Alberta Construction Magazine Spring 2013

lean, green machine

new kid on the block

GREENER GENERATION

how one builder is reducing waste

$5.7-billion refinery’s green component

more projects set for construction

PAGE 22

PAGE 41

PAGE 27

Spring 2013 | $8.00

10 tips for a greener project

PM40069240

Experts offer ways to help you lower energy consumption, build smarter

GREEN

ssue PLUS | Coverage of 2012 Top Projects gala luncheon

PAGE 73

KPMG Canada’s Building, Construction and Real Estate practice offers relevant audit, tax and advisory services to a wide range of clients within the industry We provide insights and tailored services including: • • • • •

Real estate advisory Project management skills All forms of taxation Business strategies Transaction structuring know how

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Randy Kraft Building, Construction & Real Estate Leader, Calgary 403 691 8039 rkraft@kpmg.ca randykraftkpmg

Craig Sneddon Building, Construction & Real Estate Leader, Edmonton 780 429 6523 csneddon@kpmg.ca craigsneddon

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© 2013 KPMG LLP, a Canadian limited liability partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.

Chaz Osburn

editor’s note

cosburn@junewarren-nickles.com

In his new book Sun Rise: Suncor, the Oil Sands and the Future of Energy, former Suncor chief executive officer Rick George devotes great detail to his efforts in the 1990s to increase oilsands production and cash flow by using trucks and shovels— a novel approach then—rather than bucket-wheels. “I took a lot of heat once the project was launched, especially when the original estimate of $2.2 billion ballooned into a final tab of $3.4 billion,” he writes. To complicate matters, oil was selling for around $12 a barrel at the time, and some “experts” were predicting oil would drop to $5. George’s “Big Bet”—as he described it—paid off, of course. Oil prices ended up shooting higher and demand grew. George doesn’t say, but I have to wonder if there were a few times when he awoke in the middle of the night and thought to himself, “Did I make the right decision? What if…? What if…?” As I have said before, fortune favours the bold. And the results of George’s decision are still being felt today. As a businessperson, choosing where and when to make investments has never been easy. Think back to when the green building movement was beginning. In those early days, it must have seemed a bit of a fad to some. Today, however, it is the price of admission to securing work on many fronts. It has been 10 years since the City of Calgary became the first municipality in Canada to adopt a sustainable building policy. And as difficult as it is to believe—at least for those of us who have been around a while—there are many who can’t recall a time when sustainability has not been a priority in the construction industry. And that reminds me of something else I read in Sun Rise. “Business is an organic life form that either grows or withers on the vine,” George writes, “and I had no interest in withering.” Neither should you.

Coming next issue: The materials issue

Alberta Construction Magazine | 3

editorial Editor

Chaz Osburn • cosburn@junewarren-nickles.com assistant editor

Joseph Caouette • jcaouette@junewarren-nickles.com Contributing writers

Jim Bentein, Godfrey Budd, Diane L.M. Cook, Nordahl Flakstad, Tim Mavco, Bob Robinson, Amy Smith, R. P. Stastny Editorial ASSISTANCE MANAGER

Samantha Sterling • ssterling@junewarren-nickles.com Editorial Assistance

Laura Blackwood, Tracey Comeau, Matthew Stepanic

Creative

Print, Prepress & Production Manager Michael Gaffney • mgaffney@junewarren-nickles.com CREATIVE SERVICES manager Tamara Polloway-Webb • tpwebb@junewarren-nickles.com creative lead Cathlene Ozubko GRaphic designer Birdeen Selzer contributing photographer Aaron Parker

Sales Sales Manager—Advertising Monte Sumner • msumner@junewarren-nickles.com Senior Account Executive Paul Sheane • psheane@junewarren-nickles.com

features

commercial Lean, green machine

By Joseph Caouette

Greener generation

For advertising inquiries please contact adrequests@junewarren-nickles.com

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INSTITUTIONAL Coming up short

director of content Chaz Osburn • cosburn@junewarren-nickles.com

OFFICES Calgary

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infrastructure From the ground up

In Canada, 1-year $24 plus GST (4 issues), 2-year $39 plus GST (8 issues). In US, 1-year C$34 (4 issues), 2-year C$59 (8 issues). International subscriptions, 1-year $40 (4 issues), 2-year $71 (8 issues). Single copies $8 plus GST. Subscription inquiries:

Tel: 1.866.543.7888 Email: circulation@junewarren-nickles.com Alberta Construction Magazine is owned by JuneWarren-Nickle’s Energy Group and is published quarterly. ©2013 JuneWarren-Nickle’s Energy Group All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher. The opinions expressed by contributors to Alberta Construction Magazine may not represent the official views of the magazine. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy, the publisher does not assume any responsibility or liability for errors or omissions. Printed by PrintWest Postage paid in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada If undeliverable return to: Circulation Department, 80 Valleybrook Dr., North York, ON M3B 2S9 Made In Canada GST Registration Number 826256554RT Printed in Canada ISSN 1499-6308 Publications Mail Agreement Number 40069240

4 | Spring 2013

Calgary’s airport expansion incorporates geothermal in its sustainable design By R.P. Stasny

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscription rates:

Alberta technical schools are churning out skilled workers, but not fast enough to avoid a second wave of the labour shortage By Jim Bentein

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A shift away from coal-fired power could create an opening for wind power in Alberta By Godfrey Budd

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Directors

Factory processes combine with lean-building principles to reduce waste at Edmonton builder’s plant

INDUSTRIAL New kid on the block

The $5.7-billion Sturgeon Refinery marks a milestone for North America. But how it will help environment is why it’s worth paying attention to. By Jim Bentein

BUILDING BLOCKS Veg out

Adding that green touch to the rooftop is not difficult By Nordahl Flakstad

GREEN

ssue

Cover illustration provided by: ©iStockphoto.com/akindo

contents

Volume 33 Number 1 Published Spring 2013

27 cover story Crude and vacuum unit Gasification unit

10 tips for a greener project

Experts offer ways to help you lower energy consumption, build smarter By Diane L.M. Cook

INSIDE 3 �� Editor’s Note

Residue hydrocracking unit

6 �� Project Update

9 ��Nuts & Bolts 51 �� People, Products & Projects 59 ��ACA Report 64 �� CCA Report 69 �� Building Blocks 73 �� 2012 Top Projects

75 �� Legal Edge 76 �� Time Capsule Alberta Construction Magazine | 5

project update

North LRT expansion Edmonton’s latest expansion to its light rail transit (LRT) system is chugging along. The North LRT to Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) project—an extension from Churchill LRT Station in downtown Edmonton northwest to the NAIT campus that will be known as the Metro Line—is the first segment of a planned expansion to the city limits near St. Albert. The project includes construction of a two-storey station at Grant MacEwan University.

Construction proceeds at the LRT station at Grant MacEwan University.

1. Total project cost is $755 million 2. The extension is 3.3 kilometres 3. The LRT station at Grant MacEwan includes an overhead pedestrian walkway connecting to north and south pathways, a fully accessible five-car platform and two heated waiting areas 4. Two other stations are being constructed—one at Royal Alexandra Hospital and another at NAIT 5. A multi-use trail will connect all the new LRT stations 6. The construction management team is North Link Partnership 7. Construction is expected to be complete in December with the line open to the public in 2014

6 | Spring 2013

PHOTO: AARON PARKER

Seven things to know:

nuts & bolts News briefs for the busy construction professional

The City of Edmonton has lined up $90 million in funding to add more trails, a new footbridge, a promenade and other features to its river valley.

photo: Aaron Parker

How green was the valley At least anyone who gets lost wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be bored. With over 160 kilometres of trails, Edmontonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s river valley offers residents plenty of opportunities to lose their way. A new slate of projects will provide those wayward wanderers with a few more sights and activitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and a few more paths in and out of the valley. A $90-million investment will fund five new capital projects aimed at expanding access to the river valley. The provincial and federal governments will each kick in $30 million, while the River Valley Alliance will provide the final third, including a $24.3-million investment from the city. All of the projects are expected to be complete by 2016.

Terwillegar Park Footbridge This new bridge, priced at $24.5 million, will extend from Terwillegar Park to the north side of the North Saskatchewan River. West-end trails Five kilometres of new paved and gravel trails will be added to the main river valley trail, at an estimated cost of $3.5 million. East-end trails Another 14 kilometres of paved and gravel trails will also be added to the eastern end of the valley, including links between Goldstick and Hermitage parks. The cost is estimated at $8.5 million. Boat launches and docks This $2-million project will add three boat launches and seven docks to the river valley. Mechanized river valley access and Touch the Water Promenade At $34.4 million, this project is the largest of the five initiatives. It includes mechanized access between Jasper Avenue and the Rossdale area on the riverbank, as well as the Touch the Water Promenade around the new Walterdale Bridge, featuring plazas, walkways and other amenities. Alberta Construction Magazine | 9

nuts & bolts

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Feeling blue? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Colour experts in the United States have declared 2013 to be the year of blue. “Global and environmental issues regarding water, clear skies and even the political atmosphere are driving factors in the blue movement,” explains Kate Smith, owner of consultancy Sensational Color. “Just as macaroni and cheese is considered a comfort food, we’re finding that people gravitate to blue as a comfort colour for their lives and homes.” Much like green—its neighbour on the colour spectrum—blue is seen as a natural colour, Smith argues. From azure skies to aquamarine rivers, blue tends to be associated with clean, calming images.

10 | Spring 2013

Behr Process Corporation agrees and says blue is the colour family to watch in 2013. The paint company is highlighting the use of blue shades in several of its four major colour schemes: Classic Caprice, Color Metric, Sweet Jazz and Après Ski. “Behr’s 2013 colour choices are modern, with inspiration pulled from historical style, particularly from the ’20s and ’30s, including art-deco furnishings and the whimsical essence of The Great Gatsby,” says Behr director of colour Erika Woelfel. While the whimsicality of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel is debatable—murder, suicide and the death of the American dream are rarely cheery subjects—the book’s iconic cover does feature the outline

of a woman’s face against a midnight-blue sky. With a stylish film version being released this summer, the story’s art-deco setting and evocative use of colour will likely be a strong influence on interior design trends this year. Behr’s four colour schemes have each been designed to suit different situations. Classic Caprice offers an update on traditional colour patterns intended for formal rooms. Color Metric combines neutral tones with bright splashes of colour. Sweet Jazz, as the name suggests, evokes the cool colour palettes of the Jazz Age. Described by Behr as “an electric woodsy style,” Après Ski adds colour to rooms containing more rustic features, such as stone fireplaces and exposed wooden beams.

Photos: Behr Process Corporation

Ringing in the blue year

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nuts & bolts

Andy Clark (left), executive chairman of Clark Builders, disguises himself for an episode of Undercover Boss Canada in order to learn more about life on the ground in his company.

Pay no attention to that man behind the moustache. He’s not anyone remarkable at first glance. His name is Eddie Green, a recent transplant to western Canada from the Ottawa Valley. After years away from the construction industry, he has come to Clark Builders to relearn the business and return to the field. He’s also the man who started the company. Eddie Green is actually Andy Clark, founder and executive chairman of Clark Builders. After over 30 years out of the field, the executive traded in his tie for a hard hat in order to see first-hand what life is like on the frontlines of his business for an episode of Undercover Boss Canada. The normally clean-shaven Clark hid his identity from employees with a false moustache and tinted glasses.

12 | Spring 2013

Having started out in the field himself, Clark is no stranger to a tool belt, but years in the boardroom have left his skills rusty. Throughout the episode, he struggled to keep pace with the often-physical work. At one point, he even unwittingly pointed a nail gun towards himself. The ruse proved successful with all of the employees who took Eddie Green under their wing. Indeed, Clark may have been a little too good at convincing people of his inexperience on the job site. “It’s like you’re a girl right now,” one female colleague teased him. “You don’t want to get dirty.” The episode aired on the W Network late in January and can also be found on the network’s website.

Photo: Corus Entertainment

The undercover executive

nuts & bolts

PHOTO: Athabasca Oil Corporation

Why picking the right size for a project matters Call it the Goldilocks theory of oilsands construction. Projects that are too small are usually not economically viable, while projects that are too big almost invariably fall prey to cost overruns. The trick is to find projects that are “just right.” As a mechanical engineer with over 15 years’ experience in building oilsands and power projects, Rick Koshman has seen first-hand what happens when a project gets too big for its own good. He suggests that oilsands projects over 40,000 barrels per day risk cost escalations, if history is any indication. “Certainly my personal experience is directly in line with this, that once you go above 1,500 people on site, you lose your ability to maintain line of sight with the job, your control of it,” says the vice-president of projects and thermal operations at Athabasca Oil Corporation in a Daily Oil Bulletin report. “Once you’re below that [number], it seems cost escalation history in Alberta is not nearly as bad as what people think,” he says. “Smaller projects have much better performance.” This philosophy has led to Athabasca Oil’s phased approached to construction, Koshman explains. For instance, the company’s 80,000-barrel-per-day Hangingstone project will be built in three phases, starting with 12,000 barrels per day before moving on to two phases each totalling 35,000 barrels per day.

Drilling begins on two initial well pads at the Hangingstone oilsands project. Owner Athabasca Oil Corporation believes a phased approach will help keep the project on time and on budget.

The first phase of the project is expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2014, while the final phase should be completed by 2018. Koshman notes that the project is actually ahead of schedule as the company finishes work on the sanctioning design. So what’s the secret to keeping an oilsands project ahead of schedule? For one thing, finishing a procurement plan during the early stages of the project is a big help, the engineer explains. His company already has a plan laid out by the time detailed engineering begins, leaving more options open for the project and allowing for longer lead times on major items. Koshman also warns that once the project hits the field and the labour force is hitting its peak, the risk of cost escalation is at its greatest. Wherever possible, Athabasca Oil removes work from the field to prevent this danger, he says.

Finally, if you design it, make sure you can build it. Constructability needs to be built into the design, and engineering and procurement need to work in harmony with the construction team. “Being an engineer, I can say I’m sure I’ve designed things in the past that were not exactly constructible, and it’s great when you have a construction manager or a construction supervisor sitting alongside with you to say, ‘Why don’t you do this, that or the other,’ and he corrects you early on,” Koshman says. Nothing in life is certain, least of all construction schedules. But Koshman strongly urges companies to avoid “pulling the trigger” on major field construction before everything else is ready. If engineering isn’t on schedule or materials and equipment are missing, there’s no point in playing catch-up with overtime and double-time shifts. “That ends up being more panic driven than schedule driven,” he says.

Alberta Construction Magazine | 13

nuts & bolts

Enerkem Inc.’s biofuel facility in Edmonton is preparing to launch later this summer.

The fuel tanks are still empty, but the payroll is starting to fill out at Edmonton’s soon-to-be-open biofuel facility. When completed, Enerkem Inc.’s waste-to-fuels plant will convert up to 100,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste into 38 million litres of ethanol annually. Most of that waste comes from recycling and composting residue, which would otherwise go into landfills in the Edmonton area. Construction is not yet complete, but the company has already hired and begun training the majority of the 30 permanent staff positions needed to run the facility.

Mobile Offices Workforce Camps Storage Products Modular Buildings

Once open, the plant is expected to help Edmonton divert up to 90 per cent of its waste. Currently, the city diverts 60 per cent. “With plant commissioning expected to begin this summer, it’s exciting to see the facility’s first employees join the Enerkem team and start their technical training,” says Vincent Chornet, president and chief executive officer of Enerkem. The $80-million project has also received an additional $37-million investment from Waste Management Corporation and EB Investments LLC.

800.782.1500 www.willscot.com

Offices in Edmonton, Calgary, Fort McMurray 14 | Spring 2013

Photo: CNW Group/Enerkem Inc.

Waste-to-energy plant readies for summer opening

nuts & bolts

End of the road Ever been tired of waiting a few months for road construction to wrap up? Try waiting a decade or two. It’s been years in the making, but the twinning of Highway 43 is almost at an end. The government expects to complete work on the last section by the fall of 2014, finishing a four-lane route that will run 432 kilometres from Grande Prairie, Alta., to the Highway 16 junction west of Edmonton. “When completed, northwest Alberta will have a fully twinned, safe and efficient roadway to move people and goods, a project that was started in the 1990s,” says Ric McIver, minister of transportation for the province. The Alberta government has signed a $78-million contract with Petrowest Construction LP to complete the last 20-kilometre leg of the project. The Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation helped arrange the deal, which also includes two pedestrian underpasses, and bridges and culverts for Goose Creek and Pelican Creek. “It’s been a long time coming, and we look forward to starting and completing the project,” says Sturgeon Lake Chief Richard Kappo. The highway is part of the CANAMEX Trade Corridor, which stretches all the way from Alaska to Mexico. Alberta’s portion of the corridor will be completely twinned once work on the final section of Highway 43 wraps up.

New distribution centre in planning stage Acklands-Grainger has plans to expand in Alberta. Company president Eric Nowlin says the company is looking for a site to build a new distribution centre in the Edmonton region. The centre will eventually stock 300,000 products. Acklands-Grainger is headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ont. It currently has six distribution centres and 175 branches across Canada. With annual revenue of about $1 billion and more than 2,200 employees, the company bills itself as Canada’s largest distributor of safety, industrial and fastener products. Blacksmith Dudley Ackland founded the company in Winnipeg in 1889. The first branch, in Calgary, opened 15 years later. Speaking at The Works—an annual event and trade show held in Calgary earlier this year—Nowlin and other company executives said Acklands-Grainger is also getting ready to launch the largest expansion yet to its product line. Today, the company offers about 120,000 items. They range from work gloves and earplugs to safety harness equipment to tools.

Kinder Morgan preps second phase of facility expansion Kinder Morgan Canada Terminals LP has begun lining up contracts for the second phase of its Strathcona County facility expansions. The $112-million project is slated to begin with the construction of new tanks later this spring, bringing another 1.2 million barrels of capacity to the facility. The planned completion date is late 2014. Work is already underway on the first phase of the project and is expected to continue until late 2013. Costing $308 million, the phase will add 3.6 million barrels of storage capacity to the terminal. Once both phases are complete, the facility will have a capacity of 9.4 million barrels. The facility first came on stream in early 2008.

2,724 Number of projects posted to the Edmonton Construction Association’s plan room in 2012, marking an all-time high for the organization. Roads, bridges and other civil structures made up the largest project category with 13.4 per cent of the total. Source: Edmonton Construction Association

1.800.661.7673

Alberta Construction Magazine | 15

nuts & bolts

ECA Announcement The board of directors of the Edmonton Construction Association (ECA) is pleased to announce the following appointments for 2013:

Scott Emerson to chairman of the board. Emerson, general manager, Inland Concrete, has served the industry and the association as a director for eight years.

Marvin Olansky to president. Olansky, general manager, A&H Steel Ltd., has served the industry and the association as a director for five years.

Incorporated in 1931, the ECA represents 1,146 member firms including general contractors, trade contractors, manufacturers, and suppliers of goods and services to the commercial, institutional, industrial and road building construction industry.

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AROUNDCANADA Canada’s largest radio telescope

Moving on up Marshall Mountain Homes Ltd. plans to build a 37-storey tower in Delta, B.C. Delta mayor Lois Jackson told Business in Vancouver that her region’s tallest buildings are three 14-storey residential towers. The new building would be located across 80th Avenue from two of those 1980s-era towers, near Scott Road. Delta is the latest municipal government in the region to approve increasingly tall towers as a way to make housing more affordable and to give residents a way to downsize as they ease into retirement, the paper reported. A price tag for the project was not available.

Construction is underway on Canada’s largest radio telescope—and it’s the first research telescope underway in the country in more than 30 years. The new telescope, with a footprint larger than six NHL hockey rinks, will “listen” for cosmic sound waves and help scientists understand why the universe has expanded rapidly. Part of the $11-million Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment, the radio telescope is being built at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory in Penticton, B.C. “We plan to map a quarter of the observable universe,” says University of British Columbia astrophysicist Mark Halpern, the project’s principal investigator. “This is an ambitious, made-in-Canada endeavour.” The telescope boasts a 100-metre-by-100-metre collecting area filled with 2,560 low-noise receivers built with components adapted from the cellphone industry that, collectively, scan half of the sky every day. The Algonquin Radio Observatory currently bills itself as being Canada’s largest radio telescope. It has a 46-metre antenna.

“Canadian construction workers will benefit not only from the initial build, but also from oil and gas infrastructure expansion in Alberta of Canada’s reserve of petroleum products. As we already know, when oil and gas investment is made in Alberta, all regions of Canada benefit. When the [Northern] Gateway [Pipeline] is finished, it opens up new markets to Canadians in every industry.” — Robert Blakely, director of Canadian affairs, building and construction trades department

SNC-Lavalin strikes gold (project) SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. has been awarded a contract by Opinaca Mines Ltd. to provide project management, detailed engineering, procurement and construction management services for the Éléonore gold project in northeastern Quebec. The value of the project was not disclosed. The Éléonore mine is in the James Bay region, 350 kilometres north of Matagami and east of the Opinaca reservoir. The process plant will be designed to process 7,000 tonnes of ore per day. SNC-Lavalin’s scope of work includes the engineering and design of the mineral processing plant, all plant infrastructure, tailings management facilities, a permanent camp, service buildings and facilities, and an industrial water treatment plant.

2017 Year the proposed Kitimat LNG facility is expected to come on stream. SOURCE: Daily Oil Bulletin

Alberta Construction Magazine | 21

GREEN

ssue 22 | Spring 2013

Photos: Joel Kadziolka

commercial

Lean, green

machine By Joseph Caouette

Factory processes combine with lean-building principles to reduce waste at Edmonton builder’s plant

hen’s the last time you saw a corporate executive go dumpster diving? Most likely never, unless you happen to be an employee at Landmark Group of Builders’s Edmonton factory. Curt Beyer, vice-president of the home-building company, recalls the last time he had the urge to go stomping around the garbage bins. “We just had a challenge go through our plant where we did what I call a dumpster dive,” he explains. “One day, I saw the dumpster was really full of wood, so I asked some of the key people in the plant to join me in the dumpster.” Following this close inspection of the plant’s trash, Beyer and his employees realized most of that waste didn’t need to be there. The staff took that epiphany and turned it into a wood-recycling program called “You Make the Call.” In the first week alone, waste produced by the plant dropped by 30 per cent.

Alberta Construction Magazine | 23

commercial “It seems kind of hokey, but when you come into our plant and you disrespect a piece of wood, somebody’s going to clobber you,” Beyer says. The Landmark staff takes its recycling seriously, as does the company itself. Every day, workers at the Edmonton plant pass underneath a banner proclaiming the company’s mission statement: “To be a major North American housing solutions

provider for sustainability and for leading a revolution in the industrialization of housing construction.” Landmark’s sustainability initiatives would be unthinkable without its efforts to industrialize construction. Over 40 employees work on the floor of the company’s Edmonton plant, churning out the walls, floors and roofs that will later be assembled on site into a new home.

ENTERING THE NETZERO ARENA The concept of a home that produces as much energy as it uses is not exactly new. It’s called NetZero housing, and examples can be found across North America, including in Edmonton and Calgary. Landmark Group of Builders is just the latest construction company to take up the challenge of bringing the idea to the marketplace. The company’s first NetZero show home opened in Calgary in March 2012, and work is already underway on finishing one intended as a prize for next year’s Full House Lottery in Edmonton. With $499,200 in funding from the Climate Change and Emissions Management Corporation lined up, Landmark is now ready to push ahead with its $2.5-million NetZero project. The first generation of homes will feature solar photovoltaic panels, triplepane windows, energy-efficient appliances and plenty of insulation. In total, there will be 10 NetZero houses built around the province, as well as 10 more NetZero-ready houses (all that’s needed are the solar photovoltaic panels). Landmark’s panelization plant in southeast Edmonton is a lynchpin of its NetZero strategy. The plant allows for the use of spray foam insulation, a more effective—albeit more expensive—alternative to standard batt insulation. Spray foam becomes much more affordable when it can be applied as part of a larger assembly line, according to Dave Turnbull, product development manager at Landmark. “The spray foam really helped us out with the building envelope,” he explains. “It seals everything up nicely and it’s something that we can do in our shop.” Preventing heat loss is particularly important for NetZero homes in Alberta’s cold climate, but choosing the right energy source is also crucial. After comparing different forms of alternative energy production, Landmark settled on solar photovoltaics because of their affordability and low-maintenance requirements. “I don’t think we want to be in the habit of producing homes that somebody needs an engineering degree to run,” Turnbull says. Following the completion of the first generation, Landmark plans to do a postmortem and move on to an improved second generation of 30 houses. Turnbull is optimistic that the company will continue past the initial 50-house plan. “We build about 1,000 homes a year,” he says. “We’d like to do 1,000 homes like this.”

24 | Spring 2013

Auto inspiration Turning home building into an assembly line production is something of a strange concept for many in Alberta still used to traditional construction methods. But Beyer finds his inspiration in the auto industry, the template for anyone looking to enter the world of factory manufacturing. “If Ford came to your driveway and dropped a whole bunch of parts off on the concrete or on your driveway and said, ‘Call a mechanic and put this together,’ would that make sense?” he asks. “So why does it make sense with your largest investment to throw a whole bunch of sticks on the ground and call somebody to put it together?” Modular construction typically calls to mind an oversized Lego set. In contrast, Landmark’s panellization process more closely resembles a 3-D jigsaw puzzle. While roofs are built in the factory as interlocking sections, the walls and floors come off the assembly line as individual panels to be joined together on site. Such a system demands great accuracy—one overlong wall could easily throw everything off schedule—and so Landmark relies heavily on computed numerical control (CNC) machines to handle the cutting and nailing. To Beyer’s ears, the rat-a-tat-tat of the twin automated nail guns sounds like a symphony, and he affectionately refers to the plant’s CNC cutting machine as Gladys. Clearly a busy girl, Gladys produces one 40-foot wall section every eight minutes. Later, these sections can be split into smaller segments, depending on what wall lengths are required. As the section travels down the line, insulation is added and windows are even installed. Elsewhere in the plant, stair cages are built and floor panels are finished. On one side of the building, workers stand atop roof segments, working just a few feet off the ground and comfortably out of the elements. When completed, all of these parts will be loaded onto trailers and shipped to the job site, where they will be put together in four to six hours, Beyer says. By bringing so much of the work out of the field and into a controlled environment, Landmark can more closely monitor the raw materials going into a project, as well as the finished parts coming out.

commercial “Because this is not IKEA, there can’t be any parts left over,” he says. “Everything that goes into the floor has to be there.” Getting lean What Beyer is describing is more commonly called lean building. Landmark is an avid proponent of the lean approach, which pushes companies to standardize processes, slim inventories and cut out waste. Paul Dauphinee, Landmark’s lean-manufacturing specialist, believes the marriage of “lean and green initiatives” is crucial to his company’s sustainability efforts. Beyer may cite Ford, but Dauphinee is apparently a Toyota man, at least when it comes to analogies. “Like a lot of companies, we’ve looked at the Toyota production system, and we’ve adapted what they’ve defined as waste and overproduction,” he says. “We don’t want to produce an item until we need to produce it.” This means reducing the amount of inventory—both finished product and raw materials—in the factory at any given time. The time it takes a wall panel to be constructed and hit the job site is typically one or two days. Raw materials, while offering a greater logistical challenge, also usually wait at the plant for no more than two days. “Your suppliers have to be on board in a lean program, so they’re part of how we schedule,” Dauphinee says. Landmark’s business requires materials come in just in time—early enough that everything is there when needed, but not so early that it starts collecting dust. The company has forged strong relationships with suppliers in order to foster its lean strategy. For example, Landmark relies exclusively on All Weather Windows Ltd. for its windows, regularly meeting with the company to ensure everyone stays on schedule. According to Beyer, All Weather knows three weeks ahead of time before a panel is supposed to go through Landmark’s shop. Such precise timing can only be achieved after years of fine-tuning and learning from the inevitable mistakes that arise from any untried production process. Perhaps that’s why Beyer’s mantra when it comes to industrializing construction is to do it wrong until you can do it right. “We used to buy a lot of windows,” he says. “All Weather Windows is very wealthy on the amount of windows that we broke.”

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Greener generation

A shift away from coal-fired power could create an opening for wind power in Alberta By Godfrey Budd

GREEN

ssue

ind-generated electricity could become a large part of Alberta’s power mix in the future. But don’t look for a boom in wind farm construction in the next two or three years—especially when natural gas prices are still low and are expected to stay that way for a while. When it comes to adding new power generation, wind is the second-cheapest option after cogeneration natural gas–fired power, says Paula McGarrigle, a principal at Solas Energy Consulting Inc. This, however, is rarely enough on its own to get a new wind farm launched in Alberta. That said, between about 400 and 800 megawatts (MW) of new wind-power generation should be built in the province in 2013. Having long-term power purchase agreements in place is key to adding generating capability. With some 4,000 MW of coal-fired powergeneration capacity in the province on track to be retired over the next eight to 12 years, and overall capacity expected to increase by 50 per cent between now and 2022, there could be an opening for wind power. Just how big that might be remains to be seen. At present, besides low natural gas prices, Alberta has some hurdles that could impede wind-power

growth, which provincial governments in British Columbia and Ontario have removed. The good news for its proponents here, however, is that Alberta, as a potential wind-power resource region, is in the top quartile globally. In 1993, Alberta became the first province in Canada to start a wind farm; however, now the province lags behind Ontario and Quebec in wind generation. As of December 2012, Alberta had total capacity of 1,116 MW of wind-sourced electricity, according to the Canadian Wind Energy Association. In much of the last six or seven years, wind-power has accounted for 30–40 per cent of additional grid capacity in Europe and the United States. China is also on a steep growth curve in the wind-power department: wind-power capacity grew there from 1,260 MW in 2005 to 62,000 MW by 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Capacity is expected to hit 100,000 MW by 2015. In Alberta, on the other hand, growth in additional wind-power capacity has been minuscule for much of the past decade. Still, the last three years have finally seen an upswing in new wind power, with capacity added in 2010 and 2011, and construction of a 150 MW wind farm near Halkirk, Alta., in 2012—currently the province’s largest. Alberta Construction Magazine | 27

commercial WIND

6% Coal-fired

HYDRO

46%

GAS-fired

39%

EDUCATION THAT’S BEEN BUILT TO MEET DEMAND.

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EVERYTHING. Alberta is thriving, fed by a steady supply of skilled SAIT Polytechnic grads that know how to hit the ground running. Programs taught by instructors with real world experience and designed through industry collaboration have the potential to deliver thousands of additional skilled trades people, technicians, technologists and degree graduates over the next decade. SAIT offers bright futures in Energy, Business, Information Technology, Media, Hospitality, Health and Public Safety, Manufacturing and Automation, Transportation and Construction. Our commitment to transforming student lives is what makes them successful. Our reputation as a provider of training solutions to organizations across Canada and around the world is what makes us a leading Polytechnic.

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Changing landscape One or way or another, if the province’s power requirements are to be met, a lot of new electricity needs to come on stream over the next decade or so. No one is sure what the mix will be by then, but McGarrigle believes it could be quite different from today’s—perhaps with much less coal-fired power. And so does the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO), a not-for-profit corporation that runs the province’s electric power grid and helps manage its wholesale electricity market. At the end of 2011, total generation capacity in the province was 13,659 MW. Approximately 46 per cent of this total was coal-fired, 39 per cent gas-fired, six per cent hydro and six per cent wind, according to AESO. AESO expects electricity demand in Alberta to reach about 19,600 MW by 2022. New federal rules affecting coal-fired power, expected to be in force by 2015, could see as much as 4,500 MW of power generation retired by 2032. “The future generation mix in Alberta is expected to shift from a predominantly coal-based fleet to a natural gas–based fleet with the majority of generation additions to come from combined cycle, cogeneration and wind facilities,” says AESO’s 2012 Long-term Outlook, published last year. The environmental reasons for shifting from coal-based power are compelling. Alberta, along with Saskatchewan at about 70 tonnes per year, has among the highest per capita CO2 emissions in the world. Only two U.S. states—North Dakota and Wyoming—have higher emission rates per capita. “Alberta contributes about one-third of Canada’s greenhouse gases,” McGarrigle says. “About one-half of that third comes from Alberta’s coal-fired power generation.” Future growth About 20 wind-power projects totalling roughly 3,000 MW of increased capacity are in various stages of development right now, according to AESO. Some of these projects are set to be built this year or next, while others are little more than a gleam in an entrepreneur’s eye. NaturEner Energy Canada Inc. has a 200-MW wind-farm project near Medicine Hat, Alta., in the works. “We expect to start construction on Wild Rose 1 by the end of 2013. I’ve never been as confident about a construction schedule as I am today,” says Greg Copeland, vice-president of wind-energy development at NaturEner.

28 | Spring 2013

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total generation capacity 2011

13,659 MW

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A 115-MW wind farm near Provost, Alta., is now in the approval process as well. “If this time frame holds, with a decision in June granting a go-ahead, construction should start in the third quarter,” says Kelly Matheson-King, vice-president of regulatory and communications at BluEarth Renewables Inc. A power purchase agreement with a commodity-purchasing consortium that represents a group of school boards is a key factor in making the project financially feasible. “Our advantage is that we can provide price certainty into the distant future. Our operational costs are relatively low,” Matheson-King says. “Although our capital costs are substantial [about $250 million], they’re predictable. Our prices are very competitive over the long term, otherwise the school boards wouldn’t be interested.” Another substantial wind-power project should see a construction start later this year or in 2014. Greengate Power Corporation’s 300-MW Blackspring Ridge 1 project is being developed on 46,000 acres of land in the Vulcan-Carmangay area. It is being financially backstopped by an agreement with Pacific Gas and Electric Company. As Matheson-King and others point out, over the long term, wind power is insulated from the vagaries—and risks—of constantly shifting commodity prices. In Alberta’s deregulated electricity market, with electricity generation largely gas- and coal-fired, a steep rise or drop in the price of, say, natural gas, can play havoc with power bills, profit margins and budgets. So what’s the holdup? Some would think that, given the strength of the resource, windpower development in Alberta would be a slam dunk. However, Allan Ingelson, director of the energy management program at the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary, points out one of the holdups: “There’s a lost opportunity for wind development in Alberta because of the lack of a wind-leasing framework on Crown lands.” And while companies in Canada and the United States have been interested for years in the tremendous wind-power potential of Crown lands in southeastern Alberta, no private sector wind project in the province has ever proceeded on Crown land. The hesitation of McGarrigle and others regarding the sector’s prospects becomes understandable, given the holes in the provincial government’s policy framework for wind and the fact that other provinces, like Ontario, British Columbia and the Maritimes, are showering the sector with incentives—something we have yet to see in Alberta.

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Alberta Construction Magazine | 29

institutional

tech nica l school

30 | Spring 2013

institutional

Coming up short

Alberta technical schools are churning out skilled workers, but not fast enough to avoid a second wave of the labour shortage

By Jim Bentein

f you want job security for the next decade or so, become a pipefitter, crane operator, insulator, welder or boilermaker. That’s because in the next decade, large resource development projects in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland-Labrador, and mining and utility-related projects in Ontario, are expected to suck up as many skilled construction workers as Canadian trade schools can train. That’s the scenario envisioned in a study by the Ottawa-based Construction Sector Council (CSC), which represents companies involved in Canada’s construction industry.

Alberta Construction Magazine | 31

institutional The study, Construction Looking Forward 2013 to 2021, follows the release of a similar study that predicted demand for skilled construction workers and supervisors for the period from 2011 to 2020 would challenge the ability of apprenticeship programs to meet the industry’s needs. The previous study concluded that a combination of impending retirements and a need for additional workers in Alberta’s oilsands and the energy and mining sectors in other provinces would mean Canada might need to import workers to meet its needs. The newest study paints a similar picture, says Rosemary Sparks, executive director of the CSC. Retirements continue to

administrative and management staff employed in the Alberta construction industry, with about 107,000 of those employed in the non-residential sector. The Edmonton-based Construction Owners Association of Alberta (COAA) has estimated at least 40,000 new skilled and administrative workers will be required in Alberta’s construction industry from 2013 to 2021. May the best man win “We have $200 billion in projects [mostly related to the oilsands] on the order books in Alberta,” says Larry Staples, spokesman for the COAA. “Meanwhile, there are $20 billion in power and energy projects going ahead in Newfoundland-Labrador

The two bellwether trades are welders and electricians. When we see the demand for these trades rise, we know it will happen with other trades, and that is what is happening. — Gordon Nixon, vice-president, SAIT Polytechnic Calgary

be a challenge for the industry, with about 210,000 workers expected to retire by 2021. The CSC also continues to see a need for a significant number of new skilled workers and managers by 2021. Some of those workers would be needed to cope with industrial project growth in Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Newfoundland-Labrador in this decade, with the refurbishment of nuclear power plants and other industrial development in Ontario compounding the challenge later in the decade. The CSC has estimated that there are 150,000 skilled tradespeople or 32 | Spring 2013

[a source of skilled workers for Alberta in the past].” This is good news for NewfoundlandLabrador and the Atlantic provinces, where massive new hydro projects, offshore energy development and shipbuilding contracts will fire up those economies, but Sparks sees it creating additional challenges for western Canada. “Alberta will be competing with other provinces [for workers],” she points out. Sparks also sees a potential trouble spot with the thousands of skilled workers that have moved to Alberta from Newfoundland-Labrador and the Atlantic

provinces over the past two decades: “Will the Newfoundland workers who moved to Alberta stay in Alberta, or will they return to their home province?” In addition, skilled workers in Newfoundland-Labrador are older than the Canadian average and may not want to move outside the province in the future, especially as there is more local work available. In the past, booming Alberta could count on the mobility of skilled workers from other parts of the country, but Sparks says it won’t be able to in the future. “Over the long term, Alberta will be competing for workers with British Columbia, Newfoundland, Saskatchewan and Ontario,” she says. Another challenge is that the growth and related demand for workers will be “lumpy,” she says, predicting that 2013 will be a year of expansion in Alberta, 2014 will be active and then activity will plateau in 2015 before seeing substantial growth—mostly oilsands related—from 2016 to 2021. The CSC expects there to be a slowing in residential construction in many parts of the country, such as the Vancouver area and downtown Toronto, as Canada’s recent housing boom ends, but that won’t necessarily free up tradespeople for the industrial sector. “The skills aren’t transferrable,” says Sparks. “An electrician or a carpenter who works in housing can’t necessarily work in the oilsands.” Yet another issue industry is facing is competition between workers who build new projects and those who maintain, repair and operate (MRO) large plants. It’s expected that MRO expenditures for oilsands-related plants (including refineries, upgraders and oilsands off-gas plants) will soon reach about $20 billion a year, the same amount spent on new oilsands construction. Canada’s largest construction company, PCL Constructors Inc., which owns MRO firm Melloy Industrial Services Inc., is already having to import foreign workers to meet its demands for boilermakers, pipefitters and industrial electricians— and that demand continues to grow, says Roger Keglowitsch, senior vice-president of heavy industrial with PCL. “To service the maintenance and turnaround work required at existing facilities in Alberta today, it would take all the unionized tradespeople in the province,” he says.

institutional

SAIT GOES FOR THE GREEN A green building lab planned at SAIT Polytechnic seems likely to mark something of a step-change from the current arrangement, and, once it is built, will provide office space for staff and more infrastructure to support applied research. “The purpose of the green lab is to encourage advances in industry and [also] introduce students to industry and innovation,” says David Silburn, research associate for green building technologies in the applied research and innovation services department at the college. The final design and construction tender process for the new Green Building Technologies Lab and Demonstration Centre have yet to be completed. Silburn hopes for a construction start on the $2.2-million project this August or September. A schematic has been done, however, and this provides a good idea of the new facility’s essentials. The main structure will consist of a three-storey building built mostly from shipping containers. Silburn says that it is on valuable Calgary real estate “that could accommodate a $200-million structure.” Hence, a modular facility that can be disassembled. It will include a collection basin for research on rainwater harvesting and reuse as well as infrastructure to support research in solar thermal heating and photovoltaic systems. The ground floor, about 32 feet by 20 feet, will house a demonstration centre for research projects and a waste-water treatment system that Silburn calls a “living machine.” Sometimes simply called a solar aquatic system, it involves a kind of greenhouse for treating grey water and consists of a series of water tanks replete with suitable plants, fish, snails, soils and other constituents so as to clean the water. This applied research explores sustainable methods and technologies that might reduce the burden on a city’s water supply and waste-water treatment systems. Silburn and an eight-person team—working from an ATCO Group trailer adjacent to a parking lot at the college—work with industry partners on various aspects of this and other research and development programs, including performance evaluation of research pilots and experiments. The second floor will consist mainly of office space while the third will include a library, small conference room and a testing device for evaluation of fall systems. This has a “hot box” on one side and a deep freeze on the other. “The wall goes in the middle to test performance,” Silburn says. Funding for the green building centre has come from the Alberta government, the federal government and the Royal Bank. Funding supports improved infrastructure for testing and other green building technologies development, including the design, construction

By Godfrey Budd and monitoring of NetZero homes, or single-family residential structures that, over a year, produce as much energy as they consume. Using a parking lot facing the Trans-Canada Highway as a staging area, staff and students, with help from Avalon Master Builder, have built—and then sold to local homebuyers—three single-family NetZero homes in recent years. The main structure of the current green building lab, a 60-foot-by-72-foot tent that is used as a workshop, will be retained for the new facility. But a green or vegetative roof atop the three-story modular building will be an addition. This, too, will be the focus of research and development with industry participation. The benefits of some research projects at the lab may, at first sight, seem either rather modest or far off in the future. But with green roofs, at least in some North American cities, they have already arrived, and they’re huge, according to experts. Increasingly, city planners and water experts across the continent are taking a serious interest in them. Why? Quite simply, they can obviate the need for additional infrastructure to cope with huge storms and very heavy rains. In recent years, cities like Toronto have passed bylaws requiring green roofs for certain types of buildings because, it is reckoned, by getting owners to spend a few million, cities can potentially save billions on extra infrastructure they would otherwise need. Depending on its design, a green roof can retain more than 90 per cent of the downpour that lands on it for up to several hours. The soon-to-be-built Green Building Technologies Lab and Demonstration Centre at SAIT, and the funding to run it, might be about to support a sustainable building initiative every bit as significant as green roofs are starting to prove in the U.S. and Canadian hurricane zones.

Alberta Construction Magazine | 33

institutional From the bottom up Peter Lawlor, dean of trades at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), says his institution, which trains about 12,500 apprentices a year, offers 34 of the 50 apprentice positions that exist in the province. NAIT has the capacity to train about 16,000 apprentices a year— most of them involving four years of training. The institute is currently seeking provincial funding to expand its facilities and training capacity. Lawlor says some changes in workplace requirements, such as allowing two apprentices to work with each journeyman (past requirements were one apprentice per journeyman), should allow more tradespeople to enter the workforce. However, Lawlor says the “mindset” of Albertans must also change—more parents need to encourage their children to enter the trades rather than academic training, since there will be huge opportunities in the trades. Gordon Nixon, vice-president, academic at SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary, says the institution has about 7,800 apprentices now in the 33 trades it offers training

for. In 2008-09, the peak year for apprenticeship training at SAIT, it had 10,500 apprenticeship students. Since then, SAIT has added a new $400-million trades training facility, which would allow the school to substantially increase the amount of training offered were it not for funding limitations from the province. One way the school is getting around this is by offering theoretical training, usually two months of classes at SAIT, in an online form, which will increase student numbers and allow students to continue working while they learn, instead of relying on unemployment insurance. Nixon says he has already seen the increased need for apprenticeships. “The two bellwether trades are welders and electricians,” he says. “When we see the demand for these trades rise, we know it will happen with other trades, and that is what is happening.” SAIT isn’t the only educational institute seeing issues with funding limitations. The MacPhail School of Energy, which trains petroleum engineering technologists and power engineers, only has

funding for 500 students a year. In 2011, it received 1,800 applications and in 2012 it saw 2,800. Raymond Massey, chair of the Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board, says there are about 60,000 registered apprentices in Alberta, with about 10,000 new tradespeople being certified yearly. “All the numbers show we’re going to have a severe shortage of skilled workers in the province,” he says. Massey says the organization is working with the federal government to tap its Temporary Foreign Workers program. “We’ll need more temporary foreign skilled workers, especially on the larger projects,” he says. The organization is also working with employers to increase the number of apprenticeships, Massey says, pointing to studies that show the return on investment for every $1 spent on an apprentice is $1.47. Massey predicts the greatest demand will be for electricians, plumbers, boilermakers, carpenters, steamfitters, pipefitters, welders and millwrights. “We have a significant challenge ahead of us,” he says.

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infrastructure

GREEN

ssue 36 | Spring 2013

IMAGES: CALGARY AIRPORT AUTHORITY

Twenty-two gates are being added at Calgary International Airport, where passenger traffic has grown dramatically over the years.

infrastructure

From the

ground up Calgary’s airport expansion incorporates geothermal in its sustainable design

By R.P. Stastny

hen the Calgary Airport Authority began planning for the $1.4-billion ter m i na l ex pa nsion at C a lga r y International Airport (YYC), it developed a mechanical and electrical master plan focused on sustainability and low operating costs. Geothermal heating and cooling became a key component of that plan, but it relies upon many other progressive design elements. “The geothermal system in and of itself is a run-of-the-mill system with nothing fancy about it,” says John Munroe, vicepresident, western Canada for AECOM, who engineered the expansion’s HVAC system. “How it ties into the holistic approach of this entire project is what makes it unique.” Munroe explains that without a good building envelope (in this case, a tripleglazed double curtain wall separated by a 30-inch air space fitted with adjustable louvres and venting at both the bottom and top of the curtain wall’s space) and without good lighting (light-emitting diodes, or LEDs, throughout most of the terminal), a low-grade ground-sourced heating and cooling solution wouldn’t work. “You have to look at the building as a whole,” he says. “Without the LED lighting, the double curtain wall and shading, you would have either tremendous heat gain or heat loss.” Lacking these temperature extremes, the heating and cooling system can operate at lower temperatures, which improves operating efficiencies.

Alberta Construction Magazine | 37

infrastructure “Rather than heating your water up to 200 degrees [Fahrenheit], this system is operated at about 90–100 degrees [Fahrenheit],” Munroe says. Leading edge The latest YYC expansion includes a parallel runway that will be Canada’s longest commercial runway, and a new international concourse with 22 aircraft gates and almost two million square feet of space over five stories, including a 300-room hotel with spectacular views of downtown Calgary, the Rocky Mountains and airport activity. To appreciate just how important sustainability is to the terminal’s design, Bruce McFarlane, director of air terminal development for the Calgary Airport Authority, lists just a few of the expansion’s other green features: • A roof that harvests and stores half a million litres of rainwater for flushing its low-flow washroom fixtures; • A new baggage handling system that requires only 30 per cent of the energy a traditional baggage system uses (its first installation in North America, although it’s already in use in Europe and Asia);

YYC’s green side The Calgary International Airport expansion incorporates several sustainability features, including: • Geothermal heating and cooling, including reuse of heat created by airport generators • A triple-glazed double curtain wall • LED lighting throughout • Low-flow washroom fixtures that reuse rainwater • A reduced-energy baggage system • Motion sensor–controlled HVAC and lighting • Finishes that use lowvolatile organic compounds • A ground-up displacement ventilation system

• Motion sensor occupancy controls for HVAC and lighting; and • F inishes with low-volatile organic compounds. “We went through a study that identified five levels of sustainability,” McFarlane says. “The first level [V1] is status quo, which isn’t an option today…. We’ve ended up at level V4.” The only thing that separates the project from a level V5 sustainability rating is that it won’t generate its electric power through photovoltaic panels. The necessary rough-ins, however, have been included so that this option is available in the future. The end result is a facility at the very forefront of emerging airport design in North America. Details The YYC’s terminal facility geothermal system comprises 581 holes drilled vertically below the building footprint to a depth of up to 400 feet. “We’re using a distributed heat/cool plant system in the building, so there are actually four mechanical rooms serving

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infrastructure the terminal and each has a geothermal plant in it,” Munroe says. Continuous 1.25-inch plastic piping loops with no joints were fed into the fiveinch drilled hole and secured in place with thermal grout. “The loops are all pre-made with builtin spacers to keep the pipes separated as to go down the hole,” Munroe notes. A mixture of ethylene and water was the chosen circulation f luid over the more standard glycol mixture because of its superior thermal characteristics and ease of pumping. Heat pumps, which are essentially refrigeration devices that extract or inject heat from the ground-source fluid, transfer that energy to a closed-loop plastic tubing system embedded in concrete radiant floors. “The system accomplishes about 60 per cent of the heating load and all of the cooling load in the building,” Munroe says. “We have supplementary gas-fired condensing boilers to accommodate the additional 40 per cent of the heating when required.” Fluid is moved through the tubing by electric pumps. Small natural gas–fired

cogeneration units in each of the four mechanical rooms generate power. The heat from those generators is also utilized as heat in the building. “So it’s a cascaded approach,” Munroe notes. “You use your most efficient, cleanest source first, then move down the line.” Since the radiant floor handles heating and cooling functions, the terminal’s ventilation system can be decoupled from its typical twin duty of temperature control and fresh-air delivery. “When the air system only has to handle the ventilation component, you reduce the air volumes significantly,” Munroe explains. “We’re using a displacement ventilation system. It’s been around for a while, just not used in the commercial world very much. It was a technique developed for the industrial world to get rid of air contaminants.” Displacement ventilation fills interior spaces with fresh air from the ground up, making it quieter and more efficient, especially in a terminal building with 50-foot ceilings in some places. “You get numbers in the range of 50 per cent less energy consumption than

you would normally use along with better indoor comfort,” Munroe says. Laying it down The new YYC expansion is a good example of the sort of innovation an integrated design approach can yield. Integrated design requires extensive front-end collaboration among all the teams, including the owner, designers and contractors. Collaboration on the YYC project also paid dividends in the construction process. Despite the general contractor’s unfamiliarity with geothermal and having to tiptoe around some 660 kilometres of radiant floor plastic tubing without damaging it before it was set in concrete, the geothermal installation actually turned out to be one of the least challenging aspects on site. “Clean Energy [Technologies, Inc.] drilled the holes and did the installation, and it went exceptionally well,” says Marvin Messner, project director, EllisDon Construction Services Inc. “It came down to getting to know the process and understanding its sequencing, so we could work around their work and install everything correctly.”

Alberta Construction Magazine | 39

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GREEN

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The $5.7-billion Sturgeon Refinery marks a milestone for North America. But how it will help environment is why it’s worth paying attention to.

IMAGE: NORTH WEST UPGRADING

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he Sturgeon Refinery that will begin construction in earnest this spring has a green side that goes far beyond its $5.7-billion price tag—it will be the first refinery to incorporate CO2 capture in its initial design. “We will be capturing enormous quantities of CO2,” says Ian MacGregor, founder and chairman of parent company North West Upgrading Inc. “Initially, we will be capturing 3,500 tonnes of CO2 a day, but with all three phases, we would be capturing up to 11,000 tonnes. That’s equal to the emissions from all the cars in Alberta.” The go-ahead for a long-planned refinery to upgrade oilsands bitumen was made last November. MacGregor says the Sturgeon Refinery, to be located in a rural industrial park 45 kilometres northeast of Edmonton, will create a peak construction workforce of 8,000. But what does a refinery have to do with CO2 capture? While the project will employ technologies commonly used in upgrading and refining, in a key departure, it will also use gasification technology.

Crude and vacuum unit Gasification unit

By Jim Bentein

Amine and sour water units

Sulphur recovery unit

Light ends recovery unit Hydroprocessing unit Residue hydrocracking unit

This artist’s rendering shows the various units that will comprise the Sturgeon Refinery. Construction is set to begin this spring.

The advantage of using gasification is that it doesn’t produce dry coke as a byproduct. Rather, waste is transformed into “99.5 per cent pure CO2,” MacGregor says. Most CO2 from conventional upgraders is diluted in a steam containing mostly nitrogen and other elements, which make it unsuitable for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). However, in the case of the Sturgeon Refinery, the pure CO2 it will

produce will be a valuable product that will eventually generate billions of dollars, MacGregor predicts. CO2 for sale The captured CO2 will be sold to Enhance Energy Inc. (MacGregor is also chairman of that company’s board), which is developing a complementary project that will include the 240-kilometre long, 16-inch

Alberta Construction Magazine | 41

industrial

AT A GLANCE The new Sturgeon Refinery will: • be the first new North American refinery in three decades; • produce diesel, not gasoline; • have a carbon-capture component, potentially removing the equivalent of the emissions from all the cars in Alberta from the environment; • have a peak workforce of 8,000 people; and • upgrade bitumen under the province’s BRIK program.

diameter Alberta Carbon Trunk Line. The line will eventually transport this CO2, along with CO2 from the Agrium Inc. fertilizer plant near Redwater, Alta., to be used for EOR in depleted oil reservoirs in central Alberta. Access to the CO2 could revitalize depleted oilfields in central Alberta, adding billions of dollars to the economic benefits of both projects, according to MacGregor. He also says the Enhance project would be adjusted to fit with the schedule of the Sturgeon Refinery. The trunk line will be designed to move 40,000 tonnes per day of CO2. MacGregor believes the project will ultimately lead to more investment in Alberta. Enhance has received a commitment of $495 million from the Alberta government’s carbon capture and sequestration fund for its $1.3-billion project. Billions in benefits “I can’t even estimate the total economic impact, but it will be in excess of $50 billion and closer to $100 billion and beyond,” MacGregor says, commenting on the November 8 announcement that the board of the North West Redwater

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Partnership had agreed to proceed with the first phase of the project. The partnership is a wholly owned subsidiary of Calgary-based North West Upgrading and Canadian Natural Upgrading Limited, which, in turn, is a subsidiary of Canadian Natural Resources Limited. The first phase of the project—North America’s newest refinery in three decades— will take three years to build. It is designed to process 50,000 barrels per day of bitumen. Canadian Natural Resources will provide 12,500 barrels daily of that bitumen, and the balance will come from the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission, which collects bitumen from oilsands producers in lieu of royalties, under the province’s Bitumen Royalty in-Kind (BRIK) program. The North West Redwater Partnership has signed 30-year processing agreements for the bitumen. MacGregor says the company plans to eventually expand the project to process 150,000 barrels daily. He says the company, which has been planning the project since 2004 and has 300 employees working on design, procurement and other aspects of

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industrial the refinery, views it as a vital step toward adding value to bitumen production and at the same time reducing the environmental footprint of oilsands development. But, he says, the project makes economic sense too, because of its valueadded component. MacGregor stresses that the company isn’t just building an upgrader, deploying conventional coking technology to convert Alberta bitumen into lighter crude ready to be refined into gasoline, lubricants and other petroleum-based products. “Most refineries in North America were designed to produce gasoline, but we are responding to the market in western Canada,” he says. “We’re producing 40,000 barrels a day of diesel [from the first phase], and diesel is a high-margin product that is in great demand in western Canada.” The partnership’s studies have shown there is a market in western Canada for all the diesel that the project would produce from the first phase. Another important aspect of the gasifier-based technology North West will use is that, aside from producing ultra-low-sulphur diesel, it will produce significant volumes of diluent, used in the

oilsands industry to prepare bitumen for pipelining; ethane, which is a key petrochemical feedstock; and naphtha, butane and propane, all petrochemical feedstock. There are existing markets for all of these products in North America. He says it would also produce 10,000 barrels per day of lubricants, which could spawn the development of a lubricants plant in Alberta. No shortage of skilled labour? Availability of skilled labour to build the plant is a concern, MacGregor says; however, a recent slowdown in oilsands expansion suggests there may be more tradespeople available than otherwise might have been the case. That’s also why the company decided to build the project near Edmonton, where there is a greater availability of workers than in other parts of the province. The company believes it will be a magnet for older, more experienced tradespeople. “One of the reasons we are locating it near Edmonton is we think it will be a project that appeals to workers aged 45–60, who want to be home at night,” he says.

“That way you can get a more productive workforce.” The site for the plant, located near the Agrium fertilizer plant, would have a peak workforce of about 3,000, he says. The balance of the peak workforce of 8,000 would work at Nisku, Alta., and elsewhere assembling modules. Neil Shelly, executive director of Alberta’s Industrial Heartland Association, which promotes growth in the Heartland region near Edmonton, including the North West site, says the announcement was “very good news” for the Heartland area and the province. A recent study by the association showed the Sturgeon Refinery would generate $1.2 billion in direct provincial and federal taxes. However, when the royalties from future EOR projects are included, Shelly says the benefits would be worth many billions of dollars over time. In addition to the direct full-time jobs the plant will create in the Heartland and Edmonton areas, he says it’s safe to assume the multiplier effect will create three times that many jobs, with everything from consultants to logistics firms to local restaurants benefiting.

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feature

10 tips for a greener project Experts offer ways to help you lower energy consumption, build smarter

feature section Illustrations: ÂŠiStockphoto.com/akindo

By Diane L.M. Cook

We all know that building green is the price of admission for landing many, if not most, construction projects these days. So to help you, we asked some experts to offer their suggestions on ways to make your construction projects more environmentally sustainable. Here are 10 tips. Alberta Construction Magazine | 45

1Make a model

One of the easiest ways to predict energy savings is to have an energy model done of your building, whether it is a 1,000-square-foot house or a 150,000-square-foot warehouse. The results of energy modelling will affect design decisions that can produce the largest savings with the least investment. Energy modelling is a skill that takes knowledge and experience to enter and interpret the data. It is not an exact science. You might get slightly different answers from different consultants and even different programs. But if your goal is to reduce building energy use, energy modelling will help you achieve that goal.

3 Measures matter Target the major energy consumers first, including energy for space heating and lighting. Three strategies include: • Design measures that target more than one energy end use. For example, orienting the building to maximize natural sunlight reduces the energy required for space heating and lighting. • Reduce space heating. For example, insulate effectively with a tight building envelope including efficient glazing systems, and perform ongoing maintenance of the building envelope. • Design measures to reduce lighting electricity. For example, using energyefficient lighting and daylight and occupancy sensors that limit electricity use to when you need it.

46 | Spring 2013

Choose champions

You are well aware that sustainability certifications and government regulations are constantly changing. Without someone tracking these changes alongside a building design or portfolio of strategies, the most up-to-date criteria can cause unforeseen consequences for a project. From the start of the design process, a team must communicate and collaborate on all things related to the sustainability objectives. This is most effectively done with both design- and construction-phase sustainability champions. These designated personnel maintain a close eye on the minutia of the project while keeping the big picture on track. Often, one or more key stakeholders are left out of the loop, and the repercussions of a specific decision are not realized until it is too late. By engaging the sustainability champions at the outset, projects can avoid costly changes and successfully meet expectations. Effective management helps to forecast potential problems, save money and, ultimately, achieve sustainability goals such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

Look to lighting

Energy-efficient lighting can be easily applied to a new build or a retrofit. In existing buildings, estimates are that up to 30 per cent of commercial lighting in North America today is reliant on T12 fluorescent lighting. T12 fluorescent lighting is no longer being manufactured, so building owners will have to decide when, not if, they will address how to change or upgrade this type of lighting. Common options include fluorescent T5, fluorescent T8 and T5 high output. Less common, but much more energy-efficient options are LED and induction lighting, which are gaining traction in the marketplace. When choosing lighting, consider the total cost of ownership of a lighting system over a minimum of 10 years. Usually, the more-costly initial solutions are less expensive over time. For example, although fluorescent T5 and T8 lights save energy, the cost for maintenance (bulbs, ballasts and labour) usually offset the energy savings, giving the building owner new lights but no decrease in total operation costs. Instead of paying the utility, the owners are paying the electrician or maintenance people. And the payback on fluorescent T5 or T8 options can easily be eight years or longer. Because LED and induction lighting are so much more efficient, the average payback period is four years in a retrofit and about two years for a new build. When many owners think of energy-efficient lighting, they think of fluorescent lighting such as fluorescent T5, fluorescent T8 or compact fluorescent lighting (CFL). Wherever possible, consider CFL with LED. The actual cost of purchasing seven to 10 CFL bulbs over a lifetime is similar to LED, and the incandescent options can cost much more. Over the lifetime of 35,000 hours of operation (the average life of a highquality LED), it costs $36 for electricity to operate the LED, $73 to operate the CFL and up to $262 to operate the incandescent. For a building with a large number of bulbs, these costs can add up quickly. And in commercial buildings, it costs much more for maintenance than what the bulbs cost, so the savings is even greater.

feature

Do an assessment Implement a project site environmental compliance assessment. By putting in place a comprehensive, pre-project review of environmental regulatory guidelines, acts, codes, laws and regulations applicable to the project jurisdiction, a company can ensure that all environmental guidelines and criteria have been met on a project. These might also include development requirements, sustainability plans and regionally integrated environmental protection plans (for example, watershed protection) specific to the municipality or region that a company is working in. Special consideration may be given to ecologically significant features or elements such as endangered species, protected habitat, wetlands, stream banks and riparian areas. Having the proper controls in place ensures that projects are being built while taking into account environmental sensitivities, and environmental protection measures are implemented and enforced throughout the time on the project.

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Alberta Construction Magazine | 47

Be specific

Implement site-specific environmental management plans. Environmental management plans are project specific to the site you’re working on, and are designed to meet the individual needs of the client and authority of jurisdiction. By implementing a comprehensive set of standard operating procedures, site controls and work practices, the natural environment can be protected during construction. A company can develop environmental management plans itself, but usually it is in conjunction with a third-party specialist consultant. These plans may include stormwater management, water-quality protection and management, erosion and sedimentation control, groundwater protection and management, tree protection, soil management, waste management, hazardous materials management, contamination discovery and management, contaminated site management and monitoring, spill response and release reporting, indoor and outdoor air-quality protection, noise management and site restoration.

Re-evaluate the details Building to a highperformance standard like NetZero (where a building saves as much energy as it uses) does not necessarily mean you have to stop building stick frame. What you should do is re-evaluate your details. The hierarchy of details to re-evaluate are: • Air tightness—this has the largest effect on energy use, upwards of 60 per cent • Insulation • Thermal bridging The most troublesome areas are corners, connections and casings: anywhere you have connecting or intersecting elements. Thus, a simple design is often more efficient.

48 | Spring 2013

10 8 Metering and

monitoring

Metering and monitoring are critical steps towards sustainability. You can design and build a building to be as efficient as possible, but without post-occupancy data, you cannot manage what you don’t measure. Encourage your clients to install metering systems or hire organizations that will review quarterly consumption rates and provide guidance to stay on target. As soon as your building is operational, track utility performance and compare it back to the energy model or projections provided by the design team. Are you on target? If not, how come? Go back and investigate. A commissioning agent is a great resource to find problems and offer solutions.

Implement SCM Implement sustainable construction management systems, or SCM in industry parlance. SCM systems are based on a strong environmental-compliance and quality-management foundation aimed at building green, environmentally friendly buildings for occupants. Many of these initiatives have outside governance such as LEED. The use of SCM systems is integrated into project pursuit, consultant retention, design, procurement, construction and close-out/handover. This comprehensive approach to sustainability involves facilitated team coordination and communication, supported by monitoring and improving measures with the design team and stakeholders to bring a true integrated design approach that is environmentally sustainable to the project.

Lessons learned When Stantec Consulting Ltd. and Lafarge Canada Inc. partnered to lead the design and construction of a prototype NetZero duplex in Edmonton for Habitat for Humanity, they learned a lot about how buildings can be built more green. Each 1,050-square-foot unit of the duplex used the standard floor plan developed by Habitat for Humanity in Edmonton, with precast concrete as its primary building material, and is expected to save as much energy as it uses on an annual basis. A few lessons learned from this project include: • Use an integrated design team. This project included many partners with specialized knowledge to ensure the final vision was achieved. • Everything starts with a highquality envelope. The precast panels produced off-site provided a strong barrier against the severe Edmonton climate and are expected to last at least 75 years. • Collect data to verify your design in the real world. This project is targeting LEED for Homes Platinum certification by the Canada Green Building Council, and performance data will be collected by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston and compared to the design models and other Habitat homes.

feature

MEET THE EXPERTS Alberta Construction Magazine assembled its tips for a greener project by drawing on the expertise of the following: Rachel Wong, a sustainability analyst at Stantec, who specializes in energy auditing and LEED facilitation in the commercial and institutional building industries Klaas Rodenburg, a past chair of the Alberta Chapter of the Canada Green Building Council, who is a certified engineering technician at Stantec Consulting Ltd., where he leads the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sustainable Design Steering Committee

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St. Albert contractor taken under Bird’s wing

Ten past and present employees of PCL Constructors Inc. received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal in recognition of their community contributions. Front row (left to right): Garth Tomlinson, Brad Nelson, Paul Douglas, John Volcko and Doug Stollery. Back row (left to right): Dwight Brown, Peter Stalenhoef, Anibal Valente, Roger Dootson and Alfred Schleier.

Royal treatment for PCL employees

Photo: PCL Constructors Inc.

It’s not a party with the queen, but it’s the next best thing. Construction industry leaders from across the country have been awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal in recognition of their contribution to the communities in which they live. The medals are part of the 2012 celebrations of Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 years on the throne. John Schubert, chair of the Canadian Construction Association, lauded the recipients, saying, “The achievements of those being recognized have helped to build the Canada of today and the Canada of the future.” In total, 38 members of the construction industry received medals, including 10 current and former employees from PCL Constructors Inc. Some of the recipients are likely familiar faces to Albertans, such as: • Paul Douglas, president and chief executive officer; • Peter Stalenhoef, president and chief operating officer, heavy industrial; • Roger Dootson, retired vice-president and district manager; and • Doug Stollery, general counsel. The other recipients from PCL were Dwight Brown, Garth Tomlinson, Alfred Schleier, Anibal Valente, John Volcko and Brad Nelson.

General contractor Bird Construction Inc. is spending $12.8 million to purchase Nason Contracting Group Ltd., a company based out of St. Albert, Alta. Over the past 40 years, Nason has provided multi-discipline construction services to projects across western Canada and the north. Much of its work has focused on the mechanical, electrical and instrumentation side of water and waste-water facilities. Darrell Stang, president of Nason, calls the pairing of the two companies “a great fit.” Bird Construction provides general contracting services on a number of water and waste-water projects, which is expected to complement Nason’s own specialization in that area. Nason’s 65-person staff, including managers, is expected to stay on to operate the business.

HOW TO submit items Does your company have news about personnel changes or new products? Or did it just land a new project in Alberta? We want to know about it. Here’s how to get your news to us. Email items to: jcaouette@junewarren-nickles.com or send it to: Assistant Editor, Alberta Construction Magazine, 220-9303 34 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB T6E 5W8 or fax to: 780-944-9500 Please include the full name and location of the company.

Alberta Construction Magazine | 51

people, products, projects

One-stop construction supply shop A new construction material supplier is coming to southern Alberta, courtesy of Integrity Building Products. Located in Okotoks, Alta., the new store will serve as a one-stop shop for contractors looking to bolster their inventories. Integrity also offers delivery services for builders too busy to shop in person. The store features a wide range of construction materials, including lumber, drywall, siding, roofing, floor joists and power tools. For more information, visit integritybuildingproducts.com.

Pro-V changes name, ownership Pro-V Mfg. Inc. has become Pro-V Manufacturing LP and is joining the ranks of one of Canada’s largest steel fabrication and construction companies. Supreme Group LP has fully acquired the company, after first purchasing a majority stake in 2010. The pair have worked together in the past on a variety of industrial module construction projects, such as Cenovus Energy Inc.’s Christina Lake oilsands operations. Located in Acheson, Alta., Pro-V provides industrial design, manufacturing and construction services, with a particular focus on piping and pressure vessels—all of which will complement Supreme Group’s steel-fabricating business. “In combination, we will be able to provide significant enhancements to our capacity to supply the burgeoning industrial sector in Alberta and beyond,” says John Leder, pres ident and chief operating officer of Supreme Group. Beyond the name change and ownership shakeup, it will likely be business as usual for Pro-V. Current president Greg Prinsen is expected to remain at the head of the company.

Edmonton crane company picks up Grizzly An Edmonton-based crane and heavy haul company is expanding into northeastern British Columbia with a new acquisition. NCSG Crane & Heavy Haul Services has purchased Grizzly Crane Ltd. for an undisclosed amount. The deal will allow NCSG to service the various mining, wind and shale gas projects occurring around Tumbler Ridge, B.C., where Grizzly is based. Will Howe, founder of Grizzly, will stay on as branch manager for the location.

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52 | Spring 2013

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A little bit of vinyl on the side Calgary contractors now have another option when it comes to siding selection. Ply Gem Canada Inc. has added Variform by Ply Gem vinyl siding to its product portfolio. The company celebrated the move with a mid-January launch at its newly opened siding centre in Calgary. The product line encompasses a wide range of items, such as vinyl and polymer siding, aluminum soffit, trim coil, rainware and shutters. Builders will be able to choose from several different siding profiles, including traditional lap, Dutch lap, board and batten, polymer cedar shake, and shingle and insulated vinyl. More information is available at plygem.ca. PhotoS: Ply Gem Canada

Top: Vinyl siding is displayed like paintings in a gallery at the new Calgary home of Ply Gem Canada Inc. Bottom: Ply Gem’s Calgary siding centre will offer a wide range of vinyl siding options to southern Alberta builders.

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We at Lloyd Sadd are proud to host this exclusive event at the Edmonton MarrioƩ at River Cree Resort, which is open to forward-thinking business owners and execuƟves in the Alberta construcƟon industry. This event is part of our iniƟaƟve to bring our clients and guests current and relevant informaƟon to help them lower their companies' total cost of risk. For details on registraƟon, please contact ChrisƟne Tenove at ctenove@lloydsadd.com

54 | Spring 2013

CANADIAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY UPDATE John Schubert | 2012 Chair, Canadian Construction Association ALBERTA CONSTRUCTION ECONOMIC UPDATE Brad Ferguson | President & CEO, Edmonton Economic Development Corp. BILL 26: DRINKING & DRIVING REGULATION AND CORPORATE LIABILITY Edmonton Police Service | Bryan & Co. | SureHire CONSTRUCTION WORKPLACE SAFETY Spencer Beach | Construction Safety Officer & Motivational Speaker www.lloydsadd.com

people, products, projects

Spray foam welcomed to Canadian marketplace

The Touch ‘n Seal line of spray foams has been approved for use in Canada.

Photo: Convenience Products

The Canadian Construction Materials Centre has decided Convenience Products’s Touch ‘n Seal spray foam is fit for the domestic market, granting the product a Class I rating under its thermal insulation standards. The two-component spray foam can be used on a wide range of construction media, including wood, concrete, gypsum board, metal and more. According to Convenience Products, the foam dries in less than a minute and is fully cured within an hour. It is also compatible with other fibre insulation systems, such as cellulose, fibreglass and rock wool. Find out more at touch-n-seal.com.

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Alberta Construction Magazine | 55

people, products, projects

Good vibrations Less fuel consumption and lower vibration levels are just two features of Atlas Copco Canada Inc.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest hydraulic breaker. The SB 702 breaker comes with a solid body and has been designed for use in landscaping, construction and demolition applications. The company notes that the machine should produce less noise than other breakers in the 700-kilogram class. The breaker also uses an energy recovery system to decrease its fuel consumption. This process absorbs the impact energy and channels it into the breaking process, lowering fuel consumption while reducing wear and tear on the machine. Visit atlascopco.ca for more details.

New safety vice-president at ENTREC

Photo: Atlas Copco

ENTREC Corporation has a new addition to its executive team: John Hudson, who will serve as vice-president of safety, training and risk management. Before joining the lift and transport company, Hudson was chief executive officer of DETAC Corporation, a consultancy focused on competency programs. In addition to his previous work as vicepresident, HSE and risk management at Peak Energy Services Ltd., he is also a former chair of the Job Safety Skills Society, which promotes safety education in Alberta high schools.

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Hot pockets Frostbite and failing batteries felled in one fleecy swoop. Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation’s M12 line of jackets is notable for the heating elements embedded around the chest and upper back. Lined with fleece and powered by a battery hidden in the back, the jackets provide extra warmth for workers out in the field. The latest generation of M12 jackets features several noteworthy additions, such as heated pockets. A button on the lapel allows wearers to adjust the temperature of the pockets separately from the rest of the jacket. Customers can even opt for a jacket sporting a power gauge on the battery pack or a USB port for charging portable electronic devices, such as cellphones. Visit milwaukeetool.com for more information.

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Alberta Construction Magazine | 57

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aca report

Looking back at what was achieved in 2012 and the challenges ahead By Bob Robinson Chairman, Alberta Construction Association

Progress was achieved in 2012 in each of the Alberta Construction Association’s (ACA’s) core services. Government advocacy A major focus was on provincial investment in infrastructure, through ministerial meetings, letter writing and the ACA’s caucus dinner. The association recommended that the 2013-16 capital budget be maintained at $6 billion to $7 billion per year—an amount that reflects per capita investment averaged over the business cycle and adjusted to remove the effects of inflation and to address current levels of population. ACA advocacy for sustained infrastructure investment will continue in 2013.

ACA also urged the government to commit to long-term planning for community infrastructure, full life-cycle costing and a separate capital account, all of which contribute to sustainable, predictable and consistent levels of investment. The association focused on five workforce areas in 2012: • Immigration reform. • Workforce strategy through building and educating tomorrow’s workforce. • Recommended changes in the K-12 system and participation in Alberta Education’s Curriculum Policy Advisory Committee. • Opposing public funding of private delivery of apprenticeship training.

• Promoting wider adoption of essential skills training in partnership with the Alberta Workforce Essential Skills Society. Immigration ACA chairs the Alberta Coalition for Action on Labour Shortages (ACALS) with the immediate priority of reform of federal and provincial immigration policy and programs. The ACALS coalition represents 23 organizations accounting for the bulk of Alberta’s economy. Collective advocacy has proven effective, with the following recommendations being adopted: • A permanent immigration stream specific for skilled trades. • Streamlining of the immigration system with the introduction of accelerated

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Alberta Construction Magazine | 59

aca report

NEW BOARD ELECTED Here are the new members of the Alberta Construction Association’s board, elected at the annual general meeting on February 1. • Bob Robinson (Westcor Construction Ltd.)—Chairman • Scott Matheson (PCL Construction Management Inc.)—Senior vice-chairman • Dave Kinley (Concept Electric Ltd.)—Vice-chair • Brian Freemark (Lee’s Sheet Metal (2007) Ltd.)—Past chair • Serena Holbrook (Pockar Masonry Ltd.)—Calgary Construction Association • Rob Otway (PCL)—Calgary Construction Association • Myron Borys (Synergy Projects Ltd.)—Independent member • Charles Iggulden (Trade Skills Global Inc.)—Fort McMurray Construction Association • Steve Osborn (Kodiak Drywall Ltd.)—Grande Prairie Construction Association • Roger Simpson (Simpson Plumbing Ltd.)—Lethbridge Construction Association • Bernal Ulsifer (Creative Glass & Aluminum Ltd.)—Lloydminster Construction Association • Buck Heath (Pad-Car Mechanical Ltd.)—Medicine Hat Construction Association • Josh Edwards (Scott Builders Inc.)—Red Deer Construction Association • Kerry Powell was the 2012 recipient of the ACA Chairman’s award for his contributions in the areas of standard practices. Former chair Kees Cusveller of Graham Construction was recognized as recipient of the Outstanding Service Award for ongoing contributions at the local, provincial and national levels.

labour market opinion approvals for approved employers, the expansion of the list of labour market opinion– exempt occupations and the move to an expression-of-interest system to better meet employer needs. • ACALS is also seeking a pilot program in which so-called semi-skilled National Occupation Code C occupations receive fast-tracking for Temporary Foreign Worker and Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program streams. ACALS is proposing a pilot project for energy sector occupations, before extending to other sectors. • Merit Contractors and ACA have partnered to lobby for changes to restrictions under the A lberta nominee program for optional trades. The province introduced the requirement for optional trades to require the Alberta Qualif ication Certif icate, without recognizing the value of specialized skills within broader occupations—for example, concrete form workers within carpentry. This advocacy will continue in 2013. A small ACA delegation joined a BC Construction Association mission to

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aca report Ireland in February 2012. The intent was to understand transferability of skills for Irish workers to Alberta requirements. ACA completed information guides on various immigration pathways, guidelines to hiring a recruiting agency and a list of recommended agencies, and published these on the ACA website. ACA and Alberta Infrastructure partnered on industry meetings in March and September to review material and labour costs and industry capacity. This dialogue is continuing in 2013. Safety/WCB ACA provided input to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) on leading/ lagging indicators, occupational disease strategy, review of the radiation regulation and potential items for code review. As a member of the Coalition of Employers for Workplace Safety, ACA met with the minister and/or OHS staff three times. While partnership with OHS was strengthened with the sharing of compliance data with industry, ACA was very disappointed by the passage of Bill 6 in November 2012 and the introduction of administrative

penalties. The introduction of these monetary penalties lacks any justification or evidence from elsewhere that they improve safety. OHS has yet to undertake a review of what works and doesn’t work in their set of compliance tools. ACA will continue to advocate for sound, evidence-based policy. ACA continued to utilize its membership in the Industry Task Force on Workers Compensation as a means of advancing construction industry concerns about workers’ compensation. Ongoing advocacy proved successful on two fronts in 2012: The Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) introduced an employer appeals advisor capacity in response to ACA and Industry Task Force (ITF) lobbying to educate and level the playing field for employers given the existence of worker advocates. The WCB also shelved plans for the proposed “Return to Work” Partnerships in Injury Reduction incentive in the face of ACA and ITF opposition because while all employers would pay, only a few could benefit. Standard practices ACA recommended two changes to Alberta’s Builders’ Lien Act (BLA):

mandatory annual progressive release of holdback and Crown bound to BLA. ACA met with Alberta Health Services (AHS) to advocate for AHS adoption of industry standard practices. This advocacy began to bear fruit through a review of ACA recommendations for changes to AHS contracts and an AHS agreement to move to public tender openings for implementation in 2013. Contrax Consulting Inc. completed the following work for ACA in 2012: • Updated the Supplementary General Conditions (SGC) for the Canadian Construction Documents Committee (CCDC) CCDC 2 (2008) contract for use in Alberta to align with the Alberta BLA and to create SGC for CCDC contracts 3, 4, 5b, 17 and 18. • Updated Form A Supplementary Conditions 16 (Insurance) and 17 (Hold Harmless) to better align Form A with the provisions of CCDC 2 (2008). • Development of a new sub-subcontract Form B to align with Form A. As a result of ACA advocacy, Alberta Infrastructure (AI) is finalizing formal adoption of CCDC 2, with other CCDC

Alberta Construction Magazine | 61

aca report

ACA provided input to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) on leading/lagging indicators, occupational disease strategy, review of the radiation regulation and potential items for code review. standard documents as appropriate. ACA recommendations concerning the categorization of directly reimbursable and overhead items, and the appropriate per cent markup that general contractors can charge on the work of subcontractors for change orders will continue in 2013 in advance of AI making a final decision. ACA contacted a number of tender authorities to express concerns about the use of non-refundable deposits.

Research and technology ACA’s partnership with Productivity Alberta for improved adoption of information and communication technology was initiated through a successful pilot with the Calgary Construction Association. The program outreach extended to Lethbridge Construction Association in November 2012. ACA is working with Productivity Alberta to determine how to expand its

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62 | Spring 2013

offerings to Alberta’s construction industry. ACA’s effectiveness in serving industry has always relied on the generous contributions of expertise from its volunteers, drawn from the membership. ACA continues to work at improving connections with the grassroots to better understand your needs and work to your benefit. With your continued support, we will share continued success and meet the uncertainties of tomorrow.

cca report

Serena Holbrook of Pockar Masonry, the 2012 CCA chair, welcomes an enthusiastic crowd of 150 people at the inaugural Women in Construction luncheon held on January 24 at the Blackfoot Inn.

CELEBRATING WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION CCA inaugural luncheon offers attendees chance to share ideas, experiences

Over 150 women and a few brave (or very smart) gentlemen signed up to see what the Calgary Construction Association’s (CCA’s) inaugural Women in Construction (WIC) luncheon had to offer. Serena Holbrook, 2012 CCA chair, was at the helm of the event held on January 24 at the Blackfoot Inn. Holbrook, general manager and coowner of Pockar Masonry Ltd., had the desire during her tenure as chair to create a forum where industry women could network, share experiences and socialize with one another. As the first woman elected to chair the CCA, it was fitting that the event welcomed other prominent women in the construction industry to a luncheon in honour of— you guessed it—women. 64 | Spring 2013

Luncheon attendees put their heads together as they look to advance the interests of women in the construction industry.

photos: CCA

By Amy Smith

cca report “I think it’s important to give women the opportunity to share their ideas about the construction industry and what they can do to enhance women’s experiences in a male-dominated industry,” says Holbrook. In early 2012, Holbrook formed the WIC committee comprised of seven inspiring women who wanted to connect with other women in the construction industry and hear ideas from them on a go-forward basis. The attendees of the inaugural WIC luncheon engaged in round table discussions and shared what they saw as some of the obstacles that women in the construction industry face and how they overcame those obstacles. Conversation around showcasing the trades and construction as viable and rewarding career options to young females also took place.

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photo: CCA

Women in Construction committee member Julie Pithers of DIRTT Environmental Solutions (left) assisted with the facilitation of brainstorming activities at the luncheon.

The networking opportunities the event provided were well received, and the room was a constant buzz of activity and excited voices. The group also came to the general consensus that the industry could benefit from a mentoring program that would provide a platform for connection, comfort and contingency. Many of the women present identified the desire to have this opportunity and recognized the value of their own mentors when they first entered the intimidating world of institutional, commercial and industrial construction. The event, as a forum for women to be among others who share similar experiences, was a resounding success and appreciated by all those in attendance. The WIC committee met again in early February to uncover the collected feedback and look ahead to what might be feasible for the group’s future.

• • • • • •

Project Management Estimating Accounting Safety Principles Legal Issues Affecting Contracting Business & Public Relations PECs are accountable for their work and business practices and strive for excellence in the Electrical Industry.

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Toll Free 1-800-252-9375 Web: www.ecaa.ab.ca Alberta Construction Magazine | 65

cca report 1

Dr. Guy Gendron, dean of the Schulich School of Engineering (at left in each photo), and Dr. Janaka Ruwanpura (right in each photo), accept $100,000 cheques from Rob Otway of PCL (photo 1), Doug Harrison of Stuart Olson Dominion Construction (photo 2), Vince Davoli of EllisDon Construction Services (photo 3) and Colin Aitken of Graham Construction & Engineering.

More funding for R&D

Industry and government show support for U of C research project A University of Calgary project is attempting to save the construction industry billions of dollars by improving productivity in the areas of labour and management issues. Over 30 students, led by professor Janaka Ruwanpura of the Schulich School of Engineering, have worked on the “Top Ten Targets for Improving Construction Productivity” project since it began in 2004. The project has produced more than 25 innovative tools and best practices, and trained over 4000 construction industry professionals to implement the new methods. Deliverables have included ideas, concepts and real-world devices, such as the second-generation i-Booth, that are used on job sites regularly to enhance tool time and increase productivity. At the Calgary Construction Association’s (CCA’s) Chairman’s Tour Breakfast in November, it was announced that the project’s cost of over $1.5 million would receive help from EllisDon Construction Services Inc., Graham Construction and Engineering Inc., PCL and Stuart Olson Dominion Construction, who each contributed $100,000. Support has also come from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada in Ottawa, and the CCA, who contributed $45,000 towards the next phase of the research project titled I3P—Innovation, Improvement and Issues on Productivity.

photos: CCA

A month earlier, it was announced that Ruwanpura, who holds a past as director of the Centre for Project Management Excellence at the University of Calgary, would also be a recipient of funding through the Canada Research Chair. “Our government’s top priority is creating jobs, growth and long-term prosperity,” said Ted Menzies, minister of state (finance), who announced the University of Calgary recipients of $8.2 million in new research funding through the Canada Research Chair Program. “By investing in talented people through programs such the Canada Research Chairs, our government is supporting cutting-edge research in Canadian post-secondary institutions. This fosters innovation by helping researchers bring their ideas to the marketplace, where they can touch the lives of Canadians.” Ruwanpura expects the next phase of the project will enrich discovery, creativity and innovation while enhancing the collaboration between industry stakeholders and the university in training future generations with practical skills and knowledge that can be applied in the workforce. Ruwanpura’s goal with the 2013-16 research program is to develop a world-class research program that produces deliverables that contribute to Canada’s construction industry with potential for future commercialization.

66 | Spring 2013

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Veg out

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Adding that green touch to the rooftop is not difficult

Green roofs are a growing proposition.

In places like northern Europe, grass roofs go back centuries, explains Calgary-based Carole Dobson, western Canadian green roof advisor with Soprema Canada Inc. An agronomist, Dobson holds a Green Roof Professional (GRP) accreditation through Green Roofs for Healthy Cities. Such accreditation suggests there is much more to vegetated roofing than merely sodding a roof. An effective and durable vegetated roof requires careful planning, design and construction. Green roofing brings to mind actually growing plants on a roof. But sometimes the definition stretches to cover any roof where sustainable design, construction, durability, recyclable materials, waterhandling or energy savings yield environmental benefits. In Europe, modern green-roof concepts took root some 30 years ago, and they became more apparent in Canada about 15 years ago. Alberta also has seen heightened interest in green roofing—including from architects, engineers, landscape architects, contractors and building owners/managers. Often it originates from desires for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) or Building Owners and Managers Association of Canada Building Environmental Standards (BOMA BESt) accreditation and taps into benefits such as: • Enhanced stormwater management: municipalities seek lessened loads on

sewer and treatment infrastructure. Depending on precipitation intensity, green roofs can delay or retain up to 90 per cent of the downfall. • Reduced heating and cooling: air-conditioning costs especially can be cut by 25 per cent or more. Plants absorb moisture and, through evaporation, cool off their surroundings by releasing water into the atmosphere. Adding green “lids” lessened heat-island effects in urban areas predominated by dark rooftops. With evaporative cooling, industries facing zero-runoff rules can better manage water on site. • Extended membrane lifespan (possibly by 50 per cent): the vegetation lessens temperature fluctuations and protects against degradation by ultraviolet light, which is important in Alberta with many structures located a kilometre or more above sea level. • Increased aesthetics and recreational value: accessible rooftop garden spaces enable expanding buildings’ footprints and rentable space while still meeting required green-space ratios. Green roofs become selling points in competitive condo markets. Ranking roofs Depending on intensity, uses and vegetative cover, green roofs are ranked as: • Extensive: covering a sizable area with a fairly simple selection of plants, but without general employee or public access— still the most common design.

By Nordahl Flakstad

• Semi-intensive: generally deeper soil level and greater plant variety—possibly has barriers and pathways allowing for safety and public or employee access. • Intensive: allows employee or public access, but looks much like a groundlevel garden. Intensity impacts project costs, but so do underlying features required on green roofs. Soprema’s system includes waffleboard-like drainage panels positioned on top of the roofing membrane to prevent water penetration onto the latter. Another essential component is a barrier to stop roots reaching the roofing membrane. The third critical element is engineered soil meeting specifications for drainage-pore size, particle size and organic matter, plus a weight suitable for a specific roof and durability of 20–30 years. Soprema doesn’t supply plants, but recommends what to use. According to Dobson, costs vary greatly, depending on whether the roof is intensive or extensive, with material costs starting in the $5–$8-per-square-foot range. Alberta’s variable climate, with greater freeze-thaw cycles, calls for thicker growing media. Structural engineers must take into account such load factors in new designs and (rarer) retrofits. While Alberta may require a six-inch cover, weighing 45 pounds per square foot when fully watersaturated, Vancouver might get by with a four-inch layer and hence a lower price tag. Warmer, dryer areas also can get by with a thinner layer. With workarounds such

Alberta Construction Magazine | 69

building blocks as using a deeper medium and regionspecific palette of hardy plants, green roofs still are finding their place under the Alberta sun. LiveRoof LLC has a network of 26 licensed North American growers (four in Canada) that cultivate and market vegetative cover for green roofs. Eagle Lake Landscape Supply Ltd. in Calgary and its associated turf farm at Strathmore are LiveRoof licensees for Alberta and Saskatchewan. Originally developed in Michigan, the LiveRoof system employs a carefully designed growing practice adapted to yield plant material ideally suited to specific climates. Jan Bjerreskov, Calgary-based sales and marketing manager with LiveRoof, explains his company’s heavy reliance upon sedum varieties—succulent, waterholding plants—suited to Alberta’s dry and variable conditions. Furthermore, sedums are fire-resistant and easily regenerate. Plants grown outdoors are delivered 95 per cent vegetated to the construction site and set to work immediately in LiveRoof’s custom-designed growing media (95 per cent rock and five per cent organics). Economics come second It’s important to cultivate understanding and to weed out trepidations about green roofs. Bjerreskov says, “I work closely with the architectural community so they understand what the green roof will do in our climate. In trying to sell green roofs to property owners, I centre on the long-term effect. The aesthetic is a bigger selling feature than the immediate economic benefit.” Close cooperation is needed between designers, contractors and suppliers to ensure plants are ready for the roof and the roof is ready, during the growing season, for the plants. Green roofing is, and, for some time is likely to remain, a somewhat specialized market. Yet, says Soprema’s Dobson, “Perhaps the highest growth rate in green-roof installation in the country is occurring in the province of Alberta.” Meanwhile, Bjerreskov reports that his LiveRoof Alberta franchise has doubled its green-roof project count each of the last three years. Among Soprema green-roof projects are the intensive-use Ted and Lois Hole 70 | Spring 2013

building blocks Healing Garden at Edmonton’s Royal Alexandra Hospital, the City of Calgary Water Centre, the Innisfail Public Library and the Peter Lougheed Hospital in Calgary, where patients look over a relaxing stretch of rooftop greenery. Completed LiveRoof projects include the John Janzen Nature Centre, the University of Alberta’s North Medical Clinic (7,000 square feet covering a roof and two courtyards) and PCL’s recently completed Building 5 office complex—all in Edmonton— plus a 2,000-plus-square-foot roof at the University of Saskatchewan. While vegetated roofs offer longevity and other advantages, they do add costs, notably for maintenance. That includes applying a slow-release fertilizer yearly to complement nutrients from decaying plant matter. Green roofs should be weeded every couple of weeks to prevent unwanted vegetation from taking root or from drying and becoming a fire hazard. Bjerreskov stresses that weeding and watering can easily be done by existing building-maintenance personnel following minimal training. But he cautions, “If you don’t want to do the maintenance, don’t install a green roof because you’re just asking for trouble.” Other green features, such as solar panels, can be integrated into vegetated roofs. Apart from the danger of the panels causing roof penetrations, increasing wind load or raising electrical-safety issues, attention is needed to ensure photovoltaic installations don’t deprive plants of appropriate sunlight and moisture. But, Bjerreskov notes, since vegetated roofs are cooler than conventional ones, the photovoltaic systems function more efficiently. As part of its warranty program, the Alberta Roofing Contractors Association (ARCA) has developed roofing application standards for vegetated roofs. ARCA technical officer Trevor Sziva says, “The standards lay out what is required to reduce the risk of problems with the roof, typically roof leaks, and what to do with them. We looked at the safety aspect of a vegetated roof—for fire, wind and maintenance personnel. We want to provide a good-quality system assembly that’s going to perform and be durable.” He adds that other than some instances arising from inadequate maintenance, green roofing hasn’t resulted in roof failures in Alberta.

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top projects

Recognizing 2012’s top projects

PHOTOS: AARON PARKER

overs and shakers in Alberta’s construction industry got an inside look at modern NHL hockey arenas from a leading expert during Alberta Construction Magazine’s 2012 Top Projects Awards gala luncheon last December 4. Dan Vaillant, the project executive for ICON Venue Group in charge of Edmonton’s new downtown arena project, was guest speaker. About 200 people attended the event at the Derrick Club in Edmonton. The Top Projects Awards gala luncheon celebrates the creativity and inventiveness

of Alberta’s construction community. In addition to awards in the commercial, civil, institutional, industrial and design categories, the 2012 awards included a new feature: project of the year. The winner was SAIT Polytechnic’s Trades and Technology Complex. The premier sponsor of the event was KPMG LLP. ICS Group was the innovation sponsor. Bronze sponsors were Alberta Blue Cross, Brock White Construction Materials, IronPlanet Inc., Lloyd Sadd and National Concrete Services Ltd.

Clockwise, from top left: Top Projects winners with their awards, Don Vaillant of ICON Venue Group, attendees listen to the guest speaker, Vaillant speaks about Edmonton’s new arena and Craig Sneddon of KPMG, the event’s premier sponsor. Alberta Construction Magazine | 73

Oilfield purchasing technology is changing rapidly Purchasing patterns are changing in Canada’s oil and gas industry, and buyers are using technology to access more and better information. The COSSD, a new database of service and supply companies, is helping them control costs and maximize productivity. In 2012, more than 170,000 people used it. In Canada’s Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin, explorers and producers are changing the way they work. In many plays, their focus is on repeatable, factory-like approaches to drilling, completion and tie-in of new wells, and to the service and operation of existing wells. More and more, they are focused on efficiency and cost control. Website (unique visitors)

and move their head offices or open and close branch locations. Luckily, the Canadian Oilfield Service and Supply Database (COSSD) is constantly updated, so a buyer can count on it to find what they need. They can use the COSSD for free, and it’s available in six ways: website, smartphone, iPad, Garmin GPS, digital edition and print.

Garmin GPS (downloads)

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iPad (downloads)

140,000

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Primary purchasers Exploration & Production Engineering Pipeline Construction Refining & Petrochemicals/ Gas Processing Total—primary purchasers Secondary purchasers Service & Supply Transportation Manufacturing & Fabrication Electrical, Instrumentation & Control Health, Safety & Environmental Total—secondary purchasers Occasional purchasers Legal, Financial & Investment Government, Agencies & Consulates

Universities, Research Institutions & Public Libraries

120,000 100,000 80,000

Other Total—occasional purchasers

60,000

From a sample of 1,000 companies who visited COSSD.com in Q2-Q3 2012.

40,000 20,000 0 June 30, 2009

June 30, 2010

Engineers, planners, managers and buyers are using new approaches and technologies to make sure they purchase services and supplies at the lowest possible cost. Just as important, they are making sure that services and supplies are delivered when they are needed. Time is money in the oilfield, and they’re focused on saving both. To save time and money, a buyer needs to have more than one option—they need choices in products and vendors. They may have information on some vendors in their accounting, enterprise resource planning and compliance systems. That’s usually not enough—they must extend their search for suppliers, so they need other sources. However, finding what a buyer needs in Canada’s oilfield is a complex process. The service and supply industry is made up of over 3,000 companies, and they are constantly changing. Mergers and acquisitions and company startups and closures happen frequently. Vendors change the products and services they offer,

June 30, 2011

June 30, 2012

December 31, 2012

Whether in an office or in the field, it’s proving to be a buyer’s best source for vendor information—that’s why its usage is growing so rapidly. In 2012, over 53,000 people used its print or digital edition. The fastest growth is in digital usage—in 2012, over 118,000 used it through the website, smartphone, iPad and Garmin GPS. That’s more than 170,000 in total. COSSD is also proving to be a vendor’s best choice for connecting to their customers. Buyers are now using COSSD.com on their web browsers and iPhone, BlackBerry or Android smartphones. They can search a vendor’s company profile, product catalogue, display advertisements, categories of service and locations. They’re also able to use its proximity search features to find a service or product close to a town, city or even their smartphone’s current location. An analysis of 1,000 companies who visited COSSD.com in the second to third quarter

LefT: Digital usage of the COSSD has grown substantially since 2009. ABOVe: Many of Canada’s leading explorers and producers use COSSD.com—as do many other primary and secondary purchasers of oilfield services and supplies. of 2012 showed that many were primary buyers—explorers and producers such as Encana Corporation or Talisman Energy Inc., and pipeline operators like TransCanada Corporation. Many more are secondary buyers—service and supply companies such as Weatherford Canada Partnership and Halliburton. If you’re a buyer, visit COSSD.com to learn how this database can help you. If you’re a vendor, use the COSSD to ensure 170,000 or more buyers can find you. Become part of this fast-growing buyer/ seller community—email Christopher Kuntz at ckuntz@junewarren-nickles.com or call 403.516.3492.

the legal edge

Contracts need certainty By Tim Mavko Reynolds, Mirth, Richards & Farmer LLP

In the 1948 comedy Mr. Blandings Buil d s Hi s D ream Hou se, a Manhattan ad executive, played by Cary Grant, wants to build a big house in Connecticut. In one scene, Grant stands in the partially framed and increasingly expensive house, workers sawing and banging around him. A foreman asks, “The second-floor lintels between the lallies, you want they should be rabbeted?” Clueless about lintels, but worried about the skyrocketing costs, Grant says with mock authority, “No, no, I guess not.” “OK,” yells the foreman, “Rip them up!” And days of installed woodwork is torn out. Vague designs and uncertain terms make good comedy. But in real life, they can make a project expensive, difficult and long. And the legal consequences can be worse. That is why the essential terms of a construction contract must be certain. If something essential is missing, there is no contract. It doesn’t matter if the parties shook hands and thought they had a deal. Nor does it matter that they wrote out a document and signed it, intending to be bound by what it said. If an essential term is vague, uncertain or missing, the parties don’t have a contract. What’s necessary will vary from contract to contract, job to job. But at the very least, there has to be certainty about who is to be bound (i.e., the parties), what they

are to do (i.e., the work), and what is to be paid (i.e., the price). If someone reading the agreement cannot figure out these key items, the contract is void. In legal terms, it never existed. This is not a new idea. It is a basic principle of contract law with a long history. For example, a century ago, the Alberta Court of Appeal found that a supposed contract to build and lease a bank building was void for uncertainty (see Bank of Nova Scotia v. McDougall & Secord). Missing from that contract was the date that the bank was to take possession. Worse yet, the description of the building to be built omitted most particulars. Although both sides thought they had a contract, the court found that enough was missing and uncertain to render the contract void. One hundred years later, people still make the same mistake. Last year, the Alberta Court of Appeal made a decision on Seong Yun Ko v. Hillview Homes Ltd. Here, the owner wanted the builder to sell him a lot and build a house on it. They prepared a written agreement that properly identified the parties and clearly set the price (about $1.2 million). The idea was to use existing plans and specifications belonging to one of the builders, which were listed in the contract document. So far, so good. But the lot was in a ritzy neighbourhood, and that neighbourhood had architectural guidelines. Houses had to

be big—at least 4,500 square feet. The builder’s existing plan for the house, as specified in the written agreement, was too small—by about 1,666 square feet. So they added an addendum, which said simply that 1,666 square feet would be added to the house, at a cost of $80 per square foot. No drawings. No details. No specifications. Well, even before construction began, disputes arose. The builder refused to start. The owner sued. At the trial, it became clear that no one had a clue about how the extra 1,666 square feet were to be added to the house. The builder said the extra price was merely for more floor area, not for any particular type of room. The owner had a hazy idea of adding an extra left half of the house to the right side, but this made little design sense and would require radical revisions to the existing plans. The document the parties signed created impossible mysteries: what to build and where? To quote from the decision of the Court of Appeal: “The proof of the pudding is in the eating. But no one has any idea what this pudding would have tasted like, nor whether it could even have been cooked or eaten.” The $1.2-million contract between the owner and the house builder was clearly uncertain and, because it was uncertain, it did not exist. And because it did not exist, there was nothing to sue on.

Alberta Construction Magazine | 75

time capsule

TIME CAPSULE

RUTHERFORD HOUSE PROVINCIAL HISTORIC SITE

L o c at e d o n E d m o n t o n ’ s Sask atch ewan Dr ive w it h a

breathtaking view of the North Saskatchewan R iver Valley, the Rutherford House Provincial Historic Site was home to Alberta’s first premier. As premier from the province’s inception in 1905 until 1910, Alexander Cameron Rutherford’s Liberal government established the administrative and legislative foundations of Alberta, including selecting Edmonton over Calgary as the capital. He also established the University of Alberta in 1908 after he initiated the enabling legislation.

76 | Spring 2013

Although Rutherford’s first family home in Edmonton was a rather modest wood-frame, Victorian-style home, after he became premier, the family decided a more opulent, larger residence would better fit his prestigious public life. So in 1910, construction began on a twostorey red brick and sandstone mansion. Rutherford lived in the house from 1911 until 1940, when he sold the house to the Delta Upsilon fraternity. After serving as premier, Rutherford returned to his law practice, sat on the University of Alberta Senate from 1911 to 1927 and served as university chancellor from 1927 until his death in 1941.

Salient, character-defining features include the porch and balcony—which project over the main entrance with coupled columns, a balustrade of whitepainted wood, front concrete steps and approach, and parapetted gables—a steep gable roof and corbelled chimneys. Its grandeur captured Rutherford’s prominence in public life and served the family well as they entertained influential visitors. The University of Alberta acquired the house in 1966 and planned to demolish it for campus expansion; however, public protests persuaded the Government of Alberta to lease the building from the university in 1970. The

PHOTO: GLENBOW MUSEUM

Rutherford House, built a century ago, was home to Alberta’s first premier.

KEY FACTS • Construction date: 1910-12 • Architectural style: Georgian and Jacobethan Revival influences • Important date: In 1979, the Rutherford House was designated a Provincial Historic Resource.

DE_lumber_ad_vs2.ai

4/10/08

11:45:48 AM

Sources: Douglas R. Babcock, A Gentleman of Strathcona: Alexander Cameron Rutherford, (Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 1989). Walter H. Johns, A History of the University of Alberta, 1908-1969, (Edmonton: University of Alberta Press, 1981). University of Alberta Centenary, 2008: All True Things: Celebrating A Century of Achievement in Public Education [website], accessed 23 January 2013, available at http://www. ualbertacentennial.ca/

government then renovated the house, restoring it to its 1915 appearance and the Rutherford House opened as a museum in 1973. Today, the furnished Edwardian-era home offers visitors a glimpse of the Rutherford tradition of hospitality and the heady early days of the province of Alberta. Costumed interpreters offer guided tours, and the Rutherford House hosts special events. Visitors can dine year-round in the Arbour Room, which is operated by the Friends of Rutherford House Society. The restaurant includes the family breakfast nook, the den and the sun porch.

Alberta Construction Magazine | 77

advertisers’ index

AD INDEX Alberta Blue Cross. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Alberta Construction Safety Association. . . . . . 70 Alberta Roofing Contractors Association. . . . . . 34 Astec Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 & 19 Bantrel Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Beaver Plastics Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Bobcat Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Brandt Tractor Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 & 68 Brock White Canada Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Calgary Construction Association. . . . . 20, 35 & 58 Canadian Welding Bureau. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Canadian Western Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Canessco Services Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Davidson Enman Lumber Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 & 65 EllisDon Construction Services Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Faculty of Extension, University of Alberta. . . . 62 F&M MAFCO LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Grant Metal Products Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Hertz Equipment Rental Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 ICS Group Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Iron Planet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Joint Utilities Safety Team. . . . . outside back cover Klimer Platforms Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 KPMG MSLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . inside front cover Kubota Canada Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Lloyd Sadd Insurance Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Manulift EMI Ltee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 MAPEI Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .inside back cover Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

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MMFX Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Mount Royal University. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 NAIT Corporate and International Training. . . . 71 Northland Construction Supplies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Phoenix Fence Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Proform Concrete Services Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Proform Precast Products Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 PwC Management Services LP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Reynolds Mirth Richards & Farmer LLP . . . . . . . . 15 Rocky Mountain Equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Roxul Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 SAIT Polytechnic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Scona Cycle Honda. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Spatial Technologies Partnership Group . . . . . . 67 The Dagny Partnership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Toole Peet Insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Vertigo Theatre Society. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Western Construction Products. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

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WesternOne Rentals & Sales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Williams Scotsman of Canada, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Workers’ Compensation Board-Alberta. . . . . . . 52 Xylem Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

78 | Spring 2013

Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composite Systems Wraps • Plates • Rods

Rebuts Solides Canadiens – RSC (Waste reclamation center) Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Across the Americas, MAPEI’s CRS total solutions have been utilized for bridges, highways, parking garages, stadiums, buildings and other structures. The company offers a full spectrum of concrete restoration products, including FRP for structural strengthening, repair mortars/epoxies, self-levelers, construction grouts, waterproofing products, primers, sealers and decorative toppings. For details, contact your local MAPEI CRS sales representative or visit www.mapei.com.