June 25, 2007

Awards

Awards showcase innovative use of steel

Jean Sorensen

correspondent

The Canadian Institute of Steel Construction Alberta awards for 2007 have showcased four winning projects that feature innovative use of steel. One of the most striking projects was the University of Lethbridge’s new centre for Sports and Wellness, which utilizes a new design for a steel open-span roof.

The university campus, originally designed by B.C. architect Arthur Erickson, consists of low-level buildings that blend into the Alberta “coolies” or hilly area. In order to keep that construction line, the newly expanded physical education building was sunk 30 feet into the ground, with only 20 feet above ground. The structure, though, has windows at the top of the walls that provide not just light to the building but they merge with the horizon providing an extended visual dimension. The open-area steel roof span crowns this visual feature of the building.

NICK VERCI, READ JONES CHRISTOFFERSEN LTD.

The University of Lethbridge's new centre for Sports and Wellness utilizes a new design for a steel open-span roof.

“It feels like it is floating above the group (of people) below,” says Barry Johns, adding the “intent of the structure was to honour the legacy” of the original design by Erickson. The use of angled supports for the steel roof give the impression that the roof span is levitating when the support of the roof is actually transferred to columns away from the normal sight lines. The roof utilizes curved steel roof trusses and canted V-shaped columns to create the freestanding illusion.

The Steel Edge Award, awarded for project ingenuity, was presented to the campus sports centre design team made up of Gibbs Gage Architects & Barry Johns (Architecture) Limited, Read Jones Christoffersen, Graham Construction and Engineering Inc., Canam Solutions and Services, Cannon Design & Ferrari Westwood Architects Ltd.

ROBERT LEMERMEYER, STURGESS ARCHITECTURE

Calgary's LRT station helps to underscore the flexibility and opportunities available through the use of steel.

Read Jones Christoffersen are also part of the team that received the Architectural Award for the design of the refurbishment of the 7th Avenue LRT station in Calgary. RJC’s Rein Matiisen says: “Calgary has always been a concrete (construction) town mainly because it is close to good aggregate and has a supply of good concrete formers available.” However, the use of steel in the highly visible LRT station helps to underscore the flexibility and opportunities available through the use of steel, he maintains.

The transit mall area is envisioned as a linear park connecting Millennium Park in the west through downtown to Fort Calgary on the eastern edge. The design of the 7th Avenue LRT station is T-shaped with the roof of the structure extending over the train as it draws near the platform. The platform is readily accessible for those with ambulatory problems. The roof of the new station platform is transparent to allow in light and enhance safety.

The architectural team undertaking the design for the first of the stations that will stretch along this mall area consisted of Sturgess Architecture, GEC Architecture, and Carlyle Associates.

The others members of the construction team were: PCL-Maxam and Daam Galvanizing Ltd.

The CISC 2007 Engineering Award went to the team consisting of Cohos Evamy, Alberco Construction Ltd., Supreme Steel Ltd. (Bridge Division), and Daam Galvanizing Ltd. for their work on rehabilitating the Low Level Bridge (Northbound) over the North Saskatchewan river. It had been in service for over 100 years and was the first railway bridge to carry rail car traffic across the river to the City of Edmonton. It was later converted to vehicular traffic and carries 23,000 vehicles per day. In 2004, though, the bridge was assessed to have significant corrosion of many of the steel truss members. The project involved strengthening selected truss members, repainting the bridge and rebuilding a wider sidewalk.

COHOS EVAMY

Rehabilitating the Low Level Bridge over the North Saskatchewan river involved strengthening truss members.

The project team earning the 2007 Industrial Award consisted of Bantrel Co., Waiward Steel Fabricators Ltd., M&D Drafting Ltd., which completed the Millennium Coker Unit for Suncor Energy Inc. The new steel cooling tower support structure has a wharf-like design as opposed to filling the entire site to the required elevation. The design saved on cost and construction time by using modularization, and also provided a structure that will withstand extreme temperature requirement, blast loads and exceptional crane loads.

PETER BUCHANAN, STANTEC

Distinctive steel wishbone pilon supports and curvilinear boat roof space trusses are an original design concept at the YVR West Chevron Expansion.

In B.C., the 2006 CISC award winners were:

Architectural – the YVR Airport West Chevron expansion. The team consisted of architectural firm Stantec Inc, structural engineer Bush Bohlman & Partners, general contractor PCL Westcoast Construction Inc. and fabricator and erector Empire Ironworks Ltd.

Architectural Award of Merit – the Electronic Arts Canada Phase II studio building. The team consisted of architect Musson, Cattell Mackey Partnership, structural engineer Glotman Simpson, general contractor PCL Westcoast Construction Inc., steel fabricator and erector Empire Ironworks Ltd., and detailer ProDraft Inc.

Engineering – Pine River crossing project undertaken for client Duke Energy. The structural engineer was Buckland & Taylor Ltd., general contractor Ruskin Construction Ltd., steel fabricator and detailer, Solid Rock Steel Fabricating Co. Ltd. and steel erector Ruskin Construction Ltd.

Engineering Award of Merit – the Texada Quarrying Shiploader for Texada Quarrying Ltd. Structural engineer on the project was Westmar Engineering Consultants Inc. and steel fabricator, detailer and erector was Canron Western Construction Ltd.

WESTMAR ENGINEERING CONSULTANTS INC.

The Texada Quarrying Shiploader project involved fabriciating very large steel components and shipping them to the remote location on Texada Island.

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