Favourite Engineering Projects Of Last 50 Years

JOINT WINNERS

CN Tower, Toronto

Completed in 1976, the communications tower stands over 553 metres high and was the world’s tallest freestanding structure for 31 years.

The tower is a hollow concrete hexagonal pillar, topped by a 102-m tall broadcast antenna. It has two “pods” at 346 metres and 446 metres. The lower pod is seven storeys, with a glass observation deck and revolving restaurant.

It won a Schreyer Award in 1977 for its engineering excellence, the award going to Nicolet Carrier Dressel & Associates of Toronto.

Comments: “Defining the Toronto skyline, the CN Tower is Canada’s most recognizable and celebrated icons.”

“One of the few Canadian structures that is universally recognized around the world.”

“The tensile system at the base for accommodating wind stress (Eli Robinsky) and the use of a helicopter for completing the structure are spectacular examples of innovative technology.”

“I am a sailor on Lake Ontario and use the tower regularly as an aid to navigation.”

Confederation Bridge, P. E. I.

The longest bridge over ice covered water in the world, Confederation Bridge linked Prince Edward Island to mainland Canada (New Brunswick) for the first time in 1997. The gravity based concrete girder structure is 13 kilometres long, consisting of forty-five 250-metre long concrete main spans, and twenty-one 93 metre long approach spans, the latter made by precast methods. The massive piers are designed to minimize damage from ice in the Northumberland Strait. In 1998 the bridge won a Schreyer Award for Stanley Consulting Group –now Stantec. It was designed with J. Muller International/Stanley Joint Venture.

Comments: “Even though I’m from Quebec and we have here several outstanding engineering examples, I’ve travelled a lot across Canada and the Confederation Bridge is a beauty of accomplishment.”

“The end result is a bridge that fulfils a historic obligation in the original Canadian Act of Confederation to provide continuous access to Prince Edward Island.”

A system of locks, canals and channels, the seaway allows large ships to pass from Montreal to Lake Superior. It stretches 3,774-kilometres long and includes the St. Lambert lock.

MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS

ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY, MONTREAL -1959

CANADIAN MUSEUM OF CIVILIZATION, GATINEAU, QUEBEC (OTTAWA) -1989

The building’s organic flowing form includes a Grand Hall, 112 m wide by 15 m high that houses First Nation totem poles and frames views of Parliament Hill and the Ottawa River.

HUMBER RIVER FOOTBRIDGE, TORONTO -1994

The 100-m span steel arch bridge near Lake Ontario is frequently used as the setting for film shoots. High-strength steel pipe rises as twin arches with a basket handle form.

HIBERNIA GRAVITY BASE OFFSHORE OIL RIG, NEWFOUNDLAND -1997

The oil platform structure has a 106- metre diameter caisson that stores 1.2 million barrels of crude oil. The high exterior walls of the caisson form a barrier to resist the impact of waves and icebergs.

PARK BRIDGE, KICKING HORSE CANYON, B. C. -2007

Part of a project to upgrade the Trans Canada Highway near Golden, B. C., the 405-metre long Park Bridge has piers up to 90 metres high and curved girders carrying the traffic over a canyon floor and CP rail line.

VANCOUVER CONVENTION CENTRE EXPANSION -2009

Built 40% over water on 1,000 piles, the 1.1 million sq. ft. facility will be the broadcast centre for the 2010 Winter Olympics.

ALSO NOMINATED

Maritimes

Paradise River Arch Dam, Nfld.

Quebec

“Big O” Olympic Stadium, Montreal Habitat ’67, Montreal

Manic 5/Daniel Johnson Dam, Manicouagan Reservoir, Baie-Comeau

Ontario

CBC Broadcast Centre, Toronto

Darlington CANDU Nuclear Generating Station, Bowmanville

Galleria, BCE Place, Toronto

Iron Ring Clock, McMaster University, Hamilton

Leslie Street/Lakeshore Blvd. Pumping Station, Toronto

Mimico Creek Footbridge, Toronto

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

Oxford Pollution Control Plant, London

Corktown Pedestrian Bridge Rideau Canal, Ottawa

Michael Lee Chin Crystal, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto

Stratford Festival Theatre

Sunnybrook Hospital Addition, Toronto

Rogers Centre (SkyDome), Toronto

West Elgin Water Treatment Plant

Prairies

First Nations University of Canada,

Regina Campus, Saskatchewan Winnipeg International Airport

Alberta

Alberta Children’s Hospital, Calgary Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute,

Edmonton

Red Deer Regional Hospital Helipad

British Columbia

Cassiar Connector, Hwy. 1, Vancouver Dockside Green, Victoria, B. C. Richmond Olympic Speed Skating Oval

Seymour-Capilano Filtration Plant, Vancouver

Skybridge (Translink), Vancouver

TECHNOLOGIES & SYSTEMS NOMINATED

ADI BVF Wastewater Treatment & Biogas Producer

Building Envelope Science in Canada

Fitzpatrick Dome Shelters for storage of highway deicing sand-salt

Robbco Building Leveling system

Snowfluent Wastewater Treatment System