IM 2017 April | Page 48

CANADIAN TECHNOLOGY Nalaine Morin, Project Manager, Lands Department for the Tahltan Central Government and Principal at ArrowBlade Consulting Services has experienced the BGC application first-hand. “It is essential that everyone is able to see and understand what we are doing,” says Virginia Cullen, BGC's Chief Operating Officer, “project delays caused by miscommunication can cost our clients hundreds of millions of dollars.” By using interactive 3D maps and immersive landscapes, BGC can communicate designs to clients and stakeholders more effectively. “I can show you a million 2D drawings, but you'll never understand it as clearly as if I show you the same information in 3D using HoloLens,” explains Bill Burton, Vice President at BGC, “This has the potential to revolutionise how we communicate on a day-to-day basis.” Some of BGC’s biggest projects involve land reclamation for mining companies. “Reclamation is about making good on the commitment that a mine is a temporary use of the land,” explains Burton, “[with HoloLens] we can give you sense of what it's like to stand in the reclaimed environment and see what that final landscape will be. This is easier to understand, for experts and non-experts alike.” BGC’s and LOOOK’s work with HoloLens has already received positive responses from BGC's clients and contemporaries. “This move, from flat engineering drawings, to interactive 3D and immersive landscapes will revolutionise how BGC executes and communicates the work we do,” says BGC's President and CEO, Steve Hedberg. Recently BioteQ Environmental Technologies completed two water management projects that delivered two very unique solutions as called for by site specific requirements. Silvertip mine located in Northern BC, Canada is the newest mine in the province to go into production. Mine owner JDS worked with BioteQ to develop a cost- effective water treatment solution that is integrated with the overall site water management plan. A silver-lead-zinc mine, water from the underground operation is neutral to slightly alkali with very low levels of metals requiring removal to comply with BC water quality guidelines. HDS lime treatment was considered in the initial project planning stages and written into permit applications but was ruled out for its inability to meet ultra-low ppb discharge levels for several constituents of concerns. Lime relies on pH as the only degree of freedom in the treatment process to control alkali precipitation and is inadequate when multiple metals, with differing pH solubility, require simultaneous removal. To treat the mine water, a transportable and modular 150 m 3 /h water treatment unit using ChemSulphide ® technology was selected for its