Winter 2017 PEG

Movers & Shakers

MEMBER NEWS

FROM ARTS AND CULTURE TO OIL AND GAS: CCE AWARDS HONOUR INNOVATIVE PROJECTS AND PROFESSIONALS

A sweat lodge, a national music centre, and a game- changing oil sands technology — these were among the leading-edge Alberta projects recognized at the 2017 Canadian Consulting Engineering (CCE) Awards gala, October 24 in Ottawa. Among the night’s big winners was Stantec Con- sulting . The firm took home three awards, including the Engineering a Better Canada Award for its work on Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre in Calgary. This award — one of five special achievement awards — honours a project that best showcases how engineering enhances the social, economic, or cultural quality of life of Canadians. Stantec shared the award with Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. Studio Bell, in Calgary’s East Village, is the only building of its kind in North America. Dedicated to Canadian music, it’s home to the National Music Centre Collection and the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. A performance hall, a music education centre, a recording studio and a broadcast centre are also found inside a six-storey structure with nothing but curved or inclined surfaces. Judges lauded the building for its sophisticated integration of mechanical, acoustic, and structural engineering. Stantec was also presented an award of excellence for its work on a traditional sweat lodge at Edmonton’s Amiskwaciy Academy, a school that offers academic programming within an Aboriginal context. Designed in collaboration with school elders and students, the sweat lodge was built almost entirely from wood, with steel anchors. Ledcor competed the construction of the lodge. Neither company charged for their services. A second award of excellence went to Stantec for its work in Fort McMurray following the 2016 wildfire. Stantec worked closely with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo on wastewater and stormwater recovery efforts, overcoming many challenges facing the community. This included an innovative biomass transplant to help return biological systems at Fort McMurray’s wastewater treatment plant to normal. The transplant was accomplished by trucking in activated sludge from the Red Deer

wastewater treatment plant. Stantec also used GIS technology to track water entering the storm sewer systems to see if it was contaminated from ash and debris. Two other APEGA Permit Holders receiving awards of excellence were Klohn Crippen Berger (KCB) and CIMA+ . After a fire destroyed the Mayerthorpe Rail Bridge on April 26, 2016, KCB was contracted by CN Rail to complete an emergency bridge replacement. Time was of the essence: the 335-metre, timber-trestle bridge was a critical link in CN’s rail system. KCB collaborated with CN and other contractors to fast- track construction. The goal was to have the line back in service within three weeks. Over 190,000 metric tonnes of material were used for the bridge, constructed from steel, concrete, and fill. Rail service was restored on May 15. CIMA+ was awarded for its TEMPUS Online Migration Tool, a new technology developed for use at Suncor Energy’s secondary extraction Plant 4 near Fort McMurray. The tool allowed CIMA+ to update the plant’s centrifuge control system without a shutdown. Centrifuges are used to separate impurities from bitumen steam during a critical stage of oil sands production. TEMPUS is a faster, safer, and cheaper option than the previous method, which required taking the control system offline. Michael Walker, P.Eng. , was also recognized at the CCE Awards gala. A University of Alberta civil engineering grad, Mr. Walker received the 2018 Allen D. Williams Scholarship. The scholarship is presented to a young professional who’s demonstrated leadership in the advancement of consulting engineering. Originally from Calgary, Mr. Walker is employed by McElhanney Consulting as a division manager. Recently tasked with launching the company’s Regina office, he has worked on large infrastructure projects across Canada, and he played a key role in trail reconstruction after the 2013 Calgary floods. He’s active in industry associations, as well as provincial, national, and international young professional networks.

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