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MTE Consultants Acquires RIZZ Engineering, Strengthening Expertise in Structural Design and Precast Concrete

Biological Treatment Plant, US Steel
Industrial & Manufacturing

US Steel Biological Treatment Plant

Key personnel

Boris Milman, M.Sc., P.Eng.

Project overview

Constructed on the site of a former industrial facility in Hamilton, Ontario, this new wastewater treatment plant was developed for US Steel as part of a broader environmental initiative to modernize infrastructure and improve on-site sustainability.

Central to the facility is a 6,500 m³ concrete biological treatment tank, featuring integrated hoppers designed to support advanced wastewater processing. Due to its scale and complexity, the tank was engineered using finite element analysis to ensure structural resilience, performance, and durability over time.

MTE's Involvement

MTE was proud to provide structural engineering services for this critical infrastructure project. Our team was engaged from the conceptual stage through to construction, delivering detailed engineering design solutions and acting as project managers for all structural components.

Our scope included the design of all major water-retaining concrete structures, circular clarifiers, and a new sludge handling building—each tailored to meet the facility’s process and operational needs. A defining challenge of the project was the reuse of an existing raft foundation, originally constructed in the 1940s and supported by hundreds of legacy piles.

To determine the feasibility of reuse, our engineers developed a custom testing methodology to assess the condition and load-bearing capacity of the existing piles. This innovative approach enabled the safe incorporation of over 500 cubic metres of existing concrete into the new tank foundation—delivering substantial cost savings and a meaningful environmental benefit by reducing material waste and construction impacts.