R.S. Foundation System installed micropiles at the Site C Dam
Since its formation in 2008, Calgary-based piling company R.S. Foundation Systems has grown from one location with its original owners Chad Jarvis, Rob Goodman, Geoff Miller and a few employees, to a second branch in Vancouver. Today, the company has 45 employees in the field, and approximately 15 employees in the office and shops.
“Since the company was founded, there has been some change in ownership and management structure,” said Patrick Gourlay, R.S. Foundation Systems’ director of operations. “[Jarvis] acts as the president, and Wes Young acts as the managing director.”
R.S. Foundation Systems’ piling services include micropiling, direct pipe pile, cast-in-place piles, push piles, jacked piers, screw piles and helical piles. The company also offers other foundation services, such as anchors, grouting and pile testing.
“Our mission is to provide innovative design-build deep foundation solutions for our valued clients throughout Western Canada, while ensuring [the highest safety and environmental standards are met and schedules are maintained],” said Young.
To set itself apart from its competition, the company seeks to be innovative with its design and building projects, and uses multiple deep foundation applications – ensuring everything is performing at its highest potential.
“We also focus on building our team from the ground up so they understand the entire process from start to finish to help create quality, safety and the overall environment,” Gourlay said.
The company has worked on numerous projects across Western Canada – Alberta, British Colombia, Yukon, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba – and provides services across the country.
“Because we specialize in a wide array of design-build deep foundation services within the industry, it gives us the advantage of figuring out the best deep foundation solution needed for a specific project to help save the valued client costs [and time],” said Young.
Current projects
R.S. Foundation Systems is currently working on shotcrete shoring deep foundations in Vancouver and has two high-profile jobs – approximately 30,000 square feet of shotcrete shoring and another 60,000-square-foot job – which started in early 2023.
Gourlay says that contrary to the local market, the company uses Klemm 806s and Davey 725 hydraulic rigs and strongly believes the market should use more of these machines.
“We prefer to use the hydraulic drill rigs because we believe these are the future of the drilling industry, and the market is going to be headed in this direction due to a decrease in utility strikes due to deviations and straightness of holes,” he said.
“[We want to ensure] a decrease in noise pollution, quality of anchor performance with minimizing drilling, safety, less downtime for breakdowns with more readily available parts and newer equipment, and less chance of undermining surrounding services and structures.”
R.S. Foundation Systems is currently working on several large infrastructure and commercial projects, including:
- Vancouver, B.C.:
- University of British Columbia Biomedical Engineering Building: The project scope entails roughly 80 micropiles, 460 anchors and 25,000 square feet of shotcrete shoring.
- 2150 Keith Dr.: The project scope entails 60 micropiles, 800 anchors and 30,000 square feet of shotcrete shoring.
- Sunshine Shoring: The project scope entails 230 anchors and 10,000 square feet of shotcrete shoring.
- 433 East Third St.: The project scope entails
50 micropiles and 5,000 square feet of
shotcrete shoring.
- Fort St. John, B.C.:
- Site C Dam: The project scope entails roughly
24 micropiles.
- Site C Dam: The project scope entails roughly
- Calgary, Alta.:
- Springbank Off-Stream Reservoir: The scope of this design-build project entails roughly 264 rock anchors, 170 drain holes and 60 cast-in-place piles.
- Trinity Hills: The project scope entails 80 soldier piles, 100 anchors and 15,000 square feet of Timberlagg shoring.
- 17th Ave. S.E. Extension and Victoria Park/Stampede LRT Station Rebuild: The scope of this design-build project entails roughly 220 micropiles.
- Edmonton, Alta.:
- Yellowhead Trail Freeway: This project includes soil nail shotcrete walls, micropiles, ground
anchors and shotcrete anchors. The scope of this design-build project entails roughly 1,750 anchors, 3,500 square metres of shotcrete, 32 micropiles and 30 ground anchors.
- Yellowhead Trail Freeway: This project includes soil nail shotcrete walls, micropiles, ground
- Saskatoon, Sask.:
- 410 Fifth Ave.: The scope of this design-build project entails roughly 620 anchors.
“Our mission is to provide innovative design-build deep foundation solutions for our valued clients throughout Western Canada, while ensuring [the highest safety and environmental standards are met and schedules are maintained].”
Wes Young, R.S. Foundation Systems
What’s next?
As for what the near future holds for R.S. Foundation Systems, Gourlay and Young said, “We would like to continue to grow throughout the western markets by creating more areas to service locally.”
Photos: Courtesy of R.S. Foundation Systems