Drilling the Undrillable

M. Johnston Construction, Ltd. always comes up with something to win the job By Barb Feldman M. Johnston Construction Ltd. is an industrial and civil contractor specializing in pile driving and foundation construction, bridge construction, maintenance and repair, bridge and mat rentals, industrial steel installation and removal, resource roads and industrial site work. The company is based in Cranbrook, B.C., with a yard in nearby Galloway and a separate avalanche consulting division in Squamish, B.C. A proactive approach to environmental protectionThe family-run business was begun by Mike Johnston and incorporated in 1978. “Today, a number of employees are also shareholders,” said engineer Monte Johnston, Mike's son, who began driving a backhoe as a teenager for his family's company more than a decade ago. The company employs seven people full-time as project managers, supervisors and operators and relies on a core of up to 25 seasonal workers, providing a wide range of services, from small bridge repairs to multi-million dollar contracts, to clients across British Columbia and in Alberta, Saskatchewan, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories. Many projects are located in remote or rural locations, says Johnston, and most are in environmentally sensitive areas, often near fish-bearing creeks and rivers. Environmental professionals are called upon as needed to develop job-specific construction environmental management plans and to provide onsite assistance, and the company takes a proactive approach to environmental protection and has never had a major environmental incident.

Safety People First

As a leader in Canada's foundation contracting industry, Deep Foundations installs all major types of piles, but its strength has always been its people

Rebuilding a B.C. Bridge

Construction Drilling Inc. builds the foundation for the new Johnson Street Bridge in Victoria, B.C.

Connecting to a Global Market

The ins and outs of buying and selling used heavy construction equipment online By Judy Penz Sheluk There was a time, not so long ago, when the only viable options for buying and selling used heavy construction equipment were onsite auctions and print ads. No longer. Today, online resources are gaining in popularity, and in a big way. Mascus International BV: Online international marketplace Started in 2000, Mascus International BV is headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where more than 100 employees represent 29 nationalities. The company has 58 offices worldwide, including Mascus Canada Inc., a license holder located in Toronto, Ont. “We went with the license holder model seven years ago because it offered Mascus the opportunity to grow both locally and globally,” said Tim Scholte, CEO. “You can find Mascus in Europe, Australia, Africa, Asia and North America. This is especially important today, when much of the equipment sold doesn't remain in the country of the seller.” Scholte compared the Mascus website to Craigslist, albeit for used equipment in seven major categories: agriculture, construction and mining, trucks and trailers, material handling, groundscare, forestry and spare parts. Within each category are several sub-categories. For example, under the master heading “Construction and Mining” is a sub-category of “Piling Equipment,” which is in turn broken down into additional categories, including piling rigs, accessories, hydraulic pile hammers, vibratory pile drivers and rotary drilling heads.

Creative Pultrusions, Inc. Hires Ted Harris as Market Development Engineer

Creative Pultrusions, Inc. (CPI) welcomed Ted Harris on March 17, 2014. Ted has over 25 years of product design, development and engineering experience in manufacturing. He also has extensive experience working in sales, marketing and business development. He has a degree in aerospace engineering and is a registered professional engineer in mechanical engineering in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Harris joins CPI as market development engineer, and will be responsible for marketing the TRANSONITE® Panel Product Line.

Hercules Machinery Brings Renowned HPM Drilling Equipment to North America

Hercules Machinery Corporation (HMC), a manufacturer and supplier of foundation equipment, is now partnering with HPM, Srl as the exclusive dealer for HPM foundation drills in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. HPM, which manufactures drill mast assemblies that are mounted exclusively on Caterpillar chassis, is owned by preeminent drill designer Giuseppe Cartechini, whose designs can be found all over the world. Built with high-strength materials, HPM foundation drills provide excellent stability without the need for a large base, providing high performance and value. “I design every drill to be as safe, efficient and reliable as possible with exceptional visibility and straightforward controls for smooth, precise operation and excellent maneuverability,” said Cartechini. HMC imports the mast assemblies from Italy and purchases the Caterpillar chassis from Caterpillar OEM solutions, which means all assembly takes place in the U.S. HMC now has HPM200 and HPM250 units in stock and ready for rent or sale at its locations in Fort Wayne, Ind. and Rocklin, Calif. “This is truly an exciting time at Hercules as we partner with one of the greatest drill designers of all time, Giuseppe Cartechini, and HPM,” said Justin Reed, vice president of Hercules Machinery Corporation. “With this partnership, we can now offer our customers foundation drills that are unsurpassed in strength and quality, all at a competitive price.” About Hercules Machinery CorporationEstablished in Fort Wayne in 1964, HMC manufacturers, wholesales and leases foundation construction equipment such as pile driving hammers and deep foundation-related machinery. Additionally, HMC offers custom contract engineering, prototyping and CNC services for its customer base. HMC has recently expanded its product mix in order to serve the alternative energy construction segment. HMC is realizing tremendous success with its Sonic SideGrip® vibratory pile driver - a piece of equipment that is revolutionizing the way contractors drive steel sheet pile, H-beam and pipe pile. For more information, visit https://hmc-us.com/. {fastsocialshare}

Barker Ross Expands to Supply Piling Specialists Globally

Due to the continued success of its piling and geotechnical operation in the UK, Barker Ross is expanding to supply piling specialists globally. “We are recognized as the leading recruitment company for piling and geotechnical positions, with top to bottom coverage in the UK,” said Billy Berridge, head of the Barker Ross piling division. “Now we are confident we can use our expertise to develop a truly global network of piling specialists and fill roles in markets which are currently experiencing a boom, such as Canada, Europe and the Middle East.” Antony Rowe, managing director of Barker Ross Recruitment, further explains. “This is an area we have had a great deal of success in as we have really focused on it. Getting to know both candidates and client companies really well means we can be the first in line to fill both temporary and permanent vacancies.” The piling and geotechnical sector has seen significant skills shortages, particularly as activity in civil engineering increases, due to a lack of dedicated training in the industry overall. “There are perhaps only two to three thousand skilled piling operatives in the UK and most are in the later stages of their career,” said Berridge. “As a result, demand continues to outstrip supply, and this will only get worse as experienced pilers retire. To help alleviate the shortage, we have - for some time now - been offering to meet the cost of certification for those with the right skills but lacking current documents to enable them to work in the industry. In addition, developing our network globally will also help us fill positions more easily in all markets, as we can draw from a larger base of candidates.” {fastsocialshare}

BAUER Manufacturing Inc. Earns ISO and API Certification

Located in Conroe, Texas, BAUER Manufacturing Inc. - the BAUER Group's production hub in the Americas - met the requirements for International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2008 and American Petroleum Institute (API) Specification Q1 for the manufacture, service, repair and re-manufacture of drilling rigs and related accessories, and is now officially ISO and API certified. ISO 9001:2008 quality management system certification recognizes effective implementation of documentation and records management; management's commitment to customers; establishment of clear policies; effective planning and implementation and strong resource management; efficient process control, measurement and analysis; and continuous improvement. As an API Spec Q1 registered organization, BAUER Manufacturing Inc. emphasizes to its customers that it will meet or exceed industry standards. “BAUER Manufacturing Inc. considers total customer satisfaction and production of consistently high-quality products essential for its business. Our attention to quality, customer service and our dedicated and skilled work force will support BAUER Manufacturing Inc. in the construction sector, and [allow us] to become a reliable provider of superior products and services to the oil and gas industry,” said BAUER Manufacturing's CEO, Thomas Jarboe. {fastsocialshare}

Independence Tube Achieves ISO 9001:2008 Certification

Independence Tube Corporation is proud to announce it has achieved ISO 9001:2008 certification at their manufacturing divisions in Chicago and Marseilles, Ill. and Decatur, Ala. through registrar SAI Global. The road to ISO 9001:2008 certification for Independence Tube included divisional initial assessments and gap analyses, Quality Management Systems, Document Management Systems and Corrective and Preventative Action Systems development, internal audits, management system reviews and closure of all divisional quality system corrective actions, prior to registration audits at each division with SAI Global. The ISO 9001:2008 certification recognizes that the policies, practices and procedures of our company ensure consistent quality in the product and services we provide. Clients can be confident Independence Tube is dedicated to maintaining the highest efficiency and responsiveness in achieving our ultimate goal - guaranteed client satisfaction.=

Hammer & Steel, Inc. Provides Steel Sheet Piling for Construction of New SMART System

Keeping in line with California's penchant for exceptional public transportation systems, the counties of Sonoma and Marin have begun joint construction of an area transit system, and Hammer & Steel, Inc. has been commissioned for providing steel sheet piling for the job. Labeled SMART (Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit), phase I of the project calls for the replacement of sixty 100-year-old rail lines from Santa Rosa to San Rafael, to be completed by 2016. Part of the project requires the construction of a new bridge across the Petaluma River. For the bridge portion of the project, C.C. Myers and Ghilotti Brothers formed a joint venture and were awarded the work. Over 325 tons of steel sheet piling were used for the con- struction of two temporary cofferdams, combining PZC 18, PZC 26 and PZ 35 to finish the job. The first cofferdam will be in place for approximately one year, with the second cofferdam staying in place for two years.

Bermingham Contributes Construction and Equipment Expertise to Wheatstone LNG Project in Western Australia

Wheatstone LNG is a liquefied natural gas plant under construction in the Ashburton North Strategic Industrial Area and is located 7.5 miles west of Onslow, Western Australia, expected to cost US$29.7 billion. The LNG liquefaction and export plant will have an annual capacity of 15 million tonnes of LNG. Bechtel Oil & Gas Chemicals Inc. is undertaking the design of the onshore gas plant, and awarded the design and construction of the LNG storage and condensate tanks to EVT, a joint venture between Entrepose Contracting, VINCI Construction Grand Projects and Thiess. EVT contracted the deep foundation works for the two LNG storage tanks to Menard Bachy Pty. Ltd., while MBPL sought out Bermingham's expertise in pile driving equipment and construction. Bermingham provided three systems of 33-meter L23 VTL with a B64 diesel hammer mounted on three different cranes. Along with renting the three pile driving systems, Bermingham provided key personnel to help start the job, train MBPL employees and service the systems.

APPLE VIII Set to Impact Deep Foundation Industry

Over the course of the past several years, GRL Engineers, Inc. (GRL) has introduced a series of six “APPLE” drop hammers. The devices are used in dynamic load testing of any type of deep foundation (ASTM D4945 Standard Test Method for High- Strain Dynamic Testing of Piles), in cases when a pile driving hammer or another suitable drop weight is not readily available at a jobsite. GRL has now added two more APPLES to the lineup. The APPLE VII is designed specifically to test helical piles. The APPLE VIII is a modular system with a maximum ram weight of 80 tons - double the maximum weight of the APPLE IV, previously the largest of GRL's drop hammers. With this addition, the APPLE devices now cover a large range of test loads, up to 8,000 tons under ideal conditions. Dynamic load tests are an economical alternative to static load tests, and may also meet the requirements of the Rapid Load Test standard ASTM D7383, particularly with the availability of the heavier APPLES. Prior to the test, GRL performs an analysis and recommends an adequate APPLE for each situation, from micropiles to large, high capacity drilled shafts. After the test, it furnishes a detailed test report that includes a simulated static load test in the form of a calculated load-set curve.

Liebherr Piling Rig Has to Cope with Restricted Workspace in Quebec

In recent years, Liebherr’s deep foundation equipment has become increasingly popular on the North American continent, especially in Canada.

Paying Once; Paying Twice

How vacating liens just doubled in price By Sven T. Hombach, Fillmore Riley LLP Construction liens are an unfortunate reality of virtually every large construction project, and many smaller ones as well. Designed to ensure that building trades are protected from non-payment, they have a history in Canada that dates back more than 100 years. Site owners who have ever had to deal with an insolvent contractor are well familiar with paying twice - once to the contractor, and once more to the unpaid trades who filed liens. However, in light of a recent Manitoba Court of Appeal decision, contractors are now facing that issue as well, at least on a temporary basis. While the rules of construction liens are complex, the concept is very simple - unpaid contractors or trades can claim a lien against the underlying land. Since the land has value, the party who claims the lien will ultimately get paid, either because the owner has to remove the lien and pay out the party who filed it, or because the land is sold and the party who filed the lien is paid out of the proceeds of sale.

In-house Training Mitigates Boomer Retirement Risk

Smart organizations can begin planning now By Barbara J. Bowes, Legacy Bowes Group We all know it's been happening - the baby boomer exit, that is. To date, it's been fairly innocuous. Yet, businesses are being impacted by baby boomer retirements. For instance, many small business owners have had to look to the potential of mergers and acquisitions as a means to exit their business. That's because the challenge for small businesses is that not many organizations can afford to have an up-and-coming leader working as an “understudy,” especially for a lengthy period; it's just too expensive. The result is a loss of corporate knowledge within many organizations, big and small, and the creation of a growing leadership gap. Couple this challenge with the fact that the leadership skills needed to take organizations successfully into the future are quite different than today's technical skills and management style. In fact, current leaders perceive that the one key skill missing from the up-and-coming group of leaders is collaboration. In their view, collaboration is important especially because of the demand to do more with less accompanied by a continually changing global marketplace. In turn, these demands will see an increased use not only of cross-functional teams and interdepartmental reliance but also project teams that span across different agencies and/or corporations.

Optimizing Driven Pile Foundations

Design-build and remote PDA testing By John C. Ryan, Ph.D., P.Eng., Ryan Structural Engineers, LLC Sharpening the proverbial pencilIt's a familiar saying, and in an engineering office it may sound like this: “Four per cent overstress ... maybe I can sharpen the pencil and make it work.” Despite the fact that a given balance between load and resistance cannot be “made to work,” there is some insight that this euphemism provides. In reality, deeper understanding of a problem is being sought with the intent of removing uncertainty. As engineers, we are inherently and appropriately risk averse. If we have not personally proven or maintained control of an idea from inception to completion, we become skeptical of it. In practice, this tends result in unnecessary conservatism, particularly where often-disconnected design professionals have tangential or overlapping responsibility. Such is the case with driven piles. Much of the excessive conservatism that persists in the driven pile industry can be reduced significantly through a design method that treats the pile foundation as a performance specified component. Utilizing bid solicitations, which include pile design criteria and subsurface reports, foundation contractors, along with a driven-pile specialty engineer, can provide design-build solutions with pricing and schedule to be evaluated for best value. Further, by incorporating remote dynamic pile testing within the scope of the design-build team, the most optimized foundation and installation schedule can be achieved. If the pile specialty engineer and contractor team are engaged from concept through design and certification, the pencil is always sharp with respect to foundation design.

Strength in Numbers

SPL Consultants Limited offers a wealth of engineering expertise under one roof By Kelly Gray Strength in numbers is behind the growth of Toronto-based SPL Consultants Limited (SPL), a full-service, multidisciplinary ground engineering firm with offices in seven locations (Toronto, Vaughan, Cambridge, Ottawa, Markham, Barrie and Collingwood) across Ontario. The company's wide-ranging specialties have allowed it to grow in five years from a group of five employees to a cohort that offers more than 250 highly experienced engineers, environmental scientists, hydrogeologists, technologists, biologists and support personnel. Since opening in 2009, SPL's capabilities have had them working on ten of the top 100 jobs in the country as cited by Renew, and had industry watchdog Ernst & Young nominate them for Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year. Behind their success is a willingness to be market sensitive. “We have grown thanks to our quality of service, our ability to bring value into the engineering model and establish fair pricing,” said SPL Consultants principal, Fanyu Zhu, Ph.D., P.Eng., who adds that they are competitive without sacrificing quality. “We saw from the outset that there was a business opportunity that could be maximized if we could attract the people with the right skill sets and talent. I believe we have done just this.”

Family Connection

Prairie piling company Cam-Arrow Drilling demonstrates the benefits of generational companies By Vanessa Kunderman Many parents glow with pride as they watch their children grow, but watching your son take over the company you built from the ground up is something only a few get to experience. The soft-spoken father-son duo at Cam-Arrow Drilling Inc. has been hauling their rigs all over Manitoba since the year 2000. From helping build homes for Manitoba Hydro up north in Gillam, to developing some of the most bustling business parks in Winnipeg, Cam and Derek Henry have been busy. But over the course of 2014 and 2015, Cam-Arrow ownership is changing hands from father to son. As the Winnipeg piling industry continues to grow, the Henry team is hoping to keep Cam-Arrow thriving at a steady pace. And a burgeoning company doesn't have time for failing equipment, so keeping their rigs, trucks and skid steers top of the line is a major priority, regardless of which Henry is calling the shots. “I think our equipment speaks a lot for what we have accomplished,” said Cam Henry, owner of Cam-Arrow. “I think we have the nicest drill rigs in town - we don't have the most equipment, but ours is top of the line.”