VANCOUVER - The CONSULTING ENGINEERS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (CEBC) has given its "Award of Engineering Excellence in Transportation Engineering" to JACQUES WHITFORD LTD. and WESTMAR CONSULTANTS for their work on the Voisey's Bay deep sea wharf project.
Located in Edward's Cove on Anaktalak Bay, northern Labrador, the wharf is a critical component of Inco's $1-billion mine development of the Voisey's Bay nickel mine and mill. The wharf facilitates the import of mine consumables and the export of the nickel and copper concentrates produced from the mine.
The two engineering firms combined teams to design the wharf, which was one of the most challenging components of the entire mine development. The foundation piles had to be procured even before the geotechnical drilling and preliminary designs were completed. Dredging of the very soft sediments had to be avoided. The structure had to perform despite Arctic operating conditions. Construction had to be within one short ice-free season and allow maximum First Nations participation.
A circular sheet pile gravity structure was selected for the main structure. To address concerns relating to the soft soils, a state-of-the-art instrumentation plan was developed to continuously monitor stability during construction. A unique set of curved precast concrete ice-impact panels with a reinforced cope beam system supplemented the main structure's strength and provided the reliability needed for the remote site. The successfully completed wharf received its first ship on schedule in November 2005.
A list of the many other awards won by Jacques Whitford is posted at www.JacquesWhitford.com.
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