Concrete On-Site December 2020

DECEMBER 2020

MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME SUPPLY CHAIN WORKS TO CATCH UP 44

IN THIS ISSUE: 47 Concrete connection: Staying up-to-date despite the delayed show season

SUPPLY CHAIN

WORKING THROUGH THE

BACKLOG Slimming project pipeline a big concern for concrete industry and others in construction supply chain as frantic 2020 nears end

C

watching a shrinking project pipeline with growing apprehension.

In a webinar hosted by the Canadian Construction Association at the end of October, representatives from the concrete, forestry and steel industries sat down to discuss some of the steep challenges the year brought, as well as the outlook for the months ahead.

“One of the things we’re concerned

about at the moment, is we’re seeing a tailoff and a trending down in new projects,” said Ed Whalen, president and CEO of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC). “Certainly, there is some bidding out there, but projects actually going forward have not been to the same degree as we’ve seen in other years.”

Unlike his counterparts on the concrete and lumber side, Whalen noted the steel

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onstruction materials suppliers have spent much of 2020 digging out. Uncertainty and job site shutdowns this spring walloped demand, but by early summer, the need for concrete and lumber, among many other products, outstripped supply, leading to shortages, rationing and higher prices.

Suppliers are still catching up, but as a unique 2020 draws to a close, they’re also

BY DAVID KENNEDY

44 / DECEMBER 2020

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industry has generally not faced the same issues with shortages. He pointed to storage centres holding a surplus of “bread and butter” materials, as well as rail and port systems seeing less disruption as the main reasons steel producers were able to weather the storm with relatively few problems.

Nevertheless, the longer lead times the steel industry requires has producers calling on governments to get moving on infrastructure funding.

“Our biggest concern is running out of work,” he added during the Oct. 22 webinar. “We’ve got lots of stuff, we’ve got lots of resources ready to move, but we’re rapidly running out of projects.”

Bart Kanters, the president of Concrete Ontario, or the Ready Mixed Concrete Association of Ontario, shared Whalen’s concerns about fewer projects in the pipeline. This summer however, the opposite scenario has played out, with concrete and cement producers running full out following a 30 per cent drop in production in March and April.

“Once we got into mid-May and then on, [demand] has essentially been 10 or 15 per cent higher than we would normally see,” he said.

Shortages of cement and supplemen-

tary cementing materials — such as fly ash and slag — have led to concrete rationing and delays this summer, particularly in Ontario and Quebec. Kanters said producers typically operate on 12 to 24 hours notice, but in the past few months, they have been asking for as long as two weeks notice from contractors working on large pours.

Cement producers expect the cooler weather to help them catch up.

“We probably have another six to eight weeks if normal demand conditions apply where we’re going to be in a tough situation. Then seasonal slowdowns should kick in and cement production will pick up,” Kanters said, adding that shortages of fly ash and slag may prove longer-term.

The lumber industry has faced similar demand jolts in 2020, though not all can be directly tied to the pandemic.

Derek Nighbor, president and CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada, said it was “absolute chaos” during the first few weeks of the pandemic, with order sheets collapsing and lumber prices falling about 30 per cent. From there, the market turned around in a hurry, driven by an unforeseen boom in renovations and home purchasing.

“We saw that surge then in lumber and we’re still catching up,” Nighbor said in the

webinar, noting that COVID is just one of a number of issues the forestry industry has been battling this year, with pests, fires and logistics challenges also causing considerable problems.

Looking ahead, Nighbor said the industry has not “caught up, but is catching up.”

“Now that we’re back up online and operating, all the mills that are able to be operating are operating, so hopefully over time, we’re going to be able to catch up through the last quarter here into 2021,” he said.

Mary Van Buren, the president of the Canadian Construction Association expects the industry will welcome the shoring up of its supply chain as a challenging 2021 comes to an end.

Though the industry was able to adjust on the fly to new health and safety rules this spring, supply chain issues have lingered. The Ontario Construction Secretariat (OCS) has conducted four studies throughout the pandemic on sentiment in the industry, each time showing about two-thirds of contractors impacted by supply chain disruptions. In the latest survey released this October, 64 per cent cited high or medium impacts from supply chain issues, showing no improvement since April. on-sitemag.com / 45

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CONCRETE PRODUCTS

CONCRETE

CONNECTION For the concrete industry, the colder weather usually means it’s show season.

Manufacturers haven’t stopped innovating, but with World of Concrete shifted to June and the Canadian Concrete Expo pushed to 2022, it’s a tough year to stay up to date on the latest in concrete technology. In lieu of the conventional show floor, On-Site has put together some of the key products to watch heading into next season:

BRAFASCO The easy-to-navigate digitized Concrete Solutions product guide from Brafasco, focuses on the key Canadian commercial concrete markets. There are increasing standards expected of materials, tools, and people on the job. The point-bypoint guide breaks down product listings for common jobsites, giving contractors a range of options likely not considered in the past when planning their next project.

BUILDINGPOINT Transforming the way concrete contractors work, BuildingPoint Canada offers custom solutions based on Tekla software and cuttingedge hardware. The solutions give crews on- and off-site the quality information they need to estimate, plan and manage pours, while reducing risk and improving productivity.

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CONCRETE PRODUCTS CURB ROLLER With the ability to move more than six inches of concrete along the pour while keeping operators in a standing position, the Hydra-Screed 3000 from Curb Roller works for a range of different applications and cuts down on what’s typically back-breaking work. The shaped roller screed is hydraulically powered and can be customized to accommodate pour widths between one and 10 metres (three and 30 feet).

KRYTON

LIGCHINE

Maturix Smart Concrete Sensors wirelessly transmit real-time data on temperature and strength development to your device, allowing you to access the information you need from anywhere.

They record, monitor and alert users to the actual status of their concrete, which reduces risk, increases efficiency, and saves time and money.

The ScreedSaver Elite is Ligchine’s newest laser-guided concrete screed machine to join the ScreedSaver line of innovative, labor-saving machines. The ScreedSaver Elite’s key features include a larger boom for greater accuracy and stability, a sideshift screed head makes it easier to screed around stick-ups in the slab and all-wheel drive. As with all Ligchine laser-guided screeds, the ScreedSaver Elite is easy to transport with a ¾-ton pick-up truck and a trailer.

MAX

LIEBHERR The Liebherr 42M5XXT truck mounted concrete pump features the increased performance of the innovative Liebherr–Powerbloc drive unit. With complete integration of the hydraulic switching and measuring elements, the machine operates with increased performance and quiet operation. The five-part boom provides for compact dimensions on the road and versatility on the construction site.

48 / DECEMBER 2020

In 1993, Max revolutionized the concrete construction industry with the innovation of the world’s first battery powered rebar tying tool. The RB441T “TwinTier” is a 6th generation Max rebar tier.

The TwinTier features three new innovative mechanisms, making it the most efficient rebar tying tool on the market. Max rebar tying tools are conservatively five times faster than hand tying, with an approximate tying speed of half a second. The added speed helps contribute to safer, more efficient and cost-effective job sites.

CONCRETE PRODUCTS MILLER FORMLESS Designed for curb and gutter work, sidewalks, V-ditches and a range of other applications, Miller Formless manufactures the most compact, four-track curb and gutter machine. The M-1000 can be ordered as a left- or right-hand pour and can pour areas as tight as a 24-inch radius. The M-1000’s compact design and four-track steering allows for easy and quick turnarounds and maneuvering. It offers best-in-class operator visibility for monitoring all aspects of the pour process.

NUDURA The XR35 from insulated concrete form maker Nudura is now available in a six-inch (150 millimetre) form. Providing a significant increase in insulation performance with an R-value of up to 35, the new form features the same innovations included in the company’s standard ICF series, as well as a fastening strip that extends below the surface of the Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) foam. It is available in both standard and 90-degree corner forms.

PUTZMEISTER Putzmeister’s portfolio of concrete placement products covers multiple applications to meet a wide variety of job site needs.

The 39Z-Meter is a jack-of-all-trades that can achieve typical and high-rise pumping applications as well as frost law and special weight considerations. Stationary and trailer pumps offer high performance capabilities with small footprints on the job site.

POWER CURBERS The 5700-D from Power Curbers excels in curbing, sidewalk, barrier, ditches, paving, tunnel and a range of other specialized applications. Introduced earlier this year, to replace the popular 5700-C, the updated model features the company’s new SlipSmart Control Solution to provide contractors with a new level of precision. Other enhancements include an easy-pivot conveyor, improved cross-slope control and auto-calibration for the radius steer sensor.

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SOMERO Designed with the Canadian market in mind, and agricultural construction projects as a particular area of focus, Somero has introduced its newest innovation: the SRS-4 Laser Screed Machine. With no lower frame and a no-nonsense design, the screed machine offers 360-degree visibility. Weighing in at just 1,996 kilograms, the SRS-4 features a roller boom to smooth out the process and hydraulic cylinder for head lowering for ease of operation.