APEGBC: Seismic Retrofit Guidelines, 2nd Edition Receive Honours at ACEC-BC Awards for Engineering Excellence

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - April 9, 2013) - The Seismic Retrofit Guidelines, 2^nd Edition received the Lieutenant Governor's Award for Engineering Excellence and an Award of Excellence in the category of Soft Engineering from the Association of Consulting Engineers British Columbia (ACEC-BC) on Saturday, April 6, 2013.

Engineering consultants Ausenco; Bush, Bohlman & Partners; Genivar; and Read Jones Christoffersen, along with APEGBC, the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the Ministry of Education showcased an unprecedented collaboration to produce innovative, performance-based technical guidelines for seismic risk assessment and seismic retrofit design of BC school buildings.

"APEGBC is proud to be involved in the outstanding work done by a talented group of individuals to ensure safety and protection of the public," said Dr. Michael Isaacson, P.Eng., FEC, President of APEGBC.

The Seismic Retrofit Guidelines allow users to effectively and consistently determine the seismic risk of an existing building, and optimize the extent of new structural components required to achieve a life-safety seismic performance. This groundbreaking work has benefited from the input and participation of prominent US structural engineers and was previously recognized with the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering's Excellence in Innovation in Civil Engineering Award. The methodology is also being utilized by the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The Awards for Engineering Excellence were presented by ACEC-BC and celebrate outstanding achievement in BC's consulting engineering industry. A complete list of award recipients is available online at www.acec-bc.ca/resources/news/winners-of-2013-awards-for-engineering-excellence-announced.aspx.

Founded in 1920, APEGBC is the regulatory and licensing body for the professions of engineering and geoscience and is charged with protecting the public interest. With over 27,000 members, APEGBC is one of the largest professional associations in BC and maintains high academic, experience and professional practice standards. APEGBC members deliver real world solutions to meet the technological and social challenges of the 21^st century.