Petro Canada

In 1996 Petro Canada was in the early stages of its “LCI” program, which involved the revamping of existing aging sites to provide for better access, visibility, improved delivery of product, and enhanced retail operation, and an overall renewal of the Petro Canada image.

 

The projects typically involved the total reconstruction of existing sites, including new buildings, car washes, and convenience stores. In many instances, the site renovations included the implementation of quantity and quality stormwater management features consistent with current municipal and M.O.E. standards and requirements. Typical projects range from renovations at small retail outlets, to the construction of large commercial truck facilities (Petro Pass).


Since 1996, MGM Consulting has provided grading, site servicing and stormwater management designs for approximately 125 Petro Canada sites throughout Southern Ontario. Beyond the internal site engineering design, MGM Consulting also provided detailed engineering designs for required road widenings, turning lanes, and intersection improvements associated with the proposed Petro Canada developments.

 

On these projects MGM Consulting also provided construction review during the construction of on-site servicing and pavement construction and full time resident construction supervision during construction within adjacent municipal right-of-ways, consistent with the requirements of the municipality.

Bioswales – A Cost Effective Stormwater Management Practice

 
In recent years, the push towards more sustainable developments and environmental initiatives such as “LEED”, have forced engineers to look for cost effective, innovative solutions to achieve stringent stormwater quality and quantity targets, and to reduce all storm flows to the municipal storm systems by retaining or re-using stormwater on-site.

 

The customary approach to stormwater management has been to store excess runoff on sites within parking lots, rooftops or the underground storm system. The quality component in most instances was typically provided by an oil grit separator installed at the outlet from the storm system prior to discharging to the municipal system.

 

Recently, an increasing number of municipalities and conservation authorities have imposed a water balance requirement to their stormwater management objectives. This new requirement typically requires that a minimum of 5mm of stormwater over the entire site area be retained on site and “used”, infiltrated, or evaporated within a 72 hour time frame. On a one hectare site a minimum of 50 cubic meters of water is required to be retained on the site and either used, infiltrated, or evaporated within a 72 hour timeframe.

 

Some methods of achieving the required water balance targets are more practical and cost effective than others. On small sites, irrigation and transpiration will provide only a small percentage of the overall required volume to be dealt with. Grey water systems do contribute to achieving the objective, but can be cost prohibitive and it is often difficult to utilize the quantities of water within a 72 hour timeframe needed to meet the target.

 

The ground water recharge alternatives typically employ infiltration trenches or pits that allow for stormwater to infiltrate into the ground. These features can not only assist in meeting the water balance objectives, but they also provide additional site storage, and serve to trap sediments assisting in achieving stormwater quality objectives. Bio-swale planting areas, constructed overtop of infiltration areas provide an additional level of treatment as required to meet the most stringent quality control targets.

 

Typically, bioswales are designed to accept sheet flow from parking lots or landscaped areas. During frequent storm events, drainage is directed toward the bioswales and absorbed into the planting medium with a percentage being used by the plants. During heavier storms, the excess runoff will drain into the lower stone pit where it will be drawn down into the water table over a 72 hour period.  While there are certain constraints such as native soil percolation rates, existing topography etc., they are often the most cost effective solution to achieving the water balance, and water quality criteria.

 

MGM has recently designed several institutional, commercial and industrial sites employing a hybrid bioswale/infiltration pit design. To find out more information regarding stormwater management alternatives please contact MGM directly.

 

CITY OF TORONTO FIRE STATION 141

The subject project included for the construction of a fire station located at the south west corner of Murray Ross Parkway at Keele Street in the City of Toronto. The proposed development included for the construction of the fire station building with associated paved access and parking and landscaped areas.

 

MGM Consulting provided the project architects with the preliminary and detailed design of storm, sanitary and water servicing for the site, site grading design and stormwater management design as required to achieve the Wet Weather Flow Management objectives as established by the City of Toronto.

 

Site grading was designed to the specific requirements as required to provide both truck and pedestrian access to the site and in consideration of the ground water table and soil types to achieve the City’s water balance objectives.

 

The site storm servicing was integral to the SWM design as it provided opportunities for the underground storage of stormwater during major storm events. The storm servicing design also incorporated an on-site infiltration pit designed to infiltrate clean roof drainage into the ground as required to achieve water balance objectives. On-site drainage was primarily sheet flow across impervious areas directed to an on-site bio-swale which provided additional water infiltration and treatment. A package water treatment unit was also incorporated to provide additional storm water quality treatment.

UTM Medical Building

MGM Consulting provided Kongats Architects with preliminary and detaled engineering design services that included site grading design, storm, sanitary and water servicing design, and parking reconfiguration and stormwater management design as required to achieve quality control objectives required for the related LEED credit. For this assignment, MGM Consulting Inc. provided both design and construction review services.

 

Stormwater management quality controls for the site were provided by a centralized downstream pond designed by MGM Consulting Inc. to service an upstream 54.51 ha of storm catchment area. The Enhanced Level controls required the provision of 6,123 m3 of permanent pool and 2,180 m3 of extended storage to service the erosion control criteria. The design includes a diversion structure that allowed for the diversion of storm flows during maintenance operations. The weir gate also allows researchers to control flows to the pond to examine the impacts of full flow through scenarios as opposed to flows limited to first flush events.

 

MGM Consulting Inc. in conjunction with the project mechanical engineers, provided design information as required to achieve water harvesting objectives with the implementation of an on-site cistern to collect rainwater to be re-used as “grey water” in plumbing fixtures throughout the new building, achieving the related LEED credit for water re-use.

 

In addition to the above, MGM Consutling Inc. provided design and support documentation as required to obtain LEED credits for Site Selection, and Erosion and Sedimenation Controls.

Queen and Richmond Centre West

Allied REIT is a major developer of commercial and residential space in the downtown Toronto area. In 2008, Allied began the approval process for the Queen Richmond Centre West located at 134 Peter Street in Toronto. The development encompassed an assembly of properties located on Peter Street and Richmond Street which included a new 13-storey office tower that straddled an existing heritage building to remain.

MGM Consulting Inc. was retained to provide the construction management, site servicing, grading and stormwater management designs in support of the Site Plan Approval application and to provide construction supervision during the servicing and grading component of the project.

The stormwater management design was completed to achieve the Wet Weather Flow Management objectives as established by the City of Toronto. As is typical with high density development in Toronto, the ability to meet the SWM objectives was difficult due to building coverage and limited location for surface retention. The water balance, quality and quantity requirements were met by employing a multi strategy design which included a green roof and internal grey water cistern.

Lowe’s Distribution Centre

 

Lowe’s Home Improvement moved forward with their new Canadian National Distribution Centre on an 18.8 hectare site within the Escarpment Business Community located in Milton, Ontario in 2011. The facility provided Lowe’s with the initial 600,000 sq.ft of warehousing space they required to support their Canadian growth in a facility located within two kilometers from Highway 401 and within easy access to local and national shipping routes. The 60 million dollar facility was constructed in two phases with the first phase completed in 2014 and the second phase scheduled to be completed in 2016.

MGM Consulting was retained to provide site servicing, grading and stormwater management in support of the Site Plan Approval process and provide construction supervision during site works construction. Challenges associated with the site works design included achieving cost effective site grading given a single finished floor elevation stretching across a site with a 4 meter drop in grade at the building extremities and the development of a site abutting a sensitive tributary of 16 Mile Creek. The site grading design was completed achieving a cut-fill balance over the site, and as required to contain drainage and not impact the adjacent sensitive watercourse. On-site stormwater management features incorporated into the site design to meet local Town and Conservation Authority objectives included peak rate controls on the building roof and at ground level and stormwater quality controls including a linear bio-treatment feature to provide removal of a minimum of 80% of the total suspended solids from the site runoff.

Woodlands Public Library

The subject project included for the construction of a one story public library adjacent to the existing Woodlands Secondary School located at 3255 Erindale Station Road, in Mississauga, Ontario. MGM Consulting provided the project architects with the preliminary and detailed design of storm, sanitary and water servicing for the site, site grading design and stormwater management design.

The internal storm servicing was integral to the SWM design as it provided opportunities for the underground storage of stormwater during major storm events and an on-site infiltration feature designed to infiltrate clean roof drainage into the ground as required to achieve water balance objectives. Achieving the quantity component of the stormwater management design was complicated by being required to separate storm flows between the existing school property and the proposed library development. Site grading and orifice controls were placed strategically within the site to achieve the required flow separation.

Escarpment Business Community Development

 
The Escarpment Business Community (EBC) is comprised of approximately 130 hectares of industrial / commercial lands located in Milton, north of the 401 and west of Regional Road 25. The challenges presented to the consulting team included the realignment/rehabilitation of a 1 kilometer stretch of the West Tributary of Sixteen Mile Creek; coordinating the design and construction of a Regional arterial roadway traversing the development area with the design and construction of “developer” roads; multiple ownerships including non-participating ownerships; and dealing with evolving environmental regulations and policies throughout this long term (10+ years) assignment

 
MGM Consulting was retained by Total Developments International to provide Project Management, Planning, and Engineering services for the development of the Escarpment Business Community from the early stages of land assembly through preliminary and detailed design, construction, to final assumption of servicing by the local municipality.

In the role of Project Managers, the senior staff at MGM Consulting directed a multi-faceted consulting team required to address the specific needs of the project including geotechnical engineers, archeologists, landscape architects, environmental specialists, geomorphologists, surveyors, utility engineers and water resource engineers. As project managers, MGM Consulting was responsible for the overall project scheduling, budget and cost control, cost sharing, public consultations, as well as tracking policy and guideline changes throughout the project.

The staff of MGM Consulting carried out the detailed engineering design including the design of municipal servicing, roadways and a stormwater management facilities (ponds) required to service the lands within EBC East development area. The design services included, detailed vertical and horizontal road alignments, water servicing design, sanitary and storm sewer design, calculations, hydraulic analyses, SWM pond design, watercourse realignment and rehabilitation, grading design, detailed earthwork analysis, composite utility coordination, landscape and utility coordination, and MOE submissions. Engineering design and drawings were completed in accordance with the Region of Halton and Town of Milton Standards.

MGM Consulting provided full contract administration and full time resident construction inspection services during the construction of servicing and roads within the EBC East and EBC West development areas. Construction related services continue as the project moves towards assumption of the two industrial subdivision developments by the municipality

Realignment of West Tributary of Sixteen Mile Creek

The West Tributary of Sixteen Mile Creek is located west of Regional Road 25, originating at the base of the Niagara Escarpment and flowing south through industrial development lands past Highway 401. In order to achieve the development objectives for the surrounding industrial development, a portion of this watercourse needed to be relocated to avoid conflicts with a proposed industrial roadway. Additionally, a lower storm outlet was required in order to avoid excessive filling within the development area. Subsequent to initial meetings with the Halton Region Conservation Authority and the Town of Milton, it was determined that a natural watercourse design was warranted for realigned or lowered sections of the watercourse and a “floodway” was created to contain flooding during major storm events. The proposed natural watercourse construction includes a meandering stream bed with constructed natural features (riffles and pools), bank treatments, and extensive landscaping.

A specialized consulting team headed by MGM Consulting Inc. included Parish Geomorphics, Landplan Collaborative, and C. Portt and Associates was retained by Harry Snoek Limited to undertake the preliminary and detailed design for the proposed realigned/lowered watercourse. MGM Consulting also supervised construction over a 2 year period, and coordinated its ultimate assumption by the municipality.

The realignment/rehabilitation of the subject watercourse involved tree clearing, stream diversions, channel construction, the construction of detailed stream and bank features, seeding, landscaping, erosion protection, fish relocations, and culvert modifications. Through the duration of the construction, MGM Consulting provided full time resident construction supervision and contract administration services ensuring compliance with the approved design, tracking quantities for payment purposes, and liaising with approving agencies throughout the construction period.

Dynamics of the Site Servicing Approval Process

 
A major portion of the engineering design that is associated with the construction of industrial and commercial type buildings is completed under the well-defined scope of the Ontario Building Code. Typically the building design along with its mechanical and electrical components is reviewed by the local municipal building department to ensure conformity with the OBC.

 

The engineering external to the building envelope such as site servicing, grading and stormwater management is normally reviewed by multiple approving authorities and can often result in conflicting requirements. Depending on geographical location, a site servicing and stormwater management design could be reviewed by both the building department and planning department of the local municipality, the local conservation authority, the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Transportation, and it is not uncommon to receive conflicting comments from these authorities. As an example, the City of Toronto’s Development and Planning Department requires an orifice tube to control post development flows from a site to be located on the private side of the development, while the Ministry of Transportation requires an orifice tube to be installed within the public right of way. In the same instance, a municipal Building Department may indicate that a small diameter sewer downstream of a larger sewer is contrary to the Building Code.

 

There are also instances where technical review staff within the same municipality interpret and apply municipal guidelines differently.

 

Further complications arise when municipal staff applies blanket policies to a unique site specific issue. MGM Consulting recently provided a site servicing design and proposed to re-use the existing services within the boulevard. A video of the existing services indicated that the sewers were clean and structurally sound and were at an adequate depth to service the development. The policy within that particular municipality requires the owner to replace the existing service connections within the municipal right of way independent of their condition or value. The policy imposed was not based on engineering principles but rather political principles.

 

Addressing contradicting comments and the interpretation of municipal guidelines often includes educating the review agencies or presenting the design in a manner that will satisfy technical review staff. For example, labeling an orifice tube as a 100mm storm sewer could give the review staff the comfort level to approve a particular design.

 

Addressing policy issues is often more challenging. The role of the servicing engineer is to advise the architect of the issues and associated costs so the owner can make an informed decision as to whether or not it is worth addressing at a political level.

 

The above issues illustrate how the approval process is very fluid and sometimes difficult to navigate. Experienced site servicing engineers will approach a design recognizing the shortcomings of the approval process early in the process so that the client can be aware of the impacts on costs and schedule. More often than not, this early recognition helps to expedite the Site Plan Approvals that are typically critical to the project schedule.

 

For additional information on this topic, contact MGM directly.

 

A Schedule of Rates Saves Time and Money

The vast majority of building contracts administered by Architects and Project Managers in Ontario are lump sum (stipulated price) contracts. This typical type of contract is used for measurable work involving standard construction procedures and work not easily broken down into definable units. With this type of contract, the owner assigns all of the risk to the contractor who in turn expects to be compensated for costs associated with any unforeseen circumstances that may arise.

 

A general contractor who enters into a lump sum contract with an owner normally subcontracts out specific portions of the work such as site grading and site servicing. This type of work is definable but quantities are not always determinable during the tender.

 

Extra construction costs are not uncommon for the site servicing and site grading components of a typical building project. Fluctuations in the water table, soil conditions, soil types, changes to the design, unconfirmed utility location and tendering prior to municipal approvals are only some of the factors that could lead to extra costs.

 

Traditionally, additional site work is completed on a time and material basis. The problem with this approach is that in the majority of cases, the work is completed unsupervised or the contractor’s proposed method and manpower needed to complete the work is questionable. This leaves the extra claims by the contractor open for interpretation and negotiation.

 

The inclusion of a schedule of rates for the site servicing and grading components within a lump sum contract eliminates the ambiguity that arises when extra work is required beyond what was originally tendered. It provides a tendered unit basis for items that are easily quantifiable in the field. It also provides a foundation for a more in-depth tender analysis, eliminates negotiations, reduces consultant involvement and provides a level of fairness to both the owner and the contractor.

 

For an example, as of July 1st, 2011, the Ministry of Environment’s changes to the Ontario regulation 153/04, regarding contaminated fill has increased the probability of an extra claim from the contractor. The reduction of acceptable levels of contamination found within the soils on a site increases the likelihood of offsite materials being required to be disposed of at a ministry approved landfill. The addition of a schedule of rates to a contract would provide a tendered unit price for the removal and disposal of the contaminated material offsite leaving only the quantity to be verified in the field.

 

While some contract administrators consider the addition of a schedule of rates to a lump sum contract a drawback as it reduces contractor’s risks, most understand that strongly worded clauses putting all the risk on the contractor for unforeseen circumstances would not be enforceable should a dispute lead to litigation.

 

For additional information on this topic, contact MGM directly.