alberta construction magazine may/june 2009

May/June 2009 | $8.00

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COMMERCIALBLOWING IN THE WINDP A G E 2 4

INSTITUTIONALOLYMPIC TASKP A G E 2 8

INFRASTRUCTUREALBERTA’S TOP 10P A G E 3 2

PLUS: From gloom to boom: Construction in the ’90s PAGE 49

GOING GREENtakes root

New way of constructing pipelines finds favour

GREENI S S U E

portable benefi ts training retirement programs recruitment advocacy

portable benefi ts training retirement programs recruitment advocacy

Chaz Osburn editor’s note [email protected]

Coming next issue: Top 30 projects of the last 30 years

few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction’s steel awards gala at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton. It was an impressive event

that drew well over 600 people.Among the night’s winners was the University of Alberta’s Triffo Hall. The project earned the

group’s first-ever Sustainability Award for innovative use and reuse of steel.Triffo Hall has been around for some time. Built in 1915, the two-storey building was designed to

work with natural light. But like so many other buildings, the original intent became lost through a series of renovations over the years.

Triffo Hall underwent its latest reno in 2006–08. This time, however, a lot more attention was paid to original details. For example, the new design features a two-storey interior “street” that runs the length of the building along a brick wall. Punctures through the second floor allow the street to be flooded with natural light. Remarkably, 99.5 per cent of the old steel was retained. And all the new steel is of recycled material.

What the architects, engineers, and construction team accomplished with Triffo Hall illustrates how green practices have found favour in our industry. These practices are here to stay. Triffo Hall is just one example of what the remarkable examples of what’s happening in Alberta.

This issue of Alberta Construction Magazine looks at other green construction projects and issues as well, from eco-friendly pipeline construction to one company’s plans to boost wind energy cap-acity construction waste management.

Because we want to show our commitment to the environment, we’ve printed this issue on paper approved by the Forest Stewardship Council. The council is recognized internationally as the lead-ing environmental certification standard for paper.

Also in this issue is our final 2009 installment looking back on how a particular decade affected construction in Alberta. (This time we’re exploring the 1990s.) It’s to mark the 30th anniversary of the magazine, which culminates with our next issue, where we will feature the top 30 construction projects of Alberta over the last 30 years. Some of you have already submitted nominations—thank you, by the way—but we’re always open to more.

There aren’t many restrictions—just that the project be situated within the province of Alberta and that it must have been completed in or between 1979 and 2009.

It doesn’t matter whether the project was an institutional or commercial building or whether the project falls in the infrastructure or industrial categories. We’ll look at factors such as design func-tionality and appearance, unique materials used, what made the project innovative when it was built, and other features that made the project stand out.

I’ll accept nominations until June 1. You can submit online at albertaconstructionmagazine.com and click the Top Projects tab at the top. Or email, fax, or mail a short note to me at:

Chaz Osburn, EditorAlberta Construction Magazine6111–91 St. NWEdmonton, AB T6E 6V6Email: [email protected]: (780) 944–9500

A

Alberta Construction Magazine | �

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All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher. The

opinions expressed by contributors to Alberta Construction Magazine may not represent the official views of the magazine. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, the publisher does not assume any responsibility or liability for errors or omissions. Printed by PrintWest

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featuresCOMMERCIAL

24 Blowing in the wind Calgary company plans to boost Alberta’s wind capacity

dramatically by Jacqueline Louie

INSTITUTIONAL

28 Olympic task Alberta-based companies play huge role in getting B.C. ready

for 2010 Games by Nordahl Flakstad

INFRASTRUCTURE

32 Alberta’s top 10 Snapshot views of the province’s key road, bridge and LRT projects by Tricia Radison

INDUSTRIAL

36 Choosing green Fort McMurray builds its first eco-industrial park by Kelley Stark

SPECIAL FEATURE

48 From gloom to boom The 1990s were marked by painful government

cuts and big oilsands investments by Godfrey Budd

TRADE TALK

65 What to do about waste Alberta puts finishing touches on plan to recycle construction

material by Chaz Osburn

BUILDING BLOCKS

67 Concrete steps towards a geener future Products to help you help the environment by Tricia Radison

SPECIAL FEATURE

73 2009 Alberta steel design awards And the winners are… by Chaz Osburn

GREEN

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Volume 29, Number 3Published May/June 2009contents

9 �� Nuts & Bolts

23 �� Around Canada

55 �� People, Products & Projects

63 �� Construction CV

81 �� ACA Report

85 �� CCA Report

88 �� CRIC Report

91 �� Legal Edge

92 �� Time Capsule

24

40 Going greentakes rootNew way of constructing pipelines finds favourby Tricia Radison

COVER STORy

28

xx

Departments

48

GREEN

Alberta Construction Magazine | �

® Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. © 2009 Matthews Equipment Limited. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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KeLLeY starK works in JuneWarren-Nickle’s Energy Group’s Edmonton Editorial Assistance department. She is a graduate of Grant MacEwan’s Bachelor of Applied Communications in Professional Writing program. Her most recent construction project required fixing her computer desk with duct tape.

nOrDaHL fLaKstaD has worked as a writer and editor at daily newspapers, a wire service, and with APEGGA, the organization representing Alberta professional engineers and geoscientists. For the last nine years, the Edmonton-based freelance writer has run his own communications firm. Much of his writing continues to focus on construction, resources, and engineering. An avid cross-country skier, Nordahl has submitted his name to serve as a volunteer at next year’s Olympic Games.

trICIa raDIsOn is a freelance writer from Calgary who has been unearthing the Alberta construction industry’s innovative ideas and interesting projects for three years and is continually impressed by the spirit and creativity of its people. Her work has been published in such magazines as Oilsands Review, Canadian Mining Journal, Food for Thought, and Alberta Venture.

Calgary-based freelancer GODfreY BuDD is a veteran writer, contributing many articles on western Canada’s energy industry and Alberta’s construction sector. He’s a regular contributor to Alberta Construction Magazine.

JaCQueLIne LOuIe is a new contributor to Alberta Construction Magazine. Based in Calgary, she has written for other JuneWarren-Nickle’s Energy Group publications, including Oil & Gas Inquirer and Air Water Land.

� | May/June 2009

contributors

® Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. © 2009 Matthews Equipment Limited. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

The Equipment & Tools You Need To Get The

Job Done.

Proudly Serving A lberta

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BackhoesConcrete & MasonryContractors Supplies

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Small ToolsAnd Much More!

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GeneratorsLight Towers

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nuts & boltsNews briefs for the busy coNstructioN professioNal

table of Contentsconstruction firms see some brightness in this era of gloom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10atco Gas’ geothermal centre . . 11funding boosts science centre project . . . . . . . . 12cool down in Dubai . . . . . . . . . . 15this bridge is history . . . . . . . . . 16sparking interest in electrician profession . . . . . . . . . 17stop thief! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18building code changes take effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19a new definition of the hot seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19you can make a difference . . . . 21the fish will thank you . . . . . . . .22

REPLACE A BRIDGE IN 15 HOURSby Chaz Osburn

imagine the headaches you’d avoid if you could shave months—or even years—off a bridge reconstruction project .

in fact, imagine if you could replace a bridge in, say, 15 hours . No, it’s not impos-sible . Just remember this term—rapid bridge replacement—because it’s certain to be only a matter of time before we see it used here .

rapid bridge replacement has been used twice in canada in the past two years, both times in ottawa .

the 50-year-old bridges were replaced on highway 417, known as the Queensway . the route handles 150,000 vehicles a day .

in a presentation to the 2009 transportation conference in red Deer in March, frank Vanderlaan, a professional engineer with ontario’s transportation Ministry, and bas bronder, Vp of sales for Mammoet canada western ltd ., talked about the technology to make the replace-ments work . Vanderlaan spoke specific-ally about the 2007 project, but the same method was applied last year .

Key to its success was Mammoet’s spMts—short for self-propelled module trailers . an spMt as a multi-wheeled won-der, capable of supporting several thou-sand tonnes per axle . but that’s only part of it . each spMt not only can raise or lower a bridge; it is designed to slide in and out for

a perfect connection . Just one operator is needed to control a spMt .

each bridge was built in a nearby sta-ging area, allowing the existing bridges to be used until the very last moment . once the structures were ready the highway was closed, and the existing bridge was sliced away and placed on an spMt . the operator then guided the spMt with the old bridge to the staging area, where it was picked up with a crane and a new bridge lowered in its place . the spMt then travelled back to the construction site, where the operator raised the new bridge into place . after the new bridge was bolted into place, workers added fill dirt . soil was then compacted at both ends . finally, crews applied asphalt, let it cool, and…voila .

Mind you, these were not small struc-tures . the bridges replaced during the first go-around—there were two—were each 21 m long and three lanes wide (21 m) . each bridge weighed about 650 tonnes .

using conventional rehabilitation, the province estimates it would take two to three years to complete with lane closures . with rapid bridge replacement, the first two bridges were removed and replaced in a little more than 15 hours .

all work has been done at night and on weekends .

the concept really is really quite simple, according to bronder .

“rapid bridge construction,” he said, “is, in effect, modular construction .”

With rapid bridge replacement—a construction technique that’s new to Canada—highway overpasses are constructed off site. Then old overpasses are removed, allowing the new ones to be transported and installed in a matter of just a few hours.

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Now that Canada’s recession has firmly taken root, questions about how it is affecting Alberta’s construction industry have become clearer .

for example, flint Energy Services Ltd .’s CEO sees the Calgary-based company’s labour costs dropping as much as 20 per cent as oilsands development cools off . flint provides construction and other servi-ces to the energy sector .

“As a result of the reduced activity on oilsands construction, flint will be able to improve labour productivity and control costs, which we can pass along to our cus-tomers to help them rein in their overall project costs,” CEO Bill Lingard told an ana-lyst conference call in March .

when oilsands activity was more heated, flint’s staff in fort McMurray were given a lot of perks, such as retention bonuses and so-called ‘‘living out allow-ances’’ or per diems .

“we’ve started stripping a lot of that stuff out, and we’ve been able to reduce our costs of labour about 10 per cent,’’ Lingard said .

In addition, fewer skilled workers need to be brought in from outside the province and abroad now that there is more local talent available . The savings from that can be another 5 to 10 per cent .

Lingard cautioned that this year is shap-ing up to be a difficult year, with natural gas and conventional oil drilling expected to be down 27 per cent, and oilsands spending expected to drop more than 30 per cent from 2008 levels .

“while these forecasts are pretty nega-tive, they’re based upon recent trends in commodity prices and we believe that while prices will be weak for the near term, anyone who has been in this business knows it’s cyclical and prices are expected to recover,’’ he said .

flint reported a loss for the last three months of 2008 of $224 .5 million versus a profit of $9 .6 million in the same period of 2007 . It attributed that to a $246 .2-million impairment charge in the fourth quarter, as deteriorating market conditions ate away at the company’s stock price . Excluding the impairment charge and a related tax recov-ery, net earnings were $22 .1 million, the company said .

Not all the fourth-quarter earnings news was negative . The Churchill Corp . of Edmonton had a profit of $11 .2 million on revenue of $204 .4 million versus a profit of $8 .2 million on revenue of $191 .5 million in the comparable 2007 period .

“These are exceptional results given that our overall construction volume was impeded by delays in engineering, tendering of work packages, and winter weather,” said president and CEO Jim houck . “Stuart Olson [a Churchill unit] produced record margin during the per-iod of 14 .1 per cent on the strength of project execution in northern Alberta and British Columbia .”

houck also looked to the future .“Our consolidated backlog at Dec . 31,

2008, was in excess of $1 .4 billion, which positions the corporation favourably to adjust to a more competitive business environment, particularly in the industrial construction and maintenance environ-ment,” he said . “Additionally, our balance sheet is in excellent condition with $100 .8 million of cash and cash equivalents, $78 .3 million of working capital, and access to a $60-million credit facility, giving us signifi-cant financial flexibility .”

CONSTRUCTION FIRMS SEE SOME BRIGHTNESS IN THIS ERA OF GLOOMTHE CANADIAN PRESS

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Atco Gas has opened its first building pow-ered by geothermal energy .

The 5,576 sq .ft facility in Viking, Alta ., cost $3 .2 million, including land costs . Keeping with the times, Atco was mindful to build as green a centre as it could .

Curtis Bauer, senior engineer for the project, explains the geothermal pro-cess: 14 vertical holes were dug 200 ft into the earth . Polyethylene pipes were then installed in these holes . A glycol anti-freeze solution in the pipes draws in the

heat from the earth’s core and sends it up to a heat pump in the building . The heat pump then distributes heat throughout the building .

The building has other green features . Atco Gas also used high-efficiency lighting and water heater, as well as thicker than normal insulation so the building requires less overall energy to heat .

Edmonton contractor Delnor Construction built the Viking Operations Centre . The project was completed on

budget and ahead of schedule . It is the first business located in the new 45-acre busi-ness park owned by Beaver County and the town of Viking .

Atco Gas president Brian hahn boasts, “Today marks another great milestone for our company . The new centre helps us reduce our local carbon footprint while improving operational efficiency so we can provide exceptional customer service and maintain delivery rates among the lowest in Canada .”

ATCO GAS’ GEOTHERMAL CENTREBy KELLEy STARK

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This Atco Gas building in Viking has gone geothermal.

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Alberta Construction Magazine | 11


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One of the shovel-ready projects that got a boost from government spending is the $160-million Telus world of Science’s new science centre in Calgary .

The $40 million set aside by Ottawa—part of the spending package to stimulate the economy—matches equal funding commitments by the provincial govern-ment and City of Calgary . The centre is to open in 2011 . Construction should start this spring .

This will be Canada’s first new science centre in more than 25 years .

Officials say a new centre is needed because the old one has been running at full capacity and simply cannot keep pace with the tremendous growth the Calgary region has experienced .

The 130,000 sq .ft centre will be on a 15-acre parcel of land adjacent to the Calgary Zoo . The design is expected to achieve a minimum Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification .

Centre officials say the building’s exter-ior features a “bright iconic roof” that

symbolizes Calgary and southern Alberta geology . As well, bright colours on the exterior represent Calgary’s young, vibrant, and bold spirit .

The interior will feature an open atrium, learning and leadership centre, and four themed galleries: Energy & Innovation; Earth, Space, and Our Environment; human Body; and Technology, Style, and Art . The centre will also have the Creative Kids Museum and a travelling exhibition gallery, theatre, and an observatory .

FUNDING BOOSTS SCIENCE CENTRE PROJECTAn artist rendering of Telus World of Science’s new Calgary building.

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To someone not used to its ways, Dubai’s downsizing might not look so bad . Construction cranes still tower over the city, though a bit fewer . But one brief phrase shows how heavy a blow Dubai has suffered from the world economic crisis . The words “leaving Dubai, must sell” now dot classified ads from departing for-eign workers .

first, the economic free fall quieted Dubai’s white-hot growth . Then, it took another swipe at the boomtown’s swagger: setting off an exodus of workers that could cut the population by at least five per cent by some estimates .

Dubai’s leadership has tried hard to portray the shifting fortunes as just a

temporary pause in the city-state’s relent-less expansion . Others see a mixed bless-ing: a chance to simply catch their breath . (for those of you in fort McMurray, sound familiar?)

Mustafa Alani at Gulf Research Center describes the humbling of Dubai as “an attitude adjustment that covers everything from plans for huge projects to the small daily interactions in life .”

Says Dubai real estate broker Michal Mroz: “During the boom years, the Dubai way was: ‘Take it or leave it . There will always be someone willing to pay the price .’ Now people are leaving it .”

Market research firm Proleads said in a february report that nearly 53 per cent of

the Emirates’ construction projects have been put on hold and more may be frozen this year .

A belt-tightening mood is found almost anywhere . A recent report by the Jones Lang LaSalle consultants showed the sup-ply of empty offices in Dubai has doubled to 16 per cent over the past six months . Standard & Poor’s cut the credit ratings of six Dubai government-backed entities and a leading property developer .

Another report forecast a five per cent drop in Dubai’s population from about 1 .7 million last year to 1 .62 million by the end of 2009 as Gulf construction and finan-cial markets seize up, sending expatriate workers packing .

COOL DOWN IN DUBAIBy CHAZ OSBURN

Even once-hot Dubai is shedding workers and halting construction projects.

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A 1,000 ft long, 28 ft wide steel bridge in what seems like the middle of nowhere has earned a place in infrastructure history. Well, maybe infrastructure trivia history. You see, the bridge has the distinction of being the first American infrastructure project to move forward under that government’s economic stimulus package.

The project, a replacement bridge in Miller County near Tuscumbia, Mo., was approved for construction as a “top prior-ity” for the State of Missouri. The price tag: $8.5 million.

The bridge will replace the existing 75-year-old Osage River Bridge, which is the same length and just 20 ft wide. The bridge crosses a Missouri River tributary near the

middle of the state, where the average daily traffic is more than 1,000 cars. However, it has been off limits to large trucks since 2007 because of its poor structural condition.

The new bridge, built by general con-tractor APAC of Kansas City, will use 395 tons of structural steel for the bridge’s 570 ft main span. It will be positioned just upstream from the existing bridge.

THIS BRIDGE IS HISTORYby Chaz Osburn

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Aspiring electricians in Alberta can now choose from two career paths, including one leading to professional status. Recent legislation established two protected titles that cannot be used by those who haven’t met requirements: Certified master electrician and regis-tered master electrician. Both titles denote electricians who have written the master exam, a seven-hour exam taken after completion of a four-year apprenticeship program and two years of working.

Master electricians choose whether to become certified master electricians who are authorized to engage in the electrical permitting process, or registered master electricians who work in support func-tions, such as instructing at technical institutions or working in sales.

Permits won’t be issued to registered master electricians, so contractors can’t erroneously hire the wrong person for the job.

After two more years of experience and exams, a certified mas-ter electrician is eligible to become a professional electrical con-tractor, with more installation capability and responsibility.

Building advancement into the career will hopefully ignite interest in the electrician field. Says Lou Hiemer, professional elec-trical contractor and chair of the Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta’s professional electrical contractor committee: “It’s very important for younger electricians to be able to go from an elec-trician to a master to a [professional electrical contractor]. So you start off with a screwdriver and you end up with a pen.”

SPARKING INTEREST IN ELECTRICIAN PROFESSIONby Tricia radison

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new legislation outlines the requirements to become either a certified master electrician or a registered master electrician.

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Construction equipment theft is an issue that will not go away and, in fact, could worsen as the recession drags on .

In the United States, it’s estimated that the problem costs construction com-panies up to $1 billion per year . LoJack Corp ., which markets technology to track stolen equipment, reports that construc-tion theft last year continued at a steady pace with organized crime driving much of the theft .

Poor on-site security, easy access to open cabs, one key fits all, and lack of product identification numbers/records are all issues that make construction equipment easy targets for crooks . In fact, according to a 2008 Cygnus Business Media Research Study commissioned by LoJack and the National Insurance Crime Bureau, 71 per cent of equipment owners in the United States have experienced equipment theft .

The study also revealed that newer equip-ment on the job site is the most common theft target because of higher resale value . So what’s the No . 1 target? here are the types of equipment most frequently stolen (in order):1. Backhoe loaders/skip loaders/wheel

loaders/track loaders2. Light utility/work trucks and trailers�. Generators/air compressors/welders�. Skid steers�. forklifts/scissor lifts .

STOP THIEF!

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Poor security at construction sites can make theft an attractive option for crooks.

nuts & bolts

18 | May/June 2009

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Alberta is following through with promised changes to fire and building codes after a wind-whipped blaze destroyed 18 duplexes and damaged 70 other homes in Edmonton in 2007.

Stronger fire code regulations take effect immediately and include improved safety requirements on construction sites.

Building code changes take effect in early May and include a new requirement that fire-resistant gypsum board be used in all new homes with vinyl siding that are built close together.

Fire detectors and gypsum wallboard will also be required in attached garages of new homes, as well as additional sprinklers in new multi-family buildings.

Homebuilders have already cautioned that the changes will add thousands of dollars to the cost of a new home.

But senior firefighters have said that they’d like to see the province go even further and apply some of the safety improvements to existing homes as well.

Since last November, more than two dozen construction site toilets have been set on fire in San Francisco, causing an esti-mated $50,000 in property damage and leaving a trail of foul-smelling evidence.

As a result, the Clorox Co. has offered a $5,000 reward and a year’s supply of cleaning products for tips lead-ing to the arrest of the portable potty pyromaniac.

In fact, the Oakland, Calif.-based company has gone so far as to deploy a “potty patrol” team in the city to make people aware of the offer.

A NEW DEFINITION OF THE HOT SEATTHE CANADIAN PRESS

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Each day the public sees the fruits of labour of countless architects, engineers, designers, and contractors in the buildings, bridges, and roads they create . But for a week each february in Calgary, the public also gets to see a different side to some of these individuals .

we’re speaking of Canstruction Calgary, an event that has provided more than 142,000 lb of food to that city’s needy since 2006 .

Teams gather at Calgary City hall to design and build structures made entirely from canned foods within a 10 ft by 10 ft by 8 ft space . After a period of display, the structures are “de-canstructed” and all the canned food is sent to the Calgary Interfaith food Bank .

This year’s Canstruction Calgary went hollywood with a “Lights! Cans! Action!” theme . Perhaps you’ll recognize some stars of your favourite films .

1. Students from Langevin School, who were sponsored by SNC-Lavalin, built a robot out of cans of tuna that looks a lot like R2D2. Its name: R TUNA CAN 2.

2. Aecom’s display was called “HUNGER: More Than Meets the Eye” and featured the head of an Autobot.

�. EnCana Corp.’s display was “CAN I SuperSize That For you?” and consisted of 4,500 cans.

�. The team from Fluor Canada Ltd. used 8,000 cans of food to build “TiCANic.”

�. Can this be Bob the Builder? yes it can. This is PCL Construction Management

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Do you know what turbidity is?Don’t feel bad if you don’t—we didn’t

either the first time we heard the word . In layman’s terms it’s a measurement of the clarity of water .

So how does this affect the construc-tion industry?

Consider the amount of bridge work or pipeline construction that goes on in and around Alberta’s rivers and streams .

we’ve all seen how cloudy water gets when it’s full of sediment, but the import-ance goes far beyond appearance . As Michael Chichak, senior water resources engineer at Golder Associates in Edmonton, pointed out at a recent transportation conference, turbidity can greatly affect aquatic life .

According to fisheries and Oceans Canada, “deposited sediment” is harmful to fish habitats . here are three reasons why:■ The small spaces between gravel par-

ticles can become clogged . That pre-vents the free flow of oxygenated water

and the removal of waste products from developing eggs that fish leave in the gravel . This often suffocates the eggs and results in their deaths . And it can make gravel beds unsuitable for the future incubation of eggs .

■ Bottom-dwelling organisms, such as crayfish and insects, risk destruction . fish rely on them for food .

■ The sheltered areas between boulders and gravel particles are eliminated . young fish need these areas to survive .

while it’s virtually impossible to work in and around water without disturbing it, a number of environmentally friendly products exist to lessen the impact of construction .

for example, the Layfield Group of Companies, which has offices around Canada (including Alberta), markets a

device called Aqua Dam . It’s a water-filled barrier to contain, divert, and control the flow of water that’s lightweight to transport and, when filled, strong enough to walk on .

hydrological Solutions Inc .’s Aqua-Barrier is similar, providing crews with

an alternative to conventional dam methods such as sandbags

and earth berms .

CONTROLLING SEDIMENT: THE FISH WILL THANK YOUBy CHAZ OSBURN

To be sure, other products and methods designed to control sediment exist . As in everything else, it’s important to do your homework before beginning any project .

GREEN

nuts & bolts

22 | May/June 2009

AROUND CANADACH

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Per cent increase in number of hous-ing starts in Halifax in February 2009 versus February 2008 (One 90-unit apartment building accounts for the bulk of the increase.)

TOP EXEC AT snC-LaVaLInJacques Lamarre is stepping down at SNC-Lavalin after 42 years with the company—13 of them as its CEO .

LEAVINGAs of May 7, executive VP Pierre Duhaime will be in charge .

Lamarre, 65, plans only to meet with his successor if Duhaime “wants to have lunch . I have full trust in his leadership,” Lamarre said . “I don’t want him to think I will be there second-guessing his leadership .”

SNC-Lavalin, based in Montreal, is one of the biggest engineering and construction companies in the world and a major player in owning infrastructure and providing operations and maintenance .

THE SASKATCHEWAN GOVERNMENT SAyS PROPOSED CHANGES TO ITS CONSTRUCTION LABOUR LEGISLATION WILL GIVE WORKERS AND EMPLOyERS FREEDOM OF CHOICE AND KEEP THE PROVINCE’S ECONOMy MOVING.

bUt the UmbreLLA grOUP FOr trAde UniOnS SAyS SASkAtChewAn wOrkerS mAy nOt get FirSt PriOrity FOr jObS Under the PrOPOSed AmendmentS.

IT WOULD ALLOW THE CREATION OF UNIONS THAT REPRESENT MULTIPLE TRADES, INSTEAD OF A SINGLE UNION FOR EACH CRAFT, AND MAKES OTHER CHANGES TO BARGAINING.

the PrOvinCe wiLL SOLiCit PUbLiC FeedbACk On the LegiSLAtiOn And COndUCt COnSULtAtiOnS with StAkehOLderS dUring the SUmmer.

in saskatchewan

28NUMBER Of STOREyS PLANNED fOR EPCOR TOwER AT STATION LANDS, whICh IS NOw UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN DOwNTOwN EDMONTON

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55Number of years that Stantec has been in business

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around canada

Blowing in the windThe growth of renewable energy offers oil and gas-rich Alberta a major opportunity to make rapid progress in its environmental performance.

That’s the assessment by Dan Balaban, president and CEO of Greengate Power Corp., a Calgary-based renewable energy project developer focused on wind power. Greengate plans to double the province’s instal-led capacity of wind power generation within three

years, providing a clean source of power for more than 150,000 Alberta homes and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by one million tonnes per year.

As more attention is focused on the environ-ment, investing in wind energy capacity makes sense. Between now and 2020, close to US$1 trillion in

global investment is projected to bring global installed capacity to well over 500,000 MW, according to the Canadian Wind Energy Association.

If Greengate ends up in succeeding with its plan to build nine projects across the province—an investment of well over $3 billion—it could provide clean power to half a million homes, and reduce Alberta’s greenhouse gas emissions by three million tonnes per year.

“That’s an absolutely massive reduction in emis-sions, which is roughly equivalent to all the greenhouse gas emissions currently produced by the oilsands,” Balaban says.

Unlike the majority of wind power projects being developed in Alberta, which are waiting for new power

Calgary company plans to boost Alberta’s wind capacity dramaticallyby Jacqueline Louie

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commercial

2� | May/June 2009

Blowing in the windlines to be built, Greengate’s strategy is to use existing transmission infrastructure. This allows its projects to be built quickly, with minimal impact to ratepayers, Balaban says. The company plans to start construction later this year and be fully operational by late 2010 with Halkirk, a 150 MW wind project to be located 50 km east of Stettler—the first of four near shovel-ready wind projects planned by Greengate.

Wind power projects bring real benefits to rural com-munities, Balaban says. Landowners receive an additional revenue stream, since the developer pays a royalty based on the amount of power produced. And, “the wonderful thing about wind power is that landowners can continue to farm and raise cattle around wind turbines.”

Counties can receive significant tax revenues from wind power projects, which create local jobs. At Halkirk, for instance, 200 people will be employed full-time for a year while the project is under construc-tion. After construction, the project will continue to need full-time operations staff, “so it creates a long term sustainable economy,” Balaban says.

Halkirk will be the first wind project to be built in the County of Paintearth.

“While most of the jobs will be created during the construction phase, in the long term, we expect to see four or five positions that will further enhance the community,” says Larry Davidson, economic development officer with the Paintearth Economic

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Partnership Society. The region is also looking at other ways to work with the wind energy sector, including manufacturing, to further enhance wind development in Alberta.

Wind power makes both economic and environmental sense.

“Unfortunately, many large [construction] projects have been cancelled or postponed

in this province, mostly in the oilsands,” Balaban points out. “We need something to replace those projects. Wind power has the potential to be the quickest, most significant form of economic stimulus available because of the sheer size of these projects.

“Although the oilsands receive the majority of scrutiny around the world, the

reality is the majority of Alberta’s emis-sions are caused through the generation of electricity, not through the oilsands. So if you’re looking at an opportunity to decrease the emissions produced in this province, the quickest, most tan-gible way of doing that is by renewable energy projects. Wind has the ability to really clean up Alberta’s environmental performance.”

However, wind project developers typically face a variety of hurdles. Those include the lack of available transmission capacity, and working through the public consultation process and regulatory pro-cess. Securing financing is also becoming increasingly difficult.

Wind currently supplies five per cent of the installed capacity for electricity in Alberta.

“There is a great deal of poten-tial, and that’s why even in these dif-ficult economic times, you see a very strong level of interest remaining in the Alberta marketplace,” says David Huggill, western Canada policy man-ager for the Canadian Wind Energy Association.

Greengate Power’s management team believes that building wind power projects will create new business opportunities, which in turn can help boost the economy.

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Olympic task

hanks to cross-country skier Chandra Crawford, free-style skier Jennifer Heil, and others, Alberta captured more than its per-capita share of gold and podium

placings at the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics. Don’t be sur-prised by a repeat next year. However, as Vancouver-Whistler gets set for next year’s Games, the Alberta connection isn’t confined to athletic performance. It extends to Alberta-based engineering and construction firms contributing to design-ing and building several Olympic venues.

For instance, PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc., the B.C. region subsidiary of Edmonton-headquartered PCL Constructors Inc., has been preparing for the $625.9- million Vancouver Convention Centre expansion for the 2010 Olympics and Paralympics. The total cost entails a lump sum of $545.2 million combined with $80.7 million of work com-pleted under a construction management agreement. This spectacular structure, PCL’s largest-ever lump-sum project, has the Games as its immediate goal. But it will continue as a focus for visitors and a legacy on downtown Vancouver’s northern waterfront long after the Olympic flame dims.

The one million sq. ft convention facility will house a media centre for some 10,000 journalists, broadcasters, and techni-cians. In that sense, the new and expanded facility, set to mesh with the city’s existing convention centre, will form a focal point through which the world will hear and view Vancouver 2010.

The venue sets new Olympic standard. Appropriately geared to attain the gold standard under the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program, the structure—almost half of which is built over water and is supported by about 900 steel pilings—draws upon Vancouver’s already spec-tacular natural setting and vistas. Key features include:• A 5.5-acre green roof—seeded with B.C. native grasses—the

largest of its kind in Canada.• Heat pumps that use the constant temperature of seawater

for heating and cooling.• An $8.2-million artificial reef or marine habitat apron.• A floor-to-ceiling, structural glass curtain wall, which

offers an unobstructed view across the harbour to the mountains.

• Integration of the centre’s walkways and plazas into Vancouver’s already extensive bike and pedway systems.There were tight constraints on space and access at a site

surrounded by water on three sides. With a peak workforce of 850, it called for careful construction choreography and logistics planning. Explains PCL’s project director Robert Smith: “Construction teams had to deal with tides that var-ied up and down by 15 ft, forcing workers to work at varying times throughout the day and night to catch the water at a low enough elevation to allow tasks to be completed.”

T

28 | May/June 2009

institutional

Olympic task Alberta-based companies play

huge role in getting B��C�� ready for 2010 Games

by Nordahl Flakstad

The newly expanded Vancouver Convention Centre includes a stunningly large 5.5-acre green roof.

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GREEN


Despite the challenges during piling and densification, the project has met its targeted spring completion date.

Another company with Alberta ori-gins, Stantec Consulting, has worked on or is working on just about every Olympic venue and associated infrastructure project. Stantec provided mechanical engineering on the speed-skating oval and mechanical and electrical engineer-ing on the Olympic curling facility. The Edmonton-based firm also led project management and mechanical engineer-ing at the convention centre.

Stantec’s engineering and architec-tural team assumed another Olympic challenge in designing the Sliding Centre at Whistler, where bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton events will be held. It’s literally a case of fast-tracking. A year before the Olympics, the world’s top sliders were giving the 1,450 m track a thumbs-up and setting speed records with Latvia’s four-man bobsled team zooming down at 152.68 km/hr. Built into Blackcomb Mountain at a cost of $104.9 million, the track and related structures along with other compon-ents required 350 tonnes of concrete and included some 90,000 m of steel refrigeration piping.

With construction started in 2005 and the track ready for trial runs during the 2007–08 sliding season, the builders had no room for backsliding.

Negotiating the curves and dips of design required some deft engineering and special considerations. According to Stantec regional manager Michael Kennedy: “Working on a project as unique as the Sliding Centre was as challenging as it was rewarding. You can imagine that

it’s very different than most other venues as there are only a handful of tracks in the world and on top of that it was designed with a heavy focus on minimizing environ-mental impacts on a fast-track schedule.”

Meanwhile, at Hillcrest Park in Vancouver’s Riley Park neighbour-hood, another Alberta tie-in has involved Stuart Olson Construction. The sub-sidiary of Edmonton’s Churchill Corp. was the contractor for the Vancouver Olympic/Vancouver Paralympic Centre. The $87.9-million venue hosts curling (in 108.000 sq. ft) during the Games and recently was the site for the world wheelchair and junior championships. A 66,500 sq. ft aquatic and 174,500 sq. ft recreational facility will form part of the new complex.

Less visible but sti l l important Alberta links are the Whistler Olympic/Paralympic Park’s water and waste water facilities completed last November. The park contains stadiums for biathlon, cross-country skiing, and Nordic-combined and ski-jumping competitions. Epcor Utilities Inc. of Edmonton led the water facilities’ design and construction team.

Olympic curling and Paralympic wheelchair curling events will be held in this building.

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institutional

�0 | May/June 2009

110ALBE

RTA’S

TOP

SNAPSHOT vIEWS Of THE PROvINCE’S KEY ROAD, BRIDGE, AND LRT PROjECTS

by Tricia Radison

fORGET ThAT ThERE’S A RECESSION . IT’S GOING TO BE ANOThER yEAR Of BARRICADES ON ALBERTA’S ROADS AND BRIDGES . PART Of ThE REASON IS ThE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT’S COMMITMENT TO CATCh UP ON wORKS ThAT SUffERED DURING ThE RALPh KLEIN yEARS . AND OThER PROJECTS ARE GETTING A BOOST BECAUSE Of fEDERAL EffORTS TO STIMULATE ThE NATIONAL ECONOMy ThROUGh INfRASTRUCTURE SPENDING .

hERE ARE ThE TOP 10 INfRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN ALBERTA ThIS yEAR .

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awaited ring road should be open by November.

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NORTHWEST RING ROAD—EDMONTONAn Alberta Transportation project and the largest of the province’s innovative public-private partnership projects, the northwest section of Edmonton’s Anthony Henday Drive will be a busy site this year and for the next two. The $1.42-billion project involves the construction of 21 km of roadway and 29 bridges between Yellowhead Trail and Manning Drive.

The general contractor is Northwestconnect General Partnership, a joint venture consist-ing of Flatiron Construction Corp., Graham Construction Engineering, and Parsons. Design is by Aecom.

NORTHEAST, NORTHWEST RING ROAD—CALGARYTechnically two separate projects but both parts of the long-awaited Calgary ring road, the northeast and northwest sections are both slated to open by November after interchanges and paving are completed. The $430-million northwest section has been under construction since 2005 and is being built under a traditional model of delivery, while the $650-million northeast section is a public-private partnership (P3) begun in 2007.

While the different methods of delivery undoubtedly play a role in the length of time the projects have gone on, scope changes, such as the addi-tion of three interchanges to reduce the number of lights on the northwest section, also played a role.

For the northeast section, the general contractor is the Stoney Trail Group. Construction and engineering is by Flatiron Constructors Canada Ltd. and Graham.

For the northwest section, the general contractor is PCL-Maxam, a joint venture, while engineering and design is by Aecom.

5

SOUTH LRT EXTENSION—EDMONTONAbout 5.5 km of rail will take the City of Edmonton’s LRT line from the South Campus station to Century Park next year. The $673-million price tag for the extension includes a grade separation on 111th Street, tak-ing the train below the southbound lanes into the median of 11th Street at 61st Avenue, as well as a new bus terminal/LRT station at Southgate Mall, and a new LRT station at Century Park.

This year will see the completion of both stations and construction of the grade separation. The line is expected to be up and running in April 2010.

The general contractor along 111th Street is PCL Construction. Project management is by Stantec Consulting.

HIGHWAY �� IMPROVEMENTSAs anyone who travels to Fort McMurray knows, improvements to Highway 63 are badly needed. Construction began on a five-lane $127-million bridge over the Athabasca River in 2008 and will continue through to 2011. When completed, the 33 m wide, 472 m long deck will be the largest in Alberta.

Two new interchanges at Thickwood Boulevard and Confederation Way, estimated to cost a total of $300 million, will get underway in the spring. The general contractor on the bridge is Flatiron. As of writing, contracts have not been awarded for the interchanges.

3WEST LRT EXPANSION—CALGARYPreliminary design for the City of Calgary’s $776-million western leg of its LRT system is in the design stages. The new line, com-prised of 7.7 km of track and six new stations, will run from the city centre to 69th Street SW. Site preparation such as the removal of buildings on acquired land will take place this year with construction scheduled to begin in 2010.

Scheduled for completion in 2012, the West LRT project includes the construction of an interchange at Sarcee Trail and 17th Avenue SW. Simultaneous construction will lower the city’s costs, keep disruption to a minimum, and eliminate conflicts between separate contractors trying to manage two projects in close proximity.

Pre-design work is by Hatch Mott MacDonald and GEC Architecture, while the urban designers are GEC Architecture and Lombard North.

infrastructure

Alberta Construction Magazine | ��

7

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2�RD AVENUE INTERCHANGE—EDMONTONThe City of Edmonton’s $260-million interchange at 23rd Avenue and Calgary Trail/Gateway Boulevard involves building a split-diamond interchange, taking 23rd Avenue over Calgary Trail, Gateway, and the railway. Work began last year. The project should be done in 2011.

This year will see the construction of mechanically stabilized earth walls, completion of the westbound part of the 23rd Avenue overpass, and east and westbound traffic running overtop of Gateway and Calgary Trail.

The general contractor is Kiewit Management. Design, construction monitoring, and contract admin-istration is by Team ISL.

WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT EXPANSION—FORT MCMURRAYThe $226-million, three-phase expansion of Fort McMurray’s waste water treatment plant is almost complete, with finish-ing touches being carried out this year. The plant, designed to serve a population of up to 133,000, will reclaim waste water and return it to the environment in pristine condition.

The regional municipality chose to design and build the facility with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver in mind, including such features as on-site recyc-ling facilities, forms of heat recovery, and water efficient land-scaping. If the plant wins the Silver designation, it will be the first waste water or water treatment plant in the country to receive such certification.

Bird Construction Co. is the general contractor. The project manager is Associated Engineering Alberta Ltd., and design is by Aecom.

QUESNELL BRIDGE AND WHITEMUD DRIVE— EDMONTONThis $181-million widening and rehabilitation project that began a few weeks ago will see Edmonton’s busi-est bridge get a longevity-enhancing overhaul. Quesnell Bridge, built in 1967, is expected to last another 50 years after construction wraps up in November 2010.

This year, the westbound lanes of Whitemud Drive will be widened, as will the east sides of both the Quesnell Bridge and the overpass on Fox Drive. Construction of retaining walls, an entrance to Fort Edmonton Park, and a multi-use trail west of the bridge is also planned for 2009. The general contractor is ConCreate USL Ltd.

GLENMORE WATER TREATMENT PLANT UPGRADES AND EXPANSION—CALGARYPart of the City of Calgary’s commitment to ensure an adequate water supply for its growing population, meet water standards, and improve the environmental sustainability of the Bearspaw and Glenmore water treatment plants, the $180-million Glenmore Water Treatment Plant upgrades and expansion have been ongoing since 2004.

When construction wraps up in 2011, the plant will boast better clarification, filtration, liquid chlorine, and de-chlorination systems.

The general contractor is PCL Construction Management Inc. and the prime consultant is Associated Engineering.

10STONY PLAIN INTERCHANGE—EDMONTONWork has started for Alberta Transportation on a desperately needed interchange at Stony Plain Road and Anthony Henday Drive. Pegged to cost about $300 million, the govern-ment has been able to secure a design-build contract at just $168.6 million. The design-build method of delivery will get the interchange up and running faster than would the traditional method of delivery.

The general contractor and design is by KMC/PCL, a joint venture between Kiewit and PCL.

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Construction of an overpass on Calgary’s ring road brought lane

shifts on the QE2.

infrastructure

�� | May/June 2009

innovationintegrityintegration

Edmonton Tel (780) 410-2580 Fax (780) 410-2589 Grande Prairie Tel (780) 814-5880 Fax (780) 814-5973Calgary Tel (403) 264-2585 Fax (403) 264-2501 Fort McMurray Tel (780) 799-4440 Fax (780) 799-4446Bonnyville Tel (780) 812-3183 Fax (780) 826-7545

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This artist’s rendering shows what the layout of Fort McMurray’s new TaigaNova Eco-Industrial Park might look like when construction is complete.

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ake no mistake, even Fort McMurray has a green side. This year the community’s first eco-

industrial park—one of a growing number in Canada—will be finished.

An eco-friendly industrial park in the heart of Canada’s oilsands?

“Why not Fort McMurray?” asks Bryan Lutes. “Why not counteract a lot of nega-tive publicity with something good?”

Lutes is president of the Wood Buffalo Housing and Development Corp., develop-ers of the TaigaNova Eco-Industrial Park. Located along Highway 63 seven minutes north of the city, TaigaNova spans over 31.5 ha. It has 27 lots—four zoned as highway commercial and 23 as business industrial—ranging in size from 0.34 ha to 1.97 ha. Ten of the 27 lots already have buyers.

The TaigaNova has four primary objectives. They are to:

Address a shortage of industrial land in the area.

Support the business needs of the resource sector and the local economy.

Take a leadership role in sustainable industrial development.

Minimize environmental impacts and enhance quality of life.While there are other eco-industrial

parks in Canada, Eco-Industrial Solutions Ltd., the development manager on the pro-ject, says TaigaNova is the only such park that is conventionally financed.

One of TaigaNova’s green features is its stormwater system. Traditionally, stormwater is controlled with curbs and gutters. The TaigaNova park uses swales in combination with a pond. The swales help to naturally filter runoff back into the environment. That should lessen the strain on the sewer system when snow melts.

The pond is more than just a tool to control stormwater, though. It will be a public site and wildlife habitat—complete with dragonfly perches. The park’s design includes walking and cycling trails.

TaigaNova’s developers also made the roads in the park narrower, using less asphalt and, therefore, oil to create the

ChoosinggreenFort McMurray builds its first eco-industrial parkby Kelley Stark

M

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asphalt. As well, because of the ground-level stormwater system, less piping is required.

There’s even a green component to the machinery used to build the park. Some of the equipment is being powered by biodiesel or a biodiesel blend. While there is debate about whether the produc-tion of bio-diesel actually outweighs the use of conventional diesel, the developers are hopeful that it positively impacts the environment in the long run.

There should also be a cost bene-fit to clients that choose to build at TaigaNova.

Buildings in the park will be energy efficient, using 25 per cent less energy than what’s specified by the Model National Energy Code of Canada. Companies can choose to use native land-scaping, which will translate to a savings in irrigation costs.

Having a list of specific development guidelines makes it easier for developers to choose aspects of green building that work for them. “What we’re doing isn’t that difficult to do,” Lutes says. “ In fact, building this type of park may be easier [than conventional industrial parks].”

Says Tracy Casavant, president of Eco-Industrial Solutions: “We’re seeing innova-tive companies in conventional industries coming in and proving that benefiting the economy and the environment are not mutually exclusive. Designing to build and operate sustainably does not have to cost more.”

Construction of the first buildings along TaigaNova’s newly named streets, Boreal Road and TaigaNova Way, is expected to start this year.

Clustering vegetation within TaigaNova will create functional greenspaces.

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New way of constructing pipelines finds favour

by Tricia Radison

new way of laying pipelines is taking hold in Alberta.

Pipeline construction, as any-one who has travelled this province knows, is big business. But are you aware that con-tractors lay between 12,000 and 15,000 km of pipeline in Alberta each year?

About 85 per cent of that is pipe less than 12 inches in diameter—in fact, most pipe has a diameter less than six inches. Yet virtually every installation requires excavating a trench between 32 and 42 inches wide.

There have been good reasons for digging large trenches. For one, buck-ets smaller than 32 inches have tended to clog with earth. That makes them woefully inefficient, not to mention uneconomical. Wide trenches work. They have been the industry standard for decades.

But conventional construction prac-tices have led to environmental and eco-nomical problems. Valuable topsoil is lost forever to erosion or contaminated with subsoil. Landowners temporarily lose the use of agricultural land. Winter construction practices result in expen-sive spring cleanup operations, and prob-lems can occur a decade or more after construction.

The issues related to pipeline construc-tion haven’t gone unnoticed. Working

takes root

OLD WAYIt’s a common sight around Alberta: Deep and wide trenches for pipeline construction. The problem is that once the pipe is in the ground and the contractor leaves, the ground can settle and a noticeable depression can form or a small mound may be left.

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within an Alberta Environment initia-tive called Partners in Resource Excellence (PIRE), the government, contracting industry, and upstream oil and gas com-munity have developed a process called Innovative Pipelining Strategies, or IPS. It’s a new way of constructing pipelines that’s cheaper, more effective, and yes, environmentally friendly.

IPS takes an outcome-based approach to pipelining. It focuses on making the smallest impact possible on the environ-ment. In the oilsands-rich region of Wood Buffalo, where multiple pipelines may be installed in one trench and the area is for-est and wetland, minimal impact might mean using a barge to float pipe over wet areas rather than damaging the land with heavy vehicles and reducing the trench line from 50 m to 35 or 40, depending on land conditions.

“In forested areas, each metre you don’t have to use for the temporary storage of stripped and excavated soils as a result of minimizing excavated trench width is another metre of trees you don’t have to cut down,” explains Marc LaBerge, facili-ties construction leader at Devon Canada in Calgary. Devon participates in PIRE.

On agricultural land, the impact can be reduced much further. About 90 per cent of the pipelines that Devon installs are

takes rootGOING GREEN

NEW WAYA new process

of constructing pipelines known as

Innovative Pipelining Strategies is more

environmentally friendly than

traditional construction

methods. Trenches are planned to be

as small as possible, and other steps,

such as using lighter equipment to make

less of an impact on the earth, are

practiced.

green issue feature


between three to six inches in diameter. Conventional pipelining practices resulted in three- and even four-foot trenches. With IPS, trench width can be reduced to a mere 11 inches in some circumstances.

Tools to helpThere is a wide array of tools and techniques contractors can use to construct pipelines using IPS, some of which have been in use for several years. The Kendal Tapered Wheel, for example, was developed by a contractor in Grande Prairie with the objective of compacting the trench line to com-pletely return the excavated soils dur-ing winter construction. This initial innovation inspired the IPS process that exists today.

Other tools and techniques were developed as a result of the partnership.

“In discussions with the contractors, they indicated that if the tools were avail-able, the outcomes could be achieved,” says Doug Kulba, program coordinator of Partners in Resource Excellence, Alberta Environment. “We quickly recognized that specialty tools and techniques would need to be developed.”

Tools like narrow stripping and excav-ating buckets, narrow chain and wheel ditchers, and soil compaction equipment are all elements of this new way of pipelin-ing. But practicing IPS also requires the contractor and operators to approach pro-jects in a new way.

“This isn’t about criticizing past prac-tices,” Kulba says. “Everyone was using the best available technologies at the time. This is about asking if we can do better.”

Contractors need to work with the clients to assess the entire pipeline and determine

the best construction strategies to mini-mize land impact and long-term land liabilities. Trenches are planned to be as small as possible, and other steps, such as using lighter equipment to make less of an impact on the earth, are practiced. Rather than stripping topsoil to form a place to pile removed subsoil, a practice that can impair the quality of the topsoil, material such as snow or straw is simply spread over the topsoil to form a buffer.

To prevent future problems such as sunken ditch lines, reduce spring clean up costs, and protect the soil from erosion and contamination, the soil is replaced as soon as possible, even during winter con-struction. Soil is compacted from the safe zone—a buffer of soil above the pipe—upwards, allowing the contractor to maxi-mize the replacement of the excavated soil back into the trench.

Devon Canada’s Marc LaBerge, centre, says the contractors his company works with are seeing new business opportunities with a new pipeline construction method designed to make a smaller impact on the environment.

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Devon Canada has recognized that Innovative Pipelining Strategies, or IPS, can have a big impact on land . Consider these points:❚ About 90 per cent of the pipe-

lines Devon installs are between three to six inches in diameter .

❚ Conventional pipelining practi-ces resulted in three- and even four-foot trenches .

❚ with IPS, trench width can be reduced to a mere 11 inches in some circumstances .

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Devon strives to return the soil capabil-ity immediately after construction is fin-ished. Although there may be the odd bell-hole or dip to repair in the spring after winter construction, Devon says its spring cleanup costs have been greatly reduced. In fact, some pipeline projects require no final summer cleanup.

In May 2008, Devon mandated con-tractors use IPS on all its agricultural pipelining in Canada. The partners in PIRE—LaBerge, Kulba, and Randy Galbreath, president of Stratus Pipelines Ltd. in Grande Prairie—are presenting this greener method of construction to the oil and gas industry as well as provincial and federal government agencies with the goal of increasing industry awareness of the issues and the solutions.

With a shift toward greener construc-tion coming down the pipe, contractors need to know what’s expected of them.

Quite a bit, according to both Galbreath and Lyle Cazes, president of Low Impact Pipeline Systems Inc. Cazes has been develop-ing the Low Impact Pipeline System, or LIPS, since 1995, as a method of pipelining designed to leave land in its former productive state.

Needed investmentGalbreath estimates that some contract-ors may need to invest around $85,000 in equipment to construct according to IPS, if they’re running two or three crews. Cazes adds that the training requirements are a further investment, with contractor train-ing alone taking two to four weeks per year. Training must be done throughout the year, as summer construction differs from winter construction.

Contractors have to understand what the system is and the outcome they are trying to achieve, develop knowledge about the management of different types of soils and vegetation, and learn about new excavation processes.

IPS has reduced the amount of land Devon impacts through pipeline construc-tion by about 30 per cent, simultaneously reducing downtime and costs for Devon and agricultural landowners. The bene-fits to the environment, landowners, and pipeline clients are clear.

While IPS is touted as leading to improved risk management, more social trust, a smaller carbon footprint, and increased employee satisfaction for contractors the economic

concerns for those losing cleanup work as well as future repair projects may be an issue.

“The contractor looks at it and he says, ‘If I do this, what do I get out of it?’ Maybe I can do it faster. Maybe I can get more work because I’m doing something better. Right now today, that’s a real bouncing ball,” Cazes says.

Cazes would like to see pipeline owners share the savings they receive as a result of the new construction methods with contractors.

Whether the contracting industry is able to recoup any investment required in switching to environmentally friendly methods of excavation and construction may ultimately depend on their willing-ness to seize new opportunities.

“The contractors we work with have a lot of foresight and are already seeing new business opportunities with this new method,” LaBerge says. “The dollars we can save on reclamation and cleanup costs go directly toward building additional pipeline infrastructure. The most import-ant element for Devon is making sure the work is done right the first time.”

feature green issue

�� | May/June 2009

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Building and fixing the public and private infrastructure run-ning below our feet is becoming increasingly environmentally friendly as trenchless technology makes inroads .

Trenchless technology refers to a host of technologies, materi-als, and practices that allow work to be done underground while leaving the surface virtually untouched .

“we’re not saying all the technologies don’t require any trenches,” says Albert Kwan, chair for the Northwest Chapter of the North American Society for Trenchless Technology and general supervisor of strategic planning, drainage planning, and drainage services in asset management and public works for the City of Edmonton . “But the trenching that is required using these tech-nologies will be minimal .”

Although the concept of avoiding digging when possible has been around for many years, trenchless technology has become more mainstream in the public and private sectors .

Increased focus on and knowledge about the environment is one factor driving the move . Oil and gas companies, for example, use trenchless construction technologies such as horizontal dir-ectional drilling to tunnel beneath creeks because environmental regulations mean blocking the creek and digging out a trench with a backhoe is no longer feasible .

Cost, particularly in today’s economy, is also a factor .“More and more people are using these technologies, in part

because of regulations and because people are conscientious but also because the technology itself has evolved enough that the costs are quite competitive with the open trench method,” Kwan says .

for example, some municipalities throughout the prov-ince are choosing pipe relining, in which a new pipe is created within the old pipe through an injection process, over digging up and replacing old pipes because relining is cost-efficient and green .

while anyone can go trenchless, there is, of course, a learn-ing curve . “Doing a reline is not just buying those resins and mixing it up and trying to do it on your house sewer line,” Kwan says .

The organization that Kwan chairs provides educational sym-posiums to contractors, engineers, and municipal representa-tives to help them learn more about the benefits of trenchless technology as well as how to carry out the techniques .

Knowledge is one way to mitigate the risks inherent in working in an area you cannot see . Although contractors generally have some idea of what lies beneath, they can never know for certain .

“If you’re doing [horizontal directional drilling] and you drill down and the formation is such that you keep losing your fluid as you drill, then that’s a very difficult drill,” says Kwan, explain-ing that the equipment can end up damaged .

Support technologies, such as sonar and radar, are being used to give contractors a better picture of what’s going on down below .

The City of Edmonton has several projects planned for its underground in 2009, including a large tunnel under the North Saskatchewan River, slated for completion in 2010, and millions of dollars of sewer relining .

A world of underground pipes, utilities, and tunnels can be built and rehabilitated using trenchless technologyby Tricia Radison

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Digging trenches is common when laying pipe. Generally, the bigger the diameter of pipe, the larger the trench. But now trenchless technology is replacing traditional methods in some cases. Increased focus on and knowledge about the environment is one factor driving the move.

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48 | May/June 2009

hist rycelebrating 30 years

Editor’s note: To mark our 30th anniversary, Alberta Construction Magazine has been looking back at the

past three decades and how major events affected con-struction in the province. In this issue we revisit the up

and down 1990s.

or much of the 1990s, public life in Alberta seemed defined by the provincial government’s crusade to eliminate its fiscal deficit. The issue of the deficit

had waxed and waned more or less in lockstep with the price of crude oil since the mid-1980s when world oil prices crashed

to around US$10 per barrel. As prices rose, more tax and royalty money flowed into provincial coffers, often resulting in sur-

pluses. But when oil prices fell too far, revenues came up short, and there was a fiscal deficit. Although the first Gulf War had

seen a spike in world oil prices, it didn’t last, and, by 1992, Alberta’s oil and gas revenues were down and the deficit bulged.

During the provincial election of June 1993 the political rhet-oric on the issue of the deficit reached fever pitch. The leaders of the two front-running parties, the Progressive Conservatives and

the Liberals, competed to claim ownership of the more robust hyper-bole with which to express their concern around the issue. “Massive”

provincial spending cuts contended with “brutal” cuts as prescriptions for “slaying the deficit monster.”

As voters weighed their options, the most obvious difference between the two parties was that the Liberals hadn’t won a provincial election for decades—since 1917, in fact—whereas the Conservatives had been

in office since 1971. In the election, voters opted for the party they knew, and the Progressive Conservatives, under the leadership of Ralph Klein,

were returned to office.

From gloom To

boomThe 1990s were marked by painful government cuts and big oilsands investmentsby Godfrey Budd

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By 1993, most governments in western industrialized countries had some sort of consumption tax in place. In the UK, it’s known as VAT, for Value Added Tax. In Canada, it’s called GST, for Goods and Services Tax. Other provinces in Canada also have a consumption or provincial sales tax (PST) to help provide a stable, predictable revenue stream. The newly re-elected government of Alberta balked at the PST option, however. Instead it embarked on a rapid, multi-faceted pro-gram of deregulation, privatization, and deep cuts in government spending.

The program was largely based on what had become known as the New Zealand Experiment. This, in turn, was influenced by the model of Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs), which the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, as lenders of last resort, applied to Third World countries to force them to eliminate structural deficits and reduce debt. Trevor Harrison, a professor of sociology at the

University of Lethbridge, says that SAPs were applied to many South American and African countries.

“They had typically borrowed money over long periods of time to finance economic development and now had structural deficits,” he says, “whereas Alberta had a cyclical commodity [oil], and was faced with a fairly temporary downturn.”

SETTING THE STAGEThe effects of the prov-ince’s program varied, depending on the sec-tor, but few were immune, including the construction sector. Many accepted the premier’s promise that short-term pain would be rewarded with long-term gain. But did the prov-ince’s fiscal woes really demand a remedy that matched those administered to Third World debtor nations, or New Zealand, a country whose standard-of-living rank

50 | May/June 2009


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among western industrialized countries had dropped from fifth in 1950 to about 20th by 1980? However one answers this question, most agree that by the late 1990s the race to eliminate the deficit and make Alberta a debt-free province in less than 10 years had created a substantial infrastruc-ture deficit. Much road, highway, bridge, school, and hospital construction had to wait until the boom years of the 2000s. In fact, the province is still playing catch-up with its infrastructure deficit.

One of the measures the province took involved the privatization of highway main-tenance. The province was carved up into 30 contract maintenance areas and request for proposals went out. Firms big enough to successfully respond to the request for proposals were able to benefit from the new highway maintenance regime, no doubt, but smaller, more localized firms, which used to contract with the provincial high-ways department, sometimes found them-selves without a contract.

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Overall, however, the construction sec-tor outlook was far from rosy in the early 1990s. In December 1992, a spokesman for the Alberta Construction Association (ACA) said that construction volumes were running 30 to 40 per cent below industry capacity. The association fore-cast that total construction business in the province would be $9.4 billion in 1993, well below the $13 billion spent on con-struction in 1981. The spokesman cited reduced government spending and “less

private spending outside of residential and retail construction” as factors behind the sector’s doldrums.

Although the issue of provincial spend-ing cutbacks loomed large, it was per-haps two other events, each involving an announcement from Ottawa, that probably

economics of the project and the present fiscal environment, the government will not proceed with the offer of assistance,” said Michael Wilson, federal finance minister at the time.

Federal funding remained in place for preliminary engineering work on the

did as much as anything else in framing the mood and expectations for the con-struction industry in Alberta during the 1990s. The first helped frame that of the first half of the decade and the second, which came in the winter of 1995–96, is often regarded as having ushered in the oilsands construction boom.

In February 1990, Ottawa reneged on a promise made shortly before the federal election of 1988 that it would provide $1.4 billion in grants and loan guarantees for the $4.1 billion Oslo oilsands project, at Kearl Lake, 80 km north of Fort McMurray. “In light of the

proposed oilsands plant. A key player in the Oslo consortium, Esso Resources Canada Ltd., said that with federal sup-port for construction of the plant the pro-ject would have been feasible at US$20 per barrel. Without it, US$25 per barrel was needed to make the project fly.

The province was also heavily committed financially in support of the project. There was some hope that it would assume an even greater role in financing Oslo and revive the project, which, in the wake of Ottawa pull-ing out, was on life support. But the project was dead. At the time of the disappointing news from Ottawa, Deputy Prime Minister Don Mazankowski had said: “There are some tough choices that had to be made. I think Albertans will understand.”

A federal funding program, which was designed to maintain the construction workforce during a slow period, did play a role in some projects in Calgary, says Dave Smith, executive vice-president of the Calgary Construction Association. In 1990, the money helped pay for a retrofit of the Saddledome and construction of a parkade for the City of Calgary.

The ACA forecast that the construction business in the province would grow by 15 per cent in 1997.

52 | May/June 2009


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$250-million retail project in Edmonton, and a $200-million ethylene plant expansion in Fort Saskatchewan. These and other pro-jects, including a spike in commercial and light industrial construction in Calgary and more institutional projects in Edmonton, were expected to push construction spend-ing in Alberta to $15.3 billion in 1997, up from $13.4 billion in 1996.

A few months later, in March 1997, Shell announced plans for a $1-billion oilsands plant north of Fort McMurray. Syncrude had already announced spend-ing plans of $2 billion on a new oilsands mine while Suncor was to spend $500 mil-lion on expanding its operations in the Fort McMurray region.

“It’s going to be great,” was how one oilpatch construction contractor summed up the situation.

And it was, leading to an economic boom that cemented Alberta’s reputation as a key part of Canada’s modern-day eco-nomic engine.

In Edmonton, the country’s lower interest rates combined with government incentive programs helped the city’s hous-ing sector in 1992, with housing starts exceeding those of 1991 in each of the first three months of the year.

The Husky heavy oil upgrader project at Lloydminster faced construction over-runs as design changes were made, but it was a bright spot in the lacklustre petrol-eum sector as oil prices languished around US$19 per barrel, down from an average of US$22 a year before.

Also on the industrial front, the early 1990s saw construction of the $1.6-billion Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries Inc. (Al-Pac) pulp and paper project, 50 km north-east of Athabasca.

In the summer of 1992, celebrations to mark the opening of the controversial $353-million Oldman River Dam were cancelled amidst claims of threatened violence. The Edmonton Journal reported that the province’s public works minis-ter at the time, Ken Kowalski, had said that the United Church of Canada was part of a conspiracy that had forced the

cancellation of the publicly funded celebra-tions, which included a four-day, $100,000 Festival of Life.

TURNING POINTThe turning point for what had started as a relatively dismal decade for the indus-trial construction sector came with the announcements in the winter of 1995–96 of new federal tax and provincial royalty regimes that were designed to spur oil-sands development.

The mood at the ACA was soon much more upbeat than it had been a few years earlier. The association forecast that the construction business in the province would grow by 15 per cent in 1997 and hit levels not seen since the boom years of the early 1980s.

A bonanza of projects was just around the corner. Oilsands construction and expan-sions were in the works, along with petro-chemical plants, pipelines, and other heavy industrial and engineering projects. Projects included an $800-million petrochemical plant at Joffre, a $685-million automotive fuel additive plant in Fort Saskatchewan, a



487551JWP - Top 310

Top 30 Projects will be featured in theJuly/August 2009 issue.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS JUNE 1, 2009.To submit, contact: Chaz Osburn, EditorP 1.800.563.2946 ext 274F [email protected]

Visit albertaconstructionmagazine.com for more details.

Top 30 projectsof the last 30 years

To mark its 30th anniversary, Alberta Construction Magazine will feature Alberta’s top 30 construction projects from the past 30 years. We’d like your help with nominations.

There aren’t many restrictions—just that the project be situated within the province of Alberta and that it must have been completed between 1979 and 2009.

It doesn’t matter whether the project was an institutional or commercial building or whether the project falls in the infrastructure or industrial categories. We’ll look at such factors as design functionality and appearance, unique materials used, what made the project innovative when it was built, and other features that made the project stand out.


people, products& projects

TAble oF Contentsbig move for bigsteelbox �� 56Stuart olson promotes Pearson �� 56Volvo Rents comes to Red Deer �� 56Teaming up for greater reach �� 56Keeping track of it all �� 57Clamp down on irregular surfaces �� 57Trimble’s new tablet �� 58A couple of new, tough tools �� 59Clean it green �� 59Getting the right tilt �� 60energy-saving idea �� 61Dry hands, warm hearts �� 61

HoW To submit items

Does your company have news about personnel changes or new products? or did it just land a new project in Alberta? We want to know about it� Here’s how to get your news to us�

email items to: cosburn@junewarren�com

or send it to:editor, Alberta Construction Magazine,6111-91 St� NW, edmonton, Ab T6e 6V6

or fax to: (780) 944-9500

Please include the full name and location of the company.

CARBON-FREE FOR BANTRELbantrel Co� has been recognized for efforts to reduce its carbon footprint�

Carbonfund�org has certified Calgary-based bantrel as carbon-free� According to bantrel, that makes it the first engineering, procurement, and construction company in the world to achieve that designation�

For those not familiar with Carbonfund�org, it’s a noted non-profit organization that supports renewable energy, energy efficiency, and reforestation projects around the world� The goal is to reduce Co2 pollution and hasten the transition to a clean energy future�

bantrel manages its carbon emissions in a number of ways� The company employs energy-saving measures in corporate buildings and facilities; aggressively promotes waste and consumption minimization; reuses and recycles building materials; limits employee air travel; and makes energy investments through Carbonfund�org to offset carbon emissions it cannot avoid producing�

bantrel, which operates primarily in the energy, chemical, and power industries, has designed and built some of the largest and most complex industrial facilities in Canada� Its current portfolio of projects is valued at more than $20 billion�

DESIGN FIRMS MERGECohos evamy integratedesign, the Calgary-based design firm, has merged with inter-ior design firm Mole White & Associates of Toronto� The two have worked together in the past�

“We’ve developed an excellent working relationship with Cohos evamy on major projects over the past two years and have learned that our cultures, client focus, and our passion for excellence are well-matched,” says Susan Mole� Mole had been a partner with Mole White & Associates and became a principal with Cohos evamy�

Cohos evamy’s team includes archi-tects; structural, mechanical, and elec-trical engineers; planners; and interior designers� It also has offices in edmonton and Toronto�

OBOROWSKY IS PERSON OF THE YEARDon oborowsky, president and Ceo of Waiward Steel Fabricators ltd� in edmonton, is this year’s Canadian Construction Association person of the year�

Said the association: “When it comes to improving the con-struction industry and demon-strating leadership, there are few individuals in Canada that can compare to Don oborowsky� Don’s tireless efforts, commit-ment of time and energy, and contributions through countless committees and boards such as the Canadian Construction Association, the Alberta Construction Association,

the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum, and the Canadian Construction Sector Council, have firmly established him as one of the most respected and recog-nized leaders of the construction industry�”

The announcement was made at the group’s annual conference in Arizona in March� The PCl Family of Companies sponsors the award�



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VOLVO RENTS COMES TO RED DEERVolvo Rents has expanded into Red Deer, opening a rental centre at 66–38403 Burnt Lake Trail, Unit B.

This is the fifth Alberta Volvo Rents store. The owners are Doug Baumann, Deanna Bauman, and Lance and Twyla Gardiner of Bonus Rentals. Its other locations are in Edmonton, Edson, Fort Saskatchewan, and Rocky Mountain House.

Volvo Rents handles equipment rental, construction materials, and supplies.

STUART OLSON PROMOTES PEARSONDon Pearson has been promoted to president and COO of Stuart Olson, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Churchill Corp. He succeeds Al Stowkowy, who is no longer with the company.

Pearson joined Edmonton-based Stuart Olson in 1985 as a project manager and progressed through the company until becoming executive VP in October 2008.

TEAMING UP FOR GREATER REACHAerial work platform produ-cer Skyjack has added On Site Equipment to its network of VR Telehandler dealers. On Site serves central and southern Alberta, with locations in Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, and Red Deer.

BIG MOVE FOR BIGSTEELBOXBigSteelBox has opened its new Edmonton facility at 12325 Mount Lawn Road. Jason Siebenga, whose family owns and operates the company, says the new facility will let the company keep up with the demand for existing services and introduce new ones.

BigSteelBox rents and sells mobile storage containers.

people, products & projects

56 | May/June 2009

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MINING & HEAVY CONSTRUCTION – INDUSTRIAL – PILING – PIPELINE

Unsurpassed in quality, North American Construction Group is Canada’s premier provider of mining, heavy construction, industrial, piling and pipeline services.

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KEEPING TRACK OF IT ALLbasic Tool Manager is a new barcode technology marketed for the construction industry�

Dynamic Systems Inc�, the Redmond, Wash�, software company that developed basic Tool Manager, says contractors who don’t have a method of keeping track of tools and can’t afford more complex (and costly) systems can see dramatic savings in the reduced amount of time workers spend searching for the tools�

“loss and theft of tools is a major overhead cost for the construction industry,” says Alison Falco, Dynamic Systems’ president� “our customers see a typical payback for the Tool Manager within three to four months�”

For more information, check out www�click2barocde�com�

CLAMP DOWN ON IRREGULAR SURFACESIrwin has come out with a new one-handed bar clamp called the Quick-Grip Sl300 that has a swivel locking jaw to clamp irregular surfaces� The locking swivel jaw can maintain full contact for consistent pressure, as well as easily lock for standard clamp-ing� The clamp has an I-beam bar that can handle up to 300 lb of hold force� In addition, the company says the Quick Change Sl300 screw allows users to easily convert from a clamp to a spreader�

The clamps are available in 6-inch, 12-inch, 18-inch, 24-inch, and 36-inch lengths�

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Keeping track of tools with barcode technology.



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TRIMBLE’S NEW TABLETTrimble has come out with the Trimble Tablet for Construction, a rugged hand-held com-puter that the company says is designed to streamline construction workflows between the head office, field crews, site supervisors, and earthmoving machines.

Combining laptop computing capabilities with a large, daylight readable graphics screen and the simplicity and operational power of Trimble’s SCS900 site controller software, Trimble offers in-field construction computing, site supervision, measurement, and stakeout operations. The

result is the elimination for multiple costly devices on the construction job site.

The tablet PC features built-in cellular and WiFi connectivity, which quickly allows construction professionals to receive design changes or updates in the field and to deliver measurement or stakeout results back to the office for on-the-spot approv-als. Connectivity gives field crews the ability to communicate on site problems rapidly, take corrective actions, or provide information to the project engineers upon request. Trimble Tablet is at home in the hand, on a rod, in a supervisor’s truck, or on a desk in the office, and through advanced office and vehicle docking stations can be moved quickly from one location to the next providing optimized use with computing peripherals such as keyboards, mice, and large display monitors.

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The Trimble Tablet.


58 | May/June 2009

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CLEAN IT GREENIf you’re looking for a non-toxic way to clean tools and parts, you might want to check out a company called bio-Circle�

bio-Circle, a wholly owned div-ision of Montreal-based Walter Surface Technologies, has begun marketing a parts washer that uses micro-organisms rather than solvents that can harm the environ-ment to digest grease and oil� The com-pany says there’s another big benefit: using the washer eliminates irritated skin�

A COUPLE OF NEW, TOUGH TOOLSHilti has come out with a couple of new cordless products—the SFH 18-A CPC Hammer Drill/Driver and the SF 18-A CPC Drill/Driver� Powered by lithium-ion batteries, both tools are suitable for drilling holes in masonry, stone, wood, and metal with a variety of bits, as well as driving screws and lag bolts�

Hilti says both products fea-ture all-metal gearing for smooth transfer of power, and that each delivers up to 25 per cent more torque and RPMs than competi-tive models� The company also touts that each item is con-structed for long-lasting per-formance in demanding working conditions, and that the battery cells are designed with electronic monitoring that protects against overheating, overloading, and deep discharge�

Hilti’s new drill drivers are powered by lithium-ion batteries.

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GETTING THE RIGHT TILTKubota Canada has introduced a new tilt angle blade feature on its KX121 model excavator� The dozer blade not only angles 25 degrees right or left horizontally, but also tilts up or down 10 degrees�

The angle movement greatly reduces the need to continually reposition the excavator when backfilling a trench, Kubota says� That means the excavator can move parallel to the trench while backfilling�

The tilt movement should help anyone doing any shaping like slopes or swails� It should also help to keep the excavator level when working on a slope�

The overall width of the blade is wider than the outside edges of the tracks (two inches wider on each side)� Now when you push material with the blade angled, it helps avoid leaving a ridge of spoil that is driven over with the track�

A wider blade will push more material, so Kubota has improved the blade’s construction� like the angle cylinder, there is a top cover over the tilt cylin-der for protection�

A heavier pin retainer will handle the stress of all the blade movement, and shims on the tilt plate will allow you to compensate for the wear�

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The difference to this excavator is the way the blades tilt.


60 | May/June 2009

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ENERGY-SAVING IDEAMindful that clients are increasingly request-ing environmental features in their build-ing and remodelling projects, a Canadian company has introduced what it calls North America’s first generation of recessed lamps for compact fluorescent bulbs�

bazz, which designs and produces recessed lighting units, has two fixtures: the CFl100 for 18-watt bulbs and the CFl400 for those with 23 watts� The bulbs, which use less electricity than incandescent bulbs, last a min-imum of five years�

bazz is based in Montreal�

Dyson Canada ltd� says its new Airblade hand dryer offers sig-nificant running cost-savings over warm-air hand dryers or paper towels—80 per cent less energy than warm air dryers, in fact�

How is that possible, you ask? Dyson says it’s because the dryer releases air through an aperture the width of an eyelash�

The motor allows the air to travel at 640 km/hr, wiping moisture from hands, which means hands can be dry in just 12 seconds� one other thing: the air passes through a hepa filter, which removes bacteria before it reaches the hand�

Dyson says that if the dryer is used 200 times a day, it could save 730,000 paper towels from being produced, transported, and disposed of during a five-year period� That calculation is based on two paper towels per hand�

Dyson’s website is dysoncanada�ca�

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Dyson Canada says its dryer dries hands in 12 seconds.

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construction CVCAReeR PRoFIleS IN THe CoNSTRUCTIoN INDUSTRy

by Kelley Stark

WE UNDERSTAND YOU ARE INVOLVED WITH THE CENTENNIAL PLACE PROJECT IN CALGARY. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE PROJECT THAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS YOU’VE WORKED ON?The project involves the simultaneous construction of two high-rise towers on the same site in downtown Calgary, in what it is probably one of the most interesting set of market conditions Alberta has ever seen� Although I have worked on two downtown high-rise projects previously, the challenges that arise from working over a whole city block, and constant coordination requirements between the different work areas within the site, generate lots of opportunities to be creative in our planning and logistics� The east tower is also 42 storeys tall, and is the tallest project that I have worked on, which is exciting, as we know we are building a project that will have an impact on the Calgary skyline�

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU FACE?overall capacity in the industry at the time the project was bid was extremely stretched, so everyone involved from the design team to the trades and suppliers have experienced challenges with the experience and availability of manpower� We are constantly working

through sequencing and work allocation in order to get the available resources in the right place at the right time to get the job done�

WHAT INFLUENCED YOU TO CHOOSE A CAREER IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY?I have always been interested in buildings, and at an early age I thought I wanted to be an architect, but grew out of this� Growing up in the U�K�, I was fascinated by the historic buildings there and how they were built� I decided that I wanted to be involved in the actual construction rather than the design, so although I have a civil engineering degree, my intent was always to go into contracting�

WHAT SURPRISES YOU MOST ABOUT THE INDUSTRY?I am still constantly surprised by the amount of stuff there is to learn in the construction industry� every day I learn something, whether it’s about a new product or system, or through an interaction with another member of the industry� I am also always amazed by the ingenuity and creativeness of my fellow construction professionals—it is an industry where “can’t” definitely isn’t an option, and there is always a way to solve the problem if you want to�

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COMPANY: PCl Construction Management Inc�

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EDUCATION: bachelor of engineering (civil), University of Nottingham, United Kingdom (Professional engineer in Alberta as well as a Gold Seal certified project manager)

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WHAT TO DO ABOUT WASTEAlberta puts finishing touches on plan to recycle construction materialby Chaz Osburn

Did you know that about a quarter of the waste going into Alberta’s landfills is from construction and demolition projects?

How about that the construction of an average-size home generates six to seven tonnes of waste? Or that 860,000 tonnes of construction waste went into landfills in 2006?

These figures from Alberta Environment illustrate the potential to rein in the amount of material that winds up in landfills. Yes, some construction companies recycle to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification standards. But for many, it’s far easier to throw everything in one bin and be done with it.

That will not be the case much longer. For the past several weeks, industry and government have been holding focus groups around a proposal to make

recycling at least some construction waste mandatory.

In theory, the program could operate like a bottle deposit program. Before you begin a project, you would be required to put down a deposit, perhaps based on size (square foot-age), and pay an administrative fee. Then once a project is finished, you’d get a refund based on what you were able to recycle.

Obviously, there are still a lot of “what abouts” and “whys” and “how much” to be worked out in the months ahead.

Dave Whitfield, waste reduction spe-cialist with Alberta Environment, said his agency has worked with the Alberta Construction Association and Canadian Home Builders’ Association-Alberta to develop the strategy. A program could take effect in 2010.

Among the challenges are to come up with a program that’s fair to those that use it and ensuring that recycling sites exist.

Speaking at Edmonton’s Buildex show in March, Dan Zembal, president of Alberta Waste and Recycling, said higher tipping fees at landfills make the economics of construction waste recyc-ling attractive. Zembal’s company operates a recycling depot north of Calgary. The depot accepts recyclable materials such as wood, drywall, and asphalt shingles.

One of the ways to encourage recycling at a construction site is to offer an organ-ized central location to put material.

“If it looks like a dump, people will dump things into it,” Zembal said. “If it looks like a garden centre, they won’t.

Although it takes more effort, recyc-ling is possible. For example, when PCL Construction Management Inc. built the $10.8-million fire services headquarters and fire station in St. Albert last year, it recycled 51 tonnes of material. The amount sent to a landfill? Only 11.5 tonnes.

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Alberta Waste and Recycling recycles construction debris at this depot near Calgary.

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CONCRETE STEPS TOWARDS A GREENER FUTUREProducts and practices to help you help the environmentby Tricia Radison

New concrete technologies are helping to reduce greenhouse gases while increasing durability.

It wasn’t long ago that environmentally friendly building practices and products were novel concepts. Now, however, going green is part of the cost of doing business. Here are eight eco products and/or prac-tices that caught our attention.

New green technology for concrete producersA U.S. company has developed a self-contained pH control and monitoring system that uses carbon dioxide to neu-tralize high pH process water produced

at ready-mixed concrete plants. The com-pany, Fortrans Inc., says its Model 5000S pH Control and Monitoring System “offers precise pH control, monitoring of pH, and lowers total suspended solids of process water contained in pits, settling basins,

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GREEN

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and lagoons. Use of the system will pro-vide clean water to recycle.”

Fortrans says its system not only costs up to 70 per cent less to operate and main-tain than acid-based pH control systems, it’s also safer and doesn’t require a separate tank. The system will treat approximately 75,000 gallons over a 24-hour period.

“After the pH is lowered to 7.5, the typ-ical total suspended solids are between 10–18 mg/L without filtration,” according to the company. “The treated water may be recycled to batch concrete, irrigate rock, rinse the interiors of the drums on the concrete trucks, and rinse the exteriors of the trucks as well without staining or scaling of the finishes.”

Eco-safe, eco-strong concreteAnother American company, iCrete, says it has come up with a concrete technol-ogy that it claims produces stronger, more cost-effective concrete that is environ-mentally sensitive. While that’s what the company’s market material claims, one thing is certain: The iCrete System—that’s what the company calls its technology—is being used on the Freedom Tower, the sky-scraper taking shape at the site of the for-mer World Trade Center in New York.

iCrete says it uses a patented mix design technology that “optimizes” concrete for workability, efficiency, and strength. According to the company, not only did it reduce the amount of concrete normally used to construct a structure the size of the Freedom Tower, it beat the highest strength concrete ever poured in New York—14,000 psi of compressive strength versus 12,000 previously. When the build-ing is finished, it will contain more than 240,000 cubic yards of concrete.

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68 | May/June 2009

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Closer to home, another concrete prod-uct is being touted as an environmentally friendly way to enhance durability and performance while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

It’s called matakaolin, an additive that can replace up to 20 per cent of the cement used in a concrete mixture. Mined and manufactured in neighbour-ing Saskatchewan by a company called Whitemud Resources, it’s being used in the construction of the University of Calgary Taylor Family Digital Library.

Controlling sediment at the sourceSilt fences and other forms of sediment control are common sights on Alberta construction sites—maybe a little too common. The problem? Sediment con-trol is an expensive and often ineffective way of retaining soil and avoiding water and air pollution.

“I’m not saying sediment control is a bad thing. It goes hand in hand with erosion control. But it’s really your insurance and tends to fail if you don’t have some erosion control and good planning in place,” says Graham Tait, erosion control coordinator for the City of Calgary.

Stabilizing soil on site through hydromulching is one practice that helps. A slurry containing fibre and an organic, glue-like substance is sprayed over the site, holding the earth in place.

But mulching doesn’t make sense when you’re going to drive over the area two days later, a problem when you’re strip-ping and grading your entire site in one shot. Tait recommends a phased approach to site development to simplify erosion and sediment control.

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“They’re going to save a lot of money in the long run because they don’t have to have as many controls in place,” says Tait of phased development. “It’s a lot more cost-effective practice than just wiping out everything and trying to control that.”

Drier drywallDensArmor Plus from Georgia-Pacific is a moisture-resistant drywall that works well in tighter, more energy-efficient building envelopes. It’s also helping Alberta con-tractors get projects done faster.

Made of Nova Scotia gypsum, the panels have thin, fibreglass mat facings instead of paper, allowing contractors to install the drywall before close in and speed construction. They’re also mould-resistant, making them ideal for hospitals and schools.

DensArmor Plus can be used to obtain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) points and is the only gypsum drywall panel to receive indoor air quality and children and schools certifications from the Greenguard Environmental Institute.

Harnessing the power of waste heatHow much electricity are we unknow-ingly wasting?

According to Denis Moormann, principal of Trans Pacific EnviroEnergy Inc. in Calgary, just one industrial facility in the Fort McMurray region could produce hun-dreds of megawatts each day from the heat its producing and letting waft into the atmosphere.

ElectraTherm’s Green Machine allows anyone with liquid or steam waste heat from industrial or geothermal sources to create baseload power that can be used in-house or put back onto the grid, turning waste heat into another revenue stream.

The machines, which can put out between 30 and 500 kW, are built on skids so they’re easy to move and install. They can be used alone or in a series for more power.

Trans Pacific is the Canadian distribu-tor of the Green Machine.

“We’re doing a geothermal applica-tion and it looks like we’re going to be able to produce about a megawatt of elec-tricity from an old abandoned oil well,” Moormann says.

building blocks

70 | May/June 2009

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With only three moving parts, the machines are easy to maintain and basic-ally run themselves.

Temperature controlPhase-change technology has been around since the 1970s, but early products were petroleum-based—expensive and less than ideal for construction purposes. PureTemp materials are bio-based so they’re good for the environment, less costly, and com-pletely safe.

PureTemp is made of 100 per cent renewable materials that can be used in walls, f loors, ceiling tiles, and HVAC (heating ventilating air conditioning) systems to help maintain interior temper-atures. These phase-change materials work by absorbing and releasing heat to keep the temperature around them consistent.

Customers can purchase pre-made products, like insulation, for new con-struction or retrofits and watch energy bills fall. The material can also be mixed into concrete to prevent icing of bridges, sidewalks, and driveways.

Better BIMBuilding Information Modelling, com-monly referred to as BIM, is fast becoming the 21st century tool of choice for archi-tects, engineers, contractors, and building owners.

BIM allows you to create a 3-D model of the building and every component of the building so you can see how things will work in real life. Two big benefits are enhanced productivity and the ability to design the most resource-efficient struc-tures possible.

Updated software by Autodesk is making it easier to use BIM. Four of the company’s key product lines for the archi-tecture, engineering, and construction industries will soon have new concep-tual design tools as well as a consistent user interface.

“The 2010 versions of our software con-tinue to deliver on the promise of BIM by further bridging communication between extended design and construction teams,” said Jay Bhatt, Autodesk senior VP for AEC Solutions, in a press release. “These power-ful tools will help our customers more effi-ciently and productively solve their design and construction challenges and do so with reduced environmental impact.”

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The winners are in good company. Two of the five projects—Water Centre and Calgary Courts Centre—are former Alberta Construction Magazine Top Project winners or runners-up.

Details about the winning projects are on the pages that follow.

ARCHITECUTRAL AWARDThe City of Calgary’s Water Centre. The general contractor was Dominion Construction.

INDUSTRIAL AWARDA cold box air separation unit project for Opti Canada Inc.’s operation near Fort McMurray, undertaken by Air Liquide Process & Construction.

ENGINEERING AWARDCalgary Courts Centre, built by CANA Management Ltd.

STEEL EDGE AWARDAlberta Health Services’ cantilevered steel entry system to the Capital Health Centre.

The University of Alberta’s Triffo Hall has been recognized for the impact it has on helping the environment. Not bad for a structure built nearly 100 years ago.

Specifically, the hall’s recent renovation earned it the first-ever sustainability award in the 2009 Alberta Steel Design Awards of Excellence competition, sponsored by the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction. The general contractor on the project was Binder Construction Ltd.

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2009alberta

AboUT THe AWARDSThe 2009 Steel Design Awards of excellence in Alberta showcased 34 project submissions� Here’s a description of each award:

ARCHITeCTURAl AWARDSteel structures in which architectural considerations predominantly influence the design, particularly those with exposed steelwork. (All building types and bridges.)

SUSTAINAbIlITy AWARDSteel structure in which steel has been used or re-used as part of a sustainable development project that aims to improve environmental impact of the structure by using innovative practices, standards, and technologies.

STeel eDGe AWARDAn open category demonstrating excellence in the application of steel design, fabrication, detailing, or finishing. These projects or project components demonstrate tremendous ingenuity in addressing unique design, resource, or application challenges.

INDUSTRIAl AWARDStructures, process plants, or other steelwork in which industrial considerations predominantly influence the design.

eNGINeeRING AWARDSteel structures in which engineering considerations and the efficient use of steel in unique applications are the predominant factor. (All building types and bridges.)

74 | May/June 2009

steel design

The renovation of Triffo Hall at the University of Alberta shows that what is old can become new again. Steel was the pri-mary structural material used when Triffo Hall was built in 1915, so a decision was made to work with it.

That was easier than it sounds. You see, the building had undergone a “hodge-podge of uses” by a number of depart-ments, according to its entry profile for the 2009 Alberta Steel Design Awards of Excellence.

“The catalyst for this pro-ject was the university’s prior-ity need to provide a facility that consolidated the advanced study service providers, cre-ated a stronger sense of com-munity, and enhanced service

delivery,” wrote Lorna Baker Perri, planner for the Office of the University Architect.

Triffo Hall is the first uni-versity project to be registered with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). The university is seek-ing gold certification. The pro-ject was singled out for its reuse of steel and use of recycled steel. Of the existing steel, 95.5 per cent was retained. One hun-dred per cent of the new steel was from recycled product.

The general contractor on the project was Binder Construction Ltd. The struc-tural engineer was Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. The architect was Johns Group2 Architecture Engineering Ltd.

sUstainability aWardTriffo Hall, University of Alberta

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When viewed from its south side, the curving steel roof of Calgary’s new Water Centre resembles a huge wave in the way it pours over the four-storey building.

While the design of the building certainly is not hard to miss, the Water Centre is an important structure for other reasons. For instance, did you

know that the Water Centre is the first and largest civic office building to exceed the city’s minimum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) silver certification standard?

Architect Jeremy Sturgess says that the building’s design was chosen to promote com-munication. “We wanted to

encourage interaction and felt a high rise was not the way to go,” according to Sturgess.

All 700 tonnes of reinfor-cing steel used in the con-struction came from recycled sources, according to the pro-ject’s entry profile. The most notable use of steel was to clad the building envelope that begins on the north façade,

arches over the building, and concludes as an overhang pro-tecting the four-storey curtain wall on the south side.

The general contractor was Dominion Construction. The structural engineer was Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. The architect was Sturgess Architecture/Manasc Isaac Architects.

arcHitecUtral aWardWater Centre, City of Calgary

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steel design

The Calgary Courts Centre, built by Cana Management Ltd., is one of the city’s new-est additions. Its hard-to-miss glass atrium is an architec-tural metaphor for the con-cept that justice should be transparent for all, accord-ing to its entry for the 2009 Alberta Steel Design Awards of Excellence. It also con-nects two reinforced con-crete towers via a system of steel bridges and trusses.

To ensure that the two tow-ers “move” as a single struc-ture, they are tied together at each f loor by a series of 3-D structural steel trusses that support the weight of the cur-tain wall and also take lateral forces into account.

According to the engin-eer on the project, Pang Ng, this ensures that the dimen-sions between the two towers (one is 21 storeys, the other is 25) won’t change and the curtain wall will be sound in all conditions.

Also of note: Structural steel horizontal cross bracing at the 20th level further limits east-west movement between the two towers.

Stantec was both the engineer and the architect. The steel fabricator was Triangle Steel Ltd.

engineering aWardCalgary Courts Centre

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indUstrial aWardopti Canada Inc�’s Cold box Air Separation Unit

Unique is an overused word, but in the case of Opti Canada Inc.’s cold box air separation unit near Fort McMurray, undertaken by Air Liquide Process & Construction, there’s no other term that can be used to describe the project.

Like so many other structures built for oilsands sites, the so-called ASU cold box is not something you can just pull off the shelf and ship.

It consists of a collection of modular units. Each had to be small enough and light enough to ship yet large enough to minimize assembly time.

The ASU cold box is an airtight struc-tural steel rectangular box measuring 8.5 m by 10 m by 64 m high. There are 12,700 pieces—not including all the bolts (good luck counting those)—and it is fully clad with steel plates. The cold box weighs 333 tonnes.

Erecting the unit was especially challeng-ing as the structure acted like a giant sail in the wind, according to the description given for its choice as a finalist for the 2009 Alberta Steel Design Awards of Excellence. The struc-tural engineer was SDK. The steel fabricator was WF Welding & Overhead Cranes Ltd.

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Alberta Health Services’ cantilevered steel entry system to the Capital Health Centre in Edmonton is this year’s winner of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction’s Alberta Steel Edge Award.

Designed by Dub Architects and built by Aman Building Corp., the project was engineered by Protostatix Engineering Consultants Inc. The steel fabricator was Collins Industries Ltd.

The winning project is a cantilevered steel and glass canopy that gives the impression of a raft f loating above the

interior and exterior spaces. The structure uses a single span; the steel frame allows a generous amount of natural light to bathe the atrium area between the Capital Health Centre’s two towers.

The structure consists of four primary beams supported by two primary mast col-umns in hollow structural steel. The pri-mary beams are supported at mid-span by tensile roads that splay outward from the mast columns.

All the steel is exposed in the final construction.

steel edge aWardCantilevered Steel entry System

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by Ken GibsonACA Executive Director

THe oNly CeRTAINTy RIGHT NoW IS UNCeRTAINTy

The 64-million-dollar question is, of course, is where is Alberta’s construction marketplace going?

Key drivers of investment intentions in Alberta include the prices of oil and natural gas, exchange rates especially vis-à-vis the U.S. dollar, interest rates, and anticipated growth. Growth in an export-driven economy like Alberta’s is largely determined by forces beyond our borders. Across the globe and especially in the U.S., how much will crushing debt loads and tightness in credit markets impact consumer purchases and busi-ness investment, and in turn how will these uncertain demands play into prices of oil and other commodities? On the plus side is the commitment of govern-ments in North America and beyond to support public investment in infrastruc-ture. Here, timing of project approvals is uncertain. In terms of existing work, it appears that some contractors have work booked even beyond 2009. For many others, however, their backlog is coming to an end and projects out for tender are seeing a significant increase in the number of bidders.

As members focus on securing business and efficient operation, it’s important that industry associations ensure continued industry responsiveness to policy issues of the day. As Alberta’s only construction association with a provincial mandate and a broad-based membership representing all regions, trades, and labour affiliations, the Alberta Construction Association (ACA) takes this responsibility very seriously.

A survey of recent activity underlines the important work underway at ACA on behalf of industry.

New board and chairA new Board of dynamic industry leaders was appointed at ACA’s Annual General Meeting in February. ACA’s 2009 Board is:• Kees Cusveller (Graham

Construction, Calgary) – Chair• Roger Dootson (PCL, Edmonton)

– Senior Vice-Chair• Colin Ward (Ward Brothers

Construction, Lethbridge) – Vice Chair

• Bernal Ulsifer (Creative Glass & Aluminum, Lloydminster) – Past Chair

• Barry Young (Burnco) – Calgary• Bob Robinson (Westcor) – Calgary• Daryl Blouin (Blouin Electrical,

Edmonton) – Individual Members• Brian Freemark (Lee’s Sheet Metal)

– Grande Prairie• Blayne Janssens (Southwest Steel)

– Lethbridge• Ed Hickman (Craftex Builders)

– Lloydminster• Buck Heath (Padcar) – Medicine Hat• Hayden Gust (T.H. Gust Builders)

– Peace River• Sean Penn (Scott Builders)

– Red Deer

Graham Construction’s Kees Cusveller assumes the chairmanship of ACA. In his capacity as VP of business develop-ment and preconstruction services, Kees pursues strategic initiatives throughout Graham’s operating divisions in Canada and the United States. His involvement in projects includes the $100-plus mil-lion Bankers Hall West Tower in Calgary to heading the successful bid team on the $600-million ASAP public private part-nership (P3) schools project in 2008.

aca report



http://www.abconst.org

P3 recommendations finalizedThe Government of Alberta urgently needs to expand horizontal and verti-cal infrastructure to meet the needs of Alberta’s growing industrial base and population in ways that provide the best value for money to taxpayers. To ensure that it receives the best value for its construction and maintenance-related expenditures in the long term, the gov-ernment must ensure that infrastructure built using P3 approaches complements existing approaches to support the exper-tise and capacity of Alberta’s construc-tion industry. In January 2009, over 120 industry representatives participated in a forum hosted by ACA and Merit Contractors to discuss P3 approaches in Alberta. Recommendations arising from the forum have been approved by ACA and have been shared with the government.

Construction pricingACA representatives participated in a spe-cial meeting of the City of Edmonton, City of Calgary, Alberta Infrastructure, and Alberta Transportation to discuss where construction prices for building and road construction may land in 2009, 2010, and 2011. The general consensus is that 2009 is a good time to purchase construction, and that 2010 and 2011 will see flat to modest price increases.

Enhanced project planningACA is continuing its efforts to be the source for multi-year capital plans for both private and public sector projects. More data will assist members and other stakeholders with improved planning. ACA has assumed local responsibility for administering the Construction Owners Association of Alberta/Construction Sector Council major projects database, and is working with major public sector owners on a new web-enabled capital pro-jects inventory and schedule database.

C&D recycling focus groupsACA is a signatory to a Memorandum of Understanding with Alberta Environment and the Canadian Home Builders’ Association—Alberta to develop an indus-try stewardship program to divert con-struction and demolition wastes from Alberta landfills. Following research and

consultations initiated in 2005, a stake-holder group of industry, government, and municipalities has been developing a framework proposal for approval by the Government of Alberta. ACA under-stands that the framework needs to be suf-ficiently detailed for the government to change legislation to confer broad powers

to a designated agency to be responsible for program administration. ACA has consist-ently advocated that the responsibility for and leadership of the stewardship program should be from industry. A series of small focus groups of members across the prov-ince is providing reaction to draft propos-als of the working group. The target of the program is primarily general contractors (buildings). Full consultations will be held for all stakeholders later in 2009.

New work safe committeeAlberta Employment Minister Hector Goudreau has established a new Work Safe Advisory Committee, chaired by parliamentary assistant David Xiao. The role of the committee is to develop a new three-year plan to achieve a 25 per cent reduction in workplace injuries, illness, and fatalities by the end of 2012. ACA’s Safety/WCB Committee and ACA’s safety email group are providing input to the ACA representative. An ACA focus group session was held in April to review draft proposals. Government approval of the plan is expected in September.

New workforce development strategyACA’s Board of Directors recently approved a new workforce development strategy of ACA advocacy actions to sup-port the skilled construction workforce Alberta needs for the future. Utilizing labour market supply and demand

information for the short, medium, and long term, the strategy mirrors the themes of “Inform, Attract, Develop, and Retain” contained in the provincial strategy called Building and Educating Tomorrow’s Workforce. ACA advocacy efforts with partners and government will be drawn from the strategy, which

will be a living document to be revised as circumstances change.

Provincial nominee programEmployment and Immigration (E&I) is reviewing the current Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program (AINP) Employer Driven Stream. The objectives of the review are to ensure that:• The AINP continues to provide the

Government of Alberta with a mech-anism to increase the economic bene-fits of immigration for the province.

• It continues to meet the needs of Alberta employers who are unable to fill permanent positions with Canadian citizens or permanent resi-dents of Canada.

• Provincial nominees and their families can successfully integrate into Alberta’s labour market and communities.

• ACA provided to inform the program policy development process.

Progressive release of holdbackACA has been participating in an ad hoc committee of the Construction Owner’s Association of Alberta examining the possibility of advocating a change to the Alberta Builder’s Lien Act for progres-sive release of holdback on large value projects. Several provinces, including Saskatchewan, have had a similar provi-sion in place. ACA will have an opportun-ity to comment on the final proposal once developed by the industry committee.

On the plus side is the commitment of governments in North America and beyond to

support public investment in infrastructure.

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82 | May/June 2009

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by Amy SmithCommunications Coordinator, Calgary Construction Association

2008 bUIlDING PeRMITS DRoP, bUT CCA MeMbeRSHIP RISeS

The Calgary Construction Association’s (CCA) 64th Annual General Meeting on March 4 was a rousing success with 280 people attending.

The 2008 president, Barry Young of Burnco Rock Products, noted that while building permits dropped from a record high of $5.6 billion in 2007 to $4.1 bil-lion in 2008, the CCA had an excellent year as membership rose to 735. That is an increase of 26 per cent over the previ-ous year’s membership of 583.

Young noted how quickly things change in the business environment. The No. 1 issue facing the industry at the beginning of 2008 was not the slowdown, but rather the shortage of skilled labour. With this shortage, the CCA was active to assist the construction community in building tomorrow’s workforce. The CCA’s Youth

Employment Program (YEP), the only one of its kind in Canada, entered its tenth year assisting youths between the ages of 16 and 24 in a three-week work experience pro-gram. Tracey Graham, YEP coordinator, placed a record 74 youths this past year with the assistance of over 450 member companies willing to hire the youths and mentor them in one of the many trades available in this diverse industry.

Last year, the CCA hosted its second annual Construction Career Expo at the Calgary Stampede Roundup Centre. This expo grew tremendously from the inaug-ural year in 2007 as exhibitor floor space expanded by 60 per cent. The expo is mar-keted to high school students and allows today’s young adults to explore what career opportunities are available in Canada’s lar-gest industry. With over 2,000 youths and

25 high schools participating, the CCA once again hosted the event on April 29.

Les LaRocque of Bott ing and Associates, chair of the CCA Education Fund, noted that since the fund’s forma-tion in 2000, association members have contributed over half a million dollars for scholarships. This past summer, the CCA Education Fund Golf Tournament raised a record $65,000, which allowed the CCA to present a second cheque for $50,000 to Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training. This new funding means an additional five $1,000 appren-ticeship scholarships can be offered annu-ally in perpetuity.

The annual event provided a full agenda with presentations made to the CCA Education Fund Scholarship recipi-ents. With an abundance of applications,

The CCA’s 2008 president, Barry Young, third from left, and his wife, Noreen, are presented with two limited edition Robert Bateman prints. The Youngs are accompanied by CCA Treasurer David Hamilton, second from left, and 2009 president Bob Robinson.

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There were many awards handed out and presentations made at the recent 64th annual general meeting of the Calgary Construction Association (CCA)� Among those presentations, the highest honour is that of the Ted Walden Award, which recognizes individuals who have shown exemplary commitment and dedication for the betterment of the construction industry�

Walden was a founding member of the Calgary builders exchange in 1944 and was its first president� The exchange became the CCA in the 1960s�

After drawing the audience in, building up excitement and highlighting many of the contributions made by this year’s recipient, bob Hildenbrandt of ledcor Construction and 2007 recipient of the award, announced the most recent winner: Malcolm Holbrook of Pockar Masonry�

Interestingly, Holbrook’s wife, Serena, received the Ted Walden Award in 2005, making them the first husband and wife team to receive the award�

Hildenbrandt noted that Holbrook served as a CCA director for six years and became CCA president in 2004� In addition, he was chairman of the Alberta Construction Association in 2007 and has also represented Albertans as a director of the Canadian Construction Association� Holbrook, a highly skilled tradesman and Gold Seal certified project manager, is the president and owner of Pockar Masonry, a major trade contracting company in Calgary� It has been in business for 34 years�

“Tonight’s recipient is an innovator, the first in Calgary to use the unique hydro mobile scaffolding system on high rise towers,” Hildenbrandt said in announcing the award� “As president of his masonry company, he is unique with his own mortar plant and also his own pre-cast plant� Demonstrating his leadership, Malcolm’s company was one of only two businesses that partnered with the Alberta government on an essential skills program, which addresses various issues from language to math skills in a diverse business

environment where our workforce is made up of individuals from around the world�”

In 2001, Holbrook led an initiative to retrofit the foyer of the Calgary Construction Centre and worked many late hours to create a time capsule celebrating the millennium� living by the motto “work hard and play hard,” Holbrook appropriately left a bottle of scotch with a note to those who will experience opening the capsule in 2100�

“Tonight’s recipient is an innovator, the first in Calgary to use the unique hydro mobile scaffolding system on high rise towers....”

— Bob Hildenbrandt of Ledcor Construction

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Malcolm Holbrook, far right, and his wife, Serena, with Barry Young.

All in the family

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86 | May/June 2009

six youths pursuing a career in construc-tion rose to the top and were each pre-sented with a $1,000 cheque. They went to: Kelly Dickson (Graham Construction & Engineering), Anthony Ferrise (Northcal Insulation Services), Darren Metcalfe (Gateway Mechanical Services), Evan Schjefte (Viking Fire Protection Inc.), David Surgeson (Ferguson Glass Western Ltd.), and Travis Vince (Troy Sprinkler Ltd.).

It was noted that in July 2008, the CCA in partnership with EllisDon, the Calgary Health Region, and the Canadian Construction Association celebrated the first designated Gold Seal Project in Alberta. The $1.2-billion South Health Campus is Canada’s largest infrastruc-ture project, and what a celebration it was for those individuals who have become leaders in their respective occupations

and are currently constructing this mas-sive facility. The CCA led all construc-tion associations across Canada with over 125 Gold Seal applications in 2008. Gold Seal Certificates were awarded to 24 pro-fessionals in the designations of project manager, superintendent, estimator, and construction safety coordinator.

Graham, the YEP coordinator, announced five exceptional companies that have been active participants of YEP over the past year and presented them with the Building Futures Award. They are: Botting and Associates Alberta Ltd., Concept Electric Ltd., DCM Mechanical Ltd., Prestige Landscape Group, and Trimen Electric Ltd. Also, eight outstanding youths who have successfully completed their three-week work experiences and are continuing to work in the trades were each awarded a $500 YEP scholarship.

Ken Trueman, centre, receives a limited edition print for his 30 years of work from Barry Young, left, and Bob Robinson.

Dave Kinley, centre, received the 2008 Person of the Year Award. He’s with

Barry Young, left, and Bob Robinson.

Dave Kinley (Concept Electric) took home the 2008 Person of the Year Award and Malcolm Holbrook (Pockar Masonry) was honored as the Ted Walden Award recipient for 2009, the most prestigious award one can receive from the CCA. Special recognition was also given to Ken Trueman, who recently retired from Kent Construction. Trueman not only was a leader in the industry, but he always gave his time and money generously to the con-struction community.

At the close of the event, 2009 President Bob Robinson of Westcor Construction noted that the CCA had received the International Builders Exchange “No Boundaries” award for leading edge services in 2008. With this, he recog-nized that he has big shoes to fill, as the industry faces many challenges in the coming year.

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by Andrea Hasenbank

eNHANCING CoMPeTITIVeNeSS THRoUGH CollAboRATIoN IN THe CoNSTRUCTIoN INDUSTRy

The value of the construction industry continues to be a major contributor to the economy of Alberta and to a large sector of the Canadian Gross Domestic Product. Even in a period of economic downturn, we have seen construction activity continue, as public spending comes to be regarded as a necessary economic stimulant. For the Canadian economy to remain competitive among international markets, the construction sector must take a place of leadership among Canadian industries, while expanding partnerships to compete in global markets. Optimizing construction project planning and control can critically enhance Canada’s economic position by attracting investments to efficient and productive projects, and by promoting Canadian industry as adaptive and forward-looking.

Heightened competition in industry and in public agencies requires a new, shared approach among industry, research, and the public sector to enhance the quality of projects, processes, and personnel in construction. By improving the relevance of our approaches, we better position ourselves for long-term planning and economic security. To that end, those involved in construction

education and research must make every effort to ensure effective and beneficial collaboration.

At the Hole School of Construction Engineering at the University of Alberta, it has been our foremost goal to establish a world-class centre for the delivery of research, development, and training in construction project planning and project advancement. This summer, through two key conferences—the CIB International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction Task Group 58 Workshop and the Canadian Construction Research Forum—we look forward to exploring the common ground shared by high level research work and practical industrial applications.

The CIB Task Group 58: Clients and Construction Innovation will host a workshop and meeting May 18 to 19 at the university, which will be co-chaired by Dr. Aminah Robinson Fayek. This event will feature presentations from selected national and international leaders in construction research and top innovators in some of the construction industry’s major firms. The focus of the workshop is to explore and document international examples of leveraging innovation in sustainability in the construction industry. We welcome TG58

members from across the world to share in critical sharing of ideas and practices.

The 16th annual Canadian Construction Research Forum will be held Aug. 9 to 11 in Banff, Alta. The forum has established an important venue for circulating ideas, practices, and solutions among researchers and students at the Hole School of Construction Engineering and its partners in the construction industry. Through this exchange, we have forged vital connections to the needs of construction professionals and delivered proven tools and techniques for improving and advancing construction processes. This year, the forum will focusing on the state of the art in construction management with the theme, “Innovation in Construction: Tools, Techniques, and Approaches for the Next Generation of Construction Projects.” We look forward to a thorough examination of new developments, implementations, and advancements in the areas of construction computing (integration issues, automation, decision support, simulation, fuzzy logic, and 3-D modelling), construction management (productivity, risk, constructability, project delivery, etc.), construction engineering challenges, and solutions.

Alongside the forum, we are also pleased to launch a high-prof i le

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88 | May/June 2009

cric report

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International Innovation Workshop on Tools, Techniques, and Approaches for the Next Generation of Construction Projects. This workshop will engage members of the construction industry, public sector, and academic community from around the world in a productive dialogue about the future of the construction industry in terms of research, education, and col-laboration with industry practitioners, public officials, and academic research-ers. This event will be lead by Dr. Simaan AbouRizk and Dr. SangHyun Lee of the University of Alberta and Siri Fernando, director of Drainage Services for the City of Edmonton. We look forward to the participation of such pioneer-ing figures in construction engineering research as Dr. Richard Jackson (Fiatech), Dr. Daniel Halpin (Purdue University), Dr. Julio Martinez (Purdue University), Dr. Feniosky Peña-Mora (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), as well as leading Canadian researchers and rep-resentatives from our industrial part-ners, including PCL, Petro-Canada, Waiward Steel Fabricators, and the City of Edmonton.

Through these conferences, the Hole School of Construction Engineering seeks to promote collaboration among international institutions and the con-struction industry. We anticipate the identification of new research areas that are needed to sustain the security and economic growth of nations as well as the competitiveness of the construction industry in a global economy.

For more information about the Construction Research Forum or about our ongoing industrial research projects, please visit our website at irc.construction.ualberta.ca, or contact Brenda Penner at the University of Alberta by email at [email protected] or by phone at 780.492.5120.

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THey CANCelleD THe CoNTRACT—NoW WHAT?

by Tim MavkoReynolds, Mirth, Richards, & Farmer LLP

So, the owner pulled the pin on the project and cancelled the prime contract. Or maybe the owner didn’t axe everything, but scaled back the scope, and the general contractor had to cancel some subcontracts. What happens next? (Legally speaking, of course.)

The starting point is the contract (or subcontract) itself. It should be read very carefully. Better yet, it should be reviewed by a lawyer who knows construction contracts.

There are three important things to check.

First, see if the contract says it can be cancelled or terminated early. Many contracts allow a party to terminate if the other side defaults (for example, for not performing or for not paying). But some contracts go further and allow a party (usually the owner) to terminate at their convenience, even if the contractor has done nothing wrong.

Second, if the contract does allow for early termination, it may also specify how the termination is to be handled. This might include the notice that’s needed and the steps that each side is expected to take. For example, the contract may say that the owner must give the contractor 30 days’ notice so the contractor can, in turn, secure the site, cancel subcontracts, and demobilize in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Third, a contract that permits early termination might also set out—or even limit—the consequences. It might require, for example, the owner to pay the reasonable expenses incurred by the contractor in cancelling subcontracts, and to reimburse the contractor for

subcontracts that can’t be cancelled. Or it might limit the contractor’s claim for the profit lost on the rest of the job, perhaps to a specified break fee—or to none at all.

But what if the contract does not say that the cancelling party has the right? Or what if the contract allows for early termination, but not in the way attempted or for the reason given? In strict legal terms, a party that tries to terminate a contract without being entitled to do so is guilty of breach of contract.

When that happens, the innocent party has a choice.

On one hand, the innocent party can accept that the job is over and that the contract has ended. That party is then entitled to claim for the unpaid value of the work actually performed, plus

any losses suffered because of the early termination. Those losses might include the cost of subcontracts or materials that can’t be cancelled or returned. They might also include the profit that party expected to earn on the entire job—profit that is now lost. Actual losses will vary from job to job and party to party. In the end, the law will try to put an innocent party in the same position as if the job had run its course and the contract had been fully performed.

But in making this choice, the innocent party agrees that the contract is over. This means both sides are released from any further obligations under that contract.

Sometimes, however, the innocent party might not want the contract to end. This does not mean that an innocent contractor can foist unwanted work on an unwilling owner. But the contract might, for example, give rights or benefits that will vanish if the contract terminates—things like equity in the project, or options on future work, or access to valuable information. In the right case, with the right contract, it might be worth more to the innocent party to choose to affirm the contract and keep it alive. And in doing so, the innocent party can still sue for the losses caused by the other’s breach.

It’s not an easy choice. But even more difficult is the choice of whether to take legal action at all. Just because the law says someone can do something (like sue for breach of contract) doesn’t always mean one should. Other factors—business factors such as preserving relationships or pursuing other opportunities—may be more important. And they go beyond this article. These are hard decisions that are best made after sound advice and careful thought.

In strict legal terms, a party that tries to terminate a contract without being entitled

to do so is guilty of breach of contract.

the legal edge


TIME CAPSULE

HoTel MACDoNAlD

PHO

TO: G

LEN

BOW

ACH

IVES

rising majestically over edmonton’s North Saskatchewan River valley is the seven-storey tall Hotel Macdonald� It’s been a fixture of the downtown since opening in July 1915� built of Indiana limestone, few buildings even today can come close to its grandeur�

The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway built the hotel� It is named after Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A� Macdonald�

According to present day owner Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, the “Mac” was built and furnished at a cost of about $2,250,000� In today’s dollars, that’s about $35 million�

Among its many notable visitors were King George VI and Queen elizabeth in 1939�

In 1953, a 16-storey, 300-bedroom addition was built “to meet the pressing need for more rooms and convention facilities,” according to Fairmont� (The addition was demolished in 1986�)

As hard as it is to believe, the hotel over the years fell into a state of disrepair� It finally closed its doors in 1983 after the Universiade Games� In 1985, the city designated the hotel as a Municipal Heritage Resource�

According to Fairmont, the owners spent the next several years debating how and whether the hotel should be developed� Canadian Pacific Hotels bought the hotel (and others) in 1988 and a commitment was made to restore it to its former elegance� The restored hotel reopened in 1991�

time capsule

92 | May/June 2009

Steel.Strength

Our

is inthe

CanadianHome Builders’

Association

C A N A D A I N C O R P O R A T E D

Faster, Easier, Better

PROVIDING SERVICE IN ALBERTA FOR 54 YEARS - EDMONTON & AREA

KEY FACTSYEAr builT: 1915

ExTErior: Indiana limestone

CoST: $2.25 million

NAmEd AFTEr: Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first prime minister

Source: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

Edmonton’s Hotel Macdonald has been a dominant landmark in downtown Edmonton since 1915. In this photo, taken about eight years after the hotel was built, the hotel looms above the North Saskatchewan River Valley. The Alberta Motor Boat Co. is in the foreground.

time capsule


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alberta construction magazine may/june 2009

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