Finalist

The Springbank Off-stream Reservoir is a flood-mitigation system designed to protect Calgary and downstream communities from Elbow River flooding. Stantec Consulting Ltd. led the engineering work and had to safely deliver a 29-meter dam and 4.7-kilometer diversion channel while managing weak glaciolacustrine clay foundations, variable borrow soils, and high groundwater under a schedule tied to flood readiness before the 2025 season.

Using Bentley applications, Stantec kept subsurface data current, updated geological models during construction, and validated staged decisions with field instrumentation. GeoStudio 3D analysis reduced aggregate needs to 25% of the conventional 2D solution and saved about CAD 1.5 million, while accurate characterization enabled the reuse of 6 million cubic meters of excavated material. The resulting reservoir now helps protect more than 1.6 million residents and supports a 70% reduction in Calgary’s flood risk exposure.