The work of Canadian consulting engineering firms was celebrated online Thursday night, as twenty projects were recognized for excellence during the 2020 Canadian Consulting Engineering (CCE) Awards virtual celebration. Robinson Consultants Inc.’s Hamilton team received an Award of Excellence for their Northwest Arm Trunk Sewer Rehabilitation Project in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Recognized as the industry's highest honours, the awards are presented to projects by Canadian firms that showcase the most remarkable engineering feats. “Though we may not have been able to celebrate inperson this year, these achievements and the incredible work of our members were recognized on a virtual stage” said ACEC President and CEO John Gamble. “Through their ingenuity and innovation, the work of consulting engineering companies connects communities, grows the economy, protects the public and improves sustainability. The impacts and benefits of their work are long-lasting, often immeasurable, and deserve to be celebrated.”
Innovative cost-effective design and tendering process results in record-breaking solution and longest single continuous installation length.
The Northwest Arm Trunk Sewer (NATS), an inaccessible 100-year-old 4,000 m long trunk sewer, was one of the most challenging cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) rehabilitation projects ever completed in the country. To address significant challenges including limited access, accelerated completion schedule and the need for complex engineering design, Robinson Consultants Inc. developed an innovative and cost-effective design and tendering process that resulted in a record-breaking solution that included the longest single continuous installation length at 682 m. The use of CIPP significantly reduced the construction footprint and the risk of sediment and other contaminants from spilling into the Northwest Arm inlet. This approach further provided benefits in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions produced during construction. The team was able to achieve the project’s primary goals of removing debris, restoring structural integrity, eliminating exfiltration, establishing a corrosion barrier, and extending the life of the sewer up to 75 years, all while minimizing the social, environmental, and cost implications associated with construction. This challenging sewer relining project impressed the jurors with the minimal disruption it caused to the neighbourhood, the cost savings it generated compared to alternate methods and its completion on a very tight schedule.
“To be selected from over seventy deserving projects from across the country is an honor. We are grateful to ACEC and CCE for recognizing engineering excellence at the national level and highlighting the important contributions made by engineering firms across the country. We would like to thank our client Halifax Water, consulting partner CBCL, and the contracting team of Liquiforce, Insituform, Empipe and Unijet for their hard work and dedication to this unique and challenging project,” said Kevin Bainbridge, Branch Manager, Robinson Consultants Inc.
