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Month: December 2022

Associated Engineering wishes everyone happy holidays and a prosperous new year

Posted on by Jimmy Kokaji

As 2022 draws to a close, we reflect on the initiatives we introduced and the accomplishments we achieved during yet another busy, exciting, and successful year for our company.

This year, Associated Engineering established our Indigenous Commitment to improve our understanding of Indigenous history, culture, and values; build positive relationships with Indigenous Peoples; and take action to advance reconciliation. We have been holding regular webinars to raise our Indigenous awareness. On September 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we engaged Chrystal Tabobandung, founder of RAISE, who provided a moving presentation on Indigenous history and culture, and how we can all be allies and partners in reconciliation.

In November, we were honoured with five awards at the annual Canadian Consulting Engineering / Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Canada (ACEC) Awards. We received Awards of Excellence for the Wanuskewin Heritage Park Renewal-Bison Management & Care Facilities in Saskatoon, Crowchild Trail Bow River Bridge Interchange Rehabilitation & Widening project in Calgary, and the Blatchford Neighbourhood District Energy System in Edmonton. The Blatchford project also received the Tree for Life award, recognizing the project’s outstanding environmental stewardship. Congratulations to our project teams! These awards are a testament to your innovation and technical excellence. Congratulations also to Tia Hill who received the A.D. Williams Scholarship! This award is bestowed to a young professional for their efforts to advance the consulting engineering industry.

As President & CEO, I have the privilege of traveling across the country and meeting our clients and partners, who have shared their perspectives and feedback with me. Your insights are important and help to inform and improve our projects and project delivery. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our clients for your trust in us as your consultant and advisor.

Wherever my travels take me, I am proud to see the passion and commitment that our staff have to our clients and projects. As a result of your dedication, we have had another strong year at Associated. Thank you for your service and creativity – it’s what differentiates us.

To all our clients, partners, friends, staff, and your families: we wish you a very joyous holiday season and a healthy and happy new year!

Martin Jobke, P.Eng.
President & CEO

Associated Engineering wishes everyone happy holidays and a prosperous new year

Posted on by Ryan (ODG)

Staff in our Calgary office

As 2022 draws to a close, we reflect on the initiatives we introduced and the accomplishments we achieved during yet another busy, exciting, and successful year for our company. 

This year, Associated Engineering established our Indigenous Commitment to improve our understanding of Indigenous history, culture, and values; build positive relationships with Indigenous Peoples; and take action to advance reconciliation. We have been holding regular webinars to raise our Indigenous awareness. On September 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we engaged Chrystal Tabobandung, founder of RAISE, who provided a moving presentation on Indigenous history and culture, and how we can all be allies and partners in reconciliation. 

In November, we were honoured with five awards at the annual Canadian Consulting Engineering / Association of Consulting Engineering Companies – Canada (ACEC) Awards. We received Awards of Excellence for the Wanuskewin Heritage Park Renewal-Bison Management & Care Facilities in Saskatoon, Crowchild Trail Bow River Bridge Interchange Rehabilitation & Widening project in Calgary, and the Blatchford Neighbourhood District Energy System in Edmonton. The Blatchford project also received the Tree for Life award, recognizing the project’s outstanding environmental stewardship. Congratulations to our project teams! These awards are a testament to your innovation and technical excellence. Congratulations also to Tia Hill who received the A.D. Williams Scholarship! This award is bestowed to a young professional for their efforts to advance the consulting engineering industry.

As President & CEO, I have the privilege of traveling across the country and meeting our clients and partners, who have shared their perspectives and feedback with me. Your insights are important and help to inform and improve our projects and project delivery. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our clients for your trust in us as your consultant and advisor. 

Wherever my travels take me, I am proud to see the passion and commitment that our staff have to our clients and projects. As a result of your dedication, we have had another strong year at Associated. Thank you for your service and creativity – it’s what differentiates us.

To all our clients, partners, friends, staff, and your families: we wish you a very joyous holiday season and a healthy and happy new year!

Ashco Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2022, Vancouver

Martin Jobke, P.Eng.
President & CEO

Engineering-Operations collaboration is key to project success

Posted on by Ryan (ODG)

Project teams are accustomed to developing solutions and support systems for all phases of project delivery. From identifying a need for new facilities, teams work together to plan and create documents and procedures for design, construction, and commissioning. However, in the lifecycle of a facility, the project delivery phase is only a small piece of a facility’s life. Its operation is much longer, potentially 25 to 30 years, or longer. As such, at the outset, project teams need to consider the facility’s operation for ultimate project success. This involves identifying what support is needed past the commissioning process, when the engineers, contractors, and suppliers, have typically long left the project. 

Project teams should be considering the end user from start to finish. This may include:

  • Considering ongoing system operation during the design process
  • Getting regular feedback from those who will be responsible for the system
  • Spending time with the operations staff to understand atypical things they are doing to keep the system running
  • Using tools, such as 3D modelling (where appropriate), to improve information sharing and encourage feedback
  • Including the operations team in meetings and on-site throughout the construction process
  • Including operations in as much of the commissioning process as possible 
  • Considering additional training and documentation to support the operational transition from one system to a new one
Gitwinksihlkw Water Treatment Plant (WTP).

For many systems, the transitional period can be the most difficult, highlighting the need for support during the warranty period. During this time, post-construction support needs to:

  • Involve Operators to learn and develop new skills, through training and tools
  • Provide tools for safe operations and ongoing maintenance, such as standard operating procedures and maintenance plans 
  • Identify which activities may require specialized services to support maintenance planning and budgeting 
  • Consider succession and training of new staff and operators

When considering who can provide support during post-construction activities, projects must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Regardless of who develops and provides the support, it is important for the project team to ensure they are included. Many communities already have transition programs and procedures in place to assist in achieving project success.

However, many smaller communities may not have the capacity to develop these programs as their operations and administration teams are already stretched. Coupled with staffing shortages affecting system providers of all sizes, external support may become even more important. As such, existing external support, such as circuit riders and other local resources, should also be considered at project initiation and included in all phases of the project, where reasonable.

Success is more than just engineering excellence, it is the combination of a well-designed facility and a well-supported operations team

Associated Engineering helped find alternative sources of source water for the Klaukas community with upgrades to the water distribution and treatment system.

Considering the operations staff throughout the design of the facility and soliciting appropriate feedback will help the team to create a facility that is sustainable and successful, even after the ribbon cutting. While there is a cost for this additional support, the value brought through the process will more than pay for the money spent up-front.

About the author:

Robyn Casement, P.Eng. is a Water Engineer with 13 years of experience in analysis, planning, design and construction of municipal and Indigenous projects. She has worked as a Project Engineer and Process Designer for water and wastewater projects, from conceptual modelling to detailed design and construction.

Informed decision-making for addressing climate change

Posted on by Ryan (ODG)

Federal and provincial governments have established increasingly aggressive climate change mitigation targets, and Canadian municipalities are taking a greater role in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate risks. Municipalities are faced with several questions:

  • How do they prioritize scarce tax dollars?
  • Do they focus on mitigating emissions?
  • Should they allocate more funds to climate-related disaster recovery?
  • Should they invest in resilience measures to be better prepared for future climate events? 

Adding to the complexity of making climate-related decisions are the constraints that municipalities face in instituting measures. Building Code changes that would reduce GHG emissions and improve community resilience are a provincial jurisdiction in Canada. Financing adaptation actions requires more capital than most towns and cities have available.

The experience of many Canadian municipalities which are proactively planning to address climate change, highlights five strategies that civic administrations can employ in their decision making.

Collaborate regionally: Regional collaboration between neighbouring cities and counties makes sense, because climate change issues cross municipal, provincial, and federal boundaries. For example, watersheds typically cross municipal boundaries. Taking a regional perspective on instituting policy protects watersheds from environmental degradation that diminishes water quality. 

Examples of regional partnerships include municipalities in southern Ontario that are cooperating to expand their capacities in climate change mitigation and adaptation through the Ontario Regional Adaptation Collaborative, with assistance from the Climate Risk Institute. In Alberta, the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre encourages regional climate adaptation initiatives through grant incentives. In particular, a regional approach benefits smaller communities which typically have smaller funding bases. 

Work with knowledgeable climate change professionals: Having recent, relevant climate information informs decision-making. Climate analysts can advise on local climate conditions and climate projections. Climate change professionals can suggest options for mitigation and adaptation, considering the changing climate, capital and life-cycle costs, local government, community and stakeholder concerns, and budget.

Avoid an “either/or” dynamic: Mitigation and adaptation measures are often synergistic, supporting the ultimate goal of risk reduction. Improving building envelopes through insulation and better arrangement of windows and doors brings both mitigation and adaptation benefits. A well-insulated building that reduces energy use is likely a cooler place to retreat during a heat wave. “One Water” (holistic water management) approaches reduce the carbon footprint associated with some water treatment processes and identify resilient infrastructure in consideration of climate change impacts. 

Shift the perspective from emergency management to safeguarding people and assets: Proactive planning and implementation of adaptation measures in anticipation of extreme weather events like atmospheric rivers and associated flooding can effectively diminish impacts, and facilitate and expedite recovery. Such measures can actually reduce long term costs. Shifting the focus from emergency management to a focus on risk reduction and community well-being reframes the conversation to people’s long-term welfare and fortifying natural and built assets. 

Natural infrastructure plays an important role in addressing climate change hazards. Fostering healthy ecosystems supports better water quality and the availability of water. The City of Calgary has identified and quantified the value of natural assets as a foundation for promoting the use of natural asset management in its climate resilience strategy. 

Build social infrastructure to support preparedness and resilience: In a post for UN Volunteers, Daniel P. Aldrich wrote about social networks that support communities during climate catastrophes. “Real resilience – the ability to recover from shocks, including natural disasters – is tied to our connections to others, and not to physical infrastructure or disaster kits.” 

This is especially true for vulnerable populations who are at greater risk when disaster strikes. Enhancing social networks is a good first step in managing risk. Building social infrastructure brings another important benefit: giving residents a meaningful role in collective decision-making which ultimately facilitates difficult conversations. 

The roadmap for addressing climate change is not linear or one-size-fits-all. Iteration, learning from missteps, and collaboration are key values for municipalities to embrace in their quest to safeguard residents and assets from climate change impacts.

About the Author: Andrée Iffrig, LEEP AP is a Climate Resilience & Sustainability Specialist and has 15 years of experience in sustainable building design, community resilience, climate adaptation, and sustainable manufacturing. Her climate change risk management framework for the design sector guides engineering and architectural professionals in how to integrate climate data during integrated design.

3D Modelling of industrial infrastructure projects improves design understanding

Posted on by Ryan (ODG)

Associated has a large and extensive portfolio of industrial landfill projects to serve our clients’ waste management needs. Our experience includes new landfills, landfill expansions, and landfill capping, as well as design of associated infrastructure, such as roads, leachate ponds, and stormwater ponds. Our work on these projects ranges from multi-discipline engineering design and regulatory approvals to construction inspection. Jeff Chan, Civil Project Engineer advises, “We are often the primary consultant for clients, tasked with delivering engineering design, and providing environmental services and construction quality assurance.”  

Traditionally, these projects have been delivered using two-dimensional drawings. Today, enhanced visualization tools, such as InfraWorks and drones, provide project teams and clients with a three-dimensional model which offers more clarity on the design. Jeff tells us, “The 3D model helps clients, operations staff, regulators, and other stakeholders to understand the intent of the design and key components. For road projects, InfraWorks is used to show the layout of upgrades and provide fly-by videos of the project.”

Our teams employ these enhanced visualization tools throughout the design and construction life-cycle. During construction, drone mapping is used to provide daily site updates to clients and our office-based personnel.

Many of our industrial landfill projects are in remote locations. Thus, typically, office-based personnel only see construction progress through photos taken by inspectors in daily reports, or during site visits. Typical photography has limitations, as it does not capture the entire site. Jeff tells us, “Drones can capture project construction from angles not possible by other means. Drone photos and videos assist us to explain and report the progress of construction to the project team and clients.”  

Using a tool called DroneDeploy, we process the collected drone mapping data into a plan view of the site, as well as a 3D view. Stakeholders can then see the actual daily progress of construction, identify areas of potential interest or concern, view surface profiles, and complete approximate measurements of distances and areas. 

Employing modern visualization tools, everyone involved on a project has a better understanding and is more engaged with the design and construction, which results in a better final product.

Suzanne Card’s lifelong love of nature evolved into a flourishing career in wetland ecology

Posted on by Ryan (ODG)

From a young age, Suzanne Card enjoyed being in nature with her family, whether she was camping, hunting, or exploring. She continues to emulate her father’s respect and love for nature, and credits him as the biggest influence in her life.  

In elementary school, she attended a presentation by Ducks Unlimited and was intrigued by the idea of being able to work in nature. Suzanne reflects, “It is fun to think back on how something so simple can impact the trajectory of one’s life.” Later, she worked with Ducks Unlimited as a junior ecologist. 

Suzanne also acknowledges early mentors (Rhonda McDougal, Tom Goddard, and Tony Brierley) who helped shape her career. She says, “They saw something in me that I wasn’t able to see in myself.” Their belief in her gave Suzanne the confidence to pursue a career in science.

As an ambitious young professional, Suzanne maintained an open mind and jumped at opportunities that came her way. In addition, she was never afraid of doing the “hard things”, both physically and mentally. While working for Ducks Unlimited, she ran a carbon sequestration study with many responsibilities and unknowns, but Suzanne was up to the task. In her first job after graduate school, Suzanne worked in the field for weeks at a time, in all types of weather, digging soil pits in challenging terrain. She advises young scientists, “It’s important to splurge on a good pair of boots and a good cruise vest; they will save you in the field.”

After deciding to pursue a career in wetland ecology, Suzanne knew that she wanted to work with the best. She shares, “I saw Kristen Andersen‘s [Associated’s Technical Specialist, Wetlands & Restoration] presentation at a wetland conference. I met her and Sandra Meidinger [Associated’s Division Manager, Environmental in Alberta North], and I knew that I wanted to work with them. They are passionate and focused on quality and client service.”

Suzanne tells us that her most memorable experiences have been on wetland replacement projects involving municipal clients and Alberta’s Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas. For Suzanne, putting wild places and wetlands back on the landscape is very motivating!

“Working in wetland ecology means constantly operating in a grey world, where answers are not necessarily black and white. We must always think about what the client’s needs are, what is the right thing to do, and what is required from a regulatory perspective.” 

As Manager of the Applied Ecology group in Edmonton, Suzanne shares, “It has been very fulfilling for me to apply my technical and project management skills and lead this wonderful team.” As a leader, Suzanne follows a philosophy centered around care, reliability, sincerity, and competence. She credits this approach to helping her become a better leader. Suzanne also believes in mentoring, passing on knowledge, and helping those around her to reach their full potential.

“In consulting, I have discovered my true passion. I focus on wetland ecology, which combines vegetation, soils, and hydrology.”

Outside of work, Suzanne loves to read and travel.  She combines her travels with her interest in sharks, through diving and snorkeling. 

Suzanne has volunteered with the SPCA over the years, and as a teacher for a wetland delineation course through the University of Alberta Faculty of Extension, supporting her community and future generations of wetland ecologists. 

Another fan(tache)tic Movember effort!

Posted on by Ryan (ODG)

As we flip the calendar to the final month of 2022, we’re proud to look back on another great example of our staff’s ability to support a great cause and the communities we live in. 

Led by the tremendous generosity and enthusiasm of over 163 Movember participants and passionate volunteers, many of our offices planned and hosted a variety of events including mini-golf tournaments, virtual bingo, bake sales, raffles, Speakeasy Workshops, and World Cup Soccer events, to collectively raise over $46,000 (and counting)! On top of this, a corporate donation of $12,225 ($75 per participant) added to our grand total, helping Associated place first in Canadian Engineering Firm Challenge for the second year in a row!

Special honours go to our Edmonton-based team for the highest (pre-corporate donation) fundraising amount ($7,585) among all of our regional teams, despite having one of the smaller number of participants. This year, our top individual fundraiser, Andrew Stewart, achieved the title for the second year in a row, by raising over $3,600!
 
Thank you to everyone who donated to the Movember cause so generously!