CCE Market Trends June 2023

The benefits of fibreglass for electrical infrastructure

Energy transition perspectives

The evolution of transportation tools

MARKET TRENDS DIGITAL HANDBOOK

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CONTENTS

June 2023

Market Trends Handbook

ccemag.com

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EDITOR

Peter Saunders (416) 510-5119 psaunders@ccemag.com

SENIOR PUBLISHER

Maureen Levy (416) 510-5111 mlevy@ccemag.com

ACCOUNT CO-ORDINATOR Cheryl Fisher (416) 510-5194 cfisher@annexbusinessmedia.com

GROUP PUBLISHER

Paul Grossinger (416) 510-5240 pgrossinger@annexbusinessmedia.com

COO Scott Jamieson sjamieson@annexbusinessmedia.com

ISSN: 0712-4996 (print), ISSN: 1923-3337 (digital)

SPONSORED FEATURE

The Advantages of Champion Fiberglass Products for Electrical Infrastructure

Discover how Champion Duct, Elbows and Strut provide superior performance and cost savings for projects in Canada.

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WaterPower Week Showcases

Energy Transition Perspectives

As WaterPower Canada (WPC) held its annual conference late last year at Toronto’s Westin Harbour Castle, a series of presentations and discussion panels addressed issues related to the energy transition toward a future of net-zero emissions.

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Conversation: The Evolving Role of Transportation Tools

Judy Yu, P.Eng., is the data management and intelligent transportation system (ITS) discipline leader for Associated Engineering (AE) in Calgary. In this interview, she explains why she enjoys focusing on transportation engineering.

THE ADVANTAGES OF CHAMPION FIBERGLASS PRODUCTS FOR ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Electrical engineers and contractors continuously seek innovative solutions to improve the efficiency, quality and longevity of largescale industrial construction projects. As the backbone of electrical infrastructure, conduit and strut supports play a vital role in safeguarding cabling and ensuring the reliability of an electrical system.

Champion Fiberglass has emerged as a leader in this space, offering a range of high-performance conduit, elbow and strut products that deliver significant benefits over traditional materials such as PVC SCH 40 & 80, GRC and PVC-coated steel.

CHAMPION FIBERGLASS PROJECTS IN CANADA

Champion Fiberglass conduit has been used successfully throughout Canada. Project focus includes hydroelectric, data centres, mining and transportation.

Project owners are partial to fibreglass conduit’s installation, corrosion resistance, wide temperature range and safety features for projects throughout the country.

“Elbows have taken off in our province, as they are a spec-driven product,” explains Dave Markgraf, managing principal with Alliance Marketing, which represents Champion Fiberglass in British Columbia. “Installers are able to pre-attach the PVC or DBII connector to make a seamless transition in the field.”

In fact, one hydroelectric customer quickly noticed how smoothly the job progressed when using Champion Fiberglass for its projects and has followed suit with more projects.

In addition, many project owners have relied on Champion Fiberglass conduit for bridges in Canada. Increased flooding has

prompted a review of highway bridges and overpasses and Champion Bridge Hangers have proved a key selling point for these projects. Plus, fibreglass conduit’s temperature tolerance to -60 F makes the product attractive for year-round installations.

Further, a transportation project along the Trans-Canada Highway saw recent success. The contractor on this bridge project was familiar with PVC and EMT, but had never installed fibreglass conduit, so there was a learning curve; but with support from Champion Fiberglass, installation went smoothly, with the contractor celebrating a first-time installation win.

In Saskatchewan, mining projects are frequent. Champion Fiberglass rep agency Advance Electrical encouraged the specification of fibreglass conduit for a potash mine project near Saskatoon, where the contractor was seeking a fibreglass stand to be used at various locations. Potash is very corrosive, so nonmetallic Champion Duct SW provided an ideal solution.

The project required an assortment of pieces, bends and short lengths for each stand. Champion Fiberglass and Advance Electrical Agency set up a local wholesaler with a package for each stand and more than 25 stands were supplied and delivered on time. The Advance Electrical Agency team and the contractor were impressed with how quickly the design came together and how well the product worked on-site.

Then, for the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), Champion Flame Shield phenolic conduit provided a safe solution for commuters by replacing aging galvanized rigid steel conduit in tunnels. The conduit met the latest safety standards as an innovative solution for new stations.

Discover how Champion Duct, Elbows and Strut provide superior performance and cost savings for projects in Canada.

KEY ADVANTAGES

These key advantages of Champion Fiberglass Elbows, Duct and Strut are why more project owners are using fibreglass conduit throughout Canada:

Light weight: Non-metallic fibreglass conduit, elbows and strut are engineered with a lightweight yet robust design that facilitates faster and more efficient installation. The ease of handling significantly reduces labour time and costs, while the lighter weight contributes to lower shipping costs than other types of conduit and strut.

Strength: In manufacturing fibrerglass conduit, the company’s proprietary high-speed winding process and high-temperature curing ovens are key to the strength, consistency and quality of its products, ensuring long-term endurance and mechanical protection for cables. Additionally, Champion Strut incorporates a flange design that maximizes strength permitting greater pullout force and torquing of accessories.

Durability: The fibreglass epoxy resin used in Champion Fiberglass products ensures long-term corrosion resistance. Champion Strut and Duct are resistant to many chemicals, UV rays and flames. The unique material composition contributes to lower maintenance requirements and extended service life, yielding substantial cost savings over time. Champion Strut’s epoxy resin strength offers durable, corrosion-resistant support to stabilize heavy piping and conduit at lower installation and material costs than traditional strut support systems.

No burn-through elbows: Champion Fiberglass elbows are resistant to burn-through, thereby eliminating the time and costs

of conduit repairs. They offer a low co-efficient of friction and ease of pulling that encourages faster, smoother pulls with less labour time, cost and risk. Additionally, they are cable fault-resistant, for easy cable replacement.

Safety: Champion Fiberglass conduit has a dielectric strength of 550 V with its XW wall thickness of 0.25 in. and can carry transmission lines up to 125 KV (or more if wall thickness is increased). Furthermore, the non-conductive properties of fibreglass promote safety for workers during the installation process. And for tunnels, Champion Flame Shield offers a flameresistant, low-smoke and non-toxic solution.

Cost Savings: Champion Fiberglass conduit is available with lower material and installation costs. Just check NECA labour rates and get a comparative estimate with our conduit calculator.

Availability: Live online inventory counts, as well as same- or next-day shipping availability, add to the convenience of using Champion Strut.

A TURNKEY ELECTRICAL CONDUIT SYSTEM SOLUTION

Champion Fiberglass conduit, strut and elbows represent a gamechanging solution for electrical engineers and contractors working on large industrial construction projects in Canada. Their light weight, exceptional durability, ease of installation and outstanding safety features make them an ideal choice for projects requiring reliable and cost-effective electrical infrastructure components.

Ready to discover the benefits of Champion Fiberglass products for an upcoming project? Get in touch today. Call 281-655-8900 or visit www.championfiberglass.com.

WaterPower Week showcases energy transition perspectives

Reaching Canada’s net-zero goals will rely heavily on hydro.

WaterPower Canada (WPC) held Canadian Waterpower Week in late 2022 in Toronto Presentations and panels addressed issues related to the energy transition toward a future of net-zero emissions.

New WPC president and CEO Carolina Rinfret introduced the conference’s main theme: ‘Powerful Synergies for Our Electric Future.’ Next, Yvan Cliche—a senior energy researcher with the Centre d’études et de recherches internationals, Université de Montréal (CERIUM)—discussed geopolitical upheaval caused by resource price fluctuation, the internationalization of natural gas, renewable energy sources and the need for critical minerals to support electrification.

The first panel addressed the importance of strong policies to better co-ordinate provincial efforts to meet federal targets.

“Approvals will have to be turned on their head for the transition to happen by 2035,” said Jennifer Williams, president and CEO of Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro.

Josée Guibord, CEO of Evolugen, cited hydrogen and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) as key transition technologies.

Representatives of Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and Kiewit discussed Northen Ontario’s Little Long Dam safety project, which aims to increase the discharge capacity of the Adam Creek spillway structure to ensure floodwater can bypass four Lower Mattagami River stations Hatch's Jonathan Atkinson and Martin Dodge assessed electricity generation costs by source and the scale of the role for hydropower refurbishments and redevelopments to play in a net-zero electricity supply.

A session about the growing role of Indigenous businesses in the electricity sector showcased the need for the corporate sector to partner with communities in the development of new

projects and to provide work opportunities and training.

Concurrently, Seliam Sayah of Switzerland’s Lombardi Engineering—which has teamed up in Canada with BBA—discussed his firm’s experience on pump storage projects.

BBA’s own Nishant Gehani was part of the next panel, along with SNC-Lavalin’s Tarek Abdel-Galil and others, which covered the theory and practice of net-zero energy systems. A technical session addressed the replacement of two 100-year-old scroll cases for the Niagara River’s Sir Adam Beck Generating Station.

On the next day, sessions discussed protecting aquatic resources with fish passages, outlined the benefits of alternative contract models, suggested how Canada can meet its carbon reduction objectives and highlighted BC Hydro’s Site C environmental mitigation and compliance programs.

Finally, in the closing plenary, a panel discussed the importance of pursuing regional synergies and the role of new hydroelectric transmission infrastructure.

PHOTO BY PETER SAUNDERS

EXPLORE THE BENEFITS OF CHAMPION ELBOWS, DUCT ® AND STRUT™

> No burn-through

> Low coefficient of friction

> Corrosion resistant

> Lightweight

> Available with lower material and installation costs

The Evolving Role of Transportation Tools

Judy Yu, P.Eng., is the data management and intelligent transportation system (ITS) discipline leader for Associated Engineering (AE) in Calgary. She began her career at ISL Consulting before working for her city’s municipal government, always with a focus on transportation engineering. We spoke to her in 2022.

What originally interested you about ITS applications?

Transportation has always been and always will be my passion. The movement of goods and people is the backbone of the economy. Even at the early stages of my career, I knew innovation and technology would play a key role in the efficient function of transportation services.

Back then, ITS was still a relatively new and emerging set of tools. Over time, recognition grew around tailoring data for mobility—and not just traffic management. Technology can bridge language barriers, give people confidence to travel for work, education and recreation and improve accessibility to services.

I don’t see any way to grow a city and still manage it effectively without technology. When bold decisions about transportation infrastructure and services, are needed, reliable, high-quality data is the most unbiased way to make this happen.

Is there too much data now?

There is a high expense to capturing

and storing data. Having a lot of it could add value in planning, but often it is just disorganized.

So, I’m starting to tackle the issue of properly defining data as an asset. We as engineers need to translate ‘systemspeak’ to help our clients. I have seen a disconnect between key performance indicator (KPI) reporting and the details of the data behind it. If you don’t address the gap, it only gets worse in the future.

Climate change poses threats to transportation infrastructure. You need an emergency response plan, but that depends on how much data you have and how good it is.

Have vendors adjusted their products to better meet your clients’ needs?

It’s very exciting to see how the industry has changed and become more diverse. I have seen Canadian companies do great things in areas like freight, safety and direct marketing using traveller information platforms.

When you’re writing a specification, it’s based on where the client needs the technology. A sturdy, well-established system may not be flexible enough. Cubic, for example, has always been big in contactless payment technology for public transportation, but a few years ago, they bought a smaller company, Delerrok, because it could provide cheaper, lighter systems with fewer moving parts.

For us as consulting engineers, it’s

important to remember we cannot put our personal preferences ahead of what the client wants. We manage risk on their behalf through consultation and good advice.

My clients are practical. They’re not looking for glamour or glitz, they just need a solution that will work for a while. Most are not interested in trying, disposing and trying again.

Is there a risk of ITS being used as just a 'Band-Aid' for aging infrastructure?

There are multiple ways to look at that picture. In a built situation, where you already have development on all sides, an ITS can allow for improvement without land purchase—still congested, but moving the best it can. Smarter infrastructure can facilitate balanced decision making for all modes of transportation. This doesn’t mean aging infrastructure should not be replaced.

At the same time, can an ITS delay capital spending on upgrades or growth? Yes. If the long-term forecast looks difficult for an infrastructure gap, an ITS—if applied properly—is one of many ways to sweat your assets, i.e. use them beyond their original useful life. And in certain situations, paired with good condition awareness of the infrastructure as it ages, that’s fine. You’re using technology to facilitate its continued use until you can afford to replace it. Even just five years more makes a big difference in capital budgets.

“The movement of goods and people is the backbone of the economy.”

Judy Yu