October 15, 2018

Royal Alberta Museum and Vedder Bridge Replacement Project presented with 2018 CDBI Design-Build Award of Excellence

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Halifax, October 12, 2018 – The Canadian Design-Build Institute (CDBI) announced the winners of its 2018 Design-Build Award of Excellence today at the National Design-Build Conference. The winner in the buildings category was the recently-opened Royal Alberta Museum in Edmonton, AB. The winner in the major structural project category was the Vedder Bridge Replacement Project in Chilliwack, B.C.

“It’s is a pleasure to highlight these design-build projects that not only got the job done in time and on budget, but include a high level of innovation,” said Gary Bale, CDBI chair. “The results underscore the benefits of design-build – the team approach – as a project delivery method.”

CDBI Design-Build Award of Excellence winner – Buildings category: Royal Alberta Museum

This building, designed to change the traditional perception of a museum, will function more as a cultural learning and entertainment space. It has quickly become a focal point in the downtown Edmonton Arts District.

The project was completed on time with minimal change orders. The contract used was the CDBI recommended CCDC 14 – Design-Build Contract with a “not to exceed” budget of $260 million. To promote an integrated design process, the team coordinated their efforts using building information modelling (BIM) right from the start of the submission, which greatly facilitated evaluation of alternative solutions and element coordination.

The engineering features include the use of poured concrete and structural steel large span spaces, both favorable to budget control. Some special elements include the feature cast-in-place spiral staircase and cantilever overhangs. The mechanical and electrical systems needed by the museum’s changing exhibits and events required a significant operational flexibility both in temperature and humidity control.

Owner: Alberta Infrastructure
Design-builder: Ledcor Design-Build (Alberta) Inc.
Consultant: DIALOGUE & Lundholm Assoc.

Watch the Design-Build Awards of Excellence video on the Royal Alberta Museum

CDBI Design-Build Award of Excellence winner – Major structural project category: Vedder Bridge Replacement Project

This project involved the replacement of a 1947-constructed steel girder bridge with one with wider traffic lanes and shoulders as well as two additional lanes. The selection process for the replacement design-build project was a two-stage: a request for expressions of interest (RFEI) followed by a request for proposals (RFP).

The Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada funding was based on a budget for a steel girder bridge; however, the City of Chilliwack wanted a more aesthetically-pleasing steel arch structure. The RFP was structured for teams to provide two proposal options: Option 1 (steel girder) – approximate value of $11 million, and a more aesthetically-pleasing option 2 (steel arch) – approximate value of $12.75 million.

The final decision to chose option 2 was made by city council at the time of proposal acceptance. The design-build team lead by Emil Anderson Construction Inc. proposed an innovative approach to the construction of an arch design – an approach that controlled the cost and included the city’s desire for a feature design. The city selected the winning team based on price (55%) as well as design innovation (45%). The designers, Klohn Crippen Berger, developed a highly-innovative engineering solution for the erection of the new structure and the demolition of the existing structure, avoiding any in-stream temporary works. This minimized both environmental impact and cost and made scheduling much more reliable.

Owner: City of Chilliwack
Design-builder: Emil Anderson Construction (EAC) Inc.
Consultant: Klohn Crippen Berger Ltd. & Urban Systems Ltd

Watch the Design-Build Award of Excellence video on the Vedder Bridge Replacement Project

About the CDBI Award of Excellence

The CDBI Award of Excellence is presented annually to recognize excellence in Canada’s design-build industry and to acknowledge design-build teams whose projects contribute to the growth and stature of the design-build profession. Award recipients demonstrate the highest standards and principles in the design-build industry and the business community in pursuit of excellence. The annual submission deadline is April 1.

About CDBI

The Canadian Design-Build Institute (CDBI), a special committee of the Canadian Construction Association (CCA), is the national voice of Canadian design-build practitioners representing about 200 firms. Its mission is to promote best practices to enhance design-build project delivery in Canada. CDBI is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2018. Learn more about CDBI from cdbi.org.

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