EllisDon wins Vancouver Regional Construction Association award for TRIUMF ARIEL project CADCR staff writer The $23-million ARIEL (Advanced Rare Isotope Labora- tory) project combined complex systems integration with novel design features and close project co-ordination with a working nuclear physics laboratory. In recognition for the challenging engineering and construction achievement, El- lisDon received the Gold and Silver Award in the “General Contractor $15 million to $55 million” category at the re- cent Vancouver Regional Construction Association's (VCRA) 26 th annual Awards of Excellence. “The Silver Award winners this year truly represent the finest of our industry,” VCRA president Fiona Famulak said in published report. “These companies were able to bring projects of the highest calibre in on time and on budget, and we are proud to honour them at this year’s event.” The 31,653 sq. ft. ARIEL facility is part of TRIUMF, Canada’s national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics, on the University of British Columbia's (UBC) south campus. TRIUMF is one of the world’s leading sub- atomic physics laboratories, bringing together dedicated physicists and interdisciplinary talent, sophisticated techni- cal resources, and innovative commercial partners. 40 – Winter 2015 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report ARIEL features a state-of-the-art electron linear acceler- ator employing superconducting radio frequency technol- ogy, which will be used to triple TRIUMF's capabilities for producing beams of rare isotopes and will expand the range of isotopes produced. These exotic isotopes are used for science, medicine and business, ranging from studying the nature of stars and how complex patterns arise from relatively simple building blocks, to investigate novel isotopes to be used in medical research, including looking for new ways to detect and treat disease like cancer. It is estimated that ARIEL and TRIUMF will generate an economic impact of $750 million and create 1,200 jobs over five years. Isotope production is a highly complex enterprise, in- volving the accelerator and its associated support infra- structure (like cryogenics), beam transport lines, high-power production targets, and specially-designed civil infrastructure, including concrete walls six (sometimes nine) feet thick, which serve both as a structural element as well as a protective barrier from radiation emitted by the process. Structural steel, metal cladding and curtain wall helped the building blend in on the campus.