Celebrating engineering excellence at the Consulting Engineers Alberta Showcase Awards

This past Friday in Edmonton, the Consulting Engineers Alberta hosted the 25th edition of their Showcase Awards Gala. Associated Engineering was recognized in several project categories for technical engineering excellence. In addition, one of our staff received a presitigious individual honour. Congratulations to all of the nominees and award winners in helping to raise awareness of the consulting engineering industry in Alberta!
Award of Excellence: Studies, Software and Special Services | Drinking Water Infrastructure Risk and Vulnerability Assessment

• Recognizing the impact of climate and extreme weather on the supply of safe drinking water, Alberta Innovates and Alberta Environment and Parks partnered to study the climate change risks of extreme streamflow events at 48 municipal drinking water facilities across Alberta. Associated Engineering provided a high-level assessment of the water infrastructure, considering historic vulnerability and increased risks of future extreme streamflow events due to climate change. This study helps municipalities understand the risks of the changing climate to their drinking water infrastructure, identify facility and knowledge gaps, and make informed decisions and plans to ensure safe drinking water for Albertans.

Award of Excellence: Transportation Infrastructure - Transportation Structures | Crowchild Trail Bridge Over Bow River

Award of Merit: Transportation Infrastructure - Roads, interchanges, airports, mass transit |Crowchild Trail Short-Term Improvements

Award of Merit: Project Management | Crowchild Trail Short-Term Improvements

• Associated Engineering’s innovative design for rehabilitating and widening Calgary’s Crowchild Trail Bow River Bridge Interchange improves functionality and safety, and extends the service life of the 50-year-old, severely deteriorated structure. Associated’s team conceived a cost effective, sustainable solution involving reusing the existing structure, thus avoiding extensive demolition, limiting waste, and protecting the river. The team’s complex traffic staging plan mitigated interruption to commuters, pedestrians, CP Rail, and businesses during construction. Associated’s design for bridge widening and realigning access ramps eliminates congestion on this interchange, reducing emissions, and improving the quality of life for more than 100,000 commuters every day.  

Award of Excellence: Small Firm - Big Impact | Groat Road Storm Trunk Rehabilitation Phase 2 (Associated Engineering, sub consultant)

• EPCOR’s Groat Road Storm Trunk Rehabilitation (Phase 2) project is one of the largest sliplining projects in Western Canada. 3.9 kilometres of 2-metre trunk was rehabilitated under live flow conditions with minimal disruption to two of Edmonton’s busiest arterial roads. The project pushed the limits of sliplining technology and faced the wettest summer in forty years, collapsed sections, huge voids, and COVID-19. The team’s creative and collaborative approach, depth of technical experience, advanced techniques, and agile responses ultimately resulted in successful completion—under budget.

Award of Merit: Sustainable Design | Blatchford District Energy System - Phase 1

• With the closure of its municipal airfield, the City of Edmonton developed this downtown area as an innovative, environmentally-friendly community. Associated Engineering collaborated with the City to design the Blatchford Neighbourhood’s District Energy Sharing System. The project features a geoexchange field, utilizing earth’s energy for heating, cooling, and domestic hot water, and Canada’s largest application of an ambient-temperature, energy distribution system. The buildings employ heat pumps to share unused energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Blatchford residents can take pride in living in Alberta's most forward thinking, sustainable community, providing a model for community-based climate change mitigation across Canada.

Harold L. Morrison Rising Young Professional Award: Tia Hill, P.Eng.

• Tia Hill, P.Eng., a Project Engineer with the Strategic Advisory Services group in our Calgary office, was presented with this individual award recognizing her achievements as a young professional through combining her interest in improving the well being of communities and her business acumen, technical skills, initiative, and leadership. Her involvement with industry associations including ACEC-BC, CEA, and ACEC-Canada, as well as her commitment to mentoring and supporting aspiring female engineers reflect her remarkable dedication and generosity.