TRACK 2, DAY 2
Constructing Designs: Unifying the Contractor and Designer
Thursday, March 27, 2025 | 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. | Hall F
ABSTRACT
As an industry, we strive for a constructed design that promotes watercourse health and function. Designers and contractors have different skillsets, insights, and experiences, but we all share the common goal of delivering a successful project.
Working collaboratively is a critical component to translating a natural channel design from the drawing set to the ground.
This presentation explores the importance of dialogue and collaboration between designers and contractors.
Often natural channel projects require innovative solutions to adapt a design to conditions on site. In our experience, this environment is where projects with great designer-contractor communication will thrive while projects that do not emphasize this dialog can hit unforeseen snags.
We will discuss examples where collaboration has led to increased efficiencies, lower costs, and improved site outcomes, as well as examples where design constraints limited the ability to modify our approach.
Contractors bring a wealth of industry knowledge and learned experience in project implementation, and designers are privy to design justifications and constraints that might not be immediately apparent through the design drawings alone. Adaptations, field-fits, and quick decisions cannot be made in a vacuum, and the best solutions when design elements need to pivot often come from collaboration.
We will also encourage audience discussion to gain more perspective and ideas from both designers and contractors. The overall intent of the presentation will be to spark a constructive dialogue on how practitioners can work together to implement effective construction to achieve the common goal of supporting watercourse health.
ABOUT THE PRESENTERS
Chase Konecny, Stantec
Chase Konecny graduated from the University of Waterloo in 2019 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Engineering.
After his graduation, Chase has developed skills and knowledge to specialize in the field of water resources engineering through both public and private sector co-operative program positions, post-secondary capstone project design work, and joining Stantec’s Surface Water group in the Winter of 2020.
Prior to graduating Chase completed several co-op terms with a variety of firms including the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks; the City of Markham Waterworks Department; Progressive Waste Solutions; and Rouse Surveyors. Chase’s wide range of co-op experiences has allowed him to gain valuable industry experiences.
Chase expects to complete his requirements for licensure in the winter of 2023. Chase has worked both in a team setting and independently to complete a range of tasks for multiple projects.
Chase has focused on hydraulic analysis of surface water systems, hydraulic analysis of water control structures, hydrologic analysis of rural and urban watersheds, and design of stormwater management controls, including Low Impact Development techniques.
Through his past experiences Chase has successfully completed a range of hydraulic assessments for Municipal waterways, contributed to the preliminary design of a potential cold-water channel rehabilitation project, assisted in surface water drainage measures, completed a Municipal water audit, and performed field surveying.
Peter DeCarvalho, Stantec
Peter DeCarvalho is a water resources engineer and ecologist with over nine years of experience in the environmental sector. With his background in both environmental biology and engineering, Peter has been fortunate to work on a wide variety of projects with both private and public clients.
He is able to contribute both ecological and technical expertise to project works where required and has a unique perspective that often provides valuable insight to tackling problems and inspiring innovation.
Peter’s most recent experience focuses on fluvial systems and natural channel design, with an emphasis on enhancing local habitat for terrestrial and aquatic organisms. He has also been involved with terrestrial and aquatic ecological field studies, ecological constraints reporting and management, residential and subdivision design, flood hazard, pre- post- development water balance, stormwater modelling, wetland evaluation/delineation, and field data collection.
He has experience coordinating and managing ecological teams for field surveys and reporting, as well as site inspections, topographic surveys, and construction oversight of channel restoration and municipal drain implementation. He has also worked extensively with ecological constraints pertaining to the Provincial Policy Statement, Endangered Species Act, Fisheries Act, official plans, and other federal, provincial, and municipal legislation.