JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS AND GEOSCIENTISTS OF BC

JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS AND GEOSCIENTISTS OF BC
PM40065271
Mount Polley Update • APEGBC Compensation Survey • Rebranding Process Underway
2014 President’s Awards
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014
The Rise of the Sun in the West
Disrupt Your Business Before Your
Competition Does It for You

Strong business ethics, transparency and environmental stewardship
aren’t just the right things to do – they also help build your corporate
brand and strengthen your bottom line.
Find out how EDC can help you grow your responsible business
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STRONG VALUES.
STRONG BOTTOM LINE.

contents
16 Disrupt Your Business Before Your Competition Does It for You
Karen Storry, P.Eng., and Esther Bérubé, P.Eng.
18 The Rise of the Sun in the West
Michel de Spot, P.Eng., and Baptiste Lafaille, EIT
21 Women in Leadership – Attracting, Engaging and Retaining Women
Rachel O’Connor and Steve Frith
24 Ministry of Transportation and UBC Form BC Smart Infrastructure Monitoring System
Dr. Carlos E. Ventura, P.Eng., and Sharlie Huffman, P.Eng.
news
4 President’s Viewpoint – Marking APEGBC’s 95th Anniversary
7 Association Notes – Membership Renewal; 2014 Annual General Meeting Available via
Webcast; 2013/2014 Annual Report Now Available; Voting for the Council Election and
Bylaw Ratiﬁcation; Rebranding APEGBC; Undergraduate Scholarships; Call for Volunteers;
Engineers Canada Fellowship
10 Results of the 2014 Member Compensation Survey
11 2014 President’s Awards Recipients
14 APEGBC Responds to Mount Polley Mine Incident
23 Increasing the Value of the APEGBC Mentoring Program
26 Is Your Organization Losing Its Knowledge?
28 LCA Practice Asks Engineers to Design Outside the Box
32 The Building Envelope Thermal Bridging Guide:
A New Tool for Building Design Practitioners:
departments
ON THE COVER:
Vancouver, BC. The
2014 APEGBC Annual
Conference and AGM
will be held at the Hyatt
Regency Vancouver.
©Brendan Hunter: iStock
departments
6 Newsmakers 34 APEGBC Professional Development
35 Discipline and Enforcement 36 Membership 42 Professional Services
46 Careers 46 OQM list 47 Datebook
2424
Broad view of the stay
cables on the Port
Mann Bridge.
24
features
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 [VOluMe 18 nuMber 5]
i n n o va t i o n S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4 3

viewpoint
4 S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 014 i n n o v a t i o n
Michael Bapty,
P.Eng., FEC
President
president@
apeg.bc.ca
Marking
APEGBC’s 95th
Anniversary
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 VOLUME 18 NUMBER 5
Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of BC
Suite 200 - 4010 Regent Street, Burnaby, BC Canada V5C 6N2
Tel: 604.430.8035 Fax: 604.430.8085
E-mail: apeginfo@apeg.bc.ca Internet: www.apeg.bc.ca
Toll free: 1.888.430.8035
2013/2014 COUNCIL, APEGBC
President M.B. Bapty, P.Eng., FEC
Vice President John Clague, P.Geo., FGC
Past President M.D. Isaacson, P.Eng., PhD, FEC, FGC (Hon.)
COUNCILLORS
A.E. Badke, P.Eng.; S.M. Carlson, P.Eng.
A. Fernandes, CIM, FCSI; D. Harvey, P.Eng., Struct.Eng., FEC
H. Hawson, P.Eng., FEC; D.M. Howes, P.Eng., FEC
H.G. Kelly, P.Eng.; G.D. Kirkham, P.Geo., FGC
K. Laloge, CA; A. Mill, P.Eng., Struct.Eng., FEC
K.E. Savage, P.Eng., FEC; K. Tarnai-Lokhorst, P.Eng.
M. Waberski, BCLS; S. Wynn, PhD
ASSOCIATION STAFF
A.J. English, P.Eng. Chief Executive Officer and Registrar
T.M.Y. Chong, P.Eng. Chief Regulatory Officer and Deputy Registrar
J.Y. Sinclair Chief Operating Officer
M. L. Archibald, Director, Communications and Stakeholder Engagement
J. Cho, CGA Director, Finance and Administration
D. Gamble Director, Information Services
M. Lau, Acting Director, Communications and Stakeholder Engagement
P.R. Mitchell, P.Eng. Director, Professional Practice, Standards and Development
D. Olychick Director, Member Services
G.M. Pichler, P.Eng. Director, Registration
E. Swartz, LLB Acting Director, Legislation, Ethics and Compliance
V. Lai, CGA Associate Director, Finance and Administration
J.J.G. Larocque, P.Eng., LLB Associate Director, Professional Practice
EDITORIAL BOARD
S. Chiu, P.Eng.;
R. Gupta, P.Eng., PhD; C.L. Hall, P.Geo.;
S.K. Hayes, P.Eng.; K.S. Hirji, P.Eng.;
M.A. Klippenstein, P.Eng.;
I. Kokan, P.Eng.; M.E. Leslie, P.Eng.;
B. Thomson, P.Geo., FEC (Hon)
Advertising material should reach the publication by the 5th of the preceding
month (e.g., January 5 for the Jan/Feb issue).
Advertising Contact: Gillian Cobban Tel: 604.929.6733
Fax: 604.929.6753 E-mail: advertising@apeg.bc.ca
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Do you plan to attend the annual conference being held October 23 to
25 in Vancouver this year? This event is the highlight in APEGBC’s cal-
endar with an opportunity to involve members, students, and special
guests in a variety of venues including training, new contacts, network-
ing, galas, and the formal annual general meeting.
The event marks our 95th anniversary. The formation of the provin-
cial association was prompted by the federal government demanding
professional accountability following a Royal Commission’s report
in 1908 investigating the initial collapse during construction of the
Quebec Bridge spanning the St. Lawrence River. The three engineers
managing the investigation (H. Holgate, J. Kerry, and Professor J.
Galbraith) recognized the shortcomings of the design, and their find-
ings were influential in developing the model enacted by the provincial
governments to regulate engineering practice throughout Canada.
Our association was created by a legislative act in 1920. From a modest
beginning, APEGBC has changed and grown to now include just over
29,000 members.
This year’s conference theme is “BC and Beyond: Global Innovation
Begins at Home,” balancing both a tribute and a challenge. It is
recognized that our members command a great deal of respect in the
international marketplace. Successful marketing on the world stage
relies upon members having total command of the technology they
represent, and the value-added delivery of the services proffered. We
know we have the benefit of excellent university training. Our gradu-
ates of 40 years ago continue to file patents and create new products,
and the training has continued to improve since then. Our products are
sought after. Our geoscientists and engineers regularly provide services
and management in challenging applications around the world. How
do we remain competitive? Our successful members continue to make
the effort to understand the changes offered by new technology, and to
employ them effectively. This brings me to this year’s conference.
It will provide a robust professional development colloquium,
beginning with pre-conference field trips on October 22. Our key-
note speakers include Colonel Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian
Commander of the International Space Station. Gala events celebrate
awards for outstanding engineering and geoscience. This year’s trade-
show profiles 44 exhibitors’ displays providing a selection of new prod-
ucts for engineering or geoscience application as well as other services
and products of interest to the profession. A recognition lunch for-
mally says “thank you” to all of our volunteers. The AGM on Saturday
morning reviews the annual operational details of APEGBC, presents
the inauguration of your new president, and allows new business to be
brought to Council by way of formal motions from members.
If you have never attended our annual conference and AGM, please
consider registering for all or part of the three-day event. If you are a
regular attendee, you will notice additional technical presentations. It
will be informative and fun, and you are invited to join us. More infor-
mation can be found at apeg.bc.ca.
This column is the last one in my term as president of APEGBC,
and an ideal opportunity to thank all of you who have made my year
such a rewarding experience. It has been a pleasure to serve with my
fellow Council members, staff and the many volunteers who all dedi-
cate their time, experience and energies to supporting and promoting
the engineering and geoscience professions in British Columbia.

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5 not-so-true
ideas about
life insurance
(and how to get your facts straight)
Employers usually provide life insurance that’s 1–2 times your
salary. Is that enough for your family? If you change jobs,
will you be able to take your coverage with you?
How much insurance is right for you? It depends on your
situation. Here’s a formula you can use to figure it out:2
A - (B + C + D + E) = Insurance amount
A = Your family’s assets and income
B = Your family’s monthly budget needs
C = Costs associated with your death
D = Debts to be paid off
E = Exceptional expenses (e.g., education costs)
Plan like a pessimist — hope for the best but prepare for the
worst — especially when going through a life-changing event.
Not in this case. Only the Engineers Canada-sponsored
Insurance Plans are created specifically for engineers.
They are not available to the general public!
Many advertised rates may seem low at first. But see how
the average rate of our 3 lowest-priced competitors exceeds
our rates over 15 years.3 For example, a 32-year-old male
non-smoker who buys $100,000 coverage from them would
end up paying 95% MORE over 15 years.
For members of Canada’s
12 engineering regulators.
Over 80,000 of your peers
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To learn more and apply, visit or call:
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APEGBC Student Members Help Design a World of Hope
APEGBC civil engineering student members Emma Brown (North Delta) and Luke
Tien Chuan Lee (Surrey) have returned from volunteer posts with Engineering
Ministries International (EMI) for engineering projects.
Brown travelled to Grand-Goâve, Haiti, where her team took an existing sche-
matic design of a church, conference centre and K-12 school to a detailed design
level, including infrastructure design and construction drawings, as well as looking
at a proposed agricultural project. As part of a third EMI Canada design team to
the same site, Brown and the other volunteers were also able to review and provide
feedback on the construction progress for the technical school and children’s village
which EMI Canada had previously designed.
Lee was in Pijal, Ecuador, where his team designed a building that included
classroom space and an auditorium for conducting educational training, as well as
a new spiritual sanctuary.
Both worked with the senior engineers on their teams and assisted in diverse
roles such as surveying, water and soil testing and AutoCAD drafting. At the end of
the week on-site, the teams presented master plans and building design proposals
to the leadership of the organizations who had invited their participation.
EMI is a non-profit Christian development organization mobilizing volunteer
architects, engineers, surveyors, building technicians and other design profession-
als who donate their skills to help people around the world in emerging countries.
For more information, visit EMI’s website at emicanada.org.
Luke Lee found time to share some music with local
residents as part of his cross-culture experience
in Ecuador.
Emma Brown’s work in Haiti included soil testing for
a proposed agricultural project.

i n n o v a t i o n S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 014 7
APEGBC
Membership
Renewal
Update Your Contact Information
and Your Practice Declaration
In preparation for annual
membership renewal, APEGBC
is reminding members to make
sure their practice declaration and
contact information is up-to-date.
The practice declaration infor-
mation provided by members and
licensees identifies their industry of
practice and fields of expertise. It is
used in the online member directory
on the APEGBC website and assists
the private and public sector in con-
necting with members and licens-
ees when seeking engineering and
geoscience services. The information
also better assists APEGBC in more
accurately identifying and meeting
the needs of members by practice
area and expertise.
In preparation for annual
membership renewal, members are
also asked to keep their contact
information up-to-date prior to
the renewal period (October 15 to
December 31, 2014). As the annual
membership renewal package will
be sent to the most current mailing
address or email address on file,
please take the time to verify that
this information is correct.
Updates to practice declaration
and contact information can be
made through the APEGBC online
member portal located at apeg.
bc.ca/For-Members/Member-
Portal. Members can also take this
opportunity to verify and update
their preferences to determine
which communications they receive
from APEGBC as well as their
delivery preferences.
2014 Annual General
Meeting
Available via Webcast
On Saturday, October 25, at 8:30 am, APEGBC will hold its 95th annual general
meeting (AGM) at the Hyatt Regency in Vancouver, BC. To make the meeting
more easily accessible to a greater number of APEGBC members, a live webcast
will be available and can be viewed free of charge.
Under the Engineers and Geoscientists Act, APEGBC holds an AGM of its
members. Reports are provided by the president and the CEO on the activities
of the past year, and members are provided with the opportunity to ask ques-
tions and make motions for consideration by Council. Motions may be proposed
by registered professional members (P.Eng. and P.Geo.) or by limited licensees
(Eng.L. and Geo.L.). Webcast attendees will be able to watch the AGM live, and
ask questions at the session; however, motions for Council consideration require
a mover and seconder to be present at the meeting.
To view the APEGBC AGM webcast, register online through conference reg-
istration at apeg.bc.ca/Annual-Conference-and-AGM/Conference-and-AGM-
Registration. Please register early to avoid cancellation of the webcast.
All members are encouraged to attend the meeting, which will be held in the
Regency Ballroom at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver. There is no charge to attend
the AGM business portion of the annual conference.
For more information on the 2014 conference program, accommodations and
registration, visit the conference website at apeg.bc.ca/ac2014. Or, follow
@APEGBC on Twitter for the latest news on annual conference sessions, high-
lights and promotions. The official Twitter hashtag for the APEGBC Annual
Conference and AGM is #apegac14.
association notes
2013/2014 Annual Report Now Available
APEGBC’s annual report for the 2013/2014 reporting year will be available at
apeg.bc.ca/Resources/News-and-Publica-
tions/Annual-Reports in early October.
The report looks at APEGBC’s work on
key issues and topics of concern to mem-
bers and the public during the course
of the year. It includes reports from the
president and the CEO, actions from
the previous year’s AGM motions, and
the audited financial statements. It also
provides information on how APEGBC
has worked to deliver on the 2011-2014
strategic plan set by Council, which con-
cluded in June of this year.
Print copies of the report may be re-
quested by contacting the APEGBC office
at 604.430.8035, toll-free at 1.888.430.8035,
or at apeginfo@apeg.bc.ca.
APEGBC
!!!
Renewal
oct15-
dec31

Rebranding APEGBC to Better Support and Promote
Our Professions
As part of the 2014–2017 Strategic Plan, APEGBC has started the process of rebrand-
ing the association.
What does this mean, and why rebrand? APEGBC’s three-year strategic plan calls
for us to showcase our relevance and raise our profile through more public engagement
that demonstrates the value of professional engineers and geoscientists and APEGBC
to public matters. To do this effectively, it is important for us to define our organiza-
tional brand and build a strategy to support it.
As a 95-year old association, we have achieved many goals and accomplishments,
and made changes in our values and mission. What may have not changed along with it
is how APEGBC has represented itself to its members and the public—not just visually
with logos and colours, but in how we articulate our core values. This can cause confu-
sion about who we are, what we do and what we stand for. The branding process is in
place to ensure that each partner—members, members’ employers and clients, govern-
ment, the public and other stakeholders—has a clear understanding of who APEGBC
is and what we do. This will provide the foundation that will help us ensure we promote
and represent our members and their professions clearly and concisely.
In the plan, our mission is “to support and promote the engineering and geoscience
professions as a trusted partner and progressive regulator that service the public good.”
We hope to support this by bringing value to each of our partners by achieving the goals
set out in the strategic plan. With rebranding, we want to accomplish the following goals:
1. Make BC professional engineers and geoscientists synonymous with the highest
standards of professional and ethical behaviour.
2. Ensure the P.Eng. and P.Geo. designations are recognized internationally as
professions of choice.
3. Ensure the P.Eng. and P.Geo. designations become synonymous with the highest
standards of professional and ethical behaviour.
4. Be regarded as a valued partner by clients and employers in all sectors, support-
ing the delivery of engineering and geoscience services in the public interest.
5. Show the value and importance in what we do as an association and what our
members do as professional engineers and geoscientists
6. Enhance public confidence in our members through leadership in regulatory,
engineering and geoscience best practices.
APEGBC has engaged Karacters Design Group, the specialized branding and
design unit of DDB Canada, as our partner in rebranding the association and the
professional engineer and professional geoscientist designations. They will work with
us on developing the best way to approach the branding process. A project plan for this
multi-year project has been developed and will be broken up into four phases:
Phase 1 – Will focus on research including surveys, focus groups and interviews with
members and various stakeholders. This stage will help create a roadmap of
what we need to do to build a strong brand.
Phase 2 – Utilize data collected in Phase 1 to define APEGBC and what makes the
P.Eng. and P.Geo. designations valuable, important and highly regarded.
Phase 3 – Apply the strategy to design and create the visual brand identity, which
includes how we communicate our brand through key messages and actions.
Phase 4 – Implement the brand strategy.
We are currently in the first phase of the project and anticipate a full roll-out of the
brand in 2017. Keep an eye out for a call for member input through a survey in the
next month. If you have any questions regarding the branding process, please contact
mckelly@apeg.bc.ca.
association notes
Voting for the
Council Election
and Bylaw
Ratification
The 2014/2015 Council election
and bylaw ratification vote will
remain open until noon PST,
October 10, 2014. APEGBC’s
professional members (P.Eng.
and P.Geo.) and limited licensees
(Eng.L. and Geo.L.) are eligible
to vote.
Voting information and
candidate statements were
circulated to eligible members
and licensees by email in late
August. The information is also
available online. Additionally,
paper ballots and hard copies
of the candidate statements
are available by contacting
the APEGBC office. For more
information, or to proceed to
online voting, visit the APEGBC
website at apeg.bc.ca.
APEGBC
Council
Election
and Bylaw
Ratification

2014 APEGBC Engineering and
Geoscience Undergraduate
Scholarships
Several scholarships are available to BC’s undergraduate engineering
and geoscience students this fall. These scholarships recognize students’
academic success, community involvement and professional achievements.
Students should visit the APEGBC website for more information and current
application forms.
APEG Foundation Scholarships
Engineering and geoscience students in their 4th year of study are eligible to
apply for the BC Hydro/APEGBC Scholarships. These scholarships are valued
at $1,500 each and awarded to deserving students with high academic standing
and excellent community and professional involvement. Applicants must also
write a student statement on energy conservation or sustainability.
The APEG Foundation also offers scholarships to APEGBC Student
Members (formerly MAPS members). Valued at $1,000 each, APEGBC Student
Member Scholarships recognize those undergraduate engineering and
geoscience students who have exemplified professional traits and who have
contributed to the advancement of the professions. Students who contribute to
publications that educate readers on the professions, organize extracurricular
activities related to engineering or geoscience, or participate in a professional
student organization are encouraged to apply.
APEGBC Branch Scholarships
Several of APEGBC’s branches offer scholarships to undergraduate engineering
and geoscience students attending local universities. These scholarships vary in
value and are awarded based on a combination of factors including academic
standing, financial need and extracurricular activities.
Please visit apeg.bc.ca/students for APEG Foundation and APEGBC
branch scholarship application forms. Students should note that deadlines
vary for all scholarships.
Do You Qualify
for the Engineers
Canada
Fellowship?
The Engineers Canada Fellowship
recognizes individuals who have
contributed significantly to the
profession of engineering. Engi-
neers Canada Fellowships may be
conferred upon individuals who
have given noteworthy service in
one of five categories, one of which
is to have served the engineering
profession in a volunteer capac-
ity for at least 10 years. The total
length of service can be a combina-
tion of service on Engineers Canada
boards and committees and/or ser-
vice as a volunteer for an Engineers
Canada constituent member, e.g.,
APEGBC, APEGA, etc.
APEGBC would like to identify
all members who qualify for this
honour. If you have served the
engineering profession as noted
above for at least 10 years, please
visit apeg.bc.ca/ecf/ for more
information on how to apply for the
fellowship. Submissions must be
received by Friday, December 12,
2014. To view a list of those who
have already received the Engi-
neers Canada Fellowship, please
visit www.engineerscanada.ca/e/
pr_fellowship.cfm.
Engineers and non-engineers
upon whom this honour is
bestowed will receive a certificate
and a pin, and are awarded
the privilege of the use of the
designation “Engineers Canada
Fellow – FEC” or “Engineers
Canada Honorary Fellow – Hon
FEC.” Engineers Canada is the
national organization of the
12 provincial and territorial
associations that regulate the
practice of engineering in Canada.
For Volunteers — APEGBC Committees
CALLCALL
Get involved! Serve on an APEGBC Volunteer Committee. Each year, APEGBC
has a number of opportunities to serve on various internal and external commit-
tees. Service on a committee enables you to earn professional development hours,
use your expertise and experience to help guide important issues and connect
with other volunteers. For more information about volunteer opportunities at
APEGBC please visit our website at apeg.bc.ca/volunteer.

Results of the 2014 Member Compensation Survey
Every two years, APEGBC conducts a member compensation and benefits survey. In May we sent a call out to members to participate in
the 2014 APEGBC Compensation Survey. A total of 3,050 responses were received—an increase from the last survey that was conducted
in 2012 with 2,424 respondents. We are pleased to present the findings of this year’s comprehensive compensation and benefits survey.
Reported base salary by responsibility point level is illustrated in the table below. This analysis provides both high and low decile and
quartile values to illustrate the range of base salaries paid to individuals with the same responsibility point range and compares this with
the 2012 figures.
The median base salary for all respondents and all responsibility point levels is $91,000 and ranges from a low of $59,500 at the 200 to
249 point level to $167,500 at the 800+ point level. Compared to 2012 median base salary values, most point level ranges have recorded an
increase, and the median base salary for the entire sample has increased 4% over the two-year period.
Reported Base Salary by Responsibility Point Level May 2014
Responsibility
Point Range
Total
Jobs
Median
Points
Mean($)
Low
Decile($)
Low
Quartile($)
2014
Median($)
High
Quartile($)
High
Decile($)
2012
Median($)
Increase
2014/2012
Median
Less than 200 141 166 71,834 47,700 55,200 61,000 80,000 105,000 58,000 5.2%
200-249 166 221 60,684 50,000 55,000 59,500 65,000 74,060 57,250 3.9%
250-299 237 273 68,951 55,000 60,000 67,000 74,000 88,102 66,000 1.5%
300-349 335 321 77,944 61,633 69,000 75,000 85,280 97,000 75,000 0.0%
350-399 293 373 87,863 69,000 76,000 85,000 98,000 110,000 85,400 -0.5%
400-449 259 422 97,655 73,000 83,500 94,797 110,000 124,000 91,520 3.6%
450-499 237 472 105,136 80,000 90,000 101,000 116,000 136,566 100,500 0.5%
500-549 211 523 116,950 83,193 95,000 110,000 125,000 149,800 106,000 3.8%
550-599 163 575 121,878 86,954 100,000 120,000 135,000 171,260 114,000 5.3%
600-649 144 623 136,751 87,770 105,000 120,421 149,000 180,000 120,000 0.4%
650-699 120 677 141,272 100,000 112,400 130,000 162,500 190,000 127,563 1.9%
700-749 78 720 161,598 104,500 124,000 148,293 183,000 225,300 140,000 5.9%
750-799 57 775 174,950 100,800 135,000 167,000 215,000 250,000 165,000 1.2%
800+* 26 814 223,859 111,800 143,168 167,500 260,000 432,500 187,500 -10.7%
Total 2,467 406 100,605 59,500 72,000 91,000 117,000 149,490 87,500 4.0%
*Due to the low number of respondents in the 800-849 and 850+ point levels, these groups are combined together as 800+.
Other Interesting Notes
• Median total annual compensation is higher for women at the responsibility point levels 250 to 350 when compared to the male
respondents.
• It pays to become a professional. The change in median responsibility level from EIT to P.Eng. increases 77.2%, which also
correlates to an increase in median base salary of 59.7%. For GIT to P.Geo., the change in median responsibility level also
increases by 76.9% with a median base salary increase of 44.7%.
If you have not already done so, you can determine your own responsibility point value by using APEGBC’s Employment Responsibility
Evaluation. Please refer to the Benchmark Employment Descriptions to confirm the accuracy of your responsibility point level assessment.
You can find the survey results, Employment Responsibility Evaluation and Benchmark Employment Descriptions online at
apeg.bc.ca/compensationsurvey.
APEGBC thanks all the members who participated in the 2014 compensation survey.
compensation survey

president’s awards
2014
President’s
Awards
Recipients
Our annual President’s Awards
recognize excellence in professional,
technical and community service
by APEGBC members. On Friday,
October 24, APEGBC will honour
eight recipients at the President’s
Awards Gala. Please join us in
congratulating these members on
their achievements.
R.A. McLachlan Memorial Award
Paul Willis, P.Eng.
With more than 30 years of experience,
Paul Willis has been instrumental in help-
ing to establish a thriving clean energy sec-
tor in BC. In 1985, he formed Willis Energy
Services to offer engineering and advisory
services to utilities, energy consumers
and renewable power developers across
Canada. Early in his career, Paul was one of
the first to introduce turbo generators into
pulp mills and promote condensing boilers
to capture waste energy for the cogenera-
tion of thermal power. These advancements
resulted in significant reductions in energy
and long-term costs. While at BC Hydro,
he helped design the Power Smart BC
program and was founder and past presi-
dent of the Independent Power Producers
of BC. Shaping a new generation of
sustainability-minded professionals, Willis
passes on his knowledge through the Green
Energy Group at the University of British
Columbia. Dedicated to giving back to his
community, Willis served as the senior
lay person for the First Baptist Church in
Vancouver, where he helped champion pro-
grams that provide meals and shelter to the
homeless. For his exceptional leadership
in creating a sustainable energy landscape
in BC, APEGBC is proud to present Paul
Willis with its highest engineering honour,
the R.A. McLachlan Memorial Award.
C.J. Westerman Memorial Award
Allan Chapman, P.Geo.
As the senior hydrologist and regional
water manager with the BC Oil and
Gas Commission, Allan Chapman has
dedicated his career to responsible water
resource management. From the creation
of hydrologic models of local watersheds,
Chapman led the development of the
award-winning NorthEast BC Water Tool
and the Northeast Water Portal, two online
resources that provide guidance on water
availability across northeast BC and help
to support the decision-making process
for water use approvals and licences. As
a member of the Northeast BC Water
Strategy Monitoring Committee, Chapman
helped identify the need for broad public
access to hydrometric and water related
data. He also serves on technical flood and
drought committees at both a provincial
and national level. As a recognized expert
in the industry, Chapman’s ability to
effectively communicate flood and drought
hazard and risk to emergency responders,
government and the public has elevated
the profile of the geoscience profession. For
his thoughtful leadership and significant
technical contributions to improving water
resource management in BC, APEGBC is
pleased to present Allan Chapman with its
highest award for a geoscientist, the C. J.
Westerman Memorial Award.

p re s i d e n t ’s a wa rd s
D.C. Lambert Professional
Service Award
Emily Cheung, P.Eng., FEC
An accomplished and recognized civil
engineer, Emily Cheung has been
actively volunteering with APEGBC for
nearly two decades. Having served on
the association’s council for seven years,
Cheung has also been a long-term member
of numerous committees, including
Professional Practice, Audit, Standing
Awards and the Professional Renewal
Task Force. In 2011/2012 she chaired the
Building the Engineering and Geoscience
Community Task Force that worked to
define strategies for engaging members
and potential members outside the five
traditional core disciplines. Championing
engineering education in Northern BC,
Cheung was a founding member of the
Northern Technology and Engineering
Society of BC and currently sits on the
UNBC Engineering Advisory Council. At
the national level, Cheung has advocated
for the profession as an APEGBC director
to Engineers Canada. For her invaluable
and dedicated service to the association
and the professions, Emily Cheung is a
most worthy recipient of the D.C. Lambert
Professional Service Award.
Meritorious Achievement Award
Dr. James Olson, P.Eng.
An industry leading expert in the
application of physics and fluid
mechanics, James Olson’s research has led
to revolutionary developments in the pulp
and paper industry. As Associate Dean,
Research and Industrial Partnership for
Applied Science, and past director of
UBC’s Pulp and Paper Centre, Olson
currently leads a five-year university-
industry collaborative research program
with BC Hydro, FP Innovations and
BC mechanical pulp producers with
the shared goal of reducing energy
consumption. This research demonstrated
a potential of 20% energy savings
through the development of several
innovative technologies. He is also the
lead researcher on the development
and commercialization of the Fibre
Quality Analyzer, a device that measures
the physical properties of pulp fibres
in suspension, which is now sold and
exported worldwide. For his outstanding
technical achievements and leadership in
advancing BC’s pulp and paper industry,
APEGBC is proud to present James
Olson with an APEGBC Meritorious
Achievement Award.
Meritorious Achievement Award
C. David Sellars, P.Eng.
A consultant in water resource
engineering, David Sellars has had
a profound impact on water supply
and flood control around the world.
Sellars has improved the lives of many
people in developing countries by
helping them access safe drinking
water, improve irrigation practices and
protect their homes from floods. He’s
also directed many significant projects
in British Columbia and across Canada,
including the preparation of floodplain
management plans for local communities.
A past president of the Canadian Water
Resources Association, Sellars received
the CWRA Distinguished Service Award
for his role in creating the Canadian
Society for Hydrological Sciences.
Further giving back to the profession,
Sellars was on the Task Force for the
APEGBC Professional Practice Guidelines
– Legislated Flood Assessments in a
Changing Climate in BC. His outstanding
contributions to the development and
management of water resources in BC,
Canada and abroad, make David Sellars a
most deserving recipient of an APEGBC
Meritorious Achievement Award.

Community Service Award
Mike Skene, Eng.L.
An engineering licensee who truly
embodies community service, Mike
Skene has given selflessly to enrich the
lives of many in the Cowichan Valley. As
co-founder and president of the Se’Shen
Youth Development Society, Skene assists
local aboriginal youth with skills training
and employment opportunities. Over
the past 15 years the society has worked
with youth to develop commercial tomato
and cucumber greenhouses, a furniture
store and create a safe place for youth
and their families to share. Skene is also
actively involved as a director on the
board of the Chemainus Theatre, a non-
profit society that seeks to enrich the
Vancouver Island community through
the advancement of the arts. Giving
back to his profession as well, Skene
shares his sustainable transportation
expertise through his involvement with
the Institute of Transportation Engineers
and the Transportation Association of
Canada. APEGBC is pleased to recognize
Mike Skene with the Community Service
Award for his passionate commitment to
improving local communities through
positive change.
Young Professional Award
Wesley Narciso, P.Eng.
Wesley Narciso is a talented and driven
professional engineer. A building envelope
consultant with expertise in metallurgical
engineering and materials testing, Narciso
manages a division at JRS Engineering
that specializes in depreciation reports and
warranty reviews for strata corporations.
With Narciso’s expertise, these assessments
ensure the longevity of the properties’
service lives. Gaining invaluable
international development experience
early in his career, Narciso was the co-
founder and first president of Vancouver’s
professional chapter of Engineers Without
Borders. Volunteerism has always been
in his nature and he routinely makes time
to give back to his profession through
mentorship both at work and through his
involvement with APEGBC’s Mentoring
Program. In 2012, his commitment to
passing on knowledge and advice to the
next generation of engineers was formally
recognized when he received APEGBC’s
Mentor of the Year award. Wesley Narciso’s
work-related achievements and service
to the profession and his community
make him an exceptional recipient of the
APEGBC’s Young Professional Award.
Teaching Award of Excellence
Dr. Lesley Shannon, P.Eng.
Dedicated to ensuring students have
market-ready skills, Lesley Shannon has
had a dramatic impact on modernizing
the curriculum at Simon Fraser
University as the associate professor
and chair of the Computer Option for
the School of Engineering Science. She
also created the only computer-based
graduate course in engineering science,
providing students the opportunity
to develop skills on more current and
widely-used technology than was
previously available. An inspirational
teacher and role model, Shannon has
been an exceptional mentor for students,
playing a significant role in recruiting
and retaining female students through
her involvement with the SFU Women
in Engineering Group and her work
with the WWEST (Westcoast Women in
Engineering, Science and Technology)
program, where she was program chair
for the 2013 Creating Connections
conference. For her dedication to
providing future engineers with a
world-class education, APEGBC is
pleased to present Lesley Shannon with
the Teaching Award for Excellence in
Engineering Education.

APEGBC Responds to Mount Polley Mine Incident
In the early hours of August 4, 2014, a tailings pond
dam breach occurred at Imperial Metal’s Mount Polley
Mine, an open pit copper/gold mine located 30 kilo-
metres from the community of Likely, BC. According
to current estimates, approximately 25 million cubic
metres of effluent was released in the breach and dis-
charged into Polley Lake and Quesnel Lake, consist-
ing of roughly 17 million cubic metres of water, and
another eight million cubic metres of tailings and con-
struction materials. In response, the Cariboo Regional
District declared a state of local emergency. The cause
of the dam failure has not currently been identified.
Visible impacts resulting from the sudden and
uncontrolled discharge of the effluent has included
erosion and scour of the embankment separating the
tailings storage facility from Polley Lake; the deposition
of tailings and eroded earth into Polley Lake, Hazeltine
Creek, and Quesnel Lake; and the deposition of trees
and other woody debris along the erosion path via
Hazeltine Creek into Quesnel Lake.
What’s Happening Now?
The Ministry of Environment issued a Pollution
Abatement Order to the Mount Polley Mine
Corporation, ordering the mine operator to take
immediate action to stop the further release of
mine tailings into nearby waterways, and to submit
environmental impact assessments and clean-up
action plans to the ministry. On a weekly basis, the
company is required to report on the implementation
of action to regulatory agencies and stakeholders.
Sediment and water quality testing is ongoing, and as
of the time of publication results are being posted to
the Ministry of Environment website (www.env.gov.
bc.ca/eemp/incidents/2014/mount-polley/). Ministry of
Environment conservation officers as well as Ministry
of Energy and Mines inspectors are investigating
the breach and its impact in separate investigations.
Further to this, BC’s Privacy Commissioner is
investigating whether the provincial government
should have notified the public about potential risk
related to the Mount Polley Mine tailings pond. Most
recently, the Ministry of Energy and Mines launched an
independent geotechnical inquiry into the mine breach,
and ordered independent third-party reviews of all
2014 Dam Safety Inspections for every tailings pond at
a permitted mine in the province.
What Does This Mean for APEGBC and
Its Members?
As the engineering and geoscience regulator in BC,
major incidents with public safety implications such as
this are of great concern to APEGBC. Like the public it
serves, APEGBC expects resource development projects
to be conducted safely and professionally. Furthermore,
the significance of such an incident is not lost on
APEGBC with respect to the impact it may have on the
public’s confidence in engineering and
geoscience professionals. To which
end, APEGBC is mindful of members’
expectations that their association play
a leadership role in demonstrating that
engineering and geoscience is part of
the solution.
In the days since the incident oc-
curred, APEGBC has been careful to
consider where it is appropriate for
the association to take action given
the involvement of numerous other
regulatory authorities. While offer-
ing the expertise of APEGBC and its
members, the association’s aim has
been to avoid duplication while, most
importantly, maintaining its regulatory
independence.
How Has APEGBC Taken
Action?
APEGBC has been active on a number
of fronts. Early on following the dam
breach, APEGBC staff prepared a list
of members and consulting firms with
the capability of carrying out large
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Fact Sheet
• There are 98 tailings ponds at permitted mines in British Columbia,
of which 31 are active mining operations.
• The Ministry of Energy and Mines is responsible for approving mineral
exploration and mine project proposals in BC. Mine operators are
responsible for ensuring that applications meet the requirements of the
Mines Act, the Health, Safety and Reclamation Code for Mines in British
Columbia, and other relevant legislation.
• Mining companies are required to conduct annual Dam Safety
Inspections and submit them to the Chief Mines Inspector. Additionally,
mines are required to conduct more comprehensive dam safety reviews
on a periodic basis according to their dam consequence classification.
• APEGBC published the Professional Practice Guidelines – Legislated Dam
Safety Reviews in BC, in July 2013, with an update in March 2014 to
address mining dams.
• Dam safety reviews should be carried out by a Qualified Professional as
defined in the Professional Practice Guidelines – Legislated Dam Safety
Reviews in BC.
• There are 528 APEGBC-registered professionals with declared
geotechnical expertise and 150 with declared expertise in mine tailings.
scale post-event environmental assessments and remedia-
tion so that the association would be ready to support the
provincial government’s mitigation and clean-up efforts
where necessary. At the same time, APEGBC worked to
connect its engineering and geoscience subject matter
experts with journalists to bring a balanced engineering
and geoscience perspective to the public conversation that
was developing in the media.
Prior to the Ministry of Energy and Mine’s August 18
announcement of the independent geotechnical inquiry
into the tailings pond breach, APEGBC consulted with the
ministry regarding the selection of the panel members.
The association has also provided the ministry with a list
of APEGBC professionals with the geotechnical exper-
tise to conduct the reviews of the dam safety inspections
ordered by the ministry at that time.
As of the time of the publication of this article,
APEGBC has engaged with a number of ongoing in-
vestigations into the Mount Polley Mine incident and
is working to ascertain the facts around professional
involvement and conduct. If there is a clear indication
that engineering or geoscience practices may have failed
to meet the appropriate standards, APEGBC will pursue
a more detailed investigation.
Given the intense public interest and scrutiny
around Mount Polley, it is important to note that,ex-
cept where permitted by the Engineers and Geoscientists
Act or privacy legislation, information about complaints
and investigations handled by APEGBC is confiden-
tial until a member or licensee has been served with
a Notice of Inquiry. While this is a
statutory obligation, it is also part of
APEGBC’s commitment to fairness
and due process.
Moving Forward
BC professional engineers and geosci-
entists are well equipped by training
and experience to carry out resource
development projects safely and, by
professional obligation, to do so law-
fully and ethically. APEGBC is com-
mitted to upholding high standards of
professional practice for its members
as they undertake this work. In align-
ment with the association’s strategic
plan for 2014-2017, APEGBC will
continue to support the professional
practice of members by develop-
ing and promoting the awareness of
guidelines that define clear standards
of practice and create shared expecta-
tions for professionals, their clients,
and regulatory authorities.
APEGBC professionals play a piv-
otal role in the economic success of
the province, providing the technical
skills and sound judgment that support resource devel-
opment in BC. Wherever the facts related the Mount
Polley Mine dam breach may lead, APEGBC members
are reminded that acting responsibly and with respect
for the enormous trust that the public places in them is
something that engineers and geoscientists must keep
firmly in mind.

features
Atide of change is coming. The global economy is entering an
era of resource price fluctuations and scarcity that challenges
conventional production models, which are based on taking
abundant natural resources and energy to make disposable prod-
ucts. It is time for Canadian industry to rethink how we make
things or get swept away by the competition.
In this time of flux, new approaches to business are emerging.
In Jugaad Innovation, researchers Navi Radjou, Jaideep Prabhu
and Simone Ahuj present businesses in established and emerging
economies that generate profits using limited resources. Businesses
in British Columbia and abroad are participating in the zero
waste economy using approaches such as cradle-to-cradle design,
biomimicry, regenerative consumption, and the circular economy to
design resource-efficient products and systems that offer more value
at an affordable price. Through design and innovation, engineers have
a key role to play in helping business capitalize on the opportunities of
the zero waste economy.
How Does This Zero Waste Economy Work?
The zero waste economy seeks to rethink the way products and
systems are designed to extract as much value as possible out of the
resources that are used. Though some waste will always require dis-
posal, the circular economy is a way of doing business that minimizes
that waste. The circular economy adopts the cradle-to-cradle model of
technical and biological nutrient cycles found in nature.
With biological nutrients such as food scraps and yard trim-
mings, the goal is to divert biodegradable waste from disposal and
towards more profitable uses such as food for animals, energy,
and soil amendments that are part of the cycle of food and plant
production. For the technical nutrients such as metals, plastics,
and aggregate, the goal is to keep them in circulation for as long as
possible through repair, reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling to
maximize their post extraction value.
How Big of an Opportunity is the Circular
Economy?
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation retained McKinsey Company,
a global management consulting firm, to estimate the value of the
circular economy. According to the McKinsey study, the circular
economy could be worth US$1 trillion to the global economy.
Increasing demand from a growing middle class in emerging econ-
omies, less expendable income in traditional consumer markets,
THE ENGINEER’S
ROLE IN A
NEW BUSINESS
PARADIGM
THE ENGINEER’STHE ENGINEER’S
ROLE IN A
NEW BUSINESS
PARADIGM
DisruptYourBusiness Before Your Competition
DoesItforYou
Karen Storry, P.Eng.
Esther Bérubé, P.Eng.

and impending resource constraints are making the circular economy
increasingly more attractive to industry. Unilever, Renault, Kingfisher
(the UK’s equivalent of Home Depot), Philips, and Cisco are just
a few of the big names that have already started to invest in more
circular business practices. There is a vast need for engineers to help
redesign almost everything to integrate with the circular economy.
How Does the Circular Economy Translate
to the Real World?
There are already several circular economy examples that touch on
every engineering discipline. (APEGBC’s upcoming conference will
showcase innovative examples from British Columbia.)
Bio-Bean, an energy company in London, collects spent cof-
fee beans and transforms them into bio-fuel, with contributions
from energy, environmental, chemical, mechanical, and trans-
portation engineering.
Phillips now sells lighting as a service. Phillips CEO Frans
van Houten explains that municipal customers in Singapore no
longer have to worry about the street lighting. Phillips installs the
equipment, maintains it, and makes sure the lighting infrastruc-
ture is designed to last with low maintenance, with the input from
electrical engineers.
Delta Development Group, an independently owned Dutch
real-estate company, employed a new cradle-to-cradle development
process for Delta’s Park 2020 project near Amsterdam. Owner and
CEO Coert Zachariasse figured out how to create value for his com-
pany in a way that disrupts his competi-
tion. Instead of having the contractor buy
the construction materials, Delta contracts
directly with suppliers to optimize the
quality of the material that Delta would
own to ensure that it can be reused or re-
cycled when the material no longer serves
its original purpose. To get the best quality
material available, Delta gives the suppliers
its budget and asks them to compete on
material quality. Delta uses specific criteria
to evaluate materials based on quality,
not price. In this new business paradigm,
Delta’s buildings have become high-quality-
material banks, thanks to forward-thinking
construction management professionals
and structural engineers. Delta now has an
economic advantage over its competitors,
who pay costly disposal fees when eventually demolishing a build-
ing made of low quality materials that cannot be reused or recycled.
Renault no longer designs cars to go to the wrecking yard. As a
supporter of frugal Jugaad innovation, Renault designs for reuse,
repair and re-manufacturing. At the Renault Choisy-le-Roi factory in
France, every engine that leaves is made of 38% pre-used tested parts.
This business model gives Renault an edge on the competition, since
innovations in mechanical and industrial engineering made the cost
of remanufacturing the engines lower than building new ones.
The APEGBC Annual Conference will feature professional
development presentations illustrating the contribution of various
engineering disciplines to a zero waste economy.
• High-solids anaerobic digestion at Harvest Power reduces the
amount of equipment necessary to digest food scraps and produce
high-value biogas and soil amendment compared to conventional
anaerobic digestion systems.
• Trenchless construction reduces the amount of excavation waste gen-
erated and saves the energy that would have been invested to bring
the excavated fill back up to specifications for recycling or reuse.
• HydroRun Technologies will demonstrate how mechanical and
software innovation led to a massive reduction in the amount of
steel used in collecting energy from free-flowing rivers.
• Bicycle and car-sharing services are replacing underused vehicles
and bikes parked in garages to get the most use out of the resources
involved in manufacturing bikes and cars.
• The engineer’s role in the zero waste economy will describe strate-
gies for resource-efficient design. v
Further Reading:
www.bloomberg.com/slideshow/2013-08-18/14-smart-inventions-
inspired-by-nature-biomimicry.html#slide2
www.jugaadinnovation.com/
Karen Storry and Esther Bérubé are professional engineers in Metro
Vancouver’s Solid Waste Services. They work with municipalities, busi-
nesses, and industry to promote waste reduction and recycling of residen-
tial, commercial, and building materials. They will be presenting a session
on this topic in this article at the 2014 APEGBC Annual Conference in
Vancouver, BC.
technical nutrients biological nutrients
Linear Economy
technical and biological nutrients all
mixed up with little to no value
Take Make Dispose
Circular Economy
waste

Andria Ink
There are plenty of misconceptions about the feasibility of solar
energy in BC, for example:
• It’s a cottage technology, not a mainstream power source.
• There is too much rain and snow here, and not enough sun
like in California.
• We have plenty of hydro power and the cheapest electricity in
the world: solar can’t compete with that.
• Not only is solar technology expensive, but the equipment is
made in China and does not provide jobs to BC, etc.
To debunk these myths, here are some facts:
• The solar industry is experiencing an exponential growth. In
2005, the total photovoltaic (PV) installed in the world was
5.1 GW; in 2013, it was 140 GW, a 27-fold increase in eight
years. See figure 1.
• In 2013, there was more solar power installed than wind.
• California aims at 5% of solar energy in its generation portfolio
within the next two years.
• On Monday June 9, 2014, solar energy provided 50.6% of
the grid electricity in Germany—a country as sunny as
Haida Gwaii.
• In some places, producing electricity with solar already costs
less than buying it from the grid.
• Unsubsidized solar energy is on the horizon, PV is now at grid
parity in at least 19 markets.
• Many indicators predict solar energy to be competitive to coal
or natural gas by 2020.
• In 2013, total investment in the solar industry sector was
US$10 billion.
So much for a cottage industry—don’t we want to be part of the game?
Do we have enough sun here in ‘rainy’ BC? It’s easy to know. Of all
energy sources, solar is the only one that can be assessed from satellite
data. (It’s based on the principle that if you can see the sun, the sun
can see you—and satellites in between as well.) Satellites have been
around for some time and in most cases, 30 to 40 years of data are
available.
Figure 2 shows a solar map for BC and Alberta from two sets
of data: ground weather stations located at each main airport and
SUNY satellite data. Each pixel is a 10x10 km grid corresponding
to the definition of solar satellite data provided by SUNY (State
University New York). Contrary to most maps that provide ground
The Rise of the Sun in the West
Are we going to contribute to make the future we want happen, or
are we going to just wait and see what type of future happens, or
are we going to ask, when the future arrives, what happened?
features
Michel de Spot, P.Eng.
Baptiste Lafaille, EIT

irradiation—the sun perspective—this map
takes the “PV point of view” and shows the
expected electricity production from a PV
system installed at a particular location. The
results depend on various parameters such
as: mounting system (in this case, a vertical-
axis tracker), the angle of the panels to the
ground, (the optimum calculated at each
point), the ambient temperature, the level
of irradiation, the ratio between direct and
diffuse light, and more.
The red zones in the map have extremely
good solar energy capacity: more than
2,000 hours per year—i.e., a 1 MW solar
PV plant can produce 2,000 MWh per year.
The best locations are in southern Alberta,
which has one of the highest solar irradia-
tions in Canada, followed by the Kootenays
in BC. Thus, the best places to start a
solar project in Western Canada would
be near Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Fernie,
Cranbrook, and Kimberley.
In fact, every zone in the map except
the dark blue receives more solar energy
than Germany. It shows the enormous
solar potential in Western Canada. (Solar
maps are available at ecosmartsun.com/
canada-solar-maps/)
Figure 1
Figure 2
Solar Energy Yield (kWh/kWp/a) – BC and Alberta.
VAT Mounting. Contour Map © EcoSmart 2014

2 0 S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 014 i n n o v a t i o n2 0 S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 014 i n n o v a t i o n
ELECTRICAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
CONSTRUCTION
MECHANICAL
Upgrading Bridge Inspection Skills 05-1130-2299 Vancouver, BC November 6-7 14
Evaluation and Rehabilitation of Pavements 05-0112-2304 Vancouver, BC January 29-30 14
Structural Engineering for Non-Structural Engineers 05-0318-2304 Vancouver, BC March 30 - April 2 28
Fundamentals of Modern Substation Equipment, Protection and 05-1126-2299 Vancouver, BC November 18-21 28
Controls
Grounding and Bonding of Electrical Systems 05-0316-2304 Vancouver, BC March 5-6 14
Power System Fundamentals for Non-Electrical Professionals 05-0336-2304 Vancouver, BC March 30-31 12
Risk Assessment of Contaminated Sites 05-0317-2304 Vancouver, BC March 9-11 21
Successful Construction Project Administration - From Start to 05-1125-2299 Vancouver, BC November 17-19 21
Completion
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BC is not Germany. Is it possible to meet the lower price of
electricity we have here?
With a few exceptions, all electricity produced in our province is
sold to BC Hydro. Currently, the only power purchasing mechanism
with BC Hydro is the Standing Offer Program (SOP) paying about
$110 per MWh for clean energy generation below 15 MW. To meet
that price and provide both a decent return on investment (ROI)
and internal rate of return (IRR), a solar project located in the red
zone must be built for less than $2 per watt (a-toonie-a-watt).
(To find out more, run the solar financial calculator at ecosmart-
sun.com/lcoe-calculator/)
The conditions for developing a financially-sound solar project
in BC are simple: a) locate it in the ‘red zones’ and b) build it for $2
per watt. But is it possible to build a solar plant for that price?
In established, mature markets such as California and Germany,
large solar plants can be installed for less than two dollars. The
prices are driven down by competition, the cut in subsidies and the
low price of electricity. In California, for example, developers must
sometimes compete for prices as low as 8¢/kWh.
In recent years, the cost of solar technologies has decreased
dramatically. PV prices went down from $6/Wp in 2008 to 60¢
today. That’s a 10-fold reduction in six years. Inverters went the
same way, although not as deep. Future cost reduction in solar
equipment will be less pronounced due to the law of dimin-
ishing return, but there is still enormous progress to be made
with the remaining project costs in the so-called “Soft-BOS”
(Balance-of-the-System non-hardware), such as preliminary
studies, energy yield evaluation, public consultation, envi-
ronmental assessment, land acquisition, geotechnical studies,
permitting, financing, interconnection impact studies, energy
purchase contracting, engineering, installation, QA/QC, system
optimization, maintenance, monitoring, etc.
Arguably, solar equipment is not made-in-BC and comes from
Asia, USA, Europe or Ontario. However, “Soft-BOS,” where the big
cost cutting can be achieved, largely depends on local skills and
know-how. This represents an enormous opportunity for the BC
engineering community. What are we waiting for? v
Michel de Spot, P.Eng., is president and CEO of EcoSmart, the
driving force behind SunMine, a one megawatt PV plant currently
under construction on a reclaimed industrial site in Kimberley. It
is the first large-scale solar power plant in BC and the largest solar
installation west of Ontario. (When completed, the solar plant may
look like the set up on page 18.) Michel de Spot will be presenting
a session on the topic in this article at the 2014 APEGBC Annual
Conference in Vancouver, BC.
features

features
Do you know that when members of symphony
orchestras are being selected, women auditioning
hidden behind a curtain are more likely to be
chosen than if they are seen?
Or would you believe that in a content analysis of
reference letters for medical faculty applicants, female
reference letters are shorter, vaguer and place less emphasis
on research than reference letters for male applicants?
These are two among many persistent examples of dis-
crimination in the workplace that continues this century,
even among the most highly educated and skilled profes-
sions. Much of this is unintentional or subconscious. In
today’s day and age, people almost never seek objectively
to discriminate on the basis of gender. Instead, they may be
conditioned by environmental factors and biases that are
unconscious and unrecognized.
How does engineering and geoscience fair? Not very well,
unfortunately. The research tells us that these professions
attract substantially fewer women than other professions,
retain fewer women after they enter the profession, and
inadequately empower women to meet their full potential.
This isn’t just academic; many of us can verify this research
anecdotally through our own experiences.
Rachel O’Connor
Steve Frith
ATTRACTING,
ENGAGING
AND
RETAINING
WOMEN
WOMEN IN
LEADERSHIP
features
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2 2 S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 014 i n n o v a t i o n
f e a t u re s
What do employers and our professions stand
to gain from greater women’s participation? For us,
it begins with doing the right thing. There is first a
question of justice. Should women (and indeed all
people from whatever background) who seek to serve
in engineering and geoscience be afforded an equal
opportunity to do so, and be valued on their merits?
Beyond the question of justice is the utility of what
our professions offer. With greater participation from
women we are better able to understand problems,
solve these problems and bring greater innovation to
the solution. Finally, there are economic benefits for
business, governments and non-profits that ultimately
improve peoples’ lives and provide income to support
priorities that are part of contributing toward a
flourishing society.
Consider also that we are in a time when labour
market competition for business leaders as well as
engineers and geoscientists is fierce, and where every
forecast suggests that it will only get worse. To suc-
ceed as organizations, we need to access, value and
grow talent of both genders and all backgrounds. If
our unconscious biases limit us, we will struggle to fill
key roles and deliver on our missions.
We believe all APEGBC members have an
opportunity to create the kind of environment
that engages, enables and empowers women in
our professions. As a result of the Women in
Engineering and Geoscience Task Force’s report
and recommendations, the advancement of women
in engineering and geoscience will be a priority for
APEGBC for the coming years.
This is a research and professional interest of both
of us and we look forward to learning from you and
sharing more about our experiences at the upcoming
APEGBC Conference in Vancouver. v
Steve Frith is president of Urban Systems, a Western
Canadian-based consulting engineering and planning
firm that has been named a Top 50 Best Workplace
in Canada for the last nine years running. He can
be reached at sfrith@urbansystems.ca. Rachel Welch
O’Connor is a senior principal at Hay Group, and works
with organizations to create alignment and motivation at
all levels through effective organizational design, rewards
and leadership practices. She can be reached at rachel.
oconnor@haygroup.com. They will be presenting a session
at the 2014 APEGBC Annual Conference in Vancouver.

i n n o v a t i o n S E P T E M B E R /O C TO B E R 2 014 2 3
As learning is a life-long process, APEGBC feels that a profes-
sional can always benefit from the knowledge and insight of
more experienced professionals. With that in mind, we are
pleased to announce that the APEGBC Mentoring Program now
allows current professional engineers and professional geosci-
entists the opportunity to be mentored as part of the program.
In January 2013, APEGBC initiated a thorough review of its
mentoring program to assess the program and identify possible
areas of improvement. This review included internal and external
reports, surveys of the general membership and feedback from
various stakeholders. Several areas were identified where the
value of the existing mentoring program can be increased for our
members. As a result, several changes have been implemented,
which include broadening the program’s scope to include profes-
sional members, creating more resources for both mentors and
mentees, and allocating more resources to the program.
Traditionally, the APEGBC Mentoring Program focused
on assisting members-in-training and those in the application
process for professional membership. Although this will con-
tinue to be a major focus for the APEGBC Mentoring Program,
it will now give current and aspiring professional members the
opportunity to gain excellent insight on career development,
entrepreneurship, establishing a professional network, retire-
ment and succession planning, and general mentorship.
The program’s mission is to assist experienced licensed pro-
fessionals in transferring their skill and knowledge to aspiring
and current professional members. The program looks to con-
nect members-in-training, applicants or professional members
who are looking to grow professionally and personally through-
out their career with experienced professionals.
APEGBC will also be implementing training sessions for
mentors throughout the year, which can be attended in person
or viewed online. This will allow mentors to be prepared and
ready to assist the mentees. The training session will describe
the purpose and objective of our program, tips on best practices
and resources that are available to participants. This training
session will also include a detailed review of the competency
framework as well as tips on how mentors can best assist men-
tees in the P.Eng./P.Geo. application process.
In addition to the training session, several new resources
have been created to assist mentors and mentees get the most
out of the relationship. These resources can be found on the
APEGBC website at apeg.bc.ca/mentoring.
With the recent changes, we are expecting a significant
increase in the number of mentees in the program. This means
the demand for mentors is also much higher than ever before,
so we encourage you to share your expertise and knowledge and
become a mentor today. A mentor must be professional member
who has been a P.Eng. or P.Geo. for a minimum of three years.
You can take advantage of the unique opportunity to impact
the career of a less experienced professional, while gaining profes-
sional development hours. Being a mentor will not only enhance
your leadership and coaching skills, but also enable you to help
shape the profession for future generations. All you need to do is
register and you will be contacted if there is a potential match.
To learn more about the APEGBC Mentoring Program or to
register, please visit apeg.bc.ca/mentoring. v
Increasing
the Value of
the APEGBC
Mentoring
Program
Who can be a mentee?
Members-in-training and applicants who are
currently working full-time in an engineering or
geoscience capacity.
Professional members who are currently
working full-time in an engineering or geoscience
capacity and are looking for guidance on how to
proceed throughout different stages of their career.
Who can be a mentor?
A mentor is a professional member in good standing
who has been a professional engineer or professional
geoscientist for a minimum of three years.
How to register?
Visit apeg.bc.ca/mentoring

features
Ministry of
Transportation
and UBC Form BC
Smart Infrastructure
Monitoring System
T
he British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI)
has been at the leading edge of seismic warning initiatives, partnering with
UBC’s Civil Engineering department to produce sensory tools in order to
detect seismic activity. Most recently, MoTI and UBC embarked on a program called
the BC Smart Infrastructure Monitoring System (BCSIMS). The system integrates
data from the instrumented structures and a network of ground instruments, orga-
nizes and processes the information in an efficient manner, and delivers necessary
information to appropriate parties.
MoTI has been instrumenting structures in collaboration with the Earthquake
Engineering Research Facility (EERF) at UBC since the late 90s. The primary purpose of
the original systems was to capture the ground motion input and minimal structural re-
sponse. The data would be retrieved from each site within one or two days after the event.
More recently, the instrumentation program has been expanded to provide immediate
notification after an event and incorporate remote Structural Health Monitoring (SHM).
Two recent design-build bridges have included instrumentation; one existing bridge has
also been instrumented, and up to eight more bridges are being added this year
Four structures were originally instrumented in the 1990s prior to the inception
of the comprehensive BCSIMS program. These include the French Creek Bridge and
Dr. Carlos E. Ventura, P.Eng.
Sharlie Huffman, P.Eng.
The junction box through which accelerometers
connected to the data logger.
The accelerometer installed on stay cable
of the Port Mann Bridge
View of stay cables from one tower on the
Port Mann Bridge

Portage Creek Bridge on Vancouver Island; George Massey Tunnel
(Hwy 99) and Queensborough Bridge (Hwy 91A) both south of
Vancouver. These systems are now being incorporated into the
BCSIMS network. In 2008 the new W.R. Bennett Bridge opened
on Highway 97 near Kelowna. The partially floating bridge was
instrumented with a 12-channel accelerometer system. In 2009, the
new Pitt River Bridge opened on Highway 7 near Maple Ridge. The
cable-stayed bridge was instrumented with a 46-channel system
including accelerometers and wind sensors. In 2011, instrumen-
tation was installed on the 50-year old Ironworkers Memorial
Second Narrows Bridge on Highway 1, between Vancouver and
North Vancouver. The system features 122 channels of acceler-
ometers, free-fields, downhole accelerometers, strain gauges, and
temperature and wind sensors.
A new structure with a large number of sensors now be-
ing incorporated into the network is the Port Mann Bridge on
Highway 1. The 10-lane cable-stayed bridge will be instrumented
with more than 300 sensors as part of the Port Mann Highway 1
Improvement program. This major infrastructure project includes
the instrumentation of three underpass bridges, one 650 metre-long
twin steel girder viaduct type structure and seven more strong mo-
tion network stations. Another major infrastructure project in BC,
the South Fraser Perimeter Road, will add several more interchange
structures and ground motion stations to the network this year.
In 2003 the Geologic Survey of Canada (GSC) started deploy-
ing a pilot urban Strong Motion Network (SMN) in BC. As part
of this network, the GSC developed a strong motion seismograph
that is permanently connected to the internet, automatically
reporting on earthquakes to remote receivers. The instrument
also continuously computes a set of parameters that character-
ize the intensity of shaking and actively reports those values to
the GSC’s data centres and to the BCSIMS shake maps whenever
ground shaking exceeds predefined threshold levels. Over the last
several years MoTI has been working to expand the range and
number of the stations in the network.
The BCSIMS website (bcsims.ca) is the gateway for user interac-
tion and operational management. There are two view modes – pub-
lic and restricted. The public view consists of shake maps intended
for general public consumption and the restricted view contains
further information for advanced users, such as structure condition,
downloadable data and unpublished results.
The implementation of the BCSIMS will help transform the
current practice of inspecting and evaluating all structures after
an earthquake to a more rational and effective one that makes ef-
fective use of state-of-the-art sensing technology with faster and
more efficient data analysis and interpretation. Inspections can
then be focused and prioritized to maximize the effectiveness of
scarce resources. v
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Insurance will be on hand to answer your insurance questions.

Marg Latham, P.Eng.
I recently finished reading, Love, Life and Elephants,
An African Love Story, by Dame Daphne Sheldrick, a
wonder-filled story that brought back memories of a trip
of a lifetime to Kenya and Tanzania. The quote above,
which so aptly captures the need for valuing and manag-
ing knowledge, began her epilogue. Being passionate
about how organizations manage their knowledge, this
quote resonated with me. Losing the elder’s knowledge
could have meant the difference between life and death
to a tribe. People in the tribe understood that. But do
today’s corporations understand how important and
fleeting their corporate knowledge is?
Knowledge management became the talk of busi-
ness publications in the 1990s. It became so preva-
lent that it took on the label of fad or “flavour of the
month” as some leaders embraced it and then did not
see it through. However, the concept and disciplines
have proved their worth in organizations that thought
about what they wanted to achieve, planned, tested
out, measured and continually improved their efforts.
It is puzzling, then, why knowledge management’s
methodologies have not embedded themselves in
more organizations especially given the impending
loss of knowledge.
Baby boomers may have stayed a little longer than
expected to continue to share what they know, but
eventually, they will retire and without actions to
capture and share it, they will take that valuable know-
how with them. And unfortunately, the knowledge
that they possess just can’t be downloaded to a server.
The process is more like osmosis. It needs time and
exposure for it to be transferred.
Decisions made to produce better quarterly results
without assessing the potential knowledge loss may
also be contributing to the drain of strategic corporate
memory and may affect the longer term viability and
success of an organization.
What can and should be done to ad-
dress the risk? It starts by understanding
what your organization knows and needs
to know to achieve its strategic plan.
What knowledge will you need to serve
existing and new clients now and in the
future? An effective strategic planning
process ought to identify your organiza-
tion’s knowledge needs. It should also
assess where the knowledge currently
exists and identify any gaps.
Assessing knowledge requirements and
addressing knowledge gaps is critical to
achieving your strategy. It should be the fo-
cus of a strategic objective and initiatives to
address the gaps. Like any strategic initia-
tive, it should have a champion, timeline,
budget, a means to measure progress and
accountability for results. These elements
are critical for effective execution of your
plan. Their absence is one of the reasons
why the majority of organizations do not
achieve their strategic plans.
So what actions can your organiza-
tion take to address your knowledge gaps?
Knowledge management defines two types
of knowledge—explicit knowledge, which
can be easily documented, and tacit knowl-
edge, which can’t be easily expressed.
Your organization’s explicit knowledge
can be incorporated into your policies,
procedures and processes. It can also
Is Your Organization Losing Its Knowledge?
“With the death of an elder, an entire encyclopedia goes with him.” Anon
insight

be housed in databases that are kept current through
contributions from those with the knowledge. These
databases may include project experience, lessons
learned and other easily captured knowledge. Planning
to capture explicit knowledge before it is lost is a fairly
straightforward step, but it does take time and resources.
The tougher process is how to transfer the tacit
knowledge. How are projects assessed, decisions made,
solutions identified or other actions taken within your
organization that require judgment and cognitive skills
that, in many cases, are applied without conscious
awareness? How does someone transfer this knowledge
when he or she is not even conscious of applying it?
Coaching, mentoring, participating in communities of
practice, exploring lessons learned and having oppor-
tunities to work on challenging projects with experts
are some of the ways that the transfer can take place.
Those that possess the knowledge must be willing and
rewarded for sharing. The culture must be such that
people don’t feel threatened sharing what they know.
Achieving a receptive culture and an effective reward
system for knowledge transfer doesn’t happen overnight.
It takes time, effort, persistence and continual improve-
ment to be successful.
To recap, here are some suggestions for retaining and
growing your strategic knowledge:
• Include an assessment of knowledge needs and a
knowledge gap analysis in your strategic planning
process.
• Identify those who possess the knowledge your
organization requires to sustain itself.
• Set a strategic objective to address your organiza-
tion’s knowledge gaps.
• Plan a strategic initiative to support the objective
that includes a champion, timeline, budget, a means
to measure progress and accountability for results.
• Develop or refine your organization’s policies, pro-
cedures and processes to capture explicit know-how.
• Develop databases to capture explicit knowledge, if
appropriate.
• Include reviews at the end of every project to ex-
plore lessons learned and share the findings.
• Train leaders and knowledge-owners how to coach,
mentor and share their knowledge.
• Provide challenging opportunities that allow people
to stretch and grow their capability.
• Create and support communities where people,
who share an interest or passion for a practice area
or expertise, can collaborate to share and grow their
knowledge.
• Reward knowledge-sharing behaviour.
• Make knowledge the capital that sustains your
organization for the longer term.
How prepared is your organization? When experts
leave or retire from your organization, will you lose the
encyclopedia of what they know or will you continue to
have and use the knowledge you require to serve your
clients and achieve your strategy? v
Marg Latham, P.Eng., CMC,
is president of Aqua Libra
Consulting Ltd. She is a
seasoned senior executive, pro-
fessional engineer and certified
management consultant with
a passion for leading people
and change. Latham was vice
president with consulting engi-
neering firms, UMA and later
AECOM Canada Ltd., from
2000 to 2009. She has been as-
sisting APEGBC in developing
and implementing the OQM
Program since early 2011.

How different would our profession look if the long-term costs and benefits of our design choices were a
part of everyday engineering practice? Life cycle analysis (LCA) offers a framework to envision a sustainable
future while responding to the ever-present budget pressures of today.
LCA is an emerging engineering service that allows owners to comprehensively assess the environmen-
tal and financial impacts of a project. From the embodied energy and material inputs during construction to
the long-term emissions, maintenance costs and energy use of the facilities constructed, LCA challenges us
to quantify sustainability in the context of engineering design: how a facility or product stands up in terms
of resource consumption and durability for generations to come.
LCA may be useful to owners seeking certifications such as LEED®, Green Globes or Living Building
Challenge. It also may be sought out as a public relations opportunity, or simply as a way to ensure that a
new facility or product will be durable and adaptable, with minimal operational and maintenance costs. On
the other hand, many owners may be unaware of the long-term benefits that sustainable design can offer. In
these cases, an LCA can illustrate savings in clear terms, providing consulting engineers and geoscientists
with a new opportunity to act as an advisor.
Where to Start: Drawing Boundaries
ISO 14040/14044, the most widely accepted methodology for conducting LCA studies in North America,
defines an LCA as the “compilation and evaluation of the inputs, outputs and potential environmental
impacts of a product system throughout its life cycle.” A key first step outlined by the ISO methodology
for LCA is to clearly define the goal and scope of the assessment, specifically the system boundaries. Two
common methods exist for drawing boundaries: 1) the “cradle-to-grave” approach, where boundaries are
established from the product creation (including raw material acquisition) until end of life; and 2) the
“cradle-to-gate” approach, where the boundaries are drawn smaller, limiting the scope of the study to the
end of the production process (e.g., the “gate” of the factory). Regardless of where the boundaries are drawn,
the key goal is that all options being considered are measured using the same criteria.
Brandon Walker, P.Eng.
LCA
Practice
Asks
Engineers
to Design
Outside
The Box
insight

A Canadian Example: Comparing Dollars to Dollars
When the Bank of Canada was considering changing the substrate material of bank notes from cotton paper to
polymer, it conducted a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment comparing the two alternatives. The boundaries chosen
for this study are illustrated below.
After the system boundaries were established, indicators were chosen for the analysis. Those conducting the
study had to ask themselves, “What costs or impacts should be considered?” The indicators chosen in this example
were: primary energy demand, global warming potential, eutrophication potential, acidification potential, smog
potential and human and ecosystem toxicity. Next, the study broke the life cycle into manageable stages that could be
considered separately: manufacturing, distribution and end-of-life. The report concluded that the polymer bank note
has lower overall lifetime costs and therefore it was the preferred option. A major factor in the competitive advantage
of the polymer notes was their durability. Polymer notes have an expected lifetime of 7.5 years, while their paper
counterparts are expected to last only three years in circulation.
The Art of LCA: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
While the above example is comprehensive in its scope of impacts studied, it is also relatively linear, moving from
inputs to outputs. Best-practice sustainable designs, like natural ecosystems, are not always this straightforward, as
techniques both modern and ancient allow materials to be reused or recycled to optimize their usefulness and mini-
mize waste. These “loops” can take place either within the system boundaries (known as closed-loop recycling) or by
finding symbiotic relationships with agencies outside the system boundaries (known as open-loop recycling). These
loops, when incorporated into the scope of an LCA study, can dramatically reduce the life cycle costs and impacts
End of Life End of Life
Bank note
printing
Bank note
printing
Distribution Distribution
Use Use
Paper
production
Polymer
conversion
Resources (materials and energy resources)
Emissions to air, discharges to water and soil
Foil
Foil
Thread
Ink Ink
Plates Plates
Cotton
production
Polymer
production
System boundaries
Identifying boundaries, inputs, and outputs is part of any LCA

of a product or facility. LCA models have been developed that allow for this kind of flexibility in their analysis. The
automotive industry, for example, has used closed-loop recycling to lower the cost and environmental impact of
lead-acid 12-volt starter batteries.
According to Kurt Kelty at Tesla, “With supportive regulations and convenient collection, today the recycling
process is profitable. Once reclaimed, the lead acid batteries are crushed into coin-sized pieces and separated into
component parts. Plastics are sent to re-processors to be made into new products, and purified lead is sent back to
battery manufacturers to be reused—a closed loop system. Recycling of lead-acid batteries is now one of the most
successful recycling stories of any industry. The EPA estimates that over 90% of lead-acid batteries are recycled, and
a typical battery contains 60% to 80% recycled materials.”
Materials
and Energy
remanufacture
closed-loop recycling
open-loop recycling
reuse
Materials
and Energy
Materials
and Energy
Materials
and Energy
MatErial
Production
Manufacturing
and construction
usE, suPPort and
MaintainancE
dEcoMMissioning
and MatErial rEcovEry
and disPosal
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
APEGBC Layout FINAL.pdf 2 2014-09-03 10:11 PMLoops can be used to optimize the use of materials and minimize waste
insight

LCA Concepts in Practice: Integrated Design Reviews
As a senior project manager at Vancouver’s Light House Sustainable
Building Centre, building scientist Joanne Sawatzky works alongside
engineers, architects, and owners to develop sustainable and
cost-effective solutions for the long-term. “We typically conduct
Integrated Design Reviews early in the design phase,” she reports.
“This process brings all consultants to the table to look at the options
available in terms of sustainability features and at times using the
LCA approach.” One oft-cited example is the comparison between a
concrete building versus a wood framed building. Using LCA early
in design, the two options can be compared in terms of
environmental impact and embodied energy, which includes the
amount of energy inputs to produce the products. Spoiler alert: wood
comes out on top.
“It’s amazing how many different fields we’re expected to synthesize,”
says Sawatzky with a laugh. LCA provides a common ground that is needed. “At the end of the day it usually
comes down to cost, whether it be long-term maintenance costs or the initial first costs.”
A State-of-the-Art Engineering Service
The benefits of sustainable design practices go well beyond the economic and the short-term. As these ad-
ditional benefits continue to be recognized, celebrated and demanded by society-at-large, sustainable design
will become a more sought-after engineering service. LCA offers a systematic way to quantify the economic,
environmental, and/or social “bottom line” when comparing various engineering alternatives. While there are
a variety of models available, any defensible LCA study will include defining system boundaries and indica-
tors, quantifying the relative impacts, and identifying ways to reduce lifecycle costs and impacts through ap-
proaches that maximize durability, minimize environmental impact and capitalize on opportunities for reuse
and recycling. That’s design generations will thank us for.
Brandon Walker, P.Eng., is British Columbia’s regional engineer for Advanced Drainage Systems and a member of
the APEGBC Sustainability Committee. v
Environmental impacts and long-term costs of building materials are
a subject of LCA
APEGBC Sustainability Guidelines:
1. Maintain a current knowledge of sustainability.
2. Integrate sustainability into professional practice.
3. Collaborate with peers and experts from concept to completion.
4. Develop and prepare clear justifications to implement sustainable solutions.
5. Assess sustainability performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
To learn more, contact the APEGBC Sustainability Committee at:
apeg.bc.ca/sustainability or sustainability@apeg.bc.ca
“At the end of the day it usually
comes down to cost, whether it be for
long-term maintenance costs or the
initial first costs.”

The Building
Envelope
Thermal
Bridging
Guide
A New Tool
for Building Design
Practitioners
E
ver heard some old-timer describe what life was like
before AutoCad? That might be exactly what today’s
engineers sound like in a year or two, telling the
youngsters how difficult it used to be to calculate energy
performance in the days before the Building Envelope Thermal
Bridging Guide (BETB).
In many buildings, heat loss and air leakage across the
exterior envelope can account for more than 50% of the total
energy load. That’s why, says former energy modeler and
current BC Hydro Power Smart specialist engineer Bojan
Andjelkovic, P.Eng., who originated the idea for the guide, “we
advise building design practitioners that their top priority is
to reduce energy loads in their buildings before implementing
other measures to reduce energy consumption. We also advise
them that constructing buildings with thermally resistant,
airtight envelopes should be considered job one.”
Up until now, however, it’s been very difficult and time-con-
suming for building designers to accurately calculate the thermal
performance of building envelopes owing to thermal bridg-
ing—pathways of high heat flow through walls, roofs and other
insulated building envelope components that allow the heat flow
to bypass the insulating layer, effectively defeating the purpose of
the insulation—which is where the BETB Guide comes in.
Available online from BC Hydro, the BETB Guide is the result
of more than four years of work by engineering firm Morrison
Hershfield in collaboration with primary funding partners BC
Hydro Power Smart and the Homeowner Protection Office
of BC, a division of BC Housing. Other partners include the
Canadian Wood Council, Fortis BC and FPInnovations.
The guide’s primary goal is to help the BC construction
sector design and build more energy efficient buildings by pro-
viding easy-to-use methods for understanding and mitigating
thermal bridging.
“The BETB Guide illustrates that, depending upon the build-
ing type and the insulated envelope assembly, actual build-
ing heat loss can be up to four times greater than is generally
accounted for in conventional design practice,” says BC Hydro
Power Smart engineer Gordon Monk, P.Eng., project manager for
the guide. “Clearly, future iterations of building energy codes and
standards must comprehensively address thermal bridging rather
than solely relying on increased insulation levels.”
Adds Andjelkovic, “Remember, too, that mitigating ther-
mal bridging can do even more than reducing building heating
and cooling loads. It can also increase thermal comfort and air
resources
Robin J. Miller

JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS AND GEOSCIENTISTS OF BC

JOURNAL OF THE ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS AND GEOSCIENTISTS OF BC

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