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Construction industry leader funds new civil engineering award

Bill Lardner

Bill and Ruth Lardner have given Western $260,000 to establish an endowed graduate student award for professional engineers returning to school to study in the area of geotechnical/structural interface.

Lardner credits Western Engineering and retired professor, Dr. Hugh Peacock, for providing his company, Deep Foundations Contractors Inc., with outstanding young engineering graduates who helped the company become an industry leader.

Together with partner David Miller, Lardner founded Deep Foundations in 1971 which has developed or introduced a number of innovations to the Toronto construction scene including soil anchor tie backs for external excavation support, secant walls for the protection of adjacent building foundations, hydraulic caisson drills, and auger cast piles. Some of their world-class projects include the CN Tower, the Rogers Centre (formerly known as the Skydome), Ontario Place, Toronto City Hall and the TTC expansion.

Lardner hopes The William E. & Ruth Lardner Graduate Award will foster emerging leaders who will bring new and innovative ways to support unique geotechnical issues faced by the construction industry.

The award is valued at $10,000 and will be available this fall to a Civil & Environmental Engineering student.

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