Changing  the Game

IFS Equipment Ltd.'s introduction of “The Game Changer” is set to revolutionize the future of piling rigs Submitted by Innovative Foundation Solutions Equipment Ltd. There has got to be a better way to do it,” is the thought process of many companies in the foundation business, but for Jason Linley of JD Piling Ltd., it's a thought that never quite leaves him. As president of a mid-size piling company located in British Columbia for over 25 years, the idea hits home a little harder.

Choosing Safer Fluids for Marine Projects

Help protect both the environment and workers by selecting the safest products on the market By Dr. Larry Beaver, RSC Chemical Solutions We all want to be safe. Safety regulators want us and our employees to return safely home from a day's work. Both governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) press for more regulations that mandate less environmental impact as we operate pile driving equipment in marine or estuarine environments.

Foundation Deal

Equipment Sales & Service expands its product depth and market coverage with the purchase of Selix Equipment By Mark Halsall Founded in 1946 and now in its third generation as a thriving family-owned business, Equipment Sales & Service Limited (ESS) is one of the country's most long-standing and established heavy equipment companies. Its extensive presence in Canada's construction market has grown even larger with the recent purchase of Selix Equipment Inc.

High Productivity Pile Driving

New equipment helps Alva Construction drastically cut time to complete project component By Kim Biggar As part of a project to replace a deteriorated wharf at the Little Dover small-craft harbour in Guysborough County, N.S., Alva Construction was required to install 272 fender piles. This work was undertaken upon completion of construction of a new hybrid cribwork and timber pile fishing wharf with a cast-in-place concrete deck, as one of the final components

Drilling Deep: Leaside Station

Deep Foundations Contractors recently drilled one of the deepest large-diameter caissons ever installed in Ontario for the Crosstown Light Rail Transit Project

Stone Columns

Doublestar Drilling helps PCL Construction reduce high-volume traffic in Saskatoon Supplied by Doublestar Drilling Doublestar Drilling was awarded the City of Saskatoon Interchange, Stone Columns Project by PCL Construction. These interchanges will help reduce the current high-volume traffic in these areas. Several alternatives were evaluated during project pursuit and the design team ultimately elected to proceed with the embankment stabilization through the use of compacted stone columns.

On the Ice

Building a water intake structure on a remote Alberta river during winter provided some interesting challenges for construction crews from Formula Contractors Ltd. By Mark Halsall Deep foundation work, when it's done in isolated northern locations in the deepest cold of harsh Canadian winters, can be an ordeal. Sometimes, though, it can be even more challenging when the weather isn't cold enough. That was the case for the Little Smokey River Water Intake Project near Fox Lake, Alta.

The University of Saskatchewan’s Collaborative Science Research Building

Innovative Piling Solutions tackled a project that was tight on both time and space, devising a customized piling solution that met construction deadlines despite the intervention of Old Man Winter By Lisa Gordon Time. It's the one ingredient that was extremely scarce during the foundation construction phase for the University of Saskatchewan's cutting edge Collaborative Science Research Building (CSRB). In fact, the timeline for constructing the foundation of the $63 million, 91,000-square-foot research facility in the fall of 2016 was so tight that construction meetings were held every 12 hours to ensure the work stayed on track.

Windermere Condo Remediation

As the only Saskatchewan company capable of extensive high capacity structural remediation, Innovative Piling Solutions used its expertise to salvage a condo building that was sinking fast By Lisa Gordon Fortunately, complete engineering failures are rare in the construction world. But when they do happen, the best remediation plans often call for an innovative approach that identifies how to fix structural problems as efficiently and cost effectively as possible.

Non-destructive Testing for Integrity Testing of Concrete Piles

Shedding light on the hidden parts of concrete piles By Farid Moradi and Hamed Layssi, FPrimeC Solutions Inc. The inspection and evaluation of concrete piles and deep foundations are often challenging, mainly because these elements are not easily accessible for visual inspection. The process of quality control and quality assurance for this group of elements is very much through indirect measurement of other parameters, such as resistance of a pile to driving or drilling.

Weed in the Workplace

What employers need to know to prevent their workplaces from going to pot By Jenna R. Seavers, Fillmore Riley LLP With the imminent legalization of marijuana, some employers in the construction industry worry their workplace cultures - and safety in particular - will go to pot, so to speak. Before the legalization takes effect, it is important employers get all the facts about the law and learn how they can create policies that will help maintain a safe workplace.

Dispute Resolution Clauses Can’t Be Ignored

Proceed with caution! By Steven Z. Raber It is not uncommon to find dispute resolution clauses in contracts of all kinds. They often lurk towards the end of commercial contracts, or in the “fine print” of consumer agreements. Many folks do not give them much, if any, notice until it's too late.

Challenges accepted

Heavy Metal Marine is a Vancouver Island company with a lot of local experience and a wealth of resources to bring to projects on the West coast By Kelly Gray Brian Freethy and his business partner, Ashley Williams, enjoy a good challenge. The pair own and operate Victoria-based Heavy Metal Marine, a company they started right after finishing high school. The company, named after a small tug that Williams and his father had built, has grown its marine construction capabilities since starting in 2004 with the construction of a private pier near Sydney, B.C. Today, Heavy Metal Marine has become a Vancouver Island “go to” company for a full range of marine services and solutions, from wharfs and breakwaters to boardwalks and ferry terminals.

Ocean Building

Island Marine Construction Services Ltd. is B.C.'s Gulf Island's premier custom dock builder By Lisa Gordon At Island Marine Construction Services Ltd., they like a good challenge. That's a good thing, because as the premier custom dock builder in the British Columbia Gulf Islands, they're in the business of solving problems.

Amphibex Responds to Market

Norm Grant and his family manufacture portable dredges named Amphibex that have many functions and are sold all over the world. The company, Normrock Industries, is based on innovation and constant response to what the market needs. By Judith Powers Norman Grant says he was “born between a piston and a crank shaft.” The fifth child in a family of 12, and the oldest boy, Grant was born in the Matane area of Quebec and raised in Ville D'Anjou in eastern Montreal. His father was a mechanic, and Grant spent his childhood years in mechanical pursuits, which became his trade when he reached working age.

Match Made in Heaven

Two family businesses come together to create one powerhouse, PRECO-MSE By Heather Hudson Two leading family businesses have merged - and expect to become a powerhouse in deep foundation and drilling across Canada. In October 2017, PRECO Foundations, a division of Roxboro, and the companies of MSE Group, including ICANDA Corporation, Forage MSE and the Toronto subsidiary MSE Drilling & Grouting, merged to create PRECO-MSE.

WEDA Provides Dredging Forum

After 40 years, the Western Dredging Association is continuing its mission of providing technical papers, exchanging of ideas and meeting places for the dredging industry in the Americas By Judith Powers The Western Dredging Association (WEDA)'s mission is to promote the exchange of knowledge in fields related to dredging, navigation, hydrographic surveying and marine engineering and construction, and to provide the opportunity for dredging professionals to meet and exchange knowledge on all topics.

Success Under Water

If it's under water, Midco Diving & Marine Services Inc. wants to look at it By Jess Campbell When you're facing unknown territory or a significant challenge - in life, in your career or in your industry - there's usually a right way and a wrong way to approach it. Robert Greenspan, owner and president of Midco Diving & Marine Services Incorporated in Rapid City, S.D., has made it his mission to service his clients and build his business the right way - and it appears to be working for him.