10 minute read
Index to advertisers
Piling Industry News
CCa statement on interprovincial trade barriers
All levels of government must work together to improve the free movement of goods, services, and workers – especially in challenging times
The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) is urging all levels of government to support and enhance Canada’s economic recovery by maintaining a free-flowing system of trade and labour mobility between provinces.
CCA has long advocated that reciprocity and the free movement of construction materials, services and personnel within Canada are not only important underpinning principles of our federation but are essential elements of our national economy, a fact highlighted as COVID-19 continues to cause disruptions not only in critical supplies but also in workforces.
“Some regions have been harder hit economically than others. But the solution is not to reflexively turn inward. Interprovincial trade barriers are inefficient, and do not support fair, transparent and competitive procurement processes,” said CCA president Mary Van Buren. “When we are facing one of the biggest challenges in our history, it is more important than ever that we stand united and work together.”
Infrastructure: An investment in Canada and the communities Canadians live in
CCA members − 70 per cent of which are small and medium-sized, family-run businesses – are asking for a clear, balanced, fair, and flexible national economic stimulus plan that includes significant investment in infrastructure.
CCA has been advocating for all levels of government to continue investing in important infrastructure projects in all regions of Canada and has been pressing the federal government to reduce red tape and ensure that tenders are issued efficiently.
The Canadian construction industry is ready, willing, and able to partner with the Government of Canada and the Provinces to help our country re-build its economy and improve the quality of life of all Canadians. l
Index to advertisers
american piledriving equipment...........................................obc arntzen corporation...............................................................wrap canadian piledriving equipment inc..........................................7 equipment corporation of america................................18 & 19 Fraser river pile & dredge (gp) inc...........................................6 Fugro loadtest................................................................................9 hercules machinery corporation..............................................15 interpipe inc..................................................................................31 Keller.................................................................................................5
liebherr werk nenzing gmbh...................................oFc, 4, ibc nucor skyline.......................................................................iFc & 3 platinum grover international inc............................................13
STEEL PILING EXPERTS
Samuel Roll Form Group, a division of Samuel, Son & Co., manufactures a full line of interlocking steel sheet piling sections that are used in marine developments, slope stabilization, environmental remediation, water and sewer, storm protection, foundations, bridges and highways, and other civil engineering applications. Thanks to Samuel’s vast cross-functional capabilities and resulting access to some of the best industry experts, we continuously innovate to provide our customers with next generation products for increased strength and efficiency.
Innovative DZ Profile provides increased efficiency and strength.
Construction’s RESPONSEto COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted virtually every aspect of daily life in Canada but has also showcased the resiliency and tenacity of the Canadian construction industry
By Paul Adair
Prior to the arrival of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in March last year, the Canadian construction and industrial sectors were generally viewed as being strong performers and saw approximately 11 per cent of growth in commercial investment between 2018 and 2019. Once the seriousness of COVID-19 became apparent, however, a chill quickly descended on the industry as the entire country paused to see what might happen next. But then the Canadian construction industry began to do what it does best: building a path through this crisis. “The whole organization, as well as the entire industry, pulled together to start developing the processes and plans needed to help keep our front line safe, and keep construction moving forward,” says Reg Sopka, Regional HSE Manager at
PCL Construction. “There were some projects that stalled initially, either due to logistics or government mandates, but they have all eventually come back as we demonstrated that we could continue to operate and contain − or even eliminate − the possibility of workplace spread of the virus.”
That being said, working in the construction looks very different today than it did just nine months ago. The industry is much more cognizant of physical distancing (not even a phrase before COVID-19) and the number of workers allowed on the job site at any given time. There have also been a number of common industry-wide pandemic mitigation policies and procedures implemented to combat the virus, such as sending office-based people home, learning the appropriate use of PPE, active screening questionnaires and temperature checks, establishing placing hand sanitizer or hand washing stations, making walkways directional based on flow, and increased cleaning protocols with approved disinfectant in all high traffic areas, as well as visible signage to hammer the safety message home.
Getting used to the new rules and restriction has created challenges for some companies in the industry, particularly when it came to meeting the demand for hand sanitizer, cleaning agents, and PPE; most notably, N95 masks and respiratory protection.
“It really caused some stress early on as we were trying to predict the next shortage while aligning ourselves with the numerous health agencies,” says Sopka. “There were times when we considered shutting down operations if we couldn’t find enough supply, but our procurement group did an excellent job of making sure that our operations across North America had access to the right type of supplies to keep going.”
In the long months ahead, PCL anticipates that industry will continue to perform as it has to now until the word comes from the appropriate government agencies indicating that it can relax. As the pandemic circulates across the globe, some of the long-term effects of supply chain will remain unknown, and what that does to any future opportunities continues to generate uncertainty in the sector.
“But the whole COVID-19 experience so far has taught us, is a lot about how to respond to unforeseen or extreme circumstances, as well as showcasing the resilience of our people, partners, and trades; which is remarkable,” says Sopka.
Across Canada, the Canadian Construction Association endeavours to give voice to its more than 20,000 members of the construction industry working in, or with, Canada’s institutional, commercial, and industrial (ICI) space. In this role, the CCA has played an important part in the ongoing fight against COVID-19, especially in those early days of the pandemic where little was known about the virus, and working alongside governments as a valued partner to better navigate the pandemic to ensure that the construction sector could keep working.
“Almost immediately, we had multiple calls with our members, colleagues, and with public health authorities to gather the best possible information at the time so that construction could go on in spite of COVID-19,” says CCA President Mary Van Buren. “Our industry very quickly came together in the spirit of collaboration
Your Industry Leading FIRST-CALL-SOLUTIONS Provider of Pipe & Pilings:
• 2 3/8 to 72” O.D. • From .154” Wall to 1” Wall
WE EXPEDITE YOUR:
• Custom Orders, Transportation & Galvanizing Needs
SUPPLIERS OF:
• Piling Pipe, Shoes & Tips & Caps
WE PROVIDE ON-SITE SERVICES:
• Cut, Bevel & Weld to Length
SERVING CANADA & USA
Request a Quote Today! 1.844.777.7473 sales@platinumgrover.com
to share best practices and, because of that, in most provinces (with the exception of Québec and − for a short time – Ontario) our work was able to continue.”
At the end of March, 2020, CCA released its initial draft of the COVID-19 Standardized Protocols for All Canadian Construction Sites and strongly encouraged the construction industry to implement the measures within on prevention, detection, and rapid response. The document provided best practices and offered a consistent national approach for industry to follow to protect itself and its workforce from the virus, as well as to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. As the understanding of the pandemic has evolved over time and new best practices have emerged, CCA has made sure the document remains current and has published updated versions as needed.
While the pandemic has been difficult, there have also been some silver linings to COVID-19, such as the promotion of higher health standards and more stringent hygiene protocols at job sites across the country, as well as putting a greater focus on maintaining the mental health and wellness of construction workers. In addition, the pandemic has created an opportunity to address the looming workforce shortfall facing industry as the Baby Boomers retire and younger generations demonstrate a decreasing interest in considering construction as a career.
“Many workers across Canada have become displaced because of COVID-19, and construction just might become more attractive for those looking to find new, good-paying careers,” says Van Buren. “People are beginning to see construction in a new light because it’s an essential, safe, and highly valued industry that has been able to work during this pandemic. Not every industry can say that.”
Looking ahead, COVID-19 is sure to cast a long shadow over the Canadian construction sector. Although the industry has done reasonably well through the first wave of the virus as it works through its backlog of projects, now that we are in the second wave, there has been a decline in both the number and value of permits issued this year compared to last. Part of the reason for this can be potentially linked to diminishing investor confidence over the course of the pandemic, as well as that municipalities may no longer have enough money in the bank to invest on much-needed infrastructure projects after – rightly − spending so much of their annual budgets on health priorities.
“The construction sector is concerned that, unless new projects start to come out faster, there will be a significant gap between the time companies wrap up current projects and take on new ones,” says Van Buren. “This will have the greatest impact on our medium to small trade contractors, which make up 70 per cent the industry; those who will often take out a lot of financing in order to ramp up a project. It’s tremendously important that federal, provincial, and municipal governments all work together to get these kinds of projects out, and keep them moving.”
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, CCA’s message has remained consistent and clear: that construction should continue as long as it is safe to do so. The construction industry has responded to this message by ensuring that its facilities and job sites are as safe as possible, and by professionally adapting to whatever the virus has thrown at them to date.
“Virtually overnight, the Canadian construction industry has had to make significant changes to their daily operations and routines, and has proven its resilience in tackling the challenges posed by COVID-19,” says Van Buren. “The construction industry can take pride in how it has come together to surmount this challenge. We’re certainly not out of the woods yet, and there will be more challenges ahead, but we have shown that we are an economic sector that can withstand difficult times and come through them stronger than ever.”
As the second wave of COVID-19 has clearly demonstrated, the Canadian construction sector will need to remain vigilant against the threat of the virus until such time as a vaccine becomes readily available. To that end, the Government of Canada last April allocated approximately $1 billion to support the Plan to Mobilize Science to Fight COVID-19, which included vaccine development, treatment production, and virus tracking. The federal government has also invested an additional $1 billion to secure access to vaccine candidates, signing agreements with numerous companies to secure up to 358 million doses of their different COVID-19 vaccine candidates once they’re made available.
“Access to safe and effective vaccines is critical for Canada, and the government is doing its part to help support innovative Canadian companies in performing the research needed to demonstrate that their products meet Health Canada’s high safety, efficacy, and quality standards,” said Minister of Health Patty Hajdu in a press release.
At this time, there are three likely vaccine candidates currently under review and many others in clinical trials and in development. There is optimism, however, that after some very promising preliminary testing results from Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca, millions of vaccines could start being deployed in Canada as soon as January 2021. These vaccines would first be assigned to select priority groups, with a full rollout throughout the spring. l
