On-Site Magazine by Annex Business Media

May/June 2011

INSIDE CONCRETE ON-SITE

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Constructing the Freedom Tower

PLUS:

MANAGING RISK

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CONTRACTORS AND THE AWARD GOES TO... pg.13

IN THIS ISSUE: Roadbuilders go back to school Latest asphalt developments PM #40070230

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CONTENTS

VOLUME 55, NO.4 May/June 2011

DEPARTMENTS 5 Comment

Getting down to business

6 10

COVER STORY Top 40 Contractors The recession is in the rearview mirror and Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest contractors are on a roll.

pg.

News Industry news

Construction Statistics Value of building permits, investment in non-residential building construction and employment

COLUMNS 47 Labour

Inspecting the inspector

Risk

Funny Photo

Contractors and the Law

Index of Advertisers

Getting over the bar

Funny Photo contest, Calendar of events

A sober look at drug and alcohol testing

FEATURES 26 Hot or cold?

In a world of cracked and crumbling infrastructure and shrinking budgets, paving contractors need to choose the right asphalt paving approach to maximize their business and protect the environment.

Learning to pave with gold Roadbuilding contractors that invest in training enjoy the benefits of less downtime and reduced material and trucking costs.

IN THIS ISSUE 35

CONCRETE ON-SITE

PROFITABILITY

PRODUCTIVITY

Digging, hauling, dumping. Demand it all with the Detroit Diesel DD13 ® engine with BlueTec ® SCR emissions technology. The high torque and power ratings of the DD13 take care of all your heavy lifting. And with BlueTec you can lower your fuel costs by up to 5%*. Not bad for a day’s work.

Check out how the DD13 works for your business at DetroitDiesel.com. DDC-EMC-OTH-0068-0311. *Comparing a DD13 EPA 2010 engine with BlueTec emissions technology to a similarly spec’ed DD13 EPA 2007 with comparable engine ratings and load weights. Speciﬁcations are subject to change without notice. Detroit Diesel Corporation is registered to ISO 9001:2008. Copyright © Detroit Diesel Corporation. All rights reserved. Detroit Diesel Corporation is a Daimler company.

Corinne Lynds

COMMENT

www.on-sitemag.com • Fax: 416-510-5140

PUBLISHER | Peter Leonard (416) 510-6847 PLeonard@on-sitemag.com EDITOR/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR | Corinne Lynds (416) 510-6821 CLynds@on-sitemag.rogers.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR | James A. Barnes ART DIRECTOR | Melissa Crook (416) 442-5600 x3260 MCrook@bizinfogroup.ca ACCOUNT MANAGER | David Skene (416) 510-6884 DSkene@on-sitemag.com ACCOUNT MANAGER | John Chiasson (416) 510-6791 JChiasson@on-sitemag.com SALES & MARKETING COORDINATOR | Kim Rossiter 416-510-6794 KRossiter@bizinfogroup.ca PRODUCTION MANAGER | Karen Samuels 416-510--5190 KSamuels@bizinfogroup.ca CIRCULATION MANAGER | Selina Rahaman (416) 442-5600 x3528 SRahaman@bizinfogroup.ca Published by BIG Magazines LP, a division of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd. 80 Valleybrook Drive, North York, ON M3B 2S9 BIG Magazines LP Vice-President of Canadian Publishing | Alex Papanou President of Business Information Group | Bruce Creighton SUBSCRIPTION RATES Canada $81.00 per year, Outside Canada US$139.00 per year, Single Copy Canada $13.00. On-Site is published 7 times per year except for occasional combined, expanded or premium issues, which count as two subscription issues. PRIVACY NOTICE From time to time we make our subscription list available to select companies and organizations whose product or service may interest you. If you do not wish your contact information to be made available, please contact us via one of the following methods: Phone: 1-800-668-2374 Fax: 416-442-2191 E-mail: jhunter@businessinformationgroup.ca Mail to: Privacy Officer, 80 Valleybrook Drive, North York, ON M3B 2S9 Canadian Publications Mail Agreement No. 40070230 On-Site receives unsolicited materials (including letters to the editor, press releases, promotional items and images) from time to time. On-Site, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, re-publish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort. DISCLAIMER This publication is for informational purposes only. The content and “expert” advice presented are not intended as a substitute for informed professional engineering advice. You should not act on information contained in this publication without seeking specific advice from qualified engineering professionals. Canadian publications Mail Sales Product Agreement 40069240 Established in 1957, On-Site is published by BIG Magazines LP a division of Glacier BIG Holdings Company Ltd. Inc. ISSN: 1910-118X We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.

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Getting down to business

s it just me, or has 2011 been a completely insane year so far? The Canadian construction industry has been gaining momentum, and we’ve been run off our feet traveling to industry conferences, events and product launches. That said, in this industry, it’s good to be busy. So, last month when I finally packed up my suitcase and jumped a plane for Cuba with my husband and son, I turned off my Blackberry and promised not to touch it again until back on Canadian soil. It was a fantastic vacation, weather was great, ocean was warm, rum was flowing like water. Deadlines, editorial meetings and the construction business in general were tucked safely on a nice neat little shelf in the back of my brain for seven glorious days. When I staggered off the plane in Toronto, mellow and sun-kissed from my relaxing vacation, I remembered the sleeping Blackberry and fired it up. Laughing right away as some 500 plus messages continued to download, my good nature and sense of calm were beginning to evaporate. There was news, BIG NEWS, and it seemed as though everyone I knew was trying to tell me about it. On-Site, along with 14 other Rogers business-to-business (B2B) publications had been purchased by Glacier Media’s Business Information Group, a Toronto-based company specializing in B2B publishing. No doubt a shocking discovery on my part, compounded by the fact I was flying to Stockholm the next day for an international press event. I would literally have only half a day to pack my bags and part ways with Rogers when I finally got back to the office. A few phone calls with colleagues that Saturday afternoon helped to put my mind at ease, and the next day on my flight to Europe I finally had time to really analyze the situation. What I realized was that a move from a large wireless company to an organization with a long and storied history in business publishing, could only mean good things for a niche business publication such as On-Site. Installed here in my new office for just about three weeks now, I’m already beginning to see the advantages of working within a nimble and entrepreneurial business culture. We are now part of a bigger pool of construction magazines, and therefore have more in-house expertise to draw on. It was a shocking return from vacation for me, but I have been overwhelmed by the warm reception that my colleagues and I have received. There are exciting times ahead, and I for one believe they will mean very good things for On-Site. Stay tuned.

Industry News

Joint venture encourages environmentally responsible pits and quarries Environmental Defence and Holcim Canada have jointly established a notfor-profit organization called SERA (Socially and Environmentally Responsible Aggregates) that will create voluntary certification standards for responsibly sourced sand, stone and gravel. This collaboration between Environmental Defence, an NGO with a long history of leadership on the environmental front, and Holcim Canada’s aggregate division Dufferin Aggregates, is seen as an enormous step towards resolving conflicts between industry, First Nations and community and environmental groups. “Aggregate is an important resource that is vital for building the country’s infrastructure,” said Paul Ostrander, president and CEO, Holcim (Canada) Inc. “SERA will help the aggregate industry to meet the demand for aggregates while meeting community needs and demonstrating measurable efforts to address the social and environmental impacts of pits and quarries.”

On-Site | May/June 2011

In addition to the establishment of SERA, Holcim Canada and Environmental Defence also released a set of draft standards for socially and environmentally responsible aggregate siting, operation and use. “SERA is the result of two years of hard work between Environmental Defence and Holcim Canada—it’s our best effort to define what leadership looks like for the aggregate industry,” said Rick Smith, executive director of Environmental Defence. “Moving forward, we realize that for SERA and these standards to succeed, we need the involvement and support of a broader group of industry, community and environmental groups, and First Nations organizations.” The proposed SERA certification system builds on the experiences of other resource management standards, such as Building Research Establishment (BRE) and the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and provide general principles and specific core requirements that independent certifiers will use to assess an aggregate site’s success in meeting

or exceeding best management environmental practices. “Reducing the environmental footprint of construction materials is the next important step in sustainable construction,” says Thomas Mueller, president and CEO, Canada Green Building Council. “SERA sets a benchmark for how aggregates used in cement production are sourced in a sustainable and environmentally responsible way.” The aim is that the Draft SERA Standards provide a clear and practical approach for responsibly sourced aggregates offering world-class practices for the siting, rehabilitation and operation of pits and quarries well above what is currently required of the industry under Ontario statute. In addition, these standards will also outline responsible resource use and processing. SERA’s goal is that the SERA Standards will have a transformative effect by contributing to the achievement of: • A reliable long-term supply of aggregate materials that will be socially and environmentally responsibly sourced; • Protection of our landscape’s most ecologically and hydrologically important natural areas; • Meaningful engagement with local communities and First Nations groups before extraction is licensed and throughout the lifecyle of operations; • A defined time limit for extraction and phase out plans that incorporates communities’ interests; • The ability of government and private purchasers to leverage their buying power and request responsibly sourced aggregate materials to meet the requirements of new, green building standards and policies; • A market-based tool for government regulators that recognizes sites that address the social, environmental and water expectations of the local community.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON UNDERPASS PARK Waterfront Toronto together with the Governments of Canada, Ontario and the City of Toronto celebrated the official start of construction last month for Underpass Park, a significant milestone in the development of the West Don Lands.

Underpass Park is the most extensive park to ever be built under an overpass in Canada. The urban park is transforming the derelict space beneath the Eastern Avenue, Richmond and Adelaide overpasses into a bright and welcoming neighbourhood amenity and a key public space in the West Don Lands community.

Photo: Waterfront Toronto

before

Major construction projects drive building skyward until 2019 Big industrial and utility projects will drive construction employment to near record highs in Ontario over the next few years. Building will expand steadily until 2019, though gains will not be distributed evenly throughout the province and will cause some volatility in regional housing markets. A new forecast scenario published by the Construction Sector Council (CSC) says an estimated 60,000 new workforce entrants are expected to join the province’s construction workforce over the next nine years. But the industry will still need to recruit almost 100,000 more to meet demand and to compensate for the 73,000 retirements. The large size of the Ontario construction market conceals the impact of major projects on regional construction markets, says George Gritziotis, CSC executive director, noting that local

On-Site | May/June 2011

after

housing cycles and the start and end of big industrial and utility projects create distinct peaks and troughs in each region. “But changes will be dominated by the big projects planned for the GTA,” he adds. Construction Looking Forward: An assessment of construction labour

markets from 2011-2019 for Ontario says both residential and non-residential construction are on a gradual upward track, with proposed industrial, commercial, institutional, mining and utilities projects leading the way. Expansion of public transit in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and parts

Le Vistal is first residential tower in Quebec to obtain LEED Gold The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) has awarded LEED Gold certification to the first tower of the residential Le Vistal complex, located on the south shore of Nuns’ Island. This is a first in Quebec for a high-rise residential building. Inaugurated in September 2008 by the real estate development company Proment Corporation, Vistal 1 is a 25-storey building with 160 units. The complex includes a second tower, for which Proment Corporation also hopes to obtain LEED Gold certification. “The criteria for obtaining gold standard LEED certification are very demanding, and we are proud to have attained the objective we set ourselves when we first conceived Le Vistal,” said Samuel Gewurz, president of Proment Corporation.

INDUSTRY NEWS

of Central Ontario, new mining facilities in Northern Ontario, building related to the 2015 Pan American games, and investments in energy infrastructure such as nuclear plants are among the major projects. “The demand for construction skilled trades and occupations are expected to grow over the next nine years,” says Mark Arnone, vice president, Refurbishment Execution, Ontario Power Generation, “but for those working on the nuclear plants, supply will be particularly tight.” “As we look forward, recruitment, technical and safety training are and will continue to be top priorities,” says Patrick Dillon, business manager/

secretary treasurer, Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario. “Providing enough qualified skilled workers to meet building demands is the key to a thriving industry, and that’s where our focus is.” Each year, the CSC releases nineyear labour forecast scenarios for each province following consultations with industry leaders, including owners, contractors and labour groups, as well as governments and educational institutions. The Ontario report details the supply and demand for labour of each of the province’s five regions: GTA, Central, Eastern, Northern and Southwestern.

The national and regional scenariobased forecasts are released annually and are available online at www.csc-ca.org.

PCL turns sod on $24M expansion Construction has begun at PCL Constructors Inc.’s North American headquarters in Edmonton. The company started construction June 13 on its three-storey, 82,000-sq.-ft. Building 5. The expansion is being done to provide office space for 220 staff from several of the company’s departments now working at other sites. PCL is aiming for LEED Silver certification in energy and environmental design with features such as a green roof and a high reflective roof. Completion is scheduled for October 2012.

Business Briefs Aecon Group Inc.’s Infrastructure Division has been awarded a $150-million project with Metro Vancouver for the construction of a Water Supply Tunnel under the Fraser River in Greater Vancouver. Under the contract, in which Aecon is a 40 per cent partner, it will sink two shafts and excavate 1,000m of EPB (earth pressure balanced) tunnel with precast segmental lining under the Fraser River from Surrey to Coquitlam, B.C. Work on the project, which also includes the set up of two shaft sites, installation of welded steel pipe lining and construction of two valve chambers, will begin immediately. Completion is expected in the summer of 2014. Aecon’s partner in the Joint Venture is McNally International Inc. of Hamilton. Coco Paving Inc. has acquired Dunn Paving Group in Windsor; Ron Robinson Limited in Durham Region; and Kovacs Sand and Gravel in Durham Region. All three companies are located in Ontario. As of March 11, Coco Paving purchased Dunn Paving, a privately owned heavy civil construction firm with an asphalt plant and expertise in recycled cold-in-place paving. Ron Robinson Limited is a Durham Region-based heavy construction contractor specializing in sewers and water mains, road construction and underground hydro works. Kovacs Sand and Gravel operates quarries supplying crushed stone, sand and gravel. Canada’s construction unions are encouraged by the plan in the reintroduced 2011 Federal Budget, delivered Monday, to work with Canada’s Building Trades organizations to implement a program to transition interested Canadian Forces Veterans into skilled trades. The Helmets to Hardhats program has a track record of integrating military professionals into well-paid, respected technical jobs in the construction industry. The hope

is to assist in the placement of veterans who are interested in supervisory and engineering roles as needed by our industrial partners. Churchill Corporation’s general contracting segment has been awarded $117M in new contracts by public- and private-sector clients in Western Canada. In British Columbia, SODCL has been appointed construction manager of a project, valued at $55 million, for expansion and revitalization of the Vancouver Aquarium, Canada’s largest aquarium located in Vancouver’s Stanley Park. In Alberta, the company has been awarded contracts for the construction of a post-secondary education building in Lethbridge and a seniors’ home in Calgary with a combined value of $33 million. In Saskatchewan, SODCL has been awarded new projects totaling more than $22 million, including a big-box store, a high school project and a hotel renovations project. And, in Manitoba, a recent award is the $7-million Standard Aero cold weather jet engine Research Development Test Centre at Winnipeg International Airport. EllisDon is mourning the loss of Rocco Morra, senior superintendent. He passed away at his home on Sunday June 5th, 2011. Morra was 64 years old. Morra’s completed projects cover the gamut of the construction industry include: Office buildings, subways and transit, hospitals, health care centres, sports complexes, condominiums and business parks. Highlight projects include both phases of the North American Life Towers in North York, over $250 million for IBM on two headquarters buildings and the $130 million Meadowvale Business Park in Mississauga.

May/June 2011 | On-Site

CONSTRUCTION STATS A SELECTION OF DATA REFLECTING TRENDS IN THE CANADIAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Total value of permits

Building permits fell 21.1% The value of building permits fell 21.1 per cent to $5.3 billion in April, after increasing 16.8 per cent in March and 9.8 per cent in February. The non-residential and residential sectors both declined in April, with Ontario posting the largest decrease. In the non-residential sector, the value of permits fell 33.2 per cent to $1.9 billion, after reaching high levels in the previous two months. The decline was due primarily to lower construction intentions for institutional buildings in Ontario. Decreases were also posted in six other provinces.

$ billions 7.4 7.0 6.6 6.2 5.8 5.4 5.0 4.6 4.2 3.8 3.4 3.0 A

2008

2010

J A 2011

Investment in non-residential building construction

Employment thousands 17,400

Investment in non-residential building construction increased 1.3 per cent from the previous quarter to $10.7 billion in the first quarter. This was the fifth consecutive quarterly increase and reflected higher spending in both commercial and industrial building construction. First-quarter investment increased in five provinces. The largest gains were in Ontario and Quebec, led by commercial investment, which was also up in seven other provinces.

17,200

17,000

16,800

16,600

2009

Investment increases in non-residential building construction J

2008

2009

2010

J A 2011

seasonally adjusted

$ billions 12.0 11.0

Employment Following two months of little change, employment rose by 58,000 in April, mainly in part time. The unemployment rate edged down 0.1 percentage points to 7.6 per cent. Compared with April 2010, employment has grown by 283,000 (+1.7%). Construction rose 0.7 per cent, with all major components (residential and non-residential buildings, engineering and repair work) increasing.

10.0 9.0 8.0 7.0

lll l l 2006 2007 Source: Statistics Canada

On-Site | May/June 2011

lll

l 2008

lll

lll l lll l l 2009 2010 2011

Introducing the Case Alpha Series, a line of industry-leading skid steers and compact track loaders that offer you more. A lot more. Want power? They feature best-in-class horsepower. So whether you’re prying up a concrete slab or digging a pool, you’ll have the breakout force you need to get the job done. Maybe you want more stability? With its Power Stance wheelbase and exclusive Ride Control, there isn’t a more stable skid steer on the market. If it’s more space you’re after, you’ll be glad to know we’ve redesigned the cab to be 25% wider, with the industry’s best visibility and leg room. And when it comes to standard features, we have more of the things you really want, like switchable control patterns, hydraulic self-leveling, proportional auxiliary controls and the ability to swap attachments under pressure. The Alpha Series is here. Expect more. casece.com.

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*For commercial use only. Customer participation subject to credit qualification and approval by CNH Capital Canada Ltd. See your Case dealer for details and eligibility requirements. Down payment may be required. Offer good for a limited time at participating Case dealers. Not all customers or applicants may qualify. CNH Capital America LLC standard terms and conditions will apply. This transaction will be unconditionally interest free. Example - 0.00% per annum for 36 months: Based on a retail contract date of April 1, 2011 with a suggested retail price on a new SR250 of $43,985.00, customer provides down payment of $4,421.00 and finances the balance of $39,564.00 at 0.00% per annum for 36 months. There will be 36 equal monthly installment payments of $1,099.00 each. The total amount payable will be $43,985.00, which includes finance charges of $0.00. Taxes, freight, set-up, delivery, additional options or attachments not included in suggested retail price. Offer subject to change or cancellation without notice. ©2011 CNH America LLC. All rights reserved. Case is a registered trademark of CNH America LLC. www.casece.com

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Your business card may say contractor, plumber, landscaper or electrician, but we know that’s only half of the story. You’re also the accountant, customer service department and CEO. And that’s why the Nissan NV is so much more than a van. With a built-in filing cabinet,* and expanded desktop surface,* it’s your entire office on wheels – perfect for all your jobs. You’ll have a hard time finding any other van than can do the same.

Starting from $30,998 For more information, visit ncv.nissan.ca *Available features. MSRP for 2012 NV 1500 (X41A72 AA00) is $30,998. Freight and PDE charges ($1,630), license, registration, insurance, duties and applicable taxes (including excise tax, fuel conservation tax, tire recycling tax and duties on new tires, where applicable) are extra. All prices are subject to change without notice. TMThe Nissan Commercial Vehicles names, logos, product names, feature names, and slogans are trademark owned by or licensed to Nissan Motor Co. Ltd., and/or its North American subsidiaries.

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BY JIM BARNES

CONTRACTORS

CANADA’S LARGEST CONTRACTORS REPORT A BOOM IN THE MAKING BY JIM BARNES

very year, On-Site looks under the hood of Canada’s construction industry in this Top Contractors report. According to 2010 results and 2011 projections, the industry is firing on all cylinders, both regionally and in terms of sectors. Having dodged the worst of the recessionary downturn, 2010 turned out to be a relatively positive year. That was partly the effect of stimulus spending and partly due to the basic nature of these businesses, which tend to be involved in multi-year contracts and have large backlogs. Some concerns are emerging, though. While public spending has been healthy, the return of the private sector to construction is proceeding in fits and starts. Few are willing to predict when private businesses as a whole will shake off the effects of recession and start to build again. The next decade is going to see this industry face some remarkable challenges. From a technology point of view, collaborative methods of project procurement are coming into vogue. At the same time, clients are starting to demand technologies such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and smart buildings. Canadian companies may be hard-pressed to

find employees capable of thriving in such an environment. An addition, foreign competition is starting to come to Canada. Attracted by a stable economy, a strong dollar and a reasonably healthy construction industry, they’re getting their foot in the door. Many of these firms are already experienced with the project-management and technology trends now emerging in our marketplace. This report is based on direct research with private companies, with the addition of a small amount of data from public sources. It’s important to note that the rankings are based on revenue, just one measurement in gauging a company’s performance. We thank these companies for sharing their information with such enthusiasm. Canada’s construction industry has an amazing story to tell, and their participation in this report helps get the message across. If you have any questions or comments about this report, or want a listings form for next year, please contact the editor at (416) 510-6821 or at editor@on-sitemag.com. Jim Barnes is On-Site’s contributing editor.

May/June 2011 | On-Site

Top

conTracTors the top 40 cAnADIAn contrActors ADF Group Inc. 300 Henry-Bessemer, Terrebonne QC J6Y 1T3 T: 450-965-1911 F: 450-965-8558 www.adfgroup.com Rev: $55.3 Aecon Group Inc. 800-20 Carlson Crt., Toronto ON M9W 7K6 T: 416-297-2600 F: 416-293-0271 www.aecon.com Rev: $2,746.2 Sectors: A B C D F H J M N O Q R STVW X Z AlberIcI constructors, ltD. 1005 Skyview Dr., Burlington ON L7P 5B1 T: 905-315-2910 F: 905-315-3001 www. alberici.com Rev: $125 Sectors: F J X Z AmAn buIlDInG corp. #20-41 Broadway Blvd. Sherwood Park AB T8H 2C1 T: 780-449-5825 F: 780-467-3513 www.amanbuilding.com Rev: $60 Sectors: C F G H M N V AvonDAle constructIon ltD. 49 Hobsons Lake Dr., Halifax NS B3S 0E4 T: 902-876-1818 F: 902-876-1822 www.avondaleconstruction.com Rev: $126.5 Sectors: C F H M O bIrD constructIon co. 5403 Eglinton Ave. W., Toronto ON M9C 5K6 T: 416-620-7122 F: 416-620-1516 www.bird.ca Rev: $845.9 Sectors: C H M N O X Z bluescApe constructIon mAnAGement Inc. 229 Yonge St., Ste. 503, Toronto ON M5B 1N9 T: 416-806-3272 www.bluescape.ca Sectors: V bockstAel constructIon ltD. 1505 Dugald Rd. Winnipeg MB R2J 0H3 T: 204-235-7135 F: 204-231-0979 www.bockstael.com Rev: $86 Sectors: C F M O V bonDFIelD constructIon co. ltD. 407 Basaltic Rd., Concord ON L4K 4W8 T: 416-667-8422 F: 416-667-8462 www. bondfield.com Rev: $665 Sectors: C E H M O X Z

On-Site | May/June 2011

(based on reported 2010 sales volume)

rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

company

2010 ($m)

pCl family of companies aecon Group Inc. ellisdon Corp. Graham Group ltd. Flint energy services ltd. the Churchill Corp. Carillion Canada Inc. pomerleau bird Construction Co. bondfield Construction Co. ltd. Clark builders ltd. ebC Inc. taggart Group of Companies pennecon ltd. Con-drain Co. (1983) ltd. transelec/Common Inc. maple reinders Group ltd. north american energy partners thirau ltĂŠe ItC Construction Group Chandos Construction ltd. Collavino Group the state Group Inc. Giffels Corp. Concreate usl (6p) Inc. manshield Construction triamico development affiliates Quantum murray lp dawson Wallace Construction ltd. marco Group bot Construction Group scott builders Inc. delnor Construction ltd. avondale Construction ltd. alberici Constructors, ltd. Yellowridge Construction ltd. mcKay-Cocker Construction ltd. mady development Corp./mady Contract div. ltd. buttcon ltd. lewis builds Corp.

$5,198 $2,746.2 $2,400 $1,800 $1,400 $1,175.3 $1,053.3 $891 $845.9 $665 $492 $475 $352 $324.7 $298 $285 $275 $250 $239.8 $224.2 $220 $207.3 $190 $188.7 $186 $170 $162 $156.9 $152 $140 $134.5 $130 $126.8 $126.5 $125 $120 $110 $109.4 $100 $90

based on written responses to research conducted by On-Site. some privately owned contractors declined to participate in this research.

bot constructIon Group 1224 Speers Rd. Oakville ON L6L 2X4 T: 905-827-4167 F: 905-827-0458 www.botconstruction.ca Rev: $134.5 Sectors: A B W

buttcon ltD. 8000 Jane St., Tower B Ste. 401, Concord ON L4L 5B8 T: 905-907-4242 F: 905-907-8096 www.buttcon.com Rev: $100 Sectors: C F H M N O V

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conTracTors aCtivities Carillion Canada inC. 7077 Keele St., Concord ON L4K 0B6 T: 905-532-5200 F: 905-532-5299 www.carrillion.ca Rev: $1,053.3 Sectors: B C H M N O W Chandos ConstruCtion ltd. 6720 - 104 St., Edmonton AB T6H 2L4 T: 780-436-8617 F: 780-436-1797 www.chandos.com Rev: $220 Sectors: C N O V Chant ConstruCtion ltd. 226 Edward St., Aurora ON L4G 3S8 T: 905-726-8321 F: 905-726-8331 www.chantgroup.com Rev: $15 Sectors: A F J M Clark Builders 4703-52 Ave., Edmonton AB T6B 3R6 T: 780-395-3300 F: 780-395-3541 www.clarkbuilders.com Rev: $492 Sectors: C F H M N O R S T V Y Collavino Group 5255 County Rd. #42, Windsor ON N8N 2M1 T: 519-966-0506 F: 519-966-8872 www.collavinogroup. com Rev: $207.3 Sectors: A B C D E F G H J K M N O Q R ST UVW XY Z Con-drain Co. (1983) ltd. 30 Floral Parkway, Vaughan ON L4K 4R1 T: 905-669-5400 F: 905-669-5040 www.condrain.com Rev: $298 Sectors: A X W Z ConCreate usl (6p) inC. 2 Manchester Court, Bolton ON L7E 2J3 T: 905-857-6962 F: 905-857-0175 www.uslltd.com Rev: $186 Sectors: B W C G N O Construx BuildinG Corp. 4480 Rue Cote de Liesse #318, Montreal QC H4N 1X4 T: 514-940-2005 x222 F: 514-940-2006 www.cxcorp.ca Rev: $17.6 Sectors: C

The following letter codes are used to indicate areas of activity for the contractors in the listings on these pages. a B C d e F G h J k m n

Aggregates Bridges Commercial buildings Communication engineering Concrete Contract management Demolition Design/build Electric power/utilities Environmental remediation General contracting Industrial buildings

o Q r s t u v w x y Z

Institutional buildings Marine-related Mining-related Oil and gas-related Other transportation construction Residential houses Residential: multi-unit Roadbuilding Sewer Structural steel Waterworks

dawson wallaCe ConstruCtion ltd. 4611 Eleniak Rd., Edmonton AB T6B 2N1 T: 780-466-8700 F: 780-466-9613 www.dawsonwallace.com Rev: $152 Sectors: C F H M N O

Flint enerGy serviCes ltd. 700, 300 - 5th Ave. SW, Calgary AB T2P 3C4 T: 403-218-7195 F: www.flintenergy.com Rev: $1,400 Sectors: R S Y

delnor ConstruCtion ltd. 3609-74 Ave. N.W., Edmonton AB T6B 2T7 T: 780-469-1304 F: 780-466-0798 www.delnor.ca Rev: $126.8 Sectors: C F G H M O V

Flynn Canada ltd. 6435 Northwest Dr., Mississauga ON L4V 1K2 T: 905-671-3971 F: 905-673-3971 www.flynn.ca Sectors: C N O S H

devitt & Forand ContraCtors inC. 5716 Burbank Cres. S.E., Calgary AB T2H 1Z6 T: 403-255-8565 F: 403-255-8501 www.devitt-forand.com Rev: $52 Sectors: C F M N O eBC inC. 1095, rue Valet, P.O. Box 158, L`AncienneLorette QC G2E 3M3 T: 418-872-0600 F: 418-872-8177 www.ebcinc.qc.ca Rev: $475 Sectors: B F H J M N O Q R S T V W X Z elan ConstruCtion ltd. #100, 3639 27th St. N.E., Calgary AB T1Y 5E4 T: 403-291-1165 F: 403-291-5396 www.elanconstruction.com Rev: $83.8 Sectors: C H N O ellisdon 89 Queensway Ave. W., Ste. 800, Mississauga ON L5B 2V2 T: 905-896-8900 F: 905-896-8911 www.ellisdon.com Rev: $2,400 Sectors: A B C D E F G H J K M N O STVW X Z

GiFFels Corp. 2 International Blvd. Toronto ON M9W 1A2 T: 416-798-5500 F: 416-798-5473 www.giffels.com Rev: $188.7 Sectors: B C F H J M N O S STV Z Graham Group ltd. 10840 27 St. SE, Calgary AB T27 3R6 T: 403-570-5000 F: 403-236-6575 www. graham.ca Rev: $1,800 Sectors: B C F H J M N O Q R SVW harBridGe & Cross ltd. 350 Creditstone Rd. Ste. 202, Concord ON L6K 3Z2 T: 416-213-7165 F: 905-738-9649 www.harbridgeandcross.com Rev: $80.8 Sectors: C N O itC ConstruCtion Group #105 - 1500 Howe St., Vancouver BC V6Z 2N1 T: 604-685-0111 F: 604-685-0112 www.itc-group.com Rev: $224.2 Sectors: C F H M N O UV

May/June 2011 | On-Site

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conTracTors Knappett projects Inc. 555 Pembroke St., Victoria BC V8T 1H3 T: 250-475-6333 F: 250-475-6444 www. knappett.com Rev: $43 Sectors: B C D F H M N OV X Z LewIs BuILds corp. 98 Scarsdale Rd., Toronto ON M3B 2R7 T: 416-492-0500 F: 416-492-4932 www. lewisbuilds.com Rev: $90 Sectors: F V Mady deveLopMent corp./Mady contract dIv. Ltd. 8791 Woodbine Ave., Ste. 100, Markham ON L3R 0P4 T: 905-944-0907 F: 905-944-0474 www.madycorp.com Rev: $109.4 Sectors: A B C D E F G H J K M N O Q R ST UVW XY Z ManshIeLd constructIon 955 Cobalt Cres., Thunder Bay ON P7B 5Z4 T: 807-346-1650 F: 807-346-1654 www.manshield.com Rev: $170 Sectors: C F H M N OV MapLe reInders Group Ltd. 2660 Argentia Rd., Mississauga ON L5N

5V4 T: 905-821-4844 F: 905-821-4822 www.maple.ca Rev: $275 Sectors: C F G H K M N O SV XY Z

Marco Group 78 O’Leary Ave., St John’s NL A1B 4B8 T: 709-754-3737 F: 709-754-3715 www. marcogroup.ca Rev: $140 Sectors: C F H MNOS McKay-cocKer constructIon Ltd. 1665 Oxford St. E, London ON N5Y 5R9 T: 519-451-5270 F: 519-451-8050 www. mckaycocker.com Rev: $110 Sectors: C E HMNOZ MerIt contractors nIaGara 235 Martindale Rd. Ste. 3, St. Catharines ON L2W 1A5 T: 905-641-2374 F: 905-6412988 www.meritcontractors.com Rev: $30.4 Sectors: C F M N O V Metro-can constructIon Ltd. 520-10470 152nd St. Surrey BC V3R 0Y3 T: 604-583-1174 F: 604-583-3321 www. metrocanconstruction.com Rev: $65 Sectors: C H V

expectatIons for specIfIc BusIness areas, 2011 - 2012 sector

north aMerIcan enerGy partners 2400 - 500 4th Ave. S.W., Calgary AB T2P 2V6 T: (403) 767-4825 F: (403) 767-4849 www.nacg.ca Rev: $250 Sectors: B C J N ORS pcL faMILy of coMpanIes 5410 - 99 St., Edmonton AB T6E 3P4 T: 780-733-5000 F: 780-733-5077 www.pcl. com Rev: $5,198 Sectors: A B C D E F G H J K M N O Q R ST UVW XY Z pennecon Ltd. PO Box 8274, Stn A, 1309 Topsail Rd., St. John’s NL A1B 3N4 T: 709-782-3404 F: 709-782-0129 www.pennecon.com Rev: $324.7 Sectors: A B E F J M Q R U W X Y Z poMerLeau 521, 6th Ave. St.-Georges QC G5Y 0H1 T: 418-228-6688 F: 418-228-3524 www. pomerleau.ca Rev: $891 Sectors: B C F H J M OT UVW X prIestLy deMoLItIon Inc. 3200 Lloydtown-Aurora Rd., Kettleby ON L0G 1J0 T: 905-841-3735 F: 905-841-6282 www.priestly.ca Rev: $59 Sectors: G K U

2011

2012

decrease

saMe

Increase

decrease

saMe

Increase

Industrial building

10%

35%

55%

33%

67%

commercial building

10%

44%

46%

32%

65%

Institutional building

32%

59%

27%

70%

residential mulit-unit

12%

56%

32%

38%

58%

residential houses

77%

15%

46%

roadbuiliding

46%

54%

36%

64%

Bridges

44%

50%

69%

31%

other transport

36%

64%

25%

75%

oil and gas construction

31%

69%

15%

85%

electric infrastructure

40%

60%

25%

75%

Mining construction

50%

27%

73%

demolition

55%

45%

64%

36%

sewer

12%

41%

47%

11%

33%

56%

waterworks

11%

39%

50%

11%

37%

53%

General contracting

20%

29%

51%

28%

69%

contract management

47%

44%

45%

52%

design/build

10%

17%

73%

19%

81%

Based on responses to the Top Contractors survey.

On-Site | May/June 2011

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conTracTors Quantum murray LP 345 Horner Ave., Ste. 300, Toronto ON M8W 1Z6 T: 416-253-6000 F: 416-253-6699 www.quantummurray.com Rev: $156.9 Sectors: G

sCott BuiLders inC. 8105 49 Ave. Close, Red Deer AB T4P 2V5 T: 403-343-7270 F: 403-346-4310 www.scottbuilders.com Rev: $130 Sectors: C F H N O

ram ConstruCtion inC. Suite #180 - 7881 128th St., Surrey BC V3W 4E7 T: 604-501-5265 F: 604-501-5289 www.ramconst.com Rev: $18 Sectors: A B C D E F G H J K M N O Q R ST UVW XY Z

sunLite eLeCtriC Ltd. 5014-51 St. PO Box 820, St Paul AB T0A 3A0 T: 780-645-3031 F: 780-645-3632 www.sunliteelectric.ca Rev: $5 Sectors: C O U

reid & deLeye ContraCtors Ltd. 4926 Hwy 59 S., Courtland ON N0J 1E0 T: 519-688-2600 F: 519-688-2700 www. reid-deleye.com Rev: $50 Sectors: C H M N O UV X Z

taGGart GrouP of ComPanies 3187 Albion Rd. Ottawa ON K1V 8Y3 T: 613-521-3000 F: 613-526-7901 www.doran.ca Rev: $352 Sectors: C U V X Z

rosati GrouP 6555 Malden Rd., Windsor ON N9H 1T5 T: 519-734-6511 F: 519-734-7872 www.rosatigroup.com Rev: $46 Sectors: C F H M N O

the atLas CorP. 111 Ortona Court, Concord ON L4K 3M3 T: 905-669-6825 F: 905-669-8288 www.atlascorp.com Sectors: C F H M N O

the ChurChiLL CorP. 11825-149 St., Edmonton AB T5L 2J1 T: (780) 454-3667 F: (780) 452-8741 Rev: $1,175.3 the state GrouP inC. 3206 Orlando Dr., Mississauga ON L4V 1R5 T: 905-672-2772 F: 905-672-1919 www.stategroup.com Rev: $190 Sectors: C DFGHJKMNOQRSTXZ thirau LtĂŠe 489 blvd Pierre-Roux Est C.P.458, Victoriaville QC G6P 6T3 T: 819-752-9741 F: 819-752-6936 www.thirau.com Rev: $239.8 Sectors: J tiki internationaL inC. Bay 2D, 624 Beaver Dam Rd. N.E., Calgary AB T2K 4W6 T: 403-241-1093 F: 403-241-8250 www.tiki-international. com Rev: $25 Sectors: C F M N O timBro desiGn BuiLd ContraCtors 401 Enterprise Dr., Welland ON L3C 4V1 T: 905-734-4513 F: 905-734-4220 www.timbrodesignbuild.com Rev: $13.1 Sectors: C F H N O U transeLeC/Common inC. 2075 Fortin Blvd., Laval QC H7S 1P4 T: 514-382-1550 F: 514-388-9020 www. transelec.com Rev: $285 Sectors: J M D triamiCo deveLoPment affiLiates 2199 Blackacre Dr., Oldcastle ON N0R 1L0 T: 519-737-1577 F: 519-737-1929 Rev: $162 Sectors: B C J M O T U V W X Z

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vCL ConstruCtion 101-240 Terence Matthews Cres., Kanata ON K2M 2C4 T: 613-592-1114 F: 613-592-2550 Rev: $51.1 Sectors: C WestridGe ConstruCtion Ltd. 2909 Saskatchewan Dr., Regina SK S4T 1H4 T: 306-352-2434 F: 306-352-0199 Rev: $65.3 Sectors: B C F M N O Z yeLLoWridGe ConstruCtion Ltd. 200 - 2605 Clarke St., Port Moody BC V3H 1Z4 T: 604-936-2605 F: 604-936-2630 www.yellowridge.ca Rev: $120 Sectors: C F H M O

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CONTRACTORS

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GETTING INTO GEAR THE RECESSION IS IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR AND CANADA’S LARGEST CONTRACTORS ARE ON A ROLL

BY JIM BARNES

“T

hings are pretty rosy,” says Michael Atkinson, president of the Canadian Construction Association in Ottawa. “When you look at the macro numbers coming out for this industry in 2010 and the projections for 2011, it looks pretty good.” All sectors of the industry and all regions of the country are showing growth. In a recent report, consulting firm PrinceWaterhouseCoopers called for a five-year growth spurt in Canadian construction and Statistics Canada data shows constructionindustry employment is approaching pre-recession levels. Commodity prices have been soaring and industrial construction is healthy right across Canada. “I understand that Fort McMurray is almost back to where it was before the recession,” says Atkinson. The only soft area seems to be residential, where growth prospects are moderate. The industry as a whole benefited greatly from government stimulus spending, partly due to the multiplier effect that attracted provincial and municipal money. Now the stimulus funding is over, and most governments are entering a period of restraint in spending. “What is going to happen when fiscal realities go front-and-centre for most governments?” he

On-Site | May/June 2011

asks. Whether private-sector spending will take up some of the slack, “…is the million-dollar question for this year.” Inflation is becoming a concern, notes Atkinson. Materials prices have soared and fuel costs are volatile. With Canada’s dollar already strong, the Bank of Canada has to be cautious in pulling the interest rate levers. Another issue is the appearance of new competitors. “Canada is getting a reputation as a stable place to do business,” notes Atkinson. The U.S. construction market is still weak. With Canada’s strong dollar, some of the larger U.S. players are showing interest, even in smaller projects. “I think it’s going to make for a more globally competitive market in Canada, at least for a while,” he says. While many CCA members are enjoying business increases, investment does not seem to be following suit. “There’s a certain discipline out there. They’re not going to crew up quickly,” he says. “The companies that were around in the early 1980s have learned that lesson.” Atkinson notes the current construction environment is unprecedented. “It’s brand new territory. It’s a brave new world.”

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conTracTors

FOur OF Canada’s TOp COnTraCTOrs Weigh in On The big issues impaCTing The indusTry.

ElliSDOni EllisDon Corp. is one witness to this growth. “I hate to jinx it, but we’re seeing a lot of work in all sectors,” says Michael Smith, vice president, Business Development. Growth in civil infrastructure, including transportation and big civil projects, has worked out well for the company, which recently ramped up its civil division. The stimulus program brought in a fair amount of work for EllisDon. “We’re seeing that there’s still a lot of that work out there—including the infrastructure work that the Ontario government has been doing a good job with.” Now, the private sector is picking up, with a variety of projects taking shape in the retail, office space and hospitality sectors, among others, according to Smith.

“We’re seeing that there’s still a lot of that work out there—including the infrastructure work that the Ontario government has been doing a good job with.” Many projects in today’s market are shifting toward a more collaborative format, says Smith. There is more interest in approaches like lean construction. “That ties into the design team and the owners, right at the earliest stages. The teams come together early and work with the client to develop the programs. It’s way more efficient,” says Smith. Building Information Modeling (BIM) and so-called “smart” buildings are gaining greater presence in the market, Smith notes. “They’re very complicated buildings, with a BIM infrastructure and heavy pre-planning.” “The mechanical-electrical components of these buildings are getting much more sophisticated,” he notes, adding that the company has had to staff up in the mechanical and electrical areas. The challenge is finding “people with the expertise to make sure these buildings work the way they’re supposed to.” Contracts are more complex. “When all that collaboration is done, [the client] wants to make sure they’re getting the proper guarantees for delivery, price, schedule and quality,” says Smith. Some contracts can be considered hybrids, where clients expect to be involved early, even on stipulated lumpsum contracts. “This industry can’t just be construction anymore. It has to be a full menu of services,” says Smith. “When you go up against these big, international competitors, they’ve got huge departments dealing with all this complex technology.”

On-Site | May/June 2011

Smith sees no cause for alarm, though: “I think the Canadian contractors have done well, even with the international competition.”

PCli “2011 will be an exceptional year. We’ll set some records,” says Brad Nelson, president chief operating officer of Canadian Buildings Div., PCL family of companies. Public-sector business has been strong and accounted for 64 per cent of the firm’s work in 2010. The private sector is starting to warm up, now accounting for about a third of the business in 2011. The gains have been broad-based from a regional perspective. “We are seeing a pretty steady increase right across the country,” says Nelson. In fact, in some areas labour shortages are starting to become an issue, notably in Alberta. At one time, it was rare to see more than a couple of projects valued at over $200 million in a given year. “Now, you’re seeing projects that are worth a billion dollars. You have to find people capable of running projects like that,” says Nelson. These big projects are making it a more competitive market. “The work has dried up in Europe and the United States, so we’re seeing foreign competitors popping up right across Canada,” says Nelson. Another trend he has identified is a change in the risk profile, mainly in the P3 market. PCL has been able to strike an effective balance on the risk it assumes in various contracts. “The private sector knows that if you’re going to transfer risk, you’re going to pay for it,” notes Nelson.

AECOni “We have never seen a boom like we’re seeing today,” says John Beck, chair and chief executive officer, Aecon Group Inc. 2010 set a record in terms of sales volume—a 21 per cent increase. The firm was awarded three of the largest projects it has ever won and now has the largest backlog in its history, at some $2.5 billion. The stimulus program wasn’t much of a factor for the firm, says Beck. “What it did was to keep a lot of the smaller contractors busier than normal, so they weren’t competing as much with us on some of the larger work.” He credits a strategic plan established about four years ago for boosting business levels. Certain strategic sectors across Canada were targeted—resources, transportation, social infrastructure and energy—and all are quite healthy at present. “It’s only this year that the oil-sands activity is starting to pick up steam again,” says Beck. “If I had to pick one area where we were hardest hit by the recession and the withdrawal of the private sector, it would have to be the oil sands.”

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conTracTors

“We’re going through a construction boom at the moment, that brings all the positives, as well as the negatives.” Generally speaking, the private side of the building business is showing less activity than in the past, he says, noting there are exceptions, such as solar-energy projects. “We’re going through a construction boom at the moment,” says Beck. “That brings all the positives, as well as the negatives.” Some pre-recession problems, such as high material costs and labour shortages, are rearing their heads. “If you ask me what our biggest challenge is going to be, it would be to find qualified labour at all levels of the organization,” says Beck. “That’s one of the big differences between 2010 and 2011, the inflationary pressures,” he says. The company attempts to control risk from materials price increases in contracts. “There are many formats for sharing the risk between the client and the contractor,” he says. It’s important for each party to accept responsibility for the risks that are best under its control. Offshore competition is growing in Canada, notes Beck. “They haven’t put a lot of pressure on the actual construction industry, what we call boots-on-the ground,” he says. “They’re more interested in financing, development, design and management.” The firm’s response has been to upgrade its capabilities, with training as a primary initiative. Beck characterized 2010 as coming-out of the recession, slowly. In 2011, the private sector started rubbing its eyes and saying ‘Maybe it’s time to get going again.’

Flint EnErgy SErvicESi The oil and gas industry is cyclical and construction contractors tend to lag the curve, notes Guy Cocquyt, director, Investor Relations & Communications Flint Energy Services Ltd. “We did close to $600 million in 2009 and 2010, exactly when everything was turning down, so that carried us nicely through the recession,” he says. But the delay in oil-sands development caused by the recession left the firm in a valley, between contracts. Flint finished two major projects in 2010 and expected new contract awards in the second half of 2010, but many clients are still dealing with the bid packages. “That would be the next

On-Site | May/June 2011

wave of contract announcements. Those were the ones that were delayed,” says Cocquyt. “We’ll get some backlog added in the second half of 2011, but we really won’t see the lift in revenues in that division until 2012 or 2013 and beyond.” Flint’s new maintenance division has helped carry some of the load. “That went from nothing in 2006 to $421 million last year... Every maintenance contract has a construction piece, which might be repair, redesign or reconfiguration. Before the recession hit, most of the work was being done on a cost-plus basis. “Project engineering was given to us literally on a monthly basis,” says Cocquyt. However, by November of 2009, some projects were testing the market with lump-sum payments. “All the producers are looking for more cost certainty,” says Cocquyt. “It’s pushing more risk on to the contractors. The bid packages are much more complex and the terms and conditions that are eventually haggled out are a lot more detailed.” The producers are taking more time to evaluate bids and are showing more discipline. “I think that’s important, because now they’re looking at ways to mitigate the risk of cost overruns. Part of that is by pushing a little risk onto the contractor.” In current contracts, Flint tends to assume the productivity risk while the producer has the materials and the take-down risk. “They give us a list of what we’re going to do. If that list changes, then we get paid by unit. But we’re responsible for the productivity,” says Cocquyt. “When things get very busy, it’ll probably go back to being pure cost-plus.” Will the industry have the capacity to work efficiently if business heats up even more? “The sequencing is really important. If the projects can be sequenced so they don’t all start at once, then labour constraints and other kinds of logistical problems that we had in the last boom disappear or are muted. But if everybody goes at once, it’s going to get pretty tight again,” says Cocquyt. u Jim Barnes is On-Site’s contributing editor. Contact editor@on-sitemag.com

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PAVING

HOT OR COLD? CHOOSING THE RIGHT RECYCLED ASPHALT PAVING FOR THE JOB IS KEY BY DAVID GODKIN

eâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re constantly told that to survive in business we must innovate, and that two things drive innovation: cost and climate change. Nowhere is this truer than in the paving industry. In a world of cracked and crumbling infrastructure and shrinking budgets paving contractors are hard pressed to do repairs in a way that wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t alienate budget directors or environmental watch dogs. And while the days of stripping out and discarding four inches of cracked and weather-beaten asphalt may not be gone entirely, the asphalt industry is proving it too, can use innovative technologies to protect the environment and lower costs.

On-Site | May/June 2011

PAVING

HOT-IN-PLACE ASPHALT RECYCLING (HIR) Back in the 1990s when the first hot-inplace recycling train was introduced, governments and industry greeted the news with tremendous excitement. Imagine lowering our dependence on asphalt plants and trucks by re-using old pavement right there on-site. Imagine the savings. Since those early days it’s more common to see a hot-in-place train along a major highway than it is to see an actual rail locomotive. Hot-in-place is particularly favoured in B.C. where half a dozen companies can be found using the technology at any given time. Not so in Ontario, says Mike O’Connor, CEO for the Ontario Hot Mix Producers Association. He calls HIR “the dodo bird” of the asphalt replacement industry. “Too smoky,” he says, and but for a few pockets in his province, HIR is all but obsolete. “It was limited to start with. You really had to have a pretty good surface before you could use hotin-place. You can’t correct the grade or the slope with hot-inplace. You’re only dealing with a very small depth of asphalt.”

“Our process is not smoky. It’s environmentally friendly because we save the energy of heating by vacuuming back the hot air...” They would say that, wouldn’t they, replies Marina Kaplun. “They’re producers of asphalt,” says the VP, business development and sales for Martec Recycling Corp. in Vancouver and designers of HIR technology. “They will tell everybody that HIR is actually not a good technology, because it cuts into their sales.” “Our process is not smoky. It’s environmentally friendly because we save the energy of heating by vacuuming back the hot air. Secondly, all of the machines have exhaust controls and thirdly, because we completely re-mix everything on-site, 100 per cent of the materials are re-used.” Kaplun explains that the recycling technology works by blowing air heated to 600 degrees C in a diesel-fueled combustion chamber onto the pavement through thousands of small holes in a heating plenum. Asphalt is then removed to a depth of 50 mm and subjected to a patented post-heating, drying and mixing process. Finally, the mix is transferred by slat conveyor to an onboard twin-shaft pug mill for final mixing before laydown and compaction. Joe Cuzzocrea is completely sold on HIR technology. The general manager of Peter Brothers Paving in Penticton, B.C. has been using the technology since 1995. Not only is HIR an

Cold-in-place recycling re-uses existing bitumen and aggregates to reduce overall fuel consumption.

effective surface rehabilitation technique, he says, it can remove old asphalt in one pass and adjust its milling heads for different lane widths, minimizing traffic disruption. Air flow modifications have also helped him to increase production and keep fuel costs low. The added benefit, he says, has been safeguarding the environment. “Absolutely. You’re not trucking the asphalt there, you’re not mixing it elsewhere, you’re not pulling oil out of the ground. You’re re-using what’s already there.”

COLD-IN-PLACE RECYCLING (CIR) Like HIR, cold-in-place re-uses existing bitumen and aggregates to reduce overall fuel consumption and minimize hazardous emissions. The difference is that CIR is a deep rehabilitation technique re-using existing bituminous material to a depth of 65 to 125 mm. Reclaimed pavement is transformed into a bituminous aggregate, mixed with an emulsion, laid down and compacted to the specified density. It’s then topped off with a slurry surfacing, chip seal or conventional hot mix asphalt after about a week of curing. Someone who swears by CIR is Trevor Moore, technical director for Miller Paving in Markham, Ont. CIR lowers the cost of replacing street and highway pavement, he says, and cuts down on CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions. “Absolutely. In hot mix asphalt the temperature is 150 to 170 degrees C. This is cold technology, so no heat is added to the system, where all the materials we deal with are at ambient temperature.” In addition to its environmental benefits, he says, CIR is considered the best method for mitigating reflective cracking in colder climates.

May/June 2011 | On-Site

Paving

According to Mike McLean, marketing manager for McAsphalt Industries Ltd, CIR has transformed the competitive landscape in Ontario. In the old days, he explains, the hot mix asphalt industry was the dominant player in asphalt replacement. Its role was cut in half, however, when contractors began using cold-in-place to replace two-inch, lower lift asphalt, leaving sub-contractors to top off the remaining two-inch lift with hot mix asphalt.

But even that scenario has begun to change to CIR’s advantage, says McLean. “Since CIR has taken on such a life of its own, the majority of companies go out and purchase these pieces of equipment and do it all.” For his part, however, Trevor Moore subscribes to the old dictum “the right treatment on the right road at the right time” —meaning HIR and hot mix paving are also effective techniques, under the right circumstances.

“Each one of these treatments has a place. And when used in that particular place it should perform well. It’s when they’re put into a place they’re not supposed to be in that we run into problems.” “That’s what it comes down to: each one of these treatments has a place. And when used in that particular place it should perform well. It’s when they’re put into a place they’re not supposed to be in that we run into problems.”

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On-Site | May/June 2011

Warm mix aSPhalt (Wma) Terry Hughes, paving engineer at New Brunswick’s Department of Transportation, calls it “the asphalt mix of the future.” In fact, says Hughes, warm mix asphalt recycling (WMA) “will probably replace hot mix in the next 10 years.” His counterpart at B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation, Ian Pilkington, agrees. Lower emissions. Lower costs. Improved performance: WMA does it all by adding specially designed oils to asphalt binder oil and changing the oil’s viscosity. “When it’s mixed with the aggregate it can be paved at a lower temperature, typically around 135 to 140 degrees C,” Pilkington explains. “By going to the lower temperature you’re using less fuel to heat it up and that becomes a fuel savings for the contractor and hopefully gets passed on to us.” WMA as a recycling concept migrated to the U.S. and Canada

Paving

from Europe more than a decade ago. In a 2007 report for the U.S. Department of Transportation, engineers found that WMA cut CO2 emissions by 30 to 40 per cent, delivered fuel savings of 20 to 35 per cent and made it possible to pave in cooler temperatures and still achieve necessary asphalt densities. While results in B.C. have been less spectacular, they bear out the report’s main conclusion: that WMA produces both environmental benefits (some estimates put the savings in CO2 emissions at 18 to 20 per cent) and improved field compaction. “Using these additives you still get the same quality,” says Pilkington. “You can still compact it and get the same densities you require for your roads. You should get the same quality and durability as you would if you had heated it up to 179 degrees C.” The advantages of WMA are also being reported in Atlantic Canada. According to Bob Dunnett, asphalt manager for Modern Construction Ltd. in Moncton, “[warm mix asphalt] gets pretty good results in terms of compaction and workability, even at these low temperatures,” prompting Dunnett to dub WMA “the way of the future.” One of the top WMA additives in use in B.C. is Sasobit, a wax-based WMA product made by a Hayward, Calif.based company. A second involves a specially designed asphalt plant that injects water into the asphalt mixture to produce a foaming action and increases the mix’s viscosity and lowers its temperature.

The caveat, however, remains around cost. Terry Hughes estimates savings using WMA to New Brunswick’s DOT to be about 10 per cent. And while B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation has assembled a Recognized Product List of additives, contractors have not seized on the technology in large numbers. The reason, Ian Pilkington speculates, is that cost savings using WMA are derived from the difference between the cost of fuel to heat the aggregate (in B.C. still relatively cheap) and cost of the additive (relatively expensive). “So they find that the amount of fuel savings they’re getting from lowering their heating of the asphalt hasn’t offset the cost of the additive. But like all brand new technologies it’s always more expensive when it comes out. As it becomes more accepted and more common that additive will drop in price to the point where it will become an economic benefit to our contractors.” u

David Godkin is a B.C.-based freelance writer. Contact editor@on-sitemag.com.

May/June 2011 | On-Site

ROadbuilding

Learning to pave with gOld You’ve won the Bid; now, how do You maximize that Bonus?

ogged by downtime, increased material and trucking costs? Want to eliminate expensive repair work? There is a solution for roadbuilding contractors who want to blast through roadblocks and solidify that bonus: train the crew. Whether that training comes from an equipment manufacturer, provincial association or certified training organization, there is little doubt that it will have a positive impact on your bottom line. Training is all about mitigating risk, Chris Bowles will tell you, and roadbuilding is one of the riskiest ventures out there. Proper training reduces the risk of accidents, cost overruns, delays, substandard work and even litigation. It also teaches how to provide consistent paving quality. The construction manager with Pioneer Construction Inc., which builds roads

On-Site | May/June 2011

By Kim Laudrum

in northwestern Ontario with 2,000 employees in peak season, Bowles became a believer in the benefits of training last year after taking a paving operations course offered by heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc. “It preaches the basics, but if you consistently follow the 12 steps they teach you, in field conditions, it works every time.” In 2010, he and two other supervisors from Pioneer took the course, which cost them $3,500 per person. “If you follow what they teach you, it eliminates deficiencies and rework—and there is definitely a cost to that. One bad joint on one of our jobs would cost us $5,000,” Bowles points out. “If you make a mistake with hot-mix asphalt, you cannot easily correct it,” Terry Humphrey, training instructor for Caterpillar emphasizes. “Asphalt has a short life. You’ve got 30

ROadbuilding

minutes to lay it down and compact it carefully. If you’ve made a mistake, undoing it is time consuming and costly.” But if done right the first time, “you get bonuses instead of penalties,” Bowles explains. That’s the beauty of understanding how to do it right. “It’s actually a slower way of taking off. If you go step by step, it may take an extra four minutes to do it, but at the end of the day, it’s a better job,” says the 18-year roadbuilding veteran. “They give you the tools you need to fix things as you go,” Bowles pointed out. “If your foreman’s got the operator training, he’ll know how the automatics are acting and how the paver pumps work. If he can troubleshoot it when things are not working, it not only saves that service call to come fix it. It can also save a lot of time. Logistically, in northwestern Ontario, we might be five or six hours away from a dealer.” “It was an eye-opening course for me,” adds Bowles. “I’m management and I’m always barking at my guys to do better work. Now I understand that if you slow down and do these basics every time, it will work out better for you in the long run.” Trainers from Caterpillar, from whom Pioneer recently purchased a new paver, came to Pioneer’s Thunder Bay location to train 14 guys on Bowles’ crew. “It’s a high-risk business and the demand for quality control has gone up substantially,” Humphrey points out. And with it has grown the need for better training. Canadian contractors are under increasing pressure, since the passage of Bill C-45 or the “Westray Bill,” to ensure workers are trained appropriately. The bill established new legal duties for workplace health and safety, and imposed serious penalties for violations that result in injuries and death. Organizations, including corporations, their representatives and those who direct the work of others can also be found criminally liable under the law. On the positive side, training fosters better communication and builds teamwork among staff. It improves employee engagement—workers feel better when the company has invested in their future development. And that makes recruitment easier in a field where worker retention is notoriously difficult.

Weighing yOuR OptiOnS But where do you get the best training to meet your needs as a contractor? Is it better to take a program offered by an equipment manufacturer? Or is it important that your firm achieve specific certifications required by regulations within your area? One of the benefits of paving training from the equipment manufacturers is the hands-on experience, Wayne Tomlinson, compaction-training specialist for Volvo Construction Equipment, says. The three-and-

a-half day Paver and Compactor Operation and Maintenance class offered by the equipment manufacturer, for example, covers paving principles and best practices. “We get beginners and people who are 30-year veterans of the business. They come and they always learn something,” Tomlinson said. “Most of these folks learn best on the job.”

“

I’m always barking at my guys to do better work. Now I understand that if you slow down and do these basics every time, it will work out better in the long run.

”

Among the things workers learn at Volvo’s course, for example, is how new technology or developments can change the whole process. Environmental concerns are driving new developments in asphalt composition, for example. The course covers working with warm-mix aggregates (WMA), a newer material designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption in its manufacture at the plant. WMA has a chemical additive that reduces its temperature for use from 166 degrees C, which is the typical temperature for hot mix asphalt, to 104 degrees C. “Outdoor temperatures near hot mix use can be up to 71

What to look for in a roadbuilding training program 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

Is there a hands-on component to the class? What is the focus on safety? Does the program cover regulations related to the jurisdictions where you work? What is the experience of the instructors? What is the ratio of instructors to students? To whom is the program targeted? How many hours of instruction is offered? What accreditation, if any, is offered upon completion? Can training be offered on-site? Is long-distance travel necessary? How up-to-date is the equipment discussed or demonstrated? Does it cover current environmental considerations? Does it offer ongoing troubleshooting opportunities?

May/June 2011 | On-Site

ROadbuilding

The Volvo 3.5-day Paver and Compactor Operation and Maintenance class covers paving principles and best practices.

degrees C in summer. That’s a very hot, difficult environment to work around. The lower temperature of warm mix is a lot nicer for the people on the job. Plus it still works like hot-mix asphalt, although it currently costs a little more,” explains Tomlinson. “You can also extend your work season,” he adds, since you can pave at a lower temperature. And you can make more money that way.” Forty-seven states in the U.S. have accepted warm mix for their roads,. Hands-on training is great for staying up to date with advances in technology and troubleshooting your equipment, too. Tomlinson suggests that tips offered in class on maintaining equipment properly can make a big difference. How to ensure even wear on the screed, for example, can keep it tuned up. “You can run a screed like a boat—nose up in the air—if you’re not careful. You can wear it out at one end. You don’t want to do that. You want even wear,” he explains.

getting ceRtified Provincial associations and training organizations offer programs that aim to provide standardized certification. The Ontario Roadbuilders’ Association (ORBA), for example, offers 12 Gold Seal accredited courses towards certification as a construction estimator, superintendent or foreman. The Gold Seal Certificate was developed by the construction industry as a voluntary certification program for the individual. The Gold Seal

Participants attending this course come from various backgrounds, including paving, excavation and bridge building. “It provides more breadth and an understanding of other groups and what they do,” says Barry Thompson of Bot Aggregates Limited, the instructor of the course. At a cost of $799.99 plus HST, The Practical Skills course covers pre-construction planning, including understanding the contract instructions and requirements, safety planning, and environmental management. It also discusses managing the construction project, including understanding typical project information such as grading sheets, milling and padding reports, scheduling, dealing with third parties (regulatory agencies such as labour, environment and fisheries ministries), and site documentation. Such provincial programs are excellent for providing regulatory information, such as endangered species lists, related to the location of the project. Katherine Keras runs the The Road Builders and Heavy Construction Foundation Program out of Douglas College in Surrey, B.C. This four-week program is designed for those seeking entry to the trades or those with some industry experience

The lower temperature of warm mix is a lot nicer “ for the people on the job. Plus it still works like hot-mix asphalt, although it currently costs a little more. ” Certificate signifies that the individual has attained a level of experience, skill and competence recognized nationally by the construction industry. Practical Skills for Onsite Foremen is a new two-day course offered by ORBA’s 2011 Road Building Academy. While most of the academy’s programming is geared toward mid-management, this one is targeted to the working foreman. The intention is to develop the next generation of supervisors. One of the differences of ORBA’s course compared to seminars offered by equipment makers is the greater breadth.

On-Site | May/June 2011

ROadbuilding

Students may continue with other courses, such as the Equipment Operators Program, which is the next step. Keras suggests the students work their way through the program because it can be expensive—$12,000 to $15,000—for the five pieces. But once in the program, “a lot of doors open up,” Keras adds. “Training shouldn’t be viewed as a cost, but as an investment that should pay you back,” notes Humphrey. “Training on today’s sophisticated equipment is more important than ever. Workers want to know, ‘How do I make my job easier?’ They want to feel confident that they will become a more valuable employee as they improve their skill set. The owner on the management side is saying, ‘Give me trained employees I don’t need to worry about.’ “Asphalt paving is a hot, dirty task,” the 26-year paving veteran, Humphrey said. “We try to make it more of a profession than a job through training.” u

Kim Laudrum is a Toronto-based freelance writer. Please contact editor@on-sitemag.com.

It’s always about the people

looking to start an apprenticeship in B.C.’s robust roadbuilding and heavy construction industry. It costs $575 and provides the prerequisites necessary to enter apprenticeship programs for: asphalt paving/laydown technician; heavy equipment operator technician; and utilities installation technician. “What we’re finding in industry is a lack of committed workers in construction,” Keras told On-Site. “What this program does is provide the industry with workers who have been prescreened for suitability.” Participants will leave the program with: • Level 1 Occupational First Aid Certificate • Flagging Certificate • Transportation of Dangerous Good Certificate • Working in Confined Spaces Certificate • WHMIS Certificate • Certificate of Completion from the Industry Training Authority “The certificates alone are worth $800,” Keras says. Additional course modules cover equipment, including site orientation, how small engines, pneumatic and hydraulic hand tools work and different types of soils; surveying and blueprint reading; and how to find work in the industry.

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May/June 2011 | On-Site

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May/June 2011

On-Site IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE CANADIAN READY-MIXED CONCRETE ASSOCIATION

THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE Canadian firm builds Freedom Tower in New York

ALS O: GreenBuild confer e nc e is coming to town | Investing in safet y

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CONTENTS

COMMENT

VOLUME 55, NO. 4 May/June 2011

By Corinne Lynds

COVER STORY 40

The Ultimate challenge Collavino Construction Company is working to complete the castin-place concrete structure of the Freedom Tower in New York.

CRMCA report The US Green Building Council is bringing its annual GreenBuild conference to the city of Toronto.

Investment in safety Investing in construction safety is the most cost effective way to avoid injury and further expense.

CONCRETE ON-SITE CONTACTS Editor: Corinne Lynds (416) 510-6821 CLynds@on-sitemag.com Contributing Editor: James A. Barnes Publisher: Peter Leonard (416) 510-6847 PLeonard@on-sitemag.com Account Manager: David Skene (416) 510-6884 DSkene@on-sitemag.com Account Manager: John Chiasson (416) 510-6791 JChiasson@on-sitemag.com Sales & Marketing Coordinator: Kim Rossiter (416) 510-6794 KRossiter@bizinfogroup.ca

Online calculators save time and money

hether you’re trying to figure out how much concrete you need for a deck, wall, column or footing—or even what type of concrete to use—be sure to check out online concrete calculator tools before you place your order. The Ready Mixed Concrete Association of Ontario has an online calculator (www.rmcao.org) that aims to help developers, designers and contractors determine when self-consolidating concrete is more cost-effective than conventional concrete. The Inland Concrete Calculator (www.inlandcanada.com), on the other hand, is all about figuring out what volume of concrete is required for the project or pour. Not surprisingly, Decks.com specializes in concrete decks, this includes calculators for square footings, walls, sidewalks and patios; as well as round footings and Bigfoot systems; and cardboard tube pier forms. Last but not least, ConcreteNetwork.com will tell you exactly how many pre-mix concrete bags you need for smaller jobs such as slabs, footings and columns. These kinds of calculators are not an entirely new tool for the construction industry, but we often forget they exist. Although you could figure out the equations yourself, these tools reduce calculation errors and prevent buyers from shortages or wasted materials. So the next time you’re frantically scribbling away on a scrap of paper, trying to figure out how much concrete you need for your next job, turn to the internet to save yourself some time.

GreenBuild comes to Canada T

his October 4 – 7, 2011, the US Green Building Council (USGBC) is taking its annual GreenBuild conference to the City of Toronto. To be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, this event will bring together more than 28,000 attendees to discuss the benefits and environmental efforts of sustainable construction. The USGBC developed the LEED program for buildings, which subsequently resulted in the creation of the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) (whom are the host Council this year). In conjunction with this show, the Canadian Ready Mixed Concrete Association (CRMCA) will be holding their meetings on-site. The Cement Association of Canada (CAC) is a Platinum sponsor and CRMCA and members will be supporting the CAC sponsorship at this show to bring the message of concrete as a sustainable choice for the built environment. Concrete’s sustainable features and benefits (long life, lower life cycle cost, saving natural resources, recycling materials, conserving electricity and water, fuel and energy savings etc.) will be showcased. Carbon reducing practices such as the concrete industry’s ECO Concrete Facility certification will be emphasized to promote Responsible Materials Procurement as well as new materials such as Portland Limestone Cement, which offers an immediate 10 per cent reduction of the carbon footprint. The conference will also combine many training sessions, seminars and an exhibition hall to highlight products and innovative ideas developed to address construction in both commercial, ICI and housing construction. Tours of LEED buildings will be conducted from the show. Registration begins on October 4 with the exhibit hall open the evening of the 4, 5 and 6. More than 1,000 companies are expected to exhibit at the conference. The show will also include a full-day LEED training sessions, and an International Affordable Summit will be held on Oct. 4. This event allows industry leaders and interested parties to network and find out about the aspects of concrete that will enhance the long-term durability and performance of buildings. Another promotional opportunity will be the concrete industry’s involvement with the USGBC Legacy Habitat for Humanity Home. This home will be part of the touring section of the program.

On-Site | May/June 2011

As a contractor, your world will be impacted by changes to energy codes being implemented in Ontario and across Canada. GreenBuild will allow you to explore your options, both from a material and systems perspective. It’s a one-stopshop for everything you need to know about concrete and concrete systems that will help you meet the challenges of the sustainable future. u

Provided by the Canadian Ready Mixed Concrete Association. Contact editor@on-sitemag.com.

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COVER STORY / Freedom Tower

ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER: ONE CHALLENGING CONSTRUCTION PROJECT BY PETER KENTER

On-Site | May/June 2011

RIGHT: Joe Bechberger LEFT: Renzo Collavino

manager dedicated only to site logistics. There’s a screening process at the gates and once the truck arrives, the rule is, ‘if it ain’t getting off the truck now, it’s going back loaded.’ Either take it off or get it out.” Because of the critical nature of timing the concrete pours, the contractor scheduled some concrete deliveries, staging and subsequent pours on a second shift, with pours occurring as early as 2:00 a.m. “The labour premium you would have to pay outweighs the risks of scheduling a critical pour during the day,” says Collavino. Another challenge was the concrete itself. The job required large masses of concrete delivered to tight specifications. Con-

Photo by: Joe Woolhead

ouring 210,000 cubic yards of concrete over 26,000 tons of reinforcing steel in the heart of New York City’s busy financial district is about as tough a construction challenge as they come. That’s the project occupying the attentions of the Collavino Construction Company Inc. (CCC), part of the Collavino Group, with headquarters in Windsor, Ont. CCC is currently working to complete the cast-in-place concrete superstructure of One World Trade Center—known as Freedom Tower—in the northwest corner of the site of the original World Trade Center. The building is one of four high-rise towers under construction on the site. The $352-million concrete contract for the client—Tishman Construction/The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey—began in 2007 and spans three-and-half years. The work includes the building core, deck, stairs and all reinforcing steel in those areas. The core is designed with concrete shear walls fabricated to provide the building with added strength, including blast resistance. “The design is actually two buildings inside each other,” explains Joe Bechberger, director of construction management with CCC, addressing a recent symposium of the Ontario General Contractors Association in Collingwood, Ont. “The concrete core could stand by itself, but so could the exterior structural steel, and you have all of these added features of the blast wall to create a very robust building.” Among the challenges of the job were tight working constraints, and limited access to the site from the busy streets surrounding the construction hub. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security maintains strict controls over the site, and pre-approves all personnel working on the project. “The material and equipment pours in from early in the morning to late at night, and we were at the nucleus of the activity,” says CCC president Renzo Collavino. “They have a full-time

Freedom Tower

Traditionally, most New York City construction activities are performed on-site, with an emphasis on the use of bulk labour over pre-engineered components. “However, the people are well trained in their disciplines, hard working and driven to meet the construction schedule,” says Collavino. Most of the reinforcing steel used on the concrete portion of the contract was assembled as needed on site. “They work with sticks,” states Collavino. “But they’re fast. Sometimes they would have 70 to 80 people on the floor at a time, but they could do a floor every two days.” The contractor used both on- and off-site rebar bending operations, with up to three bending machines on-site and another two to three off-site in New Jersey at the peak of activity.

In New York City, steel construction precedes concrete construction as a matter of tradition, so structural steel was already in place as concrete pouring followed.

crete compressive strength ranged from 4,000 psi to more than 14,000 psi, depending on the application, resulting in about 10 different mix designs. With a contract that spans seasons, concrete mixes must be regularly adjusted to compensate for ambient temperature and humidity and the temperature and saturation of aggregates. Accelerators were added to concrete in winter, and ice and chilled water were used to compensate for sweltering summer heat. Working with organized labour is a critical skill required to partake in New York City construction projects. Working on the project required co-ordination with eight unions: Lathers (ironworkers), Laborers, Operators, Maintenance Engineers, Surveyors, Carpenters, Masons and Teamsters.

Likewise, formwork was typically constructed using lumber, rather than pre-engineered systems. Lumber form components were cut and labeled off site due to space limitations, then delivered and assembled on-site. In New York City, steel construction precedes concrete construction as a matter of tradition, so structural steel was already in place as concrete pouring followed. Often the structural steel was erected as many as 10 floors ahead of the concrete work. That required additional co-ordination and effort to move personnel and materials through the existing structure. Pouring around the steel frame required the contractor to make extensive use of couplers and terminators to work around the steel girders. “There was a lot of interference between the bars and beams and the columns,” says Collavino. “To get that built in the field required a lot of juggling around and also requires you to spend a lot of time and money on detailing that you normally wouldn’t.” Between the additional design requirements of blast loading and working around the structural steel, CCC relied increasingly on vibration to facilitate accurate concrete placement. Crane access was also a challenge. Among several hoisting operations, CCC made extensive use of a self-climbing concrete crane specially modified to move along the sloped steel face of the tower. Although the steel structure of the building results in eight isosceles triangles cut back from the

May/June 2011 | On-Site

Freedom Tower

building’s cubic base, the crane system functioned perfectly along the diagonals. “The crane allowed us to bring material in as many as four floors ahead of the core,” adds Collavino. A Consep exterior self-climbing material hoist was also employed to deliver material, especially during windy conditions, where winds exceeding 35 miles per hour would shut down regular crane operations. Custom material loading platforms with retracting capabilities were installed along the face of the building to feed rebar to the decks, core and infills of the project, and also served as staging areas to remove debris.

“In New York City, you’ve got to be true to your word. You’ve got to talk the talk, and walk the walk. If you stand by your word, they’ll do anything for you.” Retracting cranes were used inside the building to move material inside the core work zone. The entire building envelope was surrounded by black netting, a cocoon system typically used in New York construction projects to prevent anything from falling outside of the building footprint. Among the innovations brought to the site by CCC was the application of pumped concrete, not widely used on New York City building projects. The contractor used two stationary pumps producing 3,250 psi to deliver concrete to locations as high as 1,300 ft. above the sidewalk. A representative from the pump manufacturer, was specially hired for the project to ensure smooth integration of the technology. “We needed to pump concrete fast enough to make that machine howl,” explains Collavino. His recommendations to contractors doing business in the Big Apple: “In New York City, you’ve got to be true to your word. You’ve got to talk the talk, and walk the walk. If you stand by your word, they’ll do anything for you.” Despite challenges, Collavino says he has no regrets about taking on the project. Knowing what he knows today, would he take on the job again? “Definitely,” he said. “I’m glad we did it. I couldn’t have imagined driving through Manhattan and looking at that tower rising over the skyline without having taken the opportunity to be part of it.” u Peter Kenter is a Toronto-based freelance writer. Contact editor@on-sitemag.rogers.com.

On-Site | May/June 2011

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SAFETY

INVESTMENT IN SAFETY:

CHEAP INSURANCE BY ROSS MONSOUR

onstruction site safety always seems to be in the news, we’re forever reading about horrific accidents that end a life or severely maim a worker. Sometimes, it’s negligence, sometimes it’s weather related, sometimes it’s equipment failure and sometimes it’s just plain stupidity. Most instances of injury are investigated, blame is assigned, fines are levied and subsequent recommendations made to improve the work situation so that the accident won’t be repeated. The government takes its role seriously in trying to minimize the hazards to workers through preventative education and strict enforcement. In the last 10 years, the Ministry of Labour in Ontario has made substantial increases in its enforcement officers due to record numbers of mishaps and fatalities in the province. Industry plays a major role in achieving positive results in safety on the construction site. As with most construction associations, this role is taken seriously by the Ready Mixed Concrete Association of Ontario. One of the key industry committees

On-Site | May/June 2011

of the RMCAO is the Health and Safety Committee chaired by John Vanderpas of CBM. Amongst its many functions on behalf of the industry members, the committee oversees the RMCAO industry annual safety awards. One of their most recent achievements was the issuance of a new set of safety guidelines for concrete supply. The title of the document is Site Safe—Best Practice Guide for Concrete Supply. The document addresses safety from the perspective of employees and our construction partners. This document covers many topics related to the safe supply of concrete to the job site. Here are a few key items that are addressed in this eight-page document. The fi rst section outlines the responsibility of all the construction parties on the job site. Health and safety policies must be in place for general, subcontractors and suppliers. Most of these requirements in a health and safety policy, are realized from legislation protecting workers and the employers’ responsibility for worker safety. The next section deals with an RMCAO safe work site policy that was established four years

SAFETY

The third section of the document provides guidance on gathering the appropriate information from a Pre-construction conference checklist. to be identified at this meeting. There are other issues that are covered at these meetings but from a safety perspective, the RMCAO recommends a minimum of 5 metres space for a truck and a minimum of 2 metres between trucks when discharging concrete. The location and positioning of the job site discharges should be noted at this stage. The main component of the guide outlines the concrete delivery practices. In general the following safe job practices should be followed: • If the concrete load has to be checked by climbing on to the truck, the driver must do so only when the empty bucket is on the ground. • If there are two concrete buckets being used, the driver must inform the bucket man or job supervisor that he has to check the load and can only do so while both buckets remain on the ground. ago called Job Safe. The five guiding requirements are as follows: • No Contractor chutes or other equipment will be added to the truck • Concrete trucks will go no closer then 1 metre (minimum) distance from excavation/ramp edge • Ramps must be built to a SAFE and PROVEN quality • Trucks will not be towed • Signalers are required The requirement for signalers with a ready mixed concrete truck on site, are clearly identified in the document. It’s an illustrated series of hand signals for tasks such as backing up, stop, stop pouring etc. This is key if any site lines to the pump or discharge vehicle are not visible to the driver. The third section of the document provides guidance on gathering the appropriate information from a Pre-construction conference checklist. Items to be covered in reference to safety include, entry and exit access to the site, potential overhead hydro wires or similar obstructions; location of discharge; number of signalers and a copy of the signals to be used. All protective equipment for workers need

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Safety • The driver must have a clear escape/exit route for all stationary work. This may result in only one truck at the discharge point at one time. • No crane buckets, construction materials, pump booms or similar will be moved or hoisted over the concrete truck or driver. • The driver shall not undertake any other role, or handle any other equipment on site.

• The driver of the concrete truck must always have safe exit. • Under no circumstances is the driver permitted to be on the catwalk, ladder or other platform off the ground of any other equipment for the purpose of concrete discharge. • If there are two concrete buckets being used, the driver must inform the bucket man or job supervisor that he (the driver) has to check the load and can only do so while both buckets remain on the ground. • No worksite personnel are permitted access to a Ready Mix Truck platform, ladder or truck. • No loads or concrete buckets shall be over the truck and driver at any time. On a more specific level if the discharge is through a pump, left over concrete must not be pumped back into the truck. The pumping equipment must be certified to a recognized industry certification program such as

The new Husqvarna K 760.

Site safety is everybody’s responsibility and taking preventative measures is the cheapest investment and insurance to prevent job-site mishaps.

No other power cutter in the world is so packed with features that boost efficiency and reduce impact on the enviroment as the new Husqvarna K 760. The power cutter features the new Active Air Filtration™ system which allows up to one year of running time without filter service. Thanks to its X-Torq® engine, the saw produces up to 75% fewer emissions and lowers fuel consumption by 20%, reducing its environmental footprint. The K 760 is easy to handle due to low vibrations and the power-to-weight ratio enables the saw to be used full time, reducing operator fatigue. The new Husqvarna K 760 is a further development of the popular K 750. Therefore it has a firm base of knowledge and experience built in, more than any other power cutter in the industry.

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HUSQVARNA CONSTRUCTION PRODUCTS 2077 Bond Street • North Bay Ontario P1B 8J8 • 800-461-9589 • www.husqvarnacp.com Copyright © 2011 Husqvarna. All rights reserved. Husqvarna is a registered trademark of Husqvarna.

On-Site | May/June 2011

CSA Standard Z151, Concrete Pumps and Placing Booms. All concrete pump operators need to complete a recognized industry certification program such as the CRMCA Concrete Pump Operator Certification. The last section is an area for both the contractors and suppliers on the job to acknowledge the safety measures on the job site through a formal signed contract. The document is available on the RMCAO website at www.rmcao.org. Site safety is everybody’s responsibility and taking preventative measures is the cheapest investment and insurance to prevent job site mishaps. u Ross Monsour is marketing director of the Ready Mixed Concrete Association of Ontario.

Labour

By Peter Kenter

Inspecting the inspector Know your rights when a labour inspector arrives

f an Ontario Ministry of Labour (MOL) inspector arrives at a construction site, most people wonder what he/she will do next. A better question is: what should the employer do next? “The employer has a range of legal rights that can be exercised,” explains Anna Abbott, an associate in law firm Gowlings’ Toronto office, who specializes in occupational health and safety and construction law. “Ideally, you’d contact your counsel to come to the site immediately, but the inspector is not required to wait for counsel.” Abbott, who spoke at a symposium of the Ontario General Contractors Association in April advises: First, ask the inspector if there’s an intention to charge you under the province’s Occupational Health and Safety Act. If so, ask them to produce a search warrant, so you can know its scope. “Even if the inspector doesn’t produce a warrant, don’t block the inspector,” says Abbott. “Contact the inspector’s manager and tell them an inspection is being carried on without apparent warrant. If there is no warrant, any information gathered can’t be used against you.” Site staff can invite the inspector to take part in a site orientation tour. The inspector may refuse, but such a tour can buy time for counsel to arrive. Once an inspection begins, employers should ask if they can provide a representative to accompany the inspector. If the request is approved, that person should take notes documenting the inspection process. If the request is refused, an observer can follow the inspection from a short distance, but should not interfere. Record all details of the inspector’s investigation, including date, questions asked, names of people spoken to, names

of people from whom written statements were taken, documents observed, examined or copied, and any other requests. Also obtain receipts for all physical evidence taken by the MOL inspector.

First, ask the inspector if there’s an intention to charge you under the province’s Occupational Health and Safety Act. If so, ask them to produce a search warrant, so you can know its scope. “If the inspector takes photos, take photos as well,” says Abbott. “I had a client charged for failing to have a guardrail on a building under construction. The inspector’s photo showed a close-up where the guardrail had been removed. My client took a photo showing that there were actually barriers around that area. Had the client failed to take that photo, it would have been difficult for them to defend themselves” Employers must conduct their own investigations and send a report to the MOL within 48 hours of the original inspection, notes Abbott. “Claim statutory compulsion when filing the report,” she says. “We also ask clients to provide us with any investigation reports they prepare following an incident so that we can review and comment on the documents so that it may be protected by solicitor-client and litigation privilege and can no longer be used as evidence.” If the MOL issues an Order of Non-Compliance, Abbott recommends filing an appeal on any inaccuracy, no matter how insignificant. “If you don’t appeal, that information may stand because you didn’t disagree with it, and it can be used against you,” she says. u Peter Kenter is a Toronto-based freelance writer and editor. Contact editor@on-sitemag.com.

May/June 2011 | On-Site

Introducing the Case F-Series, one of the most fuel-efficient wheel loaders in the industry. With their Case 6.7L Interim Tier 4 engines, they meet EPA standards without making any sacrifices in power or performance. In fact, we expect them to be not only the most fuel-efficient machines in their class, but also the most powerful. But it doesn’t end there. An all-new five-speed, lock-up transmission gives the F-Series improved acceleration and faster cycle times. And with optional intuitive joystick steering to reduce user fatigue, there won’t be anything left to slow your operators down. Unless you’ve got other brands in your fleet – then you’re on your own. Dig in at casece.com.

*For commercial use only. Customer participation subject to credit qualification and approval by CNH Capital Canada Ltd. See your Case dealer for details and eligibility requirements. Down payment may be required. Offer good through for a limited time at participating Case dealers in Canada. Not all customers or applicants may qualify. CNH Capital Canada Ltd. standard terms and conditions will apply. This transaction will be unconditionally interest free. Example - 0.00% per annum for 36 months: Based on a retail contract date of April 1, 2011 with a suggested retail price on a new 821F of $281,884.00, customer provides down payment of $29,920.00 and finances the balance of $251,964.00 at 0.00% per annum for 36 months. There will be 36 equal monthly installment payments of $6,999.00 each. The total amount payable will be $281,884.00, which includes finance charges of $0.00. Taxes, freight, set-up, delivery, additional options or attachments not included in suggested retail price. Offer subject to change or cancellation without notice. † Free 275-gallon tote of DEF supplied by genuine CNH parts and is valued at US$2,500. Offer valid on NEW Case 721F, 821F and 921F Tier 4 Wheel Loaders purchased at an authorized participating Case dealer through June 30, 2011. Offer available while supplies last. See your local Case dealer for details. ©2011 CNH America LLC. All rights reserved. Case is a registered trademark of CNH America LLC. www.casece.com

RISK

By David Bowcott

Getting over the bar R

isk can be prevented, risk can be mitigated, and risk can be maintained (or like new) state. Thus the delivery model is intransferred—doing this costs money, but it can also make centivizing the contractor to have a long-view planning process money. Owners and lenders of construction projects, want before pricing the project. greater assurance that their projects will be done on-time; onMore and more owners (and lenders) of construction projbudget and will operate as expected for the lifecycle of their ects are performing their own due diligence on construction asset. If there are threats to their project that increase price, contractors. There has been an increase in the number of push schedules or cause premature breakdown, they want to Requests for Qualification (RFQs) on projects. The RFQ is isknow they have chosen a construction partner that will quickly sued prior to the Request for Proposal (RFP) as a way for the remedy these issues and put things back to normal as soon as owner to ensure they have a pool of qualified contractors. possible. More RFQs are asking the contractor to evidence access to Most of us used to buy cars with a primary objective of not tools that only quality contractors can obtain, and to evidence paying too much money. We focused on the money we were their operational best practices. paying today as opposed to the money we might pay tomorFinally, a trend is developing in the criteria for awarding row. Smart car companies invested in their operations and projects. Some owners are not relying solely on low-bid as the began to market their cars as more sustainable, that’s to say, the criteria for selecting their contractor. These owners are adding cost of the car may be more up front, but a quality measure to their low-bid criteria overtime would cost less through lower and the combination of the two will deOwners (and their maintenance and greater certainty of perthe choice of contractor. Once lenders) are beginning to termine formance. At first most were skeptical, but again these owners are not looking only change the way they buy at the price today; they are looking at the over time these companies have proven themselves and the market for their prodprice over the life of the asset. construction. ucts have expanded rapidly as buyers intuThe evidence is clear. Owners (and their itively understood the benefits of a long-view buying decision. lenders) are beginning to change the way they buy construction. So the big question becomes—Are owners of construction Contractors of all sizes should pay attention to this movement. projects (and their lenders) beginning to buy construction There will always be a bid-build marketplace that takes the using a long-view buying decision? It would seem this is lowest bidder, just like there are still people that buy their cars the case: based on the lowest price on the lot. To ignore this movement Governments at all levels have or are looking to imple- and to not address the potential shortcomings of your company, ment design-build-finance-operate-maintain project delivery is not a prudent business decision. models, otherwise known as public-private partnerships (PPPs). Think about it, owners are looking to get better quality conThe model transfers lifecycle risks to the private sector thus struction and are beginning to realize that it may cost more incentivizing a long-term view of project execution. The magic initially. Some contractors are investing in tools and practices of this delivery model is the paranoia it creates, especially with that ensure delivery of quality construction and through the the long-term debt partner who is looking to get paid principal implementation and evidencing of these tools and practices, and interest over the next 30 years (normal concession period). they are winning better jobs. More so, the owner is willing to This paranoia motivates all stakeholders to expend significant pay for these investments as they are beginning to screen for resources in up-front planning with the hopes that there will said tools and practices as evidenced by their use of RFQs, be greater certainty that milestones of the project are met contractor selection criteria and choice of project delivery (completion, operational financial model, etc.). model. As a contractor in this developing sector you have to In the roadbuilding sector we are starting to see govern- ask yourself—can your company get over the bar? u ment owners getting projects whereby the contractor will be responsible for the road’s maintenance over an extended David Bowcott is senior vice president, national director period of time (up to 15 years). These contracts are begin- of large/strategic accounts. AON Reed Stenhouse Inc. ning to require the contractor to turn over the road in a well Contact editor@on-sitemag.rogers.com.

May/June 2011 | On-Site

June 2011

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ADVERTISERS’ INDEX & WEBSITES AdriAn Steel www.adriansteel.com ....................................................................................... 29 Aecon www.aecon.com ................................................................................................ 21 AnSell www.powerflexgloves.ca................................................................................. 28 Aon www.aon.ca ........................................................................................................ 17 cASe www.casece.com ........................................................................................ 11, 48 detroit dieSel www.detroitdiesel.com....................................................................................... 4 dooSAn infrAcore ce www.DoosanEquipment.com/works .............................................................. 56 freightliner www.FreightlinerTrucks.com/WorkSmart ....................................................... 2 greenBuild 2011 www.greenbuildexpo.org ................................................................................. 53 huSqvArnA www.husqvarnacp.com.................................................................................... 46 John deere www.JohnDeere.com/YoureOn ......................................................................... 7 KuBotA ce www.kubota.ca .................................................................................................. 23 MAcK cAnAdA www.mackcanada.com .................................................................................... 36 MercedeS Benz www.mercedes-benz.ca/sprinter ................................................................... 43 Michelin www.michelin.ca ............................................................................................... 25 niSSAn www.ncv.nissan.ca ........................................................................................... 12 Pcl www.pcl.com ...................................................................................................... 19 SMS equiPMent www.smsequip.com .......................................................................................... 18 Strongco www.strongco.com ........................................................................................... 55 viewPoint conStruction SoftwAre www.viewpointcs.com ..................................................................................... 51 wAJAx www.wajax.ca .................................................................................................... 34 wAttS www.wattscanada.ca ....................................................................................... 39 weBer Mt www.webermt.us ............................................................................................... 45 weStern Surety www.westernsurety.ca..................................................................................... 33

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DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES IS July 22, 2011.

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On-Site | May/June 2011

CALENDAR September 25 and 26: Construction Industry Leaders Forum—Stimulating Excellence Organized by the Canadian Construction Association (CCA), this event will host panel and roundtable discussions and include a keynote speech by Robert Herjavec, a recognized leader from CBC’s Dragon’s Den. www.cca-acc.com August 21 to 24: 2011 Annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario Conference The AMO Annual Conference is a gathering of municipal government officials and each year offers a program theme related to current and emerging issues. A wide range of sessions provide delegates with the opportunity to learn and network to then take back to their respective communities new ideas and solutions. www.amo.on.ca September 24 and 25: CCA Fall Board Meeting Hosted by the Canadian Construction Association, it will be held at the Hilton Hotel, Quebec, QC. www.cca-acc.com October 3 and 4: Water and Land Management Summit To be hosted at the TELUS Convention Centre in Calgary, this event will look at urban and rural watershed challenges, sustainable water management in oil sands, land use planning for the future and more. www.insightinfo.com/landandwater October 4 to 7: GreenBuild 2011 To be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, this event allows attendees to meet with green building colleagues, network with leading industry professionals and learn from international representatives from around the world. www.greenbuildexpo.org

GREENBUILDEXPO.ORG TORONTO OCT. 4–7, 2011

GREENBUILD 2011 celebrates what's NEXT for green building. The world's largest conference and expo dedicated to green building, Greenbuild is where the world’s innovators and pioneers will lead the way into what’s next – for the green building movement, for the new green economy and for our global community. Learn more at greenbuildexpo.org.

CONTRACTORS & THE LAW

By Chris Eagles and Peter Eastwood

A sober look at drug and alcohol testing A

s noted in last month’s column, employers in Canada are increasingly turning to background checks to address security and safety concerns. Drug and alcohol tests remain the most common—and most criticized—type of screening process in the construction industry. These types of tests are commonly administered and often challenged, but many construction employers do not understand the legal issues involved. In essence, drug and alcohol testing may raise legal issues under both human rights and privacy legislation. With respect to human rights, employees who are dependent on drugs or alcohol, or who are perceived to be dependent on drugs or alcohol, may be considered as having a “disability” under human rights legislation. Treating these applicants differently, such as refusing to hire someone on the basis of a failed test, could be considered discrimination on the basis of disability in certain circumstances. In some situations, however a recreational drug user who fails a pre-employment drug test may not be protected on the basis of human rights legislation. Such was the decision in Alberta (Human Rights and Citizenship Commission) vs. Kellogg Root & Brown (Canada) Company in 2009, where the Alberta Court of Appeal found the applicant’s termination to be justified on the basis that he was a recreational marijuana user and not “disabled,” and because the job was a safety-sensitive position at a workplace that had a history of accidents. In terms of privacy, any type of medical testing is considered invasive in that it collects sensitive personal information about an employee. Some provinces have legislation that allows employers only to collect or use an employee’s personal information if it’s reasonably necessary for the employment relationship. An employee who feels that the particular testing is not reasonable under the circumstances may bring a complaint under such privacy legislation. It’s also important to understand that drug testing and alcohol testing are treated differently by courts, arbitrators and regulators. This is because a drug test often cannot measure impairment at the time of the test, which can undermine the reasonableness of the very purpose of the test. In contrast, in certain circumstances it may be permissible for an employer to require an employee in a safety-sensitive position to undergo alcohol testing, as it can measure impairment at the time of the test. Although recent technological advancements have developed testing, such as saliva testing, that may now indicate current impairment by certain drugs, this may still raise privacy

On-Site | May/June 2011

concerns. For example, in Imperial Oil Limited vs. Communications, Energy & Paperworkers Union of Canada, Local 900, the Ontario Court of Appeal found that even though the employer’s saliva testing did indicate current impairment by marijuana, it breached a term in the collective agreement ensuring that individuals be treated with “respect and dignity.” In late 2009, the Canadian Human Rights Commission published a revised Policy on Alcohol and Drug Testing. Although this policy is non-binding and is only applicable in federally-regulated industries, it provides useful guidance with respect to how arbitrators and courts may treat testing. The Policy notes that generally, pre-employment testing of employees will not be permissible, although there may be limited circumstances where it is appropriate, such as when an employee has disclosed a recent history of drug or alcohol abuse, or where a pre-employment medical exam provides the employer with reasonable cause to believe a person may be abusing drugs or alcohol and therefore may become impaired on the job. However, an employer may not withdraw offers of employment for a failed drug or alcohol test without first considering the issues of accommodation. The Policy also states that as part of screening for fitness to work in a safetysensitive position, employers can require employees in safetysensitive positions to disclose their current use of alcohol or drugs, and recent history of alcohol or drug abuse (within the past five years for alcohol, and six years for drugs). Generally, however, employees who are not in safety-sensitive positions should not be required to disclose past alcohol or drug problems. Finally, it’s worth noting that in many provinces, construction employers and associations have developed guidelines or entered into agreements with unions concerning when and how drug and alcohol tests may be administered. These guidelines have erected voluntary “opt-in” regimes that attempt to balance the privacy interests of employees and the common interests of employers and unions in ensuring a safe workplace. u This column is provided for general information only and may not be relied upon as legal advice. Contact editor@on-sitemag.com

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LET’S WORK.

Wherever you go. Whatever you do. Strongco Equipment is there with you. Strong, dependable equipment. Trusted industry experience. Reliable parts and service support. With locations across Canada and solutions for everything from construction and road building to mining, forestry, utilities and more, we’re ready. Let’s work. Let’s use all our strengths to take on more. Contact your nearest Strongco location today.

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Calgary 403-216-1010 Edmonton 780-464-1909

Volvo Construction Equipment

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