Alberta Construction Magazine Winter 2012

30 PAGES OF TOP PROJeCTS AWARDS COveRAGe

TOP

PROJECTS

A W A R D S

winter 2012 | $8.00

VIeW FROM THE TOP

sAit trades and technology Complex is Project of the year PlUS | living the high life

PaGe 26

THE ComplETE flEET managEmEnT SoluTion.

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A L B E R T A Agland Corporation

Bobcat of Edmonton

Bobcat of Fort McMurray

Drumheller Equip. Sales

aglandcorp.com

bobcatofedmonton.com

bobcat.cervusce.com

bobcatofthebadlands.com

Ag-Plus Mechanical Ltd.

Bobcat of Edmonton South

Bobcat of Red Deer

Evcon Farm Equipment Ltd

agdealer.com/agplusmechanical

bobcat.cervusce.com

bobcatofreddeer.com

evconequipment.com

Lloydminster 780-875-4471

Medicine Hat 403-504-1111

Bobcat of Calgary Calgary 403-243-2011

bobcat.cervusce.com

Edmonton 780-447-4441

Edmonton 780-439-9288

Fort McMurray 780-714-9200

Red Deer County 403-346-9011

Brooks Farm Centre Ltd Brooks 403-362-8222

Drumheller 403-823-8383

Lethbridge 403-329-6011

KPMG would like to congratulate all the teams involved in the 2012 Top Projects 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

For more information please contact:

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

kpmg.ca/construction

© 2012 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

Like many of you, I’ve made the trip to Fort McMurray, Alta., by car. And each time I do so, I am cognizant of why Highway 63 is nicknamed the Highway of Death. As some of you are aware, I was an automotive journalist earlier in my career. I’ve driven over 1,000 vehicles on three continents. On highways as flat as a sheet of paper. On roads and tracks with so many twists or turns I was sure I would lose my lunch. But until that first journey from Edmonton to Fort Mac—in the snow, in January, in a small car—I thought no road anywhere would surprise me. Was I wrong. It’s not the road itself that has earned Highway 63 its reputation. It’s the people behind the wheels. The people who pass on a double yellow. Coming up the crest of a hill. On a curve. And the speeders. The rigs pulling big-as-a-house modules. The guy who’s had a sixpack after a 12-hour day in the field and just wants to get home and sleep in his own bed. After untold wrecks and lives lost, the provincial government has finally—finally—figured out a way to twin the roadway between Grassland and Fort McMurray by the fall of 2016 by going through capital markets rather than using the pay-as-you-go funding methods. For that, I say, “Thank you.” I also say “thank you” for the other things the province has done to make Highway 63 safer—the 16 new traffic enforcement officers that have been announced for the region, and the work on two new passing/climbing lanes and extensions to six existing lanes, to name two. As we prepare to leave 2012 behind and start a new year, I’ll leave you with this line from a popular ’80s TV show: “Let’s be careful out there.” Regardless of which side of the double yellow you’re on. To all our readers, here’s to a safe and prosperous holiday season.

Coming next issue: The 2013 Green Issue

Alberta Construction Magazine |

editorial Editor

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

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

Godfrey Budd, Diane L.M. Cook, Ken Gibson, Randy Kraft, Tim Mavco, Tricia Radison, Michelle M. Simpson Editorial ASSISTANCE MANAGER

Samantha Sterling • ssterling@junewarren-nickles.com

features

commercial

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Creative

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contributing photographers Aaron Parker, Joey Podlubny

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Vice-president & Director of sales Rob Pentney • rpentney@junewarren-nickles.com director of events & conferences Ian MacGillivray • imacgillivray@junewarren-nickles.com director of the daily oil bulletin Stephen Marsters • smarsters@junewarren-nickles.com

director of finance Ken Zacharias, CMA • kzacharias@junewarren-nickles.com

Calgary

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. ©2012 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 Publication Mail Agreement Number 40069240

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Living the high life

Hitting close to home Buildings are a major source of GHG emissions, but the right windows can help cut energy waste By Joseph Caouette

GLASS

102

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On the cover: The Cenovus Energy Centre, part of the Trades and Technology Complex, offers a dramatic view of the SAIT campus.

6 | Winter 2012

PHOTO: GIBBS GAGE ARCHITECTS

contents

volume 32, number 4 Published Winter 2012

TOP

PROJECTS

A W A R D S

84 Cover sTory

33 InsIde

TOP THESE Meet the winners of the 2012 Alberta Construction Magazine top Projects Awards

5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Project update 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . nuts & bolts 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Around Canada 65 . . . . People, Products & Projects 73 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ACA report 77 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . business of building 105 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . legal Edge

102

108 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . time Capsule

Alberta Construction Magazine |

project update

St. Patrick’s Island in Calgary is getting a major $45-million facelift—a process that began this year when construction kicked off on the new St. Patrick’s Bridge. The completed structure will provide expanded access to the 31-acre island, which will feature a restored lagoon, boat launch, trails, space for festivals, and picnic and play areas. Eight things to know: 1. Bridge cost is $25 million. 2. Replaces the existing G.C. King Pedestrian Bridge. 3. Design by RFR Group of France and Halsall Associates of Calgary. 4. Arches designed to evoke a stone skipping across the Bow River. 5. Features animated lighting. 6. Links St. Patrick’s Island to East Village in the south and Bridgeland in the north. 7. Graham Construction is the primary contractor. 8. Completion expected in fall 2013.

WE’VE GOT THE GOOD STUFF We run a one-stop-shop because we know you’re too busy to be running all over. So whatever job you’re working on, you can count on us for quality concrete, ceramic and masonry products, tools and expertise to help you get it done right the first time. Stop by – for the good stuff.

CALGARY EDMONTON RED DEER FORT MCMURRAY LETHBRIDGE EVERYTHINGCONCRETE.CA

8 | winter 2012

PHOTO (LEFT): AARON PARKER IMAGE (RIGHT): CALGARY MUNICIPAL LAND CORP.

st. Patrick’s Bridge

Say No to Cumbersome FTP Sites and Hello to Eﬃciency COOLNet Alberta has a new service for you – COOLNet on demand Tired of: • Managing a limited-functionality FTP site • Manually sending invitations to bid • Controlling multiple address books Take control of who sees your projects – easily and quickly load your “restricted access” project and start sending invitations to your “selected” contractors.

COOLNet on demand INVITE

For more information, contact your Local Construction Association. L E T H B R I D G E

CONSTRUCTION

A S S O C I AT I O N

Keep it in

the family.

For over 80 years, Brandt has built its legacy by providing exceptional service and top quality equipment – like the John Deere D-Series Skid Steers. They provide the same reliable versatility that you’ve come to expect from all your heavy-duty John Deere equipment. D-Series Skid Steers provide the perfect balance of power, versatility and maneuverability. They also feature premium cab space, extra glass ensuring best-in-class visibility, increased serviceability and improved structure – making the D-Series Skid Steer a welcome addition to your John Deere family of equipment at your worksite. Add Brandt’s uncompromising commitment to after-sales support in 22 locations across Western Canada, and what you’ll have is a machine as dependable as the company that sold it to you. That’s Powerful Value. Delivered.

Rebates! Call 1-888-2BRANDT for a demo or visit www.brandt.ca for more information on our products and financing options.

Brandt is celebrating $1billion in annual revenue and we’re thanking our customers by offering special rebates throughout 2012. Visit thanksabillion.ca for details.

nuts & bolts News briefs for the busy construction professional

Time to tackle oilsands overruns, professor urges

PHOTO: Joey Podlubny

‹ University of Calgary professor George Jergeas says overruns are rampant on oilsands megaprojects. For instance, when the first two phases of MEG Energy Corp.’s Christina Lake operations came on stream in 2009, the cost had reached nearly $1 billion—compared to an original estimate of $650 million.

The blame game has to stop. That was one of the key messages for the construction industry during a talk on improving productivity from George Jergeas, delivered at the National Buyer/Seller Forum in Edmonton in late October. (JuneWarrenNickle’s Energy Group, publisher of Alberta Construction Magazine, organizes the event, which is aimed at improving links in the oilsands supply chain.) Oilsands megaprojects invariably face unexpected challenges, such as economic downturns, labour shortages or environmental protests. Yet cost overruns aren’t an unplanned risk—they’re an absolute certainty, according to the University of Calgary project management professor. And in a culture of blame, overruns can be disastrous for any project manager. Winning the plum position of manager on a major project may be more likely to kill your career than launch it, Jergeas warns. Anyone who becomes the first project manager on a big build should “prepare a new resumé, because you’re going to lose your job,” he says. “I guarantee it.” According to Jergeas, it’s not uncommon for oilsands megaprojects—anything worth over $1 billion—to overrun by 50 per cent.

“Some of [the risks] are within the control of the project manager, but most of them are outside of control,” he says. “But in the blame culture, every problem is yours.” Low labour productivity is a favourite scapegoat for many projects lagging behind schedule, but Jergeas believes it’s wrong to make workers take the fall for what are usually management problems. He encourages project managers and owners to consider the perspective from the other side of the toolbox. “Workers wake up at 5 a.m., they’re bused for a few hours, go into this lineup, get into the gate, open the toolbox—it’s 8:30 in the morning. Do it the other way around on the way back,” he says. “In between, how many hours are left?” Mismanagement plays a major role in crippling labour productivity, he notes. During his years of research into construction productivity, Jergeas has seen it all: lacklustre communication, poor site organization, the absence of proper supervision and crews left waiting for materials or information, while an endless string of project changes finally crushes whatever remains of morale. So what can be done to bring out-ofcontrol oilsands megaprojects to heel?

First of all, Jergeas says benchmarks for major projects need to better reflect conditions in Alberta. He’s involved in a project with the Construction Owners Association of Alberta, the University of Calgary and the Construction Industry Institute that is currently gathering and analyzing benchmarking data from major projects in the province. Initial results were released in 2009, and a second, more-detailed report is planned for 2013 or 2014. At the same time, better planning needs to be done upfront to ensure the project starts on the right foot. “The priorities of construction should drive the priorities of engineering,” Jergeas says. “What are you going to build first? Design it first.” In discussions with construction owners, he also found agreement on the ideal level of supervision for crews—one supervisor for every eight to 20 workers. But he puts special emphasis on empowering these workers and their supervisors, all up and down the chain of command. For the professor, it all comes back to the culture of blame. “We have good-quality people,” he says. “But if you put the blame on me when I make a mistake, then I’ll never make a decision.” Alberta Construction Magazine |

nuts & bolts

Albertans can expect the twinning of Highway 63 to wrap up by fall 2016.

Anyone who has seen the trucks barrelling down Highway 63 to Fort McMurray, Alta., knows how quickly things move up there. Apparently that also includes construction. Late in October, the Alberta government unveiled 36 kilometres of newly twinned road on Highway 63 north of Wandering River, Alta. Construction on the stretch of road began in 2009 and was supposed to finish later in 2013. However, crews managed to bring the project to completion nine months ahead of schedule. “We worked hard to get this section of twinning completed ahead of schedule so all travellers could use it this winter,” says Ric McIver, Alberta transportation minister. “I am happy to say our crews

12 | Winter 2012

have been out all summer working on the twinning as well as clearing, grading and preparing new passing lanes on other sections of the highway.” The government is planning to tackle the entire Highway 63 twinning project with that same renewed pace. Work on expanding the treacherous stretch of road—48 people have died in traffic accidents on the highway since 2006, including two most recently in September—is now slated to wrap up by fall 2016. In total, the project will cost $1.1 billion. Extensions and improvements to Highway 881 are included in the final price tag, but are expected to be completed two years after Highway 63.

Photo: Alberta Transportation

Highway twinning hits high gear

nuts & bolts

800,000 Number of hours of construction employment expected to be generated by a new canola crushing plant to be built by Cargill incorporated near Camrose, Alta.

canada’s infrasTrucTure geTs passing grade—for now Following a survey of over 120 municipalities representing 60 per cent of the Canadian population, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities has released its first-ever report card on the country’s infrastructure.

storm-water systems were rated in very good shape, while waste- and drinkingwater systems were considered in good condition. however, municipal roads are looking rough with a fair rating—suggesting many are nearing or already past the end of their

useful life. in fact, the report says one in four roads is over capacity. the report was conducted in partnership with the Canadian Construction Association, the Canadian Public works Association and the Canadian society for Civil Engineering.

PHOTO: ILYA AKINSHIN/PHOTOS.COM

Physical condition of Canadian municipal infrastructure: Municipal roads

Drinking water

Waste water

Storm water

Total

replacement value of all assets

$173.1 billion

$171.2 billion

$121.7 billion

$69.1 billion

$538.1 billion

assets in very poor and poor physical condition

20.7% $35.7 billion* $55.4 billion* 32.0% $55.4 billion*

2.0% $3.4 billion* $22.5 billion* 13.1% $22.5 billion*

6.3% $7.7 billion* $31.3 billion* 25.7% $31.3 billion*

5.7% $3.9 billion* $11.9 billion* 17.2% $11.9 billion*

assets in fair physical condition

$50.7 billion* $121.1 billion* $121.1 billion*

* Replacement value source: federaTIon of canadIan munIcIPalITIes

Alberta Construction Magazine |

nuts & bolts

At PCL Construction Inc., employees pull their own weight, and then some. These PCL staffers are participating in a crane pull to kick off the company’s annual fundraising drive for the United Way. The goal this year is to raise $2.2 million for the charity.

Construction on biomass power plants in Alberta is about to take off. And it’s all thanks to a partnership between a local company and one of the world’s largest aeronautics firms. Mustus Energy ltd. and lockheed Martin Corporation are teaming up to build six biomass power plants in the province. All six will rely on discarded wood waste from the local lumber industry for fuel. the deal follows an announcement earlier this year that revealed Mustus would be tapping lockheed Martin to build a 41.5-megawatt biomass plant in la Crete, Alta. Construction has already begun on the plant, with completion expected by the fall of 2013. the American firm—known for producing everything from ballistic missiles to spacecraft designed to explore Mars—will provide the engineering and construction management expertise needed to get the plants off the ground. recent years have seen the company expanding into the biomass sector, with two plants in new york state now among its assets. locations for the remaining five Alberta biomass plants have not yet been disclosed. 14 | winter 2012

Toss THose eXTra forms those unused Form A contracts lying around the office aren’t good for anything more than lining bird cages now. Form A 2012 for prime and subcontractors is now available through the Alberta Construction Association. the revised form is meant to better align with the industrystandard contract currently used by owners and prime contractors. the form is also available at local construction associations throughout the province.

PHOTOS: (TOP) PCL CONSTRUCTION INC.; (BOTTOM) BARIS MURATOGLU/PHOTOS.COM

aeronauTics firm Helps launcH Biomass Boom

SINCE 1931 For 81 years, the Edmonton Construction Association has been at the heart of the Edmonton Construction Industry. Through booms and depressions, the Association has never deviated from the original Boardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mandate of promoting excellence in construction, just and honorable practice in the conduct of business, and the suppression of malpractice. Today, ECA is the second largest Construction Association in the country and operates the largest Electronic Plan Room in Canada, with over 2,600 projects posted last year. Our members, made up of leading General Contractors, Trade Contractors and Manufacturers & Suppliers, represent the best of the local construction Industry. As an Association, we are a leader in Member Benefits, Social Events, Industry Advocacy, Affinity Programs, Publications and much more. Our education initiatives include the support of over eighty Industry scholarships and training initiatives such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) classes in our state of the art I-Room â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the first of its kind in Canada. The Canadian Construction Association recognized the work of ECA in 2012 with the coveted CCA Partner Association of the Year award in recognition of outstanding Leadership in the areas of Industry Enhancement and Education. Looking forward, the Board of Directors remains committed both to the principles of the past that have made the Association the respected force it is today, while expanding and looking forward to a prosperous future. Changing demographics as well as new technologies mean that our Association, like our Industry, is in a state of evolution. This exciting evolution involves integrating the values and history of the Association with some new and vibrant initiatives in communications, training, services, education, member services and more. Look for these enhancements in the coming months as ECA proudly reinforces its position as a leading advocate on behalf of the Edmonton Construction Industry.

www.edmca.com 780-483-1130 For additional information on membership benefits and advantages

nuts & bolts

downTown edmonTon seT To sing

An expanded Winspear Centre will add 40,000 square feet of cultural facilities to Edmonton’s downtown core.

the Francis winspear Centre for Music is preparing to hit a new high note. since opening in 1997, the $45-million facility has been one of the jewels of Edmonton’s downtown arts district. the stately concert hall was even named the top performing arts centre in the country at the Canadian session and touring industry awards in 1999. now the winspear Centre is revealing plans to expand. developers are being invited to submit expressions of interest in a public/private partnership in an expansion that will add 40,000 square feet of cultural space to the city. the plans are focused on an adjoining parking lot, which will be converted into a mixed-use building that will offer additional performance and support space. A 400–600-seat hall will be added, as will studio space for educational and outreach programs. the new project adds to the growing chorus of developments in Edmonton’s downtown core. Aside from the recently completed Art gallery of Alberta, work has already begun on a new royal Alberta Museum for the area—and a proposed downtown arena is waiting in the wings, if funding for the project can be secured. the winspear Centre also lies just on the outskirts of the downtown quarters redevelopment, a major effort to revitalize 18 blocks of one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods. that plan will cost public coffers $56 million, in addition to over $200 million of private investment. submissions for the winspear expansion project will close on november 30, with a shortlist expected 30 days later.

PHOTO: AARON PARKER

Rise up, rise up sitting on any bright ideas? now’s the time to dust them off. Ellisdon Corporation is hoping to tap some crowd-sourced creativity with its new uprising initiative. the project’s website (iamuprising.com) offers a forum for anyone to offer

solutions to the most vexing problems faced by industry. Feedback and discussion on every idea is encouraged, and users vote on their favourites. A total of $25,000 in prize money is up for grabs, with $5,000 going to the most feasible answer to each of the five challenges posed.

these challenges tackle the full range of modern construction concerns, from sustainability and energy efficiency to age-old questions of moisture measurement. the competition is open until midnight on dec. 3, 2012.

Alberta Construction Magazine |

nuts & bolts

Where do I find a

Professional Electrical Contractor?

.— by the numbers —.

twinning Highway 63 Doubling the number of lanes on 240 kilometres of Alberta highway stretching from Grassland to Fort McMurray takes a fair amount of elbow grease—and more than a few buckets of paint.

443,600 litres of traffic paint

57,400 pounds of reflective glass beads mixed into paint

Since 1993 the ECAA received professional status under the Professional and Occupational Associations Registration Act as Professional Electrical Contractors (PEC), making them the first trade Association in North America to grant professional status to electrical contractors.

4.41 million tonnes of gravel

Professional Electrical Contractors, PECs are Educated in all Aspects of Business • • • • • •

Project Management Estimating Accounting Safety Principles Legal Issues Affecting Contracting Business & Public Relations

2.3 million tonnes of asphalt

479,000 tandem truck loads of gravel and asphalt

For more information on PECs Call the

Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta Ph. 780 451-2412 Email: ecaa@ecaa.ab.ca 18 | Winter 2012

Toll Free 1-800-252-9375 Web: www.ecaa.ab.ca

9 major bridge spans

2,200 culverts

PhotoS: photos.com

PECs are accountable for their work and business practices and strive for excellence in the Electrical Industry.

nuts & bolts

companies puT dollars Towards producTiviTy researcH

Whitemud Ironworks Limited is a fully integrated steel fabricator and erector that specializes in turnkey structural and miscellaneous steel projects.

PHOTO: ADAM RADOSAVLJEVIC/PHOTOS.COM

Four construction companies have each made $100,000 contributions, along with $45,000 by the Calgary Construction Association, to the next phase of a research project to improve construction productivity. the companies are Ellisdon Construction services ltd., stuart Olson dominion Construction ltd., graham Construction & Engineering inc. and PCl Construction Management. the university of Calgary project is titled i3P (innovation, improvement and issues on Productivity). Professor Janaka ruwanpura has trained over 30 students at the university in developing these best practices while training over 4,000 construction industry professionals to use the developed best practices and tools.

$127.8 million budget for a major redevelopment of Chinook regional hospital in lethbridge, Alta. the project will include construction of a new 19,000-square-metre, five-storey wing and will open in the summer of 2015.

7727-18 St, Edmonton AB T6P 1N9 Phone 780-465-5888 | Fax 780-465-1722 www.whitemud.com

Alberta Construction Magazine |

nuts & bolts

THe calgary THaT could Have Been

Vets sheet Metal ltd. Now Offering Complete HVAC Maintenance and Emergency Service 6111-56 Avenue edmonton, AB t6B 3e2 Phone: (780) 434 - 7476 FAx: (780) 437 - 6130

www.vetssheetmetal.com 20 | winter 2012

A pedestrian bridge with lights that grow brighter with more traffic. A utopian worker’s village built in the middle of a factory district. A downtown core filled with so many zigzagging cross streets that it would repel drivers and turn the city centre into a “pedestrian kingdom.” All tantalizing glimpses of a Calgary that never was—and all found in Unbuilt Calgary, a new book from local architect and writer stephanie white. Focusing on the city’s first 100 years, white highlights 30 projects proposed but never built, illustrating these discarded plans with concept drawings and models rescued from the archives. the book revives some of Calgary’s biggest and boldest architectural visions, with grand plans rising up in boom times only to be scuppered during the inevitable bust. Ambitious figures abound, such as bill Milne, the local architect who envisioned a downtown pedestrian paradise, where white says an anti-automobile layout would prove “so enraging that most drivers would have avoided the downtown completely” (and you thought rush hour traffic was bad now). At the same time, white explores the evolving nature of Calgary, from its smalltime prairie roots to the bustling hub it is today. the book shows how the city can be defined not just by iconic structures like the Calgary tower or the saddledome, but also by its unrealized—and sometimes unrealistic—architectural dreams. Unbuilt Calgary is now available from dundurn Press.

BUILDINGS

CIVIL

Edmonton Clinic â&#x20AC;&#x201C; South Edmonton, Alberta

INFRASTRUCTURE

Edmonton International Airport Terminal Building Expansion Edmonton, Alberta

H E AV Y

INDUSTRIAL

Glenmore Filter Plant Improvement Calgary, Alberta

PCL Campus Building 5 Edmonton, Alberta

SAIT Trades & Technology Complex Calgary, Alberta

At PCL, we aspire to be the most respected builder by delivering superior service and unsurpassed value to our customers.

EPCOR TOWER PHOTO BY KASIAN ARCHITECTURE INTERIOR DESIGN AND PLANNING LTD AND QUALICO

| around CANADA MILLION VALUE OF HEAVY-EQUIPMENT ITEMS sold during an unreserved public auction at the ritchie bros. Auctioneers’ site in Edmonton on september 5 and 6. Almost 5,000 registered bidders competed for 4,600 heavy-equipment items and trucks. SOURCE: RITCHIE BROS. AUCTIONEERS

JOBS GeneraTor THIS PAST SUMMER, the Canadian Energy research institute put out a report looking at the economic impact of exporting natural gas from the horn river region of british Columbia to Asia as liquefied natural gas (lng). the report predicts the construction and operation of an lng terminal will generate: 112,000 jobs in Canada, with the majority—97,000 jobs—being created in british Columbia. $7.8 billion in gross domestic product. $2.2 billion in taxes.

60 50 40 INDUCED

INDIRECT DIRECT

2035

2033

2031

2029

2027

2025

2023

2021

2019

2017

2015

ATCO STRUCTURES & LOGISTICS says its acquisition of a fleet of construction equipment and two lodging operations in nunavut is important to building its presence in the high Arctic. the agreement to acquire the majority of the assets of 953731 nwt ltd., which includes the south Camp inn and Airport hotel, “will be used as a foundation to support resource projects, as well as Arctic sovereignty and infrastructure initiatives undertaken by the Canadian Forces and other federal organizations in the region.” terms of the deal were not disclosed. AtCO structures & logistics offers modular buildings, site services, and industrial noise control and logistics solutions worldwide. the company has operated in resolute bay since 1970.

— Keith sashaw, president of the Vancouver regional Construction Association, in a story in Business in Vancouver about the value of business permits reaching $841.3 million in July

2011

IMAGE: WINNIPEG CONVENTION CENTRE

sTreTchInG NORTHWARD

third-highest monthly level since the economic recession of 2008-09, with commercial permits hitting their second-highest level.”

2013

THE WINNIPEG CONVENTION CENTRE is undergoing a 304,000-square-foot expansion. stuart Olson dominion Construction ltd. has been selected by the centre’s board to handle the $147-million design-build project. work is expected to be finished in 2015. the expansion “supports the City of winnipeg’s vision of a revitalized and dynamic city centre, and is expected to act as a catalyst for further private and public sector investment in downtown winnipeg,” says david leMay, president and chief operating officer of the Churchill Corporation. Churchill is stuart Olson dominion’s parent company. the project is targeting leadership in Energy and Environmental design silver certification.

“ Total permits issued reached their

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Alberta Construction Magazine |

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26 | Winter 2012

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commercial

Living the high life M

Condo towers bring luxury lifestyle to Edmonton and Calgary

PHOTO: NAGY-BOGOLY LLONA/PHOTOS.COM

By Tricia Radison

‹ The 32-storey Ultima Tower in downtown Edmonton incorporates an all-window wall system rather than a curtain wall.

ulti-million dollar condominium tower projects are popping up in the province’s two major urban centres, bringing a new level of living for those looking for simpler lives in more walkable areas. Projects like the 35-storey Pearl Tower and the 32-storey Ultima Tower in Edmonton’s downtown and the 34-storey MARK on 10th tower in downtown Calgary are just three examples of buildings designed to meet the needs of the market and intended to make a strong impact on the cities’ skylines. A number of factors drive the tower trend, including the retirement, or at least empty nests, of baby boomers, and the improving economy. “In Edmonton, we’re starting to notice labour shortages, and we’re starting to see in-migration happening again,” says Raj Dhunna, chief operating officer, Regency Developments. Business has picked up and the City of Edmonton is focused on revitalizing the downtown core, which is generating a lot of interest. “There’s a bit of a clean slate where Edmonton can build for the future, and so we see labour getting involved and the private sector starting to invest again,” Dhunna explains. Regency Developments is building Pearl Tower, which, according to Dhunna, will be the first luxury condo tower as well as the tallest residential tower in the city. Due to market demand for larger suites, Regency rejigged the project to offer 128 suites instead of the initial 174, with the average square footage around 1,550. Residents will have

Alberta Construction Magazine |

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access to three of the highest-speed residential elevators in the city and an on-site wellness centre with a 4,000-square-foot social room, boardroom, relaxation area and two-storey fitness facility. “With all our projects, we have that focus on a community atmosphere,” he says. “In our four-storey projects, we have lobbies on each floor and amenity buildings where people can meet each other. The wellness centre at Pearl offers a meeting place.” The $100-million MARK on 10th tower will also have some pretty impressive

LABOUR PAINS Large condo tower projects are good news for Alberta’s industry. Regency Developments, builders of Pearl Tower in Edmonton, tries to ensure that 95 per cent of contracts are locally sourced. Westrich Pacific, which is building Ultima Tower and Encore in Edmonton, has its own construction team and also uses local subcontractors. But labour shortages are becoming an issue, and Westrich has had to recruit from eastern Canada. That’s another positive for the industry. “With the Alberta advantage and people wanting to come here and be a part of this province, we are seeing a lot of relocation, which is helping us meet some of our labour shortage and getting skilled workers and tradespeople into the Alberta workforce,” Jason Buehler, general manager of Westrich Pacific, says.

Alberta Construction Magazine |

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As one of the largest engineering firms in British Columbia, with offices in Alberta, the Company has played a role in most of BC’s major landmark infrastructure projects for the past 47 years. Levelton’s ongoing commitment to comprehensive and innovative solutions for clients has earned the Company a reputation for providing excellence in materials and geotechnical engineering, environmental sciences and building technology. www.levelton.com

30 | winter 2012

common space. Designed by Rafii Architects Inc. in partnership with BKDI Architects Inc. and Durante Kreuk Ltd., and located in the Design District, it will feature a 17,000-square-foot garden on the third-floor podium. Step out on the roof and you’ll find lawn, trees and pedestrian pathways, as well as places to sit and enjoy the outdoors. On the 33rd/34th floor, there will be a rooftop lounge with a gym, infrared sauna, kitchen/bar, hot tub, yoga studio, steam room and barbecue, all taking in the amazing views. Roger Navabi, president, QualexLandmark, developer of MARK on 10th, says that customers are looking for highquality amenities both within their buildings and in the area. “It’s a trend spreading throughout North America,” he says. “With increasing time spent in transportation as roads are more and more congested, and the price of gas rising, it’s becoming more and more acceptable, indeed fashionable, to live closer to work and all the entertainment and activities that the downtown can offer.” A room with a view Views are important in tower living, so glass plays a big role in the design. MARK will have a combination of curtain wall and coloured glass, and Pearl Tower, which will be built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver standards, will also have a curtain wall system. The $85-million Ultima Tower in Edmonton’s planned downtown Arena District, being built by Westrich Pacific Corp., and another Westrich Pacific tower, Encore, which is in the design stages and is expected to be 40–43 storeys, will also feature floor-to-ceiling glass. But is all that glass a good idea in frosty Alberta? Says Jason Buehler, general manager, Westrich Pacific, “After a lot of research and work, we’ve gone with an all-window wall system in comparison to curtain wall. So there’s one envelope and that gives us insulation between all the floors and spandrel wall areas. [Low-emittance] coated glass gives us energy efficiency with the solar heat gains.” Westrich is also using a high-efficiency heat pump system that has LEED energy

commercial

TAKE YOUR INTEREST TO NEW HEIGHTS The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat is the source for information on architecture, engineering, planning, development and construction of tall buildings. The council doesn’t use storeys to define tallness because floor-tofloor height isn’t always the same. Instead, it says a tall building “is a building that exhibits some element of ‘tallness.’” So what is “tallness”? Elements include: ➳ Height relative to context— what’s tall in one city or country may not be in another. ➳ Proportion—thinness, especially against a squat background, can lead to a tall classification. ➳ Use of tall-building technologies—if a building needs a technology like structural wind bracing, it may be a tall one. To learn more about tall buildings, visit ctbuh.org.

points. Humidifiers are built in, which Buehler says is imperative for an all-glass envelope in Edmonton’s climate. “We think it will have comparable qualities to traditional building systems and at the same time get that Vancouverstyle look that Edmonton does not have,” says David Sanche, chief executive officer, Westrich Pacific. Towers of this size obviously impact the skyline. MARK has been designed to be tall but slim, and the rooftop lounge will cantilever out, adding architectural interest. Pearl will stand tall in an area where the majority of buildings are only about 15 storeys, and Ultima and Encore will be filling in Edmonton’s downtown skyline, which is currently quite spread out. “The urban core is starting to develop and it will be a prime address as it progresses,” Sanche says. “Projects like Ultima and Encore will help us create a more worldclass city to put Edmonton on the map and attract head offices and investment.”

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Alberta Construction Magazine |

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PROJECTS

A W A R D S

tOP tHese Meet the winners of the 2012 Alberta Construction Magazine Top Projects Awards

The SAIT Trades and Technology Complex in Calgary. Edmonton International Airport’s new office and control tower. The Hangingstone Pedestrian Bridge in Fort McMurray, Alta. These are just a few of the impressive projects featured in the next 29 pages, which are included in our coverage of the annual Alberta Construction Magazine Top Projects Awards. Not only are these projects reflective of the creativity, innovation and hard work that go into Alberta’s construction projects—the underlying theme of the Top Projects Awards since its inception more than a decade ago—they illustrate the diversity and complexity of projects throughout the province. We keep the rules for the Top Projects Awards simple to keep the focus on the projects themselves. Design functionality and appearance, the success of the construction process, unique or innovative construction materials and the project delivery method are key to determining which projects win. Over the years, we’ve tweaked the awards categories—this year we’ve added design and sustainability—to reflect the trends we see. Also new this year is our Project of the Year award. Our judging panel looked at all the nominations from this year’s entries and voted by secret ballot to choose the winner. So, without further ado, it’s time to introduce the winners….

Alberta Construction Magazine |

LOCATION: CALGARY Cost: $400 Million ARCHITECT: Gibbs Gage Architects general contractor: PCL Construction Management Inc. Engineers – structural: DIALOG Alberta Architecture Engineering Interior Design Planning Inc. Engineers – MECHANICAL: Wiebe Forest Engineering Ltd. (SNC-Lavalin GROUP INC.) Engineers – ELECTRICAL: Crossey Engineering Ltd. OTHER: Morrison Hershfield Limited (consulting engineer—civil)

the Trades and Technology Complex opened in time to accommodate students in the current school year.

34 | Winter 2012

he three linked buildings that make up the SAIT Trades and Technology Complex are Alberta Construction Magazine’s Project of the Year, chosen from the winners of all categories after a secret-ballot vote by a panel of five judges.

PHOTO: GIBBS GAGE

The three buildings that comprise

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PROJECTS

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PROJECT OF THE YEAR + INSTITUTIONAL [OVER $50M] + DESIGN INSTITUTIONAL

saIT Trades and TechnoloGy comPlex design during pre-construction. As a result, the massive project came in on time and under budget. In addition to its distinction as Project of the Year, the Trades and Technology Complex also won in the Institutional—Over $50 Million and Design— Institutional categories.

The $400-million project is a winner for many reasons. From concept and design to construction, the complex, which opened to students in late summer, has been a showcase for innovation and collaboration. With 56 classrooms, 94 teaching laboratories/

workshops and three new schools of learning, as well as teaching opportunities throughout the complex, the complex also has potential capacity for an additional 8,100 students, helping ensure the construction industry has skilled, knowledgeable labour for years to come.

Throughout the project, PCL Construction Management Inc. worked as a team with the owner, design team and subtrades to maximize project value and meet schedule milestones, including identifying value-engineering opportunities that fit with the

Old meets new Lead designer Gibbs Gage Architects designed the buildings to emphasize innovative, flexible and a more-integrated approach to trades and technical training, intended to reflect real workplaces. The team was challenged to design a space equipped with practical and flexible learning environments for today’s students and students of the future, while at the same time respecting SAIT Polytechnic’s Campus Master Plan and incorporating a high level of reverence to the unique and collegiate architecture of Heritage Hall, a historical and inspirational focal point at the heart of the campus. Alberta Construction Magazine |

AT A GLANCE Three buildings make up the SAIT

Johnson and Murray Cobbe,

Trades and Technology Complex.

who each donated $5 million to the building campaign. It

Details:

forms the west wing of the

° Aldred Centre: The largest of

complex and is near the centre

the three buildings is named

of campus, and houses the

after John and Cheryl Aldred

MacPhail School of Energy.

in honour of their $10-million

° Cenovus Energy Centre:

donation. Situated along the

The complex’s smallest

south side of 16 Avenue N.W., the

building is about 40,000 square

440,000-square-foot building

feet and is home to the Power

houses the Enerplus Centre for

Engineering Technology,

Innovation and the School of

and Process and Power

Construction’s main office.

Operations programs. The

° Johnson-Cobbe Energy

name recognizes oil company

Centre: This 273,000-square-

Cenovus Energy Inc. for its

foot building is named for David

donation of $3 million.

36 | Winter 2012

Structural, mechanical and electrical details that are typically concealed have been left exposed in the classrooms, labs and public spaces, allowing students the opportunity to see and understand the systems and concepts taught in the classroom. Other building systems and equipment usually hidden behind walls and doors are on display behind glass windows, giving students a close-up view of areas like mechanical rooms, electrical closets or elevator shafts.

Eco-friendly The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)–accredited complex, which is comprised of 70,000 square metres (753,000 square feet) of training space and includes an extensive underground services and site works component, was built with sustainability in mind. Teaching tool PCL set a target of divertThe architectural theme during a minimum of 75 per cent ing design and construction of construction, demolition was “pedagogy,” the art or sci- and land-clearing waste from ence of teaching. As a result, the landfill by developing and the complex—which, of course, implementing a waste manageincludes the new School of ment plan for recycling and Construction—itself can be salvaging materials. When the used as a teaching tool to project was nominated, PCL enhance the learning experiwas on track to achieve over ence of students. 90 per cent of all waste being

PHOTOS: GIBBS GAGE, PCL

Interior and exterior (top-right photo) views of the complex.

As a result, the new structures incorporate bricks, echoing the cadence of the Heritage Hall pillars while employing a modern language through materials such as glass, aluminum, terra cotta and through design elements such as waves, angles and swooshes. The terra cotta cladding is a symbol of the traditional, while the curvilinear metal and membrane roof on the Aldred Centre—with its eye-catching, undulating, wavy shape—suggests innovation and represents the waves of the future. That wavy roof isn’t just decorative. The white surface reflects heat and air handlers are built into the crests of the waves. Where the waves dip, runoff water is collected. The water can then be stored underground and emptied into the storm water system in a manner that won’t tax the system.

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PROJECTS

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diverted from landfill and sent to recycling facilities. The project also incorporates materials with recycled content; the sum of postconsumer recycled content plus half of the pre-consumer content is at least 20 per cent, based on cost, of the total value of the materials in the project. The recycled content value of a material was determined by weight; the recycled fraction of the assembly was then multiplied by the cost of assembly to determine the recycled content value. Incorporating recycled content into the project reduces the impact from extracting and processing virgin materials. The project achieved

maximum LEED points, and Exemplary Performance points and recognition, for including these materials. Using regional materials was another high priority. At least 30 per cent of the incorporated building materials or products used were extracted, harvested, recovered or processed within 800 kilometres (2,400 kilometres if by rail or water) of the final manufacturing site. The commitment to using regional materials supported the local economy and reduced environmental impacts resulting from transportation. Again, the project achieved maximum LEED points, and Exemplary Performance points and recognition, for including these materials.

Embracing technology Using building information modelling, a digital 3-D model of an entire building or of select building components could be created to ensure fully integrated solutions were developed prior to tendering and construction. Another program, called Navisworks, was used to ensure quality communication of model specifics, allowing problems to be identified and resolved before the start of construction. The benefits of resolving these potential problems early in the process include significant cost savings during construction due to reduced on-site issues or required change orders, and elimination of the risk that

PROJECT OF THE YEAR

compromises have to be made if a problem is noticed too late in the construction process. A picture is worth a thousand words Another technology was used to not only assist with the construction process, but to provide a record of whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been done if changes or additions are made to the building systems in the future. An advanced photographic as-built platform through Multivista was used to create a visual construction documentation of the concrete

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Alberta Construction Magazine |

THIS SUMMER, KPMG NAMED THE TRADES AND TECHNOLOGY COMPLEx ONE OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE AND ExCITING URBAN

structure. Over the course of construction, photographs of the reinforcing steel and inslab mechanical and electrical rough-in were taken at regular intervals to record a visual asbuilt of the concrete slabs. All photographs were catalogued and documented within an interactive, digital, web-based documentation

a permanent photographic record of the project for the owner to use should additional coring be required in the future. SAIT’s new complex is already capturing attention. This summer, KPMG LLP named the complex one of the most innovative and exciting urban infrastructure platform. The photos are avail- projects in the world in its able in inspection-grade detail Infrastructure 100: World and indexed according to the Cities Edition. The publication recogarchitectural drawings by date. nizes innovative infrastrucThe system gave the construction team quick and easy ture that contributes to the economy, job creation and access to the photographs so long-term impact while keepmembers could locate in-slab ing people, the environment conflicts before laying out additional coring required due and economic issues in mind. to changes. It will also serve as SAIT’s Trades and Technology

Complex won in the Education category for its emphasis on vocational training. The Trades and Technology Complex was SAIT’s largest campus expansion in its almost 100-year history. SAIT broke ground in 2009, and construction started in January 2010. After more than two million labour hours and a lot of hard work and commitment, all phases and site work were completed by the time students returned to class in August. Today, these three buildings are filled with the people who will one day lead the construction industry and help ensure that Alberta continues to grow and prosper.

We Build Structures. We Build Opportunity. We Build Communities. EllisDon is a Canadian success story; we export our construction expertise and services across North America and around the world. That means we’re able to employ over 1,400 people, as well as countless subcontractors and tradespeople – building transit systems, hospitals, commercial and government buildings that become the very fabric of communities. And we’ll go right on doing that for many years to come. For more information, please visit www.ellisdon.com

38 | winter 2012

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PROJECTS

W I N N E R

COMMERCIAL [OVER $50M]

The BoW

LOCATION: calGary COST: $1 BILLION (EST.)

40 | winter 2012

THE BOW TAKES SHAPE DURING CONSTRUCTION IN EARLY 2011. PhoTo: Jay Im

he Bow is the Top Project in the Commercial— Over $50 Million category. Not only is it western Canada’s tallest building at 58 storeys, but its distinctive curved shape is quickly gaining the attention of those outside the province. One Toronto newspaper columnist has gone so far as to write that The Bow is “not just another tower; it’s a piece of architecture.” Designed by renowned British firm Foster + Partners, the western-facing orientation of The Bow, with its diagonal grid pattern, provides dramatic views of the Rockies while taking advantage of the western sunshine. Ledcor began construction of the glass and steel structure in 2007. Other key players include Gensler, Zeidler Partnership Architects, Sturgess Architecture, Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd., Carson McCulloch Associates Ltd., Halcrow Yolles, Cosentini Associates, D.A. Watt Consulting Group Ltd. and Kellam Berg Engineering Ltd.

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PROJECTS

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COMMERCIAL [UNDER $50M]

Pcl headQuarTers BUILDING 5 LOCATION: edmonTon COST: $24 MILLION

PCL’S NEW BUILDING IS THE COMPANY’S LATEST ADDITION TO ITS EDMONTON CAMPUS and feaTures a mechanIcal sysTem ThaT redIsTrIBuTes heaT from The daTa

ImaGes: Pcl

CENTRE TO OTHER SPACES.

he latest addition to PCL Construction Management Inc.’s Edmonton campus is warm, inviting and light-filled thanks to an expanded curtain wall that gives 90 per cent of tenants a view. Built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold standards, the 83,000-squarefoot building, Top Project in the Commerical—Under $50 Million category, includes a green roof, lowflow plumbing fixtures and energy-efficient building systems. The mechanical system redistributes heat from the data centre in the basement to occupied spaces. Rainwater from the roof is stored in a cistern in the basement and used to water gardens. Not surprisingly, PCL was the general contractor for the project, which was designed by DIALOG Alberta Architecture Engineering Interior Design Planning Inc., which also handled structural, mechanical and electrical engineering. The landscape design was done by Carlyle and Associates Landscape Architecture.

Alberta Construction Magazine |

TOP

PROJECTS

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INDUSTRIAL [OVER $50M]

suncor fIreBaG STAGE 4 PAD 106/116 SAGD FIELD facIlITIes consTrucTIon

LOCATION: near forT mcmurray COST: $85 MILLION

44 | winter 2012

Also of note: Close to 400 shoes—the iron brackets used to secure pipelines to the ground—were built and installed on this project. Clamped-on shoes were installed on the highpressure steam line instead of welded shoes. Normally, each shoe would have taken about eight hours of welding while each clampedon shoe takes about an hour per shoe to install. In all, this approach saved approximately 2,800 hours or work. The key engineering firm on the project was Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.

AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE FIREBAG STAGE 4 SITE.

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orleyParsonsCord Ltd. installed over 4,064 tonnes of modules, 10,000 metres of pipe, 259,000 metres of electrical cable and erected 270 tonnes of structural steel while completing 28,000 electrical connections to make the Top Project in the Industrial—Over $50 Million category a reality. The Suncor Firebag Stage 4 Pad 106/116 SAGD Field Facilities Construction Project is also notable in that more than 810,000 workforce hours were spent on the project with no lost-time safety incidents involving a peak workforce of 400.

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PROJECTS

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INSTITUTIONAL [OVER $50M]

souTh healTh camPus LOCATION: calGary COST: $1 BIllIon

aT one TIme, The souTh healTh camPus consTrucTIon Was called The larGesT InfrasTrucTure ProJecT PhoTos: ellIsdon

IN CANADA.

hen it comes to large construction projects, few can compare to Calgary’s South Health Campus, Top Project in the Institutional—Over $50 Million category. South Health Campus is Alberta’s largest hospital,

employing well over 2,000 people when finished. Little wonder contractor EllisDon Construction Services Inc. faced numerous challenges during construction, from using construction management/unit price contracts for consistency to designing

and building large depressions where the Magnetic Resonance Imaging units were expected to be located. And then there’s the challenge of figuring out how to feed 1,600 people on site—and providing washroom facilities, parking and other necessities. Already the winner of the Canadian Construction Association’s Excellence in Innovation Award for its formwork system, the project also used the first-ofits-kind Electronic Barrier Management Program in Canada to ensure there is proper fire-barrier integrity throughout the building. The South Health Campus was built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification— the largest project to attempt LEED certification in Canada. Helping make the project a reality were Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd., Read Jones Christoffersen Consulting Engineers, Wiebe Forest Engineering Ltd. and Stebnicki & Partners Consulting Electrical Engineers. Alberta Construction Magazine |

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PROJECTS

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INSTITUTIONAL [UNDER $50M] + SUSTAINABILITY

emerGency oPeraTIons cenTre LOCATION: calGary COST: $38 MILLION

he one-of-a-kind Emergency Operations Centre is a dual winner, both in the Institutional— Under $50 Million category and in the new category of Sustainability. The Calgary project is an attention grabber for what you can’t see—two of its three storeys are underground. The lower-profile building blends seamlessly into the neighbouring park and buildings in the primarily residential area. Having the building underground also increases security and reduces energy requirements for heating. Designed to achieve Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) Gold certification, the 50,000-square-foot concrete facility was built using the best available environmental

48 | winter 2012

design practices to minimize the impact of the building on the natural environment. Sustainable strategies included reusing existing materials. For example, the glulam beams that were removed from the on-site Rotary Park Community Hall before it was demolished were reused in the media pavilion on the east side of the site. About 87 per cent of the project’s waste was diverted from the landfill. A very high-performance waterproofing and building envelope strategy was required to ensure the underground building is waterproof. This was achieved by a belt-and-suspender approach using conventional sheet waterproofing, and with a bentonite waterproofing additive in the concrete.

The emerGency oPeraTIons cenTre Is The WInner of TWo ToP ProJecTs aWards IN 2012.

Other unique aspects of the centre include the on-grade media pavilion, a large green roof and an art wall in the outdoor space. This project also resulted in the development of a new glass cladding system that has been commercialized by the glazing trade. The facility, which houses the City of Calgary’s disaster services unit and a new state-of-the-art operations room, is also self-sustaining for up to 72 hours, providing off-grid power, water, food storage and cleansing areas to help personnel deal with emergency situations.

KEY FACTS Project delivery method: Construction management Owner: city of calgary Architect: Manasc Isaac Architects Ltd. General contractor: Bird Construction Engineers – electrical: mulvey+Banani International Inc. Engineers – mechanical: Stantec Inc. Engineers – structural: read Jones christoffersen consulting engineers

ImaGe: manasc Isaac

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TOP

PROJECTS

W I N N E R

CIVIL [OVER $50M]

WesT lrT sTaTIons LOCATION: calGary COST: $160 mIllIon

sunalTa sTaTIon Is THE FIRST ELEVATED STATION ON CALGARY’S

algary’s West Light Rail Transit (LRT) Stations project is the Top Project in the Civil—Over $50 Million category. The project involves the construction of six stations, including the first elevated station in the city and the first underground station. CANA Construction, the general contractor on this portion of the designbuild project (awarded to SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. and its other partners), says construction involved the use of numerous advanced products and techniques.

Of note was the use of a Kalzip copper roofing system on five stations, which offers high performance and low maintenance. Innovative construction techniques included the specialty design and construction of structural steel sand jacks used to support pre-tensioned girders during concrete pouring. Key players on the project include Gibbs Gage Architects, Read Jones Christoffersen Consulting Engineers and Wiebe Forest Engineering Ltd. (part of SNC-Lavalin).

PhoTo: cana

CTRAIN NETWORK.

Alberta Construction Magazine |

TOP

PROJECTS

W I N N E R

CIVIL [UNDER $50M]

GreGoIre hdd sanITary seWer sIPhon ProJecT

LOCATION: forT mcmurray COST: $17.5 MILLION

52 | winter 2012

trenchless, horizontal directional drilling method. This Top Project in the Civil—Under $50 Million category faced several challenges, such as drilling through the underlying geology of the oilsands formation and dealing with the steep terrain and environmental sensitivity of the Saline Creek valley and the Saline Creek. Still, contractor Direct Horizontal Drilling and engineering firm Associated Engineering managed to bring the project, originally expected to cost $19 million, in on time for $17.5 million.

The GreGoIre hdd sanITary SEWER SIPHON PROJECT INVOLVED The desIGn, consTrucTIon and InsTallaTIon of TWo sTeel PIPelInes usInG a Trenchless, HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONAL DRILLING METHOD.

PhoTo: assocIaTed enGIneerInG

ort McMurray, Alta., has been working hard over the past few years to ensure that its infrastructure can handle the massive growth the community has experienced from the oilsands boom. Designed to expand the capacity of the existing sanitary sewer system while addressing several sewer capacity issues, the Gregoire HDD Sanitary Sewer Siphon Project goes a long way to meet that need. The project is notable in that it involved the design, construction and installation of two 600-millimetrediameter steel pipelines, each 1,600 metres long, by using a

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www.spatialtechnologies.ca

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Leica iCON robot 50 is a versatile instrument that has your entire site covered. Data capture, control measurements, stake-out, machine control and as-built site verification can be completed quickly and easily. Machine control

Work to the tightest tolerances under any site conditions. With Leica iCON robot 50 you can carry out fine grading and paving with highest precision speeding up your work with construction machinery.

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TOP

PROJECTS

W I N N E R

DESIGN COMMERCIAL

comBIned offIce– conTrol ToWer edmonTon InTernaTIonal aIrPorT

LOCATION: edmonTon COST: $80 MILLION

no TWo WIndoWs are The same In The comBIned

ImaGe: ellIsdon

OFFICE–CONTROL TOWER.

rawing inspiration from the surrounding prairie fields, the new 130,000-squarefoot Edmonton International Airport Combined Office– Control Tower, the Top Project in Design—Commercial, is sure to leave visitors with a lasting impression. General contractor EllisDon Construction Services Inc. collaborated with DIALOG Alberta Architecture Engineering Interior Design Planning Inc., the firm that provided integrated architectural and engineering services, to make the project a reality. Built completely airside, construction of the eight-level structure took place between two operating gates for boarding aircraft and occurred in phases so it didn’t interrupt

the operations of the airport’s six million passengers per year. NAV Canada Cab, which was added to the scope after the project was awarded, was designed and constructed to function independently of the rest of the facility and incorporates complex redundancies to ensure continuous operation. The tower is expected to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver certification with features such as an exterior of zinc panels and triple-glazed strip windows. The zinc sections are molded so they don’t impede viewing angles and to reduce solar gain. And no two windows are the same. Building information modelling was instrumental to the project’s success.

Alberta Construction Magazine |

TOP

PROJECTS

W I N N E R

DESIGN INSTITUTIONAL

ELEVATION Place

LOCATION: canmore COST: $31 mIllIon

he Elevation Place multiplex in Canmore, Alta., Top Project in the Designâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Institutional category, boasts a 2,500square-metre aquatic centre as well as a library, climbing centre, fitness centre, and multi-use community space. Graham ConstructionÂ & Engineering Inc. used building information modelling and 3-D modelling to coordinate the structure. Detailed erection and crane hoisting plans had to be created to hoist 30,000pound glulam beams into place. Engineered Doka formwork was used to pour 30-foot concrete columns in

56 | winter 2012

one pour with full liquid head to achieve the desired finish. Targeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold, the building, constructed on a brownfield site, includes geothermal ejection and injection wells that harness cooling and heating from an aquifer 50 feet below the building. Gibbs Gage Architects designed the facility, with Cascade Engineering Group providing structural engineering. SNC-Lavalin Group Inc., which had acquired Wiebe Forest Engineering Ltd., provided mechanical engineering, and SMP Engineering provided electrical engineering.

ELEVATION PLACE RELIED HEAVILY ON BIM.

ImaGe: Graham GrouP

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TOP

PROJECTS

W I N N E R

DESIGN CIVIL

hanGInGsTone PedesTrIan BrIdGe

LOCATION: forT mcmurray COST: $4 MILLION

The hanGInGsTone PedesTrIan BrIdGe USES 42-METRE

PhoTo: reGIonal munIcIPalITy of Wood Buffalo

GLULAM GIRDERS.

he Hangingstone Pedestrian Bridge in Fort McMurray, Alta., which is the Top Project in the Design—Civil category, not only meets the need for a new crossing, but also complements the natural environment and offers pedestrians an enhanced experience. The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo engaged Associated Engineering to create a pedestrian bridge that was in keeping with the natural surroundings of two adjoining parks—and a timber structure was identified as the right fit.

Forty-two-metre-long glulam girders were fabricated in Edmonton. The haunched girders provide a shallow curve with the main load-carrying members doubling as the parapets. A salient design feature includes multiple openings in the girders to break up the solid face of the members for visual interest and to allow pedestrians to view the river. Alberco Construction Ltd. delivered the project on time and under budget. Associated Engineering provided the structural and electrical engineering. HFKS Architects Inc. was the project architect.

Alberta Construction Magazine |

TOP

PROJECTS

A W A R D S

FINALISTS

Edmonton International Airport Terminal Building Expansion

Edmonton New Remand Centre

Projects featured on the

Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre

previous pages, the judges

ProJecT oWner:

City of Edmonton cosT:

Edmonton Regional Airports Authority

Government of Alberta

Magazine’s 2012 Top

$112.5 million

cosT:

Projects Awards chose

General conTracTor:

$266.3 million

Clark Builders

General conTracTor:

In addition to the Top

of Alberta Construction

the following projects as finalists.

archITecT:

Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning Ltd.

PCL Construction Management Inc.

ProJecT oWner: cosT:

$500 million General conTracTor:

Stuart Olson Dominion archITecT:

ONPA Architects

archITecT:

consulTInG enGIneers:

Stantec Architecture

Read Jones Christoffersen Consulting Engineers, Hemisphere Engineering Inc., ISL Engineering and Land Services Ltd.

Stantec Structural, Stantec Mechanical, Stantec Electrical

consulTInG enGIneers:

Glenmore Filter Plant Improvement Project ProJecT oWner:

City of Calgary cosT:

ProJecT oWner:

Government of Alberta cosT:

$322.5 million General conTracTor:

PCL Construction Management Inc. archITecT:

DIALOG Alberta Architecture Engineering Interior Design and Planning Inc. consulTInG enGIneers:

DIALOG 60 | winter 2012

ProJecT oWner:

Edmonton Public Library cosT: n/a ProJecT and consTrucTIon manaGemenT:

Stuart Olson Dominion Construction Ltd.

General conTracTor:

PCL archITecT:

Simpson Roberts Architecture Interior Design Inc. consulTInG enGIneers:

AECOM Canada Ltd.

PrIme consulTanTs:

DUB Architects Limited, Hughes Condon Marler Architects

PhoTos: suPPlIed

Edmonton Clinic – South

Edmonton Public Library/ Jasper Place Branch

$12 million

TOP

PROJECTS

A W A R D S

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Highway 63 Utility Relocation Project

Timberlea Community Park

ProJecT oWner:

Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo

cosT:

$54.5 million

$18 million

General conTracTor:

Site Energy Services

Wilco Contractors Northwest Inc.

consulTInG enGIneers:

Stantec Consulting Ltd.

archITecT:

818 Studio Ltd. consulTInG enGIneers:

AMEC Environment and Infrastructure, Applied Engineering Solutions, Ion Irrigation Management Inc., Athletica Sport and Recreation Architecture Inc.

■

Alberta Schools Alternative Procurement (ASAP) II

■

Aon Edmonton Office Renovations

■

Coal Creek Golf Resort

■

Devonian Gardens Redevelopment

■

Emerald Hills Centre

■

Foothills Academy Expansion

■

Husky Energy Office Complex Lloydminster

■

Lions Village Affordable Housing

■

Oi Kwan Place

■

Sunnyside Station LRT Platform Extension

■

Valour Place

■

Widewater Fire Hall

TELUS Spark HD Digital Dome Theatre ProJecT oWner:

TELUS Spark cosT:

$5.6 million General conTracTor:

CANA Construction archITecT:

DIALOG consulTInG enGIneers:

DIALOG Mechanical, SMP Engineering, Stantec Consulting

West Light Rail Transit Line ProJecT oWner:

City of Calgary cosT:

$365 million General conTracTor:

SNC-Lavalin Pacific Inc. archITecT: n/a

PhoTos: suPPlIed

consulTInG enGIneers:

Wiebe Forest Engineering Ltd., SNC-Lavalin Group Inc., MMM Group Limited

Alberta Construction Magazine |

TOP

PROJECTS

A W A R D S

ADJUDICATION

HOW JUDGING WORKED

meeT The JudGes Scott Jenkins, president of DIRTT Environmental Solutions Scott MacPherson, dean of the School of Construction at SAIT Polytechnic Chaz Osburn, editor of Alberta Construction Magazine Craig Sneddon, partner and the location leader of the KPMG Canadian Tax group in Edmonton Darrell Stonehouse, editor of Oil & Gas Inquirer and a former editor of Alberta Construction Magazine

A panel of five judges—two from JuneWarren-Nickle’s Energy Group, the publishers of Alberta Construction Magazine, and three from outside the company— chose this year’s Top Projects Awards. Judges followed a democratic process that worked this way: After nominations closed, the judges gathered in Calgary and were each given a packet containing the nominations. Judges were also able to bring forward any significant

projects not nominated at this point. Each judge narrowed down the list of nominees using the following scoring criteria: ° Meeting client requirements (maximum 15 points) Use of technologies (max° imum 10 points) ° Environmental impact (maximum 30 points) Project’s uniqueness (up to ° 45 points) The finalists were then determined by a vote. Next came an even tougher task—whittling down the

list of finalists to the Top Projects themselves. From that came the Project of the Year, which was done by secret ballot. Throughout the process, judges with connections to a specific project or company were asked to excuse themselves from voting in that category for obvious conflict-of-interest reasons. Judges were also asked to keep the 2012 Top Projects Awards winners confidential until they were formally announced on December 4 in Edmonton.

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62 | winter 2012

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people, products & projects whO’s whO And whAt’s whAt

Two companies, one website two metal panel manufacturers are combining forces to launch a new website. All weather insulated Panels and Vicwest both deal in insulated metal panels for the industrial, commercial and cold-storage construction markets. now the pair will showcase their product portfolio together through a jointly developed website. the new site will provide technical documentation, the ability to search for the nearest sales representative, and links to related product and resource information. Future expansions are planned down the road. the companies are currently working on adding a member centre that will provide access to technical documents, including computer-aided design files and testing reports. Check out the new site at awipanels.com or vicwestpanels.com.

PhoTo: doosan Infracore consTrucTIon eQuIPmenT amerIca

The new DL550 wheel loader offers 58,450 pounds of breakout force.

Doosan unveils largest wheel loader yet say goodbye to the doosan dl500 wheel loader and hello to its replacement, the dl550. now the largest wheel loader offered by doosan infracore Construction Equipment America, the dl550 features several notable improvements over its predecessor. A six-cylinder diesel engine offers 380 horsepower, while the operating weight sits at 69,655 pounds. breakout force is 58,450 pounds and full-turn tipping capacity is 48,061 pounds, making the machine ideal for heavy-duty jobs such as quarries, mines and manufacturing operations. A number of options are available for the dl550 as well. For instance, a torque converter lockup clutch can be added to allow the machine to climb grades more quickly. the standard dump height is 11 feet and two inches, but can be upgraded to a high-lift configuration. Visit doosanequipment.com for details.

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 |

people, products, projects

NAIT honours construction leaders

James Cumming

Kees Cusveller

Edmonton’s Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) is celebrating its golden anniversary with 50 of its best and brightest alumni. Since its foundation in 1962, the polytechnic school has seen 172,000 students pass through its halls. Out of that wide field, NAIT chose 50 former students who have made a difference in their respective professions, whether it be health research, oil and gas, or even curling (in the case of Olympic gold medallist Kevin Martin). “The accomplishments of our top 50 alumni reflect the quality and relevance of NAIT as a polytechnic,” says college president and chief executive officer Glenn Feltham, who goes on to laud the group as “NAIT ambassadors.” Naturally, the construction industry found itself well represented on the list of luminaries from the trade school’s past. Leaders were recognized from all corners of the industry, ranging from engineering and environmental consulting to general contracting and manufacturing. Here’s a look at six who made the cut: Naseem Bashir (electrical engineering technology, 1988), president and chief executive officer of Williams Engineering Canada Inc.

Don Oborowsky

Stephani Carter

Stephani Carter (interior design technology, 2001), founder of EcoAmmo Sustainable Consulting Inc. James Cumming (construction engineering technology, 1981), chief executive officer of Creative Door Services Ltd. Kees Cusveller (building construction engineering technology, 1980), vice-president of business development at Graham Group Ltd. Roger Dootson (carpentry, 1977), retired vicepresident and district manager of PCL Construction Management Inc.

Roger Dootson

66 | Winter 2012

Naseem Bashir

Photos: NAIT

Don Oborowsky (carpentry, 2007), chief executive officer and founder of Waiward Steel Fabricators Ltd.

people, products, projects

Pigeons plagued this Texas courthouse until one company offered a shocking solution.

Give the boot to nesting birds

PhotoS: (TOP) supreme systemS inc.; (BOTTOM) ICON

A California company is promoting a novel way to scare off pesky nesting birds making a mess of buildings. How does fried pigeon sound? Bird-B-Gone, Inc., located in Mission Viejo, Calif., offers the Bird Jolt Flat Track to condition birds to stay away from building ledges. Just a quarter of an inch in height, the system provides an unobtrusive alternative

to the spikes typically deployed on buildings to discourage pigeons and other birds from roosting. It delivers a low-level electrical jolt that isn’t strong enough to be fatal, but is shocking enough to dissuade the birds from coming back to nest. The system was recently deployed on the ledges of the new county courthouse in Rockwall, Texas, where as many as 500 pigeons had been seen perched above

the front of the building. The recently built $37.2-million structure was already showing damage from the bird droppings—to say nothing of providing a rather perilous walk for those entering the hallowed halls of justice. Since the jolt track was installed, the birds have moved on to nest at a different location, the company says. Learn more at birdbgone.com.

A harrowing new entry into the land-clearing market ICON has unveiled its new model 6510 construction disc, designed specifically to handle the land-clearing demands of construction sites. With weight-per-blade specs of 719 pounds per blade, the disc is made to mow through compacted soil and thick vegetation. The 11,500-pound 6510 model uses large notched blades measured at 32 inches by 10 millimetres, which can penetrate 15 inches into the soil. The design borrows liberally from disc harrows made by ICON’s parent company, Landoll Corporation, including such features as a hydraulic levelling system and rockshaft pivot bushings that don’t require maintenance. More information is available at landoll.com/icon. Alberta Construction Magazine |

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11:45:48 AM

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Finding a plug-in at a construction site can be a challenge. Fortunately, a new power distributor from larson Electronics llC can help. the company’s latest temporary power distribution system—known more formally as the Mgl7-480-2x120V—allows contractors to run their 120-volt tools from a 480volt alternating current outlet. Mounted on wheels for easy transport, the unit provides two 120-volt plug-ins and includes a 25-foot-long power cord, making it ideal for construction jobs and industrial operations such as plant turnarounds. Everything from welders to lights and numerous other tools can run safely from the power distributor, the company notes. Find out more at magnalight.com.

McGregor joins IronPlanet

12844 - 149 st. edmonton, Alberta 780.638.1760 5803 - 36 st. s.e. calgary, Alberta 403.476.9578 68 | winter 2012

used heavy equipment seller ironPlanet inc. has a new managing director for its Canadian operations: sue Mcgregor. she joins the company following a stint at Aggreko, where she served as vice-president and general manager for

PhoTo: larson elecTronIcs llc

Power to the people

people, products, projects

Kristy Neish

Photo: Halsall Associates

New structural engineer at Halsall Associates Kristy Neish has joined Halsall Associates as a structural engineering project manager. Neish brings with her over 13 years of experience in designing commercial, public, residential and emergency service facilities, with a particular focus on green design. In addition to being a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design– accredited professional and licensed Alberta engineer, she holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Lakehead University in Ontario. Most recently a project engineer at Read Jones Christoffersen Consulting Engineers, Neish has lent her skills to numerous noteworthy projects in Alberta. She has worked as a project engineer on Calgary’s Ralph Klein Park and Environmental Education and Ethics Centre, and the city’s new Emergency Services Operation Centre, among others.

KEYPLAN

western Canada, overseeing operations across British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. With over 20 years of experience, McGregor is expected to help grow IronPlanet’s sales and operations in Canada. The online equipment marketplace did over US$568 million in sales volume worldwide in 2011.

Alberta Construction Magazine |

people, products, projects

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COUNTING CRANES The POST Report tracks and reports on construction projects in Canada’s energy sector. Subscribe now and let the POST Report be your online source for new work prospects and bidding opportunities.

The InPave System’s touch screen allows operators to monitor the amount of materials used while patching potholes.

Plugging the data holes Ensuring reports from a site are accurate is vital to monitoring the progress of any project. So why not automate the whole process? The InPave System is a new option for Bergkamp Inc.’s flameless pothole patcher. The computerized system helps measure the number of potholes repaired, their location and the amount of material needed for the job. Using a seven-inch touch-screen control in the cab, the operator enters the amount of material loaded into the patcher. Otherwise, the system is automated, with reporting sensors throughout the machine tracking production and performance rates for the machine. Reports can be accessed online from anywhere, allowing the head office to easily check on the progress of a crew at any given time. Three different systems work in concert to gather and customize information: • InPave Navigo Explorer maps the patcher’s location over the past 24 hours and provides additional details on the status of the unit.

• InPave Manager allows users to customize the data gathered from the field with additional information entered in the office.

For more information, call 1-800-387-2446 or visit postreport.ca postreport.ca

70 | Winter 2012

Learn more at bergkampinc.com.

Photo: BErgkamp Inc.

• InPave Navigo Reports provides historical data on each patcher.

people, products, projects

Just like the real thing wannabe welders can now hone their skills with a new simulator. And maybe they can pick up a few pointers on infant care at the same time. realityworks, inc. is best known for its baby simulators—replicating scenarios ranging from choking to fetal alcohol syndrome—but the company recently stepped into the world of the skilled trades with its teachwEld welding simulator. users are provided a virtual environment to learn about basic welding form and technique. the program includes a number of exercises geared towards three different skill levels, which are then evaluated through diagnostic and welding integrity assessments. the simulator includes a welding station, a practice gas metal arc welding gun, helmet and gloves, as well as software and a curriculum. Visit realityworks.com for more information.

ILLUSTRATION: FOTOVIKA/PHOTOS.COM

A greener roof the first step in green roofing was reducing the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. the second step is taking pollutants out of the air. toitures r@9, a quebec company, has launched a new de-polluting roof membrane. using noxite-treated granules, the roof converts nitrous oxide—a potent greenhouse gas—into nitrate salt. A 15,000-square-metre roof can convert enough nitrous oxide in one year to match the emissions of 60 vehicles driving over 20,000 kilometres, the company estimates. the product comes to Canada via denmark’s siplast–icopal group. in October, toitures signed an agreement to become the quebec manufacturing agent for the membrane. Find out more at r-a-9.com.

• Increased working range for more digging reach • Powerful Tier 4 Interim engine improves operational efficiency • Enhanced work modes designed to match your work environment

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Alberta Construction Magazine |

CONSTRUCTION BRANCHES ROCKY MOUNTAIN EQUIPMENT CARRIES CASE CX SERIES EXCAVATORS. Rocky Mountain Equipment DEPENDABLE IS WHAT WE DO.

We know you need to be as productive as possible on the job. Case offers a full line of excavators, from 3,638 pounds up to 81 metric tons, giving you plenty of power and performance to get the job done. Our five compact models offer zero tail swing and a center-swing boom for maximum productivity in the tightest spaces. Our three minimum swing radius models excel at digging and lifting, whether theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re working in cramped construction sites or along busy highways. Matched with the nine full-sized B Series excavators, Case brings you a full complement of excavators that are built for the jobs where high performance and durability are important. Your Case dealer can help you choose the right excavator to suit your needs.

Medicine Hat 1351 - 30th Street S.W. T1B 3N4 TEL: (403) 528-3838

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Edmonton 17720 - 105 Avenue T5S 1G4 TEL: (780) 486 2273

Calgary 828 - 46 Ave. S.E. T2G 2A6 TEL: (403) 243 8600

Lethbridge 3939 - 1st Avenue South T1J 4P8 TEL: (403) 327-3154

Red Deer 6870 Edgar Industrial Dr. T4P 3R2 TEL: (403) 341-4832

Fort McMurray 145 MacDonald Cres. T9H 4B3 TEL: (780) 743 1968

Grande Prairie 8401 - 99 Street Clairmont, AB T0H 0W0 TEL: (780) 567-4900

MODEL

ENGINE

MAX DIG DEPTH

OPERATING WEIGHT

CX17B

15.15 HP (11.3 KW)

7FT 1IN (2.16M)

3,638 LB (1650 KG)

CX27B

21.3 HP (15.9 KW)

8FT 4IN (2.54M)

5,556 LB (2520 KG)

CX31B

28.4 HP (21 KW)

9FT 2IN (2.79M)

6,679 LB (3030 KG)

CX36B

28.4 HP (21 KW)

10FT 1IN (3.07M)

7,958 LB (3610 KG)

CX50B

39.8 HP (29.3 KW)

11FT 11IN (3.63M)

10,261 LB (4660 KG)

CX55B

39.3 HP (29.3 KW)

12FT 10IN (3.91M)

12,295 LB (5677 KG)

CX75 MSR

54 HP (40 KW)

13FT 7IN (4.14M)

17,468 LB (7920 KG)

CX80

54 HP (40 KW)

13FT 9IN (4.18M)

18,585 LB (8430 KG)

CX130B

95 HP (71 KW)

19FT 10IN (6.05M)

27,800 LB (12,610 KG)

CX135 MSR

95 HP (70.9 KW)

19FT 5IN (5.91M)

29,631 LB (13,440 KG)

CX160B

120 HP (89.2 KW)

21FT 4IN (6.49M)

37,700 LB (17,100 KG)

CX210C

160 HP (119.3 KW)

21FT 10IN (6.65M)

47,800 LB (21,685 KG)

CX225 MSR

153 HP (114.4 KW)

22FT 0IN (6.7M)

53,352 LB (24,200 KG)

CX250C

177 HP (132.1 KW)

22FT 8IN (6.9M)

62,100 LB (28,100 KG)

CX300C

207 HP (154 KW)

23FT 4IN (7.1M)

65,900 LB (29,900 KG)

CX350C

266 HP (198 KW)

26FT 8IN (8.14M)

80,000 LB (36,300 KG)

CX470C

329 HP (245 KW)

25FT 4IN (7.72M) 105,300 LB (47,763 KG)

CX700B

463 HP (345 KW)

32FT 4IN (9.85M) 153,400 LB (69,581 KG)

CX800B

532 HP (397 KW)

35FT 0IN (10.66M) 178,575 LB (81,000 KG)

aca report

Focus on Standard Practice Initiatives By Ken Gibson Executive Director, Alberta Construction Association

In the last issue of Alberta Construction Magazine, I reported on actions focused on workforce and owner education. This issue expands on describing a number of standard practice initiatives. New ACA procurement advisor Over the past year, the Alberta Construction Association (ACA) has retained the services of Contrax Consulting Inc. to develop Alberta supplementary conditions to Canadian Construction Documents Committee (CCDC) documents, to update Form A and to develop the new subsubcontract Form B. ACA has retained Contrax on a pilot basis to provide procurement- and contracting-related advisory services. These services will assist ACA in responding more effectively to

enquiries from members and local construction associations, and assist ACA in educational outreach to owners and the design community. Herb Guhl, the principal of Contrax, brings more than 35 years of experience in procurement of construction and design services with the Alberta government, past service to CCDC as an owner representative and, more recently, contracted services to CCDC as well. While the pilot engages the services of Contrax for a limited number of hours, members are encouraged to forward enquiries related to roles, responsibilities, obligations, processes and best practices under construction tenders, request for proposals and contracts to ACA via ken.gibson@albertaconstruction.net

New supplementary general conditions for use with CCDC contracts in Alberta The Alberta Builders’ Lien Act has some unique characteristics compared to other jurisdictions, and when the standard CCDC forms of contract are used in Alberta, they require modification by supplementary conditions. The ACA has for many years published a standard set of supplementary conditions whose purpose is to align CCDC 2—Stipulated Price Contract with the act. The ACA recently revised these supplementary conditions for improved clarity and has published additional ones for use with the most current editions of the entire suite of CCDC contracts, including CCDC 2, 3, 4, 5b, 14, 17 and 18. These are available

18012 - 107 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5S 2J5 • Phone: 780.455.1122 • Fax: 780.451.2152 E-mail: info@albertaconstruction.net • Web Site: www.albertaconstruction.net

Alberta Construction Magazine |

aca report

The Alberta Buildersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Lien Act has some unique characteristics compared to other jurisdictions, and when the standard CCDC forms of contract are used in alberta, they require modification by supplementary conditions.

for download at no charge from the ACA website, albertaconstruction.net,Â under the Documents tab.

through your local construction association (and through ACA for direct members in Edmonton).

ACA Form A 2012 Form A 2012 is now available through your local construction association (and through ACA for direct members in the greater Edmonton area). A number of subcontract conditions have been revised to bring them into better alignment with the CCDC 2 contract between owner and prime. The new contract is five pages compared to four pages for previous versions. Please destroy any previous versions of Form A.

Owner education Along with partners Consulting Architects of Alberta, Consulting Engineers of Alberta, Alberta Urban Municipalities Association and Alberta Infrastructure, ACA is developing outreach to public procurers of construction to promote adoption of industry standard practices. One initiative has been the development of an outline of potential educational topics for procurement staff. The partnership will be considering how best to develop and deliver these topics into seminars, webinars, etc., and to test these with procurement groups in order to address their needs. Development and testing of an initial offering is planned for the first half of 2013.

New ACA Form B sub-subcontract In response to member request, ACA has developed a sub-subcontract to align with Form A subcontract. Form B is available

| winter 2012

1 2 A safer approach 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

safety

Failing to use best practices when writing safety procedures can increase risk By Tricia Radison

In 1991, Lauda Air Flight 004 crashed due to a system failure. The pilots of the Boeing 767 were alerted of the potential failure, but, after consulting the 457-page Quick Reference Handbook, were unable to locate the action required to avoid the catastrophe. According to Klaus Hofer, an organizational psychologist and training specialist in workforce learning and development with Communications and Training International, the information was there, but the handbook hadn’t been written in such a way that pilots under stress could easily locate the information—a tragic example of the importance of writing safety procedures using best practices. When it comes to safety on the job, following procedures is critical. Unfortunately, procedures are often written by people who understand the procedure but who have not been trained in technical writing. The result can be misunderstanding and confusion, putting workers at risk. “If you have a safety procedure that includes steps a worker must follow, in a specific order, and you list those steps with bullets rather than Arabic numerals, there is a risk that someone could think that he can do the steps in any order,” says Hofer, illustrating just one potential issue. To help organizations reduce the possibility of misunderstanding in

ARE YOUR SAFETY PROCEDURES SAFE?

Tips from organizational psychologist Klaus Hofer to help you determine if your company is putting workers at risk.

Do:

• Build in “parallel construction” to enable readers to navigate to the information quickly when they need it. Long blocks of text force the reader to search instead of navigate, risking getting lost or wasting valuable time. • Use tables with relevant headings to help readers envision how information items relate to one another (e.g., pressure vs. temperature) to minimize the risk of misunderstanding.

Don’t:

• Use colour to make documents guiding behaviour look attractive. Colour should only be used to communicate, not to decorate. • Exhaust the reader with long lists of steps or overly wordy documents, as information will be overlooked.

Alberta Construction Magazine |

safety

“If you have a safety procedure that includes steps a worker must follow, in a specific order, and you list those steps with bullets rather than Arabic numerals, there is a risk that someone could think that he can do the steps in any order.” — Klaus Hofer, organizational psychologist and training specialist, work learning and development, Communications and Training International

documentation, Hofer invented “Usability Mapping,” a technical writing method designed to produce documents that ensure people will engage in the correct behaviour. It’s used to map technical answers to the questions that users of the document will have and is ideal for safety procedures, standard operating procedures, guidelines, policies, instructional material and management reports. The method is based on 40 years of research into human perception, selection and response, and takes into account the fact that people read differently when

76 | winter 2012

they have to alternate between reading and acting, particularly when stressed. The goal is to control comprehension as perfectly as possible. That essentially means telling the reader precisely what you want them to think. “In other types of writing, you want to draw associations for the reader, to capture the reader’s imagination,” Hofer says. “But when you are delivering information that guides behaviour, you do not want people to make associations because you can’t control what they are picturing.”

One way to control comprehension is by using graphics to illustrate what’s written so that you are giving the reader exactly what you want him or her to envision. Hofer, who is based in Calgary and travels the world to work with companies like Nestlé SA, Harley-Davidson and the Dow Chemical Company, has identified 11 criteria that documents guiding behaviour must meet. In his workshops, he teaches writers how to map information and ensure it meets the criteria. The results, he says, are documents that are safer, faster to produce and, ultimately, cheaper.

business of building

This is the first of a series of articles about builders’ liens

Understanding builders’ liens

Photo: Mark Wragg/Photos.com

By Michelle M. Simpson

Alberta legislation permits a person who has not been paid for a claim over $300 the right to register a Statement of Lien against title to the property upon which the improvement is being made if the person has: • Done or caused any work to be done on or in respect of an improvement; or • Furnished any material to be used in or in respect of an improvement for an owner, contractor or subcontractor. The lien must be registered against the title to the building where the improvement is being made and it must be registered in a form acceptable by law. If the project involves more than one title, the Statement of Lien must be filed on all titles to the buildings where the work or materials were actually provided. Under Section 40 of the act, a person who registers a lien for an “amount grossly in excess of the amount due to the person” or registers a lien when the person knows or ought reasonably to know that the person does not have a lien, is liable for legal and other costs and damages incurred as a result of it. General contractors and owners of land should beware of Statements of Lien that include a “quantum meruit” claim against the general contractor or the owner, even when the lienholder had no direct contract with the general contractor or the owner. From my perspective, including a quantum meruit claim in a Statement of Lien is a clear attempt to circumvent the act and is not a preferred practice. General contractors and owners of land should read Statements of Lien carefully before settling any lien claim to ensure that appropriate releases are obtained not only from persons with whom the general contractor or owner had a contract, but also from any lienholder that may have included a quantum meruit claim against the general contractor or the owner of the land under the Statement of Lien.

Alberta Construction Magazine |

business of building

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78 | winter 2012

Priorities Builders’ liens enjoy some priorities over other instruments and those are set out under Section 11 of the act. One priority found under Section 11(4) of the act is worthy of note: “Advances or payments made under a mortgage after a statement of lien has been registered rank after the lien, but a mortgagee who has applied mortgage money in payment of a statement of lien that has been registered is subrogated to the rights and priority of the lienholder who has been so paid to the extent of the money so applied.” The act also speaks to priorities among lienholders. For example, a lien for wages of a labourer has priority, to the extent of six weeks’ wages, over all claims on that portion of the lien fund that applies to or through the contractor or subcontractor for whom the work was carried out. All such labourers rank without preference among themselves.

PHOTO: MARK WRAGG/PHOTOS.COM

Time for registering the lien A lien for materials or services may be registered at any time within the period beginning when the lien arises under the act (that is, when work or materials are provided and at least $300 is owing to the lienholder) and ending 45 days from the day that the last of the materials is furnished or the services are completed, or the contract to furnish the materials or services is abandoned. Section 42 of the act specifically provides that if the lien is not registered within the time limited by Section 41, the lien ceases to exist. Registering a lien is not the end of a lienholder’s work. Within 180 days of registering the lien, the lienholder must begin an action under the act and must register a Certificate of Lis Pendens against title to the lands that the project was carried on, failing which, the lien can be cancelled under Section 47 of the act. It is also important to note that a trial of the action should be held within two years of the filing of the Certificate of Lis Pendens. Failing which, an application can be made to the Court to cancel the registration of the lien.

business of building

Considerable effort should be made by the parties to negotiate a settlement to the dispute before considering filing a Statement of Lien.

Practical effects of the registration of a lien The practical effect of registration of a lien is that it typically prevents mortgage funds from being advanced because of the priority that a builders’ lien enjoys over any mortgage advances made after the lien is registered. As a general contractor, this means that construction draws will dry up if the source of the funding for the project is the mortgage. Typically, once a builders’ lien is registered against title, the owner will also discontinue making any payments under the construction contract even if there is no mortgage funding the project because to do otherwise would expose the owner of the land to increased risk, which will be described in a subsequent article when we discuss the calculation of the major and minor lien funds and the liability of the owner to ensure the establishment and retention of those lien funds. Registering a Statement of Lien is the statutory right. That having been said, contractual relations will be strained or, in certain circumstances, may even be severed when liens are registered. Considerable effort should be made by the parties to negotiate a settlement to the dispute before considering filing a Statement of Lien. Contractors should immediately consult their contracts for dispute resolution mechanisms spelled out in the contract and follow those where appropriate and timely.

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Editor’s note: Michelle Simpson is an Edmonton lawyer, arbitrator and mediator practicing in the areas of construction, business, workplace and insurance issues. In her next article, she will canvass the options open to a general contractor or owner of land who is met with a Statement of Lien being registered against title to the project and the negative effects that can be suffered by a lienholder who fails to respond on a timely basis to notices served upon the lienholder.

Alberta Construction Magazine |

business of building

Is this the end of the transition to International Financial Reporting Standards? By Randy Kraft

the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) released a staff notice highlighting areas of interest that the commission observed from its review of IFRS adoption experi ences last year and identifying areas it would examine closely during 2012. We discuss some of these areas here, which impact entities in the real estate industry. In our earlier examinations on the impact of the transition to IFRS on real estate companies, we noted a majority of issuers elected to account for their real estate property using the fair-value model; however, there were inconsistencies in how finance costs were presented and disclosed. Let’s discuss real estate property first. The biggest change for real estate entities is the ability to account for their real estate

The biggest change for real estate entities is the ability to account for their real estate property at fair value.

80 | Winter 2012

Photo: IAROSLAV NELLUBOV/Photos.com

As public real estate entities filed their year-end continuous disclosure documents for the year ended Dec. 31, 2011— their first full set of financial statements under the new reporting framework of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)—management is reflecting on the impact of the transition. That includes the opportunities that the new reporting framework has presented to enhance financial reporting for the real estate industry, as well as the increased use of judgment allowed and how it has increased the need for proper presentation and enhanced, more-transparent disclosures in the financial statements. The regulators recognize this as an area of focus, and this past February,

business of building

Capitalization rate sensitive analysis

Presented 37%

not presented 63%

Presentation of valuation assumptions 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Office

■ not presented

industrial

retail

■ Consolidated

Multi res

■ disaggregated

Fair-value adjustments/depreciation presented in operating income 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Office

■ Excluded

industrial

senior

retail

Multi res

retail

Multi res

■ included

Net vs. gross presentation of finance costs 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Office

■ net

industrial

senior

property at fair value. The absolute value and the change in valuation of an entity’s real estate portfolio is an important metric in evaluating an entity. As such, the process and the key assumptions incorporated therein assist users in understanding the real estate fair value. In our review of the financial statement disclosures, there is much variability in how entities are developing and presenting this information, which reduces the comparability between real estate entities. For example, certain companies have chosen to obtain external appraisals on an annual basis. Others have decided to develop the valuations in-house. Further, certain entities have presented disaggregated “cap” rate data and “cap” rate sensitivity data that many users find insightful, as reflected in charts 1 and 2. We also noted that the variability in fair-value information is not limited to related disclosures, but also in how entities present fair-value changes in the profit and loss statement. The OSC staff notice reiterated that the changes in value of the real estate assets should be considered to form part of an entity’s operations. However, we have noted that many entities do not include this fair-value change with its operations, but rather as an otherincome/expense item, as noted in chart 3. If we shift the discussion to finance costs, there are a few differences between previous Canadian generally accepted accounting principles (CGAAP) and IFRS that significantly impact the composition of finance costs, and impact how these are presented not only on the income statement, but also on the cash flow statement. (See chart 4.) For example, items such as distributions on Class B Exchangeable units, fair-value changes relating to the Class B Exchangeable units and convertible debentures are required to be presented as finance costs. We find that many real estate entities deem these “costs” to be an accounting consequence as opposed to representing the operations and are therefore presenting these differently.

■ gross

Alberta Construction Magazine |

business of building

Interest paid presented as operating or financing activity 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Office

■ Operating

industrial

senior

retail

Multi res

■ Financing

Net operating income (NOI) presentation nOi not reported— 12%

reported nOi— implied 17%

reported nOi— Explicit 71%

General and administrative/trust expenses presentation in net operating income 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Office

■ Excluded

82 | winter 2012

industrial

■ included

senior

retail

Multi res

As a result, these costs were segregated from other finance costs by many entities. Chart 5 compares those entities that present finance costs net on the income statement as opposed to presenting the components separately. Also, IFRS requires finance costs paid to be explicitly presented on the cash flow statement. Under CGAAP, interest paid was required to be presented as supplemental cash flow information. Therefore, under IFRS, total finance costs incurred and recognized on the income statement are first added back to net income. The actual finance costs paid are then subtracted as either an operating item or a financing item, as IFRS allows for an accounting policy choice. We noted that there are varying practices on how finance costs paid are being presented. This difference in presentation has an impact on the users that are looking to financial statements to assess the entity’s liquidity and analyzing measures derived from cash flow from operations. (See charts 6 and 7.) To date, we have focused primarily on policy selection by the real estate industry entities and its impact on differences in measurement and recognition between CGAAP and IFRS. There are also differences in how real estate entities are presenting items on the income statement. We have noted divergence in practice on how real estate entities define “net earnings from operations” or are presenting other subtotals, or where certain items such as fair-value changes of Class B exchangeable units, general and administrative/ trust expenses, finance costs and depreciation/amortization are presented on the income statement in order to achieve their preferred format of the income statement. This variability creates confusion in comparing real estate entities, as care must be taken to ensure key income-statement metrics are comparable. Further, the OSC’s staff notice reiterated that an area of focus is to ensure that issuers are complying with the income-statement presentation requirements. Throughout our look at the adoption of IFRS by the real estate industry, we have seen great progress by the real estate entities

business of building

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We have seen great progress by the real estate entities and many areas where policy selection has made financial statements more relevant to users.

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and many areas where policy selection has made financial statements more relevant to users. But we also have seen areas where improvement is required by way of enhanced disclosures and more-consistent presentation to make the financial statements more comparable for users. Even though the transition year has ended, financial reporting under IFRS will continue to be refined, especially in key areas impacting the industry in order to improve comparability.

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EDUCATION FOR THE REAL WORLD

Editor’s note: Randy Kraft is the building construction and real estate leader for KPMG LLP in Calgary. To learn more, contact him at rkraft@kpmg.ca or linkedin.com/in/randykraftkpmg.

Alberta Construction Magazine |

finishing touches

Give your building a new look

The Seidman Cancer Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

architects and builders have choices when it comes to selecting architectural panels By Diane L.M. Cook

Architectural panels come in many shapes, sizes and colours. Vancouverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Olympic Village used panels from Alcoa, as did the other buildings in the photos on pages 84 and 85.

84 | Winter 2012

PHOTOs: (left) THE APPLY GROUP; (right) MARK KEMPF PHOTOGRAPHY

Thanks to technology,

finishing touches

Two views from the Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Research Innovation at the University of Alberta.

PHOTOs: PERZEL PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP

or some it may seem like only yesterday, but the shift to using architectural panels actually started in Alberta about 25 years ago. The look and, more importantly, the technology have come a long way since then, making architectural panels key to building envelope performance in both new builds and retrofits. Architectural panels consisting of aluminum composite material (ACM) instead of traditional materials used in envelopes and facades are popular today. ACM contains two thin sheets of aluminum continuously bonded to either side of a polyethylene core, under tension at the point of bonding. The sheets are restricted by the core, retaining residual tension. The result is an extremely flat, rigid, strong surface that remains stable under ever-changing thermal conditions. The key benefit to manufacturing panels out of ACM is that the finished product has the rigidity of heavy-gauge steel combined with the lightness and flexibility of aluminum. Many architectural panels have 20- to 30-year warranties and can withstand the harsh Alberta summers and winters.

Creatively flexible Besides the structural benefits, architectural panels also allow builders maximum architectural freedom with customizable products like StrataClad, a system manufactured by Lenmak Exterior Innovations Inc. in Edmonton. “Our automated manufacturing system is the most advanced in North America, and it’s the automation that gives us the ability to custom-make any size, shape and colour of architectural panels, which in turn gives architects, designers and builders greater freedom in their product choices,” says Lenmak founder Ray Turner. For buildings using curtain-wall engineering, the company also offers EnvaTherm, a patented line of insulated panels designed to maintain building envelope performance in sections between window vision wall glass. Using robotics to fill back pans with light-density foam insulation, EnvaTherm forms a secure bond with the inside of the cavity. “By re-engineering the thermal qualities of the panel, it changes the overall effectiveness of the panel as a whole, which includes reducing the occurrence of mould,” Turner says. EnvaTherm is 80 per cent lighter than traditional assemblies and is 100 per cent water-blown, so there are no harmful chemical blowing agents used. An added benefit is that the self-sealing insulation restricts vibration and noise due to trapped air, and the injection process means no wasted insulation. EnvaTherm just received a stamp of approval from the federal government as a component of a non-combustible assembly up to 12 storeys.

Alberta Construction Magazine |

Examples of the variety of panels manufactured by Lenmak Exterior Innovations, giving each building a distinctive look.

“During the test, the amount of fuel produced by the foam in the EnvaTherm product when burning was insignificant and passed using only 40 per cent of the allowable amount,” Turner says. On top of being customizable, both StrataClad and EnvaTherm are considered sustainable products because they do not contain harmful toxins, and ACM generally contains high recycled content in its core and aluminum composition.

yo r Pr B l M S l V d

You need to stay competitive. You need to get systems and people to collaborate – effectively. You need to control costs without compromising project or product quality. Staying ahead today presents a wide range of challenges but also provides opportunities. At IMAGINiT, our focus is helping clients uncover opportunities and overcome challenges. With deep industry expertise and the largest staff of technical experts in the industry, IMAGINiT has the know-how to help pinpoint critical issues and address them through the better use of people, processes and technology. To learn how we can help solve your toughest problems, call our offices in Calgary at 403-219-0660 or Edmonton at 780-408-3440, or visit us at imaginit.com.

SoluTionS BEyond SofTwarE

86 | winter 2012

CoNSulTING | ProfeSSIoNAl ServICeS | TrAINING | SuPPorT | SofTWAre

PHOTOS: LENMAK

finishing touches

PHOTOs: LENMAK

finishing touches

Environmental benefits Sustainability is another one of the motivators for the shift to architectural panels, as Alyssa Bilych, project manager and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) coordinator at Igloo Erectors Ltd. points out. “As LEED becomes more of a major factor in today’s construction industry, architects, designers and builders are choosing architectural panels over traditional building materials,” she says, pointing out that the high recycled content

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Alberta Construction Magazine |

finishing touches

in ACM helps companies achieve LEED points in the Recycled Content category. And while LEED is relatively new, Igloo has been manufacturing architectural panel systems for over 20 years. “We take our field experience and combine it with engineering technology to try and make our panels easier to install, which in turn makes it a more cost-effective option for owners,” says general manager Richard Nesbitt. “One of the biggest benefits to using architectural panels is that they are resistant to ‘oil canning,’ a term used to describe a waviness found with all thin sheet metal products, which is aesthetically undesirable.” Nesbitt says installing architectural panels is like putting together a giant puzzle. Every piece has to be exact, and if it isn’t, it won’t fit. The company pays close attention to the workmanship going into the panels to ensure every detail is perfect and aesthetically pleasing. “Igloo Erectors has completed and is working on several large projects in Calgary’s downtown core using architectural panels, which has created a ‘wow!’ factor, changing Calgary’s downtown skyline to best illustrate its vibrant and energetic enthusiasm for generations to come,” Nesbitt says.

A versatile choice Another product boasting many structural, architectural and environmental benefits is Reynobond ACM panels, manufactured by Alcoa Architectural Products, a business unit of Alcoa BCS North America. Reynobond ACM architectural panels have been produced since 1989 and consist of an extruded thermoplastic compound core that is fusion-bonded between two sheets of coil-coated aluminum, brushed aluminum, zinc, stainless steel, copper or titanium. This creates the same flat surface that ACM is known for, with an exterior warranty up to 30 years. The Reynobond ACM panel product range includes Reynobond XXL, Reynobond with EcoClean, Reynobond with KEVLAR and Reynobond Natural Metals. The panels can be painted in a variety of colours and finishes, giving builders a lot of flexibility. The panels can also be easily integrated with most curtain walls, creating a seamless look on building facades. George Rosado, commercial director at Alcoa Architectural Products, points out that all of these options make Reynobond ACM panels perfect for any builder looking for panels that will allow architectural freedom: “Reynobond ACM’s strength, weight and formability allows architects to achieve designs that are not possible with other materials.”

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88 | Winter 2012

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finishing touches

PhoTos: IGloo erecTors

The TELUS Spark in Calgary (left) and the Alberta Heart Institute in Edmonton incorporate architectural panels from Igloo Erectors.

Reynobond architectural panels will also help builders achieve LEED points in the Innovation in Design, and Materials and Resources categories, with the aluminum skins being 90 per cent post-industrial, recycled material. Rosado sees many reasons for the increased use of ACM: “Aesthetics, affordability and reliability are a few of the reasons

that ACM is increasing in popularity, and as a result, they are being installed on a variety of building applications ranging from major-project wall-panel systems to cornices and canopies, and are frequently used to interface areas between other major building components such as glass and precast panels.”

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exteriors

Advancing the

envelope New methods surface for ensuring an efficient building envelope By Godfrey Budd

Photo: Peeter Viisimaa/PHOTOS.COM

he last year or so has seen a heightened appreciation for continuous insulation in the thermal functionality of a building envelope system. Thermal bridging, the process of moving heat along a path, has also been exposed as a bigger enemy of envelope efficiency than was previously known, thanks to a 189page technical study released by Morrison Hershfield in July 2011. The study, stemming from an agreement with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Inc., had a principal goal of developing better tools for building designers to estimate thermal performance of a building envelope—and specify accordingly. The study also provided thermal performance data on a catalogue of 40 common building envelope details for mid- and high-rise buildings.

Solving thermal bridging issues A key issue analyzed in the report related to the fact that when cladding is attached to back up steel stud walls, the attachments bypass exterior insulation. These attachments, often made of steel, have good thermal conductivity and produce heat flows, creating a bridging effect. Architects and engineers have known about this phenomenon for decades; however, it was not known how much heat loss this type of thermal bridging might cause. The study found that some common insulation procedures could cut the effective R-value of an insulation product in half, meaning that adding insulation to a building can increase capital costs while doing nothing to decrease heating costs. “When it comes to steel and concrete structures penetrating the envelope, you try and minimize the thermal bridges

within the envelope,” says Troy Smith, a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)–accredited professional and principal at Group2 Architecture Interior Design Ltd. “You try and mitigate this effect through the design process.” In residential towers, balcony slabs can create thermal bridges between sub-zero weather outdoors and building interiors, invariably causing heat loss and the possibility for condensation and mould. One solution to this, recently introduced from Germany, is the Schöck Isokorb, a structural device similar to a beam that contains thermal insulation elements that provide a thermal break between the exterior balcony and the interior floor. Says Smith, “We’ve been using these elements more than in the past. There are some new technologies to make highperformance buildings work better.” Alberta Construction Magazine |

exteriors

Windows are another factor, especially in places like Alberta, with long, cold winters and curtailed hours of daylight. Building owners generally want windows with a high R-value and lots of sunlight, which is a squaring-the-circletype challenge. As Smith notes, many windows have an R-value of three or four, and even a triple glaze might not be more than

“Build it so it is protected from the elements and able to resist elements; make sure design relates to the location; if a material accepts water penetration, you need a secondary plane that allows for water drainage.” — Bob Passmore, principal, Building Science + Architecture Ltd.

R-7. Aluminum frames, which provide the strength that vinyl lacks, can also reduce the R-value of a window because of their thermal conductivity. To solve this, a firm launched in 1999, DUXTON Windows & Doors, has focused on framing its windows with pultruded fibreglass, which has low thermal conductivity while maintaining the required strength. Its windows were used on an Edmonton net-zero duplex project in the 92 | Winter 2012

inner city and, Smith says, the firm’s quadpane windows achieve about R-15. “Because fibreglass is strong, you can make windows with it that are quite large,” Smith says. Much more is being done with glass these days as well. Curtain wall, typically great for looks and durability, doesn’t have the greenest reputation because of the low R-values it’s associated with. But, Smith says, that is changing with the use of more thermal breaks and triple glazing. Improving the envelope Cementitious fibre-reinforced panel and siding systems cost about 2.5 times their vinyl equivalent, but are starting to be used for more than just institutional LEED projects. A 234-unit townhouse complex in Calgary is being clad with cementitious siding. “It’s a condo group, mostly low income, but they wanted to spend more on quality, something that will last,” says Bob Passmore, a principal at Building Science + Architecture Ltd. Products like this, he says, can be a better deal than wood or vinyl when cradleto-grave costs and sustainability are taken into account. Passmore suggests a few principles of envelope design: “Build it so it is protected from the elements and able to resist elements; make sure design relates to the location; if a material accepts water penetration, you need a secondary plane that allows for water drainage.” Another principle that is sometimes ignored, Passmore says, is understanding the materials you’re working with and their requirements. Making sure that the design is free of intrinsic obstacles to construction and can be both understood and built relatively easily is also important—even critical. “Constructability of the envelope is 50 per cent of a good, strong building envelope,” says Randy Smith, building science engineering manager at Williams Engineering Canada Inc. “If they can’t build it, my design isn’t worth anything. It’s building science, not rocket science, but you have to think it through.” Smith says that one of the most valuable contributions LEED has made to the

“Constructability of the envelope is 50 per cent of a good, strong building envelope. If they can’t build it, my design isn’t worth anything. It’s building science, not rocket science.” — Randy Smith, building science engineering manager, Williams Engineering Canada Inc. construction industry is its use of the team approach—which can be applied to any project, LEED or non-LEED. “Everyone’s at the table at the start. That kind of process is so much better and more fun. Everything integrates better. There are cost savings as systems are all meshing, as people on the team have all consulted with each other,” says Smith, who adds that the team approach assists on many fronts, including envelope constructability. For help with envelope efficiency, building managers and operators can apply for certification with the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), under a program called BESt (Building Environmental Standards), formerly Go Green. After the application form is submitted, buildings are graded based on four levels of certification. Since certification is based largely on operations, it lapses after three years but can be reapplied for. “Since 2005, 3,700 buildings in Canada have been certified and 1,600 are actively certified at present,” says Hazel Sutton, manager for environmental standards at BOMA Canada.

MAPEI FRP Composite – A Proven System for Structural Strengthening Pirelli Building Milan, Italy

On April 18, 2002, at 5:47 p.m., a single-engine Commander 112 Tc aircraft hit the façade of the Pirelli building in Milan, Italy, between the 26th and the 27th floors. Impacting practically on the centerline of the building, the plane crashed through the wall. As a result of the impact, the engine of the aircraft detached from the fuselage, exiting from the opposite side of the building. The two fuel tanks, located near the wings, exploded. A fire started in the breached outer wall, with a highly visible column of smoke billowing from the building. The aircraft itself came to rest against machinery spaces between the floors. While there was no damage to the 26th floor, the shock wave from the fuel tank explosion caused highly visible downward deformations in the 26th floor’s frames and upward deformation in the 27th floor’s frames. The restoration project entailed the static repair of the beams of the central area of the 26th and 27th floors’ frames. The first step was to realign the frame by “forcing” it in a controlled manner. After the damaged sections were rebuilt and the gaps were sealed, the damaged structures were returned to their original load-bearing capacity by a combination of post-tensioned external cables and using carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) to plate the bottom face of the girders and parts of the floor. After repairs were completed on the degraded concrete, the structural strengthening of the girders and the bottom face of the floor slabs was performed by applying pultruded carbon fiber laminas. The substrate was thoroughly cleaned, an epoxy primer (MapeWrap ™ Primer 1) was applied to consolidate the surfaces, and then Carboplate ™ E 170/50 was applied with an epoxy adhesive (Adesilex ™ PG1). Diagnostic work was done throughout the process to define the restoration techniques and determine the best materials to restore the façade and the load-bearing capacity to the 26th and 27th floors. MAPEI worked diligently with the Pirelli Building owners to deliver a satisfactory repair that allowed the building to reopen on April 18, 2004. When it comes to static consolidation of concrete structures, work with the best: Work with MAPEI, the single-source provider for projects around the world and close to home.

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windows

Hitting close to

HOME

buildings are a major source of ghg emissions, but the right windows can help cut energy waste by Joseph Caouette

IllusTraTIon: Janelle Johnson

any people would likely assume the oilsands industry is responsible for the bulk of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)—at least going by the headlines. It’s a good guess, but wrong. According to Environment Canada, the oilsands emitted 48 megatonnes of GHGs in 2010. The transportation sector took top honours in the carbon sweepstakes, emitting 166 megatonnes that same year. Fourth place went to the nation’s buildings, which were responsible for 79 megatonnes of emissions. Energy conservation needs to start at home, it seems. Figures on the amount of heat lost through windows vary based on climate and construction, but the Canadian government estimates it to be as high as 25 per cent. Any effort to improve the energy efficiency of a building can’t look past the windows. So what’s the first advice Harry Sunner has for people looking to tighten up building efficiency? Look past the windows. “You want to be primarily paying attention to the entire building envelope, not just the windows,” he says.

He should know. Since 1995, Sunner has served as vice-president and co-owner of Durabuilt Windows & Doors Inc. Over the years, the 400person company has provided windows for a number of high-rise condo towers, such as the Quest and Parliament buildings in downtown Edmonton. Sunner makes the point that a high-quality, energy-saving window won’t matter much if the rest of the building envelope is leaking heat like a sieve. That’s why the way the window is installed is just as important as the window itself. Reducing emissions A mixture of foam and batt insulation can help seal cracks and stop airflow. Begin with the foam farther away from the window—it can expand over time, damaging the window if it’s too close—and then tightly pack in some batt insulation, he recommends. While Sunner tends to deal in smaller applications, Brent Harder, senior engineer and estimator at Ferguson Corporation, deals in larger applications, such as curtain walls that can cover the entire side of a building. He suggests that

Alberta Construction Magazine |

windows

the significance of the frame drops as the window grows in size. On a curtain wall, the frame is miniscule next to the glass, which might make up 90 or 95 per cent of the total size. “Area-wise, that has a far bigger impact,” he says. “So you can put in the best frame, but if you have really lousy glass, it won’t help you a whole lot.” Curtain walls are dependent on aluminum frames—a notoriously poor insulator—because of the metal’s strength and durability. Smaller windows, such as those installed by Durabuilt, can use polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or PVCaluminum hybrid frames, both of which offer better insulating values. In fact, curtain walls can be a contentious choice when it comes to energy-efficient construction. “You’ve got a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing building, but is it giving you the performance, longevity and energy efficiency that it should be?” Sunner asks. “That’s the trade-off.” But Harder takes a different perspective. He acknowledges that a curtain wall can’t beat a solid, well-insulated wall, but who wants to live or work in a lightless box? In his view, the real problem is integrating the glass section with the rest of the building. “Your weak point is typically at the intersection of two different wall types,” he says. No shortage of options What both men agree on is the abundance of options for people looking to cut down on energy wasted by poor-quality windows. Low-emittance (or low-E) coatings are a common, simple way to cut down on heat loss while allowing light inside. In the case of double- or triple-paned windows, multiple coatings can be applied to magnify the energy efficiency.

96 | winter 2012

Sunner notes that the triple pane has seen a steady rise in interest in recent years, to the point that it verges on becoming industry standard. “The triple pane has grown immensely— almost 10 or 15 per cent each year for the last three years,” he says. It should come as no surprise, considering the obvious benefits. While more expensive and heavier, a triple-pane window with low-E coating can provide more than double the insulating value of a similar dual-pane product, Sunner estimates. On top of that, there’s also the noticeable noise reduction that invariably comes with thicker windows. The value of a triple pane can be amplified with the use of argon gas. By filling the inside of the window with the relatively inexpensive gas, manufacturers can significantly increase the product’s insulating value. Over time, the colourless, odourless gas dissipates, and within a decade it is usually gone. “But the value is definitely there and proven to impact when you have low-E and argon,” Sunner says. The future for energy-efficient windows is unsurprisingly bright, given that the interest in green building and energy conservation is unlikely to fade any time soon. Harder sees a pair of prospective technologies on the horizon that could add even more choice to the market. The first is switchable glass, where a mild current can change the opacity of the glass, which is already being bandied about by architects, even though Harder has yet to see any installed in the province. But the next logical step for windows is to move from conserving energy to producing it— namely, photovoltaic windows, which convert solar energy into usable electricity for the building. “That’s a little bit more in the future, perhaps, but we’ve seen lots of interest in those kind of technologies,” he says.

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LIGht at the

museum the new Royal Alberta Museum shines a light on its inner workings By Joseph Caouette

esigning a museum is not an easy task. Just ask Donna Clare, who would be the first to admit the difficulty in creating a welcoming space that can also protect a collection of thousands of historic—and, in some cases, priceless—objects. The public loves wide-open spaces, lots of light and plenty of glass. But what do 100-year-old cultural artifacts love? “The conservation practice is to put them in a dark room,” Clare says. You can see how this might be a problem. Clare and her colleagues are not easily discouraged, though. As a principal at DIALOG, she leads a team of about 25—more once the project ramps up—on laying out a new Royal Alberta Museum (RAM) that can serve the needs of both the public and the collection. DIALOG, alongside Lundholm Associates Architects and Ledcor Construction, forms the core of a design-build team that is working to complete the $340-million project by 2016. In a presentation, the design team spells out its goals for the new building: “demystify the museum for the public, 98 | Winter 2012

providing views and access into the working museum,” while also “creating a museum that is a central social setting.” Lofty goals, to be sure, and a stark contrast to the current building, which stands like a stone-faced behemoth—more imposing than inviting. Even the location of the old museum seems to conspire against its role as Alberta’s capital museum. Located just west of Edmonton’s gallery district on 124 Avenue, the current museum site is handsomely appointed—and easily overlooked. The building feels like a wayward straggler from the city’s downtown core, forced to struggle on its own as a destination rather than draw energy (and crowds) from nearby amenities. That will change with the new location, set to take the place of the old downtown post office building at 99 Street and 103A Avenue. The move will place the Royal Alberta Museum a few blocks away from the city centre, and give it a position of pride in the city’s arts district, where it will rub shoulders with other key cultural institutions like the Winspear Centre, the

Citadel Theatre, the Art Gallery of Alberta and the Stanley A. Milner Library. A new vision When asked to distinguish the new building from its predecessor, Clare is quick to cite its openness and accessibility. “We’ve introduced glass,” she says. “A lot of parts of the museum can’t have any glass because daylight is damaging to the artifacts, but the public spaces will have a lot of connection to the site and to the city.” The crucial link between inside and outside will be the building’s lobby—a spacious, glass-enclosed area that reaches 12 metres in height, complete with a large multimedia wall to entice pedestrians into entering and exploring the museum. This public gathering space will look out upon the park area in front of the museum, as well as Sir Winston Churchill Square farther down the road. Fret patterns will be used on the glass as well, offering something more distinctive than a typical curtain wall. Clare says this has the benefit of “allowing views, but

IMAGE: DIALoG

glass

cutting down on the amount of glare that you get from glass. “It also allows us to potentially introduce some patterning that is integrating natural patterns into the fabric of the building,” she adds. “We’re trying to embed stories of Alberta right into the very skin of the building, so we’ve got a lot of perforated metals that we’re also using.” These patterns will appear not only on the glass, but will also be used to clad the building in metal marked with iconic Alberta imagery. “We’re creating sun shades with a perforated pattern that is like the canopy of an aspen tree,” she says. “We have some images of the way that ice breaks up on rivers in spring.” Clare is also keen on including some form of renewable energy in the project, with wind turbines, earth tubes and piezoelectricity all possibilities. Solar windows, which would allow light in while generating solar photovoltaic power, are also being explored as an option. The museum is currently weighing whether or not it could generate enough

electricity to make the costly windows economical. “We’re not across the finish line on that one yet,” she admits. Open concept The plan to open up the museum is not solely centred on glass walls and large spaces. By Clare’s count, the museum is home to 11 million objects and artifacts, most of which are hidden away from the public eye on the curatorial side of the museum. The new RAM would change that. “We’ve brought forward some of the back-of-house functions you don’t normally get to see,” she says. “There’s a conservation lab and a science lab that are viewable from the main lobby space, so you can actually see the curators working on restoring artifacts.” Guided tours would allow the public to get a first-hand look at the normally hidden curatorial and restoration areas necessary to keep any museum functioning—the “working heart” of the building, as the design team describes it. And while the interaction between the public

Spacious and bright, the lobby of the new Royal Alberta Museum is designed to be a welcoming place for visitors.

and the museum staff would naturally be limited during a tour, there will still be other opportunities for visitors to talk to curators, Clare says. This will happen in an “information zone,” where experts will examine objects brought in by the public, whether it be a leaf from an unknown tree or an arrowhead discovered on a hike. “If you find a shell in your backyard and you don’t know what it is, then you can take it into the museum and meet with a curator who’s an expert in that area and they can help you identify what it is,” she says. Of course, it would be cruel to entice the public with such an expanded view of the museum while hiding everything behind an admission gate. The RAM is countering that problem by leaving several sections of the museum entirely free to the public. Alberta Construction Magazine |

glass

100 | Winter 2012

gallery, but only if they are robust enough to be moved out of the more stringently climate-controlled galleries inside. Again, everything comes down to balancing the public’s need for access with the preservation of the museum collection. “How do you make a place that’s open and engaging to the visitor and at the same time protect the artifacts and objects?” she asks. Such is the dilemma of the museum designer. The building needs to be a fortress, protecting the artifacts from the marauding hordes of time and climate.

the $340-million museum should be open by 2016.

But if it is to be a fortress, it must be an invisible one, and that’s where glass comes in. By helping the building fade into the background, glass allows the RAM to take centre stage at long last—and that’s exactly how it should be, Clare says. “Your experience of going to a museum is the stories inside the building,” she says. “To a certain extent, we’d like some of those stories to spill out into the street.”

IMAGE: DIALoG

“They really want the museum to be part of the everyday life of Edmonton and people visiting Edmonton, so in that way it’s much more accessible than the existing building is,” Clare says. Discussions are currently underway to include the Manitou Stone in one of the free galleries, providing public access to an object held sacred by many aboriginal groups. The second free area would be a community gallery, which could house exhibits organized by various community groups. Clare says that objects from the museum itself could be displayed in this

Westcor Construction Ltd.’s Executive Committee photo (from the left): Brad Hammond, C.E.T., G.S.C., Team Leader - Business Development & Pre-Construction Services; David Vandegriff, B.A., Chief Financial Officer; Val Stordy, Team Leader - Administration; Bob Robinson, P. Eng., G.S.C., President & Chief Executive Officer; and Andrew Morgan, G.S.C., Team Leader - Operations.

Bob Robinson, P.Eng., G.S.C. President & Chief Executive Officer is excited to announce that David Vandegriff has joined Westcor as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Vandegriff has over 25 years of experience in the construction industry, including Financial & Risk Management and Administration & Operations Management. His university education in California included Economics & Finance in his field of study. Mr. Vandegriff is a Past Director of the Calgary Construction Association. In this newly created role, Mr. Vandegriff will oversee Westcor’s financial health, risk, performance and integrity—and assist with the company’s continued growth and success. Westcor Construction Ltd. is a full service General Contractor and Construction Manager servicing Calgary and the surrounding area in Southern Alberta. Westcor is fully committed to providing the highest level of client service, while demonstrating excellence in safety and integrity. Through innovation and the continuous development of their dedicated personnel, Westcor strives to meet or exceed client expectations on quality of work, schedule, and effective cost management. Westcor’s mission is that “every client should believe that their project is the most important one”.

The ultimate BIM CAVE brings industry one step closer to a virtual building environment

It is possible that an innovation known as the BIM CAVE—short for Building Information Modelling Computer-Aided Virtual Environment— could turn out to be the greatest boon to the design-build process since the introduction of computer-aided drafting—perhaps the greatest ever. The latest iteration of the technology, at Texas A&M University, two decades after an earlier BIM CAVE incarnation at the University of Illinois, has a dozen 46-inch monitors, and with an assist from three computers and some software, can provide the closest thing to the physical experience of a building without actually having to be anywhere near it. “The BIM CAVE gives you the sense of being inside the buildings and its systems, so you can get a lot more information quickly,” says Julian Kang, associate professor in the department of construction science in the College of Architecture at Texas A&M, and head of the team develop ing the BIM CAVE. “For example, the distance from the floor to a valve—you get it right away. It enables people to physically relate themselves to the space.” The BIM CAVE uses Autodesk Navisworks software and allows users to view and analyze large projects and combine models created by other software applications like Revit, Inventor, AutoCAD and others. Three graduate students on the team have developed extra software specifically for the BIM CAVE to control camera perspective and enable the exchange of 102 | Winter 2012

visual information between the computers on the Navisworks platform. Even before a formal unveiling ceremony at Texas A&M in late 2011, the BIM CAVE had caught the attention of two construction companies engaged in campus building projects. They requested use of the BIM CAVE for coordination meetings with subcontractors. “We would like to see how industry can use the BIM CAVE to improve the discussion process, do coordination and help with decisions,” Kang says. “Also, they may be able to test how it is changing the decision process during pre-construction coordination meetings.” A good chunk of time at construction meetings of this sort inevitably deals with potential or existing clash issues. Aided by a big screen at one end of a cramped room in a construction trailer, the various players—from architects to subtraders— sort through the issues one clash at a time. Those whose clash is not currently under review must wait their turn. A BIM CAVE could speed up the process, perhaps cutting the meeting time by more than half. “The BIM CAVE would allow various people to look at various clash issues at the same time,” Kang notes. “More screens means more perspectives. The number of people that could make use of this at once would depend on the number of screens. It can be extended to as many screens and computers as we want.” The necessary computing power is available today in a way it was not back in the

early 1990s, when the BIM CAVE concept was first rolled out. Also, its portability will only improve as hardware continues to diversify and expand. Users and developers will select from flat screens, LCD projectors and other devices, depending on requirements and the available space on construction trailers, Kang says. He emphasizes the speed and range of precise information delivered by the BIM CAVE, and makes the point that immersion into a virtual building that provides an almost-tactile sense of its components and

PhotoS: JOHN PETERS, COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

By Godfrey Budd

technology

man cave

their physical relationship to one another, and to the people looking and “walking” around, is a big step beyond simply viewing a 3-D image on a flat screen. Kang believes there is a quantum leap in the amount of information assimilated by the viewer in a BIM CAVE. It is one of the reasons that Kang—and others, including several oil companies— believes that the BIM CAVE also has a future as a training and educational tool. So, when will it be possible to visit one in Alberta?

“We’re hoping in the next year or so,” says Klaas Rodenburg, chief executive officer of the Alberta Centre of Excellence for Building Information Modelling. He says that an Alberta BIM CAVE could be in place by early 2014. BIM CAVEs and related BIM-type technology could soon be everywhere across the construction sector’s design-build continuum. Rodenburg notes that already there is an iPhone application that allows you to create a 3-D model from a photograph and send it to a printer.

Associate professor Julian Kang at the BIM CAVE.

Alberta Construction Magazine |

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the legal edge

SUBCONTRACTORS AND HOLDBACKS By Tim Mavko Reynolds, Mirth, Richards & Farmer LLP

Holdbacks are touchy things. On one hand, it makes a lot of sense for someone paying for a construction job to want to hold back some of the money until all the work is finished, all the problems are fixed and all liens have been cleared. That final 10 per cent (or whatever) is a powerful carrot for a contractor to get things done, and important insurance for the owner in case something goes wrong. But it’s also understandable why those waiting for their money chafe at the idea that they have to wait months, sometimes years, to get paid that last chunk for the work they have already done. Worse yet is the plight of a contractor who has money held back by the owner, but pays his own subcontractors and suppliers in full. Without careful planning, the squeeze on the cash flow can be painful, if not crippling, particularly for work completed early in the project. The natural inclination, then, is for contractors to make the same holdbacks from subcontractors as owners make from them. So, if the owner holds back 10 per cent from the contractor, the contractor withholds the same percentage from each of the subcontractors. When the owner later pays the holdback, the subcontractors then get their share, too. The problem is that contractors and subcontractors sometimes have to play by different rules. It’s fairly well-known that Alberta law requires an owner to hold back 10 per cent from all payments he makes to a general contractor. This is the standard lien holdback imposed by Alberta’s Builders’ Lien Act. The owner keeps that money for 45 days after substantial performance as protection against any liens that are filed. If, on the 46th day, the title is clear,

then the owner can release the holdback, safe from liens that might show up later. But what is not well-known is that the same law does not require general contractors to withhold a similar amount when paying subcontractors and suppliers. The point is worth repeating. There is nothing in Alberta law that says a contractor must keep a lien holdback from subcontractors and suppliers. Yet it happens all the time. Indeed, more often than not subcontractors find their progress payments reduced by 10 per cent, with the balance promised at the end of the job. Since the law does not impose these sorts of holdbacks on subcontractors, the legal basis must be found in the subcontract itself. The first place to look is the payment clause. For example, many contractors and subcontractors in Alberta use the standard Alberta Construction Association ACA Form A Contract (“Agreement Between Contractor and Subcontractor”). When they use this standard agreement, one of the things the parties write into the pre-printed form is the percentage of each month’s progress payment that gets paid. This, by implication then, sets the holdback. So if the parties agree that 90 per cent of the subcontractor’s monthly invoices gets paid, there is a 10 per cent holdback. Conversely, if the parties agree that 100 per cent of each invoice gets paid out, then they have agreed that there will be no holdback. A different example is the Canadian Construction Association CCA-1 Stipulated Price Subcontract, a standard form subcontract used across Canada. Here, the default provision is that payments are to be made “in accordance with legislation and statutory regulations respecting holdback

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the legal edge

The subcontract, and nothing else, determines whether a subcontractor will face holdbacks. If the subcontract says so, the subcontractor better plan accordingly. percentages.” But, as we now know, Alberta’s Builders’ Lien Act does not require holdbacks from subcontractors. So, in the absence of some other agreement between the parties, the CCA-1 does not require a holdback. To allow for one, the parties have to amend the standard wording, through (for example) a supplemental condition that they draft and attach to the preprinted agreement. A third way is where the subcontract says that the subcontractor gets paid when the contractor gets paid. Commonly known as “pay-when-paid,” this sort of subcontract allows

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the contractor to withhold from the subcontractor the part of the payment held back by the owner. The effect is the same as a holdback. Thus, whether a general contractor can hold back part of the payment from a subcontractor depends on the subcontract. The bottom line is this: the subcontract, and nothing else, determines whether a subcontractor will face holdbacks. If the subcontract says so, the subcontractor better plan accordingly. But if the subcontract does not say there will be holdbacks, the subcontractor should expect to be paid in full.

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time capsule

TIME CAPSULE TIME CAPSULE

MEDALTA POTTERIES

headline text

TEXT text

photo caption and credit

SET AGAINST THE CLIFFS along the South Saskatchewan River in Medicine Hat, Alta., Medalta Potteries National Historic Site of Canada is a former industrial ceramic complex. As one of western Canada’s largest historic sites, the Historic Clay District, which includes the restored 1912 Medalta Potteries factory, covers nearly 150 acres and captures Medicine Hat’s past as a centre of industrial ceramic production. In its glory days, Medalta produced nearly 75 per cent of the dishes manufactured in Canada.

108 | Winter 2012

The site includes five interconnected brick-and-steel buildings dating from 1912 and the 1930s, as well as four beehive kilns built between 1920 and 1926. The site tells the history of the evolution of the ceramicsmanufacturing industry from 1912 to 1954. Medalta Potteries became the first manufacturer to ship its products east of the Great Lakes and became the largest manufacturer of pottery in western Canada. Thanks to the South Saskatchewan River’s centuries of alluvial silt deposits along its banks, Medicine Hat had abundant,

high-quality clay deposits. The strong demand for the ceramic industry’s products helped create steady e mployment and economic stability for Medicine Hat. In 1986, local citizens, who feared the abandoned Medalta factory would be demolished, founded the Friends of Medalta Society. Medalta was declared a national historic site, and throughout the 1980s and 1990s a group of volunteers operated tours that told the story of the ceramic industry’s crucial role in the development of Medicine Hat.

Photo: GLENBoW MUSEUM

Pottery was baked in these ovens. this photo was taken around 1920.

A surviving “bake oven.”

KEY FACTS •

Medalta Potteries was built between 1912 and 1950. It officially shut down in 1966, though its financial troubles dated back to the late 1950s.

•

While in operation, Medalta produced nearly 75 per cent of the dishes manufactured in Canada.

•

The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in June 1985.

Photo: FRIENDS oF MEDALtA SoCIEtY

Source: medalta.org

In 2009, the Friends of Medalta Society received more than $3 million from the federal government. The money went towards reconstructing a portion of the factory that was lost to a fire in 1996 and renovating a section of the facility to include an expanded gift shop, reception area and exhibit gallery. Today, Medalta is a state-of-the-art contemporary ceramic artists’ studio facility and industrial museum where visitors can walk in the footsteps of men and women who once worked in the factory.

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advertisers’ index

AD INDEX ACO Systems Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Alberta Blue Cross . . . . . . . . . . . . . outside back cover Alberta Construction Safety Association . . . . . . . . 74 Alberta Truss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 All Weather Windows Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Anglia Steel Industries (1984) Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Arpi’s Industries Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Astec Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 & 25 ATB Corporate Financial Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Bantrel Co . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Beaver Plastics Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Bird Construction Company Limited . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Bobcat Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Brandt Positioning Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Brandt Tractor Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Brock White Canada Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 Calgary Construction Association. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Cal-Gas Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Cana Construction Co Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Canadian Welding Bureau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Canadian Western Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Canessco Services Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Carmacks Enterprises Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Davidson Enman Lumber Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Edmonton Construction Association. . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta. . 18 & 76 EllisDon Construction Services Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Faculty of Extension, University of Alberta . . . . . . 58 F&M Mafco, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Graham Group Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Grant Metal Products Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Hertz Equipment Rental Corp . . . . inside front cover Hired Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 ICS Group Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Igloo Erectors Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 IMAGINiT Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Iron Planet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 IVIS Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Joint Utilities Safety Team . . . . . . . inside back cover Klimer Platforms Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 KPMG MSLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Kubota Canada Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Ledcor Group of Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Levelton Consultants Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Lloyd Sadd Insurance Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Mantei Woodcraft Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 MAPEI Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Merchandise Mart Properties Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 MMFX Steel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Mulvey & Banani International (Alberta) Inc . . . . . 58 NAIT Corporate and International Training . . . . . . 83 National Concrete Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Northland Construction Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Park Derochie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 PCL Constructors Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Phoenix Fence Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Proform Concrete Services Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

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110 | Winter 2012

Proform Precast Products Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 PwC Management Services LP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Reynolds Mirth Richards & Farmer LLP . . . . . . . . . . 50 Rocky Mountain Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Roxul Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 SAIT Polytechnic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Scona Cycle Honda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Serv-All Mechanical Services Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Site BIM Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 SMS Equipment Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Spatial Technologies Partnership Group . . . . . . . . 53 Stuart Olson Dominion Construction Ltd. . . . . . . . 89 Toole Peet Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Town of Minnedosa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Travelers Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 The Truck Outfitters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 United Rentals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Vertigo Theatre Society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Vet’s Sheet Metal Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Vicwest. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Westcor Construction Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Western Electrical Management Ltd . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 WesternOne Rentals & Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Whitemud Ironworks Limited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Williams Scotsman of Canada, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Workers’ Compensation Board-Alberta . . . . . . . . . 64 WorleyParsonsCord Operations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

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