Georgetown Solar Project

  • Expertise Geotechnical
  • Market Renewable Energy
  • Location Western Canada

CLIENT: Zero E Global Assets

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

PRI Engineering provided comprehensive geotechnical investigation and foundation design services for a 230 MW solar farm in Mossleigh, Alberta — one of the largest-scale renewable energy projects in the province. The scope covered full subsurface characterization, detailed geotechnical assessment, and foundation design recommendations for both driven and helical pile foundations to support the project through design and construction.

CHALLENGE:

A project of this scale demanded a thorough and reliable understanding of subsurface conditions across a large site to underpin confident foundation design decisions. With both driven and helical pile systems under consideration, geotechnical findings needed to support a cost-effective foundation selection while addressing a broad range of site preparation and construction considerations — from groundwater control and frost protection to seismic classification and access road design.

APPROACH:

PRI advanced 30 boreholes and excavated one test pit to characterize subsurface conditions across the site. The geotechnical assessment delivered detailed recommendations spanning site preparation, excavation, groundwater control, backfill and compaction, frost protection, seismic site classification, access road design, and inspection and testing requirements. PRI recommended a pre-production testing program to verify soil capacity and support an issued-for-construction foundation design, including settlement analysis and foundation design parameters. Findings from the investigation informed tailored recommendations for both driven and helical foundation systems.

OUTCOME:

PRI delivered a comprehensive geotechnical investigation and foundation design package that gave the project team the technical confidence to move forward at scale. The dual-system foundation recommendations — balancing performance, site conditions, and cost-effectiveness — provided a strong and practical basis for construction of one of Alberta’s most significant solar energy developments.

Zara at Lakestone: Condo & Commercial Development

  • Market Earth & Environment
  • Location Western Canada

CLIENT: Dominium Inc./Integra Architecture

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Zara at Lakestone is a 6-storey mixed-use development comprising 86 residential units, main-level retail space, and a two-level underground parkade, located in the District of Lake Country. The project commenced in 2020 and progressed through to near construction completion. PRI provided civil engineering services for the project, including site servicing upgrades, road redesign, and construction-phase field review and closeout services.

CHALLENGE:

The urban infill nature of the development created significant complexity around maintaining safe and functional access for both residents and heavy construction traffic throughout the duration of the build. Upgrading existing site services within a constrained corridor, redesigning the road carriageway and sidewalk, and securing approvals for a road closure and detour route from the District of Lake Country proved particularly demanding, with the approval process for the detour and closure alone spanning several months due to the competing interests of the surrounding community and utility providers.

APPROACH:

PRI worked closely with the developer, project consultants, and shallow utility providers to navigate the municipal approvals process with the District of Lake Country. A detailed road closure and detour route design was developed to safely accommodate both residential traffic and heavy construction vehicles for the full duration of the build. Civil works included the upgrading of existing site services and the redesign of the road carriageway and sidewalk to meet current standards and support the scale of the development. PRI also provided field review services for the contractor covering both offsite works and onsite servicing upgrades, and carried the project through to closeout.

OUTCOME:

PRI’s sustained coordination with municipal staff, utility providers, and the project team successfully secured the necessary approvals to allow construction to proceed without significant disruption to the surrounding area. The detailed detour and road closure design ensured safe site access was maintained throughout the build. With field review and closeout services provided through to project completion, PRI delivered consistent civil oversight from design through to the final stages of this complex urban residential development.

Chain Lake Dam

  • Expertise Hydrotechnical
  • Market Earth & Environment
  • Location Western Canada

CLIENT: Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) engaged PRI to complete a Consequence Classification Assessment (CCA) of Chain Lake Dam, located 36 kilometres northeast of Princeton, BC, along the Princeton-Summerland Road. Building on the findings of the CCA, PRI was subsequently retained to advance the preliminary and detailed design of a new spillway and Low-Level Outlet (LLO), through to Issued for Construction drawings and full tender documentation. Construction engineering services are forthcoming, with the project developed in consultation with the public and First Nations.

CHALLENGE:

Establishing an accurate and defensible consequence classification for Chain Lake Dam required thorough analysis of potential failure modes and their downstream impacts. Two breach scenarios — a sunny day piping failure and an overtopping failure — needed to be modelled and mapped to understand the extent and severity of potential inundation. The findings of the CCA then directly shaped the design requirements for new dam safety infrastructure, with the spillway and LLO needing to meet updated regulatory standards while reflecting the sensitivities of a project requiring meaningful public and First Nations consultation.

APPROACH:

PRI conducted a background review and site reconnaissance before completing a dam breach analysis considering both piping and overtopping failure modes. Inundation mapping was completed using FLO-2D software, and an updated consequence classification was provided to the RDOS. Based on the CCA recommendations, PRI proceeded with preliminary and detailed design of the new spillway and LLO. Design development was carried out in consultation with the public and First Nations throughout the process. PRI prepared Issued for Construction drawings, a schedule of quantities, a Class A cost estimate, and full tender documentation to support the RDOS tendering process. Environmental services were also provided, and PRI will deliver construction-phase engineering services including field reviews and post-construction reporting.

OUTCOME:

PRI’s end-to-end involvement — from consequence classification through design, tendering support, and forthcoming construction oversight — has provided the RDOS with consistent, single-source engineering expertise across all phases of this dam safety project. The dam breach analysis and inundation mapping established a technically defensible basis for updated consequence classification, while the subsequent spillway and LLO design addressed the identified deficiencies in accordance with current regulatory requirements. Meaningful engagement with the public and First Nations throughout the design process supported an inclusive and well-informed project outcome.

Conuma Resources Analysis & Design for New Tailings

  • Expertise Hydrotechnical
  • Market Energy & Resources
  • Location Western Canada

CLIENT: Conuma Resources

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

PRI was retained by Conuma Resources Ltd. to assess tailings storage options for several new mines and advance conceptual and detailed design for required dam modifications and new facilities at the Quintette Mine. The assessment identified two primary solutions: raising the existing Shikano North TSF by 5 to 10 metres, and constructing a new approximately 15-metre high dam downstream of the Flooded Shikano Pit (FSP). PRI’s mandate spans site investigation, instrumentation, conceptual and detailed design, dam breach analysis, and long-term engineering support through construction, operations, and closure.

CHALLENGE:

Determining viable tailings storage capacity for expanding mine operations required a multi-site assessment that balanced geotechnical constraints, existing facility conditions, and the feasibility of new infrastructure. Both the Shikano North TSF raise and the proposed FSP dam required thorough subsurface investigation before design could advance, including characterization of foundation conditions, assessment of existing embankment behaviour, and evaluation of permafrost and thermal conditions through instrumentation. Coordinating sequential geotechnical and geophysical investigations across active mine infrastructure added further complexity to the program.

APPROACH:

PRI completed a geotechnical investigation through the Shikano North TSF embankment and its foundation, and installed new piezometers and thermistors connected to an upgraded telemetry system to support ongoing monitoring. Conceptual design for the Shikano North TSF raise has been completed, with detailed design to follow. For the FSP TSF, PRI completed a geophysical investigation of the proposed dam area to inform a subsequent geotechnical investigation program, upon which the detailed design will be based. Conceptual design for the new downstream dam has also been completed. Looking ahead, PRI will complete dam breach analyses and inundation mapping using FLO-2D and/or HEC-RAS 2D for both TSFs, update their consequence classifications in accordance with regulatory requirements, and provide Conuma with engineering support through construction, operations, and eventual closure.

OUTCOME:

PRI’s tailings storage assessment provided Conuma Resources Ltd. with a clear and technically defensible path forward for accommodating mine expansion within the constraints of existing and new infrastructure. The sequential investigation and design program has systematically de-risked both the Shikano North TSF raise and the proposed FSP dam, with detailed designs advancing on the basis of site-specific geotechnical data. The upgraded instrumentation and telemetry system at Shikano North has enhanced real-time monitoring capability, supporting both ongoing dam safety oversight and the EOR responsibilities PRI holds for these facilities.

West Coast Landcover Classification & Terrain Indices

  • Expertise Environmental, GIS & Geomatics
  • Market Earth & Environment
  • Location Western Canada

CLIENT: Mosaic Forest Management

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Mosaic Forest Management contracted Ecora to complete landcover classification and terrain indices for 700,000 ha on their private and crown chart areas Vancouver Island and coastal mainland BC.  

Land cover prediction modeling identified treed/non-treed, roads, and more detailed non-treed land cover/land use classes (snow, avalanche chutes, shrub, transmission lines, roads, wetlands, rock, etc.). The was done in a condensed timeframe, in a semi-automated fashion, with machine learning and then reviewed by photo-interpreters. This information was used in a subsequent remote sensing-based forest inventory.  

APPROACH & OUTCOME:

A complex set of terrain indices, examining terrain and slope position at a range of scales (5m to 50m kernels) and neighborhood sizes (25m to 2000m neighbourhoods). These were used to make better predictions of site productivity and species compositions.  

We also reviewed sample ground plot locations in a 3D environment to ensure that the calls made on the ground were consistent with what we could see in the lidar and imagery – this was done to confirm the GPS positional accuracy of the ground plots and move the plot to a representative location if it looked like there were issues with the GPS coordinates.  

Homestead Solar Project

  • Market Earth & Environment
  • Location Western Canada

CLIENT: PCL Construction Canada Inc.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

PRI Engineering provided supplementary geotechnical investigation, foundation design field investigation, and racking adaptor design services for a 55 MW AC solar project in Claresholm, AB. The scope included an extensive field program, laboratory testing, and full foundation design through to issued-for-tender drawings.

CHALLENGE:

The scale of the project demanded a high-volume geotechnical program to characterize subsurface conditions across a large site. Laboratory analysis revealed corrosive soil conditions, introducing a durability risk that required careful consideration in foundation selection and design. Ensuring the helical pile foundations could reliably handle axial and lateral loads — while resisting long-term deterioration — was critical to the structural integrity of the solar racking system.

APPROACH:

PRI mobilized an extensive field investigation program comprising 40 boreholes, 2,150 helical probes, and the installation and testing of 175 helical foundations. Axial and lateral load testing (175 and 25 tests respectively) provided robust data to validate pile performance. Laboratory results informed corrosion risk mitigation, with protective coatings recommended to ensure long-term durability. Pile depth, load capacity, and stability against bending and shifting were all assessed and optimized through the design process. The foundation design was structured to allow final verification against construction drawings.

OUTCOME:

PRI delivered a comprehensive geotechnical investigation and foundation design package, including issued-for-tender drawings. The design provided a site-specific, corrosion-resistant helical foundation solution validated by one of the most extensive field testing programs on a solar project of this scale in the region.

Holistic Management Plan for the Upper Pitt River

  • Expertise Forestry
  • Market Earth & Environment
  • Location First Nations

CLIENT: Katzie First Nation

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

PRI supported Katzie First Nation beginning in 2019 to develop a Holistic Management Plan for the Upper Pitt River area, within Katzie’s traditional territory. PRI completed forest modeling, provided forestry expertise, coordinated and edited contributions from other specialists, and supported data management, indicators development, and overall analysis.

APPROACH & OUTCOME:

The plan provides a comprehensive framework for managing the area’s natural, cultural, and economic values. It covers the planning context and process, the area’s physical and land-use setting, natural and cultural heritage, wildlife and fisheries, forest resources, and recreation. A central theme is shifting toward a more balanced approach that better protects fish, wildlife, and cultural sites while increasing Katzie’s role in decision-making and access to economic benefits. 

Key steps in developing the plan included community engagement, stakeholder consultation, data collection and analysis, objective setting based on Katzie values, and creation of an adaptive monitoring framework to track indicators and support future updates. 

Haida Gwaii Solar Project

  • Expertise Geotechnical
  • Market Renewable Energy
  • Location Western Canada

CLIENT: Hedgehog Technologies Inc.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

PRI Engineering provided preliminary foundation design and pre-production field investigation services, including Quality Control/Quality Assurance (QC/QA) testing, for a 2 MW / 1.4 MW DC solar project on Haida Gwaii Island, BC. The scope included subsurface investigation, comparative foundation testing, and full foundation design. Deliverables included a Geotechnical Investigation Report, a Foundation Design Report, two issued-for-construction foundation drawings (helical and groundscrew foundations), and a General Conformance Letter.

CHALLENGE:

Haida Gwaii’s remote location and coastal environment presented unique geotechnical conditions, including corrosive soils that posed a direct risk to long-term foundation integrity. Identifying the right foundation system — and ensuring it could withstand both structural loads and aggressive soil conditions over the life of the project — required careful site characterization and a rigorous pre-production testing program.

APPROACH:

PRI advanced 20 helical probes to characterize subsurface conditions across the site. To evaluate foundation performance, 10 helical foundations and 10 driven foundations were installed, each with associated axial and lateral pre-production load tests. Given the corrosive soil conditions identified through geotechnical analysis, corrosion protection measures were recommended for both the helical and groundscrew foundations, along with specific pile sizes selected for durability, and recommended embedment depths to achieve required capacity. Load and stability checks informed final design adjustments, and production mechanical axial testing was completed on 6 foundations to verify compliance with QC/QA requirements.

OUTCOME:

PRI delivered a complete, site-specific foundation design package for a challenging remote and coastal environment — including issued-for-construction drawings for helical and groundscrew foundations and a General Conformance Letter. The corrosion-resistant design approach ensured the foundations were built to perform reliably over the long term on Haida Gwaii.

Big White Ski Resort I Water Reservoir

  • Expertise Structural Egineering
  • Market Transportation & Infrastructure
  • Location Western Canada

CLIENT: Big White Water Utility

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Ecora was engaged to provide civil, mechanical, and structural design services for a new 2,859 m3 rectangular concrete reservoir at Big White Ski Resort. This project was driven by the need to increase fire storage capacity and ensure adequate water supply for the resort’s continued expansion.

To accommodate limited available space and steep terrain, Ecora designed an “L”-shaped reservoir layout, optimizing land use while maintaining the required storage volume. The project included preliminary and detailed design, regulatory permitting, tender preparation, and construction oversight, ensuring compliance with Interior Health Authority (IHA) requirements. The reservoir was commissioned in October 2023.

Reservoir & Water System Design
• Preliminary and detailed design of a 2,859 m3 single-cell concrete reservoir to supplement fire storage shortfalls.
• Optimization of reservoir layout, incorporating an “L” shape design to fit within site constraints and steep terrain.
• Seamless integration into the existing water system to maintain operational efficiency.

Regulatory Approvals & Permitting
• Interior Health Construction Permit approval for water system upgrades.
• Design compliance with provincial water infrastructure and health authority regulations.

Contract Administration & Construction Support
• Preparation of CCDC-based tender documents and contractor selection.
• Field reviews, record drawings, and final testing, including leakage testing, chlorination, and disinfection.

CHALLENGES & APPROACH:

Space Constraints & Terrain Limitations
• Challenge: The limited available land and steep site slopes restricted conventional reservoir configurations.
• Solution: PRI designed an “L” shaped reservoir layout, allowing for optimal land use while maintaining required storage volume.

Regulatory Approvals & Health Authority Compliance
• Challenge: The project required Interior Health Construction Permit approvals to ensure regulatory compliance.
• Solution: PRI worked closely with IHA representatives early in the process, incorporating health authority standards into the design and expediting the permitting process.

Integration with Existing Water System
• Challenge: The new reservoir had to be integrated into the existing water supply system without disrupting service.
• Solution: PRI designed a strategic tie-in plan, ensuring minimal downtime and smooth operational transition.

OUTCOME:

• Designed a 2,859 m3 reservoir, resolving fire storage capacity shortfalls for Big White’s growing development needs.
• Optimized site layout with a custom “L” shaped reservoir design, maximizing efficiency within steep terrain constraints.
• Ensured full regulatory compliance, securing Interior Health Construction Permit approvals.
• Provided comprehensive construction oversight, including field reviews, leak testing, chlorination, and disinfection for successful commissioning.
• Delivered a cost-effective and constructible solution, balancing budget efficiency with long-term water reliability.

Innovation Centre Commercial Development

  • Market Earth & Environment
  • Location Western Canada

CLIENT: Argus Properties Ltd.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Argus Properties Ltd. retained PRI in 2017 to complete civil engineered drawings for the phased development of Innovation Centre, a commercial project located across the highway from the Kelowna Airport. Delivered in two phases, the development includes a Conoco Gas Station, carwash, A&W Restaurant, and Subway. PRI provided civil engineering and survey services across both phases, with Phase 2 construction completing in spring 2020.

CHALLENGE:

The project required comprehensive civil design and servicing coordination for a multi-tenant commercial development on a highway-adjacent site. Balancing the needs of multiple end users — each with distinct operational and access requirements — demanded careful attention to site grading, traffic circulation, and utility coordination across two sequential phases of construction.

APPROACH:

PRI delivered a full suite of civil engineering services for both phases of the development. The civil design package included a stormwater management plan for the buildings and parking areas, site grading and servicing plans, driveway access design, on-site vehicle turning schematics, and a shallow utilities schematic. Site servicing encompassed sanitary, storm, and water service design, along with shallow utility coordination for BC Hydro, TELUS Communications, and Fortis Gas. Survey services were provided throughout to support design and construction.

OUTCOME:

Both phases of the Innovation Centre development were successfully completed, delivering a fully serviced, multi-tenant commercial site adjacent to the Kelowna Airport. PRI’s integrated approach to civil engineering and survey services ensured consistent design standards across both phases, supporting Argus Properties Ltd. in bringing the development to completion through to spring 2020.