July/August 2012 Vol. 9 No. 5
rcmp e division headquarters jacob bros construction open shop engineering PM 40063056
skills training steel
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Inside 06 Connections Jacob Bros Construction
The three Jacob brothers have joined forces to build a successful civil and commercial focused company in four short years.
14 Feature Project RCMP E Division Headquarters
July/August 2012 | Volume 9 No.5
PUBLISHER
MANAGING Editor Contributing writers
The new RCMP headquarters in Surrey, B.C. is a purpose built facility that will consolidate 25 separate locations throughout Metro Vancouver, improving efficiencies and response times.
Industry Focus 18 Open Shop B.C.’s Political Future Rising Municipal Fees Merit Canada: Tackling Issues
26 Engineering
B.C./ALBERTA SALES
Mapping Project Data in Real Time Performance Based Analysis Glacier Discovery Walk Total Building Commissioning
38 Skills Training Next Step in Safety Meeting the Demand Blended Learning Red Seal Recognition
Departments 04 Message from the Editor 42 The Legal File Did I Sign Up For That? When a Lien Won’t Help
44 Architect Corner Wood, Water and Air
46 Industry News
Cover Photo
Aerial view of the new RCMP headquarters in Surrey, B.C. Photo credit: Government of Canada.
Cheryl Mah Nick Bevanda Terri Meyer Boake Sylvie Boulanger Alicia Brady-Deaust Simon Brown Rebecca Cleary Rob DuMerton Greg Halsted Philip Hochstein Terrance Oakey Parveen Parhar Boban Ratkovich Keith Sashaw Melanie Simmons Rob Simpson Brendan Walashek Dan Gnocato Tel: 604.549.4521 ext. 223
PUBLISHED BY
32 Steel Form, Fit and Finish Signature Steel Truss Structure Column Structural Stability
Dan Gnocato dang@mediaedge.ca
PRESIDENT Kevin Brown vancouver office 114 – 42 Fawcett Drive Coquitlam, BC V3K 6X9 Tel: 604.549.4521 Fax: 604.549.4522 Toronto office 1000-5255 Yonge St. Toronto, ON M2N 6P4 Tel: 416.512.8186 Fax: 416.512.8344 Copyright 2012 Canada Post Canadian publications mail sales publication agreement no. 40063056 — ISSN 1710-0380 Return all undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Suite 1000 — 5255 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario, M2N 6P4
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Construction Business is British Columbia and Alberta’s construction magazine. Each issue provides timely and pertinent information to contractors, architects, developers, consulting engineers, and municipal governments throughout both provinces. Complimentary copies are sent bi-monthly to all members of the Architectural Institute of B.C., B.C. Construction Association, B.C. Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association, Consulting Engineers of B.C., Construction Specifications Canada — B.C. Chapter, Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association, B.C. Ready-Mixed Concrete Association, Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of B.C., Urban Development Institute of B.C. and Vancouver Regional Construction Association.
November 6 & 7, 2012
Editor’s Note
Billion Dollar Boom
I
recently travelled to Surrey to visit a friend and discovered the city landscape has changed dramatically since my last visit (guessing more than five years ago). Not surprising especially with Surrey’s recent building boom. More than a billion dollars worth of development permits were issued by the city in 2011, most of that growth coming from institutional projects. One of those prominent projects is the new RCMP E Division headquarters. The 820,000 square foot facility will be the largest RCMP complex in Canada, bringing together more than 2,700 personnel to provide more efficient and effective policing services for the community. For our profile, I spoke with Scott Jacob of Jacob Bros Construction. Scott along with his two brothers joined forces four years ago to create a company specializing in heavy civil and commer-
cial building projects. Working together, they have capitalized on their combined areas of expertise to build a successful business. This issue is also our annual focus on the open shop sector. With the next B.C. provincial election coming up, many in the construction industry are concerned. ICBA examines the impact of a likely NDP win as well as rising municipal fees. Merit Canada’s president reports on the open shop progress nationally. A number of other features round out this summer packed issue including steel, skills training and engineering. In our engineering section, experts share insights on total building commissioning, mapping innovations and performance based analysis. With the outlook for construction activity improving, finding skilled labour is top of mind.
Read about a new blended apprenticeship training program, the continuing importance of safety training and how to address the demand for skilled labour. Finally, the VRCA has announced its Awards of Excellence silver winners. This year’s winners once again highlight the talent and innovations in the industry. Make sure to read about all the winners in our Nov/Dec issue.
Cheryl Mah Managing Editor
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Special Advertising Feature
safety heats up
By Don Schouten, WorkSafeBC Manager of Industry and Labour Services — Construction
A
s we hit the heart of summer and of construction season, I bet your workplaces are heating up — both figuratively and literally. As you try to keep on top of everything, make sure you also keep on top of seasonal workplace hazards like heat. As projects gear up it’s natural to want to take advantage of summer’s long days and mild weather — but those long days and weather can put workers at risk for potential heat-related health conditions. Working in the heat for long periods of time while doing heavy, physical work can have a serious impact on the body’s cooling system. When the body is unable to cool itself, it can cause heat stress, which can progress to more serious conditions like heat exhaustion or heat stroke. When working on construction sites during the summer, it’s easy to be so focused on the work that you don’t notice the telltale signs of overheating. That’s why it’s important to pay extra attention to your crew during the hot, summer months. Be aware of the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion, which include shallow breathing, cool and clammy skin, a weak and rapid pulse, fainting, and sweating. If your workers tell you they’re experiencing any of these symptoms, immediately move the person to a cool environment and loosen any tight-fitting clothing. Cool the worker with water and fanning. In most cases of heat exhaustion, the worker’s symptoms should improve within 30 minutes. Sweating is often the only way to distinguish between heat exhaustion and the more serious heat stroke. If the worker isn’t sweating and they’re experiencing symptoms like hot and dry skin, seizures, confusion, and decreased level of conscious-
ness, they may have heat stroke. Heat stroke means a person’s core temperature has risen above 41°C. At this dangerous stage, the body stops sweating and is unable to cool itself off, which means body temperature continues to rise. If the person is not attended to immediately, heat stroke can lead to loss of consciousness, permanent brain damage, and even death. If a worker appears to have heat stroke, contact your first aid attendant, and call 911 or immediately transport the worker to medical aid. Continue to cool the worker during transport. Too much heat can be an extremely scary and dangerous hazard so it’s important to watch out for when it comes to your workers. Remind them to drink plenty of water and wear clean, light-coloured, loosefitting clothing made of breathable fabric. Take extra care when planning out your work schedule as well. Ensure workers aren’t working alone or unsupervised when doing heavy work in hot conditions. Schedule the hardest physical work for the coolest parts of the day and plan for your workers to take more breaks in a cool area during the hottest parts of the day. For more resources on heat safety, visit www.WorkSafeBC.com. Have a great summer and remember to stay cool. Please let me know what you think of this topic or any construction safety issue. Call me at 604 214-6989 from the Lower Mainland or toll-free elsewhere at 1 888 621-7233. Or email don.schouten@ worksafebc.com. I’d like to hear from you.
Connections
Working Together By Cheryl Mah
Georgian Court Hotel Lobby
J
acob Bros Construction has beaten the odds. While the majority of new businesses fail within the first few years, Jacob Bros in only four short years has successfully grown into a dynamic company with expertise in heavy civil and commercial building projects. And they did it during a recession. The family owned construction company brings three brothers (Scott, Todd and Jason) together, each with their own strengths and areas of industry expertise. “Todd looks after the vertical construction. Jason and I focus on the civil side. Jason is very strong with the hourly workforce and equipment. My focus tends to be the salary staff and the day to day business operations,” says Scott, oldest of the three. The foundations for the company were laid in the spring of 2008 when the three brothers joined forces. Jason, the youngest brother, already had a small construction company called Kato Construction which was rebranded as Jacob Bros Construction. “Each of us hit a turning point in our respective careers at the same time and decided why not direct our collective energy to our own business,” tells Scott. After a family move from Saskatchewan, the three brothers grew up in Sidney on Vancouver Island and were exposed to construction at an early age by their father who was a carpenter. “We all got baptized in the carpentry industry early. The way we spent time with our father was 6
construction business
July/August 2012
to work with him,” recalls Scott, who went on to obtain his Diploma of Technology (civil and structural) from BCIT. Prior to joining his brothers, Scott was vice president of construction for JJM Construction and spent more than 20 years in heavy civil construction. His experience in public infrastructure work was called upon earlier than anticipated when the brothers struck out on their own. Benefiting from pre-existing relationships, the company had several private developments (subdivisions) and two large commercial projects lined up. That all abruptly changed when the recession hit in late 2008. Private sector work was shelved but with Scott’s background, the company was able to shift gears and capitalize on the public stimulus funding. “We were very fortunate. We quickly adapted and shifted our focus to public infrastructure instead,” says Scott. “We were almost singularly focused on public infrastructure work for the first 2–3 years.” Some may consider starting a new company only to be hit with a recession unlucky, but Scott could not disagree more. He believes building a company and its culture in tough times will be beneficial in the long run, giving them the necessary skill set and work ethic to survive the cyclical nature of the business. “I consider the recession to be an integral and key part of how we formed,” he says. Headquartered in Surrey with a satellite office on Vancouver Island, Jacob Bros undertakes
projects all around B.C. and currently employs a salaried staff of 45. They self-perform about 85 per cent of the work with a peak hourly workforce of 175 and own a modern equipment fleet of approximately125 pieces. “We had no shortage of followers that believed in us. In the beginning all we really had to leverage was personal reputations. Although technically we’re four years old, we have some staff who have worked with one or more of the Jacobs for 20 plus years,” notes Scott. “The real backbone of the company is the staff.” Jacob Bros has enjoyed steady growth and will see its annual volume hit in excess of $50 million this fiscal year. “We’ve managed to have rapid growth that has been entirely in the context of a challenged economy. What’s our secret? It’s simple: just try to work harder than everybody else,” states Scott. That strong work ethic and a client centred approach have served them well. The company focuses on invited tender and negotiated work where clients have the opportunity to recognize and reward value added service. “We’re not looking to be the lowest cost provider. We want to work for people that award on basis of value. Price is not everything,” says Scott. “A huge cornerstone of our company is pride. If we’re not proud of it, we don’t do it.” The company excels particularly when a project tender requires both a civil and structural capability. “It is a strategic advantage that Jacob Bros performs both civil and building construction,
The right structural solution can bring any design to life.
Woodward’s Redevelopment
Nature excels at developing unusual features that solve unique problems. Africa’s baobab trees, with their huge trunks filled with water, are an example of that. And good structural engineering often learns from nature’s inventiveness. At Vancouver’s Woodward’s Redevelopment, the architects wanted striking columns to highlight the entrance of this landmark building. Glotman . Simpson had to design columns with unusual angles and shapes, which would still support the load of the 32 story tower above.
The finished columns have become recognized and appreciated as a signature to this entire mixed–use redevelopment. The Woodward’s Redevelopment is just one of a number of recent projects in which we’ve offered our clients leading-edge structural solutions, developed in a highly collaborative environment. To find out more about our innovative and highly detailed engineering solutions, and how baobabs hold water, please visit our website. You’ll see a number of very creative structural solutions there.
VA N C O U V E R . S U R R E Y
604 734 8822 glotmansimpson.com
Connections
YVR economy parking lot
allowing us to efficiently execute virtually any type of project,” says Todd. “We often take on additional responsibility either in a design-assist role or other forms of project management.” A couple of early projects were also key to growing the company and surviving the tough first years. One was the rebuild of Granville Street, the company’s most challenging project to date. It involved the complete reconstruction of 10 city blocks right through Vancouver’s downtown core on a tight schedule. “It had to be finished in time for the Olympics,” says Scott. While public infrastructure work got the company off its feet, today private sector work is driving much of its volume. “This year civil has had a very slow start but the commercial building side has been abso-
lutely gangbusters for us,” says Scott. “It’s a tight market…lots of work out there but prices are extremely competitive right now.” Although Jacob Bros is still largely regarded as a competitive tender public infrastructure company, some large high profile projects like the Crystal Blu Hotel are helping to break them out of that typecast. Their $35 million contract for the 20-storey Crystal Blu Hotel and Residences on Robson is their largest. Other current building projects include multi-family residential projects in North Vancouver and White Rock; and two waterproofing and restorations in Whistler Village. Civil projects include a sewer project in Ft. St. John, paving and grading at the Centerm Terminal for Port Metro Vancouver and projects at Vancouver International Airport (YVR).
“YVR has been one of our key clients right from the beginning,” says Scott. “Projects at YVR are logistically challenging whether they’re airside or groundside, but we’ve developed a complement of staff that know the work and it has become a niche market for us.” As an example, he cites a project where they had a 17 hour window to remove broken sections of a runaway and then reinstate them with concrete. “Projects normally require 7–10 days for just the concrete curing and we had only 17 hours to do the whole job and completed in just 14 hours.” The company is also working as a subcontractor to Fraser Transportation Group on the South Fraser Perimeter Road, a $658 million P3 project. The P3 model has become a preferred procurement method for many large and complex capital projects in B.C. While offering opportunities, Scott notes that the bundling of P3 projects is a growing industry concern because often it shuts out local construction firms. “In the early days P3s, at least in civil projects, was meant to grow the pie so there would be additional work,” he explains. “What’s it’s become, for different reasons, is a piece of the pie where a bunch of work that would’ve been delivered under the traditional method have instead been delivered through P3. P3s can be a good thing but are not a one size fits all solution. Bundling of works adds to the problem for smaller contractors.” The brothers believe building strong relationships with subcontractors, suppliers, and clients
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Connections is a key to success and take a hands-on approach. Every project is overseen by a brother from tender through to completion. “We’re all very hands on to this day,” says Scott, adding, “We want to do challenging projects not only for the company but also for our staff. We think pushing people hard and keeping them challenged is synonymous with keeping them.” Attracting and retaining good employees is a top priority in the construction industry where an aging workforce will create a significant skills and knowledge shortage. “The economic downturn of ’08 didn’t solve the skill labour shortage, it just masked it for awhile,” comments Scott. “You can’t deny what’s happening with the demographics in the country. As an industry we have to look at our immigration policies — have to make it okay for skilled trades to get into the country. We also have to look at groups that may not be well represented in the industry as they could be — First Nations, women — and find a better way of getting them into the industry.” Some other concerns include the pending provincial election and what will happen when the stimulus funding dries up. “There’s a public infrastructure deficit right across the country. Long term sustainable funding for public infrastructure is what we need. The industry, especially road building, is missing that steady funding for work,” says Scott, who is currently the chair of the BC Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association. “The political
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landscape is also certainly cause for concern. The current government is very committed to public infrastructure. They see infrastructure spending as a direct link to growing the economy. Not every government would say that.” Scott has been actively involved in the industry throughout his career, learning early on to appreciate the value of participating and giving back to the industry. He also sits on the ICBA board and enjoys the collaboration and like minded thinking within the association. “ICBA is an excellent organization. They are really focused on free enterprise and I like that they promote access by all,” he says. “I believe everyone that’s qualified to do the work should
have an opportunity to do the work. ICBA tirelessly promotes that.” As for the near future, Scott is optimistic and cites many opportunities are coming down the pipeline especially in the mining, oil and gas and forestry sectors. “I think B.C. has tremendous potential and the province is in the early stages of opening up the north so I see lots of opportunities coming,” he says. Reflecting back, Scott says he clearly made the right decision in joining his brothers. “Even on a bad day I know my partners have my back. There’s an underlying trust. We are three different personalities but our core values are the same,” he says.
1 2 0 2 5 . 4 . 1 _J o i n C o n t r a c t o r _7 . 5 x5 . 2 5 _P R E S S . i n d d 1 T u e s d a y 1 2 0 7 1 7 3 : 4 6 P M construction business July/August 2012
SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE
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aving the right piece of equipment at your jobsite can increase safety, efficiency and reduce costs. Eagle West Cranes & Equipment provided the right piece of equipment on a project for Westridge Construction — a San Marco SMH 420 Self Erecting Crane. Eagle West Cranes & Equipment is a full service crane company based out of Abbotsford, British Columbia. They are the one-stop-shop for all things crane related including: crane rentals, crane sales, crane service, crane training, crane accessories, and project planning across Western Canada. The San Marco SMH 420 Self Erecting Crane provided to Westridge Construction has an under-hook height of 77 feet, a jib length of 137 feet and a lifting capacity of 8,820 pounds. It was the right size of equipment for the construction of Innovation Place. Innovation Place in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan is a $12 million, 69,500 square foot, three storey cast-in-place concrete office complex. According to Gerry Wiebe, vice president of sales & marketing for Eagle West Cranes & Equipment, space for a crane was very limited at this particular site. The SMH 420 has a very small foot print, 14 feet 9 inches by 14 feet 9 inches, which made it an ideal choice for the project. Another key benefit to Eagle West’s Self Erecting Cranes is that they are fully operational in approximately 3-4 hours from delivery to the jobsite. Since the crane does not require any concrete footings or foundations mobilization, costs were kept to a minimum. Prior to the crane arriving on site, Westridge Construction was using manual labour and telescopic forklifts to move materials in and around the site. The crane enabled them to have one centralized unloading point for all deliveries. Once the materials arrived, the crane could unload and distribute them much faster, safer, and less labour intensive than with telescopic forklifts and manual labour. This also enabled them to avoid the use of an off-site staging yard. David Labbie, project superintendant stated that by utilizing the SMH 420 they were able to increase the on-site service area by at least 50 per cent and on-site production increased by over 45 per cent. Manual labour was significantly reduced, with a large increase in production. Labbie said that the crane allowed them to place materials exactly where they wanted them, reducing risks associated with manual material handling. He also went on to say that the San Marco SMH 420 Self Erecting Cranes brought increased safety to the entire jobsite.
Please contact Eagle West Cranes & Equipment to discuss the benefits of Self Erecting Cranes on your jobsite. Call 1-800-667-2215 today or visit www.eaglewestcranes.com for more information.
WHAT GOES UP MUST BRING COSTS DOWN No matter how high a building reaches, it’s the bottom line that’s most important. And with BC Hydro’s New Construction Program, developers can save even more money through energy-efficient buildings. Proven to be happier, healthier places to work and live, energy-efficient buildings also enjoy enhanced marketability, higher asset value, and lower turnover. And we’ll be there from the start, helping with building design, system design and lighting design. We’ve streamlined the application process and increased funding to help with initial cost barriers. So not only will your next project be energy efficient, but economically efficient as well. If you’re in the planning stages of a new project, we’d like to tell you more about how we can help get you started on an energy-efficient building. For more information, call 604 522 4713 in the Lower Mainland, 1 866 522 4713 elsewhere in BC, or visit bchydro.com/construction.
energy efficient lighting design Today, building energy efficiency into new high-end, high-profile mega-projects like the 2010 Olympic Village or the Vancouver Convention Centre seems like a pretty solid bet. Bigger costs up-front for state-of-the-art technology will almost certainly be equaled by bigger gains later, in greater marketability as well as substantially lower operating costs over the long-term. But what about smaller projects, like offices and warehouses, or more modest multi-unit residentia l or commercial buildings, on tighter budgets and requiring a quicker turnaround? Is the latest in energy efficiency really cost-effective for them? BC Hydro’s Luis Damy says it is, particularly energy efficient lighting design. “For offices, warehouses and parkades in MURBs,” says Damy, program manager of the New Construction Program, “lighting makes up a large percentage—as much as 50 per cent—of ongoing electricity costs, but at the same time, going energy-efficient on your lighting is low cost in comparison to other new, high-end conservation technologies.” BC Hydro’s New Construction Program (NCP) is offering what Damy calls “unprecedented and unbeatable” incentives that include $1,000 for creating an energy efficient lighting design that exceeds the B.C. building code by 10 per cent or more, and a sizeable incentive to help cover the costs of buying and installing the new lighting. Exactly how sizeable that incentive is depends on the total electrical savings of the energy-efficient design but, says Damy, “we increased our lighting incentives by 70 per cent a year ago, and the incentive is substantial.” Damy cites Bontebok Holdings Ltd. as one of many examples where the NCP has worked to a developer’s advantage. Over the past three years, Bontebok has received more than $270,000 in NCP incentives for four warehouse projects, based on electricity savings of 1.63 million kilowatt hours in 679,000 square feet of space. Bontebok’s Ron Emerson is now a firm believer in working with his lighting designer, Cantec Electric, to create energyefficient lighting design because it “results in savings on operating costs, while the rebates from BC Hydro make the initial increase in capital costs palatable.” Says Damy, “It makes sense to build energy-efficient lighting, as well as other measures if you can, into a new building at the design stage rather than to retrofit later on. Your operating costs are immediately lower so you don’t waste money, and you’re able to determine exactly what you want from the get-go.” Jerry Wyshnowsky, director of energy and environment for Thrifty Foods, agrees. “Energy efficient lighting design early in the design process pays dividends in many ways,” he says. “Because of lower energy consumption, efficient lighting produces less heat, which means that we are not running refrigeration systems to remove the heat produced by lighting our products. The products look better and stay fresh longer. As a result there is less waste all around, which helps keep prices low.” Important, too, for most building developers and designers is the fact that applying to the New Construction Program is easy. For the Energy Efficient Lighting Design component, the lighting designer receives a lighting calculator spreadsheet that makes it simple to determine exactly what lighting will achieve the best energy savings — and the highest incentives — while still delivering the right quality and quantity of light to a space. For more information about the New Construction Program and its full range of tools and incentives, visit bchydro.com/construction.
PlANNING A NEW BUIldING? Why yOU ShOUld BEGIN WITh ENERGy MOdElING BEING POWER SMART MAKES BUSINESS SENSE If you haven’t visited the City of Vancouver’s Creekside Community Recreation Centre yet, you should. It has a fitness centre, gym, dance studio, on-site childcare, soon-to-be-opened restaurant and fabulous views of False Creek and the North Shore mountains. It also achieved the highest LEED® Platinum certification for green design, in large part because of its terrific energy efficiency. “Virtually no energy gets wasted there,” says Vladimir Mikler of Cobalt Engineering, “and it has a lot of unique features – for instance, Creekside is the first building in North America to use a solar absorption chiller in combination with radiant cooling, which is incredibly energy efficient.” But Creekside could have easily missed out on such a unique and effective feature if Cobalt had not worked with BC Hydro’s New Construction Program to complete an energy modeling study during the earliest design phase. “Energy modeling,” says Mikler, “allows for rigorous analysis of options to reduce energy use and, with BC Hydro’s support, it’s affordable. We believe all new large construction projects should take the advantage of this program: the buildings will perform significantly better and the owners will benefit from an immediate reduction in operating costs.” Looking for new ways to build better? Visit bchydro.com/construction or call 1 866 522 4713.
A11-588
Feature Project
Serving the Community
courtesy of Government of Canada
By Cheryl Mah
T
he major task of delivering a facility close to a million square feet in just 32 months required a small army of contractors and strong collaboration among the project team. A new 820,000 square foot headquarters for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) E Division is being built in Surrey, B.C. When completed it will be the largest RCMP complex in Canada and the Public Works and Government Services Canada’s (PWGSC) largest federal accommodation project in the Pacific Region. The need for a new facility was first identified more than 20 years ago and will consolidate 25 locations currently dispersed throughout Metro Vancouver. PWGSC acquired the 35 acre Green Timbers site in 2005 for the re-location. The purpose built and modern facility will bring together more than 2,700 personnel to ensure more efficient and effective services for the community. Currently under construction, the facility is a public-private-partnership (P3) between the Government of Canada and Green Timbers Accommodation Partners (GTAP). Construction is led by a joint venture between Bird Construction and Bouygues Building Canada. The scope of the $966 million fixed price contract includes a seven storey (700,000 square foot) operations and administration building and two support buildings (post disas-
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July/August 2012
The challenge was to put a large scale building into a natural park setting. ter and garage workshop) along with landscaping and 1,810 surface parking spaces. A future lab building is also planned for the site. The project broke ground in May 2010 and is expected to receive substantial completion this fall. At peak of construction, 700 workers were on site. According to GTAP CEO Nick Joosten, the project is in the commissioning stage and is on track to meet the target service commencement date of December 23, 2012. “It’s never easy delivering a project that has highly complex security and safety standards. We were fortunate to have good support from local trades to help deliver within the required timeframe,” he says. The office and post disaster buildings are castin-place concrete frame while the garage workshop utilized tilt up concrete construction. The project required approximately 39,000 cubic
meters of concrete. The exterior of the main building is a combination of curtainwall system and insulated metal panels. The topping off in February 2011 was a key milestone to ensure the project remained on schedule, notes Joosten. The natural forest setting has been integrated into the overall design of the facility with particular attention paid to minimizing any impact on the surrounding environment which includes mature trees and a nearby stream. “We really wanted to work with those existing trees and fit the building in from the ground up. We did a lot of exploration in terms of orientation and configuration, examining how to fit a building of that scale on that site,” explains Michael McDonald, Kasian principal and director of design. Vancouver based Kasian Architecture led the design of the facility, with AECOM and Roth Sheppard Architects as sub-consultants. The challenge was to put a large scale building into a natural park setting. The design needed to incorporate a careful balance between the natural beauty of the Green Timbers site with the goal of creating a highly functional, flexible and secure police environment. “We used existing trees as wayfinding and orientation elements to accentuate pedestrian access to the front lobby and to connect the facility to the roadway and adjacent transit stop.
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5255 Yonge St., Ste. 1000, Toronto, ON, M2N 6P4 Tel: 416-512-8186 x230 Fax: 416-512-8344 circulation@mediaedge.ca www.mediaedge.ca
courtesy of Government of Canada
Feature Project
It’s a very walkable front yard that reinforces a sense of community,” says McDonald. “We have created a campus setting to foster team building and collaboration.” The perception of a headquarters building was an important driver for the RCMP. “It had to be strong and stately in recognition of the federal government and the RCMP but it also needed to be open and inviting at the same time,” says Scott Douglas, Kasian principal in charge. Oriented east to west to maximize natural daylight, the main building is divided into three wings that effectively break the large floor plates into smaller neighbourhood like spaces to house the different RCMP departments. “When we’re talking about 100,000 square foot floor plates which are massive, we needed to break these down into neighbourhoods so the three forms or wings give maximum flexibility while also minimizing long linear runs,” says McDonald, adding these are likely some of the largest floor plates for an office building in the Lower Mainland and possibly Western Canada. To put that in perspective, an average office floor plate in downtown Vancouver would be 15,000 square feet. “The three wings create intuitive vertical neighbourhoods that are each colour coded to assist with wayfinding within the building. Horizontal travel along the length of a floor moves you through these vertical neighbourhoods, each identified by a transition zone, its own elevator and staircores and its own colour scheme,” adds Douglas. All three wings are clad on the exterior in metal and outlined with a white frame with a darker horizontal metal panel system that spans inside the wings. The base of the building fea16
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tures brick and was selected to mirror the pattern of tree trunks in the forest. “We broke the building down vertically as well as horizontally. The idea was to float the building above the forest using brick elements to reference tree trunks,” describes McDonald. Within the main building, the grand two volume high entrance lobby showcases wood elements as well as memorabilia commemorating the national police force. The facility includes food services, a green wall in the cafeteria, classrooms, a gym, workout rooms and locker rooms.
Approximately 87 per cent of the construction waste has been diverted from landfill through recycling. Another important design driver was flexibility which was achieved through modular planning to easily accommodate “future changes and the constant evolution of policing”, says McDonald. The project is targeting a LEED Gold certification and incorporates a variety of sustainable strategies including white roofs, a partial green roof on the loading dock and a retention pond in front of the main building for stormwater management. Approximately 87 per cent of the construction waste has been diverted from landfill through recycling.
Energy efficiency was a key criteria resulting in the use of high efficiency chillers, chilled beams, and a heat recovery system. A state-ofthe-art energy monitoring system will ensure targets are being met. “Saving energy is a critical driver in modern building design,” comments McDonald. Adds Joosten, “The facility uses 90 per cent power and 10 per cent gas. It will only use as much gas as three resident homes.” One of the biggest challenges has been the security requirements and the complexity of the user. The entire complex meets the highest security standards and features state-of-the-art security monitoring systems and communications technology. Communications is critical and must remain operational and uninterrupted in case of a disaster. According to Joosten, more than 23,000 data drops have been installed and more than several 1,000 fiber optic drops, adding it’s “most likely one of the largest Cat. 6E installations in Canada.” Quality control throughout this project has also been instrumental. “It’s not about getting quality for the first 1-2 years…it’s about the whole lifecycle costing of the building,” says Joosten, explaining P3 projects require long term thinking versus short term thinking because the facility’s management services will continue to be provided by Green Timbers for the next 25 years. “We have to hand it back over in the same condition as we turned it over on service commencement.” As the federal government’s first P3 accommodations project, the facility will serve as an important guide for future projects.
courtesy of Government of Canada
Feature Project
“It is precedent setting in terms of developing best practices and serving as a model project for the federal government,” says Joosten. “We’re working closely with the government to provide information about this type of procurement model and how it can deliver value for money to taxpayers.”
Teamwork is important on any project but is even more critical when working on a project of this scale and complexity. By working closely with the client and users as well as fostering collaboration between a large project team, Green Timbers has managed to pull off a high profile and high pressure project.
“This is infrastructure that makes a difference. It will allow the RCMP at the end of the day to hopefully provide more effective and collaborative policing for the community,” says Joosten. The first phase of relocating RCMP personnel will begin in January 2013 with the move in expected to be complete by the end of spring.
Your Safety Association! BCCSA is the construction industry’s safety association, offering a variety of FREE services and resources for owners, managers, supervisors, and workers. All Sector 72 construction employers – including Road Builders! – plus select aggregate and ready-mixed employers are eligible for the following: COR (Certificate of Recognition). Recipients get an effective safety management program and are eligible for incentive payments from WorkSafeBC;
At your service!
Courses, workshops, seminars, and other safety training and education; and Consultation services that include regional safety coordinators available for on-site visits with contractors in all regions, and an injury management specialist able to advise on getting injured employees back to safe and meaningful work as soon as possible.
Whatever your safety needs, we can help! Call, write, or visit our website for more information. 604-636-3675 or 1-877-860-3675
www.bccsa.ca
info@bccsa.ca July/August 2012
construction business
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Open Shop
B.C.’s Political Future By Philip Hochstein
T
he next B.C. provincial election slated for May 2013 is a source of great concern for many in the construction industry. The B.C. Liberals polling numbers are down the basement and the NDP have the support of almost half of British Columbians. With 23 per cent support in the latest poll, the B.C. Liberals are running neck and neck with the B.C. Conservatives sitting at 22 per cent. Just like 1996 we could see the NDP emerge with a majority thanks to divided support on the centre right of the spectrum. That’s why the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of B.C. keeps talking about the Liberals and Conservatives needing to make sure the free-enterprise vote isn’t split. But in construction we have to deal with what is likely — not what we hope to come to pass. Let’s just say the Vegas odds on an NDP win in May 2013 would be good. So if the NDP win, what will happen on the construction and labour files? The B.C. NDP have yet to lay out any detailed platform on the issues. But a look east at what’s being wrought by
18
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…the Vegas odds on an NDP win in May 2013 would be good. the building trade union backed governments in Ontario and Manitoba gives a good indication of what a B.C. NDP victory would be like. Both provinces have launched policies and programs tilted heavily in favour of the building trades. Manitoba recently imposed new rules for public sector construction that will require all bidders and subcontractors to be involved in apprenticeship training. The concern is while training is good and we want to enhance trade skills for young workers, it amounts to imposing craft collective agreement terms and conditions on open shop contractors.
Government will stipulate how contractors staff their jobs, impose apprentice-journeymen ratios as restrictive as 1:1, limit the type of work tradesmen are permitted to do, force skilled individuals to go back to apprentice school, and set pay higher-than-market pay rates for everyone on the job site. Government is dictating how you run your company, who you hire, and the work they can do, something it avoids in every other sector of the economy. Manitoba has gone even further than quotas though. Under the Project Labour Agreements, it has shut out open shop contractors and their employees from work on major projects. Unionization — or financial support of the unions — is imposed by the NDP government on companies working on major projects, like the Bipole III hydro transmission line. To get the work you have to either be part of the building trades, or pay the equivalent dues to the union. In total, work on projects worth $20 billion has been funneled to the union movement. ICBA’s sister organization in Manitoba is backing a challenge to these union-friendly
Are Your Most Valuable Assets Disappearing?
Small and medium sized construction companies can be at a disadvantage when employees and skilled job seekers look beyond their wage rates
ICBA membership gives you access to a powerful suite of programs to help you attract and retain skilled workers
• Employee Health Benefits • Apprenticeship Bursaries • Individual Pension Plans • Safety and Management Training • Group Retirement Programs • Wage and Benefit Surveys • Exclusive hotel, gasoline, and retail discounts
Call 1.800.663.2865 or visit www.icba.ca
Open Shop
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Wales McLelland is proud to support the ICBA and
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Proud to be an ICBA member Nightingale Electrical Ltd. 138-11121 Horseshoe Way, Richmond, BC V7A 5G7 Ph: (604) 275-0500 Fax: (604) 275-8900 email info@nightelect.com
www.nightelect.com 20 construction business
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agreements in the courts — backed by the assertion that they violate the constitutional guaranteed freedoms of expression and association. If they win it will change the face of labour relations in Canada — and stop the NDP from delivering similar deals here in B.C. In Ontario, the situation has been more far-reaching than dictated staffing requirements and rates of pay, or forced unionization on major projects. It’s about trade union control of industry through the backdoor training by way of its new College of Trades. This Ontario College of Trades is in charge of construction training, workplace rules, and enforcement. It’s backed up with some Draconian powers — the ability to tax industry and workers to fund the College, to map out what work businesses and individuals can do based on union jurisdiction plans, and to control and limit who businesses can hire through compulsory trade regulations and apprentice-journeymen ratios. The College also has the equivalent of a new, independent quasi-police force dedicated to investigating employers and workers. Unions will be able to burden companies with complaints and full-blown investigations thanks to this enforcement branch. This Draconian power is sure to be a threat to independent and small operations because of the old union saying — if you can’t organize, disorganize. What we’ve seen in Manitoba and Ontario are policies that benefit the building trades and hurt the open shop. They not only make life more difficult for hard-working family-owned companies, but they layer on extra costs by attacking open shop’s competitive advantage. The price for this is picked up by construction’s customers — and the taxpayers who pay for government projects that end up costing more than they need to. The NDP in B.C. have yet to lay out their concrete plans for the construction industry in our province. But if Manitoba and Ontario are any indication, B.C. would be headed down this expensive path after next May. And when similar policies and changes arrive in B.C., they will hurt open shop construction companies, their employees, and the entire economy. Philip Hochstein is president of the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of BC.
Open Shop
Rising Municipal Fees By Philip Hochstein
C
onstruction companies know about sharpening their pencils and finding savings. Delivering projects on time and on budget is all about controlling costs and doing everything possible to craft the lowest bid. You look for savings everywhere — on concrete, steel, labour. However, British Columbia’s municipalities don’t seem to be sharpening their pencils. Municipal government is certainly costing us more — both as construction companies and as taxpayers. Since 2000, civic spending (adjusted for inflation) has gone up 46 per cent. Over the same time population growth was 12 per cent. In other words — spending has grown four times faster than population. Civic politicians pay for this spending through taxes. Since 2007 municipal taxes are up almost three times the rate of inflation. The average civic tax bill has grown 17 per cent while inflation was just under six per cent. A private company that increased prices like this would soon be out of business. Municipal spending is also funded through higher fees on everything from building permits, development cost charges, and sewer hook ups to rezoning fees and administrative charges. These
2012
2002
We are proud to be members of ICBA and Merit Contractors Association.
Allwest Electric Ltd.
Grand West Electric Ltd.
#2-169 Golden Drive Coquitlam, BC V3K 6T1
2447-42 Avenue NE Calgary, AB T2E 8A3
Ph: [604] 464-6200 Fx: [604] 464-6209
Ph: [403] 291-2688 Fx: [403] 291-2689
July/August 2012
construction business
21
Open Shop
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charges have risen an average of 128 per cent since 2001 across B.C. — or almost seven times the 19 per cent inflation in the same period. All of this is impacting construction. It drives up costs — which means higher prices for our clients, and in the end higher rents and lower affordability for homeowners, renters, commercial lessors, and companies building new offices. That’s why the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of BC dedicated its latest Construction Monitor to looking into what’s fueling the rise in municipal spending and the escalation of taxes and fees. With municipal wages comprising more than half of a typical municipal budget, it’s the logical place to look. And what ICBA found in the municipal staff contracts was shocking. (The Construction Monitor is available at www.icba.ca). On average, the compensation municipal workers get is between 30 and 40 per cent higher than people doing the same work in the private sector. We see them in construction trades. Plumbers in Vancouver make between $30.25 and $34.50 an hour, compared with the private sector wages of $29 to $31.47. In Burnaby carpenters get $30.25 to $33.95 an hour. In the private sector the average wage is between $25.06 and $31.41. But higher wages are just the start. Compensation costs are driven sky high by benefits like longer holidays, more sick days, banking up sick days for an extra six months of pay, and gratuity days. What’s a gratuity day? Employees in the City of Vancouver get one “gratuity day” for each fourmonth period that they aren’t away sick, and can accumulate up to 120 days. When they retire they can cash out the accumulated time — a half year of pay as a thank you for coming to work. These packages come straight out of taxpayers’ pockets — and would bankrupt any private sector company. And those footing the bill don’t get anywhere close to the same benefits when they go to work. The problem extends to management at most city halls as well. For comparison sake, the Chief of Staff to U.S. President Barrack Obama makes $172,000 a year. Who makes more than him in B.C.? The city managers or chief administration officers in Burnaby, Delta, Kamloops, Kelowna, Langley City, Maple Ridge, the District and the City of North Vancouver,
ventana
Open Shop
we build relationships, as well as buildings At Ventana Construction, our job as a general contractor and construction manager is to build relationships – as well as commercial, industrial, multi-unit residential and retail buildings. One relationship that’s particularly important to us is our ongoing affiliation with ICBA. Independent contractors need the strong legislative voice that ICBA provides, and an association that supports their employees’ needs. That’s why we’ve been members of ICBA since 1989.
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Corix Langley Gateway
Contact Ventana today to learn how our focus on relationships will help your project. VentanaConstruction.com 604.291.9000
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Pitt Meadows, Surrey, Vancouver, Victoria, West Vancouver, and White Rock. Top brass at Victoria City hall have had pay increases of up to 76 per cent since 2007. How richly can taxpayers afford to reward public sector managers and workers? Big public sector unions offer up the argument that everyone should get similar unaffordable benefits. Businesses that offered similar programs would have to shutter their doors — or reduce staff to reduce costs. For the record, there are no benefits or pensions for those without a job. What can construction companies and taxpayers do? They can start raising their voices and pressure elected leaders to tackle the challenge. Bringing pay and benefits in line with the private sector should be a ballot box winner. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation did a province wide poll recently that showed that 74 per cent of people thought it was an unfair situation. And even more — 80 per cent — wanted compensation brought in line. Collective bargaining in the public sector has failed. In the private sector affordability always plays a part but not in the public sector. ICBA is promoting the idea of Public-Private Compensation Equity legislation — something that would restore balance to the compensation earned by public sector workers, and put government spending on a sustainable footing. Philip Hochstein is president of the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of BC.
Congratulations ICBA on all of your hard work on behalf of our industry. We are proud to be members of the ICBA! (604) 583-1174 #520, 10470-152nd Street Surrey, B.C. V3R 0Y3
www.metrocanconstruction.com WE MAKE IT HAPPEN July/August 2012
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Open Shop
Merit Canada: Tackling Issues By Terrance Oakey
T
he past year has been a turning point for the open shop movement in Canada with the establishment of Merit Canada to give its member associations a truly national voice. Merit Canada was founded because federal government policy, legislation and consultations continue to disproportionately reflect to the views of unions and their outdated business model. Consequently, the narrow interests of organized labour are reflected in federal legislation and policies despite the fact that an overwhelming majority of Canadian workplaces operate on a union-free basis. One tangible result for open shop contractors has been the defunding of the old Construction Sector Council (CSC). The CSC board failed to reflect the industry, with the vast majority of its members tied to the building trades. Merit Canada has long called for a rebalancing of the board of directors of the CSC in order to reflect the reality that the open shop sector represents more than 70 per cent of the industry. Merit also raised concerns about their approach, methodology and focus on the needs of the unionized sec-
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tor of the industry. Given the board’s inability to address any of these concerns, Merit Canada supported the government’s decision to phase out its core funding by 2013. We also participated in an announcement with the federal Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development to develop a new grants and contribution program. Merit Canada is now part of a construction stakeholder group to keep the elements of the CSC, which were of value to the industry (e.g. Labour Market Information [LMI]) while ensuring open shop contractors have appropriate representation. This was an important step for Merit Canada as the results of the LMI surveys were previously used by provincial government policy makers to develop programs and services without open shop sector input. Merit Canada’s lobbying efforts also helped win the repeal of the Fair Wages and Hours of Labour Act, which creates a national system of regulated minimum wages for the construction industry with work undertaken directly by the federal government. The federal government listened to our concerns and repealed the legisla-
tion in its recent budget. This decision was criticized by some as being anti-labour. It was nothing of the sort. It was a long overdue move that brings parts of the construction industry firmly into the 21st century. It was a good move for workers, governments and taxpayers. The Fair Wages Act was outdated, created unnecessary administrative costs for government and the construction industry, infringed on the jurisdiction of the provinces and territories, and significantly increased the burden on Canadian taxpayers. There is no longer any valid need for federal government regulation in this area. According to Statistics Canada, for example, construction workers are paid an average rate of $28.35 per hour in our country. This makes them the second-highest-paid workers, exceeding the national average by some 30 per cent. The Fair Wages Act obliged companies to establish dual wage structures for private and public sector work. This is nonsensical, costly, and burdensome. Many small, family-run open shop construction companies simply refuse to bid on federal projects. This resulted in lower
Open Shop Abbotsford • Calgary • Courtenay • Edmonton Kelowna • Nanaimo • Richmond • Surrey • Victoria
…fighting for fairness in employment insurance policy. levels of competition and increased construction costs for the government. Repealing the Fair Wages and Hours of Labour Act sets the stage for millions of dollars in savings for government, open shop companies and taxpayers. This is good for Canada. Merit Canada also played a public and private role in the struggle to ensure unions provide greater financial transparency to everyone who pays union dues, as well as those who may be considering joining a union. South Surrey–White Rock–Cloverdale MP Russ Hiebert introduced a Private Member’s Bill that would require unions to publically disclose detailed financial information. This will be of particular benefit to the open shop contractor community, since employees who are considering joining a union will now have real information during the certification process on how the unions would spend their dues. Merit Canada will continue to work with members of parliament from all parties to ensure the passage of this legislation. Another initiative is fighting for fairness in employment insurance policy. Under the current regulations, Employment Insurance recipients are required to seek suitable employment. However, the rules let individuals on union hiring hall lists to be deemed “actively seeking” because they are on the union’s out of work list, and there is no requirement that they actually seek any other employment. Even though there are construction jobs available, as long as they are on the union’s list, they do not have to accept any other employment. Merit Canada and its members are extremely concerned about such a double standard being part of the Employment Insurance system. It creates a two tier system, with privileged union members not having to meet the same requirements to actively seek employment as other unemployed workers. It means that all other workers have to subsidize union members, who merely put their name on a list and wait, while continuing to collect Employment Insurance. This is unfair to all other workers and stands against the principles of fairness, which underpins the whole system. It’s been a great first year for Merit Canada. We’re looking forward to many more, helping to build a bright and prosperous future for the open shop and our entire industry from coast to coast.
Challenges inspire us. • • • • •
Metallurgical and materials engineering Corrosion prevention Geotechnical engineering Building science Environmental science
www.levelton.com
Deh Cho Bridge Fort Providence, NWT
Unitech partners with clients in the construction management of projects in many sectors including education, health, recreation, First Nations, public safety, hospitality and multi-family residential.
Terrance Oakey is president of Merit Canada. Merit Canada (www.meritcanada.ca) is the united national voice for eight different provincial open shop construction associations. July/August 2012
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Engineering
Mapping Project Data in Real Time By Brendan Walashek
LiDAR Building Models, downtown Vancouver.
G
eographic information provides the key to better decision making in day-to-day operations and long-term planning for communities, businesses, and public agencies. Advances in the surveying and mapping sciences, as well as the application of aerial photography and the availability of satellite data, have resulted in the ability to provide dramatically improved coverage, accuracy, and efficiency. With the changing landscape of digital data technology, end users in the engineering and construction industries now expect geographic information to be readily available with many value-added properties. Geographic information systems (GIS) have made it possible to combine multiple layers of digital data, even from different sources. The power of GIS lies in its ability to manipulate and analyze these layers for different needs.
Mapping Technologies Satellite imagery provides a good base map for pre-engineering design or fieldwork. It is particularly cost effective if the project is located in a remote area. Digital orthophotography and 3D perspective views are created from a combination of aerial and satellite imagery to produce image layers of areas of interest. Applications include land use planning, environmental analysis, and resource management. GeoAutomation mobile mapping technology generates massive libraries of high-resolution, geo-referenced digital images with street-level information. Data with engineering-level accuracy is captured quickly and economically by a 14-camera, vehicle-mounted system, producing 26 construction business
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a 3D asset management inventory that can be applied to future projects. Airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology produces accurately measured and depicted landforms at engineeringlevel accuracy and can capture geological features in heavily vegetated areas. Its ability to capture large areas of detailed geographic data from a single flight offers superior cost savings and effectiveness.
A Complete, Custom Solution Once data is distributed to an end user, it is essentially frozen in time. Meanwhile, changes continue to occur on site that may impact design and construction. With this in mind, an easy-to-use, Internet-based interface “Verti-
VertiSEE in a near-real-time disaster response scenario to share rapidly changing data.
SEE� is now available to easily provide the latest available geographic information, which links to maps and a myriad of other related locational information. It includes a complement of powerful tools to query, find, and analyze map data, producing near-real-time information that puts you ahead of your competitors. Some of its most common applications are in emergency and disaster management, transportation monitoring and analysis, and asset management. The power of GIS, integrated with common, easy-to-use maps, makes it ideal for project planning, tracking, and management of many types of spatial data.
Engineering More than Maps Maps of project sites can now be easily created in the office, complete with customized title, scale bar, and legend. On-screen tools measure lengths, areas, perimeters, and coordinate values; provide address locations; enable markup; and even edit and add data to existing datasets. Custom tools are easily added to simplify common, repetitive tasks for a faster and more efficient workflow. The system goes beyond simply points and lines on a map. It maintains “data behind the data” to enable a client to see their data on a map, with all the analytics and attribute information associated with each feature. You can drill down on any feature to query for detailed information from the backend database, including attributes, geometry (inter-relationships with other features), and other attached data. It can be used to serve any type of data that can be placed on a map, including roads, pipes, buildings, vegetation, cadastral lot plans, environmental features, and events. All of this information can be overlain onto high-resolution aerial imagery, elevation contours, or any other type of base map. Reports, photographs, as-built drawings, and other documents, in commonly used file formats, can all be attached to features on the map and easily accessed and downloaded through the application. As an example, a query of a water pipe feature could return information on
the install date, pipe material, diameter, length, condition, past work orders, as-built drawings, and reports.
The Power of GIS Access to shared spatial geographic information across any Internet browser puts the power of GIS in users with little or no GIS experience. The data can be either public or password protected. All the data is current the instant it is accessed, as it is live. It resides “in-the-cloud”— meaning that it is hosted on in-house servers, where it is updated as needed. New updates on the servers are immediately live on the web. When a user then accesses the data via the “VertiSEE” web-
VertiSEE in an asset management role showing water valves, pipes and waterline queries.
based interface, the data served is the most current available. Users are no longer faced with outdated data but gain improved efficiency in data delivery and project updates. Brendan Walashek, B.Sc. (Geog), Adv.Dip. GIS, is GIS & applications specialist with McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd., a Canadian consulting firm providing engineering, surveying, mapping, planning and environmental services through a network of local offices across Western Canada and in Indonesia.
Award-winning civil engineer Allan Russell has been appointed as President & CEO of McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd. effective April 1, 2013.
McElhanney Consulting appoints Allan Russell, P.Eng., as President & CEO
Russell has more than 25 years experience in major civil construction projects, including design management roles on the Sea to Sky Highway expansion, the Golden Ears Bridge and the South Fraser Perimeter Road, and has served on both the provincial and national Boards of the Association of Consulting Engineering Companies (including as Chair of the BC Board of ACEC). Incumbent President & CEO Chris Newcomb, who will remain Board Chair of McElhanney after Russell takes on his new responsibilities, says: “Allan has clearly demonstrated the energy, skill and vision necessary to lead McElhanney forward for many years into the future. I’m delighted he has accepted this role.” “McElhanney has a long tradition of quality and innovation that has made it very successful,” says Russell, who has been McElhanney’s Vice-President, Vancouver Region, Engineering & Major Projects, since April 2011. “I’m looking forward to working with the McElhanney team as President & CEO, to take the company to the next level of excellence and success.”
McElhanney is Canada’s oldest employee-owned and independent engineering and geomatics company, offering a highly skilled team and a broad range of high quality services tailored to its diverse clients in communities throughout western Canada and in Southeast Asia. www.McElhanney.com | Vancouver@McElhanney.com
July/August 2012
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Engineering
Performance Based Analysis By Rob Simpson
a damper assisted steel frame. A new building in Surrey was designed for post-disaster performance with yielding elements. In all cases noted, the performance achieved substantially exceeded normal code design. These buildings allow for immediate use after an earthquake at a cost well below conventional methods. Just like the word “design”, performance based design (PBD) is quickly becoming a greatly overused yet misunderstood term. We use the acronym like it’s our initials, but what is PBD? Simply, PBD is to prove performance when conventional techniques would say it might not work. It exists in all areas from architecture through to airlines, automobiles and rockets. It’s just a way of proving something will work when standard methods would be inconclusive. Window wall systems tested for air/water seal is a PBD approach. Airplanes have test flights, just the same as the little red wagon I made as a kid. When it fails in test, you know it still needs work.
Performance based seismic design of residential tower, Sante Fe, California.
Kohn Peterson Fox Associates
Performance Based Design of Structures for Earthquake Design: Why so difficult?
C
omputer advancements now permit engineers to analyze in great detail how buildings will perform under severe earthquakes, making it possible to stretch beyond the simplicity of building codes to provide structural solutions that would otherwise be forbidden. Structural design methods are clearly established by building codes, however, there are many limitations and simplifications embedded into the design procedures that can sometimes foreshorten the spectrum of solutions available 28 construction business
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to us. Now that our analysis can capture progressive transient damage in structures, we can characterize the building under severe ground motion and devise resilience where necessary to maintain safety. Recent work has given older buildings a new lease on life very economically. A mid ,80s steel building in Richmond, B.C. was upgraded to post-disaster performance with the addition of dampers (shock absorbers) at under $5 per square foot. A similar mid-century concrete building in New Westminster was upgraded with
Here’s the difference: You can test an airplane, but it’s not possible to summon a real earthquake to prove our seismic analysis of a specific building. Even worse, variability of earthquakes is so extreme that we would need dozens of different earthquakes to prove reliability for the next earthquake. If, instead, a scale model were tested, then multiple models would be needed making costs of physical testing prohibitive. Clearly a different approach is required. PBD integrates the results of laboratory tests, current research and characterization of earthquakes with computer analysis of all structural elements in a building once every one-tenth second throughout the time of ground shaking (3 minutes or more) for seven or more earthquakes in each principal direction. Known as “time history” analysis, we capture how forces change as the building sways, yield and cracks much like it would in real life.
Complex Analysis and Experience a Necessity Although the concept of PBD sounds simple, its reliability is entirely dependent upon the input. With every analysis, one must ask if we are fooling ourselves into believing an incorrect result. In truth, no analysis is perfect. Just as an artist cannot replicate reality in every detail, analysis of buildings is never a perfect reflection of the ability of the building to perform under loading. Experience from dozens of building analysis, real life building failures and only the latest research is necessary to avoid pitfalls of creating a self fulfilling prophecy of performance that might not be reflecting
Engineering
Potential uses for PBD vary widely from verifying existing buildings designed to older codes to unusual conditions in new buildings… in nature. That is, garbage in can be garbage out. With care and use of good tools, reliable results can be achieved with confidence.
Doubling the Height! The now classic example of PBD is for buildings in California. The California building code penalizes shearwalls in preference to beam-column frames for seismic resistance, unlike Canada where shearwalls have equal opportunity. A 240 ft height limit on shearwalls compels the use of frames for seismic resistance unless a special analysis is undertaken. Frames intrude into living space and are expensive to construct. Our PBD methods have proven Canadian-style shearwalls are suitable to California seismic conditions for buildings twice the height limit of the code.
Damper installed in steel frame to dissipate seismic energy
Voila! We achieve a better building with more living area at a lower construction cost with better seismic performance, proven through special analysis know as PBD. Potential uses for PBD vary widely from verifying existing buildings designed to older codes to unusual conditions in new buildings that might not otherwise be accepted by code rules. To those who say our codes are excessively conservative, PBD can address this by exposing weaknesses that are mended only to the level required to achieve appropriate performance. Sometimes code changes cause existing buildings to become non-compliant
so PBD is used to verify their seismic safety. Some buildings are even designed with selfhealing mechanisms that allow overload and ‘failure’ momentarily. New doors have opened for structural design with more available solutions since PBD has given us the tools and experience to control weaknesses and optimize performance of structures. Rob Simpson MBA, P.Eng., Struct Eng., LEED AP is a principal with Glotman Simpson Consulting Engineers in Vancouver. The firm is active in design of all types of structures for buildings throughout western North America.
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Call our offices to discuss your requirements with our These products sales provide and experienced andestablished production reliable life spans with the structural ability team. We will work with you to to withstand the abuse of time and the elements. Precast concrete is one of the most achieve a cost effective, value resilient and trusted building components driven solution for the long available for the construction of the infraterms needs of the community structure that our communities are built on. infrastructure. The Langley Concrete Group of Companies 20152 Logan Ave., Langley, B.C. V3A 4L6 Phone: 604-533-1656 Toll Free: 1-800- 667-9600 E-mail: info@langleyconcretegroup.com
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Engineering
Glacier Discovery Walk
Sturgess Architecture
The stunning glass and steel walkway will give visitors an experience to remember. By Simon Brown
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he Glacier Discovery Walk, now under construction in Jasper National Park, is destined to become one of the most exciting and unique attractions in the Canadian Rockies. Owned and operated by Brewster Travel Canada, this privately funded project leverages heart-stopping visitor experiences to create an emotional connection to the importance of environmental stewardship. The project has been designed for minimal environmental impact and is constructed entirely on the previously disturbed land of an existing road cut. Guests first proceed down 300m of wheelchair accessible trail cut into the side of a cliff high over the Sunwapta Valley. As they proceed down the trail, interpretive stations provide information on the geological and glacial forces that created the valley, the plants and animals that inhabit it, as well as the role of water flow and climate change on its future evolution. At the end of the trail, visitors reach the climactic Discovery Vista. The design build team of PCL Construction Management, project lead, and Read Jones Christoffersen, design lead, have maximized the inherent drama and exposure of this area with a cantilevered viewing platform
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that extends over 30m from the face of the cliff. The platform features at its apex 30m of glass walkway suspended over 200m above the valley floor. The glass floor and railings of the walkway will give guests the impression of floating in air. The experience is intended to be both exciting and intense. The steel and glass walkway is supported with a self-anchored cable suspension system on one side only. The apparent eccentricity of this system is counterbalanced by horizontal forces created by curving the walkway in plan. The geometry of the walkway has been precisely determined to eliminate torsional stresses under uniform load. A large HSS compression chord, acting with secondary steel framing members, provides torsional resistance under partial loading conditions. This system was selected as it minimizes visible structure below the glass floor, thereby maximizing the sense of exposure. Tuned mass dampers will be utilized to mitigate vibration under dynamic loading. The glass walk is supported at the end of cantilevered trapezoidal steel box girders. These provide the very high strength to weight ratio required for the project. In addition, the closed
form of the box girders results in superior torsional stiffness. The girders are being fabricated in Eastern Canada by Beauce Atlas Steel, shipped via truck to site, and then lifted into place by crane. The larger of the two main girders has a mass of approximately 146,000kg and is 46.5m long. As a result, it needs to be shipped and hoisted in four separate pieces. Bolted splices have been used to speed erection and minimize the need for full penetration welding in the field. The largest of these connections contains 980 high strength bolts. The girders are secured to the cliff with 60 rock anchors that extend 10 to 20 metres into the native bedrock. When considering the most appropriate finish for the girders, three parameters dominated the discussion. These were corrosion protection, aesthetics, and maintenance requirements. A painted finish was rejected as it would be difficult to maintain over the lifespan of the structure. Hot dipped galvanizing was also considered. This addressed the long-term corrosion protection and maintenance concerns, but was less desirable from an aesthetic standpoint. We wanted a finish that would blend into the natural surroundings. The perfect solution was to specify weathering steel, which does not require any finish. Over time, exposure to air creates a layer of rust that adheres tightly to the surface of the steel. This oxide layer forms a natural protective coating that minimizes further corrosion and eliminates the need to maintain a separately applied finish. In addition, as the girders age, they take on a dark brown colour that compliments the iron oxide found in the surrounding geology of the area. The architectural style and overall feel of the project was created by Sturgess Architecture. Angular steel plates form faceted surfaces that play off the jagged nature of the surrounding cliffs and valleys. These are also fabricated of weathering steel, creating a unified expression with the steel girders. Glass elements have been selectively introduced into railing elements. These provide better viewing for younger visitors and those in wheelchairs. The glass elements also symbolize the glacial ice of the Columbia Ice Fields above. This treatment remains consistent not only at the Discovery Vista, but also at each of the interpretive stations and at the receiving area where guests are greeted. The Glacier Discovery Walk is under construction through the summer and fall of 2012 and spring of 2013. It will be ready to welcome guests from around the world in the summer of 2013. Simon Brown, Ph.D., P.Eng., is a principal at Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. in Calgary and the lead designer on the Glacier Discovery Walk project.
Engineering
Total Building Commissioning By Boban Ratkovich
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otal building commissioning is a rapidly emerging project management practice that is being embraced by public and private organizations because of its benefits in improved project delivery results. Reduction in operating cost, enhanced energy efficiency, improved occupant safety, comfort and health and increased maintainability are only a few of the proven benefits of commissioning. The commissioning process has gained favour in recent years. Building owners, contractors and vendors are becoming increasingly aware of the many benefits to be derived from a better managed, quality design and construction program produced by the commissioning process. Despite the convincing arguments regarding the broad range benefits, many industry experts have indicated that building commissioning is believed to be case sensitive rather than universally needed. Commissioning is often misinterpreted to focus solely on testing during the end of the construction phase. Historically the term ‘commissioning’ has often refereed to the process by which the building HVAC system was tested and balanced (TAB) according to established standards prior to acceptance by the building owner. For the most part, the HVAC commissioning did not include systems, such as water, lighting, which did not directly affect the performance of the HVAC system. This was largely because the architect/engineer was concerned at the time with the building design not the function. From this, people have mistakenly thought of building commissioning as TAB for HVAC systems. In fact, that is why today most commissioning still resides in the HVAC segment rather than in whole building systems. Contrary to the HVAC system and other individual building systems commissioning that focus solely on testing during the end of the construction phase, the total building commissioning process starts at project inception and continues for the life of the facility. The total building commissioning process is a quality-based method that is adopted by an owner to achieve successful construction projects. It is not an additional layer of construction or project management. In fact, its purpose is to reduce the cost of delivering construction projects and increase value to owners, occupants, and users. Due to the integration and interdependency of facility systems, a performance deficiency in one system can result in less than optimal performance by other systems. The use of TBC recognizes the integrated nature of all building systems’ performances, which impact sustainability, workforce productivity, occupant safety and security. The TBC process uncovers
deficiencies in design or installation using peer review and field verification. Commissioning also accomplishes higher energy efficiency, environmental health, and occupant safety and improves indoor air quality. Implementing the TBC process is intended to reduce the project capital cost through the first year of operation and also reduce the lifecycle cost of the facility. Using this integrated process results in a fully functional, fine-tuned facility, with complete documentation of its systems and assemblies and trained operating and maintenance personnel. Emphasis is placed on documentation of the owner’s project requirements at the inception of the project and the proper transfer of this information from one party to the next. Owners adopt the commissioning process to achieve their stated objectives and criteria — starting with the inception of a project instead of after a facility is occupied. While circumstances may require owners to adopt the commissioning process during the design or construction phase of a project, such later implementation must capture the information that would have been developed had the commissioning process begun at the project inception. Beginning the commissioning process at project inception will achieve the maximum benefits. Total building commissioning is defined in ASHRAE Guideline 0-2005. CSA Z320 Building Systems Commissioning Standard and Natural Resources Canada, Commissioning Guide for New Buildings also describe process and methodologies related to total building commissioning. Total building commissioning costs vary considerably with project size and building type, equipment type, commissioning scope and trav-
CES Engineering was awarded the LEED commissioning and measurement verification services contract for the new Telus Garden project. Telus Garden is targeted to be Canada’s first commercial LEED Platinum project.
eling requirements. The total building commissioning cost for commissioning provider services can range from 0.5 per cent to 1.5 per cent of total construction cost (according to U.S. Department of Energy’s Rebuild America Program, written by the Portland Energy Conservation, Inc. (PECI). The industry studies indicate that on average the operating cost of a commissioned building range from 8 – 20 per cent below that of a non-commissioned building. BOMA (Building Operation and Management Association) cost data for office building suggests that building commissioning can result in energy savings from 20 – 50 per cent and maintenance savings of 15 – 35 per cent. Beyond operating efficiency, successful building commissioning has been linked to reduced occupant complaints and increased occupant productivity. Reduced change orders is one of the more commonly acknowledged benefits of commissioning (especially design phase commissioning). The commissioning process will reduce the number of change-orders encountered in a typical construction cycle. Boban Ratkovich is the principal of CES Engineering Ltd. He is a registered professional engineer in B.C., certified energy manager and certified building energy simulation analyst under American Association of Energy Engineers. Boban is also LEED Accredited Professional. July/August 2012
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Steel
Form, Fit and Finish
Design and Specification of Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel By Terri Meyer Boake There are different ways to approach problems and detailing in exposed steel. The Museum of Flight pedestrian bridge in Seattle (R) and the Peace Bridge in Calgary (L) use similar structural approaches, but completely different material selection and fabrication methods. The Flight Bridge could be classed AESS 3 and the Peace Bridge AESS 4. The expectations from the fabricator are entirely different.
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rchitecturally exposed structural steel (AESS) is steel that must be designed to be both structurally sufficient to support the primary needs of the structure of the building, canopies, ancillary structures or pedestrian scale bridges, while at the same time be exposed to view, and therefore is a significant part of the architectural language of the building or structure. The design, detailing and finish requirements of AESS will typically exceed that of standard structural steel that is normally concealed by other finishes. AESS must be durable and maintainable. It must be able to resist corrosion if placed in a hostile environment and the design and finishes also resistant to urban pollution and general wear. The Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) developed a new suite of documents to assist the design and construction industry in the effective implementation of AESS. Prior to the development of these documents there was not only the absence of a clear standard for AESS, but also no recognition of the need to differentiate the qualities of projects as a function of their use, finish and the ability of people to see or interact with the building or structure. At the core of the approach was the recognition that “not all AESS need be created equal”. Early high profile exposed steel that was being used in airports, atriums or museums had fabrication and finish requirements that would be excessively expensive if applied to mid to lower end commercial or industrial projects. Projects could be priced out of existence. There needed to be a clear and definitive communication between the engineer, fabricator and architect that would put them all on the same page.
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CISC created a Specification for the Engineer, an Appendix to the Code of Standard Practice for the Fabricator and an Illustrated Guide for the Architect. A “Matrix” ties all of the documents together to create a very complete and coherent means for the team to communicate. There are four categories that recognize the use, distance of view and final finish on a project. These are further differentiated by characteristics of fabrication that are additive as the categories ascend. Although finishes might be applied last, they must be acknowledged at the outset of a project as the use of a heavier fire retardant or galvanized corrosion protection would suggest a less refined approach to fabrication and detailing that could afford some cost savings. The choice to use bolted or welded connections will also impact the choice of AESS type. AESS 1 is the first step above standard structural steel. This type of application would be suitable for “basic” elements, which require enhanced workmanship. This type of exposed structure could be found in roof trusses for arenas, warehouses, big box stores and canopies and should only require a low cost premium in the range of 20 – 60 per cent due to its relatively large viewing distance as well as the lower profile nature of the architectural spaces in which it is used. AESS 2 refers to structures that are intended to be viewed at a distance more than 6 m. The process requires basically good fabrication practices with enhanced treatment of welds, connection and fabrication details, tolerances for gaps, and copes. This type of AESS might be found in retail and architectural applications where a low to moderate cost premium in the range of 40 -100 per cent over the cost of standard structural steel would be expected.
AESS 3 refers to structures that will be viewed at a distance less than 6m. The category would be suitable for “feature” elements — where the designer is comfortable allowing the viewer to see the art of metalworking. The welds should be generally smooth but visible and some grind marks would be acceptable. Tolerances must be tighter than normal standards. As this structure is normally viewed closer than six meters it might also frequently be subject to touch by the public, therefore warranting a smoother and more uniform finish and appearance. This type of structure could be found in airports, shopping centres, hospitals or lobbies and could be expected to incur a moderate cost premium that could range from 60 – 150 per cent over standard structural steel as a function of the complexity and level of final finish desired. AESS 4 is used for showcase elements where the designer intends that the form is the primary focus of the design. All welds are ground and filled edges are ground square and true. All surfaces are sanded and filled. Tolerances of these fabricated forms are more stringent, generally to half of standard tolerance for standard structural steel. All of the surfaces would be “glove” smooth. The cost premium of these elements would be high and could range from 100 – 250 per cent over standard structural steel — completely as a function of the nature of the details, complexity of construction and selected finishes. It is common to mix two categories on a project in recognition of varied viewing distances, with ceiling elements often using a lower category. For highly unusual projects the matrix can be used to create a custom set of requirements. Although only recently released, many projects in Canada are making effective use of the new AESS documents, resulting in smoother communication and a more satisfying project. Terri Meyer Boake, BES B.Arch M.Arch LEED AP, is the associate director of the School of Architecture at the University of Waterloo. She is the author of the “CISC AESS Guide for Specifying Architecturally Exposed Structural Steel” and “Understanding Steel Design: An Architectural Design Manual” by Birkhäuser. To download: http://www.ciscicca.ca/content/aess/default.aspx
Steel
Signature Steel Truss Structure The Future Calgary International Airport Check-in Hall by Sylvie Boulanger
much as possible for the mobilization of site equipment — one tower crane and one mobile crane — and the coordination with other trades — deck and curtain wall.
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he International Facilities Project (IFP) undertaken by The Calgary Airport Authority is one of the largest and ambitious projects in the City of Calgary. Upon completion, the IFP will double the air terminal building in size and will be able to meet projected international and transborder capacity demands until 2025 and beyond. The IFP project design team initiated the concept of long span exposed trusses as part of the original design concept. The IFP is anticipated to be operational for international and transborder passengers in October 2015. The unique architecturally exposed structural steel (AESS) roof structure not only sets the rhythm between structure and architecture, it also pulls in daylight so important to the design team. Volumes of natural light, intuitive wayfinding and clear open space — those are some of the features that await passengers of the Calgary Airport, or YYC, in 2015. All those features have a common root: the unique and beautiful 30m clear span triangulated steel trusses supported on Y-shaped columns.
Let there be more light For architect Doug Cinnamon, principal at DIALOG, “the notion of natural light has driven every decision we made during the design process” in order to achieve a functional, aesthetic, sustainable airport facility. Providing a skylight above each steel truss is a testimonial of that commitment. It also reinforces the linearity of the steel structure and of passenger flow. The triangulated trusses are showcase elements of the building, both in the Check-in Hall and Departures Hall. Along with supporting the weight of the roof and the skylights, the trusses form part of the lateral system as well. Why steel trusses?
DIALOG
Making it beautiful
The answer is multifaceted and evolved over time. Some of the design team members evoke a mix of reasons: need for flexibility, speed, reduced footprint, aesthetic considerations, skylight integration, historical and technical reasons.
Working the span On the technical side, structural framing systems were arrived at using an evaluation process during the schematic design phase where potential systems were compared against a number of global parameters including feasibility, schedule and sustainable goals. In addition, to find the optimal truss shape and spans, a thorough evaluation was made adjusting several parameters such as: • Truss depth, width and spacing; • Truss weight and craning limits; • Cost. “We needed to find the optimal span that balanced against minimizing the number of columns within the building, optimizing the triangular shape and making it efficient,” concludes Doug Little, structural engineer and principal at Read Jones Christoffersen. It was determined that truss lengths of 30m provided the best balance between the competing parameters. For EllisDon, the construction manager for the project, schedule is key. “Our priority in the preliminary phase was limiting the weight of the largest truss segment and encouraging the use of splices that would speed up installation time,” according to Marvin Messner, project director with EllisDon. In the end, the three segments weigh 5.5, 8 and 9 tons respectively. At the splice location, the top chords are hinged, and the bottom chord is a hidden multi-bolted continuous joint. This choice was optimized as
The trusses are made more prominent by the long strips of skylights directly above the trusses. Daylighting through the skylights emphasizes the truss geometry and details. The daylight reveals the elegance and openness of these pieces of structure. Specific details were used to ensure the aesthetic quality of the trusses was maintained meanwhile carrying significant complex loads to and through their members. Different components of the trusses were specified referencing AESS categories outlined in Appendix I of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) Code of Standard Practice for Structural Steel. As the roof trusses are typically well above a 6m viewing distance, quality of the truss connections and fabrication was set at meeting AESS2 Category. It was decided that the column struts to trusses would require a higher treatment, as they are closer to view and was set at AESS3 Category. It was the first time for all parties that these categories had been explicitly specified during the bid process and applied throughout. The experience proved very positive. For Jean-François Leclerc, vice-president western division for Supermétal, the structural steel specialty contractor for the project, it meant “fewer requests for information at bid time, clearer expectations and a common vocabulary which just means better communication and increased efficiency.” The result was simply better overall collaboration as evidenced during inspection of the truss pieces by the owner, general contractor, architect and structural engineer at Supermétal’s fabrication plant in Quebec City. “Our only hope is that everyone will continue using this system,” adds Leclerc.
Rotate, flip and lift To meet the strict aesthetic, technical and construction requirements, Supermétal borrowed from its extensive experience with large industrial facilities. Marc Robitaille, vice-president engineering, explains that “efficient manipulation of the trusses is critical during fabrication, transportation and erection; we save time and improve quality because we find clever designs of temporary structures”. In the case of the trusses, it means being able to: Rotate: Two truss segments can be fabricated at the same time. They are set in jigs made for that purpose. A “rotator” clamps onto the assembly in order to position the truss for optimum welding positions and avoid overhead welding. July/August 2012
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Steel
SupermÉtal
Flip: When the assembly is welded, the truss segment is then positioned on its “back” to be shipped by truck as an oversized transport from Quebec City to Calgary. On site, the “derotator” is a triangular piece that provides a method to flip the segment back upright quickly with the help of a crane, which is then positioned on a temporary support. Lift: The three segments are then erected in a calculated sequence of lifts with the help of a temporary tower. The temporary tower is filled with special features to adjust to the different stages of lift, different heights and mobility requirements. BIM is used for erection sequencing and curtainwall clash detection and coordination. Detailing, fabrication and erection of the Check-in Hall started respectively in November 2011, January 2012 and August 2012. Erection is scheduled for completion in February 2013. The team spirit between parties continues to grow and evolve. When structure meets architecture, an integrated and collaborative process makes sense to everyone. The Departures Hall is the next steel construction challenge. Erection of the curved triangulated steel trusses of the vaulted space is planned between summer 2013 and spring 2014.
CONSTRUCTION
HEATING
GENERAL LINE
EQUIPMENT
Sylvie Boulanger, Ph.D., P.Eng., is vice-president, technical marketing at Supermétal - a steel erector and fabricator with plants in Edmonton, Quebec and South Carolina.
AERIAL
LIFTS
FORK LIFTS
We’re there for you! (604) 451-WEST (9378)
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www.WesternOne.ca
Steel
Column Structural Stability By Greg Halsted
…several critical components in the construction of prettied columns … need to be considered to arrive at a rigid, stable structure…
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reinforcement (rebar) cage that is pre-assembled either off-site or on the project premises can allow customers to save money through expedited erection time and accelerated concrete placement. However, every year on construction projects across Canada and the United States, many pretied reinforcing columns and piers bend or collapse, resulting in added costs, project delays, injuries, and even death. According to the Reinforcing Steel Manual of Standard Practice published by the Reinforcing Steel Institute of Canada, a tied column is a vertical member placed to support a beam, girder, slab, or similar that is reinforced with both longitudinal bars and individual lateral ties. The Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute manual titled Placing Reinforcing Bars further discusses the assembly of a pretied column cage. “A sufficient number of intersections are tied together to make a stiff preassembled cage that can be hoisted and placed as a unit. For large square or rectangular column cages, it may be necessary to provide diagonal reinforcing bar braces or wire bracing (twisted and tensioned) to stiffen the bars and to prevent the column from collapsing as it is lifted off the ground to a vertical position and set into place.” In other words, these rebar cages are essentially the skeleton of the finished concrete column or pier member. These cages are formed by tying both the longitudinal and the transverse reinforcement bars together using tie wire connections. Depending on the length of the cage, the diameter or cross-sectional area of the cage, and the experience of the reinforcing steel fabricator, internal bracing is sometimes placed inside the
cage. The major question logically arises as to what are the sufficient number of tied intersections and the adequate internal bracing necessary to prevent column collapse during construction and hoisting, as well as when the pretied column or pier assembly is in position but still awaiting concrete. To better identify the causes and to provide safer solutions to these challenges, a recent indepth research study sponsored by the California Department of Transportation and conducted by Dr. Ahmad M. Itani from the University of Nevada, Reno, discovered that there are actually several critical components in the construction of pretied columns that need to be considered to arrive at a rigid, stable structure that can be safely hoisted and placed. In the report Stability of Bridge Column Rebar Cages during Construction, Itani looked at both the structural design of the cages, the type of wire used for tying, and the experience of the iron worker (Rodworker) that actually made the ties. During the research effort, a total of 152 individual tests were made on the tie wire connections themselves. The types of connections evaluated included single-snap, double-snap, single-U, double-U, column-tie, wrap-and-saddle, figureeight, and strong-tie. Each type of tie wire connection has its own particular way of attaching to and holding the reinforcing bars; however, the tying procedure is essentially the same for all of them. The intersection between reinforcing bars is wrapped differently depending on the type of tie wire connection. No matter which wrapping style is used for the connection, the two ends of the wire come together on the top and are twist-
ed together and “heeled” with a pair of pliers until they are tightly fit against the reinforcing bars. Interestingly, the research found that the quantity of ties used on a pretied column was not nearly as important as the location of the ties, the type of ties used, and the location of the internal bracing that would allow for stable and safe hoisting and guying of the completed cage. Along with the stability of the column during its construction, attention needs to be given on how the assembly is braced once it has been hoisted into its final location, and how the bracing is released when forms are being set and concrete is being placed. There is a significantly higher number of column collapses occurring at this point in the construction process as guy cables are released to allow for the placement of forms, which may result in accidental loads being placed upon the cage. Column collapse also occurs when cables are released to allow for realignment of a cage that has become twisted as it was set. The other cables that are still attached to the column may not provide sufficient bracing to maintain the column’s vertical stability. It is critical for column cage stability and project safety that multiple points of support attachment to the column be maintained to provide sufficient stability. To mitigate the potential for cage collapse, it is critical that the placing contractor and any individuals responsible for column hoisting have a clear and concise plan for the release sequence of any column supports. Along with development of greater column stiffness, this will reduce the potential for column cage failure and collapse. Greg Halsted, P.E. is the Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI) Pacific Northwest/ Western Canada manager, responsible for promoting the use of reinforced concrete construction in the building, bridges, and paving markets. He supports the CRSI Western Region through engineering, marketing, and promotional activities to increase the market share for reinforcing steel usage. July/August 2012
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Skills Training
Next Step in Safety
Training in Human Factors Necessary in Safety Evolution By Alicia Brady-Deaust
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ver the last 60 years or so, safety has evolved in the construction sector. Industry first reduced accident rates by improving hardware (effective guards, safer equipment); then by improving training (incentives and reward schemes); and, then by introducing safety management systems (to improve the way they manage and organize). The next frontier that needs to be explored is the effect that human factors have on safety. The week of July 9th was a bad week in the B.C. construction industry. Two workers killed in two days, both involving a dump truck. Seemingly unrelated construction deaths in two days could just be chalked up to coincidence but the two construction deaths highlight the need to look at human factors as the next step in safety evolution for workers. “These recent two fatalities in construction are devastating to the families foremost, as well as the co-workers, and our hearts go out to them,” says BC Construction Safety Alliance executive director Mike McKenna. “These terrible deaths illustrate that worker health and safety is multifaceted and still has a long way to go.” By definition human factors is a discipline of study that deals with the interaction between human and machine. Human factors deal with the psychological, social, physical, biological and
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safety characteristics of a user and the system the user is in. In a nutshell, how does the human respond to the work place environment? Although McKenna is not indicating the BCCSA is delving into human factors research, he does say that leadership brings the psychological ‘human factor’ to a safety management system. Research into human factors suggests human factors are responsible for up to 80 per cent of all types of accidents and figures in almost every major accident. It is important to reduce these as much as possible. The BCCSA is developing a suite of training in what can be referred to as the ‘soft skills’, aimed at teaching managers and supervisors strategies that address the three main factors affecting human performance at work — the job, the individual and the organization. Factors such as the frame of mind of a worker or a collective group of workers on any given day can play a large part in injuries and fatalities. Leadership is one aspect that is closely tied to human performance at work and the psychological well-being and engagement of workers, which has been shown to affect positive change towards a culture of safety. Psychological health in the workplace, including bullying and harassment, is new legislation in B.C. that requires employers to increase their understanding of such matters. That is why the
BCCSA is currently hosting a pilot course on Mental Health First Aid which teaches ways to recognize and address mental health problems of workers. Representatives from the B.C. construction industry have been handpicked to take the pilot course and provide feedback and input to help refine the course for future offerings. We are also developing a Leadership for Supervisors course which we hope to have available by the fall. Companies need to put more emphasis on transformational leadership qualities to engage individuals in their safety management system. Companies need to be clear how the safety management system as well as cultural influencing factors will prevent or reduce human errors which may lead to major accidents. “The training we are developing focuses on teaching companies about transformational leadership skills and thus help the construction industry in B.C. further reduce incidents and fatalities and evolve to the next stage of safety,” says McKenna. Alicia Brady-Deaust is communications coordinator for BCCSA, B.C.’s provincial construction safety association, providing no cost safety training and resources to over 40,000 employers and 180,000 workers in the construction, aggregate and ready-mixed sectors. www.bccsa.ca.
Skills Training
Meeting the Demand By Keith Sashaw
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uring the run up in construction from 2001 to 2008, our industry faced a growing shortage of skilled workers, and this became most acute in mid2008, when there were more than 130,000 workers in the construction industry in the Lower Mainland, Southwest region of B.C. However, with the financial meltdown in October 2008, the construction industry, as every other sector of the economy, was hit hard, as building permit activity plunged almost 50 per cent and the number of people working in the industry dropped by 25 per cent over a six month period. Needless to say, there has been little discussion about skills shortages over the last few years, as the industry struggled to recover. What has to be remembered, however, is that the recession only masked the underlying problem and when one looks closely at the fundamentals, we need to once again start looking at steps the industry needs to be taking, sooner rather than later. The Construction Sector Council prepares annual forecasts for labour in every region of B.C. and has recently issued the 2012 outlook. According to the report: “The construction labour force requirements will rise by an estimated 11,000 across the 2012– 2020 scenario in response to expansion demand. Rising expansion demand will coincide with an increase in replacement demand related to the expected retirement of 33,200 workers. An estimated 24,400 new entrants are estimated to be available to fill the overall increase in labour requirements. From this perspective, across the decade, the local construction workforce will need to attract 20,000 new workers from outside the industry to meet total labour requirements.” In addition to the internal B.C. demand for workers, we will be competing with every other region in Canada to attract and retain skilled workers, as Canada is now recognized as one of the most attractive construction markets in the world. The lure of lucrative work in the Alberta oil sands is already causing B.C. skilled workers to relocate. This is a daunting challenge indeed for our industry. We are already seeing strong signs of a recovery, as contractors are now in a position to be more selective about which projects they intend to pursue. We are also hearing increasing concerns from employers in our industry about problems attracting workers with the right attitude and skills. The issue of skilled workers is probably the single biggest challenge facing the industry. Every contractor will have to be more focused than ever before on attracting, training and retaining the workforce they will require to meet the demand. The industry must engage in the three following activities to address this issue:
The industry must be prepared to look to other countries for skilled workers. • The industry must once again foray into the schools to convince parents, counselors and students that young people can have a rich and rewarding career in the trades, and to encourage young people to pursue trades training. We must work closely with the school system to provide the resources and opportunities they need to get young people interested in becoming carpenters, electricians or other tradespeople. • The industry has to be prepared to work with the trades training institutions to ensure they have the resources and their curriculum continues to reflect the real life demands of our industry. We must constantly be examining our training resources to ensure they remain relevant and efficient, and furthermore are funded at appropriate levels to provide the required skilled workers. •E veryone in construction has to deal with the issue of productivity. Canada’s construction industry does not have a good track record when it comes to productivity. At a skills conference in 2007, one participant once commented to me that the first response to skills shortages was called the industrial revolution. We need to embrace that commitment
to innovation, experimentation and “industrialization” if we are to meet the challenges that lie ahead. The prudent contractor will be looking for ways in which we can be substituting machinery for workers, and ensuring that their workers are fully trained n these devices. Linking back to the previous suggestion, we will need to ensure our trainers are up-todate with new technology and that students have every opportunity to become fully familiar with changing technologies. Finally, the industry must be prepared to look to other countries for skilled workers. BCCA recently attended some trade fairs in Ireland and discovered there is a keen interest among very skilled workers, who cannot find work in Ireland to relocate to B.C. BCCA is developing avenues to tap into this source of skilled labour. We must remember however that, once again, this is a very competitive market as these foreign trained workers are also being aggressively wooed by other countries such Australia and New Zealand. As an industry, we must be prepared to develop our own marketing approaches to ensure we remain in the game. VRCA is excited about the future for construction in B.C. As always we must ensure we plan appropriately and take the necessary steps to have the right people using the right equipment at the right time. The message, especially for young people looking to start their careers is that they will be making a wise decision to pursue that career in construction. Keith Sashaw is president of the Vancouver Regional Construction Association. July/August 2012
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Skills Training
Blended Learning By Melanie Simmons
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elding, electrical and plumbing students at SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary are taking an innovative approach to their apprenticeship thanks to a new flexible training option. SAIT has developed a blended learning apprenticeship program for the three trades. As the name suggests, the blended learning option allows students to complete their theory online over 12 weeks before participating in hands-on lab classes using SAIT’s state-of-the-art facilities over a condensed three week period. The blended learning option was originally launched as a pilot project in September 2011 as a way to address the looming worker shortage — by 2014, Alberta will have to replace an estimated 16 per cent of its construction workforce. The pilot project received such positive feedback from employers and students that it will now be a regular offering at SAIT. Glen Moman, an instructor with the School of Manufacturing and Automation, has been involved with the blended learning apprenticeship program for welders since the beginning. “The regular apprenticeship students usually spend three hours in the shop and three hours in
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theory in a day,” explains Moman. “Through the blended learning option, the apprentices get six hours solid of lab time, which allows them to fine tune the welds a little bit better before class ends.” Many apprentices in the blended learning option choose to keep working and make money, while completing their theory courses online with SAIT. This is something both students and employers are finding extremely beneficial. Student Sandra Ferguson entered the blended learning option at SAIT during her third year of welding and says she was able to complete the theory portion online at her own pace. “People can’t afford to take time off work to go to school and a lot of people simply won’t go to school because of that,” says Ferguson. “By having this online option, you only lose three weeks for the hands-on courses. It’s way more feasible.” Students aren’t the only ones embracing the new apprenticeship model. John Swan, owner of Triple J Mechanical in Calgary, says it’s been a blessing to keep his apprentice on the job. “Time is valuable,” says the journeyman plumber, who has mentored at least a dozen apprentices over his career. “I own a busy, successful business and having my apprentice in the blended
learning program means I lose him for less time. I had a job in Drumheller at the penitentiary and it required a security check. I only had myself and my apprentice approved. If I would have lost him for two months to do his schooling, I would have had to do the job myself.” SAIT’s blended learning apprenticeship programs provide online study resources that are a long way from a standard textbook. Interactive graphics, animations and videos complement reading modules to help make theory easier to understand. Online practice questions prepare apprentices for their training quality standard exams. Moman says his priority is to make sure the students get their journeyman tickets and just because many of the courses are completed online, doesn’t mean he’s not involved and available. “This is blended learning — they have complete contact with our instructors through email, phone, and chat areas built into the actual course itself.” Ferguson agrees and says she always knew support was available to her. “I could learn at my own pace and go over the material more thoroughly without getting overwhelmed. If you’re serious about it — you’ll do well.” SAIT’s blended learning apprenticeship program is being encouraged for students who are self-disciplined and motivated, can set short and medium-term goals and stick to them, and have achieved an average grade of 80 per cent or better in their previous training period. The curriculum content covered in the blended learning option is the same as the full-time, inclass programs, just provided in an online format. Second and third year apprenticeship programs are currently available through the blended learning option for welding, electrical and plumbing. Melanie Simmons is public relations specialist, corporate communications at SAIT. For more information on SAIT’s blended learning programs, visit www.sait.ca.
Complex Opens in August Welding, electrical, and plumbing students at SAIT Polytechnic will be moving into the new Trades and Technology Complex opening in August. The complex opens up 740,000 square feet of new learning space and features state-of-the-art labs and classrooms, engaging social spaces and exciting design choices such as exposed interiors that show off the infrastructure to students. An official public opening will take place Sept. 15.
Skills Training
Red Seal Recognition Heavy Equipment Operator Apprenticeship Program Receiving Red Seal By Parveen Parhar
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n 2005, the BC Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association recognized that its industry workforce, especially heavy equipment operators, were quickly approaching retirement. The association recognized the need to attract and train new workers to the road building and heavy construction industry and began conducting research on the actual needs for training. It was quickly determined that there were no identifiable entry points to start working in the industry. Surprisingly, there were also no recognized training standards or credentials, and no formal career paths to inform someone thinking about the various fulfilling and well-paying opportunities including everything from labourer to supervisor/project manager. The BC Road Builders conducted a great deal of research and worked closely with its member companies as well as the Industry Training Authority (ITA) to create the Road Building and Heavy Construction Foundation Program as an entry point to the industry. “This program orients new recruits to the industry while teaching them to stay safe on heavy construction sites. Although primarily focused on worker safety, the program also provides a general overview of heavy equipment and equipment maintenance, and also covers basic civil engineering principles,” says Jack Davidson, president of the BC Road Builders. As a next step, the BC Road Builders worked closely with ITA to assemble subject matter experts (SMEs) in the field of heavy equipment operation to start the development of a complete heavy equipment operator apprenticeship program. The SMEs spent a year researching and designing the desired competencies that a qualified operator must have, and developed course curriculum, tests and a log book for apprentices to
track the progress they were making in mastering the various competencies. “Both the Road Building and Heavy Construction Foundation Program and Heavy Equipment Operator Program were huge successes,” says Davidson. “We have had hundreds of apprentices successfully complete the programs and find careers in our industry.” The BC Road Builders shared all of the materials that were developed for both programs with their counterpart road builder associations across
By providing the heavy equipment operator program with Red Seal status, it has now become a recognized trade that qualifies for all government support programs. Canada and many of them used the materials in developing their own programs. Heavy Equipment Operator apprentice training leading to journeyperson certification is currently offered in Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Quebec, and B.C. Journeyperson certification alone is available in Nova Scotia and PEI through a challenge process. The programs have become such a great success that now heavy equipment operators across Canada will soon be able to apply for an Interprovincial Red Seal endorsement with the de-
velopment of national standards for the trade. The Red Seal certification process began when the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA), which oversees the administration of Red Seal programs, verified there was sufficient future demand for heavy equipment operators to justify the program. “Given a great number of heavy equipment operators are expected to retire over the next few years, we determined there is a significant need for cross-country mobility of heavy equipment operators,” says Kevin Evans, CEO of the British Columbia Industry Training Authority and B.C.’s representative on the CCDA. With British Columbia acting as the “host” or coordinating province for the HEO trade, subject matter experts from Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Quebec have been working on the project since 2010. Communicating by teleconference, email and video conferencing and at twice-a-year workshops at Red Seal headquarters in Ottawa, the group has assembled a national occupation analysis, which describes the scope of the occupation, and a set of occupational standards. In addition, a national examination is currently under construction which is being reviewed by SMEs from across Canada and is slated to be released in early 2013. The Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program (also known as the Red Seal Program) was established more than 50 years ago to provide greater mobility across Canada for skilled workers. Today it represents a standard of excellence for industry. Through the program, tradespersons are able to obtain a Red Seal endorsement on their provincial/territorial certificates by successfully completing an interprovincial Red Seal examination. The Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program acknowledges the applicant’s competence and ensures recognition of his/her certification throughout Canada without further examination. By providing the heavy equipment operator program with Red Seal status, it has now become a recognized trade that qualifies for all government support programs. “A need was identified by industry, and we are pleased that through hard work and collaboration, we have been successful in developing an effective heavy equipment operator program that is now recognized and transferrable across Canada,” says Evans. Parveen Parhar is communications and membership manager for the BC Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association. The association was formed in 1966 and advocates for the development of a balanced, safe transportation system and highways infrastructure that sustains and promotes provincial economic growth. July/August 2012
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Legal File
Did I Sign Up For That? The Incorporation of a Prime Contract into a Subcontract by Rob DuMerton
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any construction contracts provide for the incorporation of a prime contract into the subcontract to varying degrees. For example, Article 2A of the Canadian Association of Construction’s Stipulated Price Contract between a contractor and subcontractor (CCA 1 2008) says: The requirements, terms and conditions of the Prime Contract as far as they are applicable to this Subcontract, shall be binding upon the Contractor and the Subcontractor as if the word “owner” appearing therein had been changed to “Contractor” and the word “contractor” appearing therein has been changed to “Subcontractor”. In the event of any conflict between the terms of this Subcontract and the Prime Contract, the Prime Contract shall govern.
Further, GC 3.7.1.2 of the Canadian Construction Documents Committee’s stipulated price contract between an owner and a contractor (CCDC 2 2008) requires the Contractor to, “...incorporate the terms and conditions of the Contract Documents into all contracts or written agreements with Subcontractors and Suppliers”. The general rule regarding the incorporation of a prime contract into a subcontract comes from Dynatec Mining Ltd. v. PCL Civil Constructors (Canada) Inc. ([1996] O.J. No. 29), “The extent to which the terms of prime contract have been incorporated by reference into a subcontract is, in every case, a question of construction of the subcontract.” Depending on the terms of the subcontract, disputes can arise over what portions of a 42 construction business
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prime contract have been incorporated by reference into it. Two recent cases have addressed such disputes. In 1510610 Ontario Inc. o/a Central Welding & Iron Works v. Man-Shield (NWO) Construction Inc. and Rainy River District School Board (2011 ONSC 302) (“1510610 Ontario”) the general contractor, Man-Shield (NWO) Construction Inc. (“Man-Shield”), argued a term of the prime
…parties attempting to incorporate prime contracts…into subcontracts need to be clear about what they are incorporating. contract requiring it to post security for liens was incorporated into its subcontract with 1510610 Ontario Inc. o/a Central Welding & Iron Works (“Central”). According to the terms of the prime contract Man-Shield posted $123,751.89 in respect of a lien filed by a sub-trade to Central then brought a motion to require Central to replace the security posted. Man-Shield relied on a contractual clause which required Central to perform all its work, “...in accordance with the terms and conditions of this subcontract and between the Owner and Man-Shield Construction Inc..., dated June 3,
2009 including all the General and Special Conditions, Drawings, Specifications, schedules, addenda and other documents forming or by reference made a part by this Subcontract...” Justice Fitzpatrick of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice decided that the requirement to post security for liens was not incorporated into the subcontract because distinct and specific words are required to incorporate such a significant obligation. Justice Fitzpatrick also relied on the fact that Central had been requested to and had refused to execute a contract containing more precise language requiring it to post security for liens filed by its subcontractors. In Sunny Corner Enterprises Inc. v. Dustex Corporation and Nova Scotia Power Incorporated (2011 NSSC 172) (“Sunny Corner”) Dustex Corporation (“Dustex”) subcontracted with Sunny Corner Enterprises Inc. (“Sunny Corner Inc.”) to supply and install a filter on a coal fired power plant belonging to Nova Scotia Power Incorporated (“NSPI”). Dustex refused to pay Sunny Corner Inc. for allegedly deficient work and Sunny Corner liened the project and started an action to enforce the lien. Dustex applied for an order staying the action because the subcontract incorporated the arbitral provisions in the prime contract. Dustex relied on the language of a purchase order which said the “[s]cope of this work will be as defined in the contract between NSPI and Dustex effective November 14th, 2007(main contract)” to incorporate the arbitral provisions. Chief Justice Kennedy of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court found a general incorporation of the prime contract into the subcontract will not normally include the arbitration clause and that it appears something more than a declaration that the prime contract is “an integral part” of the subcontract is required to incorporate an arbitral provision. Dustex’s application for a stay was not allowed because the language of the purchase order was not specific enough to incorporate the arbitral provision. The lesson to be learned from 1510610 Ontario and Sunny Corner is that parties attempting to incorporate prime contracts, or portions of them, into subcontracts need to be clear about what they are incorporating. It is particularly important to be clear when attempting to incorporate a “significant obligation” or an arbitration clause from a prime contract to a subcontract. Subcontractors being asked to sign contracts should be aware of attempts to incorporate the prime contract into the subcontract or they may find themselves asking, “Did I sign up for that?” Rob DuMerton is a construction lawyer practicing at Jenkins Marzban Logan LLP in Vancouver, B.C.
Legal File
When a Lien Won’t Help By Rebecca Cleary
There are certain types of lands located in British Columbia which cannot be liened.
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ontractors, trades, and workers commonly use the BC Builders Lien Act to protect and secure payment of their work. However, there are certain circumstances when filing a lien won’t help secure payment. It is important to know when to file a lien, and when filing a lien is a wasted effort. In this article, we briefly review some of the exclusions and exceptions in the BC Builder’s Lien Act which indicate when a claim of lien should not be filed and in those circumstances, what other options are available to you.
Exclusions for Certain Types of Land The BC Builders Lien Act applies only to land located in British Columbia. If you are working on a project located outside British Columbia, you cannot file a lien in British Columbia. Each province has its own builders lien legislation and you will have to follow the legislation of the province where the land is located. When working on a project outside of British Columbia, never assume that the same time limits apply and if you are unfamiliar with that province’s lien legislation, obtain legal advice. There are certain types of lands located in British Columbia which cannot be liened. Federal land and federal undertakings that have extraprovincial importance, which usually includes federal government buildings and international airports, cannot be liened. The BC Builders Lien Act, as a piece of provincial legislation, cannot regulate federal lands. Aboriginal land, which is subject to federal jurisdiction, falls into this same category and cannot be liened. The BC Builders Lien Act also prevents liens from being filed against highways (which
includes public streets, roads, trails, bridges, trestles, tunnels, or other “public ways”, and any improvements located on them), forest service roads, as defined by the BC Forest Act, and ferry terminals.
Under the Monetary Limit A claim of lien cannot be filed seeking security for less than $200.
Missing the Time Limits If you are outside the deadline to file a claim of lien, you are out of luck. You must file your claim of lien within 45 days of the first of either the date of issuance of a Certificate of Completion, actual completion of the project, abandonment of the project, termination of the contract, or, when the work is being done on a strata lot, 45 days from when the strata lot is conveyed to the purchaser or is first occupied. Each of these “trigger” dates for filing a lien have been extensively interpreted by the courts. If a claim of lien is not filed within the applicable 45 day deadline, then the right to claim a lien is extinguished. When there is some doubt as to when the clock started running on the 45 day period, it is prudent practice to proceed with filing the claim of lien and to be prepared to quickly remove it if it is later shown that the lien was clearly filed out of time. Further, if the 45 day period has expired, but there are funds retained in a holdback account, then the contractor should consider making a Shimco lien claim. A Shimco lien is a separate and distinct lien against holdback funds, as outlined by the BC Court of Appeal in Shimco Metal Erectors Ltd. v. Design Steel Constructors Ltd.,
2002 BCSC 238, affirmed 2003 BCCA 193. The right of a contractor to claim a Shimco lien is not dependent upon a claim of lien being filed within the applicable time limits.
What To Do When You Cannot Lien If you cannot file a claim of lien, then there are other options available to you to assist in securing or enforcing payment. If you know from the outset of the project that the BC Builders Lien Act will not apply (for example, the project is on federally owned or Aboriginal lands), then ensure that the owner is required to obtain a labour and materials payment bond or negotiate that the owner be required to maintain a holdback account which will provide some measure of security for unpaid accounts. If you discover at the end of the project that you have missed the deadline to file a claim of lien, determine whether there are holdback funds, and if so, then provide notice to the holder of those funds that you are asserting a Shimco lien. Finally, if the unpaid amounts justify the time and expense, you may commence an action to sue the owner and/or general contractor for breach of contract, debt, and unjust enrichment. Unlike an action to enforce a builders lien, which must be brought in Supreme Court, a debt action may be brought in Small Claims Court if the amount at issue is less than $25,000 or you are prepared to reduce the amount of your claim to $25,000. Claims for more than $25,000 must be brought in Supreme Court. Rebecca J. Cleary is an associate and member of the Construction — Engineering practice at Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP. July/August 2012
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Architect Corner
Wood, Water and Air By Nick Bevanda
CEI’s submission for the office building of the future.
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ver the past few years, architects in British Columbia have been exploring opportunities to increase the use of wood in the built environment. There are several reasons for this shift, including strong government support through the Wood First Act and the many environmental benefits of the material, such as its ability to sequester carbon dioxide and the fact that building with wood requires less overall energy than other materials. Plus, it’s visually appealing, providing inherent warmth to interiors and visual interest to exteriors. As a result, members of the design and construction industry are increasingly experimenting with wood products and approaches. When NAIOP, the commercial real estate development association, announced a competition inviting architecture firms to design “the office building of the future,” CEI Architecture, along with a team of engineers, took a bold approach, designing a landmark 40-storey facility predominantly comprised of wood and possessing exceptional energy efficiency. CEI’s submission confronts the debate about how high the industry can build with wood. The firm’s submission proposes a 40-storey wood tower that is iconic in design and attractive for potential tenants, for many reasons. As the firm that designed the groundbreaking Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Technologies at Okanagan College in Penticton, a facility targeting net-zero energy and water use, CEI was able
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to incorporate many innovative measures for environmental sustainability.1 Additionally, CEI was recently selected as the indicative architects to work with Partnerships BC on the Wood Innovation and Design Centre in Prince George, exploring the use of wood outside of traditional building code standards. CEI recognized that such a tall building constructed from 100 per cent wood has height limitations. A smart alternative is to combine wood with other materials in a hybrid fashion, minimizing concrete and steel as the primary support and emphasizing wood for secondary structural systems. With this in mind, the goal was to maximize the use of wood and propose innovative systems as a commitment to environmental sustainability, ultimately delivering comfortable office and work spaces that have lower rental costs, fit-out costs and ongoing operating expenses. The scheme proposes a building footprint of 150 feet by 90 feet, with a central concrete core. Floor decks are made of wood-concrete composite elements that take advantage of the superior tension capacity of wood and the compression capacity of concrete. The choice of composite also has acoustic benefits. Floors are constructed from engineered CREE panels, spanning 30 feet from the core to the perimeter truss. An eastwest axis helps maximize solar gain and control east-west exposure. Exterior sunshades are oriented vertically on the east-west elevations, with horizontal shades on the south that incorporate photovoltaic solar panels. Wood trusses with depths matching the 12inch floor-to-floor heights are efficient structural elements and placed at the perimeter of the building at every alternate floor. The top and bottom chords of the trusses support the floor decks that span from core elements to the perimeter. The ability to support two floors with one trussed level allows the building to have clear span sky garden or sky lobby at chosen levels. The wood trusses are engineered using locally harvested wood; their visual presence contributes to a warm, inspiring work environment and also becomes the primary architectural expression for the building.
Four concrete piers, 30 feet from the end, are strategically positioned at building perimeters to support the wood trusses with cantilevers to achieve further structural efficiency by minimizing internal forces. Reinforced concrete is used for its structural properties of strength, rigidity, ductility and continuity, to resist lateral forces such as earthquakes and wind. The mechanical design would feature a variable air volume (VAV) system. A central air handler provides conditioned air at 12 C to every zone in the building. At the zone level, a VAV box modulates the airflow to control cooling. For perimeter zones, the VAV box also contains a reheat coil that can reheat the supply airstream to provide heating capacity during the heating season. The unique design allows the water and wastewater systems to be configured into four zones of 10 storeys each. Greywater collected from sinks and other non-toilet waste fixtures is piped separately from toilet blackwater and flows by gravity to the floor level of the outdoor decks for drip irrigation of vegetative plantings, such as living walls. These landscape areas consume 100 per cent of the greywater via plant evapotranspiration. In other words, no greywater is discharged to the city’s wastewater system. Occupants get to enjoy lush vegetated areas at each of the 10th floor interval levels — a pleasurable connection with nature. CEI Architecture’s preliminary costing has shown this scheme can be constructed with a five per cent savings over traditionally constructed office buildings, an indication that innovative building approaches featuring substantial, sustainable and smart use of wood is an approach worth considering. Nick Bevanda, Arch. AIBC, MRAIC, AIA, NCARB, is a partner at CEI Architecture. He brings a wide variety of experience both within the public and private sectors. 1
e Case for Tall Wood Buildings, By Michael Th Green, MAIBC, FRAIC
VRCA
2012 VRCA Awards of Excellence Silver Winners Gold winners in each category will be announced at the awards dinner on October 17 at the Vancouver Convention Centre West. Look for full coverage of all the winners in our November/December issue.
Clockwise from top left: Annacis Centre for Research and Education; BC Cancer Agency Centre for the North; VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre; IKEA.
Mechanical over $3 Million
Fort St. John Hospital PML Professional Mechanical Ltd. UBC District Energy System Phase 1 Division 15 Mechanical Ltd. Polson Tower at Vernon Jubilee Hospital Keith Plumbing & Heating Co. Ltd. President’s Trade Awards
BC Hydro Bridge River Townsite Redevelopment Coastal Mountain Excavations Ltd. VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre Structurecraft Builders Ltd. Hotel Georgia M&L Painting Ltd. Chairman’s Trade Awards
General Contractor over $40 Million
IKEA Ledcor Construction Ltd. BC Place Roof Replacement PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc. BC Cancer Agency Centre for the North PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc. Kelowna & Vernon Hospitals P3 Project Graham Design Builders General Contractor $15 — 40 Million
Surrey Central Library Stuart Olson Dominion Construction Ltd. UBC Faculty of Law Building ITC Construction Group River Rock Casino and Resort — Hotel Expansion Graham Construction and Engineering
Electrical Contractor under $2 Million
Thompson Rivers University House of Learning Houle Electric Ltd. VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre Bridge Electric Corp UPS & Distribution Equipment Houle Electric Ltd. Electrical Contractor over $2 Million
IKEA Mott Electric General Partnership Fort St. John Hospital Status Electrical Corporation BC Hydro GMS Units 6-8 F & M Installations Ltd.
General Contractor under 15 Million
Mechanical Contractor under $3 Million
Musqueam Community Centre Syncra Construction Corp Hillcrest Park Legacy Community Centre The Haebler Group Ocean Concrete — Granville Island Plant Dock Replacement Vancouver Pile Driving Ltd
Annacis Centre for Research and Education Dual Mechanical Ltd. Sunridge Gardens Senior Housing Facility Clairmont Mechanical Contracting Ltd. VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre Trotter & Morton Building Technologies
VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre Keith Panel Systems Co. Ltd. Hotel Georgia Bridgewater Tile Ltd. IKEA Whitewater Concrete Ltd. Manufacturer & Supplier
Capilano Cliffwalk Solid Rock Steel Fabricating Co. Ltd. IKEA Ocean Concrete Sustainability
VanDusen Botanical Garden Visitor Centre Ledcor Construction Ltd. University Childcare Centre at SFU Ledcor Construction Ltd. BC Hydro — Bridge River Townsite Redevelopment PCL Constructors Westcoast Inc. HERITAGE restoration
Hotel Georgia Restoration Scott Construction Group Ltd. Honour House Scott Construction Group Ltd. Burns Block — 18 West Hastings ITC Construction Group Innovation
BC Place Soccer Screens Panther Constructors Ltd. July/August 2012
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Industry News
Advertiser Listings Allwest Electric........................................ 21 BCCSA........................................................7 BC Hydro..........................................12 & 13 BFL Canada Insurance Services Inc.........4 Buildex.............................................36 & 37 Eagle West Cranes....................... 11 & OBC Fortis BC...................................................10 Glotman Simpson......................................7 ICBA..........................................................19 ICS Group...................................................8 Langley Concrete Group........................ 29 Levelton................................................... 25 LMS Group.................................................9 McElhanney..............................................27 Metro-Can............................................... 23 Nightingale.............................................. 20 Reliable Equipment . .............................. 22 RCABC....................................................IBC Unitech.................................................... 25
Golfing for Charity LMS Reinforcing Steel Group held its 12th annual charity golf tournament in July at the Nicklaus North Golf Course in Whistler. The industry classic brings together customers, suppliers, volunteers, sponsors and partners for some fun and to support the Canucks Place Children’s Hospice. This year’s tournament theme was “Oscar’s Night” and attendees donned extravagant costumes in keeping with the theme. The tally for this year is still underway (as of press time). The donation will go to the new Abbotsford Canuck Place. To date the LMS Golf Tournament has raised over $1 million for Canucks Place. Jackson Joins Vancouver Brian J. Jackson is the City of Vancouver’s new general manager, planning and development. A UBC graduate, Jackson was most recently the director of development and acting general manager of planning and development for the City of Richmond. He brings 32 years of planning experience in the public and private sector across North America to his new role, which begins on Aug. 27. Mainroad Acquisition Mainroad Group has acquired Vancouver Island based Raylec Power Ltd. Raylec Power is an electrical contractor specializing in construction, complex system installations and a wide range of maintenance services. The acquisition will complement Mainroad Group’s other Vancouver Island based companies including G&E Contracting, Saanich Peninsula Rentals and Mainroad South Island Contracting as well as Lower Mainland based Mainroad Transtronic Services. Mainroad is a diversified group specializing in road and bridge products and services. New SICA COO After a Canada wide executive search, the Southern Interior Construction Association has hired William E. Everitt as its new chief operating officer. Everitt has more than 25 years’ experience in business management, including five years within the construction industry. 46 construction business
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CISC National Winners Three projects in Alberta swept the 2012 CISC National Steel Design Awards. The Bow won the Engineering award; The Art Gallery of Alberta for the Architecture award; and the Dawson Bridge rehabilitation for the Sustainability award. Martin Moves On ACEC-BC executive director Glenn Martin has decided to move on to pursue other career opportunities. She has been in her role for seven years and over those years, has grown the association and raised its profile within the industry. Kate Cockerill has been appointed as the interim executive director. B.C.’s Carbon Tax B.C.’s carbon tax shift has lived up to expectations, reducing fuel use in the province by nearly 15 per cent, according to a report released today by Sustainable Prosperity, a green economy think tank. B.C. now has the lowest per capita fuel use of any province in Canada, passing Ontario, which was consistently ahead of B.C. for low fuel use before the introduction of the carbon tax, according to the study, titled British Columbia’s Carbon Tax Shift: Its Effects after Four Years. The report found that between 2008 and 2011, per capita use of petroleum products, such as gasoline and propane, dropped 15.1% in B. C. During the same period, there was a 1.3% increase in fuel use across the rest of the country.
Ventana.................................................... 23 Wales McLelland..................................... 20 Western One............................................ 34 Wilson M Beck Insurance...................... IFC WorkSafe BC..............................................5
BC Hydro Shortlist BC Hydro has shortlisted three companies to design and construct a replacement for the 65-year-old John Hart generating station on Campbell River. The replacement facility will improve power reliability and seismic safety. The three companies are: Elk Falls Energy Partners, Salmon River Hydro Partners, and SNC-Lavalin Inc. A request for proposals has been issued to the three companies and BC Hydro expects to award the contract in summer 2013 and construction will begin soon after. The project, which is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2018, will create about 400 jobs a year over the five years of construction. GREEN UP The Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) has released GREEN UP, a building performance program for building owners and operators to measure, compare, and improve their real estate portfolios. GREEN UP enables the benchmarking of energy and water use, goal-setting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and helps identify ways to improve the operational and environmental performance of projects across building portfolios. Responding to a clear industry need for a performance-based approach to energy and environmental improvements, the program will offer access to a national repository that includes building performance data for office, multi-family, long-term healthcare, hotel, retail, K-12 school, and government buildings. Visit www.cagbc.org/greenup.
THERE’S A TIME TO COMPARE
ROOF GUARANTEES & THE COVERAGE THEY OFFER
THERE’S ALSO A TIME WHEN
IT’S TOO LATE TO DO SO
The best guarantee is one you’ll likely never need in the first place. And that’s exactly what a RoofStar Guarantee by RGC is all about. It covers all labour, materials and includes a comprehensive inspection schedule (performed by independent, third-party inspectors) at key milestones in a roof’s life. That includes installation — to make sure workmanship and materials are up to par. It also includes inspections at the two-year mark for five-year coverage and the two-, five-, and eight-year mark for ten-year coverage. All of which helps ensure your roofing guarantee lives up to its name. RoofStar: New name. Same great guarantee.
604.882.9734 | RoofStar.ca
ROOFING CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
GUARANTEED. BETTER.
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