KCB Wins 2024 ACECBC Award for Engineering Excellence

May 17, 2024

Klohn Crippen Berger (KCB) is proud to have received the Award of Engineering Excellence for the 2024 Projects Under $2.5 Million category. The Awards for Engineering Excellence demonstrate the value ACEC-BC member firms offer to clients as they celebrate technical excellence and recognize innovation in consulting engineering that is simply a cut above the rest.

Congratulations to Project Manager, Kristin Greinacher and her team for the innovative work they did on the picturesque 55 km multi-use recreational Galloping Goose Regional Trail in Victoria, British Columbia which averages 3.8 million visits each year for recreational use (cycling, equestrian and pedestrian).

Project Overview

With future demand expected to rise for the trail, the GGRT Bridge Improvement project was launched in 2018 when Klohn Crippen Berger (KCB) was hired to assess 13 bridges along the trail. In 2021, a comprehensive project was approved to upgrade the trail's infrastructure. This included replacing two single-span bridges, repairing the foundation of a multi-span bridge, and replacing the deck of an old railway trestle repurposed for pedestrian use.

The Bilston Creek Bridge #1 and #2, originally timber structures, had reached the end of their service life. KCB designed new steel girder bridges with higher hydraulic clearance to handle increased water flow due to climate change. Prefabricated components were used to speed up construction and minimize disruption to the community and the aquatic habitat. The Veitch Creek Bridge foundation repairs restored the bearing capacity of three undermined pier footings and added cut-off walls to prevent future scour, all completed with minimal environmental and archaeological impact. The Charters Trestle deck rehabilitation involved replacing over 100 meters of timber deck panels and deteriorated timber ties, ensuring safe public use.

These projects were completed efficiently with available funding, causing minimal environmental impact and disruption to trail users. Due to the GGRT’s high profile, extensive use, and proximity to sensitive areas, the bridge designs had to be carefully planned. Additionally, construction had to be managed near a high-pressure gas line serving Sooke. KCB used prefabricated components for the Bilston Creek Bridges to reduce the construction schedule and fit around the gas line, allowing each superstructure to be installed in a day.

The Veitch Creek Bridge, located near a registered archaeological site and tidally influenced creek mouth, required a repair design that minimized ground disturbance. Agile construction equipment accessed the foundations without disturbing embankment slopes, and a well-planned creek diversion reduced environmental impact. For the Charters Trestle deck replacement, a phased approach allowed deck panel removal, subdeck inspection, and deck panel reinstatement to occur simultaneously, minimizing the trestle's closure time to the public.