A light year's worth of advancements
By Vincent Jue and Stephen Wilson
Soilmec brought the first European-style drilling rig to the Canadian underground construction market 15 years ago, in 1998. Today, there are around 325 Soilmec rigs in use across Canada. Some people might call us “pioneers,” but we simply consider ourselves to be the deliverers of the best available technology to our customers.
We've introduced several new construction technologies to the Canadian market, such as continuous flight auger (CFA) for drilled shafts, cased secant piles (CSP) for diaphragm walls and other full-cased methods of drilling. When Soilmec entered the Canadian market in 1998, most drilling companies were still using old-style telescoping casing to hold open their holes. Today, using these innovative technologies, our customers have improved productivity and gained a competitive edge in bidding and building.
Faster results, complete coverage, ease of testing and information on cage alignment are just some of the advantages of the new Thermal Integrity Profiler
By Lisa Kopochinski
Living up to its sophisticated name, the Thermal Integrity Profiler (TIP) is embodying a new, temperature-based technology for concrete foundation integrity testing.
The latest development of Pile Dynamics, Inc. (PDI), in partnership with Foundation & Geotechnical Engingeering (FGE), the TIP offers a unique approach in that it uses measurements of the heat generated by curing cement to evaluate the integrity of cast-in-place concrete foundations. (Regions that are colder than expected are indicative of necks or inclusions - a cross-sectional area smaller than intended for the shaft. Regions that are warmer than anticipated indicate bulges - an excess of concrete in a particular location.)
“The heat generated by curing concrete had never before been used to assess the quality and shape of cast-in-place concrete foundations,” explained Gina Beim, P.E., a senior consulting engineer and marketing director with PDI. “Measurements may be taken by a probe inserted into access tubes pre-installed in the shaft or by Thermal Wire® cables attached to the reinforcing cage.”
It’s Time to Act! Preventing Exposure to Carcinogens in the Workplace
The Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) published a quick and easy guide to cancer prevention in the workplace in October.
The brochure, Are there carcinogens in your workplace? It's time to act!, is intended for OHS officers, employers and workers. The Canadian Cancer Society, which is dedicated to prevention, has welcomed its publication.
Developing occupational cancer is a real risk that is often trivialized, as was too long the case with tobacco, partly due to the fact that it may take 10 to 40 years between exposure to a carcinogen and diagnosis of an illness. The brochure, based on the most up-to-date scientific knowledge available, helps identify carcinogens in the workplace, provides examples of preventive measures and best practices for controlling exposure, and proposes a model action plan for eliminating or reducing exposure.
CenturyVallen Now Offering North America’s First “Green” Hard Hat
V-Gard® GREEN hard hat made from sugarcane reduces environmental impact
CenturyVallen, a national supplier of safety and industrial MRO products and services, is excited to announce that it is now selling the world's first “green” protective hard hat manufactured from sugarcane.
Selix Equipment Inc. Commits to Improved Customer Service in Ontario
Selix Equipment Inc., the Sandvik Rock Drill dealer for Ontario and the distributor for Mc Drill Technology, makers of multipurpose construction drills and large piling drill rigs, would like to announce that John Cantin has joined the Selix team as territory sales manager for central, southern and south-western Ontario.
Junttan’s First Purpose-Built Piling Rig PM20 Reaches 30-Year Anniversary
Junttan's first ten piling rigs were built on excavators during the period 1979-1983. The excavator-based piling rig was and still is a compromise in many ways, but it was rather efficient compared to standards at the time. Compared to a purpose-built piling rig, the excavator-based rig had many operational restrictions in areas like pile handling, hydraulic output and stability, partly because of the dimensions of the machine and partly because of the basic structure. The transportation dimensions were quite large; the machine was tall and the tracks had to be wide to achieve adequate stability.
To eliminate these difficulties, Junttan ended up building its first purpose-built fully hydraulic pile driving rig, PM20. The new rig had a telescopic leader with side inclination cylinders that made it more stable than ever to accomplish the most demanding piling jobs. The PM20 had a hydraulic system that was optimized for the hammer and produced enough energy to run all the required functions simultaneously. This meant maximized working efficiency, which was a huge upgrade to the excavator-based rig. The new rig had hydraulically extendable tracks that brought a new level of stability to working conditions and also reduced the transportation width significantly. Another factor that minimized the transportation dimensions was the structure of the upper carriage frame that was open from the middle. In addition to the telescopic leader, horizontal boom and a movable counterweight, the PM20 had pile arms that made pile handling easier and more efficient than ever. The purpose-built rig didn't need any other machines on the job; it could easily unload the piles, haul them and lift them securely up to the hammer with its telescopic leader and winches. As a final touch, the ergonomics in the cabin were tested with wooden and cardboard mockups to make it unprecedentedly strong to protect the driver in accident situations.
A financial safeguard for builders
By Dean G. Giles, Fillmore Riley LLP
Many construction projects proceed without incident. Unfortunately, experience shows that damage can occur during construction, leading to significant repair or replacement costs. Builder's risk insurance is specifically designed to indemnify against property loss to buildings and structures while they are under construction.
In the leading case of Commonwealth Construction Company v. Imperial Oil Limited, the Supreme Court of Canada described the function of builder's risk insurance (also known as course of construction insurance) as follows:
Burnaby-based Traxxon Rock Drills has earned an excellent reputation for building tough and innovative equipment, and for selling and supporting quality products from other manufacturers
By Kelly Gray
When you build and support equipment for use in the wilds of British Columbia, you make it strong and you build in innovation and performance. This is what the founder of Traxxon, Mike Horvat, did in the early 1960s. Today, Traxxon has carried on this tradition with a full line of drilling equipment, components and accessories that are among the best in the industry.
The early days saw the company solely focused on the coastal forest industry. This is when they converted WW2 Sherman army tanks into mobile drilling equipment called tank drills, allowing mobility in the rugged coastal mountain terrain. It's also where they came up with their innovative 360-degree positioner allowing drilling at virtually any angle.
The tradition of building rugged and innovative equipment for Traxxon's expanding customer base carried on with Steve Cross taking over the business from Horvat in the 90s. Cross, who had started working with Horvat early in his career, was able to take the company to the next level of innovation with his team, designing an excavator mounted drill attachment - the TR-EX. Highly successful in Western Canada, the TR-EX has proven itself in both forestry and construction, and it has also been sold to customers around the world.
Stepping Into the Global Arena
By Margaret Anne Fehr
For the piling division of the North American Construction Group (NACG), 2013 proved to be a year of re-invention as the 30-year-old Canadian company became Keller Canada, a division of Keller Group Plc. (KGP), the world's largest ground engineering company, headquartered in L`ondon, England.
“In July 2013, the deal was officially sealed as we were acquired by KGP,” said Bernie Robert, president of Keller Canada. “As a leader in piling, our team has more than 30 years of experience in a variety of climates and soil conditions across Canada, and we have a full range of piling technologies. Now we are connected internationally, and will continue to be at the forefront of the industry.”
[ VIEW PHOTO GALLERY ]
The Sir Ambrose Shea lift bridge replacement is one of dozens of bridge projects on "The Rock"
By Heather Hudson
To everything there is a season, including bridges. Many of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador's 1,134 bridge and culvert structures are at the end of their service life, having aged upwards of 50 years in some cases.
As a result, Newfoundland is in the midst of an infrastructure makeover.
The province's 2013 budget allotted $866 million on infrastructure projects, including more than $32 million on bridge repair, rehabilitation and replacements.
“Not unlike the rest of the country, we face the challenge of aging infrastructure,” said Department of Transportation and Works Minister Nick McGrath. “Through investments such as these, we will ensure that the bridge infrastructure is maintained at an acceptable standard in terms of safety and comfort for the people who use them.”
In the past four years, the province has awarded contracts valued at $107 million for bridge replacement and rehabilitation projects.
Eighteen bridge repair and replacement projects are being tendered in 2013-14, but none are more extensive than the $40.6-million contract to replace the Sir Ambrose Shea lift bridge in Placentia, N.F. The project also received $8 million in federal funding.
The project combines the expertise and labour of designers and pile drivers from across the country.
Designed by engineering, planning, management and technology firm Delcan, the construction was awarded to H.J. O'Connell Construction Ltd., which is completing the project jointly with Vancouver Pile Driving Ltd.
Work began in May 2013 and is expected to be complete in the spring of 2016.
A bridge well travelledThe Sir Ambrose Shea lift bridge is the only one of its kind in Newfoundland and Labrador. A well-travelled thorough-fare, it connects the amalgamated town of Placentia, which is comprised of the communities of Placentia, Jerseyside, Freshwater and Dunville. The bridge is raised for vessels approximately 2,500 times a year, mostly to allow commercial fishing vessels to enter the sheltered harbour and dock.
[ VIEW PHOTO GALLERY ]
{fastsocialshare}
It was built in 1961 to replace a ferry service and had an anticipated 45-year life span. According to Delcan senior structural engineer Jack Ajrab, who worked on the design of the new bridge, the original three-span has held up well, but 50 years of harsh conditions have taken a toll.
“It reached the point where maintaining it would cost as much as replacing it. In the 1950s and '60s, bridges were designed for a lifespan of 50 years. Today, we design for 75 or 100 years, so we're looking at more durability.”
When designing the replacement, Delcan considered the basic functionality of the bridge. The three-span, steel girder bridge featured two towers, each with a visible machine room that housed all mechanical and electrical equipment at full height. Four counterweights in each of the towers were activated using mechanical components to lift the bridge when the counter weights went down. The basic mechanics and overall look of the new bridge will remain the same.
“The new bridge is functionally similar to the original, in that the centre span lifts vertically. However, the new bridge shape with the four-tower design terminating with tubular member resembles the masts of the fishing boats, which will blend into the local fishing community,” said Ajrab.
The superstructure's tubular design is also expected to be easier to maintain, more durable and, with a good coating, will be impervious to rust for many years.
ConstructionOnce the design was finalized, crews from a joint venture between H.J. O'Connell Ltd. and Vancouver Pile Driving Ltd. went to work mobilizing the site and demolishing existing boat buildings and houses. Two temporary trestles - one north, one south - were erected to access the centre piers and allow workers to maneuver a 150-ton crane to do the piling, concrete work and install the structural steel.
The piling component is a huge part of the job and, with semidiurnal tides (two highs and two lows at the same height every day) to work around, it's not without its challenges.
“The tide goes out at a rate of up to eight knots, stays slack for about 30 minutes and then comes back at eight knots,” explained Clancy Lannon, project manager for Vancouver Pile Ltd.
“We do certain things on the slack tide, like placing riprap when the tide stops going out and before it comes in. And we stage work, such as sheet pile installation around the tides. When the tide is going out, you work in that direction and vice versa. It's very challenging, but that's how marine construction is.”
A bigger - and less anticipated - issue has been high winds. The construction is crane-dependent for virtually everything done on the site.
“We have to boom down if winds are above 70 kph, which has happened quite a few times,” said Lannon. “In fact, this has been one of the worst winters for wind in memory.”
[ VIEW PHOTO GALLERY ]
{fastsocialshare}
The abutments and piers are founded on pipe piles driven to a depth of about 30 metres. Lannon explains the process:
“Steel sheet pile cofferdams are installed at each location. Pipe piles are driven inside the cofferdam to the design depth. We then place concrete under water using the tremie method. The thickness of the tremied concrete seal varies from 3.9 metres on the South Pier to 6.9 metres on the North Pier. Then the cofferdams are dewatered, pilings are cut off and filled with concrete, the footing is poured and the bridge shafts installed, at which point it's ready for structural steel.”
In the tender, Delcan offered two design choices when it came to driving piles: a shallow foundation system with massive concrete footing on the ocean floor, which would include excavation and putting piers on competent soils, or driving piles to reach the competent layer and getting supported there.
Lannon says there was no question that the latter option would be more practical and economically feasible despite the soil that featured less than ideal piling conditions.
“I grew up in this area and they don't call it the Rock for nothing. However, on this site, the Department of Transportation and Works drilled down 70 metres and the soil got looser with depth, so driving the piles upwards of 20 to 30 metres worked. Pile driving analysis is done on selected piles to make sure they have the capacity to support the design loads.”
Another Delcan design choice concerned the structure: a conventional steel girder design or concrete precast boxes beside girders. Lannon says that one came down to a commercial decision: the steel girder design was considerably cheaper to build.
On taskWith a crew of about 15 working on the piling, as of February 2014 the south abutment cofferdam and piles were in place and the south pier and abutment was expected to be complete before spring. The north side construction is under way.
Once the civil work is complete in the spring, the structural steel will be put into place and the mechanical and electrical portions of the bridge will begin. A concrete control house will also be erected for bridge operators to use in daily operations.
“The landscape will look much like it is right now. There will be some scour protection in place around the abutments and the north side will have a steel sheet pile sea wall replacing the wooden crib wall, but otherwise there won't be much difference. However, I think the new bridge will be more aesthetically pleasing.”
Lannon says the new bridge will be complete in 2015 and the old bridge tear down will be finished in 2016.
With multiple other bridge projects happening across the province, one thing is for sure: getting around is going to be a lot smoother in the years ahead.
[ VIEW PHOTO GALLERY ]
{fastsocialshare}
[ VIEW PHOTO GALLERY ]
Bermingham contributes to the construction of a culture-boosting art gallery in Saskatchewan
By Vanessa Kunderman
Saskatoon has always been a can-do city. In the 70s, when Saskatoon wanted to host the Canada Winter Games, the flat prairie province didn't even shudder at the thought of building a mountain for skiing.
When the idea for an agrarian-inspired world-class art gallery came across the desks of city council, the Remai Art Gallery was an unquestionable new project.
Saskatoon has always had strong cultural interest; the orchestra, theatre and street festivals are just small blades in this province's massive crop of culture, and according to www.remai.ca, “74 per cent say Saskatoon's growing city needs a cultural facility.”
Thanks to the Energy Boom from recent years, Saskatchewan's population has tipped over the one million mark, with most of the inhabitants flocking to Saskatchewan's largest city, Saskatoon. The booming population has further increased the province's lust for the arts, even more so than its colourful history.
Named for Saskatchewan philanthropist, Ellen Remai, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certified Gallery is a piece of architectural art, itself. With high-performance, eco-friendliness and sustainability at its core, the gallery has already accumulated architectural awards.
Worker mobility and retirements will affect construction industries for Canada's East Coast
Submitted by BuildForce Canada
As opportunities arise in other locations and the Baby Boomer generation inches closer to retirement, many industries are facing an impending labour shortage in the coming years. In February
2014, BuildForce Canada released the 2014-2023 Construction and Maintenance Looking Forward forecast, and shared findings about the construction industries in our East Coast provinces - New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador - with Piling Canada.
As a skilled labour shortage looms on the horizon, now is the time for Canadians in the construction industry to implement plans to recruit, train and retain workers. For more information, turn to the HR Department column starting on page 71 of this issue of Piling Canada, and read Barbara Bowes' advice on how to help your business pull through by making sure you put your people first.
About Us
Piling Canada is the premier national voice for the Canadian deep foundation construction industry. Each issue is dedicated to providing readers with current and informative editorial, including project updates, company profiles, technological advancements, safety news, environmental information, HR advice, pertinent legal issues and more.
