INDUSTRY PROFILE
he said. “I truly believe it will become
a standard that will be required if you
want to bid on projects and be on
these guys’ sites.
“In western Canada we are being
proactive and are driving the ship
when it comes to certification. This is a
very different approach than the certification
process in Ontario, where it’s
being pushed by government.”
What’s new in the Western
Canadian Chapter of ADSC
The Western Canadian Chapter is
relatively new to the American-based
ADSC, which was formed in 1957.
Brenda Caron from Control Chemical
Corp. initiated the incorporation of
the Western Canadian Chapter as a
non-profit organization. The first organizational
meeting was in October
2012, the first education seminar was
in February 2013 and the first Western
Canadian AGM was in May of 2013.
“We felt that Western Canada
needed a chapter to deal with our localized
issues as they relate to drilled shaft
foundations, micropiles and anchored
earth retention systems. We do pile driving
and all sorts of other foundations
and are getting pushed to look at more
of them, but those three disciplines are
our foundation,” said Sharp, who is the
current president of the chapter.
Membership is comprised of contractors
and suppliers in the industry.
The chapter’s mandate is to foster
growth in the three disciplines and
educate and inform engineers and
owners on the advantages of what the
industry has to offer.
Typically, the chapter holds one
safety seminar each year in September
in the greater Edmonton area, an
education seminar in February in the
Calgary area and an AGM which features
keynote speakers in May in the
Victoria or Vancouver areas.
“We try to move it around, but it
seems like most of us are in Alberta or
B.C.,” said Sharp.
Currently, the chapter has approximately
50 members. Along with the
NAIT contract to build a drill rig operators
education program, they’re also
in talks with the Canadian Standards
Association (CSA) to begin developing
a CSA standard for the safe installation
of drilled shafts.
Sharp says they are always looking
for new members. Benefits include
networking opportunities, access
to the national organization technical
libraries, seminars, training and
more.
“Membership opens you up to training
and information programs here
and in the U.S. and offers resources
available at a national level,” he said.
“I’ve found that being in a trade organization
with your peers is beneficial.”
54 Q4 2015 www.pilingcanada.ca
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