EXCA-Drivers, capable of installing both driven and helical
piles with the larger EXCA-Driver 1800, able to drive piles up
to 30 inches in diameter to 60-foot lengths. These units easily
navigate difficult terrain, and are able to switch to operating
as an excavator in less than 30 minutes.
Northstar Sharp’s team can install drilled shafts of any
shape and size – from 300 mm to 3,000 mm in diameter with
end bearing piles up to 3,600 mm and to depths of 50 metres
and more. Geotechnical exploration rigs mounted on low
ground pressure tracked carriers can get to any site to collect
data for the best foundation design.
Building on experience
The expertise of the new Northstar Sharp’s can be seen in just
one example of a complex project successfully undertaken by
the two original companies.
Working on the Eastern Alberta Transmission Line (EATL)
project, a 488-km utility project across the province involving
1,490 steel lattice transmission towers, Sharp’s Construction
Services completed drilled pier construction for almost 1,000
caissons. In addition, the company supplied machinery,
engineering and manpower support for the 1,280 augered
grillages, designing and developing an efficient method of
suspending a grillage into the open shaft before 20 per cent
back filling with concrete. This method provided a solid base
for the tower foundations with enough weight to prevent
structure uplift. In total, the Sharp’s team poured almost
40,000 cubic metres of concrete while dedicated heavy truck
haulers shuffled equipment from one end of the project to
the other. Even the extreme weather conditions of a typical
Alberta year didn’t hold them back, and Sharp’s completed its
part in the project within 14 months.
Northstar also provided its expertise for the EATL project
that came with diverse ground conditions and challenging
environmental obstacles such as archeological sites, sensitive
soil conditions, crop protection and so on. Northstar took
them all in stride, installing approximately 18,000 piles and
3,400 cap assemblies for 760 structures – 7,000 more piles than
in the original scope of work. Despite all these challenges, with
over 150 personnel and nine Junttan piling units, Northstar
completed the project within the original schedule.
Safety before all else
In every project, safety is always paramount. Kevin Sharp has
publicly stated his commitment to making the industry safe.
“The personal health and safety of each employee of
Northstar Sharp’s is of primary importance,” he said. “The
prevention of occupationally induced injuries and illnesses is
of such consequence that it will be given priority over operating
productivity where necessary.”
To achieve this priority, the company is dedicated to a
Health, Safety and Environmental Program that will not only
meet but surpass the best experience of similar operations.
Sharp defines this safety goal in simple terms with no compromise:
“Zero incidents and injuries.”
Northstar Sharp’s Foundation Specialists brings together
the values, skills and dedicated resources of two of the best
Western Canadian piling and drilling companies, moving
forward in its goal to be a leader in the sector and in
the market.
COVER STORY
24 Q2 2017 www.pilingcanada.ca
/www.pilingcanada.ca
/www.pilingcanada.ca
