INNOVATION May-June 2021

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SKINS LAKE SPILLWAY PLUNGE POOL REHABILITATION Aluminum smelting is a way of life for the people of Kitimat, BC, providing employment and economic opportunities for the small town. Kitimat’s main employer is an aluminum plant owned by Rio Tinto. Aluminum smelting is energy-extensive and relies on power generated by the city’s Kemano 890- Megawatt Hydroelectric Generating Station with water supplied to the station by Nechako Reservoir. The Skins Lake gated spillway regulates the 90,000-hectare Nechako reservoir for generation and is its only flood discharge control structure. Continuing erosion concerns of the spillway’s plunge pools presented a growing threat to the economy and downstream communities. Klohn Crippen Berger applied creative design and construction planning to complete a plunge pool rehabilitation within a small construction window and within downstream flow requirements. Project Owner: Rio Tinto. Klohn Crippen Berger Participants: Bruno Bagneres, P.Eng., Garry Stevenson, P.Eng., Sam Sisodraker, P.Eng., Jay Johnson, P.Eng., Lawrence Chiu, P.Eng., Niel Jacobsen. GRANVILLE STREET BRIDGE PIER M6 AND M7 BEARING REPLACEMENT The City of Vancouver engaged Associated Engineering to improve the seismic resiliency of the iconic Granville Street Bridge, namely replacing the existing bearings with lead- core seismic isolation bearings. With insufficient space to raise the bridge for the bearing replacements, Associated Engineering devised a solution to encase the truss nodes at the piers with a heavily reinforced, post-tensioned concrete lifting block. This provided the necessary jacking platform to transfer the weight of the bridge to the 48-200 tonne jacks, allowing the bridge to be lifted for the safe installation of the bearings. Additionally, the existing joints on the deck were replaced, and hardware installed to facilitate future seismic monitoring programs. Participants: City of Vancouver: Farhan Rafique, P.Eng., Helena Trajic, P.Eng., Colin Ryan, P.Eng.; Associated Engineering: Katrin Habel, P.Eng., Nikola Cuperlovic, P.Eng., David Harvey, P.Eng., Grant Fraser, P.Eng., Shane Cook, P.Eng., Jason Dowling, P.Eng., Doug Falkins, Eng. L., Matteo Agnoloni, P.Eng.

CARBON ENGINEERING INNOVATION CENTRE Carbon Engineering is constructing an Innovation Centre in Squamish, BC. This centre will be CE’s permanent advanced development headquarters where the company will optimize and innovate its groundbreaking carbon removal and clean energy solutions. Carbon Engineering’s Direct Air Capture technology removes CO 2 directly from the atmosphere using modified versions of standard industrial equipment such as cooling towers, pellet reactors, and calciners, yielding a pure CO 2 stream for either carbon-neutral fuel synthesis or permanent sequestration. Due to be operational in August 2021, the Innovation Centre includes a 1,250 square-metres operations and laboratory space, and a fully integrated Direct Air Capture plant. This project will deliver a world-class research and development facility for this critical new technology and will be a model for how this clean infrastructure can be deployed both nationally and around the world. Owner: Carbon Engineering. Engineering, procurement and construction management: BBA Engineering Consultants.

VANCOUVER AIRPORT AUTHORITY PIER D EXPANSION Vancouver Airport Authority’s Pier D Expansion is an eight-gate addition to the international terminal. It continues YVR’s renowned sense of place, celebrating BC’s coast with a glassed- in outdoor island forest, an immersive digital experience and laminated timber columns. Behind the scenes, solar hot water heating, dynamic lighting controls, charging for airside equipment, high-performance triple-glazed windows, passive cooling, and an on-site composter contribute to an environmentally- friendly building. Engineering expertise was critical, including project management and construction on an airside site surrounded by active taxiways and aircraft gate stands. Nearly 100 Engineers and Geoscientists BC registrants contributed to the project, the largest terminal expansion at YVR since 1996. Although opening the facility is postponed due to COVID-19, it represents a strong investment for when air traffic rebounds to pre-pandemic levels. Owner/project manager: Vancouver Airport Authority (Alan Grossert, P.Eng., Tracy Nihei, P.Eng., Heather Hansen, P.Eng.); lead designers: Kasian, Bush Bohlman, Hatch, Integral, WSP; Construction manager: PCL.

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