WCN

Fall 2008
www.on-sitemag.com

W E STE R N C O N STR U CTI O N N EWS

Rail’s
Light rail transit gathers steam

In this issue:
Growth in Edmonton LRT
Canada Line meets Olympian
challenge in Vancouver
Calgary’s C-Train set for growth

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CONTENTS
Canada’s magazine for construction contractors in Alberta & B.C.
WCN
W E STE R N C O N STR U CTI O N N EWS

VOLUME 2, NO. 3 Fall 2008

5 Comment
Make nice: If you think keeping good relations
with the public is optional, think again.

7 News
Calgary cuts construction fees
17
Safety tools for construction
Streu named VP at LMS
Northern Crane acquires Parkland Crane
Lefaivre is new Stantec CFO
Non-residential building costs climb in Calgary
Drug testing mandatory for union workers in B.C.
Temporary foreign workers a focus in Alberta
Finning acquires two Alberta rental stores
Code green for B.C.
Thomas names Kasha as dealer

12 Letter to the Editor

“Shoot first, ask questions later” 18
14 Statistics
Employment, Housing starts, Building permits

17 The Next Spike

So why does it take three years to extend a
light rail transit line (LRT) but only four years
to build a railway from Ontario to B.C.?

18 Canada Line an Olympian triumph

Vancouver’s new LRT covers the gamut of construction,
from North America’s first extradosed bridge to the
city’s first bored tunnels

25 LRT is Edmonton’s largest

infrastructure project
30
Edmonton’s LRT extension is taking place within a
tight deadline and through crowded, urban geography

30 Technology accelerates LRT project

Innovations on this cut-and-cover tunnel in
Edmonton include self-compacting concrete, a
monolithic pour and sophisticated formwork

33 Calgary’s West LRT is picking up steam

Ambitious plans to extend Calgary’s C-Train have
been announced

37 Economic overview: Alberta solid

38 Point of View by Tonia Jurbin

Changed conditions: what’s up at Seymour-Cap? 37 Advertising Index of Advertisers
 WCN
W E STE R N C O N STR U CTI O N N EWS

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Fax: (416) 764-1733
COMMENT
By Jim Barnes

EDITORIAL
Editor: James A. Barnes
(416) 764-1612
[email protected]
Art Director: Melissa Crook
(416) 764-1545
Making nice
M
[email protected]
ore than two thirds of respondents to a recent survey in
BUSINESS WCN’s sister publication, Backfill (our electronic newsletter),
Publisher: Peter Leonard said that the public is getting more hostile. They said that
(416) 764-1510 incidents of confrontation, complaint, vandalism and so on have
[email protected]
been on the rise over the past five years.
Account Manager: Tracy Ryan
416-764-1557 How many respondents thought the public’s attitudes toward
[email protected] construction had improved? Zero.
Account Manager: David Skene When people complain, they usually do it to the municipality. Earlier
416-764-1590 in the year, Calgary decided it had had enough. Calgary sometimes
[email protected]
seems like one big, 24-hour construction site, and in 2007 it got some
Sales & Marketing Coordinator: Kim Rossiter
(416) 764-1787 3,000 noise complaints, a 15 per cent increase from the year before.
[email protected] In response to these issues, it introduced a new, voluntary code
Circulation: Bibi Khan of conduct that it is asking contractors to sign. The Construction and
(416) 764-1450 Demolition Site Management Code of Practice involves tasks like
[email protected]
keeping the neighbourhood informed about your work, logging your
Publications mail agreement no. 40070230 response to complaints and controlling noise, lighting and cleanliness.
REGISTRATION NO. 10811
Return undeliverable address BLOCKS to: I am sure some of you have virtually collapsed in laughter by this
ON-SITE
CIRCULATION DEPT. P.O. BOX 720, STN K point. The city itself euphemistically notes that “Industry associations
Toronto, Ontario M4P 3J6
On-Site, established 1957, is published 7 times a year by Rogers continued to indicate general non-support for the code.” Nobody
Publishing Limited, a division of Rogers Media Inc.
Rogers Publishing Limited wants the additional costs and red tape, especially for something as
One Mount Pleasant Road
Toronto, Ontario, M4Y 2Y5.
Subscription inquiries Toronto only: (416) 932-5071 9 a.m. to
fickle as public goodwill.
6 p.m. EST weekdays. Outside Toronto subscription inquiries: But think about it for a moment. When municipal governments
1-866-236-0608 Fax: 416-932-1620
Mail: On-Site, Circulation Dept. P.O. Box 720 STN K,
Toronto, Ontario M4P 3J6 look at the public, they see voters. If they see a way to make hay with
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Subscription price per year: $79.00 CDN; Outside Canada per year voters without too much expenditure on their part, they are quite
$135.00 US; Single copy price: $13.00 Single copy & Directory
Sales: Bebe Jardine 416-764-3858 tempted do it. There may not be such a code of conduct in your city yet,
E-mail: [email protected] 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST
weekdays Fax: 416-764-3938 and the Calgary code may be voluntary today, but that might change.
Mail: On-Site, Circulation Dept. One Mount Pleasant Road, 7th
Floor, Toronto, ON M4Y 2Y5 Printed in Canada. Contractors’ relations with the public are on a downward trend.
This publication is for informational purposes only. The content It’s in your interest to keep the public happy (or at least, not unhappy).
and “expert” advice presented are not intended as a substitute for
informed professional engineering advice. You should not act on You may or may not sign a formal code of conduct, but ignoring public
information contained in this publication without seeking specific
advice from qualified engineering professionals.
We acknowledge the financial support of the
hostility to your work won’t take you very far.
Government of Canada, through the In fact, ignore it long enough and you may eventually face onerous,
Publications Assistance Program (PAP) towards our mailing costs.
Want to purchase multiple copies of articles that have appeared in mandatory municipal regulations about noise and site maintenance.
On-Site? Contact Peter Leonard, Publisher.
Rogers Media Inc. President and CEO, Anthony P. Viner
Rogers Publishing Limited President and CEO, Brian Segal
Senior Vice Presidents Marc Blondeau, Michael J. Fox, John Milne
Vice Presidents: Immee Chee Wah, Patrick Renard
Vice President, Consumer Marketing Tracey McKinley
Contents © 2007 by Rogers Publishing Limited, may not be reprinted
without permission.
On-Site receives unsolicited materials (including letters to the
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time. On-Site, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish,
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Fall 2008 | Western Construction News 

WCN News
Calgary cuts construction fees
Pushback from the Calgary construc-
tion community is resulting in decreases
to the fees contractors will have to pay
for such activities as closing roads.
The fees, which were slated to climb
by more than 400 per cent to become
the highest in Canada, will grow by a
more sedate 15 per cent, City Council
announced.
Perceived long road closures were
behind the dramatic increases.
Alderman Ric McIver noted that Road closures were becomming a concern in Calgary.
the increases were intended to get the
sector’s attention and appeared to have
succeeded. He added that the intention WorkSafeBC’s Managing Safety from Northern Crane acquires
never had been to make the city un- the Supervisor’s Perspective InfoFlip, Parkland Crane
competitive from a construction containing vital information in a Northern Crane Services Inc.,
point of view. compact package; Edmonton, has purchased Parkland
• Anatomy of a Supervisor, a Crane Service Ltd.
Safety tools for construction handout for jobsite workers Parkland was established more than
In a hyperactive construction climate • Hazard Identification & Risk 27 years ago by Jim and Barb Robinson.
where workers are at a premium, em- Assessment Checklist, a form that It will be fully integrated with NCS,
ployers often must promote younger, facilitates addressing and document- enhancing access to equipment and
less-experienced workers as supervisors. ing jobsite hazards services for its customers.
Unfortunately, novice supervisors often • And other tools. “We are excited to have a well
are not fully aware of the challenges or Initial distribution of the Safe established company, such as Parkland,
the variety of tasks they will face. Supervisor Took Kit will be to participants come into the NCS fold,” said Leo Davis,
in the Foundation for Health and Safety NCS C.E.O. and co-founder. “Parkland
Excellence course, which is part of Crane is very much a family business,
the Certificate of Recognition (COR) and we are excited to welcome all of the
program. Parkland employees into the Northern
Crane family.”
Streu named VP at LMS “The merger is exciting for us and
Norm Streu has joined LMS Rein- our customers, as additional equipment
forcing Steel Group, North Vancouver, B.C. and resources provided by NCS will al-
as executive vice president and general low us to continue to provide an outstand-
counsel, announces Ron McNeil, presi- ing level of service to our customers,” says
Kit gives new supervisors safety tools. dent. Streu is known in the construction Jim Robison.
industry through numerous speaking NCS is a subsidiary of NC Services
In recognition of this challenge to engagements and publications. Group, a Northwest Capital Appreciation
the industry, the Construction Safety Until recently, he led his legal firm’s company.
Network named 2008 the Year of the construction and engineering law practice.
Supervisor. He has served as chair of the board of Lefaivre is new Stantec CFO
The organization has developed a the Vancouver Regional Construction Don Wilson, senior vice president
series of tools to help new supervisors Association, director of the British Co- and chief financial officer at Stantec,
with their responsibilities. The Safe lumbia Construction Association and will retire at the end of the year to be
Supervisor Took Kit is the first of three chair of the Construction Law Subsection replaced by Dan Lefaivre, currently vice
packages to be distributed this year. of the B.C. branch of the Canadian president, finance and treasury. Wilson,
The kit includes: Bar Association. who has been with Stantec since 1990,

Fall 2008 | Western Construction News 

WCN NEWS

will continue to be associated with the “The quarterly increase was mostly
firm in a consulting role. the result of higher labour and fuel
Lefaivre joined Stantec in 1990 as an costs, as well as material price increases,
accounting manager. in particular steel,” according to
Lefaivre “helped navigate our StatsCan.
company through a number of complex
projects including the successful rollout Drug testing
of our enterprise system,” noted Tony In what was officially described
Franceschini, president and C.E.O. as a “Joint News Release,” two major
Stantec provides professional players in the B.C. construction labour
consulting services in planning, engi- sector announced agreement on a non-
neering, architecture, interior design, invasive drug and alcohol policy
landscape architecture, surveying, for jobsites—believed to be the first
environmental sciences, project man- in Canada.
agement, and project economics for Following years of debate in the
infrastructure and facilities projects. industry, the Construction Labour
Relations Association (CLRA) and the
Non-res costs climb in Calgary Bargaining Council of British Columbia
Despite a softening in inflation, Building Trades Unions (BCBCBTU)
Calgary continue to have the highest announced that the Drug and Alcohol A clear head is essential for jobsite safety.
non-residential cost increases in the Policy will boost worker safety and
provide treatment and rehabilitation
to workers who have drug or alcohol detecting, eliminating and treating
problems. substance abuse which stands to impair
The policy, developed by unions and performance on the job,” said Clyde
employers during the negotiations for Scollan, president of the CLRA. “Any
the current standard agreement, applies worker who tests positive for drugs is
to all union construction workers in B.C. immediately taken off the job.”
Testing may be performed on workers Under the terms of the policy,
who are involved in accidents or “near workers who test positive can’t return
misses,” or are otherwise suspected of to work until a doctor who specializes
impairment on the job. in substance abuse issues is satisfied
Testing may also be carried out on the employee can return to the job
employees before starting work on a site safely.
new project; however, these tests are Workplace drug testing has proved
voluntary under the policy. to be contentious legal issue in the past
The two organizations emphasized and has been a particular concern of
that the policy does not address what various human-rights organizations.
workers do on their own time. “We opted
The Bow is one of Calgary’s exciting projects. for a non-invasive testing policy, which is TFWs a focus in Alberta
designed to measure possible current im- There were nearly 22,400 temporary
country, according to information from pairment on the job, not what you did last foreign workers (TFWs) in Alberta in
Statistics Canada. Alberta occupies the week,” said Mark Olsen, president of the 2006, more than double the 11,000 total
same position among the provinces. BCBCBTU. The test covers alcohol, as well from 2003. As TFWs come to occupy
An 8.7 per cent increase was re- as nine other drugs including marijuana. a more important position in the
corded in Calgary in non-residential “Construction work is dangerous Alberta economy, increasing attention
construction costs in the second quarter, enough without the added perils of is being given to their smooth entry
according to the report. Edmonton was having impaired workers on the jobsite,” to the industry.
in second place nationally, with a cost noted Olsen. Many TFW-related issues are not
increase of 6.5 per cent. The national “Our plan provides consistent, currently being addressed, notes the
figure was a more modest three per cent. fair and manageable procedures for Alberta government. The list includes

 Western Construction News | Fall 2008

WCN NEWS

Finning acquires two Alberta

rental stores
Finning (Canada) of Edmonton an-
nounced that it has acquired the assets
of Fort Saskatchewan Rentals, Inc. The
two Fort Saskatchewan Rentals Inc. stores,
in Fort Saskatchewan and Redwater,
Alta., have been reopened under the
name of The Cat Rental Store.
“I think very highly of Finning,” said
former owner Dave Dickson. “I’ve spent
17 years growing this business, and I
think Finning will move it forward.”
“We look forward to working within
these communities and to giving them
the best,” said The Cat Rental Store
president and general manager Harry
Hoyer. This acquisition brings the total
number of The Cat Rental Stores in
Western Canada to 37.
TFWs are a growing part of the Canadian labour scene.

Code green for B.C.

employment standards, health and construction. Intended for TFWs them- Effective Sept. 5, the B.C. Building
safety issues, housing, education, ac- selves, it will help with such topics as Code got a lot greener. According to
cess to legal services and other needs. an overview of Canada’s construction a summary released by the Office of
The provincial government has industry, careers in construction, Construction and Housing Standards,
launched a $1.4-million pilot project coming to Canada and rights and new emphasis is being put on water and
to provide support to nine agencies responsibilities. energy efficiency.
serving TFWs in Fort McMurray, Grand
Prairie, Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary
and Brooks.
TFWs are also a focus for the
Construction Sector Council (CSC),
which recently launched a website
(www.TempForeignWork.ca) intended
to provide information on three
major topics.
• Industry Guide helps the prospective
employer navigate the Temporary Foreign
Workers Program.
• Top Source Countries identifies
the main sources for TFWs. According
to the data in this section, more than
half of the TFWs working in Canada’s
construction industry in 2004/05 came
from four countries: the U.S.A. (1,366),
the Philippines (439), the United Kingdom
(439) and Germany (309). Thomas Equipment Inc. of Centreville, N.B. has a long history as a
• The third section, Temporary Canadian supplier of skid steers. It recently named Kasha Farm Supplies
Foreign Worker Guide, is still under Ltd., a heavy-equipment dealer in Eckville, as a new dealer in Alberta.

10 Western Construction News | Fall 2008

WCN NEWS

Among the changes: been eliminated, and the attic-space assemblies. The amount of insulation
• A new Part 10 has been added to insulation increased from RSI 7.7 to RSI is derived from ASHRAE 90.1-2004.
the code that reflects the two, added ob- 9.0 in the colder parts of the province. • All other buildings (primarily
jectives of water and energy efficiency. • Achievement of an EnerGuide Rat- Part 3) must comply with the ASHRAE
• The Part 9 thermal insulation ing System rating of 77 is an acceptable 90.1-2004 standard.
table has been relocated to Part 10 solution that provides an alternative to • The requirements of the existing
and its scope expanded to include compliance with the insulation table for Water Conservation Plumbing Regulation
four-storey residential buildings. As residential buildings. have been relocated to Part 10 of the
well, the allowance to use R14 instead • Non-residential, Part 9 buildings Building Code and are now applicable
of R20 insulation for natural gas-heated must now provide thermal insulation in province-wide.
buildings in the Lower Mainland has wall, roof and suspended-floor

Letter to the editor

I’m an architect doing the construction coordination for
a small condo project in Kerrisdale, Vancouver. I was retired
in 2005 (university/college instructor) but had to go back to
work because of what is happening to my home.
I was discussing the proposed restoration of Creek Village,
the condo project in False Creek that I live in, with the con-
struction manager. He had read your editorial (WCN Summer
2008 issue, page 5) and faxed me a copy.
Your third-to-last paragraph hits the nail on the head: documentation—then go out for competitive bidding (you
“The results tend to be government purchasers (read strata may get a lower price) and then sign a contract.
council and property manager in our case) trying to expedite We are being asked (by the strata council and property
their workloads (the council members keep saying they’re manager) to vote yes for this method of restoration. Many
volunteers and the property manger is too busy) through strata members seem to be more inclined to vote yes to get
sole sourcing (they have gotten a quote from one design- the ball rolling then to ask the big question (and I think more
build firm), “relationships” (the property manager is a long- important point), “What is it really going to cost me when
term friend—he says—with the design-build firm) and the the project is finished?”
fast-tracking of projects (the design-build firm wants us to Terrance Harrison
sign a contract and then let the building envelope consultant Vancouver
do design, documentation and specifications) that really
deserve more review and planning.”
This may be the “fast” and “easy” way to go, but I’m con- Thanks for your note. I like the “shoot first, ask questions
cerned when the owners (all 56 of them) are faced with a $6.7 later,” analogy. Another good one I hear is “Ready, fire, aim.”
million “rough estimate” from the design-build firm and are be- When you consider the magnitude of the dollars being tossed
ing asked to sign first and sort out the details afterwards. Sounds around, these short cuts are real cause for concern.
like the old western adage, “Shoot first and ask questions later.”   By the way, you can check our archive of issues for
When you are restoring a 31-year old building with both Western Construction News and On-Site any time at
known wood siding and wood structural rot, there are too www.on-sitemag.com. If you would like to subscribe to the
many unknowns to use this method, I think. It could be a print publications or Backfill, our e-newsletter, you can do
recipe for cost overruns. that from the site, as well.
Any other good articles that I could pass on to my fellow Good luck with your upcoming vote... It sounds like
strata members? They agree with me: “It’s a case of spending everyone should take a deep breath before signing anything.
money to save money” (do the work first—as in full construction — Editor

12 Western Construction News | Fall 2008

 WCN CONSTRUCTION STATS
Construction drives employment and Ontario was a major contributor.
A selection of data reflecting trends in Saskatchewan and Ontario recorded
Following a decline in July, employ- employment gains that were partially
the Canadian construction industry
ment grew by 15,000 nationally in August, offset by losses in Nova Scotia and Mani-
while the unemployment rate remained toba, according to Statistics Canada. Em-
unchanged at 6.1 per cent. Growth in ployment was virtually unchanged in the
construction employment in Alberta, B.C. other provinces.
Labour force characteristics by province For the first eight months of
Jul-08 Aug-08 Jul to Aug 07 to Jul to Aug 07 2008, most employment gains have
Aug 08 Aug 08 Aug 2008 Aug 08 been in Ontario and the western
Seasonally adjusted provinces.
1000s change in 1000s % change August saw employment gains
Alberta in construction, as well as education-
Population 2,800.00 2,803.70 3.7 49.2 0.1 1.8 al services, utilities and accommoda-
Labour force 2,086.00 2,080.00 -6 39.4 -0.3 1.9 tion and food services. Declines in
Employment 2,010.90 2,006.70 -4.2 38.7 -0.2 2 health care and social assistance, ag-
Full-time 1,688.30 1,689.00 0.7 28.3 0 1.7 riculture and public administration
Part-time 322.6 317.7 -4.9 10.4 -1.5 3.4 partially offset this growth.
Unemployment 75.1 73.3 -1.8 0.7 -2.4 1 Employment in construction
Participation rate 74.5 74.2 -0.3 0.1 NA NA was up by 19,000 in August, con-
Unemployment rate 3.6 3.5 -0.1 -0.1 NA NA tinuing the strength seen over the
Employment rate 71.8 71.6 -0.2 0.2 NA NA past few years. August’s gains bring
British Columbia construction employment up 7.4
Population 3,645.30 3,651.50 6.2 73.1 0.2 2 per cent or 86,000 over the first eight
Labour force 2,432.10 2,429.30 -2.8 67.9 -0.1 2.9 months of the year, making it the
Employment 2,324.60 2,325.10 0.5 58 0 2.6 fastest-growing industry. Most of
Full-time 1,874.20 1,854.60 -19.6 38.2 -1 2.1 the increases were in British Co-
Part-time 450.3 470.5 20.2 19.8 4.5 4.4 lumbia, Alberta and Ontario.
Unemployment 107.5 104.2 -3.3 9.9 -3.1 10.5
Even though employment in
Participation rate 66.7 66.5 -0.2 0.5 NA NA
health care and social assistance
Unemployment rate 4.4 4.3 -0.1 0.3 NA NA
declined by 22,000 in August (mostly
Employment rate 63.8 63.7 -0.1 0.3 NA NA
in Alberta and Ontario) employment
Construction (Cda) 1231.3 1249.8 18.5 98.7 1.5 8.6
remains at a level similar to that at
Source: Statistics Canada the start of 2008.

Western building permits soften increase in value of building permits to Of the 34 census metropolitan ar-
$2.7 billion came as stronger industrial eas tracked in the research, 18 recorded
While Canada as a whole eked out a construction intentions offset declines in growth in the value of building permits.
1.8-per cent rebound in July building per- commercial and institutional permits. The step into negative territory did
mit values after a decline of 5.3 per cent in Weakness in commercial buildings not seem to earn much reaction from
June, Alberta and B.C. didn’t make it to the was recorded in B.C. and Ontario, while industry leaders, who both expected
party—recording declines of 3.9 per cent declines in the value of institutional some softening and felt that the con-
and 19 per cent respectively. permits were recorded in Alberta, Ontario struction economies in Alberta and B.C.
A report on construction intentions and Quebec. still continue at a torrid pace.
from Statistics Canada showed that growth
to $6.4 billion in permits nationally in July
was largely attributable to multi-family
dwelling permits in Central Canada and
strong industrial construction intentions
in Saskatchewan.
In the residential sector, the value of
building permits rose 2.7 per cent to $3.7
billion, mainly due to an increase in the
value of multi-family dwelling permits in
Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba.
In the industrial/commercial/institu-
tional (ICI) sector, the slight 0.6 per cent

Source: Statistics Canada

14 Western Construction News | Fall 2008
 Housing Starts, Actual and SAAR

Actual SAAR
Aug-07 Aug-08 Jul-07 Jul-08
Final Prelim. % change Final Prelim. % change
Canada, all areas 20,868 18,396 -11.8% 186,500 211,000 13.1%
Canada, rural areas 3,667 2,525 -31.1% 25,100 25,100 -0.0%
Canada, urban centres* 17,201 15,871 -7.7% 161,400 185,900 15.2%
Canada, singles, urban centres 8,526 6,406 -24.9% 69,800 71,200 2.0%
Canada, multiples, urban centres 8,675 9,465 9.1% 91,600 114,700 25.2%
Atlantic region, urban centres 1,071 783 -26.9% 8,700 7,700 -11.5%
Quebec, urban centres 3,221 2,869 -10.9% 41,200 37,600 -8.7%
Ontario, urban centres 5,721 7,768 35.8% 47,800 86,500 81.0%
Prairie region, urban centres 4,447 2,034 -54.3% 30,600 23,700 -22.5%
British Columbia, urban centres 2,741 2,417 -11.8% 33,100 30,400 -8.2%

SAAR=seasonally adjusted annual rates

*Urban centres with a population of 10,000 and over.
Source: CMHC

Housing starts decline, buck national trend

National housing starts showed healthy growth in August, were 16.8 per cent lower than they were a year earlier, while
rising to 211,000 units from a July total of 186,500 on a season- urban multiple starts were up by 17.6 per cent over the
ally adjusted basis, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing same period.
Corp. (CMHC) of Ottawa.
Starts in the Prairie and B.C. regions were not as
healthy, though, data released by CMHC indicated.
Actual starts in Prairie region (which includes Alberta)
urban centres declined from the August 2007 figure of
4,447 to August 2008’s 2,034, a 54.3 per cent drop. In season-
ally adjusted figures, a 22.5 per cent decline was registered
from 30,600 to 23,700.
The numbers for British Columbia urban centres were
a little better. Actual starts in August 2007 were 2,741,
dropping to 2,417 in August 2008 for an 11.8 per cent
decline. When seasonally adjusted, the numbers reflected
an 8.2 per cent decrease, from 33,100 to 30,400.
“Most of the volatility in housing starts over the last
three months reflected swings in multiple starts in Ontario,”
said Bob Dugan, chief economist at CMHC’s Market Analy-
sis Centre. “After a brief pause in July, the volatile multiple
segment bounced back to a level of activity that is more
consistent with our forecast for this year,”
The seasonally adjusted annual rate of urban starts
was down in every region except Ontario, where housing
starts jumped 81.0 per cent to 86,500. Urban starts sagged
22.5 per cent to 23,700 units in the Prairies and dropped
11.5 in Atlantic Canada. A smaller decline of 8.2 per cent
was recorded in British Columbia (30,400 units).
For the first eight months of 2008, actual starts in rural
and urban areas combined were down an estimated 4.3
per cent compared to the same period last year. Year-to-date
actual starts in urban areas have increased by an estimated
1.0 per cent over the same period in 2007. Actual urban
single starts for the January to August period of this year

Fall 2008 | Western Construction News 15

Photo: Jim Barnes

The
• No construction project today could
be run like the CPR of the early days, which con-
stantly teetered on the edge of bankruptcy and plunged
the Canadian government deeply into debt.
• LRT projects go through an unending suite of consultations
and approvals, not to mention detailed design. The CPR faced
no such delays. The rail line was built at maximum speed in a
straight line no matter what was in the way… including Black-

A
s populations boom in Western Canadian foot territory and the Rocky Mountains (through which there
cities and sustainability becomes the order was no known pass when construction started).
of the day, Alberta and B.C. are hard at work • Traffic management was not an issue for the CPR, but
on light-rail transit—with major system expansions underway contractors working on the LRTs must cope with tens of thou-
or planned in Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary. These are sands of cars a day, often in urban areas.
spectacular projects. • Labour was an issue, too. LRT workers are well-trained,
A challenging question about LRT construction recently reasonably paid and in much shorter supply than the 12,000
came from Naomi Lakritz, a columnist in a Calgary newspaper. CPR workers—some of whom were virtually slaves. Safety was
She asked why it was taking three years to extend the C-Train a non-issue; the death toll in building the CPR was horrifying.
line in Calgary four km. when the Canadian Pacific Railway Safety is stringent on the LRT projects and accidents of any
was built from Ontario to B.C. in just four years. Ian Norris, kind are rare.
Calgary’s director of transportation infrastructure, made a • Finally, the construction quality is completely dissimilar.
valiant effort to respond, but somehow his point of view failed Some parts of the CPR had to be repaired practically immediately
to impress Lakritz. after the line was opened, whereas no such surprises are expected
We can’t say whether LRT expansion in Calgary is happening from the LRTs.
as fast as it should, but the answer to Lakritz’s broader question The answer to the question has to be that the LRTs are care-
touches both on modern concerns in construction and the fully planned, budgeted, designed and built business projects.
unique place in Canadian history held by the CPR. The CPR was the “National Dream” of the 19th century. They
• First of all, the objectives of the projects were totally both run on rails, but that’s where the similarity ends.
different. For the Canada of the late 1800s, the CPR railway was You have to wonder what a modern contractor would do
like the Apollo program. It was an urgent national priority that with a job like “Just lay track west as fast as you can, whatever
transcended politics and cost. B.C.’s entry to Confederation was it costs, and don’t stop for anything.”
contingent on quick completion of this rail line, and Canada’s We take a look at the status of current LRT projects in Alberta
future was literally at stake. LRT expansion, of course, is a and B.C.—models of careful and professional construction—over
much more sedate and fiscally responsible kind of project— the next few pages.
and that’s a different kind of vision.

Fall 2008 | Western Construction News 17

 Canada Line
an Olympian triumph
by Margaret Boyes

V
ancouver has a two-decade-plus history of light-rail was created to manage the Canada Line overall. There is a
transit (LRT) construction, dating back to completion 35-year concession agreement between InTransitBC and the
of the Expo Line in time for the Expo 86 World’s Fair. Canada Line Rapid Transit Co., which represents the public
Its current total of nearly 50 km. of track makes SkyTrain the side of the P3. They represent all government funding agencies
world’s longest automated LRT system. and the greater Vancouver transit authority. So InTransitBC
Another global event is driving the deadlines for the current has a very large presence on this project.”
LRT project. The Canada Line will be operational well before
the 2010 Winter Olympics. Originally called the Richmond- Heavy traffic
Airport-Vancouver (RAV) Line, the 19-km. long system will be The project has offered many major challenges, says Crombie,
an automated, rail-based system operated by the South Coast some of them centred around building elevated guideways
British Columbia Transportation Authority (Translink). As the through parts of Vancouver and Richmond. “We’re building 19
original name suggests, it will connect Vancouver with central km. of transit system, including tunnels and elevated guideways,
Richmond and the Vancouver Airport, massively increasing through busy urban areas. Stations in downtown Vancouver
the city’s transit capacity. Construction began in November, require opening at least a block of downtown Vancouver in
2005 and the line is scheduled to open November 30, 2009. three different locations,” he says. “We have a cut-and-cover
RAV Project Management (RAVCO), a subsidiary of TransLink, tunnel along the Cambie corridor and an elevated guideway
provides governance of the Canada Line. The line is being built down Number Three Road in Richmond.”
by SNC-Lavalin, which will operate it for 35 years. In 2009 the line “At the peak of the project, about 1,800 people were work-
should carry 100,000 passengers a day and 142,000 by 2021. ing—which doesn’t necessarily include all the suppliers and
“InTransitBC has a contract to design, build and operate people peripherally associated with it,” he notes.
the Canada Line and to partially finance it,” explains Steve One of the real challenges is traffic management. “One
Crombie, vice-president of public affairs. “Technically, IntransitBC goal we and the cities of Vancouver and Richmond had was
Photo: SNC-Lavalin

Bored tunnels were a first for Vancouver.

18 Western Construction News | Fall 2008

 Photo: SNC-Lavalin
Broadway Station construction
shows urban challenge.

to keep traffic flowing. We built a tunnel along Cambie Street this kind of machine before, and it had never been used in B.C.
while maintaining north/south traffic and cross streets.” There were about 40 people on that crew.”
Construction methods were pretty standard, says Crombie, As a P3, the Canada Line project requires relationship
apart from tunnelling. “The company that did the bored tunnel building, “because we deal with not only the private sector and
brought their own crew and trained local people. Otherwise, contractors but also various levels of government and public
construction methods were standard.” bodies. Cooperation and trust among parties is vital. They
Crombie credits flexible project management with helping don’t necessarily exist on a typical project. Managing relationships
to accelerate the project. For example, dramatic success with has gone well on this project.”
a cut-and-cover tunnel near Queen Elizabeth Park was used “Flexibility, innovation and creativity have allowed us to
in the Cambie business area, where another approach had work well within a tight schedule. We’re contractually required
been contemplated. “We were going to do the tunnel down the to have trains in revenue service by November 30, 2008. We
middle of Cambie, using a very large gantry crane, and have hope to have the line up and running earlier, which would be
traffic flowing in two lanes on either side of the excavation. But a major feat.”
we recognized that the method for the cut-and cover we used
near Queen Elizabeth Park was so efficient that we knew we “We’re building 19 km. of transit system,
could speed things up by changing the construction method.”
It meant more intensive traffic disruption for a shorter period including tunnels and elevated guideways,
of time. “We finished that area four months early by making a
judgment and changing methodology. The project manage- through busy urban areas.”
ment system is astute at finding new ways of doing things and
adapting,” says Crombie. Roger Woodhead is technical director of SNC Lavalin,
which has the contract to design and build the Canada Line.
People issues They are a one-third partner with InTransitBC.
According to Crombie, there hasn’t been a problem attract- Some problems stemmed from managing such a large group
ing labour, partly because this is the biggest transportation of people, he says. “There are many layers in the organization—
infrastructure project in Canada. “I think people take pride in with innumerable chances for miscommunication. We’re man-
working on a project like this. Also, a multi-year project means aging a group that includes stakeholders and contractors and
fairly steady employment.” engineers with diverse skills.”
Most of the trades are from B.C. but many of the rebar “You need a skilled management team who communicate
workers came from Quebec, notes Crombie. “We had foreign well with each other and get along. One advantage is that SNC
bored-tunnelers from an Italian company called Seli, which Lavalin plays a big role; we don’t have partners and can make
specializes in tunnel boring. They had people who had run quick decisions.”

20 Western Construction News | Fall 2008

 Photo: In Transit BC.
Coping with utilities
Woodhead, too, says that keeping traffic moving had to be a
priority. “This tunnel had to cross the east/west street. We built
temporary bridges across the east/west street to carry traffic
Cut-and-cover operation
above the tunnel. When you’re building bridges, you have to on Cambie St.
dig up half the street to put half the bridge in. Then, when you
get the street down to only two lanes and take the bridges out,
we have the same problem.” way, we used the segmental precast construction method, similar
“Utilities cross over the tunnel, so we made sure the tunnel to that used on the Millenium Line… People who had worked
alignment was such that we missed them or we had to replace on the Millenium Line worked on this project. The electrical
them. We spent a lot of time on that in the planning stage. Where and mechanical systems and the track work were similar… We
we avoided utilities, we put temporary supports across the top have experienced contractors in Vancouver who can install
of the excavation to hang utilities above that tunnel. There are track work and electrical systems.”
many places where that tunnel skims underneath utilities.” “There have been many changes during construction,”
Woodhead cites the intitiative as a success. We had two in- notes Woodhead. People would often make suggestions that
cidents that are very minor, compared to the number of utilities led to innovation.
diverted or temporarily supported.” One example he cites was a conflict between completing
a station on time and servicing the tunnel-boring machine.
“It’s the first extradosed bridge built in North “The station couldn’t be started until the tunnel was finished,

America,” says Woodhead. and this would have caused schedule problems—there are
some critical rooms in that station that we need to operate
Small innovations helped speed up the work. “One was the system. We actually moved those rooms out of the station
special formwork for the cut-and-cover tunnels. We could into the cut-and-cover tunnel, so we could build those rooms
pour the walls and the roofs in one pour. It’s been done before, while the tunnel-boring machine was still working. That’s one
but maybe not in Vancouver.” change we made during construction, and there are many others,
As well, he notes, “This is the first bored tunnel in Vancouver. because our management system is so flexible.”
The bridge over the North Arm of the Fraser River also reflected
innovation. The river is an active marine way that is under the Experience counts
flight path of the Vancouver National Airport. “It’s the first extra- Ron Fettback, general superintendent of Western Pacific
dosed bridge built in North America,” says Woodhead. Enterprises (WPE), is in charge of building projects and oversees
“The cables are attached low because of the flight path. That labour and work contracts. He says the firm’s experience on
means the slope of the cables is quite shallow. Where in a nor- systems like the Expo Line and the Millennium Line gave them
mal, cable-stayed bridge, the cables tend to slope at about 45 the expertise needed for the Canada Line. “We haven’t had any
deg. so they help lift the bridge up. In this case, the cables are challenges that were unexpected,” he says.
much flatter—they post-tension the bridge, more than lift it.” Most of WPE’s work is on communiciation cabling, but
Woodhead credits local experience with helping advance Fettback says they also built the Richmond maintenance and
the project quickly. “There’s an experienced Vancouver workforce operations facility and installed the electrical alarm. Training is
that has built rapid-transit systems before. On the elevated guide- an ongoing focus at WPE. “All of our crane operators and such Photo: SNC-Lavalin

Extradosed bridge design took

airport flight path into account.

22 Western Construction News | Fall 2008

 Photo: SNC–Lavalin
have special training. We sent most crane operators to
special weekend courses. But our company is diversi-
fied, so it might be called special training that we do
regularly. We got all our trades locally.
Fettback knew that the project management
would be challenging based on the tight schedule,
so he approached it from four different fronts.
“One team works on the Richmond section and
another on the Marine Drive-to-Vancouver section.
Construction at Vancouver City Centre.
A cleanup crew comes in behind to do testing, com-
missioning and station work. And a fourth crew
goes down toward Vancouver, to finish the last two some challenges through a partnership with engineering and
kilometres of the system,” he says. “In the past, we would have construction. We worked with engineers to find practical
used one team over a longer time span. Because the durations buildable solutions, and the engineers helped create designs
are shorter on this, we have a different perspective.” to facilitate those solutions.”
“The stack section of the tunnel was about five and a half
Trench warfare metres wide and about 12 metres deep. We put public traffic
Chad Tenney is construction manager of Tyam Construction, on one side of the work zone. We kept space for construction
responsible for the cut-and-cover portion of the Canada Line. traffic on the other and modified equipment so we could be
One big challenge was digging a huge trench down Cambie St., productive in a small working area. If we hadn’t, the process
which meant accomodating traffic. “The road had to be kept would have been slower.”
open and maintained for north/south traffic as well as east/west We also designed sophisticated utility supports where the
traffic, through six or seven designated intersections,” he notes. tunnels go beneath utilities, so if we didn’t impact them, we’d
Utilities are also a concern. “Vancouver has an aging infra- hold them in place.”
structure,” says Tenney. Some of the records on where the utilities
are located are incomplete or non-existent. “We couldn’t find Communications
everything,” he says. Tyam had a sophisticated scheduling system and tracked
During construction, Tyam changed the tunnel to accom- the quantities of material used or excavated daily. “That was
modate existing utilities. “The construction of the tunnel, the a key in project management and finishing our section about
excavation and concrete work was easier than we thought. four months early.”
Most ground conditions were good.” No special training, beyond safety training, was required,
Shotcrete and soil anchors were used to shore up the exca- explains Tenney. “Many iron workers were from Quebec and
vation. “The excavation was in place and very deep and very skilled trades came from northern B.C. and Alberta. Many
narrow. In order to excavate in those areas, we had to modify of them were tired of living in camps and wanted to live in
the excavators and drills to install the soil anchors. Because it’s Vancouver,” says Tenney. He even had two workers on day pa-
a repetitive process, once we found the best way to excavate role. “We paid very competitively with the market.”
material and shore the excavation, it went smoothly,” he says. The Canada Line is looking like a winner, and other LRT
Tenney worked closely with the city to develop traffic- projects are on the horizon. Another system, the Evergreen
management plans and communicate what was happening, Line (from Lougheed Town Centre to Coquitlam Town Centre),
“So the public knew when roads would be closed and which is in the planning stage and has a tentative completion target
areas would have construction. Lots of signage helped notify of 2014. Planning is also underway for a Broadway Line from
people and diverted traffic away from Cambie Street.” VCC-Clark station to the University of British Columbia and
Time, effort and money was spent on digging holes to locate expansion of the Expo Line into Surrey.
utilities. “We worked with agencies in the City of Vancouver and Mass transit will be a major contributor to B.C.’s economy
the Greater Vancouver Regional District, B.C. Hydro and Ter- well beyond the Olympics, as Canada’s Pacific gateway grows
asen Gas. We and their staff planned and engineered solutions in scope, and it will have long-term environmental benefits.
around utilities or relocated them.” Vancouver is becoming an international showplace of the
“To relocate fibre optic lines, you can’t just cut them and benefits of mass transit, thanks in part to innovation from con-
move them, because customers rely on telephone and internet struction contractors. u
service. They need lots of notification. We didn’t relocate any
Telus work but worked around it,” he says. B.C. Hydro was called Margaret Boyes is WCN’s B.C. correspondent. She resides in
in to deal with high-voltage transmission lines. “We overcame Victoria. Contact: [email protected].

24 Western Construction News | Fall 2008

 LRT is Edmonton’s largest
infrastructure project

Effective risk management practices

have kept project running smoothly.

by Don Buchanan

I
n Edmonton, during the “construction season” of 2008— The City of Edmonton hired Edmonton-based Stantec as
otherwise known as summer—the spotlight shone brightly managing consultant to oversee the contractors engaged by
on a wide range of construction contractors, who jointly the City and to lead the planning and design of the South LRT
withstood the heat and generally made significant and timely Extension. “As the managing consultant we have overseen the
progress on many aspects of the $673-million South LRT Ex- work of more than 50 design firms, engineering consultants
tension project. and construction contractors on different aspects of this
“This project is the largest infrastructure project ever led project,” said Rob Fewings, Stantec’s South LRT Extension
by the city of Edmonton and is a major step forward in increasing project manager.
ridership and the practicality of the city’s LRT system,” said Brad
Griffith, design and construction director for the city’s Transit Risk management
Projects Branch. “The fact that most parts of this southern line Fewings noted that effective risk management has been a
have to be built by going around or through existing road- top priority on the project. “We hold regular risk management
ways and infrastructure makes it inherently more costly and sessions and categorize risks on a priority basis. In general,
complicated, especially compared to the existing northbound the biggest hurdle for most of the contracted firms and con-
leg, which was built on an existing railway right-of-way in struction companies has been the chronic labour shortage—
advance of the 1978 Commonwealth Games.” but other issues are in the mix, such as inflation, scheduling
issues, rerouting of traffic, and dealing with citizen concerns
“To ensure we received a sufficient before and during construction.”
number of competitive bids on some of the The South LRT Extension project runs approximately 7.5
km. southward from the existing Health Sciences station on the
tendered work, we had to break out the main University of Alberta campus to 23rd Ave. near the high-

work into smaller bid packages.” density Century Park development. The South LRT Extension
includes four new LRT stations and is expected to trigger a dou-
“Doing the work over the last few years in Alberta’s boom bling in daily ridership on the system.
economy has also been a huge challenge,” stated Griffith. “As The first two stations to open will be the McKernan/Belgravia
the project owner, we’ve been faced with labour shortages, station, located about one km. south of the main University of
inflationary pressures and, at times, a shortage of contractors. Alberta campus, and the South Campus station, located an-
To ensure we received a sufficient number of competitive bids other two km. further south near some important university
on some of the tendered work, we had to break out the work athletic facilities and several provincial government office
into smaller bid packages.” complexes. These stations are on track to open in the spring

Fall 2008 | Western Construction News 25

of 2009, followed by the Southgate and Century Park stations
which will open in mid-2010, effectively completing the South
LRT Extension project.

Costs grow
Griffith noted that the original budget for the South LRT
Extension allowed for eight per cent inflation per annum, but
given the major boom in 2006 and 2007, costs on the project
were higher than budgeted. “Cost increases were relatively
minimal for some components of the work, such as signalling,
while costs for roadwork and excavation rose by up to 40 per
cent, so our cost increases averaged out at about 20 per cent
per year for 2006 and 2007.”
As one means of managing overall project costs, Griffith
said that the construction of two LRT stations on the southern
line was tendered as construction-management contracts,
instead of design-bid-build contracts. “This process was fol-
lowed for the Southgate and Century Park stations and we
Roadwork and excavation
engaged PCL Construction Management Inc. as the construction costs grew by 20 per cent.
manager for this work. They have done a great job in tendering
and overseeing the subcontracted work on those two stations,”
says Griffith. that were ordered to ensure sufficient carrying capacity on the
PCL Construction Management Inc. was also engaged expanded LRT system. Each car can hold up to 160 people and
as the construction manager for expansion work on the D.L. LRT trains will run with up to five cars at a time.
MacDonald light rail vehicle (LRV) maintenance facility, located
in the City’s north end. The expanded facility will be used to Cooperation
maintain the city’s growing fleet of LRVs, including 37 new cars Roger Dootson, vice-president of PCL Construction Man-
agement Inc., noted that in addition to the three construction-
management contracts, PCL also won five other contracts on
South LRT: Construction Features different portions of the LRT South Extension project. “The
• Four LRT stations: McKernan/Belgravia, South total value of work being done by PCL is about $230 million.
Campus, Southgate and Century Park. Transit centres For each part of the work that we are doing, we have had great
(for buses) will be associated with South Campus, cooperation from the city and the various departments, par-
Southgate and Century Park Stations. ticularly the traffic-operations group and the transit depart-
• The McKernan/Belgravia station features a pe- ment. Given all of the transit and traffic issues, such as revised
destrian underpass, under 114 St. at 76 Ave. This facilitates bus stops, traffic detours and lane closures, we couldn’t have
pedestrian safety for local residents and children attend- kept things on schedule this summer without this proactive
ing a nearby elementary-junior high school. approach from the city’s departments.”
• Two LRT underpasses—a 114-m. tunnel under Dootson also noted that the PCL team has had to work
Belgravia Road, and a 90-m. underpass beneath the closely with utility companies, the city and design personnel
southbound lanes of 111 St. to bring the LRT into the to deal with challenges relating to existing utility installations.
median, south of 61 Ave. “In some cases, we had to adapt as we went and redesigned
• A one-way bridge (“busway”) connecting buses from around existing utility installations to ensure they were functional
the South Campus Transit Centre to Fox Dr., facilitating within the new LRT system.”
commuter access to Edmonton’s west end. Public safety issues and workplace safety have also been
• A bridge over Whitemud Dr. for the LRT, just south prominent concerns on this project, added Dootson. “For ex-
of the Southgate station. ample, when building a pedway over a major roadway at the
• 37 new LRVs (Light Rail Vehicles) have been ordered. Southgate station site, we ensured that all of the critical lifts
The first car arrived in May 2008. of the steel structure components took place at night, under
• A fully landscaped multi-use recreation trail follows carefully supervised conditions. We have stringent policies
the entire length of track. and procedures for these special events and we want to ensure
that workers and the public are safe at all times.”

26 Western Construction News | Fall 2008

 Another tricky angle has been the limited amount of lay-
down space at various sites, explained Dootson. “At the Century
Park station site, space is really at a premium. This requires
good organization of materials and a strong focus on effective
progression of the work.”
Fewings suggested that “Nothing has been a walk in the
park” on this project. Considering that this project pushes
right through an urban centre—a first for the city—all of our
contractors and subcontractors have done an amazing job.”

Deep trench The chronic labour shortage

Much of the excavation and underground utilities work was a major project risk.
on the South LRT Extension has been contracted by PCL Con-
struction Management to Edmonton-based Sprague-Rosser “Beyond the basic excavation work, we have been chal-
Contracting. Jeff Jessamine, vice-president and general manager lenged most recently with our work on a sewer-line drop shaft
at Sprague-Rosser, confirmed that some aspects of the project at a major southside intersection. This involves work within
have been “extremely challenging.” multiple shoring systems as we build the drop shaft at the
“The deeper you dig, the bigger the challenge, especially sewer outlet that connects to the existing storm-water tunnel. We
working within existing infrastructure with minimal working needed to have extensive shoring in place to maintain sur-
room. We have now completed all of the deep trenching related rounding roadways and pedestrian accesses, and for safety
to the underground utilities, trenching at variable depths ranging reasons. You have to proceed cautiously and diligently, ensuring
from two to ten metres,” he says. the sides of the excavations remain stable.”

28 Western Construction News | Fall 2008

 Jessamine acknowledged that the project is high-profile of consultants and contractors involved in this project, it has
work and that he and his firm have had to work very closely been a very cooperative effort.” u
with PCL, the city, consultants, engineers and residents to deal
with such public concerns as traffic issues and keeping dust
levels down. “You have to be mindful that everything you do Don Buchanan is WCN's Alberta correspondent. He is based in
may affect the local community, including commuters that Edmonton. Contact: [email protected]
use the roadways affected by the work.”
He added, “Each geographical area
or portion of the work has its own set
of hazards. Whether it’s dealing with
power lines or keeping pedestrians out
of the work area, it takes a lot of pre-
planning to coordinate the work and
manage all the possible hazards while
maintaining construction schedules.”
Among the other challenges on
the project was the grade-separa-
tion work relating to a cut-and-cover
tunnel going under Belgravia Road
between the McKernan/Belgravia sta-
tion and the South Campus station.
Fewings explained, “For this work,
coordination was critical, as there
was one contractor doing work on
the north side of Belgravia Road,
another contractor responsible for
the south side, and one in the middle
responsible for the tunnel work.
This was a big challenge, but the end
result was great and it’s a nice feature
of the system.”
Fewings also suggested that
“stakeholder involvement” has been
huge throughout this project and
that the city’s approach during plan-
ning and design phases allowed for
citizen inputs and promoted buy-in,
helping to keep the project moving
forward in relative peace, despite the
disruptions to traffic patterns and
roadways on the city’s south side.
Fewings confirmed that Stan-
tec and the city have had to deal
with many stresses on a project of
this scope, but offered that a strong
“partnering” and collaborative ap-
proach has been helpful. “We manage
the stress and day-to-day issues by
keeping discussions open, friendly
and professional. Given the number

Fall 2008 | Western Construction News 29

Technology accelerates LRT project
Staff report
One example of the kind of innovation taking place in the
South LRT expansion is a two-cell, cut-and-cover tunnel being
built by Aecon Construction and Materials Ltd. The 111th St.
underpass—about 500 m. long, 20 m. wide and eight m. below
ground level at its deepest point—includes a 90-m. long, five-
m. high, 11-m. wide tunnel for LRT tracks.
The tunnel project involved an array of unconventional
technologies—the use of self-compacting concrete (SCC), a
massive, monolithic pour of the sides and roof and sophisti-
cated steel formwork.
When the job was first being planned, a more conventional
approach was on the table, according to Dustin Dolynchuk,
project coordinator, Aecon Infrastructure Group, Western Div.
in Edmonton. The original concept was to do the wall and roof
separately and to build the tunnel in six-m. sections.
The potential for accelerating the work turned Aecon toward
the idea of a monolithic pour of SCC in 48- and 42-m. sections.

30 Western Construction News | Fall 2008

 Photo: Doka Canada
The 600-mm. thick tunnel floor would be poured first. Then,
the 600-mm. thick walls and the 450-mm. thick roof would be
poured simultaneously. The result would be a stronger structure,
a shorter schedule and lower formwork rental costs.
SCC was a major time-saver, since it eliminated the need
for vibration. Agilia SCC from LaFarge North America was
used. It required about a quarter the time to pour as regular
concrete and left a good finish.
The SCC required some planning. “There is a limit to how
much you can pour at the same time, because of the concrete’s
tendency to crack if it’s poured all at once. This was one of the
larger sizes that we have done,” notes Dolynchuk. To control
cracking, all of the construction joints were retained in the
wall by means of plastic crack initiator strips. The monolithic
pour virtually eliminated the use of any water stops in the
underpass; no cold joists were produced between the walls
and the slab. The panels required minimum tie-holes, which
helped reduce post-pour filling.
CSC standards require the forms for SCC to be designed
Frank Atwood (L) and for a full, liquid head. “With normal concrete compositions,
Dustin Dolynchuk on-site.
equations are used to predict the lateral pressure that develops
as you pour,” explains Greg Pereira, Doka Canada Ltd. in Calgary,

Fall 2008 | Western Construction News 31

 Photo: Aecon/Dolynchuk
Monolithic pour accelerated progress.

the formwork designer. “For a pour rate of, say, one metre an and more precise.” However, Aecon had not used this technology
hour, you would know the maximum pressure reached and on a project of this size before.
can design the formwork accordingly.” Doka’s Framax S Xlife panels were combined with Dokaflex
SCC is a different story. “You have to design as if it’s go- tables and supported by Staxo 100 towers. The towers, designed
ing to be full liquid head—as if you’ve got, say, five metres of in a table configuration, could readily be transported, set up
hydrostatic pressure. The only way to work around that and and reused. When the towers are stripped, they are wheeled
see how the preassure developes is to monitor it as you pour,” out of the tunnel and picked up the same way tables are lifted,
explains Pereira. “SCC can have somewhat of an unpredictable with lifting straps. The towers are then set to the new position
pressure envolope.” for the next pour and the walls are stripped and set up in the
new location.

The tunnel project involved an array of unconventional

technologies—the use of self-compacting concrete,
a massive, monolithic pour of the sides and roof and
sophisticated steel formwork.
It took about three weeks from the standing of the first
panel to the completion of the first 48.8-m. pour of the underpass.
Work on this part of the tunnel was completed in eight weeks.
Using conventional technology might have taken a year or
Forms were simple to relocate. more, according to Dolynchuk.
Some 50 employees were involved on the $26-million project
Pressure sensors were installed to monitor the pour to keep at its peak. Aecon personnel included Oliver Pederson, senior
from overloading the formwork. The pressures that developed superintendent; Frank Atwood, site superintendent; Dustin
were quite manageable, notes Dolynchuk. In fact, he says, “We Dolynchuk, project coordinator; Leta Keating, project admin-
could have doubled our pour rate.” istrator; and Clayton Tucker, senior contracts manager.
The use of specially designed formwork also helped acceler- The second half of the tunnel has been poured and work is
ate the project. “We had used the forms before on small sumps,” underway on the retaining walls and portal face for the tunnel
Dolynchuk says, because they were “quicker than wood forms entrance. Project completion is scheduled for March 2009u

32 Western Construction News | Fall 2008

Calgary’s West LRT picking up steam
by Don Buchanan

C
algary’s C-Train LRT system has the highest volume
of any such system in North America, estimated at
271,100 boardings per weekday in the fourth quarter of
2007. Expansion would seem to be in the cards, and the city
has announced a design-build project called the West LRT to
all interested parties.
The West LRT line will expand the City’s Light Rail Transit
(LRT) service into southwest Calgary. Construction is slated
to begin in early 2010 and the new C-Train line is expected to
open in December 2012.
In November 2007, Calgary city council approved $700
million to fund the project. Preliminary design-engineering
work is being carried out by Calgary-based Hatch Mott Mac-
Donald (HMM). Early design work took place between February
and May 2008 and the proposed alignment for the new line
was approved by Council in June 2008. Contracts for C-Train expansion
“The next step is to issue a Request for Qualifications,” will be awarded in 2009.
explained Ryan Murray, communications advisor for the West

Fall 2008 | Western Construction News 33

LRT. “The RFQ will occur in November 2008, followed by a West LRT Project Director Jon Halford, explained that the
Request for Proposals in February 2009. By September 2009, design-build method was chosen because it can better accom-
we will announce the preferred proponent and subsequently modate the project’s aggressive schedule when compared to
award the contract.” other standard means of project construction. “As the project
owner, the key is to set clear and firm parameters for the design-
build team.”
Project scope Halford noted that using traditional design-bid-build or
• Eight km. of new LRT track including at-grade, construction-management methods for completion of a single
elevated, tunnelled and trenched sections new LRT station can typically take up to a year for the design
• LRT ballast and track work phase alone, and up to two or three years overall.
• Six new LRT stations, including at-grade, elevated, “Using the design-build method, we anticipate that the
tunnelled and trenched work will proceed faster, including being able to complete six
• Traction power, signals and communications new stations on the West LRT over the duration of the contract.”
systems The West LRT project office will issue more details on the
• Integration, testing and commissioning the project scope in an information package that will be available
LRT system in September 2008. A further bulletin will be issued in October
• Additional infrastructure: roads, bridges, utilities, to update industry on the project status. u
park and rides, pedestrian access structures, bus
terminals, roadway signage and lighting
• Traffic management and detours For more information on the West LRT, visit www.westlrt.ca.

34 Western Construction News | Fall 2008

Alberta still solid, says report
I
f the Albertan economy has problems, they are problems
that the rest of North America wishes it had. After a truly
blistering pace of growth in the mid years of the decade,
Alberta’s economy has slowed down to—solid growth, says a
summary released in summer.
According to the document, Still Strong: Alberta Economic
Profile and Forecast, published by the Canada West Foundation
(CWF), Alberta’s economy blew the doors off the national
numbers in 2004 and 2005, recording five per cent growth.
But that was nothing. The report’s author, Brett Garner, senior prices, high costs, a strong Canadian dollar and the uncertainty
economist at CWF, noted that growth hit 6.6 per cent in 2006, caused by the provincial government’s royalty review.
roughly three times higher than the rest of Canada. CWF expects Alberta to outperform the national economy
Growth did slow in 2007. Real GDP expanded by 3.3 per this year and next. The report cites a considerable amount of
cent, comparable to Alberta’s average since the early 1980s and downside risk, including economic tough times in the U.S.—
above last year’s national average. Alberta’s biggest customer. Other issues include negative pres-
Driving the decline were weaker growth in retail sales, sure on the price of oil from slowing global growth, volatile
weakness in housing starts and prices and slower employment natural gas prices, climbing costs and the perennial shortage
growth. But none of these translated to a down economy— of labour.
Alberta still led the country in job creation. The Alberta economy is still solid, notes the report. It is
The all-important oil-and-gas sector has slowed down forecasting real GDP growth of 3.1 per cent for 2008 and 3.2
appreciably. Garner attributes this to declines in natural gas per cent for 2009. u

Fall 2008 | Western Construction News 35

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Ambex Concrete Technologies.... www.ambexcorp.com ...................31 Miniveyor......................................... www.miniveyor.net.........................31

Breaker Technology Inc................ www.rockbreaker.com...................23 Multiquip.......................................... www.multiquip.com........................30

Butler Survey Supplies.................. www.butlersurvey.com..................16 Petro-Canada Lubricants.....................http://lubricants.petro-canada.ca ... 21

CAT Rental....................................... www.catrents.ca...............................4 SMS Equipment.............................. www.smsequip.com.......................40

Construction Safety Network....... www.safetynetwork.bc.ca............35 Spatial Technologies..................... www.spatialtechnologies.ca..........2

Doka Canada Ltd............................. www.doka.com................................19 TD Bank............................................ www.tdcanadatrust.com.................9

Etobicoke Iron Works.................... www.eiw-ca.com............................35 Towmaster....................................... www.towmastertrailers.com........28

Finning.............................................. www.finning.ca...............................11 Tramac.............................................. www.tramac.com............................37

Huber Reversible Fans.................. www.huberfan.com........................37 Western Surety Company.............. www.westernsurety.ca..................15

IPEX................................................... www.ipexinc.com...........................29 World of Asphalt............................. www.worldofasphalt.com.............39

Land Measurement Systems........ www.lmssurvey.com......................33 World of Concrete.......................... www.worldofconcrete.com..........27

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Fall 2008 | Western Construction News 37

Point of view
by Tonia Jurbin

Changed conditions
W hat’s going on at the Seymour-Capilano Filtration Project
(SCFP)?
I’ve been following the Seymour-Cap epic and most of the
associated projects for seven years. I’ve published some half-
dozen articles, attended two moving St. Barbara celebrations
and have a genuine fondness for the project. BB claimed that rock conditions were causing safety issues.
St. Barbara—the patron saint of those who work under- MV’s consultants issued a plan to address these concerns, but
ground or with explosives—is commonly celebrated in Europe. BB rejected it, countering with a “pay as you go” option. In re-
Bilfinger Berger (BB), a European contractor, built a modest sponse, MV terminated their right to work.
shrine in her honour at the bottom of the shaft and celebrated Today some $38-million worth of equipment is sitting idle;
her day annually. MV has seized one of the tunnel-boring machines under the
It’s an interesting project. Explosive compaction was used terms of the contract (the other is leased); and BB is suing MV
downstream of an operating dam, the capacity of the Seymour for $22 million.
UV disinfection plant is the largest in the world, the filtration How will the work proceed? Submissions for “Expressions
capacity the largest in Canada, green-roof technology is planned of Interest and Statement of Qualifications” closed in August.
for the filtration plant and clear wells and the twin tunnels are MV hopes to pre-qualify three contractors. Déjà vu. Since the
the largest civil tunneling project in B.C. in decades. job is about half done and the original duration was four years,
The $600-million undertaking includes a pumping station I suppose it would be fair to allow two more years—but I doubt
(one of Canada’s largest) and energy-recovery plant at Capilano the bids to complete the work will be anywhere near $99 million
with twin, 7.1-km., 3.8-m. dia. tunnels that will eventually carry in this market.
untreated water from the Capilano reservoir to be treated at Meanwhile an interim contractor has 30 workers maintaining
Seymour and then returned. Over and above the $600 million, the pumps so that the tunnel doesn’t flood and destroy the
three dams that hold back Metro Vancouver’s (MV) water supply electrical components of all the gear that may not see the light
have undergone major upgrades. of day for years to come. It will be many more years before MV
So why has Seymour-Cap been shut down? or BB is vindicated.
In a nutshell, the wheels that pushed this project started Ironically, MV has started a campaign to get people off bottled
turning in 1984 when the City of Vancouver determined that water and the City of Vancouver is talking about an outright
the Canadian drinking-water standards were not consistently ban. In fairness, the filtration plant is on schedule and filtered
being met in its water supply. The pH level was often low, non- water from the Seymour reservoir will be available for wider
pathogenic bacteria were present and the turbidity was often distribution during periods of high turbidity.
higher than the standards. With a dispute-resolution that was attractive to the contractor,
In 2003, three of eight pre-qualified contractors bid on you have to ask how this could have been avoided.
the tunnels. BB was the winning bid at $99 million, the next- Two years ago, someone involved in the project noted that
higher bid was $186 million and the highest was $237 million. “changed geology is normal; the difficulty is who pays for it.”
BB wanted to enter the North American market, it liked the I would counter that with the most profound pearl of wisdom
terms of the contract, and—I remember this well—it liked the I’ve ever heard in my years of business writing: “there’s no such
dispute-resolution mechanism, so they bid aggressively. The thing as changed conditions—only what we choose to find out
engineer’s estimate wasn’t divulged. about the existing conditions.”
The tunnels were to be bored over four years, starting and Sadly, the most valuable lesson to come out of this won’t be
finishing in the fall of 2004 and 2008 respectively. Difficulties about tunneling and it might even be something we already
with sinking the 640-m. entry shaft put BB behind schedule know—you get what you pay for.u
from the get-go, but during my visit in late 2006, they were still
confident they’d make the deadline.
Fast-forward to January 2008, 4.1 km. into the raw-water Tonia Jurbin is a regular contributor to WCN. She is based in
tunnel and 3.8 km. into the treated tunnel—and it’s over! Greater Vancouver. Contact editor@on-sitemag.

38 Western Construction News | Fall 2008