ( UBC Earthquake Engineering Research Facility), Clint Low (Bush Bohlman), Tim White (Bush Bohlman).

Second row: John Wallace (John A. Wallace Engineering), Liam Finn (UBC), Phillip Chambers (BC Ministry of Education). Third row: Peter Mitchell (Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists BC ), Jim Alkins, Alkins Project Services), John Sherstobitoff (Ausenco). Fourth row: Andy Mill (David Nairne and Associates), Carlos Ventura (UBC)

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Outreach Award 5. Charitable Initiatives. Golder Associates. Right: Brian Conlin.

* Note: the above special award-winners also won Awards of Excellence.

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WINNERS’ GALLERY

2013 AWARDS

Awards of Excellence 6. Squamish Pedestrian Overpass, B.C. Hatch Mott MacDonald. Left to right: Schaun Valdovinos, Tony Martin, Jamie McIntyre.

7. Lorne Park Water Treatment Plant Expansion, Mississauga, Ontario. AECOM, with GENIVAR. Back row, left to right: Thomas Rapley (GENIVAR), Jeff Hennings (Peel Region), Martin Gravel (AECOM). Front row: Brian Vistorino (GENIVAR), Hang Nguyen (AECOM), Brian Sahely (AECOM).

8

8. Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre, University of Waterloo, Ontario. Halsall Associates. Front row, left to right: Ken Sissakis, Glen MacMullin (KPMB), Michael Buckley (Halsall). Back row: Shahé Sagharian (Halsall), Nic Green (KPMB), Dino Verrelli (Halsall), Lucy Timbers, Marianne McKenna, Mitchel Hall (KPMB).

9. Palo Viejo Hydroelectric Project, Quiche, Guatemala. Hatch.

Front row, left to right: Michael Ragwen, Ian Ainslie, Ralph Salfi. Back row: Jason Molenaar, Richard Jack.

10. Winnipeg’s Southwest Transitway, Manitoba. Dillon Consulting. Left to right: Taran Peters, Dave Krahn, Bill Menzies.

9

11. Maison du développement durable/Centre for Sustainable Development, Montreal. Bouthillette Parizeau. Left to right: Jacques Lagacé, Alain Morin, Pierre Roussel, Pierre Jean.

12. Redevelopment of Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto. exp Services. Left to right: Godfrey Ng, Weimin Liang, Paul Sandford, Gordon Ho. continued on page 72

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2013 AWARDS

WINNERS’ GALLERY

continued from page 71

13. Surrey City Centre Library, Surrey, B.C. Fast + Epp. Gerald Epp. 14. Rewriting the History of the Khmer Empire, Cambodia.

McElhanney Consulting Services, Vancouver. Left to right: Chris Newcomb, Jim Christie.

15. Deh Cho Bridge, Fort Providence, Northwest Territories.

Associated Engineering, Edmonton. Including, counting left to right: (1) Dennis Hicks (Associated Engineering); (4, seated) Ann Kulmatyckti (Government of NWT); (5) Leslie Mihalik (AE); (10) GaryLou Julien (AE); (11) Michael Owen (AE); (16) Kevin McLeod (GNWT).

16. Harvest Energy Garden, Richmond, B.C. Opus DaytonKnight.

Left to right: John Boyle, Seamus Frain, Tjandra Tjondrotekodjojo, Bengul Kurtar, Goran Vranic, Harlan Kelly.

16

17. SIEPAC Network,Central America. Dessau International, Montreal. Left to right: Robinson Mauricio, Carlos Yrigoyen, Homero Fuertes Mori.

18. Alexandra District Energy Geothermal System, Richmond, B.C. Stantec. Left to right: Dean Kaardal (Stantec), Milton Chan (City of Richmond), Alen Postolka (City of Richmond), John Buxton.

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19. Calgary West LRT Project, Alberta. Hatch Mott MacDonald.

Left to right: Jordan Youngs (HMM), Nathan Higgins (HMM), Brian Demers (City of Calgary), Craig Harper (Calgary Transit), Gordon Stewart (City of Calgary), Russel Delmar (HMM), Darrell Norton (City of Calgary), Paul Wilson (HMM), David Johnson (HMM), Steve Stowkowy (HMM), Keith Adam (HMM).

20. Exshaw Municipal Water System, Alberta. ISL Engineering and Land Services, Calgary. Left to right: Fadi Maalouf, Josua Le Roux, Jim Janley.

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2013 WINNERS CIRCLE

C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S T O A L L T H E W I N N E R S O F T H E 2 0 1 3 C A N A D I A N C O N S U LT I N G E N G I N E E R I N G AWA R D S

CREATE. ENHANCE. SUSTAIN. AECOM is honoured to have its Sydney Tar Ponds, Allain Dunhangan Hydroelectric and Lorne Park Water Treatment Plant projects to be recognised by the Canadian Consulting Engineer and the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies. We extend congratulations to all the award recipients. www.aecom.com

Proud partner of the award-winning Alexandra District Energy Geothermal System project.

We take a unique approach to every design Design with community in mind

Congratulations exp for your achievement on Maple Leaf Gardens!

stantec.com

WWW.TURNERFLEISCHER.COM

October/November 2013

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2013 WINNERS CIRCLE

C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S T O A L L T H E W I N N E R S O F T H E 2 0 1 3 C A N A D I A N C O N S U LT I N G E N G I N E E R I N G AWA R D S

the possibilities are exponential With vision and ingenuity, together we create wonderful places for people to live, work & play ... that’s what exp did with the Redevelopment of Maple Leaf Gardens.

Our team solved the complex engineering challenges of creating a new multi-storey building within the iconic landmark making it accessible once again for Canadians to enjoy!

We’re honored to win the 2013 Canadian Consulting Engineering Award of Excellence.

Let’s see what possibilities exp can create for you.

Providing professional, technical and strategic engineering services to the world’s built and natural environments. +1.855.225.5397 Buildings - Earth & Environment - Energy - Industrial - Infrastructure - Sustainability

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business

Handling Objections

WHEN YOU HAVE A FINE IDEA OR A GREAT PROPOSAL AND IT’S TURNED DOWN, DON’T DESPAIR. THERE ARE TACTICS TO HELP YOU TURN THE SITUATION INTO SOMETHING POSITIVE.

BY TARA LANDES

A

n engineer’s trade is in ideas. Whether you must convince your project team to complete work in a specific way, your client to pay for your services, or your spouse to wash up after dinner, the way you handle objections is an essential skill to develop. Consulting engineers face opposition every day. Clients can object to your fees, architects can object to your methodologies, contractors to your timelines, even your own staff can take a stand against you.

While many engineers interpret such situations as roadblocks, skilled engineers know that every opportunity to proceed is littered with objections and that uncovering them is the most efficient way to convert an adversary to an ally.

Objection types The simplest kind of objection to recognize is a stated one, such as, “Your fees are too high,” or “We need it two weeks earlier.” The client is stating what they need (lower price or faster delivery) from the consultant they select. Unfortunately, by the time they state the objection they may have already decided not to proceed with your company. They also may not have provided the entire story. You know they object to something, but not necessarily to the thing they identified. Sometimes the claim that your fees are too high is code for “I wonder if I can continued on page 76 ©Collection Mix: Subjects/Thinkstock

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business

continued from page 75

trust they are giving me the best price.”

Another type of objection is an unstated objection. These can include a lack of response to a voicemail or a deadline that is repeatedly missed. Objections like these are more difficult to uncover, but they can usually be dealt with more successfully if you anticipate them. For example, when a project team member begins missing deadlines it is possible they are lazy or poor time managers, but it is equally likely they have an unstated objection to the task. If you can uncover this objection and deal with it directly, you are more likely to progress with the project.

There are two basic methods to handle objections: preemption and rebuttal.

Pre-Emption The best way to handle objections is to avoid having to face them in the first place, i.e. pre-empt them. First, build enough value into your solution for their problem that the reasons they might say “no” seem insignificant. Second, when you know that an objection is likely to occur, bring it up before they do so that you can control the conversation and minimize the concern. For instance, if you know a deadline is aggressive, acknowledge it from the outset and explain why the tight timeline is necessary for the project to progress.

Rebuttal The general techniques for handling objections are built on the principle that what prompts the objection is the client’s perspective on the problem. For example, if your client says the price is too high, you have likely not explained the complexity of the job or the quality of the solution so that they understand the value they will receive for the price.

How to rebut an objection When a person refuses what you are proposing, there are still ways to win them over. It does mean, though, that you missed discovering something critical along the way. You must now back up and uncover what you missed. Here are the steps: • Pause. If someone says no to your pitch, it is human nature to want to debate their decision. But this natural reaction is the worst one to reveal. While it can be cathartic to “prove” your point, it will rarely have the desired effect of winning them over. Instead of debating, take a breath, or two, and remember the goal is to persuade them to see a different perspective, not to win the argument.

• Understand. Ask questions to clarify the objections, usually by asking “why” and then follow up with some more specific inquiries.

• Confirm. Reflect your understanding by rephrasing what they say and saying it back to them. This step confirms that you have not misinterpreted their response. You also want to ensure they have no other lingering objections they haven't told you about.

• Offer perspective. Once you understand the root of the 76

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Signs You Have an Un-Stated Objection Client postpones meetings, says they need to review with senior management, etc.

Manager doesn’t return calls/e-mails/faxes, or doesn’t return them promptly.

Staff shows a lack of enthusiasm.

The client says he/she wants to discuss an issue with someone else.

Third-party influencers are getting involved.

objection, you must either propose a solution or bow out of the process. If the latter is unpalatable, be prepared to ask for a continuance. “Give me some time to consider how we might address that,” or a simple “I’m sorry, we won’t be able to do that,” are both genuine answers to an objection. In the long run, your honesty will help you gain credibility.

The person still said No. Now what?

Nothing stings quite as much as when you hear the response, “No." Clients rarely use the actual word, of course.

Instead they give a “soft no,” a.k.a. an excuse. Tell me if you’ve heard any of these: “I’ll try to hit the deadline, but can’t promise anything.” “We’ve decided to go a different way.” “We need to put the project on hold for a while.” Or everyone’s favourite: “Let me think about it.” But anyone with a couple of grey hairs knows that’s just a polite way of ending the conversation for good.

Even though one opportunity may be lost, there will be others. Set yourself up for success next time by ensuring the relationship is comfortable and positive. Agree on how you will follow up with them later, either to see if they need anything else or just to check in on their progress.

Remember, an objection is a reason for a person not to do what you have asked. Objections are not the same as “rejections” in that they are not personal — there is some rationalization behind them. They are emotional, however.

The person making the objection has decided, on some level, that what you are offering is not what they desire. And when you receive the objection after putting so much energy and time into your offering, it hurts.

Everyone finds themselves on the receiving end of an objection at some point in their career. If we know we are going to receive objections, then why is it that engineers, known for their critical thinking and ability to problem solve, so rarely plan for them? Be different. Put your ego aside and get strategic about what your boss, your project team, and your clients really want and how to place your offering in exactly that light.

CCE Tara Landes is the president of Bellrock, a management consulting practice based in Vancouver that works with engineering firms.

E-mail tlandes@bellrock.ca, www.bellrock.ca.

October/November 2013

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manufacturer case study

booster pumps

Grundfos Pump Audit Achieves Energy Savings with Replacement of One Year Old Booster

T

owering 30 floors in uptown Toronto is a 255 unit condominium building that had a one year old booster system that was failing to meet water pressure demand. The existing variable speed system was unable to provide the top floor residents with enough domestic water pressure. Lack of water pressure also meant that the rooftop mechanical equipment wasn’t supplying residents with air-conditioning.

Feras Marish of Grundfos was contacted and asked to conduct a pump audit and give recommendations on a solution. After profiling the existing systems flow, pressure and power consumption, it was revealed that the existing system was undersized in pressure capacity, causing the cooling equipment to malfunction. Also revealed was that both variable speed pumps were forced to run at full speed, wasting a significant amount of energy and costing the owners over $15,000 per year in energy costs.

Once the profiles were analyzed, Grundfos recommended installation of a BoosterpaQ system consisting of 3 CR vertical inline multistage pumps with 7.5 HP motors.

The BoosterpaQ was chosen for the following reasons: • The booster system is ideal for water supply and pressure boosting in multi-story buildings where needs can vary significantly throughout the day.

• The CR range of pumps provides the best foundation for the booster system. CR’s are extremely reliable and have the highest efficiency when compared to any other pumps of their kind in the market.

• The MPC (multi-pump controller) controls the number of CR’s in operation, as well as the individual CR’s. The MPC alternates between lead and lag pumps, ensuring equal run hours on all of the CR’s.

With built-in pump curves, it can identify if it is more efficient to operate two or more pumps at a slow speed, rather than one pump at full speed.

• The VFD (variable frequency drive) located in the MPC ensures that the system goes into standby mode when there is no demand, decreasing energy consumption and saving on energy costs.

• The system is a compact unit that comes preassembled and is built to last. It is easy to install, operate and service, saving on maintenance costs.

Installation of the new, properly sized BoosterpaQ took place this past June. Its projected energy consumption is 13,920 kWh, saving $15,176 annually in energy costs. Additionally, the building owners received an incentive amount of $13,976 from Toronto Hydro for usage of high efficiency equipment.

ADVERTORIAL

GRUNDFOS

Article by Melissa Almonte of Grundfos. Grundfos is the world’s largest manufacturer of pumps and pumping systems. Grundfos’ Canadian headquarters is in Oakville, Ont. 1-800-644-9599, www.grundfos.ca October/November 2013

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ADVERTORIAL

manufacturer message

pumps

KSB

Five Tips for Improving Energy Efficiency in Pump Systems

F

or consulting engineers concerned with optimizing energy use in industrial processes, improving the energy efficiency of pumps and pump systems is always an important step.

Here are some tips from KSB Pumps that can help reduce energy costs and improve the service life of pumps.

1. Optimize pipe systems Specifying adequate pipe diameters, minimizing the total length of pipe circuits and avoiding unnecessary twists and turns will all contribute to lower energy requirements. Pipe design is especially critical near pump intakes, where undersized pipes or poorly located elbows can cause turbulence and cavitation, leading to increased energy consumption, rough running and even shortened pump life.

2. Specify the right pumping capacity for the job Each pump has a “best efficiency point” (BEP) – a combination of head and flow rate at which the pump will deliver its best energy efficiency and service life. Sizing each pump in a system so that its performance characteristics closely match the demands of the application is a good way of improving energy efficiency and ensuring reliable operation.

3. Tune impellers for performance Even with a wide range of available pump sizes, it’s inevitable that there will be some mismatch between the required duty-point of a pump and the BEP of the nearest “off-the-shelf” product. One answer is to select a pump with marginally more capacity than required and then reduce the diameter of the impeller slightly, thereby reducing the output to a level closer to the required duty point. This procedure – known as impeller trimming – reduces the power requirements of the pump and improves energy efficiency.

4. Accommodate variable flow rates efficiently In many real-life applications, flow requirements will vary significantly over time. One of the best ways of meeting this challenge is to have the pumping load shared by a number of smaller pumps that can be operated independently. The number of pumps running at any time will be set to match the overall flow requirements, with each individual pump operating near its BEP. For further flexibility, one of two pumps can be equipped with variable frequency drives (VFDs) which enable the operator to adjust the output of the pump while still having it run at near-optimal efficiency.

5. Pay attention to the small stuff!

A recent US Department of Energy study pointed out that pumps rated at 40 kW or less consume more than half of the energy used by pumps in that country, primarily because of their large numbers. All of the previous points apply equally to small-scale pumps. Right-sizing, fine-tuning performance through impeller trimming and adding VFD’s to deal with variable flow requirements can all make a significant difference to energy efficiency and operating costs.

KSB Pumps Inc. is the Canadian subsidiary of the international KSB Group. KSB provides sales and service for pumps for the industrial, municipal, energy, mining, agricultural and building services sectors. KSB Pumps is located at 5205 Tomken Road, Mississauga, Ontario, L4W 3N8, Tel: 905 568-9200. www.ksb.ca 78

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Specifier’s Literature Review

ACO Stormbrixx is a unique and patented plastic geocellular stormwater management system. Designed for surface water infiltration and storage, its versatility allows it to be used in applications as a standalone solution or as part of an integrated sustainable urban drainage scheme. Its ingenious brickbonding and crossbonding feature delivers greater structural integrity – increasing reliability.

Visit: www.acostormbrixx.com, Contact: 1-877-226-4255.

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BEHLEN Industries’ CORR-SPAN® building system uses engineered steel panels, roofing, and other steel components for a durable, long-lasting performance and quick, easy construction. CORR-SPAN® delivers spacious facilities with no structural columns and clear, unobstructed space up to 300’. Its lightweight structural components allow CORR-SPAN® buildings to be more energy efficient than traditional buildings with unobstructed interiors improving airflow and aiding the energy performance of HVAC systems. www.behlen.ca SUPPLIER: BEHLEN

If you were planning to rout and seal your asphalt joints after they fail, think about the added costs of repairing what you’ve already done. Denso Re-instatement Tape is a polymer modified bituminous strip that is cold applied and designed to seal the joints between asphalt, concrete and steel, the first time. Re-instatement Tape seals around catch basins, manholes, utility cuts and next to concrete curbs prior to paving. Do it right the first time with Denso Road Products. For more information contact: Blair Slessor at 416-291-3435, email: Blair@Densona-ca.com, or visit our website at www.densona.com SUPPLIER: DENSO NORTH AMERICA INC.

NEW PUMPS CAN CUT ENERGY COSTS BY UP TO 80%

A Grundfos pump system refurbishment can deliver fantastic savings and performance improvements in older buildings – even without changes to the building envelope or piping. Learn more at www.thinkingbuildings.ca/grundfoscrew SUPPLIER: GRUNDFOS

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The Canam InfoTech Express bulletin, aimed at the consulting engineering community, is intended to keep decision-makers informed about the various products Canam fabricates. By consulting Canam InfoTech Express, designers will learn how to make optimum use of Canam products for the benefit of their customers. Registration is free of charge at www.canam.ws/engineers. For more information, contact us at www.canam-construction.com SUPPLIER: CANAM

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

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

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Designed specifically for the Canadian HVAC market, Mitsubishi Electric’s City Multi watersource system provides optimum occupant comfort while substantially minimizing installation and operating costs with its 2-pipe VRF technology, now available in 575 volts. Energy efficient, flexible design, compact, and quiet, City Multi water-source is an effective alternative to geothermal systems and is best fitted for high-rise applications.

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professional directory

Experts in Measurement, Analysis & Control

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

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Need more Info? Contact Our Advertisers Listed Below Advertiser

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October/November 2013

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info@islengineering.com

780 438 9000

www.islengineering.com

Levelton Consultants Ltd.

63

info@levelton.com

604-278-1411

www.levelton.com

44,59

vancouver@mcelhanney.com

604 683-8521

www.mcelhanney.com

Miller Thomson LLP

63

opawson@millerthomson.com

604-643-1254

www.millerthomson.com

Mircom Group of Companies™

37

marketing@mircomgroup.com

905-660-4655 Toll Free: 888-660-4655

www.mircomgroup.com

949-420-0420 / 800-519-8794

McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd

Mitsubishi Electric

7

Navien America, Inc

29

marketing@navienamerica.com

NETZSCH Canada Inc.

61

info@netzsch.ca

Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS)

33

info@RethinkTires.ca

1-888-OTS-2202

OPA

35

VJ Pamensky

53

anthonyz@pamensky.com

1-877-726-3675

Reliable Control Corporation

10

info@reliablecontrols.com

250-475-2036

www.reliablecontrols.com

S-Frame Software Inc

84

sales@s-frame.com

604-273-7737

www.s-frame.com

SimplexGrinnell

57

ChWoodcock@simplexgrinnell.com

978-731-7052

www.simplexgrinnell.com

Stantec

73

Strategy Institute

46

registrations@strategyinstitute.com

416-944-9200

http://utilitydataconference.com/

Systemair Inc

83

sales@systemair.net

519-866-3930

www.systemair.net

Tetra Tech

65

charlie.macpherson@tetratech.com

626-470-2439

www.tetratech.com

Turner Fleisher Architects Inc,

73

info@turnerfleischer.com

416-425-2222

turnerfleischer.com

Zurn Industries Limited

36

marketing@zurncanada.com

905-405-8272

www.zurn.com

Title

Telephone

Website

Manufacturer Case Study

Pg#

www.MitsubishiElectric.ca

705-797-8426 / Toll Free: 1-866-683-7867

www.netzsch.ca www.RethinkTires.ca www.saveonenergy.ca/business www.pamensky.com

Stantec.com

Grundfos

77

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KSB Pumps Inc.

78

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1-800-644-9599 905-568-9200

October/November 2013

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www.NavienAmerica.com

www.grundfos.ca www.ksb.ca

Canadian Consulting Engineer

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13-10-03 12:33 PM

conversations

Geologist Bill Ayrton runs a surprising field tour for people who want to find out more about rocks — the streets and office towers of downtown Calgary.

For the Love of Rocks

E

very three or four months, Bill Ayrton, P.Geol. offers his “Building Rocks of Calgary Geological Walking Tour.” Born in Ireland, schooled in England, and with degrees from the U.S. and McGill University, Ayrton landed in Calgary in 1963 and worked for the oil and gas industry. About 12 years ago he started Ayrton Exploration Consulting and advises clients on exploration and buying and selling oil and gas properties.

But Ayrton also does a lot of teaching — in particular for non-geologists who need some knowledge of the subject for their work in the oil and gas business.

Of all the courses Ayrton runs, the most unusual are the “field trips” he leads in downtown Calgary. Taking along about 20 or 25 people, and armed with a hand magnifying glass, Ayrton goes on a hunt for rock samples and finds them in abundance in the city’s soaring office towers and other buildings.

Bill Ayrton discussing Tyndall Limestone: “Builders call it Manitoba Tapestry because it’s full of little worm burrows that have a brownish tinge.” Inset: fossil snail in Tyndall Limestone.

Q. How did the downtown geology field trips start?

I got a call from the Western Inter-University Geosciences Conference to lead a field trip for them when they came to Calgary. At first I thought of taking them up to Banff, but when they told me they were coming in January, I realized that wouldn’t work. So the idea came that I should put a field trip together around downtown Calgary and look at rocks.

I love rocks and like looking at them. On building walls, either on the exterior or in the lobbies, the rocks are cut and often polished, so you can see everything. In fact you can see them better on buildings than you can where we normally look at them, as in outcrops in the mountains, for example.

Q. What do you see on the tour?

First I ask the participants to identify what type of rock it is. Is it a limestone, or a shale, or a granite? Then we try and get our noses right up to have a look. Occasionally I pour some acid on the stone as well.

Q. Are you allowed to do that?

Outside nobody bothers, but inside the lobbies the securi82

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guys don’t like it. I use 10% hydrochloric acid solution. It doesn’t do damage, but when you put it on a limestone it fizzes aggressively.

One of the best examples is Tyndall limestone. It is quarried in Manitoba and is probably the most popular building stone in Western Canada. Builders call it Manitoba Tapestry because it’s full of little worm burrows that have a brownish tinge and the rest is a cream colour.

To most people the fossils are the most interesting. You see them on both the outside walls of buildings and particularly inside where the stone is polished. There are football sized corals, and there are 18-inch long squids.

What are preserved in the rocks are the shells. They’re long and conical. Some are 400 million years old.

That’s one of the amazing things to people. How on earth can we have such beautiful preservation of the structure of these fossils lasting 400 million years? But they are right there in front of you.

We probably go to 30 locations. They’re not all buildings.

We look at some statues built out of rocks. We look at what’s in the flower beds, on the sidewalks, and even what roads are made of. Rocks are all around us.

CCE

October/November 2013

13-10-03 12:33 PM

Topvex FR38

The new Topvex FR3800 AHU The best things come in small packages Systemair is proud to introduce the newest addition to the Topvex FR family: the Topvex FR3800. The low profile design of the Topvex series compact AHU is now available up to 3800 CFM. The Topvex series is equipped with EC motors with integral electronic controls, which ensures the motor always operates at its optimal working point. Energy efficient wheels and non-resistance impellers result in a low SFP (Specific Fan Power) value.

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