Morrison Hershfield has received an Award of Merit in the 2011 Consulting Engineers of British Columbia (CEBC) Awards for Engineering Excellence competition for our involvement in the Grouse Mountain wind turbine project known as "The Eye of the Wind". The awards ceremony was held on March 5, 2011 in Vancouver.
This award recognizes the structural engineering services we provided for The Eye of the Wind. This role required us to go beyond the typical design procedures used for conventional buildings and address the special loads, forces, and effects from the wind turbine. Innovative design solutions were developed and new approaches were taken in producing a safe and constructible design.
Construction began in September 2008 and the turbine was inaugurated on February 5, 2010 by BC Premier Gordon Campbell in time for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games. The turbine was connected to the BC Hydro system and was ready to start producing electricity on September 22, 2010. This unique renewable energy project is expected to supply 25% of Grouse Mountain Resort’s electricity; it is also the first wind turbine in the world with an elevator and viewing platform that can be accessed by the public.
Kevin Blackwell, Senior Structural Engineer,
Morrison Hershfield, accepting the award