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Coming soon: CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023
Registration is open for CONEXPO-CON/ AGG 2023, which includes the International Fluid Power Exposition (IFPE). The set of shows are set to take over the Las Vegas Convention Center and Las Vegas Festival Grounds this coming spring, running from March 14 to 18, 2023.
Held every three years, the upcoming edition of North America’s largest construction trade show will feature more than 1,800 exhibitors across over 2.7 million square feet of exhibition space as they showcase the industry’s most advanced equipment and construction industry innovations.
“We are thrilled to return to Las Vegas in March of 2023 to bring the construction industry together. If you’re a construction professional, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to see the industry in action and learn new ways to take your business to the next level,” said CONEXPO-CON/AGG show director Dana Wuesthoff. “No other show brings together as many segments of the construction and aggregates industries in one place. Be sure to register early so you can take advantage of the best badge and travel rates.”
In addition to the equipment exhibitions, an educational component of the event will offer more than 170 sessions covering everything from aggregates to technology solutions.
More information about the show and its learning opportunities can be found at www.conexpoconagg.com.
“For the past 50 years, ProAll has been a leader in mobile concrete delivery,” said Larry Koop, co-owner and former managing director of ProAll. “The existing resources at Terex MP will bring huge benefits and global opportunities to our existing team and I am delighted to see their hard work pay off.”
Terex acquires Canadian volumetric mixer producer
Global manufacturer of materials processing machinery and aerial work platforms, Terex Materials Processing (MP), has announced its acquisition of Canadian company ProAll, a specialist producer of mobile volumetric concrete mixers.
ProAll, which was initially an importer of volumetric mixers into Canada before producing its own volumetric mixer products for the North American and global markets, employs 170 people with a main production base in Olds, Alta., and a service and installation site in Keller, Texas.
The addition of the brand will allow Terex to expand its overall presence in the concrete mixer space as ProAll joins Terex Advance, which makes front-discharge mixer trucks, and Terex Bid-Well, which manufactures roller pavers for bridge and canal work.
“ProAll will provide us with exciting prospects to expand into new markets and 8 / OCTOBER 2022 grow our knowledge and market share in the mobile concrete pouring industry. We look forward to embarking on this journey together with our new colleagues in Alberta and Texas,” stated Jason Talbot, Terex’s vice-president and GM, MPS and Environmental for the United States and Australia, to whom the ProAll team will report.
Walmart Canada to build its first fulfillment centre in Quebec
Walmart Canada is investing $1 billion in its infrastructure this year as part of the retailer’s efforts to speed up and transform the business for its customers. A cornerstone of its spending in Canada is $100 million earmarked for the building of a new high-tech sortable fulfillment centre near Montreal, in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.
The first such centre for Walmart in the province, the facility will be built by Harden, a second-generation family-owned real-estate company that owns and operates commercial, residential and industrial properties in Quebec and Ontario.
“We are thrilled to partner with a brand and business as strong and reputable as Walmart,” said Tyler and Chris Harden, co-CEOs of Harden. “This state-of-the-art fulfillment centre is a true testament to their vision for the future of retailing and a long-term commitment to Vaudreuil and the province of Quebec as a growing hub. We are proud to be executing the construction of this project on behalf of Walmart Canada, with our in-house construction team, and to add this asset to our portfolio.”
The new fulfillment centre will be approximately 457,000 square feet and will serve as a delivery hub for millions of customer orders in Quebec and Atlantic Canada. The facility, which is expected to open in 2024, will be capable of shipping 20 million items annually from the facility to local customers and will create approximately 225 new jobs in Quebec, in addition to the construction and engineering jobs.
Harden to construct delivery hub to service Walmart customers in Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
The Buildings Show set to hit MTCC
Supported by TCA, BOMA, BILD, Concrete Ontario and CABA, The Buildings Show is set to roll in the South Building of Toronto’s Metro Toronto Convention Centre from November 30 to December 2, and On-Site will be live, on site, in booth 453. Be sure to drop by to pick up the latest edition and to say hello to our crew.
Comprised of Construct Canada, PM Expo, HomeBuilder & Renovator Expo, and the World of Concrete Toronto Pavilion, The Buildings Show provides a unique platform for the industry to see first-hand a complete overview of the built environment as it showcases the construction, building design, renovation and property management industries.
In addition to a considerable trade show floor, the event also offers numerous learning sessions, with continuing education credits available from such organizations as BOMA, OAA, BSSB, CAHPI and ARIDO, as well as networking events and supplemental presentations. Full details are available at www.thebuildingsshow.com.
Trimble acquires B2W Software Alberta’s prompt payment act now in force
Trimble has purchased privately held B2W Software, a provider of estimating and operations solutions for the heavy civil construction industry.
“With the acquisition of B2W, Trimble will be able to provide an unparalleled end-to-end digital experience—connecting the digital to the physical—for heavy civil and infrastructure contractors,” said Elwyn McLachlan, vice-president of Trimble’s Civil Solutions Division.
The addition of B2W’s suite of pre-construction and operations capabilities will expand Trimble’s civil infrastructure portfolio and Trimble Construction One, a purpose-built connected construction management platform.
B2W’s integrated suite of applications includes estimating, scheduling, field tracking, equipment maintenance, data capture and business intelligence. By combining these capabilities with Trimble’s rich field data, project management, finance and human capital management solutions, civil contractors will be able to bridge the gap between office and field in new ways, promoting transparency, efficiency and ultimately profitability.
Bowcott and Pellen to lead NFP construction group
Alberta’s legislation mandating owners to provide payment to their contractors within 28 days of receiving a proper invoice for construction services and requiring contractors who receive payment from an owner to subsequently pay their subcontractors within seven days is now in force.
Formerly known as the Builder’s Lien Act, the Prompt Payment and Construction Lien Act creates rules for the timing of payments and sets out a streamlined adjudication process for disputes related to payment or work performed as an alternative to court.
The new act applies to all private construction contracts in Alberta created on or after August 29, 2022. Current contracts that extend past two years must become compliant with the new rules by August 29, 2024.
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David Bowcott and Adrian Pellen have joined NFP to co-lead the company’s North America Construction & Infrastructure Group. The group will provide comprehensive construction and surety services designed specifically for complex national and cross-border projects.
In addition to writing a regular column for On-Site magazine, Bowcott has experience in global construction and enabling clients and partners to achieve optimal risk profiles for their organizations and projects. He also serves as a board member for the Canadian Construction Association and The Institute of Asset Management. Pellen has cross-border experience serving the infrastructure sector, addressing project risk, account management and claims. He is also a U.S. Branch Council member for IPFA, David Bowcott the global professional association for the infrastructure and energy financing industry. “Appointing these two industry leaders and establishing an integrated NFP North America Construction and Infrastructure business strengthens our position in the marketplace and ability to help clients navigate complexities and protect their assets,” said Doug Hammond, NFP’s chairman and CEO.
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CAC takes aim at net-zero
Speaking from a recent Cement Association of Canada (CAC) event at Lafarge Canada’s cement plant in St-Constant, Que., Canada’s minister of environment and climate change, Steven Guilbeault, announced the launch of the Net-Zero Challenge, a new national voluntary initiative for businesses operating in Canada. Businesses that join the challenge commit to developing and implementing credible and effective plans to transition their facilities and operations to net-zero emissions by 2050.
“Businesses planning for the future can see already that it pays to be part of the low-carbon economy of the 21st century,” stated Guilbeault. “The Net-Zero Challenge is designed to challenge businesses, big and small, to transition to cleaner ways of doing business, and offers both the tools and recognition to support their efforts.”
The CAC is one of a dozen founding organizations and companies that have joined the program, which seems appropriate as Canadian cement industry is a prime example of an entire industry that is in the process of transitioning to net-zero emissions, in close collaboration with the Government of Canada.
“Climate change is our industry’s most significant challenge,” said Adam Auer, CAC president and CEO. “By charting a credible, transparent path to net-zero emissions, our industry continues its history of leadership in building the sustainable world of tomorrow.”
For companies to join and remain in the program, they must meet minimum requirements, submit annual progress reports, and produce five-year updates of their net-zero plans. Companies that fail to meet the requirements will be removed from the program.
Groups of runners joined Graham president and CEO Andy Trewick on his 5/5/5 Moving for Mental Health runs, helping him raise over a quarter-million dollars for mental health programs.
Graham runs raise over $280,000
Andy Trewick, president and CEO of Graham, took on the gruelling challenge of running five kilometres per day, for five days, across five Graham locations to raise more than $280,000 for the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in the United States.
The 5/5/5 Moving for Mental Health runs were an initiative born out of Trewick’s commitment to building awareness about the positive impact physical activity can have on mental health. Setting out with an initial fundraising goal of $100,000, he hit that number and just kept running, doubling the target to raise $200,000, and going beyond even that target to reach more than $280,000 at last count. Those funds will be used to provide mental health resources for youth and adolescents on both sides of the border.
“I’m not a serious athlete, but I am serious about physical and mental health. We’re all on our own mental health journey. At Graham, we’re committed to helping our employees build healthy and happy lives. The mental health and psychological safety of our workforce, partners and community is a critical focus area across our company. We believe an investment in wellness is essential to ensuring our employees’ best performance and their overall wellbeing,” explained Trewick. “If living through a pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that mental health matters and affects everyone no matter who they are.”
In addition to the outpouring of donations received, five Graham corporate partners, Borden Ladner Gervais, headversity, RBC, Travelers Bond and Zedcor Security Solutions generously donated sponsorship money to offset expenses to ensure 100 per cent of the donations go directly to the charities.
“CMHA National is inspired and thrilled by Graham and this initiative,” said Margaret Eaton, national CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association. “This generous contribution will aid in providing mental health care and support for youth, their families and communities across Canada. Our huge thanks and admiration to all who participated in the run and donated.”
Water IoT:
A game-changing water monitoring technology for high-rise construction projects
In the insurance world, it’s often said that ‘water’ is the new ‘fire.’ And the new normal for annual catastrophic losses related to water damage is around $2 billion, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC).
But the problem is even more acute in high-rise construction projects, where it can be hard to pinpoint a leak, or when a leak occurs at night, or on the weekend when the site is unoccupied. That means a small leak can turn into millions of dollars in damage during a project.
Severe water damage causes several challenges for construction companies. Related project delays can translate into increased costs in labour and materials and can also drive up financing costs from lenders to finish the project, heavily impacting developers’ bottom lines. The reality is that water damage during the construction stage of a building is one of the largest risks to completing a project on time and on budget.
“Water damage is a very common occurrence these days with high-rise construction, in both residential and commercial occupancies. Each loss is unique but the common denominator is water and gravity — a destructive combination,” says Jonathan Graham, Underwriting Director of Construction & Contracting with Northbridge Insurance, a leading Canadian commercial insurance provider.
The impact on losses and project delays is why both the insurance and construction industries have begun seeking out risk mitigation strategies, such as water leak and flood protection technology. This technology – widely being retrofitted for years into existing buildings and structures — also has applications during the construction phase of a building.
Recently, Northbridge worked with two developers and their brokers to roll out water IoT (Internet of Things) technology during the construction phase of two high-rise
projects. The goal was to test the technology’s effectiveness in mitigating and reducing water damage. To better support the construction industry, Northbridge has since partnered with a leading water IoT solutions provider to offer discounts to customers on construction water leak and flood protection.
Here’s how the technology works: Temperature, humidity, moisture, and water detection sensors are strategically placed around a building and communicate via a Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) — since construction projects are unlikely to have internet availability.
The sensors are connected in real-time to a dashboard and mobile app, providing 24/7 monitoring. If water is detected where it shouldn’t be, or water supply exceeds a predetermined parameter, alerts are sent to key contacts and water valves are shut off automatically or remotely through the app.
The technology is sophisticated enough to sense moisture levels and to differentiate between normal and excess water flow for a duration of time. And while it may not prevent a leak from happening, it can catch a leak in real time to mitigate damage.
On a project in partnership with Northbridge, Jones DesLauriers Insurance Management Inc. (JDIMI), a professional services firm specializing in corporate risk management and employee benefits solutions, worked with Tribute Communities, a builder of high-rise and low-rise communities.
Together, they tested a water IoT solution in a high-rise construction project which was of particular interest to Tribute, as they’d had to make four water-related claims on a state-ofthe-art commercial space about a decade ago. As a result of the damage, they had to rebuild the space three times over the life of that project.
When they rolled out water IoT sensors during the recent construction project, they didn’t have any significant water claims and credit the risk mitigation benefits of the technology for that outcome.
“We had one case where we got ahead of it,” he says. “There was a report of a pressure leak, and our staff quickly got the alert and dealt with it and it was done. It was a loose valve, but that could have turned into a quarter-of-a-million-dollars in damage—and a couple turns of a wrench saved us a lot of problems.”
He believes water IoT technology will revolutionize loss exposure on high-rise construction projects — and that the industry as a whole needs to be at the forefront.
“I wish this technology was available 10 years ago when we had a $3.5 million water damage loss,” says Michael Kucharuk, Partner and Account Executive with JDIMI. “Overall, I’m glad to hear Northbridge is proactively addressing water damage in construction projects through technology and connecting with GCs and brokers on the issue.”
“There are definitely fewer insurers now than prior to 2020. Of those still available, they may not be comfortable covering 100 per cent of the risk and so multiple insurers are needed to cover a portion of the risk to reduce their exposure in the event of a loss. This means that more negotiations are required due to the nature of having multiple insurers participate — especially on large multi-tower projects,” says Cathy Ciccolini, Partner at Masters Insurance Limited, which also partnered with Northbridge on a water IoT pilot project.
She believes water IoT technology will be useful to the construction industry in the future — it may even become a requirement, like sprinklers or smoke detectors. Future projects will be marketed with ‘no water damage claims’ from past projects, allowing new insurers to offer potentially more capacity, as well as better rates and deductibles.
“While it is still very much in its infancy in this part of the world, genuine interest from both developers and insurers is prevalent and gaining momentum,” Kucharuk says. “Not that long ago, developers heard about IoT technology as a new ‘thing’ that may come to fruition one day. This clearly isn’t the case anymore — forward thinking developers are familiar with how to use the technology to their benefit.”
Indeed, he says it’s a natural, pragmatic progression to help reduce both frequency and severity of claims, which is key for insurers and vital to developers — as it will greatly aid in keeping their construction timelines on track and reducing water damage costs.
“There’s a lot of opportunity to reduce the likelihood but also the size of a water leak, so we can prevent or mitigate the risk by using this technology. It’s about identifying where the issues are and also being able to act remotely,” says Christopher Mastro, Director of Risk Services with Northbridge Insurance.
Developers also have the ability to pass on the cost of water IoT technology to the building owner once the project has wrapped up. And building owners can benefit from the technology post-construction, as it can help mitigate potential ongoing risks and insurance costs.
“It’s probably more cost-effective to put it in during construction because you can protect the site and ensure owners occupy the building on time. If your building is 98 per cent done and a hose comes off a toilet on the 12th floor, you could set your whole project back by months,” says Mastro. “But for building owners, it offers ongoing risk management.”
While the technology can’t necessarily prevent the frequency of water-related events, it can have a dramatic impact on severity — providing timely insights to reduce the severity of loss — which is a win-win-win for construction companies, insurers and ultimately building owners.
Northbridge Insurance, Northbridge and the Northbridge Insurance Logo are trademarks of Northbridge Financial Corporation, licensed byNorthbridge General Insurance Corporation (insurer of Northbridge Insurance policies).
This resource is provided for information only and is not a substitute for professional advice. We make no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information and will not be responsible for any loss arising out of reliance on the information.
The impact on losses and project delays is why both the insurance and construction industries have begun seeking out risk mitigation strategies, such as water leak and flood protection technology.
