I played a key role in the Woodfibre LNG Buildings project, a significant development involving the construction of a liquified natural gas (LNG) plant located approximately 7 km southwest of Squamish, B.C. This facility is designed to produce 2.1 million metric tonnes of LNG per year, with site access during construction and operations limited to barge or helicopter.

My company, Brybil Projects Ltd., was contracted by LB LNG Constructors, the design-builder, to undertake the design of six critical pre-engineered buildings for the Woodfibre LNG facility, EPC by McDermott. The project was characterized by an exceptionally expedited timeline, demanding rapid design turnarounds. For instance, the initial phase from project kick-off to the 30% design submission for all six buildings was completed in under six weeks.

The buildings for which I contributed to the foundation design were:

  • Administration Building
  • Control and Operations Building
  • Warehouse and Maintenance Building
  • Chemical Storage Building
  • Vehicle Shelter (formerly Garage)
  • Instrument Air Compressor Building

My Pivotal Role and Contributions

My primary responsibility centered on the critical initial phase of structural foundation design for all six buildings. Our team’s standard workflow for foundation design involved several key steps:

  1. Receiving complex foundation design loads (often exceeding 2,000+ loads for a single structure) and extensive load combinations (600+) typically provided in PDF format.
  2. Translating this extensive information into accurate Finite Element Method (FEM) models, a process that is traditionally the most time-consuming and meticulous.
  3. Performing detailed FEM analysis and iteratively refining the foundation thickness and reinforcing steel to meet all structural and project-specific requirements.
  4. Generating and updating the final design drawings for construction.

I was specifically tasked with leading and executing the crucial second step: the conversion of PDF-based load data into comprehensive FEM models. I initiated this process for every single building before handing over the models to other structural engineers within the team for subsequent analysis and detailing. This significant responsibility was entrusted to me due to my proven ability to innovate and automate complex workloads.

To effectively address the immense challenge posed by the project’s aggressive schedule and the sheer volume of data, I architected and developed a specialized Python-based application. This custom tool was engineered to:

  • Intelligently parse foundation design loads and associated load combinations directly from PDF documents.
  • Automatically generate fully detailed FEM models, inclusive of structural mesh, all specified load cases, load combinations, and precise support conditions.

The implementation of this automation solution dramatically accelerated the most labor-intensive and error-prone segment of the initial design phase, providing a crucial advantage in meeting the project’s demanding timelines.

Key Achievements and Deliverables

My direct contributions, particularly through the strategic development and application of the Python automation tool, were instrumental in the structural team’s remarkable success on this project:

  • Met Aggressive Deadlines: My automated workflow was a cornerstone in enabling the team to successfully deliver all foundation designs for the six buildings strictly on time, including the challenging initial 30% design submission within a six-week timeframe.
  • Significant Budget Savings: The efficiency gained through automation directly translated into the structural design phase being completed under 70% of the planned design budget, a substantial cost saving for the project.
  • Ensured Design Accuracy: By automating the data input and model generation process, I significantly minimized the potential for manual errors, contributing to the delivery of high-quality designs with no mistakes or errors.
  • Optimized Team Productivity: Freeing the structural engineering team from the laborious task of manual FEM model creation allowed them to concentrate their expertise on critical analysis, design optimization, and detailing. This strategic automation boosted overall team productivity and efficiency.

My initial work on the FEM models using this automated process provided a solid and accurate foundation for the subsequent detailed design, services during construction (including RFI responses and shop drawing reviews ), and post-construction support phases of the project. The primary structural deliverables I was involved in producing included the design of raft slab foundations for all six buildings.

This project showcased my ability to leverage programming and automation to solve real-world engineering challenges, deliver exceptional results under pressure, and contribute significantly to project success in terms of time, cost, and quality.