Associated Engineering logo
search icon

Month: November 2022

Associated Engineering’s Member-in-Training program supports the next generation of professionals

Posted on by Ryan (ODG)

Dieter Diedericks, MIT Program Manager (back row, left) with some of the Vancouver office MITs

In 2018, Engineers and Geoscientists BC established an Accredited Employer Member-in-Training (MIT) program to streamline the processing and evaluation of applicants seeking professional licensure. As an Accredited Member of the program, our BC operation works with Engineers and Geoscientists BC to offer an MIT supervisorship environment. The program ensures our Members-In-Training can satisfy Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s experience requirements when applying for their professional designation. The Accredited Employer MIT program is based on Engineers and
Geoscientists BC’s Competency Experience Reporting System.

“The MIT program has helped me achieve a diverse skill set by allowing me to focus on a set of competencies and ensuring I get the proper experience in a select few at a time, rather than diving head first and trying to achieve all competencies at once.”

Building on the success of the MIT program, in 2019, Associated expanded our in-house program to include our MITs in all our offices across Canada, even though the other provincial/territorial Associations currently do not offer this type of program. The expansion of the MIT program was one of the company’s stated goals in our 2018 Strategic Plan.

“The MIT program has given me proper guidance/mentoring throughout COVID, when it was difficult to achieve proper mentoring due to the lack of face-to-face meetings. It helped me book meetings so that I may stay on track in gaining the proper experience.”

Our MIT program assists in outlining the various Associations’ requirements for engineers and geoscientists-in-training, as well as graduate scientists to gain their professional designations. Our program establishes an internal team support network and framework to assist our MITs in gaining the requisite experience to achieve all of the required key competencies.

Our MITs receive enhanced guidance in gaining necessary competencies for registration from scheduled meetings with their supervisors who understand the requirements that our MITs need to fulfill. We also have volunteer mentors who recently gained their designations and understand the competency-based program and are now helping guide our MITs.

“A crucial part of the MIT Program involves identifying the member-in-training’s competency levels in a wide range of areas. This has helped me to pinpoint the tasks that would be the most beneficial for me to undertake, with the goal being to build my competency levels overall.”

Currently over 100 MITs are enrolled in our MIT program, ranging in experience levels from recent graduates to those who are preparing to submit their licensure applications. Associated’s national MIT program is unique to the company, supporting our MITs in their path to professional licensure.

Associated Engineering honoured by Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Saskatchewan

Posted on by Ryan (ODG)

Last night in Saskatoon, the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Saskatchewan hosted their 2022 Awards of Distinction event celebrating the achievements of consulting engineering and geoscience industry members. We are pleased to share that Associated Engineering was once again recognized with Brian Eckel Awards for innovative projects completed in Saskatchewan and was also presented with the PINNACLE Award for top project in 2022. In addition, one of our staff members was presented with this year’s Young Professionals Award. Congratulations to our project teams and our clients on these prestigious recognitions for technical excellence, teamwork, and dedication to serving our communities!


PINNACLE Award & Award of Excellence
Melville Potable Water Supply System Water Treatment Plant and Wellfields

Since its founding in 1908, the City of Melville endured challenges providing reliable, quality drinking water for residents. The City’s surface water supply was proving challenging to treat and prone to droughts, requiring the City to add a supplemental groundwater supply. In 1989, the City implemented Canada’s first electrodialysis reversal (EDR) process to treat its highly mineralized groundwater supply. In 2016, with this equipment near the end of its service life, SaskWater – the plant’s owner/operator – contracted Associated Engineering to design and oversee construction of a new water treatment plant using only groundwater.

The new plant employs RO (reverse osmosis), which is comparatively, a more effective and widely adopted demineralization technology than EDR. The Associated design team tailored pre-treatment and post-treatment processes around the RO system to extend RO service life, thus decreasing overall operating costs, enhancing water quality, and safety for residents and preserving downstream infrastructure.

Associated Engineering’s design allowed construction and commissioning to proceed without unplanned water supply service disruptions while fully integrating existing non-plant infrastructure where possible. Initially located adjacent to the old facility, the new plant design facilitated raw water and treated water piping interconnections, including a challenging connection into the existing gunite reservoir. The new process incorporates wastewater retention and release, reducing environmental impact and greenhouse gas emissions from the former deep well injection system. Delivered on time and under budget, the water treatment plant provides Melville residents with affordable, high quality, sustainable, and reliable drinking water that supports growth, economic development, and quality of life.


Award of Excellence
Village of Lebret Flood Hazard Mapping

The Village of Lebret, 70 km northeast of Regina, has the good fortune, and the challenge, of being located along the shores of Mission Lake. Its location required Lebret to abide by a Flood Hazard Map, developed by the provincial Water
Security Agency (WSA). The map outlines land which Lebret could or could not develop (flood fringe vs the floodway). 

Although appropriate methods were used at the time for flood hazard mapping, the Village felt the map needed updating to better delineate the flood fringe, which would protect public safety and property, and could allow for greater land development. In 2021, the Village contracted Associated Engineering to develop a revised flood hazard plan using advanced methodologies. The prime project challenge was the limited timeline. The plan required a detailed bathymetric survey of the lake depths to be completed using a boat in November 2021, following award of the contract, and before lake freeze-up. All work, which was 50 percent funded by the WSA, had to be completed by March 31.

To complete the work, Associated Engineering used bathymetric readings, a LiDAR survey, wind and wave analysis, and the 1:100 and 1:500-year flood levels from the WSA. Working in collaboration with WSA, we adapted advanced coastal modelling techniques and leveraged expertise in wave analysis to develop detailed, reliable flood hazard mapping for Lebret. Completed on time and on budget, the flood hazard map provides Lebret with assurance of the areas that the community can securely develop, while protecting public safety.


Young Professional Award
Rahim Ahmad, P.Eng.

The ACEC-SK Young Professional Award is presented annually to recognize an emerging industry leader, acknowledging the value, achievements, and contributions of a young professional employed by a member firm. Learn more about Rahim, a project engineer in our Saskatoon office, in our recent staff spotlight interview. 

Edmonton’s Blatchford development features Canada’s largest ambient-temperature district energy system

Posted on by Ryan (ODG)

On November 30, 2013, the final flight departed from the City Centre Airport in Edmonton, marking the closure of the municipal airfield. The closure of the airfield set the stage for the City of Edmonton to redevelop the area, which is located near its city centre. Covering 217 hectares, the Blatchford redevelopment offered the City of Edmonton a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a visionary downtown neighbourhood.   

The City embraced the opportunity and envisaged an innovative and environmentally-friendly community. At the heart of this sustainable neighbourhood would be its world-leading, district energy system. Based on renewable energy sources, the district energy system offered environmental and carbon-reduction benefits. 

The City engaged Associated Engineering to assess the feasibility and develop a preliminary design of an ambient-temperature district energy sharing system, considering the technical, financial, and social implications of the system. 

This district energy system is an integral component of the Blatchford redevelopment, providing heating, cooling, and domestic hot water for the entire community. Preliminary engineering included the configuration, sizing, and materials for the delivery system, geoexchange fields, and building-side mechanical systems. A feasibility analysis followed the preliminary engineering to both inform the design and assess the technical and economic feasibility of the system.

As the largest application of an ambient- temperature distribution system in Canada, the project features many innovations. Ruben Arellano, Project Manager for the design, explains, “This system allows for efficient use of heat pumps, integration of other low-temperature sources, such as sewer heat exchange, and energy sharing between buildings rejecting heat and those requiring it. The system is also designed to be a modular build-out and adapted to development stages.” 

The geoexchange field is installed beneath a stormwater retention pond, and includes one of the first uses of graphite-enhanced grout in boreholes – the largest geoexchange field employing this application in Canada.

Blatchford District Energy System reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 75% compared to typical systems

The project also included financial analysis, utility development advisory services, design, construction, and environmental services to assist with characterization and management of drilling cuttings. 

The entire planning and design was driven by the need to reduce carbon emissions. Ruben explains, “Combining the benefits of building energy efficiency, energy sharing within the system, and highly efficient heat pumps results in greenhouse gas reductions at 75% below business-as-usual levels.”

Our key personnel on the project are Ruben Arellano, Owen Mierke, Aaron McCartie, Nicole Scherer, Sean McInroy, Scott Friel, Kevin Darrach, and Kevin Danyluk.

The project was commissioned in April 2020.

A record night at the ACEC-Canada/Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards

Posted on by Ryan (ODG)

Tonight in Ottawa, Associated Engineering was presented with a total of three Awards of Excellence, the most we have ever won in a single year at the ACEC-Canada/Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards! The annual awards gala showcased 20 projects for their remarkable engineering, imagination, and are the most prestigious mark of recognition for consulting engineering firms in Canada.

We received Awards of Excellence for the Wanuskewin Heritage Park Renewal-Bison Management & Care Facilities in Saskatoon, the Crowchild Trail Bow River Bridge Interchange Rehabilitation & Widening project in Calgary, and the Blatchford Neighbourhood District Energy System – Phase 1 project in Edmonton. Congratulations to our project teams! These awards are a testament to the project teams’ innovation and technical excellence.

We’re also excited to share that Tia Hill received the Allen D. Williams Scholarship Award that is bestowed to a young professional who has demonstrated leadership qualities in their involvement with or contributions to the advancement of the consulting engineering industry. Congratulations Tia!

And before the night was done, we were called back onto the stage to receive the Tree for Life Special Achievement Award (for outstanding environmental stewardship) for the Blatchford project, wrapping up a historical night for Associated Engineering with a total of five awards!