INNOVATION November-December 2016

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BC Projects Receive Canadian Consulting Engineer Awards Of 20 projects that received Association of Consulting Engineering Companies Awards of Excellence at the 2016 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards on October 25, four were BC-based projects. The Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre, Surrey, BC received the Schreyer Award, recognising the project’s technical excellence and innovation. The building’s undulating roof structure comprises hanging timber “cables” suspended between large concrete buttresses. Whereas hanging systems have historically used steel cables, structural engineers Fast + Epp used wood for the design. Presented to a company that donates time or services for the benefit of a community or group, either in Canada or on the international stage, the Outreach Award went to COWI North America and Kiewit for their work on the Rio Abajo Footbridge in Nicaragua (See page 47, Innovation , July/ August 2016). The Award of Excellence for a transportation project went to the Low Level Road Project, North Vancouver, BC (Stantec), and the Award of Excellence in the Natural Resources, Mining, Industry and Energy category went to the Capilano Break Head Tank and Energy Recovery Facility, North Vancouver, BC (Knight Piésold Ltd.). The facility meets stringent FINA standards to host regional, provincial, national and international sporting events in its 10-lane, 50-metre Olympic-size competition pool, and dive platform, and is seeking LEED certification. The Institution of Structural Engineers is the world’s leading professional body for qualifications and standards in structural engineering. Aquatic Centre’s Structural Design Recognised Internationally The Institution of Structural Engineers recently bestowed The Supreme Award for Structural Engineering Excellence on Surrey, BC’s Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre, with structural design by BC engineering company Fast + Epp. The award recognises the world’s top structural engineering projects. The Surrey facility features what may be the world’s slenderest long-span timber catenary roof and highlights wood’s potential as a cost-effective, structurally efficient and aesthetically pleasing building material for aquatic facilities. The undulating roof shape reduces the cubic volume of air to be heated and de-humidified, decreasing operational costs.

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