Paul Burke

Sep 18

Paul Burke, M.Sc.E, P.Eng.
Partner, Senior Structural Engineer

Primary Office: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Paul Burke is a Structural Engineer with nearly 20 years of progressive experience in the structural design and construction implementation of bridges, marine works, and building structures. Mr. Burke has extensive experience in the design, inspection and rehabilitation of short, medium and long span bridges including steel, concrete and timber structures. In addition, Paul has demonstrable experience in conventional span, cable supported spans, arch and box structures. Mr. Burke has also completed the design and assessment of multiple marine structures including concrete cribs, timber cribs, tied back bulkhead walls (steel sheet piles and combi-walls), breakwaters, concrete ramps, pile supported wharves, pipe culvert aboiteau and box culvert aboiteau. As a construction engineering specialist, he has completed the design of multiple cofferdams (including water control structures), construction trestles, temporary retaining structures, phased girder erections and phased demolitions.

Paul’s Projects

Projects

Bridge, Highways and Roundabouts, Geotechnical Investigation, Construction Support

Highway 104 Twinning (Part 3)

Bridge, Highways and Roundabouts, Geotechnical Investigation, Construction Support

The Highway 104 Twinning Project was a Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Maintain (DBFOM) project, including twinning the 100 series highway between Sutherlands River and Antigonish, Nova Scotia, with new interchanges and bridges. Working as part of the Dexter Nova Alliance (DNA), Harbourside Engineering Group completed the design of bridge structures, and was awarded the 2025 Lieutenant Governor's Award for Excellence in Engineering for this project.

Bridge, Highways and Roundabouts, Geotechnical Investigation, Construction Support

Bridge, Project Management

Halifax Harbour Bridges : Annual Inspections

Bridge, Project Management

Harbourside Engineering Consultants has completed annual structural inspections of both the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge and the A. Murray MacKay Bridge in Halifax, Nova Scotia, owned and operated by Halifax Harbour Bridges (HHB), from 2010 to present. As the two main connectors between peninsular Halifax and the city of Dartmouth, the municipality is dependent on the continued operations of both bridges. Inspection reporting includes element condition, defect identification, and recommended maintenance.

Bridge, Project Management

Bridge

St. Peter’s Swing Bridge Replacement

Bridge

Harbourside Engineering Consultants was contracted by Dexter Construction to provide specialist structural construction engineering services for the replacement of the existing St Peter’s Swing Bridge in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. The new structure is a two lane, two span bobtail swing bridge over the historic St. Peter’s Canal. It consists of a cast-in-place reinforced concrete deck supported by twin trapezoidal steel box girders, founded on cast-in-place concrete piers and abutments complete with socketed piles.

Bridge

Burgoyne Bridge Erection

Bridge

The Burgoyne bridge is one of three crossings that span Twelve Mile Creek. It is an important transportation artery for the Niagara area, Ontario. By 2010, it was recommended that the bridge be replaced, and Harbourside was contacted by Pomerleau and Structal as a subconsultant to handle construction phasing and unique launch and design approaches, which began in 2014. After completion in 2016, Harbourside was awarded the Award of Excellence at the Canadian Consulting Engineering Awards Gala for the project in 2017.

Bridge

Bridge, Highways and Roundabouts, Construction Support

Highway 104 Twinning (Part 2)

Bridge, Highways and Roundabouts, Construction Support

As a part of a major initiative by the NS Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal to twin Highway 104 through the town of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Harbourside Engineering Consultants received the contract to design six major structures along the new alignment. Harbourside provided preliminary designs of various options for each structure and final designs with tender-ready documents. This monumental task was undertaken by various groups, working in conjunction as the Dexter Nova Alliance.

Bridge, Highways and Roundabouts, Construction Support

Bridge

Vimy Memorial Bridge Erection

Bridge

The Vimy Memorial Bridge (formerly the Strandherd Armstrong Bridge) is a multiple space-truss arch bridge that spans across the Rideau River in Ontario. The design of the bridge was completed by Parsons, while the general contractor for the project was Horseshoe Hill Construction. Harbourside Engineering Consultants provided the erection engineering for the project, completing the structure in July of 2014. The innovative design and erection method, designed by Harbourside, won the 2014 Engineers Nova Scotia Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in Engineering.

Bridge

Bridge, Demolition

Magaguadavic River Bridge Demolition

Bridge, Demolition

Harbourside Engineering Consultants was engaged to complete an engineered demolition plan to remove the center 40.5 m span of the existing Magaguadavic River Bridge close to Saint George, New Brunswick. Harbourside developed an innovative demolition technique where the structure was broken at mid-span to create two prop-cantilevered structures, which were then demolished by Dexter Construction with an excavator, located on the deck with a breaker attachment.

Bridge, Demolition

Bridge, Highways and Roundabouts, Construction Support

Highway 104 Twinning (Part 1)

Bridge, Highways and Roundabouts, Construction Support

The twinning of Highway 104 comprised of various projects for the roadway's modernization, as twinned highways are safer and more efficient than their single-lane counterparts. Harbourside Engineering Consultants completed the design of the twin overpass structures at the Trunk 7 intersection near St. Francis Xavier University, through Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and received the 2025 Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in Engineering resulting from work on this project.

Bridge, Highways and Roundabouts, Construction Support

Bridge

Little Bras D’Or Cofferdam, Trestle and Bridge Replacement

Bridge

The Little Bras D’Or bridge acts as the only non-load related link to the Newfoundland ferry in North Sydney, Nova Scotia, and was slated for replacement in 2010. Following the development of the Little Bras D’Or Cofferdam and Trestle, Harbourside was involved with the replacement of the existing bridge structure. The bridge, located on Highway 105 in Cape Breton County, is a two span twin trapezoidal steel box girder bridge spanning over St. Andrew’s Channel, and it is integral to keep Newfoundland and Nova Scotia connected.

Bridge