Buckland & Taylor in New York, Hatch in Chile

Buckland & Taylor International, bridge engineers of North Vancouver, as subconsultant to HDR, will be helping to design the new Tappan Zee Bridge in New York State.

The New York State Thruway Authority has selected a consortium known as Tappan Zee Constructors to design and construct the 3-mile long crossing which links Westchester and Rockland Counties across the Hudson River. The consortium consists of Fluor Enterprises, American Bridge Company, Granite Construction Northeast and Traylor Bros.)

Lead designer is HDR, and as their subconsultant Buckland & Taylor will be responsible for the design and erection engineering for the twin 1,200 ft. (365 m) cable-stayed main spans. Additionally, B&T with COWI North America partners Ben C. Gerwick and Ocean & Coastal Consultants will be responsible for planning operations and maintenance, designing the structural health monitoring system, corrosion protection, ship impact assessment and the Rockland permanent dock and bulkhead design.

Construction is anticipated to begin in 2013 and is expected to take five years to complete.

Hatch was awarded won the Renewable Energy World’s Best Hydro Project for its Chacayes project in Chile. The 111-MW hdroelectric generating station supplies power to more than 300,000 homes, displacing 340,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases every year. The plant is located at an altitude of 1,110-m in the mountainous terrain of the Chilean Andes, a region which is also seismically active. Hatch prepared the basic design and definition designs for the project as well as the owner’s technical requirements for civil, mechanical and electrical engineers. As the owner’s engineer they also reviewed the EPC contractors detailed civil design. The client was Pacific Hydro and Astaldi, who invested US $450 million in the plant. The award was given in Orlando Florida in December last year.