MONTREAL - The Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE) presented its first Award for Excellence in Innovation in Civil Engineering at the CSCE Annual General Meeting and Conference held May 27-30 in St. John's, Newfoundland. The award, sponsored by Canam Group, was bestowed on the Ontario-based firm Cast ConneX Corporation for the development of high-strength connectors specially designed to improve building safety in seismically active zones.

"The CSCE is very pleased to partner with Canam Group in launching the new Award for Excellence in the field of Civil Engineering," said George Akhras, Chair of the CSCE Innovation and IT Committee. "This award was created to encourage innovation in every sphere of civil engineering and is presented to an individual or group belonging to a Canadian firm or research organization involved in the practice of civil engineering in Canada." He emphasized that this award is primarily intended to encourage creativity and ingenuity in civil engineering practice.

High-strength, mass-produced connectors made from cast steel were developed to provide the steel construction industry with off-the-shelf, pre-qualified, seismic-resistant bracing connectors. The components interface with standard hollow structural section (HSS) brace members and are more economical than conventionally fabricated seismic-resistant connections. Standardizing the components has allowed them to be validated through rigorous, full-scale laboratory testing to prove their performance in an earthquake - unlike the one-off connection designs utilized today. This novel connection technique was first used by Canam Group in 2008 in the construction of the Sandoz Canada head office, a four-storey, steel-framed building in Boucherville, Quebec.

The technology behind these connectors was developed by Jeffrey A. Packer, Constantin Chrisopoulos, Carlos de Oliveira and Michael Gray, who subsequently founded Cast ConneX Corporation in 2007 to commercialize these seismic-resistant connectors. Patents are pending in many countries around the world.

"We were thrilled and honoured to be chosen as the inaugural recipients of the CSCE's Award for Excellence in Innovation in Civil Engineering," said Jeffrey A. Packer, one of the award winners and a civil engineering professor at the University of Toronto. "This is a tremendous affirmation of the novel products developed by Cast ConneX Corporation, and the award will certainly boost the company's prospects and enhance our marketing," added Mr. Packer.

"Canam Group is proud to sponsor this award and to encourage innovation in the field of civil engineering in Canada," stated Tony Bégin, Business Development Manager. "The practical and commercial application of experimental discoveries aimed at improving the design and construction techniques used in civil engineering projects is consistent with our company's position: Better Building Solutions."