APRIL 2014
> INS IDE <
CONCRE ON-SITETE RO A D SOLUTIO
PG.33
The
Road building Issue
NS
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WHAT YOU WARRANT PG.46
WHAT IS THE
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PG.44
COMPACT EQUIPMENT INTERIOR DESIGN PG.16
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VOLUME 58, NO.2 / APRIL 2014
2014 ROADBUILDING ISSUE After a brutal winter, new developments in equipment, materials, skills and technology are going to be needed to patch up Canada’s weather-beaten roads and highways. Checkout roadbuilding features on pages: 22, 36 and 40.
DEPARTMENTS 5 Comment
16
Bone-rattling commute
8
News Industry news
14 Construction Stats Tha latest news in building permits and construction employment
45 Funny Photo Funny Photo contest
COLUMNS 44 Risk The biggest risk?
46 Contractors and the Law Beware of what you warrant
45
Index of Advertisers
22
features 16
22
28
Changing demographics are fuelling demand for roomier and more comfortable cabs with better amenities in compact equipment.
Grading technology has come a long way, but it still needs to work in tandem with a skilled operator.
The global economy will “gain a step” this year, with strong growth projected for emerging economies.
SITTING PRETTY
MAN & MACHINE
OUTLOOK: OPTIMISM REIGNS IN ONTARIO
44 33 C ONCRETE ON-SITE
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Come in between April 10 and July 31, 2014 and drive the difference with these great offers.
YOUR TRUCK IS WAITING.
1.9% 2.9% 3.9%
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To find a dealer near you visit InternationalTrucks.ca *Offer valid to qualified retail buyers on select new International® vehicles, on approved credit. Visit a participating International dealer and purchase a qualifying new vehicle to qualify. Financing provided by General Electric Canada Equipment Finance G.P. (GECEF) in Canada. ProStar®/TranStar®/LoneStar®/9900i: 1.90% APR based on $120,000 CDN maximum loan advance and 36 monthly payments of $3,431.87 CDN per month. DuraStar®: 2.90% APR based on $80,000 CDN maximum loan advance and 36 monthly payments of $2,322.97 CDN per month. WorkStar®/PayStar®: 3.90% APR based on $160,000 CDN maximum loan advance and 36 monthly payments of $4,716.72 CDN per month. Interest rates are subject to change. Standard credit criteria apply - not all customers will qualify. Prior purchases do not qualify. Customers must take delivery of vehicle(s) by July 31, 2014. Offer valid only while supplies last. Qualifying vehicles may vary by Dealer. Offer is non-negotiable, non-transferable, not redeemable for cash, and cannot be combined with other purchase offers. Offer open to legal Canadian residents, 18 or older as of the date of purchase, with a valid driver’s license. Employees, officers and directors (including immediate family members and members of the same household) of Navistar Canada, Inc. (Navistar), its subsidiaries, affiliates and International dealers are not eligible to participate. Navistar and/or GECEF reserve the right to terminate, modify, or postpone this offer at any time and for any reason. Other restrictions apply. For more details, please contact your participating International dealer. International®, ProStar®, TranStar®, LoneStar®, DuraStar®, PayStar®, and WorkStar® are registered trademarks of Navistar. Nothing contained herein constitutes tax, accounting, financial, or legal advice by Navistar and/or GECEF to any person. © 2014 Navistar, Inc. All rights reserved. All marks are trademarks of their respective owners.
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COMMENT
Bone-rattling commute
I
Get the latest construction news! Follow us on Twitter @OnSiteMag
t doesn’t take an engineering genius to deduce that Canadian roads are in worse shape than usual. Even my seven-year-old son will tell you, the bone-rattling commute to karate class is the direct result of an endless supply of ice, snow and fluctuating temperatures. It has been a harsh winter for most of Canada. Last week, here in Toronto, people staggered out of their homes clad in shorts and T-shirts when temperatures hit a balmy +11 degrees C. With the arrival of short sleeves and patio furniture, is the less popular—construction season. The tulips have barely begun to bloom, and the City of Toronto is already warning motorists to expect construction delays from June until November, particularly on major highways and in the downtown core. “We are going to get to more roads than ever before. It’s going to cost a lot of money,” said Denzil Minnan-Wong, chairman of the Toronto public works committee at a press conference earlier this month. “This year, the city will be spending more than $250 million to improve the quality of our roads and bridges.” As city workers scramble to fix roads and fill a record number of potholes, Minnan-Wong and his team are working on a comprehensive review that will examine new methods of construction to potentially prevent road problems and improve the durability and lifespan of new surfaces. The review, which is underway now, will look at best practices in cities across North America and Europe. It will evaluate all areas of construction, including materials and processes. Organizations such as the Ready Mixed Concrete
Association and the Ontario Hot Mixed Producers Association are also working with the city in various ways to find better long-term solutions. (Check out road building articles on pages 22, 36 and 40.) Toronto is definitely not the only city dealing with unusually poor road conditions. Authorities in Winnipeg estimate 65 per cent more potholes this year after the coldest December-to-February stretch in 35 years. And the City of Edmonton has teamed up with the University of Alberta’s engineering department to find ways to make roads stand up better to frosty temperatures. Potholes in that city have become a costly problem. Last year, Alberta paid out a record $424,000 to motorists whose cars were damaged by “craters”. If there is an upside to all of this, it’s that road builders will have no shortage of work in the coming months, and that municipalities are finally looking for new materials, processes and technologies to improve city streets. With climate change becoming an ever-increasing concern, governments, owners and contractors need be prepared for inclement weather that is going to do its best to ravage our new and existing roads and bridges. Corinne Lynds / Editor CLynds@on-sitemag.com
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CONTRIBUTORS
www.on-sitemag.com / Fax: 416-510-5140
MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS FOR THIS ISSUE
PUBLISHER | Peter Leonard (416) 510-6847 PLeonard@on-sitemag.com EDITOR/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR | Corinne Lynds (416) 510-6821 CLynds@on-sitemag.com
JIM BARNES / Contributing Editor
ASSISTANT EDITOR | Patrick Callan (416) 442-5600 x3524 PCallan@on-sitemag.com
On cab design: Older workers, who may have stiff joints, excessive body weight, bad eyesight and other ailments, may be reluctant to cram themselves into a tiny, claustrophobic cab anymore. At the same time, younger workers expect machines to be comfortable and offer features such as connections for their portable devices.
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR | James A. Barnes
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ART DIRECTOR | Melissa Crook (416) 442-5600 x3260 MCrook@bizinfogroup.ca ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER | David Skene (416) 510-6884 DSkene@on-sitemag.com SALES & MARKETING COORDINATOR | Kim Rossiter (416) 510-6794 KRossiter@bizinfogroup.ca
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PRODUCTION MANAGER | Barb Vowles 416-510-5103 BVowles@bizinfogroup.ca
DAVID BOWCOTT / Senior vice-president, national director large/strategic accounts, construction and infrastructure services, Aon On climate change: As time passes, it seems more and more likely that climate change will impact the lives of everyone on this planet. From a risk perspective, the probability of the risk is increasing (terms like “highly likely” and “very certain” are being used) and in the event the risks associated with climate change do manifest, most of us agree the severity of these risks are high.
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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 Executive Publisher | Tim Dimopoulos 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
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On contract warranty: Beware what you warrant: The most cautious parties will carefully negotiate their contracts to ensure that they understand and are comfortable with the degree of risk undertaken. Although best practice dictates a careful review of proposed contract terms and their associated risk, this does not always occur.
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PATRICK CALLAN / Assistant Editor On concrete solutions: The North American construction industry is increasingly turning to fast-setting, quick strengthgaining concrete products, which are designed to have traffic back on the road safely and at full capacity within hours of the concrete being poured.
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CNH-4459_
INDUSTRY NEWS
ConEXPO steals show in Las Vegas A confluence of international construction professionals took the desert by storm during CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2014 in Las Vegas, Nev. The five-day mega construction conference, held every third year, is North America’s largest gathering for the construction, construction materials and fluid power/power transmission/motion control industries. And the 2014 edition of CONEXPO from March 4 to 8 certainly lived up to its billing. More than 125,000 people in attendance from around the world—contractors, dealers/distributors, service providers, engineers, producers, municipalities—got a firsthand look at the latest and greatest the global construction industry has to offer. Throughout the week, attendees had the opportunity to visit more than 2,400 exhibitors spread out over the 2.3 million sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor space at the Las Vegas Convention Center’s halls and lots. Visitors were treated to an abundance of new products, technology and expertise in every major construction industry, including asphalt, aggregates, concrete, earthmoving, lifting, mining, utilities and more. Numerous exhibitors held
demonstrations—which drew large crowds of onlookers—to showcase their new products in action. The show also featured a comprehensive education program with sessions emphasizing industry issues and trends, management and applied technology. Several industry associations held their annual conventions or high level meetings, and many individuals were recognized for their lifelong achievements in the construction industry. A popular new feature of this year’s show was a demolition and recycling pavilion to promote the safe and economic recycling of recoverable construction and demolition materials.
Churchill announces $250M in new contracts Churchill Corp. has secured $250 million in new contract awards within its general contracting and commercial systems segments. Stuart Olson Dominion, Churchill’s general contracting segment, has been awarded $135 million in new projects, including the landmark Mount Royal University Library project in Calgary. The recent awards include hospital projects in British Columbia and a residential building in Manitoba. Churchill’s commercial systems segment is benefiting from strong spending in Alberta, with new awards totaling $115 million. These include a major sport and entertainment centre and two significant healthcare facility projects. The new projects will be added to Churchill’s first quarter 2014 backlog.
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9 1 6 2, As low
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t Doosan and the Doosan logo are registered trademarks of Doosan Corp. in the United States and various other countries around the world. ©2014 Doosan Infracore Construction Equipment America. All rights reserved. | 139F-0 *For a limited time, the 3 Year, 5000 Hour engine/powertrain factory warranty will be available at participating and eligible dealers only. Offer may vary by product type, series, model and select units in dealer inventory. Offers available on new equipment in US and Canada only. Some restrictions apply. Length of contract may vary. Prior purchase not eligible. Lease amount is in Canadian dollars. See dealer for details. Financing provided on approval of credit by authorized Doosan finance providers to well qualifi ed buyers. The rates listed herein do not take into consideration any administrative fees and are subject to change based on the amount of such fees (which may vary). Doosan reserves the right to extend or discontinue any of these programs at any time without prior notice. Where applicable, price includes the machine and a standard bucket (quick coupler is optional). Photos may show other than standard equipment. Listed price is for a DL250-3. See your dealer for additional Targeted PowerLease SM offers.
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TestimonialTod_OS_8-125x10-875_MarApr.indd • #35230 On-Site - 4-color - 8.125” x 10.875” - March/April 2014 - 3.4.1414-03-31
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Many Options. One Choice. With so many options in today’s commercial van market, we strive to make one choice easy: your cargo management solutions! Adrian Steel is the industry leader providing cargo management solutions that optimize the value of the commercial van you drive today, and the one you will be driving tomorrow.
Construction team selected to build Manitoba's fourth largest generating station
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Manitoba Hydro awarded BBE Hydro Constructors LP with a $1.4 billion contract to build the Keeyask Hydroelectric Generating Station on the lower Nelson River in northern Manitoba. The BBE construction team of Ellis Don, Bechtel and Barnard Construction is set to start construction later this year. The first power from the plant is expected in 2019, with a target completion date of 2020. The hydroelectric generating station will include a seven-unit powerhouse complex, concrete spillway, about 2.2 kilometres of earth dam structures, and 23 kilometres of earth dyke structures. “The Keeyask Generating Station will be a source of renewable energy providing approximately 695 megawatts of capacity and producing an average of 4,400 gigawatt hours of electricity each year,” said Bruce Barrett, vice-president of Manitoba Hydro.
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Bird Construction Inc. has been awarded a number of civil and building construction contracts worth about $300 million. The projects will take place in the company’s industrial, institutional and commercial sectors throughout its geographic operating areas, including a contract to build a large condominium complex in downtown Toronto. Construction of the projects will begin immediately with expected completion dates extending into 2017. These project awards will be added to Bird’s backlog in the first quarter of 2014.
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T:8.125”
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The Mack® Granite® does what it takes. It’ll carry anything—dump, roll-off, mixer, whatever the job needs. And if you need twin-steer, it can do twin-steer. When the work gets hard, the Granite doesn’t say no. It’s ready for anything.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Go west (and north), young man! BY PATRICK CALLAN The next generation of Canadian construction workers will have a decidedly younger look. As the industry scrambles to replace an aging workforce, the immediacy to find a fresh crop of skilled workers cannot be understated. A recent forecast from BuildForce Canada estimates that 235,000 new workers will be needed over the period 2014-2023 in order to offset retirements and keep pace with expected demand. Replenishing the existing workforce despite abnormally high retirement rates is a challenge all provinces share: 24 per cent of the Canadian construction workforce will retire over the next 10 years. Western Canada is already in dire need of workers, and the situation is only expected to get worse in the coming decade with many large projects on the books, particularly in Alberta and British Columbia. While construction employment rates in Ontario and Quebec will remain on par with the national average, the situation will be much different on Canada’s East Coast. BuildForce predicts there will be ample construction work across the country, but the shifting demographics in the construction workforce will hit Atlantic Canada—which has one of the oldest populations—the hardest. Retaining homegrown skilled workers, against the allure of heading to the booming western provinces, could prove to be a daunting task.
Atlantic Canada “The aging population is a critical piece for the Atlantic provinces,” said Rosemary Sparks, BuildForce Canada’s executive director. New Brunswick, for example, will lose 28 per cent of its construction workforce to retirement in the next 10 years. “The other thing is, with the exception of Newfoundland and Labrador, the other Atlantic provinces are going to have steady employment but not large growth in employment,” she said. “Newfoundland and Labrador is a little bit different because they’re still in a peak of activity right now, but that will slow down after 2015.” With stronger overall growth in Western Canada, there is a higher likelihood of young workers moving there to find work, both temporarily and permanently, said Sparks. “The challenge for the Atlantic provinces is to keep the workforce that they’re going to
require, and at the same time as they’re replenishing that workforce, to accommodate the loss of skilled workers through retirement.”
Central Canada Quebec is coming off a period of strong growth, with a record peak in 2012, largely as a result of hydro and utilities related projects. The province will now transition into a relatively stable period of more moderate growth “after a really remarkable boom in construction,” said Sparks. Quebec will need to replenish its workforce by about 47,000 people over the next decade. Northern Ontario will see lots of activity in mining, utility and resource-based construction industries, while the Greater Toronto Area will have it’s hands full with major transportation projects. “When we look a little bit forward, we’re going to start to see the refurbishment of the nuclear plants,” said Sparks. It will be interesting to see if workers will move from the less busy parts of the province to where the work is, or if workers will have to be brought in from outside the province to meet peak demands, she added. “Even though construction is remaining reasonably strong across the country, the significant growth is going to take place in Western Canada.”
Prairies Manitoba’s workforce requirements will be driven largely by major hydroelectric and transmission types of projects in the northern part of the province. BuildForce predicts Manitoba will peak in both 2016 and 2020, however, it will also lose 21 per cent of its construction workforce over the next decade. One of Manitoba’s main competitors will be neighbouring Saskatchewan, which has been an “incredibly strong” construction market over the last few years, particularly in the residential sector, potash mines, and other resource-based industries in the northern part of the province. “Saskatchewan’s had a pretty great ride,” said Sparks. “Things will slow a little bit, but certainly there will still be work to do.” Continuing west, it should come as no surprise that big things are expected from Alberta’s construction industry in the coming years. Growth in the oilsands will continue to be strong, peaking from about 2014 to 2019. “Alberta continues to be a hub of strong construction activity,” she said, adding after years of building, employment requirements for sustaining projects will exceed new projects. “Finding workers from other parts of the country has been a successful strategy for Alberta in the past. We just don’t know going forward if that will still be as strong a solution for them,
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CONSTRUCTION STATS A selection of data reflecting trends in the Canadian construction industry
Total value of permits $ billions 8.2 7.8
Building permits up The total value of building permits issued by Canadian municipalities rose 8.5 per cent to $7.0 billion in January, following a 4.8 per cent decrease in December. The increase in January came from higher construction intentions in the residential sector, which more than offset a decline in the non-residential sector. Gains were posted in every province in January, except Quebec. Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario registered the largest increases.
7.4 7.0 6.6 6.2 5.8 5.4 5.0 4.6 4.2 3.8 3.4 3.0
J
2009
J
2010
J
2011
J
Seasonally adjusted
2012
J
2013
J 2014
Trend
Note(s): The higher variability associated with the trend-cycle estimates is indicated with a dotted line on the current reference month and the three previous months.
Employment
Machinery spending is expected to increase
thousands 17,900 17,700
Investment in non-residential construction, which represents more than 62 per cent of total investment excluding housing, is expected to decline 0.2 per cent to $185.4 billion. Spending on capital machinery and equipment is anticipated to increase by 3.9 per cent to $112.0 billion.
17,500 17,300 17,100 16,900 16,700 16,500
Investment intentions advance F
J 2009
J 2010
J 2011
J 2012
JF 2013
2014
billions of dollars 450 400
Employment rate holds steady Employment was little changed in February, and the unemployment rate remained at 7.0 per cent. There has been little overall employment growth in Canada since August 2013. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment increased by 95,000 (+0.5 per cent) and the unemployment rate was unchanged. Over the same period, the number of hours worked rose 0.7 per cent. Provincially, employment decreased in Quebec and British Columbia, while it increased in Alberta and Nova Scotia.
350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Note(s): Actual from 2004 to 2012, 2013 preliminary actual and 2014 intentions.
Source: Statistics Canada
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COMPACT EQUIPMENT
Sitting pretty BY JIM BARNES
Bobcat’s M Series Loader Cab.
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Comfort and compact equipment don’t have to be contradictions
C
hanging demographics are fuelling demand for roomier and more comfortable cabs with better amenities in compact equipment. Older workers—who may have stiff joints, bad eye sight, a few extra pounds or other ailments, may be reluctant to cram themselves into tiny, claustrophobic cabs anymore. Meanwhile, younger workers expect machines to be comfortable and offer features such as connections for their portable devices. Equipment designers have been working hard to meet these demands. “Over the years, cab comfort has been a challenge for manufacturers,” notes Ray St. Antoine, marketing specialist, Construction Equipment, Kubota Canada Ltd. “It is certainly more in the forefront these days...It is one area where manufacturers can distinguish themselves.”
Case skid steer loader.
SIZE MATTERS “It may seem counterintuitive, since the primary goal of compact equipment is to get smaller. However, cab room is actually growing in most lines of compact equipment,” says Warren Anderson, brand marketing manager, Case Construction Equipment. For example, the cab on Case’s F Series compact wheel loaders has gotten larger, even though the machine itself is shorter in length than its predecessors. On the firm’s skid steers and compact track loaders, the loader arms have been pushed outwards as far as possible to accommodate a wider cab without expanding the machine’s overall width. “We’ve also built in a cab-forward design, which allows us more overall space, as well as better visibility down to the bucket and attachments,” says Anderson. With the firm’s compact wheel loaders, cab room has been expanded by setting it lower in the machine’s frame. Another example of the trend toward larger cabs is Bobcat’s M-Series, which has up to 20 per cent more interior space than some other brands, according to Mike Fitzgerald, Bobcat product specialist. “Getting in and out of the machine is easier too, thanks to the large front opening.” Yet another is JLG. “JLG pays particular attention to the operator's experience in designing its telehandlers, from how easy it is to
enter and exit the cabin to how easy it is to see around the machine without craning your neck,” says Brian Boeckman, global product director, Telehandlers, JLG Industries, Inc. Caterpillar, too, is addressing cab comfort. Its one-piece Cab-One modular design offers better sealing, since there is no floor pan or foot-well to seal, according to Kevin Coleman, Caterpillar’s senior marketing engineer for skid steers and compact track loaders.
BLOWING HOT AND COLD “Skid steer comfort has evolved tremendously in the last 10 to 15 years,” says Coleman. “It wasn’t that long ago that skid steers didn’t even offer an air-conditioning option.” Customer expectations have ramped up considerably since then.
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COMPACT EQUIPMENT
“We're getting some pretty hot weather in parts of this country,” notes St. Antoine. “Air-conditioning is something that we're improving, with extra vents and new positions for the vents in the cab.” Bobcat enhanced its loader heating and cooling systems to have a larger capacity for better performance, especially in extreme temperatures, says Fitzgerald. In the Caterpillar D series, the ventilation systems flow 20 per cent more air than in previous models. Pressurization is another benefit of the enclosed cab. “This assists in keeping the cab at comfortable temperatures while also keeping the elements out—dirt and dust particles can’t work their way into the cab,” says Anderson. This was a focus for the cab and climate system on Caterpillar’s D Series, which offers nearly twice as much pressurization as previous models. Noise is another comfort issue that has been better managed with sealed and pressurized cabs. “Customers do ask for the noise spec in decibels inside the cab when making a purchasing decision,” says St. Antoine. “For some tenders, you have to supply the dBA numbers inside your cab.”
However, he cautions noise specs are sometimes inconsistent. Not everybody measures noise the same way. “Sometimes, it is engine at idle. Sometimes engine full throttle,” he explains.
BE SEATED While air ride seats are popular, standard seats have made great progress. “If you are going to be sitting in this machine for six to eight hours a day, you are going to want something that's comfortable,” notes St. Antoine. “These days, even the regular seats have full suspension and you can adjust the stiffness of that suspension. A lot of seats now are high back. They're more comfortable and some even recline a bit.”
Cat 262D Skid Steer Loader with grapple bucket
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Caterpillar seat options include a high-back, heated, air-suspension seat that incorporates integral seat-mounted joystick controls. The seat provides additional comfort via recline and lumbar adjustments, according to a company spokesperson. All air suspension seats feature independent arm bar/joystick control adjustments to allow the machine to be configured for different size operators and for different applications. D Series models also feature a high-back, air ride seat with heat, lumbar adjustment and recline features, according to Coleman. “The ability to position the seat to the operator’s size weight and position is a key feature in one’s office,” says Jamie Wright, product manager, Terex Construction Americas. That should apply to construction equipment, too. “Mechanical suspension seats are always an option in Terex compact equipment, and in many of our compact equipment units it is a standard feature.” Bobcat offers a super deluxe seat for the E63 and E85 excavators that provides suspension, lumbar support and adaptability for every operator. “Adjustable arm rests and fold-up pedals give operators, especially bigger guys, flexibility and room for comfortable operation,” says Fitzgerald.
CONTROL OPTIONS As contractors try to accommodate the next generation of operators, we are seeing more diversity in control options in loader fleets, according to Wright. Many manufacturers are moving from pedals to joysticks. Joysticks seem to be the easiest for people to understand if they have limited operating experience, says Wright. “If an operator has bad ankles, hips or knees, foot pedals are not the right choice,” he adds. “It takes very little energy or effort to operate a joystick-controlled loader. At the end of a long work day, an operator won’t feel as fatigued.”
ONE VS MANY
COMPACT TRACK LOADERS FACE OFF SEE WHO WINS GOING HEAD-TO- HEAD. Before you buy your next loader, watch compact track loaders perform in head-to-head competitions, or take a side-by-side look at the performance, serviceability and durability features that impact your potential profit. Not only do the videos show you which loader performs best for your rental customers, they explain the small details that increase customer utilization and reduce your downtime. Watch all the videos at BobcatAdvantage.com/CTLfaceoff1 or scan the code and find out who comes out on top.
BobcatAdvantage.com/CTLfaceoff1 1.877.745.7813 Bobcat® and the Bobcat logo are registered trademarks of Bobcat Company in the United States and various other countries. ©2014 Bobcat Company. All Rights Reserved. | 1139W-2
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COMPACT EQUIPMENT
as possible,” says Anderson. Case has updated its controls in skid steers and compact track loaders with an EZ EH (electrohydraulic) setup menu that offers nine preset speed and control settings that can be adjusted on the fly. This allows the operator to match controls to their preference for comfort and greater productivity. Caterpillar’s Advanced Display control monitor expands the number of security (operator) codes to 50 and can store and recall the operating preferences of 50 operators.
A CLEAR VIEW
Kubota
Fitzgerald notes that Bobcat can meet a variety of operator preferences for its skid steers and compact track loaders, including standard controls (levers and pedals), Advanced Control System (optional hand and foot controls), Selectable Joystick Controls (optional hand controls) and standard controls with Power Assist for the S580 and T870 models. Instrumentation is another area of rapid development. One goal is simplicity. “Simple-to-use controls and interfaces are preferred as you want to make that machine as easy to dial in
One critical measure of comfort for an operator is to have an unimpeded view of what’s going on outside the machine. Many compact machines have been redesigned recently to improve sight lines. “In most cases, enclosed cabs do not hinder visibility...Manufacturers have done a good job of working glass into the existing framework of the ROPS, so no new structures obstruct the view,” says Anderson. The Bobcat loader cab was moved further forward to position operators closer to the work area and giving them better sight lines. As well, the windows are bigger, notes Fitzgerald. Kubota’s track loaders have a 360-degree field of vision from the seat, says St. Antoine. “You can see behind you, whereas on some other machines you can't really see anything way back, but only up closer to the machine.” “The skid steer basic design limits vision,” noted a Caterpillar spokesperson. In response, the lift arm on the D Series machine was redesigned for improved sight lines and a standard rear-view camera and display was included to enhance safety in tight applications. A lot of different variables have to come into play to keep operators happy in their cabs. Most types of compact equipment are benefitting from this trend. “The smallest machine in the JLG telehandler line is the G5-18A, which features a comparatively large cabin, a suspension seat, a built-in arm rest, and a single joystick that controls the lift, telescope and fork-tilt functions,” says Boeckman. Other options help make operators comfortable, including tilt steering, air conditioning and a radio-ready kit that lets individuals fit their own radio into the machine. “These features help operators remain productive for many hours,” says Boeckman. “The more items you can offer that are in demand—without the machine being cramped or taking away from productivity—is a selling advantage,” says St. Antoine. Ultimately, the success of these design efforts will be a visceral reaction. Find a dealer and try one on for size. Jim Barnes is a contributing editor to On-Site. Send comments to editor@on-sitemag.com
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GRADING
Man &
Machine
Making great grades in a single pass BY DAVID GODKIN
G
rading a roadbed. What could be simpler? Place and rough grade your 25, 75 and 150 millimetre sands and gravels using a dozer; then finish it off with a motor grader. But not so fast, say the experts, there’s more to grading than that. To find out just how much more, we talked to a project owner, project managers and equipment operators about some of the unique challenges they recently faced on a major grading project in British Columbia.
GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME Drivers had two bits of good news on the day last December when a brand new 37 kilometre, four lane stretch of highway opened up in Greater Vancouver: the new alignment would not only speed them to home and office more quickly, the road surface would provide a gloriously smooth ride. The last thing on commuters’ minds? How much planning and work was focused below surface—on up to 450 millimetres of sand and gravel—to ensure that faster, smoother ride home. “In the old days we used to kind of do it off the back of a cigarette pack,” chuckles Geoff Freer, project director for the South Fraser
Perimeter Road (SFPR). “Nowadays it’s just amazing what they’re doing in terms of planning and achieving more efficiency.” Freer says one of the first challenges confronting planning engineers and builders at B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation and infrastructure was giant swaths of soft soils and peat beneath the site of the SFPR. To offset the loss, due to settlement, of approximately one million cubic metres of these softer materials, three million cubic metres of preload sand were dredged from the Fraser River and pumped to storage points along the SFPR corridor. This decision accounts for the project’s success and, in particular for the success of the grading operations, says Freer. But even this wasn’t enough, he says. That preload—making up a sizeable portion of the alignment’s eventual sub-grade—would also require a surcharge of sand for additional settlement. Only when it was removed using rock trucks could the sand sub-base be graded to the tolerance required for the gravels and asphalt that would follow. The litmus test for the SFPR, as it is on any grading job, was the amount of re-work required. “I saw very little re-work. The contractor
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“G
m
Cat D6K spreading grade works in tandem with haul trucks.
and subcontractors were just excellent,” says Freer. He attributes this in part to the use of GPS machine controls, ensuring this initial grading phase occurred in a single pass. The GPS controls would also prove helpful laying down the three-inch minus crushed rock that followed the sub-base grading.
They sell it as a unit that monkeys can run. But “GPS is not fool proof. If you don’t know how to manage materials GPS doesn’t really help you. ” Hauled down the Fraser River by barge and loaded on to tandem dump trucks, both the sub-base and base gravels were spread using a Cat D6K dozer. No small task given the tight time schedule the operator was working to, says FTG Constructors’ section manager Sean Frost. “The operator was placing a 2,200 to 2,500-ton barge in five to six hours and putting it on grade.” Getting 250 to 450 millimetres of sub base gravel down that quickly “exceeded our expectations,” says Frost.
GPS WON’T DO IT ALL But the best was yet to come. Despite a thickness half that of the sub base of between 300 and 450 millimetres, and having to travel farther to place it, the same amount of 150 millimetres base gravel was placed just as quickly as the sub-base. The resulting grade was “fantastic,” says Frost. “People made comments after he was done like `Boy you must have placed this with a grader.’ Nope. We just had Robbie and the GPS dozer pushing it down.” “Robbie” is dozer operator Rob Gordon. “I tried to stay a little on the high side so that the grader, after compaction, would be just working with an inch maximum. On an average day I put down between twenty three and twenty six hundred tons.” Gordon gives a lot of credit to his two rovers helping him to adjust the GPS to meet the layout requirements. Where he demurs a little is on the usefulness of GPS itself. “They sell it as a unit that monkeys can run. But GPS is not fool proof. If you don’t know how to manage materials GPS doesn’t really help you.” A case in point is the grader operator’s use of the track marks
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GRADING
“The blade does some strange things,” says Frost. “When it gets to the edge it might jump up or down…And sometimes that was a challenge having the right guy in the seat who knew when to turn it off.” The D6K by comparison was a little more agile with a much narrower blade. But FTG also had Rob Gordon, brand new to GPS himself, but equipped with a ton of experience. “We basically threw the manual at him and said strap the equipment onto the machine and `Go play.’” “Once he figured out that GPS it was just phenomenal, he just made that thing fly. The second that blade did something that he didn’t anticipate he knew there was a little problem and he’d just override it.” The hands of surgeon… “For one day of paving, we needed about five days of grading.” Trouble was, says Imperial Paving project manager Robin Smith, the main grading contractor couldn’t keep up during the fine grading phrase. Worse still, GPS once again was failing to meet expectations. “The paver wasn’t completely satisfied with it because every time they’d start up with it there were bumps and a ripple in the gravel. It met [the main contractor’s] criteria but didn’t meet mine.” To rectify matters Smith called on veteran grader operator Gary Haac. Though Haac imagines he A sharp cutting edge will someday gravitate towards the use of GPS, that and a well-balanced blade are key to any day has not come yet. Instead, mounted on a relagrading project. tively older Cat 140H motor grader in the summer of 2013, Haac set to work fine grading on 176 Street up to Highway 17. The result: his bosses couldn’t have been more pleased with his finish. left by Gordon’s dozer after it left the site. The grader operator can “I guess I had a better feel for the machine and an eye for the get to grade, says Gordon, by simply cutting out the one or two inch holes than GPS. That and the ride of the machine; you could just track marks that the dozer leaves on the ground. Not that he’s profeel them.” posing this as an alternative to GPS; Gordon is simply stressing the A nice sharp cutting edge and well-balanced machine are the importance of matching GPS smarts to driver smarts. GPS won’t two key aspects of a good motor grader, says Haac. Something always save you from trees or power lines, he says, but a sharp eye else that is “so, so important,” on a project like this, adds Smith, on the ground just might. is watering. Sometimes during fracture, aggregate will develop an Gordon’s boss, FTG project director Ramon Fiuza, agrees. electric charge, preventing amalgamation of the rock and fines. “The critical part of the operation is the operator. You can have “It’s almost got an umbrella around it that nothing will adhere.” higher productivity using automated systems on difficult tie-ins or Watering the aggregate and letting it sit over a weekend will interchanges, but not with an unskilled operator.” That became release that charge. But over water the aggregate and you create especially apparent when several different grader operators tried another problem: segregation. “What was happening is too many placing 25 millimetre gravel using a GPS equipped motor grader. people were watering it and the fines would work their way down Their difficulty was getting the grader’s larger blade to work with into the bottom and the rock would stay on the top. You don’t want the GPS surface model. to pave just on rock, you need the fines to pull it together.”
C
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GRADING
Haul trucks and dozer work some of 3 million cubic metres of preload sand hauled from the Fraser River.
Grading along Vancouver’s South Fraser Perimeter Road nearing completion.
As a result, Haac’s blade would begin fine grading soft soil, only to unexpectedly drop when it encountered segregated. “It creates a horrible problem because then I can’t hold my blade.” The only solution at that point, says Haac, is to cut out the segregated area and refill it with non-segregated gravel with a higher fines content. On a tightly scheduled project like the SFPR this costs time and money. “Sometimes it would cause me a couple of days to get rid of the segregation. I had to grade it out, pick it up, bring new stuff in and repack it all.”
MAINTAINING YOUR EDGE… The object of any grading job is to ensure your grade and sub-grade hold firm for the long-term. Nearly as important as the life of the grade is the life of your grader, particularly the cutting edge of your blade. As Robin Smith explains, the blade on a motor grader may wear more on the inside of the edge than on the outside, creating a bow effect. “What we do then is we’ll run it on the base surface asphalt to square it up again.” But the overall health of the moldboard, “that’s all on me,” says Gary Haac. Understanding what impact the position of your moldboard has on your cutting blade is the first step towards keeping the blade’s cutting edge sharp (an upright blade will maintain a sharp edge; curling or rolling the blade forward tends to blunt the edge). But while an upright blade will preserve the cutting edge, says Haac, it “doesn’t cut as nice a grade as when it’s curled over.”
The compromise is to occasionally tilt the moldboard back to even out wear across the bottom surface of the blade. An experienced operator like Haac will continuously change angles as a way to preserve the life of a blade while simultaneously preserving the finished grade. “When I’m finished with the cutting edge it’s worn the same thickness from one end to the other, because one side doesn’t wear faster than the other.” The other challenge Haac faces is trying to see over the blade when it’s in an upright position, “so you can’t tell how much you’re cutting.” When he’s bulking, Haac has the blade upright so that he can move the maximum amount of material quickly. Fine grading requires more finesse, rolling the blade forward for greater visibility while applying equal pressure along the entire length of the moldboard for a more precise finish. At the end of the day it all comes down to having the right touch or feel for the machine, sand and gravel underneath it. Smith had it when he operated a motor grader years ago. Haac has it today. “The good grader operator will have a better sense of the machine than the mediocre operator,” says Smith. He believes for all the uncertainties around the use of GPS more good operators will eventually have a better feel for it, too. He, Haac and Gordon understand it’s the wave of the future. David Godkin is a B.C.-based freelance writer and regular contributor to On-Site. Send comments to editor@on-sitemag.com
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13114_DDC
Optimism reigns in Ontario
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CONSTRUCTION OUTLOOK
IT’S ALL GOOD NEWS FOR ICI, ACCORDING TO OCS CONFERENCE
I
BY JIM BARNES
ndustrial, commercial and institutional contractors in Ontario have a lot to look forward to—and recent research confirms their enthusiasm. Held in Toronto in March, the Ontario Construction Secretariat’s 14th Annual State of the Industry & Outlook Conference 2014 assembled an expert panel of speakers with positive views and research to share on construction in that province.
Burleton. Commodity prices generally should remain stable. Consumer spending is "tapped,” he noted, adding that “growth in non-residential has peaked.” The deficit in Ontario will be an issue in institutional construction. There will be restraint in infrastructure spending, even though more infrastructure investment is needed. "We need to be more choosy in what we finance," Burleton said.
ONTARIO ECONOMY The conference began with introductory remarks by Sean Strickland, OCS C.E.O. and Ontario Minister of Labour Yasir Naqvi. An economic update and outlook by economist Derek Burleton followed. Burleton, vice-president and deputy chief economist of TD Bank Financial Group, delivered a message of “conservative optimism.” Based on current data, he suggested that the global economy will “gain a step” this year, with strong growth projected for emerging economies. The U.S. dollar will strengthen while the Canadian dollar settles to 85 cents U.S.— described by Burleton as “a reasonable level.” Exports and business investment should pick up, with rates undergoing "an upward grind" at the end of the year. The Ontario manufacturing sector should be healthier. Machinery and equipment purchases are seeing a surge, showing upside in the industrial construction market, said
COMMERCIAL SECTOR Insights on the commercial sector were provided by Carl Gomez, senior vice president and chief economist of real estate investment advisor Bentall Kennedy. He cited an ongoing interest in commercial investments on the part of big investors, resulting from weak returns from bonds and equities. Some of that interest is moving offshore, he noted. Transit bottlenecks and demographics are fuelling interest in downtown condos in Ontario, he said. Most of the building is now in downtown cores, not suburbs. "Retail follows the rooftops," he added. Commercial construction will follow residential in “transit-oriented development” that tracks public transit. Mixed-used developments, comprising residential, retail and office space, will grow near the transit “key mobility hubs.” He also discussed a growing interest
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CONSTRUCTION OUTLOOK
Confident contractors in apartment buildings, which provide an income stream rather than a simple profit. There may be headwinds. Increasing interest rates would have an impact. As well, many commercial building owners are embracing technological innovations to maximize their space utilization, according to Gomez.
TRANSIT Jack Collins, executive vice-president of Rapid Transit Implementation, Metrolinx, outlined the huge scope of “The Big Move,” its development plan.
A highlight of the conference was research presented by Katherine Jacobs, OCS’s director of Research & Operations, which showcased growing optimism among Ontario’s contractors. The 2014 Survey of Ontario’s ICI Construction Industry solicited viewpoints on the short-term outlook from 550 non-residential contractors from four sectors across Ontario. It was developed in collaboration with research firm Ipsos Reid. Here are a few highlights: Nearly 40 per cent of the contractors expected to conduct more business in 2014, as opposed to 11 per cent who expect to conduct less. The Construction Barometer, a metric based on survey data, also reflected contractor optimism. Measured on a scale of from 0 to 100, a reading above 50 indicates that contractors who expect to conduct more business this year outnumber those expecting to conduct less business. This year’s number was 64, a four-point increase from last year. Regionally, GTA contractors are the most optimistic. They are bullish about the ICI and engineering sectors—especially with regard to infrastructure projects—Jacobs noted. In eastern Ontario, contractors were more upbeat this time around, with strong expectations for high-rise residential construction. The Barometer number declined from last year in central and southwestern Ontario, while still remaining above average. Northern contractors were less optimistic than those in other parts of the province. Nevertheless, the Barometer still registered an increase over last year. Contractors expect more business, on balance, in each of the major
Among the projects that are part of the plan are: • Union Station Revitalization • UP (Union Pearson) Express • Light rail transit projects, including the Eglinton Crosstown, Sheppard East and Finch West lines • GTS (Georgetown South) Project (for GO Transit) • And bus rapid transit projects including the York Region vivaNext Rapidways and the Mississauga Transitway. The next wave of priority projects, will see some $34 billion allocated to more than 500 kilometres of new transit projects and GO Rail improvements, including subways, LRT, BRT, and roads and highways, among other projects.
construction sectors, led by the commercial, engineering and high-rise residential sectors. The institutional sector, facing fiscal austerity headwinds after a healthy run, was a less-favoured sector. About 33 per cent of contractors expect to increase their staffs—a slight decline from last year, but still above average compared to all past surveys. Only nine per cent of contractors expect to downsize their workforces. Almost 73 per cent of contractors expected labour shortages, an increase of 10 percentage points from last year. About 80 per cent of contractors expect to operate at a “high” capacity this year. Costs, including higher labour costs, were another common concern. The majority of firms plan to pass their increased costs on, though some predict weaker profit margins and a few may cut staff. Nearly 60 per cent reported employing an apprentice, the second straight yearly increase. A slightly higher percentage of contractors reported increasing their investment in apprenticeship training. Financial health is strengthening, as 70 per cent of respondents reported either “strong” or “very strong” financial positions, up eight points from last year. They cited factors such as good cash flow, growing business, minimal
Jim Barnes is a contributing editor to On-Site. Send comments to editor@on-site.com
debt, business longevity and healthy profit margins. Large firms were the most likely to report being in a strong financial position.
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Displacement Power Output Weight Max. Wheel Size Max. Cutting Depth
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APRIL 2014
CONCRETE
SOLUTIONS Quick setting mixes settle into construction industry PG.36
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S
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CONCRETE INDUSTRY TACKLES SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES
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he Canadian Ready Mixed Concrete Association (CRMCA) has joined forces with their cement and concrete partners across Canada to establish the Concrete Council of Canada (CCC). The formation of the group was formally announced in October 2013, and its inaugural meeting was held on December 3, 2013. The Council brings together representatives of national and provincial associations from the full spectrum of cement and concrete manufacturers across Canada, including the precast concrete, ready mixed concrete, concrete pipe and concrete pavers sectors, as well as representatives from the engineering, architectural and ENGO communities. The creation of the CCC stems from the cement and concrete industry’s recognition that a more integrated approach is needed to develop stronger relationships with key stakeholders to address society’s sustainability challenges. It also underscores the industry’s understanding that resilience and sustainability are important to its continued success and its determination to ensure the sustainability benefits of concrete are clearly understood. In the few months since its inception, the Council has articulated its vision, mission and core values. It has defined key priority areas and goals, and laid the groundwork for members to work together to enhance sustainable infrastructure and construction. With a vision to see concrete recognized as the sustainable construction material of choice, the Council’s mission is to communicate and enhance the social, environmental and economic value of concrete, concrete products and concrete systems in Canada. The members of the CCC are working towards coordination and alignment of priorities and activities that will amplify the impact of the respective programs of each industry sector, while leveraging the particular strengths and expertise of each organization.
N t
To fulfill its mission and achieve its vision, the Council will be focussing its efforts on the following priority areas and goals: • Advocacy: Ensure political and policy outcomes that are equitable for the concrete industry and enhance a more sustainable sector. • Sustainable and Technical Advancement: Advancing the use of concrete as the preferred sustainable building material based on resilience, quality and lifecycle performance. • Communications: Establish broad awareness of the benefits of concrete. • Procurement and Contracting: Research new contract and procurement practices within the construction industry. • Education: Provide effective educational programs designed to deepen practitioner familiarity and competency with concrete. • Codes and Standards: Ensure federal and provincial building codes, model energy codes and appropriate standards reflect the sustainability and technical goals of the member industries. It may be an ambitious plan but the Council and its members are excited about the way forward. “Concrete is an essential piece of the puzzle in addressing sustainable development. It underpins much of our society—above, on and below ground—and provides the resilience our infrastructure requires to minimize the effects of both climate change and human activity,” said Robert Burak, CCC’s chairman. “The Council will enhance the capabilities of our industry to coordinate our efforts, both internally and externally, particularly with other key sectors and stakeholders to tackle the collective public challenge of building safe, sustainable and resilient infrastructure and communities for Canadians. For more information on the Concrete Council of Canada, visit www.rediscoverconcrete.ca/ Send comments to editor@on-sitemag.com
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1
CONCRETE ON-SITE
BY PATRICK CALLAN
Construction crews use Rapid Set for bridge deck repairs on Laviolette Bridge, above the St. Lawrence River. The bridge connects the cities of Trois-Rivieres and Becanour in Quebec.
Concrete solutions Quick setting mixes settle into construction industry BY PATRICK CALLAN
Rapid Set helped accelerate the Laviolette project, allowing crews to place a membrane and asphalt in eight hours. The project was completed over a weekend and traffic resumed at 5 a.m. Monday.
W
hen it comes to repairing large sections of concrete roadsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;especially on busy highways, bridges or urban areasâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;quick turnaround times are of the essence. Shutting down individual lanes or entire roadways for extended periods to allow workers to come in and do repairs not only leads to lengthy delays for drivers, it is also costly and time consuming for the construction teams doing the work. These are just some of the many reasons why the North American construction industry is increasingly turning to fast-setting, quick strength-gaining concrete products, which are designed to have traffic back on the road safely and at full capacity within hours of the concrete being poured.
BREAKING GROUND Quikrete unveiled one of the latest fast setting concretes, FastSet Latex Modified DOT (Department of Transportation) Overlay, in January at the World of Concrete trade show in Las Vegas.
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Rapid Set is used to repair a concrete bridge deck on Bonaventure Expressway in Montreal, Que.
FastSet is a fiber reinforced, very low permeability, rapid-setting overlay material, specifically designed to speed up concrete bridge deck repair and to extend the service life of concrete bridge decks. Each 3,000-pound bulk bag (which should be mixed to a slump of eight to 10 inches) covers about 700 square feet when applied at a 0.5-inch depth; 350 square feet when applied at 1-inch depth; and 250 square feet when applied at a 1.5-inch depth. FastSet is designed with a 90-minute working time and it reaches 3,000 psi in three hours, allowing traffic to resume promptly. It also possesses a unique ability to be applied from a half inch to full depth repairs (up to eight inches thick) in a single pass, rather than the multi-step process of restoring the bridge decks by making individual patches and then applying new wear surface. When the project is complete, FastSet provides a new 20-year wear surface. “There are other latex modified overlays out there, but our DOT overlay is a single component, factory blended. The only thing you have to be concerned about is the amount of water you put into the mix,” states Frank Owens, vice-president of marketing for The Quikrete Companies Inc.
Owens explains other systems use mobile mixers that might have sand in one compartment, gravel in another, and several other moving parts before the liquid component is added. The process of blending multiple components on a jobsite can lead to significant variations in consistency, strength, product quality and set times. “FastSet DOT overlay is already pre-blended, you just add water. The latex components and polymer components in the mix are all pre-designed and they’re already in there in a dry form,” he says. When it comes to bridge deck repairs, most overlays require 1.5 inches of thickness to be applied, he says. At 145 pounds per cubic foot, concrete adds significant weight to a bridge deck that could be up to 40-years-old, which can stress the bridge and its structural components. But since FastSet is designed to be applied at 0.5 inches, “it cuts the weight by two thirds yet still provides the wear surface.” The first major repair job done with FastSet took place in Butler, N.J. this past September. A bridge deck along Route 23 in northern New Jersey had suffered from years of harsh weather and withstood heavy loads on a daily basis, thanks to traffic from a nearby
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CONCRETE ON-SITE
Repair work was completed overnight, allowing traffic to resume the next morning. The new bridge deck is expected to last 20 years.
3,000 pounds of Quikrete’s FastSet (eight bags) was used to repair the bridge deck on Route 23 in Butler, N.J. in September 2013.
quarry. Using FastSet, the construction team placed and finished the overlay with 54 feet long by 15 feet wide passes in 20 minutes. The work was completed overnight and the bridge reopened to traffic the next morning. The restored bridge deck is expected to last 20 years. “When we applied this product they didn’t even shutdown the bridge. We were applying to two lanes while one was open,” boasts Owens. “One of the great advantages of this product is we’ve been able to build in working time so that it can be placed and finished properly and still be able to open to traffic within a few hours.”
SETTING THE PACE Not to be outdone is CTS Cement’s Rapid Set fast-setting hydraulic cement, which has a track record dating back to 1982. It is used for concrete applications requiring high durability and fast strength gain. Rapid Set cement is mixed with water and aggregates to produce high-performance, one-hour strength concrete, mortar and grout mixtures. It gains strength much faster than traditional Portland cement— up to 15 to 20 MPa (2,250 to 3,000 psi) in 1.5 hours—and in most cases it can achieve the same strength in one day as the same amount of Portland cement mix would achieve in one month. Rapid Set concrete is primarily used on highway pavements, bridges, airport runways, tunnels, harbours, floors and precast sidewalks. It can extend the life of a bridge deck by 25 years. More than 400,000 cubic metres (520,000 cubic yards) of Rapid Set concrete pavement has been placed in major airports and highways across Canada and the U.S. Jacques Bertrand, owner and founder of Béton Mobile du Quebec Inc., which specializes in providing custom-mix and specialty concrete, first used Rapid Set in 2002 for an expansion joint replacement on Pie IX Bridge across Rivière des Prairies in Montreal. His company has used it ever since. “We use it regularly to repair bridge slabs, bridge decks, joint repairs, parking structures and numerous other repairs, mostly in the province of Quebec,” he says, adding the main advantage of using Rapid Set is to accelerate the work schedule. “The initial set would be about 15 to 20 minutes versus three hours for normal
Portland cement. The final set for Rapid Set is about 45 minutes versus about five hours for Portland cement.” Rapid Set is also used regularly to maintain Canada’s busiest bridge: Montreal’s Champlain Bridge, which crosses the St.Lawrence River to connect Montreal Island with the south shore. Bertrand explains Rapid Set saves facility owners valuable time and money with quick turnaround. For example; when his company did repair work on Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway in 2011 and 2013. Using Rapid Set concrete, the repair contractor completed a major bridge deck repair over a weekend (when there’s less traffic) with significantly lowered overhead costs. Most importantly, it greatly reduced the inconvenience of multiple and lenghty lane closures for the public. Although weekend labour is more expensive, it still far outweighs working during the week when productivity is low because of traffic congestion. Traffic control management can be as much as 20 per cent of the cost of the total job, he adds. “The higher material cost is offset by lower cost of traffic control and traffic management.”
ON SOLID GROUND The old adage time is money could prove to be a driving force behind the continued popularity of fast-setting products like Rapid Set and FastSet in the coming years—especially in and around Canada’s busy metropolitan areas. Owens says now that FastSet has met Quikrete’s expectations in the U.S. following a successful product launch, the plan is to bring it to Canada and begin distributing it through their local partners across the country. Bertrand adds Rapid Set has been used for more than 12 winters on Quebec bridges and is now standard with Transport Quebec. And the City of Toronto is looking at doing more work with the product now that they have experienced three successful winters with it on the Gardiner Expressway. Patrick Callan is On-Site’s assistant editor, send comments to pcallan@on-sitemag.com
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IMAGINE OUR ROADS WITHOUT POTHOLES. Year after year, season after season; road crews spend countless amounts of time and money ďŹ lling in potholes. Unlike asphalt, concrete is more resilient to extreme weather and harsh conditions. It also requires less maintenance and lasts decades longer, making it the most cost-effective and energy efďŹ cient road surface we have. Quite simply, concrete roads are built to last. rediscoverconcrete.ca
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COST EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVES FOR ROADS & PARKING LOTS
Hwy 410 is one of the 400 series highways that has gone concrete.
BY ROSS MONSOUR
I
t has been a really rough winter for Canadian roads. Even the newly constructed surfaces that were funded as part of the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s investment in infrastructure over the past few years are already scarred with a litany of potholes. In a misguided attempt to complete as much work as possible with limited infrastructure dollars, municipalities used repaving techniques that are failing after only four or five years. During this period the ready mixed concrete industry has been touting the message of using concrete instead of flexible pavements as the best long-term, cost-effective solution in the marketplace. The use of concrete as a paving material was prevalent years ago until the economics of being in political office dictated solutions that could be completed and justified in a city councilorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s four-year term. The cost of flexible pavements became the mainstay solution for municipalities. This strategy has left huge holes in Canadian infrastructure, physically and economically. The economics of paving have shifted substantially for two main reasons. First, the cost of asphalt cement has risen due to material production shortages in the oil refinery business. And, second, asset management systems implemented by municipalities, mean lifecycle assessments now play a bigger role in materials and system selection. This change in economics has made concrete paving more attractive on a first cost basis. As such, the concrete industry has developed several tools that allow municipalities to conduct economic assessments using their own material and construction costs. However, with any change in construction, many people are reluctant to implement new technology unless required to by administration.
In Ontario, the Ministry of Transport (MTO) has recognized and tendered many 400 series roads that have gone concrete in the last five years. The concrete industry convinced the MTO to remove the restriction on lower volume roads that would allow concrete as an alternate bid. This change was made almost two years ago, but there have still been no alternate bids for concrete from the MTO on the lower volume roads. This is mainly due to the reluctance of
A change in economics has made concrete paving more cost effective.
staff to deviate from their normal method of business, even if it could save the province money. The Ready Mixed Concrete Association in Ontario (RMCAO) has continued to promote its perspective in spite of these challenges, and launched a new program that removes the barrier of the cost of design for alternate bids. The Pavement Design Assistance Program (PDAP) was launched at the Concrete Canada show in December 2013. The intent of PDAP is to provide industry with the decision making tools to go to an alternate design for concrete paving while simultaneously
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CONCRETE ON-SITE pricing flexible pavements. PDAP provides an alternate concrete design, including CAD drawings that can be incorporated into the tender.
HOW DOES IT WORK? Essentially you submit the details and costs of your project and engineering staff and the RMCAO produces the necessary documents for assessing whether an alternate bid will be in the municipalities interest to offer in the tender. PDAP is useful for determining the benefit of constructing a concrete parking lot versus flexible paving from an economic perspective. This program is accessible to any municipality, road engineer or building owner who may be looking for cost effective solutions and may be found at www.rethinkpavements.ca. To date several projects have been submitted to RMCAO under the PDAP initiative. The following are three examples of the information and choice that have been forwarded on to the prospective clients:
REGION OF KITCHENER/WATERLOOâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;SPRAGUES ROAD (RR#75) RECONSTRUCTION The road is rural between Brant County and the Region of Waterloo. The length is 1.1 kilometres long and is in need of a major
reconstruction. It already had an existing base of concrete with an asphalt overlay as outlined in the engineering report commissioned by the Region. Materials costs used were supplied by the Region. The analysis looked at several possible solutions from both a flexible and rigid pavement solution including initial cost, lifecycle and contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. The sustainability aspect is determined using the Athena Impact Estimator of Highways, which includes global warming potential; fossil fuel consumption; and other criteria. Ultimately the most cost effective solution of both the rigid and the flexible pavements was an unbounded concrete overlay of 125 milimetres. The cost differential between either flexible design indicated a savings of almost $300,000 on an initial cost basis and another $100,000 on a 30-year life assessment for maintenance and repair for a total savings of $400,000 using a rigid option. The analysis in PDAP includes construction details, traffic staging and recommendations on the concrete materials specifications. This project is currently out to tender.
GTA REGIONâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;INTERSECTIONS One municipality is concerned about the continual rutting of
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CONCRETE ON-SITE their intersections that make use of flexible pavements. The PDAP analysis looked at two scenarios for rigid and flexible pavements. One was for a reconstruction and the other was a new rebuild of the intersections. The complete analysis was done as in the previous case. The initial cost for rebuild of the intersection with either a rigid or a flexible pavement was similar. In another scenario where a total
new intersection was to be built, the cost difference was a 20 per cent savings with a rigid pavement. The lifecycle costs when taking into account maintenance and repair resulted in a savings of 27 per cent versus the flexible option. This PDAP analysis has not yet been adopted by the region.
NELMAR DEVELOPMENTS—SARNIA PARKING LOT The other unique aspect of PDAP is its ability to determine if a rigid pavement is more cost effective than a flexible pavement as a building
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parking lot. When the concrete industry started analyzing this type of construction, it quickly recognized an opportunity to promote it in this sector. The size of the parking lot can be substantially larger than the actual use of concrete in a building. This project has a parking site plan of 5,900 square metres of pavement. The PDAP analysis indicated a savings of almost $50,000 if a rigid pavement was used at a thickness of 125 millimetres. Other potential savings for rigid include the reduction in lighting due to the reflectivity of the paving surface. The above three examples are just the tip of the iceberg where rigid pavements have a direct cost advantage over flexible. This is an argument that initially removed concrete as the choice for paving. Now that the trend has reversed and economic parameters indicate this situation will remain for many years to come, it’s time to start saving money on paving again.
This article was contributed by the RMCAO. Send comments to editor@on-sitemag.com
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On-site-Apri
RISK By David Bowcott
Is climate change the biggest risk of the 21st Century?
O
ver the years I’ve discussed a lot of risks that can impact a project throughout its lifecycle. Design error, geotechnical events, subcontractor failure, coordination risk, environmental events, strike risk, faulty workmanship, to name a few. I’ve even done a few columns on weather risk, but those didn’t delve into the potential of it growing into what could be the biggest risk any construction project might face in the 21st century. On March 31 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis report. Released once every six years, it is an amalgam of more than 73,000 recently published works on climate change. The results are compelling. Here are a few key points raised in the report: • Unambiguous confirmation that the Earth’s climate is getting warmer. • Temperatures throughout the world have risen since the turn of the 20th century. • Oceans have increased in temperature, sea levels have risen and glaciers are melting. > By 2100, 95 per cent of oceans are highly likely to rise (average increase will be between 0.26 and 0.98 metres by 2081 through 2100). > Incidents of “extreme precipitation” will be more common and severe. • The air has the highest concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) now than at any time in the past 800,000 years. • Human impact on climate is irrefutable. • By 2100, the Earth’s surface temperature, ocean temperatures and sea levels will continue to rise.
• Perhaps the most concerning, climate change is irreversible even if we stop producing GHGs today. As time passes, it seems more and more likely that climate change will impact the lives of everyone on this planet. From a risk perspective, the probability of the risk is increasing (terms like “highly likely” and “very certain” are being used). In the event the risks associated with climate change do manifest, most of us agree the severity of these risks are high. So, we have a major global risk. Leaving the cause of climate change to the side, this sounds like something we should be planning for and adapting to. And given that much of the impact will be felt within the physical assets that we all build and operate, it appears to be an ideal time to start addressing how to adapt to this more certain and highly severe risk event. Climate change is the root cause of several risks that could start impacting your projects and assets. Here’s a brief list of some trailing risks you can expect to be dealing with as a result of climate change: • Productivity drop due to weather – Extreme temperatures and increased precipitation means more days where project workers cannot do their job, and thus a greater chance of project delay due to weather. • Flooding – Heavier rains and rising sea levels can mean more flooding. • Environmental events – More flooding leads to greater risk of environmental events as pollutants are more likely to migrate via water. • Geotechnical events – Flooding happens
above and below ground. Water movement below the ground often leads to geotechnical issues, which further leads to structural issues to your project. • Durability and time to cure building materials – Extreme temperatures in either direction are not good for current building materials, such as concrete or caulking. Further, the time to properly cure some of these materials could take longer, leading to delays. • Wind damage – Wind speeds could become more severe, increasing chances for damage to project and third party liability. These are but a few of the risks that come with climate change. Everyone within the construction industry and the owner community need to start planning in order to ensure their projects and assets are adapted to deal with what could be a more common and impactful suite of risks. All should be familiarizing themselves with the controls available to manage these risks. Owners will be facing some difficult value for money decisions as up-front costs (implementation of these risk controls) will cost more. However, when your project isn’t delayed or your operations are not shut down due to climate impact, you will see the value of paying for that risk control up front. Research, collaboration and innovation are required by all if we’re going to be well positioned to deal with what could be the biggest risk of the 21st century. David Bowcott is senior vice-president, national director of large/strategic accounts at AON Reed Stenhouse Inc. Send comments to editor@on-sitemag.com
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FUNNY PHOTO
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CONTRACTORS & THE LAW By Matthew Swanson & Bill Woodhead
I
n their most basic form, construction contracts detail what, when and how something will be built. Construction contracts also allocate risk between the contracting parties. The most cautious parties will carefully negotiate their contracts to ensure that they understand and are comfortable with the degree of risk undertaken. Although best practice dictates a thorough review of proposed contract terms and their associated risk, this does not always occur.
HOW IS RISK ASSIGNED? While risk can be allocated in many different ways, one of the most common methods is the provision of a warranty: a promise by one party to assume responsibility or risk over a certain state of affairs. However, a warranty may lead to unexpected results. It can create obligations for things that a party does not have control over and, when it comes to compliance, best efforts in satisfying a warranty may not matter. While this seems harsh, contracting parties are free to allocate risk and provide warranties as they see fit.
PROCEED WITH CAUTION Several cases have come before the courts indicating contractors should beware of what they warrant. One of the most recent examples is the case of Greater Vancouver Water District v. North American Pipe & Steel Ltd., 2012 BCCA 337. In this case, the Court of Appeal for British Columbia considered a supplier’s warranty to provide materials that would be fit for the purpose for which they were to be used and free from all defects arising from faulty design. Interestingly, it was the
Beware of what you warrant owner that supplied and had control over the design. The supplier provided the materials in strict conformity with the owner’s design, but unfortunately the owner’s design was flawed. The general rule is that defects caused by an owner’s specifications or design are not the responsibility of the contractor or supplier. That may change with the provision of a warranty. In the circumstances of Greater Vancouver Water District, the terms of the warranty made the supplier liable for any damages resulting from design defects regardless of who prepared them.
BE MINDFUL OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES In addition to express warranties, parties to construction contracts should also be mindful of implied warranties. These sometimes arise under statute and when a term is needed to give the contract business efficacy. Warranties may also be implied where one party ends up relying on the skill and judgment of another for design matters. Where this occurs, a warranty can be implied that the work will be carried out in a proper and workmanlike manner with proper materials, and that such work will be suitable for its purpose. Both issues arose in the case of Ford Homes Ltd. v. Draft Masonry (York) Co. Ltd., [1983] O.J. No. 3181. In Ford Homes, the dispute was between a contractor and subcontractor. The contractor had hired the subcontractor to build a staircase. The subcontractor suggested three types of staircases and the contractor selected one. The stairs were installed in due course, but they did not comply with the Ontario Building Code.
To ensure one is not faced with unexpected risk or liability, best practice dictates contracts should be carefully negotiated and drafted. The court in Ford Homes had no problem implying a term that the staircase would be installed to conform to the Ontario Building Code for the sake of business efficacy. The court noted it would not make sense for the staircase to be installed in contravention of the code, which would be the same as sanctioning an illegal contract. Additionally, the court found that a term should be implied that the work would be reasonably fit for the purpose for which it was required. Here the contractor was relying on the subcontractor's expertise and skill. Nothing short of a warranty would do.
BEST PRACTICES Express and implied warranties impose significant risk and liability. To ensure one is not faced with unexpected risk or liability, best practice dictates contracts should be carefully negotiated and drafted. To the extent possible, parties should consider whether they can limit warranties to what is within their control. They may also wish to consider whether implied warranties can be expressly excluded. When in doubt, advice should be sought as to one’s ability to negotiate these terms and, where this is not done, advice should be sought as to one’s rights and responsibilities under the contract. This article is provided for general information only and may not be relied upon as legal advice. Matthew Swanson is a partner at the law firm of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. He practices in the area of commercial litigation.
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