McCormick Rankin earns engineering award for Ottawa rapid bridge replacement

A groundbreaking project that involved rapid replacement of freeway bridges in Ottawa has netted McCormick Rankin Corporation top marks for technical innovation in the 2008 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards.

2008 Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards

The twin bridges of the Highway 417/Island Park Drive overpass were replaced within 17 hours during an overnight closure of the freeway using innovative, rapid-lift, mobile transporter technology.

This was the inaugural application of rapid-replacement technology on major freeway bridges in Canada.

The project last year won the Chipman Award, the highest distinction in Ontario’s consulting engineering industry.

It also was recognized in the category of specialty concrete applications at the 2008 Ontario Concrete Awards.

The Schreyer Award was presented at a gala dinner in Ottawa to representatives of McCormick Rankin, now part of MMM Group.

In addition, 10 Awards of Excellence were handed out at the event.

Also in the winners’ circle were:

•National Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Alberta, Edmonton. By Cohos Evamy integratedesign(TM) of Edmonton. (Buildings category).

•Mistissini Community Centre, Quebec. By DESSAU of Montreal. (Buildings category).

•North Arm Bridge, Vancouver. By Buckland & Taylor Ltd. of Vancouver. (Transportation category).

•Kicking Horse Canyon, Phase II, Golden, B.C. By Golder Associates Ltd. of Squamish, B.C.) with Delcan Corporation. (Transportation category).

•Karun III hydro-electric development project, Khuzestan, Iran. By Hatch Energy of Niagara Falls, Ont. with Mahab Ghodss consulting engineers of Iran. (Water resources & energy production category).

•Intake works at Niagara tunnel facility project, Niagara Falls, Ont. By Morrison Hershfield Ltd. of Toronto. (Water resources & energy production category).

•Lakeview water treatment plant expansion, Phase I, Mississauga, Ont. By CH2M HILL Canada Ltd. of Toronto. (Water resources & energy production category).

•G.E. Booth (Lakeview) wastewater treatment plant expansion and upgrades, Mississauga, Ont. By AECOM Canada of Toronto. (Water resources & energy production category).

•Khudi hydropower project, Nepal, “From Water to Empowerment.” By BPR Inc, of Montreal). (International category).

•Integrateducation(TM) professional development program. By Cohos Evamy integratedesign(TM) of Edmonton. (Community development & in-house initiatives category).

In addition, Tecsult International Ltd. of Quebec City won the inaugural Tree of Life Award for outstanding environmental stewardship. Engineers helped to develop sustainable land-use practices to restorate forests and watersheds in the mountains of Jamaica.