Engineering firm wins awards

by Nancy Gardiner
Northern News Services

NNSL (Mar 03/97) - A.D. Williams Engineering Inc. has won two prestigious awards recognizing innovation in its field.

One of the awards is for design and construction of a $3.3-million bulk fuel storage facility in Kimmirut (Lake Harbour).

The awards were garnered as part of the 1997 Consulting Engineers of Alberta (CEA) Showcase awards.

CEA represents professional engineering firms in Alberta and the territories.

A.D. Williams received awards of merit for outsourcing and human resources.

The project, located on Baffin Island, was undertaken for the government of the NWT and completed in 1996.

The resupply system was designed to be anchored in bedrock on an incline of up to 45 degrees. An electric pumphouse was installed nearby to assist with ships' pumping systems.

Extensive blasting was necessary to complete the project in the 10- to 12-week Arctic construction season.

Resupply pipelines were designed and constructed from shore to the storage site over steep and rocky topography.

The pipeline routes were largely inaccessible by heavy machinery, so construction entailed hand-operated drilling, welding and other special equipment.

Designs addressed the impact of temperatures between -45 C to 25 C, and wind speeds exceeding 155 km/h.

The facility permits the safe handling and storage of 300,000 litres of gasoline and 1.9 million litres of fuel oil.

CEA represents 2,800 individuals including professional engineers, technologists and support staff.

Its panel of judges for the awards were professional engineers from government, private industry and other associations, said Wendy Cooper of the CEA. This is the first year the CEA has honored firms with these awards. More than 200 people attended the awards ceremony in Alberta, Cooper said.

There were 34 entries in eight categories.

A.D. Williams has been working in Canada's Arctic for nearly 20 years.