TAC AWARDS | CANADA
CANADIAN INNOVATION INITIATIVE AWARD The Canadian Innovation Initiative Award went to RockMass Technologies and Hatch for Digital Innovation in Tunnel Mapping using Mobile LiDAR and Machine Learning. RockMass Technologies uses live technology to
transform tunnel construction, maintenance and refurbishment. The Mobile LiDAR device – RockMass Eon – uses laser light pulses to generate accurate 3D models of rock excavations and built infrastructure, giving engineers a precise view of the tunnel’s geometry, structural integrity and potential hazards. Hatch teamed with RockMass technologies to use
Eon device in various tunnel projects in Canada. On the Kemano T2 hydro project, engineers used Eon to obtain accurate orientations of trace geological features in tunnels excavated by Drill and Blast Method and bored by TBM, respectively. The orientations matched the accuracy of conventional compass mapping with the added benefit of offering high fidelity digital data for subsequent analysis. On the Ashbridges Bay Treatment plant in Toronto
the RockMass Eon mapped cracks in the precast lining segments. Engineers used the LiDAR data to develop a machine learning algorithm to locate cracks in the segments, with over 80% prediction accuracy.
PROJECTS OF THE YEAR The Canadian Project of the Year Award (over Can$100m) was won by City of Toronto, Southland Astaldi Joint Venture, and Hatch with Jacobs/Baird for Ashbridges Bay Treatment Plant Outfall Tunnel Project. The judges recognized the project was undertaken
in challenging ground conditions and during the Covid pandemic. The project team overcame significant challenges, including unexpected groundwater infiltration rates of up to 400 l/min, requiring the injection of more than 272,000kg of cement into rock mass before making any tunnel to riser connections. Despite this, the TBM set several record advance rates for a single shield rock TBM, including a best day of 50.75yd (46.4m) with 31 concrete rings erected in 24 hours. After tunnel boring, the next major challenge on the underground project was with the riser connections,
which included removal of concrete segments in the crown of the tunnel. The project was also noted for its one million person-hours without a recorded loss time injury, amicable resolution of all contract change requests, and tackling difficult site conditions through exceptional design, innovative problem-solving and collaborative team work. The Canadian Project of the Year Award (up to
Can$100m) was presented to Trans Mountain, McNally, Kiewit, Hatch and Herrenknecht for Trans Mountain Expansion Project – Burnaby Mountain Tunnel Project. The award recognized several innovations on the
oil pipeline expansion project. These included a TBM designed to overcome limited geotechnical information and be compatible with existing segment molds from a previous project and opting for a 2.6km-long tunnel under Burnaby Mountain to minimize community impact. The project team’s community outreach, environmental reviews and ongoing stakeholder engagement overcame initial community objections to the project. Hampered by difficult terrain, the team relied on
limited geotechnical information based on data from a few bore holes and public information, and designed a 14.5ft-diameter (4.42m) Herrenknecht TBM capable of excavating in mixed conditions. Designing the TBM to use existing segment molds for the tunnel lining significantly reduced project costs and contributed to its sustainability credentials. The project presented tunneling challenges, such
as shallow cover while boring under Barnett Highway built on a historic landslide, and passing under a live oil pipeline with minimal ground cover.
FURTHER AWARDS Other awards presented at the TAC conference were: ● Photo of the Year Award: Yusuf Soliman for Carving Through Bedrock (The Construction of a Cross Passage)
● TAC Outstanding Service Award: Boro Lukajic ● Dan Eisenstein Memorial Scholarship: Captain Chelsey Guo from Royal Military College of Canada
● TAC Undergraduate Scholarship: Madeleine Gaul from Queen’s University
Winter 2023
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