Features
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Damages for Contaminant Migration – Engineers & the Law
Environmental contamination on adjacent lands in Ontario has resulted in a Court of Appeal decision that could have important repercussions.
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Internationally Educated Engineers
Engineers who come to Canada from overseas have a great deal to offer consulting engineering companies, but firms have to be prepared to provide soft skills training and support.
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Controlling Odours from Wastewater Treatment Plants
Communities are often worried about odours emanating from wastewater treatment plants in their backyards, but standards for establishing reasonable odour levels are only just being developed in western Canada.
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Montreal’s Sewage Drama
Last fall Montreal had little choice but to release a large quantity of raw sewage into the St. Lawrence River — unleashing a storm of public protest that was largely unfounded.
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Landslide Protection in B.C.
After a landslide fell on a CN rail line in the steep mountains of B.C., Klohn Crippen Berger was asked to analyze the risks of potential further rock falls and design new protective structures for the track.
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Highway in a Park – Rt. Hon Herb Gray Parkway
A new parkway built in the Windsor-Detroit trade corridor
of southwest Ontario has long stretches sunk below grade. -
When the public has had enough
From the March-April print edition, page 4 Worldwide 5.5 million people die every year from air pollution. So said researchers at an international science conference held in Vancouver in February. Over half of these deaths occur in the two countries…
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The big urban squeeze is on
Editorial “Comment” from the January-February 2016 print edition, page 4. Hundreds of people came out on a cold night in January to hear plans for changing the Gardiner Expressway in downtown Toronto (see p. 8). It was mostly the grey-hair…
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Fort York Visitor Centre
Wedged between Toronto’s most important historic site and the giant concrete piers of the Gardiner Expressway is a building that is as unique as its location.
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Going Underground – Copeland Transformer Station
The Copeland Transformer station in downtown Toronto is only the second station in Canada to be built underground. Adding to the project’s complexity, it is being constructed on the site of a historic railway Roundhouse.
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Power Boost – Vancouver Aquarium Expansion
Consulting engineers AES saved the Vancouver Aquarium from an expensive upgrade to its high-voltage power supply by using emergency generators during peak demand.
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Testing Integrated Fire Systems
The new CAN/ULC-S1001 standard sets out the testing required to ensure that fire protection and
life safety systems work in concert. It will be included in the new version of the National Building Code. -
The BIM Revolution
The use of Building Information Modeling is taking off in Canada and around the world. It has many advantages, but for
engineers it’s not all smooth sailing yet. -
Corporate Structures to Save Taxes
Basic advice on ways to set up your professional consulting company — using
holding companies, family trusts and avoiding probate fees. -
AHR Innovation Awards handed out
A list of the 2016 AHR Expo Innovation Awards given for inventive HVAC & R products, systems and technologies.
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Conversations: Sports Psychology Applied
Mark Blamey of Kerr Wood Leidal follows a rigorous regime to achieve physical and mental health and to manage stress. He is now applying the model to help people in his company achieve life balance.
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CHUM – Mega Hospital in Montreal
From the December 2015 print edition, p. 10 Near the Ville-Marie Expressway in downtown Montreal, a gigantic construction project is transforming the landscape. The $1.9-billion Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) is one of the most ambitious urban integration…
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Two inquiries over. Now watch for action
Editorial comment from the December 2015 edition, p. 4 Just before we went to press, the Charbonneau Commission of Inquiry report was released on November 24. Four years and $45 million have been spent on uncovering problems of collusion, bid…
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On the Rebound – How Recent Events Are Affecting Consulting Engineers across Canada
Canada’s consulting engineering sector is facing repercussions from some dramatic events recently, including two engineering failures, an economic downturn in the oil patch, and scandal in Quebec.
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Parliamentary ‘Digs’
A heritage building at 180 Wellington Street in Ottawa has been hollowed out to provide temporary space for the federal government while the Parliament buildings across the street are being renovated.
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Controlling Legionella
Legionella bacteria can be very persistent in building HVAC and water systems, as recent tragedies have shown. In order to avoid such problems, designers need to consider not just a system’s functionality, but also how it can be maintained.
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Chilled Beam Systems
ASHRAE has issued a guide to help engineers design an energy efficient technology that can both heat and cool individual building zones.
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Company Cars
When staff travel on company business there are different tax consequences
for the company and the employee, depending on who owns the vehicle. -
No Little Plans
An exhibition in Toronto shows that things haven’t changed much since 100 years ago
when it comes to planning large infrastructure projects. -
Comment: Heroic buildings and hope for First Nations
The awards allow us to profile excellent projects, but at a deeper level they show directions in which engineering is going.
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2015 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards Prix canadiens du génie-conseil
Introduction, Chair’s Comments & Jury Members for the 2015 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards. A joint program of ACEC-AFIC-Canada, and Canadian Consulting Engineer Magazine. Now in its 47th year.
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Schreyer Award: Queen Richmond Centre West
“We were totally amazed by this project. The engineers were able to put an 11-storey tower on a “tabletop” above two heritage buildings and develop special frame systems to take the loads. The huge joints a metre thick are unique and very difficult to cast — completely innovative.” – Jury
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Tree for Life Award: Forrest Kerr Hydroelectric Project
“At this remote dam project in Northern B.C. the engineers used innovative and sustainable techniques, such as carefully
protecting the fish habitat downstream with a creative use of turbines to quickly offload the power when necessary. The project involved First Nations and produces 195 MW of clean energy with minimal impact on their ancestral lands.” – Jury -
Ambassador Award: Milton-Madison Bridge Replacement
“This was an outstanding project. It was remarkable that the engineers came up with an alternative design that didn’t require the U.S. crossing to close. They used the existing piers and slid the new bridge onto them. We thought it was really innovative, creative and courageous. We gave it the Ambassador award for international work. The ultimate beneficiaries were the people who live in the area.” – Jury
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Engineering a Better Canada Award: Halifax Central Library
“This project is a combination of dramatic architecture with a complicated structural design to accommodate it. We gave it the special award for “social, economic and cultural benefits to the community.” The library serves as an important focal point that attracts people to Halifax. It also enhances the urban site.” – Jury
