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BCIT names training centre for Vancouver developer
A new trades and technology centre that will be developed at the Burnaby campus of British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) will bear the name of Vancouver-based real-estate developer Concert Properties.
Once completed, the Concert Properties Centre for Trades & Technology will provide a space for innovation in skilled trades and engineering, applied learning, research and industry collaboration, and build capacity for 700 additional students which will alleviate trades training waitlists and help to build up a healthy talent pool in B.C.
The centre will also anchor a new and renewed nine-building Trades and Technology Complex (TTC), under development at BCIT. This complex will include a covered works yard, simulation-based learning areas, maker spaces, and power, welding and construction areas.
Concert has donated $7.5 million for the centre, which represents a key phase of BCIT’s Inspire Campaign. That campaign, chaired by Concert Properties co-founder and chair David Podmore, had raised more than $100 million as of July and is part of part of a six-year $680-million infrastructure investment target at the learning institute.
“We’re extremely humbled and
David Podmore of Concert Properties (left) and Paul McCullough of BCIT share an advanced look at the yet-to-be-built Concert Properties Centre for Trades & Technology.
honoured to see our longstanding commitment to trades training programs and BCIT recognized in this way,” stated Podmore. “This centre and these programs are key to equipping diverse, hardworking Canadians with the skills to secure well-paying jobs in construction, and we remain committed to working with our industry partners to find practical solutions to challenges that affect us all.”
In the mid 1990s, Podmore first brought together industry leaders to address a shortage of skilled trades labour and subsequently founded Concert’s Corporate Annual Charity Golf Tournament to raise funds for trades-training programs. In 2002, Podmore and industry partners launched and provided funding for BCIT’s Trades Discovery Program, which has helped people across B.C. explore and pursue careers in different construction
While the P3 plan for improvements for Calgary’s Deerfoot Trail has been put on ice by Alberta Transportation, upgrades to the highway will move forward as smaller projects, says the province’s minister of transportation, Prasad Panda.
“While the government is not going ahead with a P3 approach, we remain committed to making improvements to Alberta’s busiest highway and will move ahead with the necessary upgrades to help people get to their destinations safely and more efficiently,” he stated in July. “Current economic conditions trades for the past two decades.
Since the first annual charity golf tournament was held in 1995, it and other initiatives led by Concert have contributed over $2.4 million to the Trades Discovery Program. With the $7.5 million donation towards the new centre, Concert’s total financial commitment to BCIT over the past quarter-century has reached nearly $10 million.
“The Concert Properties Centre for Trades & Technology will help meet the demand for an estimated 85,000 new trades jobs expected over the next 10 years in B.C.,” stated Paul McCullough, interim president of BCIT. “It will set a new standard for applied education, research and collaboration–where together we will advance education, industry and society.”
Construction of the centre is scheduled to begin in 2023.
Calgary’s Deerfoot Trail P3 plans cancelled; government aims to focus on smaller projects
have resulted in pricing volatility and historically high inflation in the construction industry, which means a P3 approach to Deerfoot Trail improvements is not economically viable.”
As Alberta’s busiest freeway, Deerfoot Trail is a key commuter route in Calgary. With the city doubling in population since initial construction of the roadway in the 1970s, improvements are needed to accommodate current and projected traffic demands, as well as improve safety along the route.
“We will focus on improving the most congested areas on the highway first to improve traffic flow and reduce travel times for commuters in the Calgary region,” said Panda. “Work is underway to identify the most critical areas for improvement that can be tendered and completed as quickly as possible.”
Permanent repairs coming to Coquihalla and Highway 1
CIQS holds largest congress in recent memory
In late June, British Columbia’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure reported that permanent repairs to flood-damaged sections of the Coquihalla (Highway 5) and Highway 1 were set to start this summer.
“This marks a significant milestone in our recovery from the devastating atmospheric river events of last fall,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “Following the extraordinary work that was done to reconnect these highways in December, we’re building back permanent infrastructure that will be equipped to better withstand the impacts of climate change and future extreme weather events. I want to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to all those who have worked together to help us recover from the unprecedented floods, including the local First Nation communities that continue to work closely with us as we move into this next phase of recovery.”
The contract for development and early construction work on sections of the Coquihalla between Hope and Merritt has been awarded to KEA5, a joint venture between Peter Kiewit & Sons and Emil Anderson Construction.
The work to return the Coquihalla to the previous full, fourlane capacity will take place at three sites: • Bottletop Bridges, 50 kilometres south of Merritt; • Juliet Bridges, three kilometres south of Bottletop; and • Jessica Bridges, 48 kilometres south of Juliet.
Work is expected to be substantially complete this winter, and all efforts will be made to minimize traffic disruptions during peak travel hours, and crews will work overnight when possible.
The project will be completed through a collaborative construction model where the owner and contractor work together to complete the design and construction of the project, including sharing risks and incentives.
B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is moving forward on permanent repairs to a number of sections of highway, including the Coquihalla/Highway 5.
Huw Williams of Impact Public Affairs talks politics.
The ministry has also issued a request for proposals (RFP) for damaged sections along Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon. The RFP process invites select contractors who qualified through the Highway Reinstatement Program request for qualifications (RFQ) process to take part in the competitive selection process to design and construct the permanent repairs needed at: • Falls Creek Bridge, 55 kilometres south of Spences Bridge; • Tank Hill Crossing, 23 kilometres south of Spences Bridge; and • Nicomen River Bridge, 19 kilometres south of Spences
Bridge.
The RFP for the repair project will close September 14, 2022, with the contract awarded shortly thereafter.
The ministry is continuing to make progress on restoring access throughout the Highway 8 corridor. The storms completely washed out 25 sections of that highway, leading to the closure of the highway between Merritt and Spences Bridge.
Since then, the ministry has completed temporary repairs at 18 locations and construction has started on another two. Work is being planned for the near future at the five remaining sites to complete temporary repairs along this route.
Featuring insights into Canada’s political climate, as well as inspiration to foster and promote the next generation of skilled trade professionals, the first in‐person Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (CIQS) Congress since 2019, held this past June in Ottawa, was one of the largest in over a decade.
With a focus on professional development, educational sessions kicked off with a presentation on government relations by Huw Williams of Impact Public Affairs. He shared his insights on the political climate in Canada and CIQS’s advocacy campaigns.
With delegates emerging from two years of virtual events, they had the opportunity to take in an in-person congress 10 / AUGUST 2022 agenda that covered a vast range of topics, such as prompt payment, risk management, MEP pre‐fabrication initiatives, P3 projects and dispute resolution.
Saturday morning’s keynote session featured Jamie McMillan, who shared an inspirational tale about how she climbed the proverbial mountain of life to attain her goals of becoming an iron worker, role model and advocate for the next generation of skilled trade professionals.
Not going completely virtual-free, this year’s annual general meeting and yearly review was offered in a hybrid presentation, allowing all members with voting rights the opportunity to make their voices heard. With 599 members registered to participate, and 400 who submitted proxies, this was the largest AGM since the inception of CIQS.
Founded in 1959, CIQS is the voice for Canada’s construction economists. The self‐regulatory, construction and infrastructure economics professional body currently represents over 2,000 national and industry professionals.
Mass timber fire test lives up to expectations
In a recent full-scale fire test conducted at the Canadian Explosives Research Lab in Ottawa and hosted by the Canadian Wood Council, a mass timber structure withstood a full burnout. More than 150 experts from across Canada, including fire officials, building regulators, insurance industry representatives, engineers and architects, witnessed the unique event, which aimed to learn about and observe the behaviour of mass timber construction exposed to fire.
To date, the majority of exposed mass timber compartment fire tests have been conducted on simulated residential occupancies. This test demonstrated the fire performance and fire dynamics in a typical occupied open-plan office space in a mass timber building.
Simulating an office, the space was much larger than previous tests, both in the area and floor-to-ceiling height. To get a more accurate estimation of performance, the test area included a large fire load of simulated furniture and other contents.
The CWC was happy to report that the research fire test performed as expected, and the fire largely burned out within the first hour. The test extended for an additional four hours, however, to monitor for any potential re-ignition.
To help monitor the fire, the research test structure was outfitted with 400 thermocouples and radiation sensors, which helped researchers document the fire development.
In a media announcement following the test, CWC stated, “It can be concluded that the fire performance of the mass timber structure was similar to that of non-combustible construction and confirms that mass timber can perform well under the very rare fire scenario in which the sprinkler system fails, and the fire department is unable to respond.”
More information about the fire tests and mass timber is available on the CWC’s website.
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