Consulting Engineers of B.C. announce award winners

Consulting Engineers of B.C. handed out its 2011 Awards for Engineering Excellence at the new Vancouver Convention Centre on March 5.

The 50 entries showed the impact that engineering has on improving daily lives, said CEBC, with winners that included a performing arts centre, a sports arena, a visually striking bridge in Dubai, and energy generation and water filtration projects.

Jack Lee, P.Eng., president of the association, pointed out that B.C.’s engineering sector makes $2 billion contribution to the economy, and is increasingly in demand internationally.

The Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Engineering Excellence went to the East Toba and Montrose Hydroelectric Project in Powell River, B.C. by Knight Piésold Ltd. (natural resources, energy & industry).

Commissioned in the summer of 2010 ahead of schedule, the project will provide a sustainable and renewable source of energy to British Columbians for generations.

Awards of excellence went to:

Arena Stage Performing Arts Centre, Washington, DC by Fast + Epp Structural Engineers (buildings). The revitalized theatre is intended to encourage redevelopment of a derelict Washington, DC neighbourhood one mile south of the National Mall.

Duncan-Bateson Pump Station in the District of Kent, B.C., by Opus DaytonKnight (municipal). The slough drains a catchment of 590 hectares of forested hills and farm lands and provides safe fish passage.

Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Abu Dhabi City, UAE by Buckland & Taylor Ltd. (transportation). This 10-lane wide bridge designed by architect Zaha Hadid is really a giant sculpture that defies structural logic, making it difficult to construct.

Managing Prince George’s Rising Flood Waters, Prince George, B.C. by Northwest Hydraulic Consultants (soft engineering).  This study of the complex river and ice behaviour that cause severe flooding in the city was done in order to develop a plan for flood protection.

In the awards for individual engineers, Neil Cumming, P.Eng. of Levelton Consultants won the prestigious Meritorious Achievement  Award. Cumming has 33 years of experience in construction materials engineering, testing, inspection and evaluation engineering

The 4th Young Consulting Engineer Award went to Joel McAllister, P.Eng. of Opus DaytonKnight, Abbotsford.

Awards of Merit went to Ausenco Sandwell, Fast + Epp, Opus Dayton Knight, Golder Associates/Gaia, SNC-Lavalin Constructors Pacific, Knight Piesold (2), Morrison Hershfield and Stantec Consulting.

The judging panel was led by John Haythorne, LL.B., P.Eng, a partner with Fraser Milner Casgrain. The other members were:  Sarah Clark, P.Eng, President and CEO, Partnerships British Columbia; Fred Cummings, P.Eng, President/General Manager, BC Rapid Transit Company; Kelly Daniels, Chief Administrative Officer, Capital Regional District; Frank Denton, P.Eng, President, APEGBC; Dan Doyle, P.Eng, Chairman, BC Hydro; Pierre Gallant, President, AIBC; Rod Goy, Dean, School of Construction and the Environment, BCIT; and Frank Margitan, P.Eng, Vice-President, Kiewit.