TAC Awards 2015

Canadian Tunneller of the Year

Brian Garrod

Nomination

• As executive vice president and practice lead for tunnels with Hatch Mott MacDonald (HMM), Brian Garrod has led some of the most challenging and innovative tunnelling projects in the world and is widely considered to be one of the foremost experts in his field.
• He began his engineering career in 1970 working in contracting in the UK. On joining Hatch in Canada in 1974, he worked on industrial projects in Ontario and Trinidad. While working on the Vancouver SkyTrain, he discovered his passion for tunnel engineering and has devoted the last 34 years of his engineering career to tunnelling – always promoting best practices and innovations in the industry. Brian has made immense contributions to advancing tunnelling technology:
• He has always embraced challenging projects with enthusiasm. Some of Brian’s more complex, and highly acclaimed Canadian projects include: Eglinton Crosstown LRT, Spadina Subway Extension, Sheppard Subway, Vancouver LRT, Edmonton LRT, Niagara Tunnel, Southeast Collector, Toronto Coxwell Sewer Bypass and the Billy Bishop Pedestrian Tunnel.
• Notably, he has been involved in every bored-tunnel subway constructed by the Toronto Transit Commission.
• Outside Canada, he has played a prominent role on many of the world’s most complex infrastructure projects: the Channel Tunnel, the 50km, triple tunnel connecting England and France; the Boston Harbour Outfall; the Dulles Airport people-mover tunnels in Washington, D.C.; the St Clair River Rail Tunnel; the Beacon Hill Station and Tunnels for Seattle’s Sound Transit; the enlargement of the Windsor Detroit rail tunnel and the tunnels for Tel Aviv’s USD 8bn mass transit system.
• Many of Brian’s projects have been recognized with industry awards for technical excellence and innovation including Canada’s most prestigious Schreyer Award (twice) from the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies. The Niagara Tunnel was recently recognized with the Grand Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies.
• Brian has helped establish tunnelling in North America as a cost-effective, sustainable and safe construction practice through his promotion of innovations such as the use of Geotechnical Baseline Reports for tunnel contracts, precast concrete segmental tunnel lining systems (alternative geometries, connection devices, the use of steel fibre reinforcing, tail void grouting through the tail shield), the use of pre-constructed jet grout headwalls for mine through transit stations and for intervention chambers and the use of owner-procured TBMs
• He was recently recognized by the Professional Engineers of Ontario who awarded him their Engineering 2014 Medal for Engineering Excellence.

Brian has always been passionate about tunnelling and his zeal has inspired many tunnelling professionals. He has motivated and mentored aspiring tunnellers through participation in industry workshop panels, peer-reviews, and the presentation of numerous technical papers. He has earned professional respect among his peers due to his technical excellence.

An active member of the Tunnelling Association of Canada (TAC) since 1984, he also served as director of the Ontario Chapter and was TAC’s national president for four years. Brian’s contributions to the Canadian tunnel industry, along with countless hours spent volunteering with TAC and others to actively promote the practice of tunnelling to aspiring engineers and providing much needed mentoring to strengthen the supply of future tunnel engineers makes him a most deserving candidate for the 2015 TAC Canadian Tunneller of the Year award. As he enters retirement, the prestigious TAC award would be an appropriate and fitting testament to his contributions to the tunnelling industry.

Comment

I am tremendously honoured to receive this award. To be in the company of the previous industry-leading recipients of this award represents the pinnacle of my career. It is wonderful to be rewarded by an industry that I love and to which I have dedicated most of my working life. What an industry this is, where a son of a farm worker can reach such dizzying heights. This industry is a remarkable equalizer bringing together academics, designers, manufacturers and contractors to the same learning experiences.

I have been very fortunate in my career to work on many large and prestigious tunnel projects. Of these the most famous is, of course, the Channel Tunnel. This was my _ rst exposure to NATM and represented a very useful learning experience. I was also very happy to be involved in the Boston Harbour Outfall Tunnel, which was a large diameter tunnel extending some 10 miles under the Atlantic. Probably one of the biggest accomplishments of my career was the Sheppard Subway project in Toronto, which was a very early application of EPB TBM tunnelling in North America and was unusual for a transit project in that it was completed on time and on budget.

Innovative Project of the Year
Mayo B Hydro Power Project

Project

At the existing hydroelectric facility in Mayo (Mayo "A"), Yukon Energy Corporation (YEC) and KGS Group identified an opportunity that aligned with the guiding principles under which YEC operates.

These principles include to act sustainably at all times, to be innovative in energy solutions, to take a proactive approach in meeting electricity needs, and to optimise the use of existing assets for the benefit of ratepayers. The existing 60-year-old 5.4 MW plant was enhanced by adding two new units, increasing available head from 34m (Mayo A) to 65m, and tripling total hydroelectric power generation to approximately 15 MW. Several combinations of tunnel/ canal/penstock conveyance to the new powerhouse were examined. Risks were identified related to deep bedrock valley fills, permafrost, and the experience gained during tunnelling into a significant fault zone during construction of Mayo A, which constrained the preferred project arrangements. Thus, a tie-in and modification of the existing Mayo A intake, with construction of a 300m-long bedrock tunnel, and a 3.2m-diameter steel penstock approximately 3.6km in length, was selected.

Federal government financial assistance was sourced from the Green Infrastructure Fund aimed at supporting investments in green infrastructure to improve the quality of the environment, while promoting a more sustainable economy over the longer term. The Yukon Government also supported development of the Mayo B Project, along with the local Na-Cho Nyak Dun (NND) First Nation. Several interrelated and complex challenges were addressed while planning and constructing the Mayo B Project. These included overcoming problematic lithological and structural bedrock conditions for tunnelling, and to ensure a safe and successful project, extensive grouting of open-jointed and reservoir connected groundwater pathways during tie-in to the existing intake tunnel, under full reservoir conditions. The aggressive project timeline and concurrent design/construction activities, connected to logistical constraints of a remote site, short construction seasons, challenging tunnel work, and long delivery routes for materials and equipment, required an innovative approach to expedite project execution while satisfying regulatory and permitting requirements. Successes of the Mayo B Project were possible because of close communication between YEC, contractor Peter Kiewit Infrastructure Company (PKI) and their subcontractors, and project designers KGS Group (and their subconsultants), operating under an "Alliance" contracting model. This contract model is unique for the hydroelectric industry in Canada, allowing the Owner-Designer-Contractor to evaluate and make "best for project" decisions with respect to design, construction and schedule requirements.

Yukon Energy is to be commended for taking the risk to initiate this process for demonstrating the potential and success of alternate project delivery models. The project produces an additional 40 GWh of renewable energy each year that would otherwise be provided using diesel generation. The economic benefits of the new modern, efficient, clean, renewable energy generation facility will be experienced for at least the next 50 years.

Comment

Yukon Energy Corporation "Yukon Energy is of course delighted to be recognized by TaC in this way. This goes to show just what can be accomplished when you have strong partnerships. we would like to publicly recognize the excellent work on Mayo B by our own Employees and by our Contractors, which included KGs Group."

KGS Group Consulting Engineers

"as project managers and lead designers for the project, we appreciate TaC for their recognition. we wish to thank YEC for their support from beginning to end, as well as the rest of alliance Team of Contractors and Consultants for the collaborative spirit that made this project so successful. It was an extremely rewarding project which continues to receive wide recognition."

Peter Kiewit Infrastructure

"Kiewit thanks TaC for recognizing the project with this award. It is a result of the alliance team working together to achieve a best for project solution and we are thankful for being given the chance to work with such an outstanding group of professionals."

Procon Group

"The Procon Group would like to extend our congratulations to the project team for the Mayo B Hydro Project TaC award. we are honoured to have been selected as the successful tunnelling contractor on this challenging yet rewarding project, and to have the opportunity to work with a world-class team."

Golder Associates

"Golder is honoured to receive this award as a member of the Mayo B team. working in the Yukon for YEC with KGs Group, Kiewit and Procon on this remote and challenging project – at times under extreme environmental conditions – was highly rewarding for our staff due to the exceptional team working on this project."

Boro Lukajic and Associates

"My professional experience of 45 years includes involvement in the design and construction of hydroelectric power projects in many regions of the globe, including in the Canadian North of Labrador, and at Mayo B. The experience gained at this cold-region project will help us remain globally competitive and innovative in pushing the frontiers of knowledge that will benefit Canada. I am extremely honoured to be receiving such an important award. I am especially grateful to the project members for their support, and for the opportunity to apply my experience as a part of the project team."

Major Infrastructure Project of the Year
The Toronto-York spadina subway Extension

Project

The Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension (TYSSE) is the largest capital program ever undertaken by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). The CAD 2.6bn, 8.6km extension of the subway includes 6.7km of bored twin tunnels, six stations, seven emergency exit shafts and buildings, seven cross passages, two TBM launch and extraction shafts, a 280m-long section of triple tunnel, two box structures housing special track works and the demolition and rebuilding of the existing tail-track structure at the present terminus.

The major project participants included TTC who led program and construction management. Hatch Mott MacDonald (HMM) is the prime consultant for the twin tunnels design contract, and also provided technical CM expertise for portions of the tunnelled work. Golder was the lead geotechnical consultant that managed the geotechnical investigations and chaired the Geotechnical Baseline Report committee that included TTC and HMM input. McNally- Kiewit-Aecon (MKA) JV executed the South Tunnels Contract and the North Twin Tunnels Contract was performed by the OHL-FCC Limited Partnership.

Since this project had a compressed,18-month design schedule and an accelerated revenue operations date, a number of advance contracts were built into the program. This included the manufacture of the EPBMs and tunnel lining segments and construction of TBM launch shafts at Steeles and Sheppard Avenue ahead of awarding tunnelling contracts. The TBMs and lining were purchased directly by the TTC and supplied to the Contractor to maintain project schedule. Tunnelling proceeded at good progress rates, with minimal settlements and excellent ring build quality achieved. The project overcame a number of challenges associated with the alignment, which passed near or directly beneath many existing buildings, as well as sensitive buried and surface utilities. Detailed assessment of the settlement effects of tunnelling on these buildings was performed and a risk-based mitigation approach was used for the selection of pre- and post-tunnelling mitigation measures. A key concern was tunnelling directly beneath the York University’s iconic Schulich Building. To minimize risk, a compensation grouting program concurrent with tunnelling and adjacent station box excavation was designed for this facility.

To gain schedule during construction, a contractor proposal was made to consider that the achieved EPBM settlement performance alone was sufficient to maintain the building position without employing the compensation grouting during tunnelling. Review of the tunnelling performance and risk analyses led to implementation of a rigorous ground movement test section that successfully demonstrated EPBM performance alone could meet allowable building movement levels. Tunnelling beneath the Schulich Building without compensation grouting was permitted and highly successful, with a maximum achieved movement of less than 3mm.

A triple-track section required for short-running of subway trains during peak hours was located beneath an existing power transmission corridor and major gas pipelines. Following a detailed analysis of options, HMM proposed Sequential Excavation Method (SEM) and TTC selected it as a superior alternative, which involved a multi-stage excavation and lining sequence. This was the first large scale implementation of this tunnelling methodology in the Toronto area and the first major use of SEM in soft-ground in Canada. Other project innovations included the introduction of guide rods on the segment radial joints that significantly improved ring build quality and tunnelling productivity, and the first use of steel-fibre reinforced concrete lining rings (100 ring test section) on a transit tunnel in Canada.

Comment

Michael Schatz, executive vice President

"Hatch Mott Macdonald is very pleased to be part of the team that received the TaC’s 2015 Major Infrastructure Project of the Year award for the Toronto-York spadina subway Extension. The project is a great achievement for tunnelling and transportation in Toronto and has set a benchmark of excellence for similar projects in future. The contributions of the TTC and of the entire team are appreciated."

Susan Reed Tanaka, TTC chief capital officer

"On behalf of TTC CEO andy Byford, our Engineering, Construction and Expansion Group and all TTC employees, we are honoured to be part of the team that received TaC’s Canadian Project of the Year award for 2015. The Toronto-York spadina subway Extension is the largest capital program ever undertaken by the TTC. The 8.6km extension of the operating subway line includes 6.7km of bored twin tunnels with an alignment that crosses beneath several buildings, a railway, a provincial highway, city arterial roads, major utilities, conservation areas and watercourses…The project also incorporated the first use of sequential Excavation Method (sEM) in soft-ground in Canada. In an ever-growing city region, this subway extension will improve our customers’ journey for the decades ahead."

Golder Associates

"Golder is honoured to be a part of the talented and dedicated TYssE team winning this prestigious tunnelling award. we are proud of the contribution we made to this exciting project that exemplifies Golder’s commitment to innovation, technical excellence and teamwork."

McNally, Kiewit, Aecon Joint Venture

"MKa is honoured to have been recognized by this prestigious award. The spadina Tunnel Project was in incredibly challenging project, which allowed our team to demonstrate it’s expertise in tunnel construction. The combined efforts of the TTC, HMM and our Joint Venture made the success of this project possible. we at McNally are proud of our continued contribution to the infrastructure of the Greater Toronto area, and are appreciative of the recognition that this award represents."

OHL FCC Limited Partnership

"The award is a great honour. OHL FCC feels proud to be acknowledged by such prestigious organization. OHL FCC really appreciates this recognition of our professional achievements. This award contributes to continue developing OHL’s and FCC’s projects with the same high standards in all construction aspects."

Photo of the Year
Dave Blackwell, Hatch Mott Macdonald – Port Mann water supply Tunnel

Dave Blackwell is an inspector on the Port Mann Main Water Supply Tunnel in Vancouver, BC. He has worked in tunnelling and mining for more than 30 years.

"The photo was taken with a Nikon D5300 with a Nikon 17mm to 200mm zoom lens set at 200mm. The exposure was 1.3 sec at F22. I used the telephoto lens to compress the tunnel so you can see about 600m, until the change in incline obscures the rest of the 1km tunnel. Tunnelling was stopped that day so I had time to take photos."

He says, "I studied photography at Cambrian College, Sudbury Ontario from 1972 to 1974 under Karl Sommerer, Canada’s photographer of the year for 1972, as part of the Audio Visual Technician program, but gave up on serious photography in the ’80s. I started with HMM three and a half years ago and when they saw my photographs and found out I had formal training, Barry Singer, the Vancouver area manager for HMM, purchased the Nikon set-up I use to take publication quality photographs."

2015 Dan Eisenstein Memorial Scholarship
Josephine Morgenroth

Josephine completed her undergraduate degree in Geological Engineering at Queen’s University in 2014, with a strong interest in rock mechanics and numerical modelling. Josephine grew up in Niagara Falls and gained an early appreciation for tunnelling through exposure to the excitement surrounding the Niagara Tunnel project. She worked at Hatch throughout her undergraduate studies, and began to work as an EIT in the Vancouver office after graduating. In January she began a Master’s degree at the University of British Columbia with Dwayne Tannant, and was fortunate to receive continued support from Hatch in the form of a research partnership on an active project in the British Columbia Coast Mountains. Josephine’s thesis is focused on using Bayesian Networks for ground class prediction during tunnel advance. When she is not pursuing her research, Josephine trains and competes on the BC provincial judo team.