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APRIL 2020

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For more news and advice on COVID-19 in the construction industry, visit www.on-sitemag.com www.on-sitemag.com

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VOLUME 65, NO.3 / APRIL 2020

BIG IRON 16 The building blocks of autonomy OEMs stepping up automated features in slow shift to full autonomy

IN THIS ISSUE 7 Comment A fresh start post-coronavirus

9 News

The major developments

14 Construction stats The key figures

22 Green disruption West Coast building product start-up has a new approach

26 â€˜Uncharted watersâ€™ Uncertainty surrounds coronavirus and force majeure

36 Taking the lead Innovations headline Conexpo-Con/Agg

COLUMNS 40 Risk COVID-19: To shutdown or not shutdown?

42 Software Telematics: Seeing the big picture

45 Contractors and the Law Who is responsible?

46 Index of Advertisers

CONCRETE ON-SITE 29

Next-generation paving equipment is improving accuracy and simplifying work for concrete crews

Cast-in-place is not the only game in town. A different take on site-cast concrete is gaining momentum

The next pave

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ADVERTORIAL

Pausing work? Consider these precautions MANY BUSINESSES in the construction industry have been impacted by government legislation ordering non-essential site closures, to help stop the spread of COVID-19. If you need to temporarily pause work, there are several steps you can take to protect your site and equipment from risks such as theft. A thorough shut down procedure involves proper storage of equipment, safely turning off all utilities, enforcing security measures, and establishing a communications plan. Equipment  All tools, equipment, materials, and machinery should be removed and secured off site.  Combustible materials and non-installed appliances should be removed.  Any materials or equipment (including scaffolding) which cannot be removed should be secured to protect them from heavy winds.  Tower cranes should be inspected as per jurisdictional requirements and access should be secured. Utilities  The main water supply should be turned off and water should be drained from plumbing systems. Any pumping equipment or dewatering systems

should be properly fueled and filled so that they operate without any workers present.  Temporary space heaters should be turned off and removed.  Fuel tanks should be emptied or removed from the site.  Compressed gas cylinders should be removed. Security  Existing site security provisions should be reviewed to ensure that they are operational and maintained (e.g. surveillance systems).  Gates into the site and any doors or entryways should be locked.  Perimeter fencing should be checked and secured.  Existing fire protection and detection provisions should be maintained. Communications  Establish a communications plan and reporting protocol that outlines key contacts and their back-ups, the chain of communications, and the processes in place to communicate important updates. Lastly, even after securing your site for the closure, perform exterior and interior site visits every 72 hours, and take detailed notes when you do.

To learn more about key risk management practices that can assist during a pandemic, like COVID-19, reach out to the Northbridge Risk Services team who can provide educational materials and consulting. All services and training

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COMMENT

A fresh start post-coronavirus

Get the latest construction news! Follow us on Twitter @OnSiteMag

In retrospect, the COVID-19 crisis – currently abrading everything from long-held job site protocols to our most basic personal freedoms – looks inevitable. But as late as early March, coronavirus was a supply chain hurdle, a curiosity on the other side of the world, a mild irritant that wouldn’t sting long. Even for those who apprehensively watched the Chinese economy grind to a temporary halt at the beginning of the year, the speed and magnitude of the fallout in Canada and the U.S., was difficult to foresee. Catching us largely unprepared, the damage has been considerable. From an economic perspective and sadly, a human one, the tally will continue to accumulate in the coming weeks. Construction will, of course, get through it. Whether the industry in Canada will be entirely intact though, depends on how quickly crews are able to get fully back to work, the evolving government response and the complicated legal fallout. Currently, the situation across the country runs the gamut – from a near-complete shutdown of non-vital work in Quebec, to relatively few constraints aside from additional job site safety measures in the Prairies. No matter the exact outcome, the construction industry emerging from the crisis will be a different one than the one that entered it. Job site sanitation, for instance, has rocketed to the top of priority lists as contractors look to ensure workers stay safe on-site. An overlooked issue for years, there’s no longer any leeway for a lax cleaning schedule or empty hand sanitizer dispensers. Post-COVID-19, the benchmarks for cleanliness will likely remain higher. The crisis is also nearly certain to catalyze a number of industry transitions that have been building momentum for years. Few situations could have better high-

lighted the advantages of new technology for improving connectivity on-site and between job sites and head offices. Construction management software capable of sharing essentials like project drawings eliminate the need for a physical nerve centre, which in this crisis, is a liability. At the same time, the ability to move non-essential staff off-site has been vital over the past few weeks to free up space for crews who need to be there. Once coronavirus is contained, these remote staff members will be able to return, but contractors will no doubt question if they need to. The industry continues to function despite the crisis, and some of the new communication tools being employed today will have staying power. Already on the rise, modular construction can also expect a fresh wave of support. Unlike job sites where conditions are difficult to control, off-site manufacturing environments make it easier to control the flow of materials and personnel. Finished modules can be installed on-site with fewer workers, slimming down job site crews and simplifying operations. The fallout from COVID-19 is also likely to drive a shift away from antiquated paper-based systems – procurement, permitting and inspections processes being a few examples. Jurisdictions that have not already fully embraced electronic bidding systems or made the switch to paperless building permitting have a tangible incentive to do so, benefitting all involved. As in other segments of the economy, the crisis has laid bare some troublesome flaws within construction and its supply chain. Still, the industry will endure, as it always has, and emerge from the crisis better adapted to the modern world.

David Kennedy / Editor dkennedy@on-sitemag.com

on-sitemag.com / 7

CONTRIBUTORS

MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS FOR THIS ISSUE www.on-sitemag.com / Fax: 416-442-2230

DAVID BOWCOTT / Global Director – Growth, Innovation & Insight, Global Construction and Infrastructure Group at Aon Risk Solutions

PUBLISHER | Peter Leonard (416) 510-6847 pLeonard@on-sitemag.com

On coronavirus and job site shutdowns: “It is one of the most difficult debates to take place in recent memory because so many lives will be affected by this decision. It truly is a ‘life or death’ decision. Regardless of the outcome, we can address the immediate need for any active job sites to adhere to best practices.”

MEDIA DESIGNER - Lisa Zambri lzambri@annexbusinessmedia.com

JACOB STOLLER / Principal, StollerStrategies On seeing the wider picture with telematics: “It’s almost impossible today to buy an appliance or a piece of machinery that isn’t collecting data. Construction equipment – dozers, excavators, cranes and haulers – is no exception. The catch is that having the data doesn’t necessarily mean being able to utilize it.”

ERIN CUTTS / Borden Ladner Gervais LLP On unanticipated site conditions and exclusionary clauses: “The costs associated with discovering unanticipated site conditions can be significant, particularly where the scope of the problem is widespread. It is, therefore, not surprising disputes over unanticipated site conditions are common in the construction industry.”

EDITOR | David Kennedy (416) 510-6821 dkennedy@on-sitemag.com

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER | David Skene (416) 510-6884 dskene@on-sitemag.com ACCOUNT COORDINATOR | Kim Rossiter (416) 510-6794 krossiter@on-sitemag.com AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER | Urszula Grzyb (416) 510-5180 ugrzyb@annexbusinessmedia.com Vice President | Tim Dimopoulos (416) 510-5100 tdimopoulos@annexbusinessmedia.com COO | Scott Jamieson sjamieson@annexbusinessmedia.com Established in 1957, On-Site is published by Annex Business Media 111 Gordon Baker Road, Suite 400, Toronto, ON M2H 3R1 Publications Mail Agreement No. 40065710 ISSN: 1910-118X (Print) ISSN 2371-8544 (Online)

Circulation email: ugrzyb@annexbusinessmedia.com Tel: (416) 510-5180 Fax: (416) -510-6875 or (416) 442-2191 Mail: 111 Gordon Baker Road, Suite 400, Toronto, ON M2H 3R1 SUBSCRIPTION RATES Canada $49.50 per year, United States $113.00 per year, Other foreign $136.50, Single Copy Canada $13.50. On-Site is published 7 times per year except for occasional combined, expanded or premium issues, which count as two subscription issues. Occasionally, On-Site will mail information on behalf of industry-related groups whose products and services we believe may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive this information, please contact our circulation department in any of the four ways listed above. Annex Privacy Officer privacy@annexbusinessmedia.com Tel: 800-668-2374 Content copyright ©2020 by Annex Publishing & Printing Inc may not be reprinted without permission. On-Site receives unsolicited materials (including letters to the editor, press releases, promotional items and images) from time to time. On-Site, its affiliates and assignees may use, reproduce, publish, re-publish, distribute, store and archive such unsolicited submissions in whole or in part in any form or medium whatsoever, without compensation of any sort. DISCLAIMER This publication is for informational purposes only The content and “expert” advice presented are not intended as a substitute for informed professional engineering advice. You should not act on information contained in this publication without seeking specific advice from qualified engineering professionals.

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8 / APRIL 2020

INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRY>NEWS Pace of construction slows across Canada as industry grapples with COVID-19, work halted in Quebec As of April 14, most provinces have implemented measures related to construction, though there’s little uniformity across the country. On Canada’s West Coast, the British Columbia government declared a state of emergency March 18 as its outbreak worsened. Construction, however, remains ongoing in the province under stricter sanitation and social distancing regimes. Though job sites have been allowed to remain active, being deemed essential, several high-profile projects have scaled back work. Among others, BC Hydro has slowed construction on its Site C dam project. LNG Canada has also slimmed down its workforce at its new natural gas export terminal, cutting on-site staff levels by 65 per cent and putting all non-essential work on hold. The Prairie provinces have implemented relatively similar measures to deal with the outbreak. Governments in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba have placed an added focus on sanitation on job sites but recognized construction as essential, © DONTREE / ADOBE STOCK

Little more than a month into the crisis already guaranteed to define the early 2020s, the construction industry across Canada has been forced to take decisive steps to protect its workforce and help safeguard public health. In all provinces but Quebec, a considerable, if not a majority, of job sites remain open, but the pace of work has slowed to accommodate new health and safety measures designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. With the number of confirmed Canadian cases of coronavirus climbing into the tens of thousands, a timeline for a return to normalcy remains uncertain.

allowing projects to continue. Ontario’s approach has been more complex and continues to evolve. In its initial emergency declaration March 24, the province exempted construction from any closures by including nearly all aspects of the industry on its essential services list. As in other provinces, a number of new health and safety guidelines were put in place. The government also hired more safety inspectors. On April 3, the province changed tack, releasing a more refined essential services list that excluded significant parts of the construction industry. Key infrastructure projects in the health care and transit sectors have been allowed to continue, but other industrial and commercial projects put on hold. On the residential side, the rules are more lenient, allowing for construction to continue on projects already underway, though any new starts have been halted. In neighbouring Quebec, which currently accounts for nearly half of Canada’s COVID-19 cases, construction is at a near standstill, with the government permitting little leeway in terms of what constitutes an essential service. Firms carrying out urgent repairs and those building or maintaining projects essential to public security have been granted exemptions, but other work across the residential, industrial, commercial, and institutional sectors has been halted. Residential construction will be allowed to resume starting April 20. Policies in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are essentially aligned, permitting construction to continue with added precautionary measures. Prince Edward Island has enacted similar steps for ongoing work, but took the additional measure of ordering new construction starts temporarily halted. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the provincial government has not directed non-retail businesses to close, so long as workers can practice social distancing. Still, construction has been temporarily stopped on several major projects, including Husky Energy’s West White Rose Project, Vale’s Voisey’s Bay mine expansion and the Muskrat Falls dam. on-sitemag.com / 9

INDUSTRY NEWS Ontario looking for build teams to dig tunnels for two new Toronto transit projects Infrastructure Ontario and Metrolinx took a first step toward construction last month on both the Scarborough Subway Extension and Eglinton Crosstown West Extension. Two new Toronto transit tunnels — together, more than a dozen kilometres long — are needed as infrastructure planners begin implementing a multibillion-dollar initiative to greatly expand the city’s transit network. The provincial agencies issued separate requests for qualifications (RFQ) for tunnelling work on the two projects March 10. “To expedite work on these projects, tunnelling will begin first, to be followed by separate contracts for the balance of the work on each project, which includes building the stations, fitting-out the tunnels and installing and commissioning

The two new transit tunnels will run approximately six and eight kilometres beneath Toronto. PHOTO: METROLINX

the systems,” Infrastructure Ontario, said in a release. The Scarborough Subway Extension will include three new stations and extend Toronto’s current Line 2 eight kilometres from Kennedy Station to McCowan Road and Sheppard Avenue. The Eglinton Crosstown West Extension, meanwhile, is expected to run 9.2 kilometres — six of which are underground — from Mount Dennis to Renforth Drive. The initial phase of the Eglinton Crosstown light rail project is currently under construction and, after a recent delay,

expected to open in 2022. As the name implies, the West Extension will stretch the new line farther west. Each of the new tunnelling contracts use the design, build and finance model. The winning construction team will be responsible for digging the extraction shafts and tunnels, as well as providing the tunnel boring machines, coordinating utility relocations and installing precast concrete tunnel liners. The province plans to shortlist teams of bidders for each of the complex tunnel projects by this summer.

Pomerleau, Delsan AIM picked to tear down old Champlain Bridge in Montreal The federal crown corporation responsible for a pair of heavily-trafficked Montreal bridges has picked a winning bidder to tear down the deteriorating Champlain Bridge that carried traffic over the St. Lawrence River from 1962 to 2019. The modern replacement for the busy Montreal span opened last summer, clearing the way for the deconstruction project expected to take about three years. Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Inc. said March 5 it has picked the Nouvel Horizon St-Laurent consortium, made up of Pomerleau Inc. and Delsan-A.I.M. Environmental Services Inc., to take on the high-profile project. “The Champlain Bridge deconstruction is the largest project

10 / APRIL 2020

in our organization’s history and is a unique project for Quebec,” JCCBI’s CEO, Sandra Martel, said in a release. “Our goal with this new agreement, is for the project to adhere to exemplary practices based on major sustainable development principles.” The precise cost of the project won’t be released until later in April when the contract is expected to be finalized, but the teardown work is estimated at $400 million. With the project tilting toward deconstruction rather than demolition, locals hoping for an explosive felling of the old 3.4-kilometre steel and concrete span will likely be disappointed. The bridge will instead be taken apart piece by piece with a focus on reusing as many components as possible. JCCBI said the bridge contains about 250,000 tonnes of concrete and 25,000 tonnes of steel. About 12,000 tonnes of asphalt make up the approximately three-kilometre road surface. The aging bridge has been in rough shape for years, as design issues led certain structural components to deteriorate more quickly than initially expected. In 2013, for instance, it required significant emergency repairs. While there was some initial pressure to preserve the bridge for pedestrian or other uses, JCCBI has said that approach is impractical due to several million dollars in annual inspection costs and likely even higher repair bills. More details about the deconstruction methods and timetable will be released this spring.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Alberta’s Jaus Neigum wins Cat’s Global Operator Challenge, earning title of world’s best After a year of hard-fought competitions around the world, Caterpillar Inc. has crowned the winner of its inaugural Global Operator Challenge. Nine equipment operators from North and South America, Europe and Asia stepped into the dirt March 10 to face off in the final stage of the gruelling test of skill, resilience and adaptability. A rare rainy morning in Las Vegas tested the capabilities of the construction veterans at Cat’s freshly-erected Operator Stadium on the grounds of CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020. Each of the operators had already faced down numerous rounds of opponents to earn their place to compete at the championships in Vegas. Through local and regional qualifying rounds, the nine finalists topped a field of about 10,000 original entrants. When the wheel loader and excavator engines fell silent Tuesday, however, it was

Medicine hat, Alta.’s Jaus Neigum who raised the trophy and laid claim to the hard-earned bragging rights. Neigum was met with congratulations from Caterpillar’s chairman and CEO, Jim Umpleby, as well as prominent TV host Mike Rowe, who helped host the day-long battle in the dirt. Though Neigum had got his nose in front right out of the gate by logging a convincing victory in the Load and Carry challenge, the overall win was far from a foregone conclusion. A strong challenge from the Republic of Ireland’s Thomas Murphy, saw the Canadian slip to second after the Control to a Tee competition, which required operators to drop a golf ball into a hole using a mini excavator. Nevertheless, in the final Trenching Challenge, Neigum kept his cool. He led the field, cementing the win with a total time of 16 minutes, 28 seconds. Murphy was close behind in second at 18 minutes,

Cat’s Operator Stadium on the grounds of Conexpo-Con/Agg 2020. Neigum topped eight other finalists to claim the trophy. PHOTO:

CATERPILLAR

two seconds. Other competitors hailed from Brazil, Germany, Japan, Philippines, Switzerland, and the U.S. Neigum is part owner of Alberta-based Industrial Backhoes Ltd., which has been operating out of Medicine Hat for the past 40 years. He’s been at home in an operator’s chair for years, having originally learned the ropes from his father.

Four construction teams shortlisted for next stage of Toronto’s Union Station expansion A quartet of construction consortia are through to the next stage of the procurement process for a major expansion project at Union Station in Toronto. Infrastructure Ontario (IO) and transit agency Metrolinx issued a request for

proposals to the four teams vying to expand the downtown rail hub Feb. 28 The OnTrack Alliance, GTA Alliance, OneUnion Alliance and Union Gateway Alliance will have the next several months to prepare bids, while the province plans to pick a winning team by this summer. Aecon, EllisDon, Kiewit and Dragados are among the big-name builders in the running for the contract. Known officially as the Union Station Enhancement Project, the job includes construction of a new platA revitalization project at Union station has been ongoing since 2011. The latest expansion will leave the station under construction well into the 2020s.

12 / APRIL 2020

form and concourse at the south end of the station. It’s part of GO Transit’s wider push to increase capacity and run trains more frequently. The cost of the project has not yet been released and no official timeline has been shared, but the project guarantees to stretch construction at Union Station well into the 2020s. The rail hub has already been under construction for about 10 years due to a City of Toronto-led renovation and upgrade project at the nearly 100-year-old station that has lagged considerably behind schedule and gone well over its original budget. The latest project at Union will also make use of a new-to-Ontario procurement model known as Alliancing. It’s designed to force the build team and owners to take a more collaborative approach than conventional building methods, which are often criticized as adversarial.

Ontario, two First Nation groups look to clear logjam on proposed road to Ring of Fire mining region Two Ontario First Nation groups have signed an agreement with the province aimed at speeding up planning for a proposed set of roads into a remote northern region known as the Ring of Fire. Chief Bruce Achneepineskum of the Marten Falls First Nation and Chief Cornelius Wabasse of the Webequie First Nation, signed the partnership deal, along with Premier Doug Ford and Greg Rickford, the provinceâ€™s minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines and Minister of Indigenous Affairs, in Toronto March 2. â€œAfter 15 years of delay by the previous government, we said we would build a road to the Ring of Fire, and we are working with our incredible partners in the Marten Falls First Nation and Webequie First Nation to do just that and make sure we do it right,â€? Ford said in a release. The proposed series of all-season roads would extend north from the Lake Nipigon area, where current routes come to an end, stretching some 300 kilometres to the Marten Falls and Webequie First Nations, as well as into the Ring of Fire. The C-shaped region spans some 5,000 square kilometres and is known for its potential mine sites with deposits of chromite, nickel, copper and platinum. The debate over how lucrative mining in the region would be is ongoing, however. Along with opening the region to resource development, the province said the all-season road would improve key infrastructure, such as internet and cell service, for First Nations in the area. Mining projects would also create a flurry of new economic opportunities for the communities. The agreement will spur environmental assessments of the set of roads, but stops short of committing any provincial funds for construction. The Ontario PC government has been critical of how their Liberal predecessors handled the potential road project, vowing to restart the planning process last summer.

A map of the proposed roads from Noront Resources Ltd., a mining company working to develop sites in the Ring of Fire region.

PHOTO: NORONT RESOURCES LTD

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2019-01-25 2:27 PM

CONSTRUCTION STATS

Workers Employed in Construction by Month

A selection of data reflecting trends in the Canadian construction industry

2019

January

1,444.9

February

1,438.3

March 1,435.9 April

1,465.1

May

1,456.5

June

1,449.1

July 1,474.1

CANADA LOSES A MILLION JOBS IN MARCH, BUT THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY HOLDS STEADY

August 1,472.0

Just over one million jobs, or 5.3 per cent of all positions, evaporated across Canada in March as governments urged residents to stay at home and businesses closed in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Despite the staggering figures in the overall economy, the construction industry saw essentially no change in its workforce, which continued to hover just below 1.5 million workers, in March. Just 2,200 fewer workers, or 0.1 per cent, were on job sites over the four-week period compared to a month earlier, Statistics Canada said in its latest Labour Force Survey. After experiencing little change in March, the resilience of the construction labour market is likely in for a far tougher test in April.

October 1,460.5

CAPITAL EXPENDITURES ON NON-RESIDENTIAL TANGIBLE ASSETS 2010 218 2011 235 2012 249 2013 256 2014 272 2015 251 2016 230 2017 240 2018 263 2019 268

September 1,481.8 November 1,465.3 December 1,482.3

2020

January 1,497.6 February 1,489.7 March 1487.5 In thousands of workers, seasonally adjusted SOURCE: STATISTICS CANADA

INVESTMENT IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION CLIMBS TO $15.6B IN JANUARY Spending on building construction increased in both the residential and non-residential sectors this January, reaching $15.6 billion, according to Statistics Canada. Investments in all three components in the non-residential sector climbed during the month, the latest for which data is available. Combined, spending rose 1.4 per cent from December, led by increases in Quebec and Ontario. Spending in the residential sector also rose, but by a statistically insignificant amount. Higher spending in Quebec, B.C. and Nova Scotia offset declines in Canada’s seven other provinces.

2020 275* * Forecast In billions of dollars SOURCE: STATISTICS CANADA

CANADIAN CAPITAL SPENDING WAS FORECAST TO HIT RECORD IN 2020, BUT CORONAVIRUS LIKELY TO UPEND INVESTMENTS In late February, Statistics Canada forecast capital expenditures on non-residential construction as well as machinery and equipment would hit a record $275.5 billion in 2020. Construction accounted for the lion’s share of the predicted gain, with spending expected to hit $178.6 billion, up 4.5 per cent from 2019. Just over a month ago, more than half of Canada’s industrial sectors anticipated upping their capital spending in 2020. Much has changed since, with the majority of the country locking down to stave off the further spread of coronavirus. The extent of the fallout for the building sector remains uncertain, 2020 but companies in all industries have begun putting off planned spending to preserve capital.

14 / APRIL 2020

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The

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Autonomy

OEMs step up integration of automated features in their big iron, charting course for full autonomy BY DAVID KENNEDY 16 / APRIL 2020

PHOTO: CATERPILLAR

Operators sitting in a Command Station can take control of equipment on the other side of the world. The stations are also multi-purpose, meaning operators can switch between running different types of connected equipment.

he road to autonomous construction sites will be paved with incremental advances. Though a number of major manufacturers have already set up autonomous test sites devoid of conventional operators, experts anticipate the real-world shift to cab-less excavators, dozers, trucks and loaders will be a slow, but steady process. “Autonomy for construction is not going to happen on a certain Tuesday of a certain month of a certain year,” says Fred Rio, director of digital and technology for Caterpillar Construction Industries.” It’s going to trickle into the job site over time and it’s actually going to trickle in in a steady stream of technological innovation.” Cat and a long list of other equip-

ment manufacturers used Conexpo-Con/ Agg 2020 as a launch pad for their latest innovations that improve productivity on job sites. “As we make the machines better and better [and] machines get smarter and smarter, the ultimate manifestation of that productivity is going to be autonomy,” Rio says, likening the shift to the commercial vehicle industry where drivers are getting more and more technological perks, such as lane departure warnings and collision avoidance systems, with each model year.

STEPS ALONG THE WAY In Las Vegas this March, Cat highlighted its remote control equipment operation technology, showing off the Cat Command

system for loading, dozing and excavating, among many other innovations. The technology gets operators out of the cab, but leaves them in control with either a line-of-sight remote or a “virtual cab.” The virtual cab option uses a series of cameras and sensors to let an operator sitting in a Command Station take control of a piece of equipment. The operators can be in an on-site trailer a few hundred yards from the equipment, or on the other side of the world. At Conexpo, Cat let attendees take a seat in its virtual cabs and operate equipment located a number of sites across the U.S. – some more than 2,000 kilometres from where the operator was seated in Vegas. The stations themselves on-sitemag.com / 17

PHOTO: KOMATSU

BIG IRON

complementary automation features and improved situational awareness for operators as several of the stepping stones. “For us, one of the pieces right in the middle of that is grade control and machine control, and how do we help control and augment the cutting edge of machines so it’s more productive, more precise with easier effort to get there,” Very says. On excavators, Deere already offers integrated grade guidance systems. Later this year, it plans to build on this by releasing full 3D SmartGrade for excavators. Though Deere remains focused on the bucket level of its earthmovers at the moment, as operators become more comfortable with the new tools and automated systems keep advancing, the company’s engineers will integrate more and more assist features. “Today, we still require an operator to push the buttons and make it go, but what you’ll see is with those levels of automation, the tasks become more automated and expanding out from that middle.”

PHOTO: DEERE

WALK BEFORE YOU RUN

PHOTO: DOOSAN

omy. “If we’re going to get to the point where we have machines without cabs, we’re going to have to move these machines around and the only way to do it is going to be remote control,” Rio says. John Deere is piecing together the building blocks and moving down the trail to autonomous systems as well. “We think of that path from automation to autonomy as a journey,” says Kevin Very, director of Technology and Product Marketing for John Deere’s Construction & Forestry division. Very pointed specifically to “robust” machine connectivity, grade control, other

are multi-purpose, letting operators switch between running excavators, dozers and wheel loaders. Cat considers its remote control tech as one of the milestones on the path to auton-

18 / APRIL 2020

Much of the technology to automate equipment already exists. Often, it’s contractors or operators who need to catch up, or be willing to accept a technological helping hand. Jonny Spendlove, the product marketing manager for Excavators with Hitachi Construction Machinery – Americas, says many operators are wary about the new systems, in part because they want to remain in control. With this sentiment in mind, Hitachi is easing its customers into the grade control space. “We don’t want to change the way they operate, we want to enhance the way they operate,” Spendlove says. At Conexpo, Hitachi introduced Solution Linkage Integrated Grade Control with Topcon on its ZX350LC-6 excavator. It plans to introduce the factory-integrated system to other excavators in its Dash-6 in the future. The option lets the machine control the boom and bucket, while the operator handles the arm. “Your grade control isn’t going to be engaged until you get to that final pass,” Spendlove says. “We’re going to allow you

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PHOTO: HYUNDAI

BIG IRON

to keep digging the way you’re always done with the pilot control system and then when that grade control engages on that final pass, that’s where it’s really going to come into play.” The company is also leaving an upgrade path open for customers who want to test out the technology with guidance and then move to control in the future. “We think there are still folks getting into the grade technology space, and we want to let them get in there at the right price point – [and] get in there at the right level of comfort – but I think in the long term see it going in the direction of control,” Spendlove says. Hyundai also announced the expansion of its machine control solutions for excavators in Las Vegas last month. The company said it will now offer HiASSIST on its HX series excavators. The smart construction system integrates Trimble machine control systems into cab’s monitor cluster, letting operators set parameters and dig more accurately. The HiDETECT safety system, another offering bundled under Hyundai’s Intelligence Care Brand, helps operators detect

20 / APRIL 2020

objects or machine limits. “The system limits the excavator arc swing in confined spaces, limits digging depth to avoid known buried infrastructure, and limits vertical operations to avoid overhead utilities or other obstacles,” the company says.

A CONTINUING EVOLUTION Progress toward full autonomy is steady, but there’s consensus among all industry players, that it remains a work in progress. Doosan, for instance, is targeting 2025 to go to market with fully autonomous equipment it’s currently piloting at proving grounds in South Korea. Known collectively as Concept X, the company unveiled a suite of technologies last November it expects to be autonomously moving dirt on the construction sites of the future. The goal of the project is to have the machines on autopilot, leaving workers to focus solely on management and analysis. Incorporating data from 3D drone surveys, Doosan plans to continue perfecting the movements – and decision-making abilities – of its unmanned excavators, wheel loaders and haul trucks over the next five years.

Along with enabling contractors to slowly shift operators into new roles, equipment makers are also extending their reach beyond the equipment itself by offering all-encompassing job site solutions. Komatsu gave Conexpo attendees a sneak peek at an upcoming suite of Internet of Things-powered technologies it calls Smart Construction. Made up of 11 separate components – from design and remote monitoring tools, to drone data collection and cost tracking solutions – Komatsu plans to begin rolling out the technologies this year. In many of the areas, the company plans to leverage strategic partnerships with existing tech providers, similarly to how equipment makers have teamed up with the likes of Leica, Topcon and Trimble on machine control. “With Smart Construction, software, hardware, and services come together to help customers be more connected, efficient, and successful,” Komatsu notes. Indeed, the continued blurring of the line between physical assets such as equipment and the digital world, is a key milestone on the road to autonomy. “Having customers have an awareness of a 3D model, real-time, on the job site, would be required to truly automate these capabilities because you have to know where you are in the space and what’s around you and that’s difficult to control for unless you’ve got a consistent real-time image,” Kevin Very says. So far, the mining industry remains on the forefront of autonomous technology. Caterpillar, for instance, as of this February, had 275 autonomous trucks operating at eight different mines around the world. While mining has been a first mover on autonomy, its remote, easily securable and relatively static sites simplify the transition. Construction’s path to autonomy will likely be more arduous, but major manufacturers will continue assembling the pieces – regardless of whether the advances are obvious or take place in the background. “It’s almost going to be like the frog in the hot water,” Fred Rio says. “We’re not going to realize that autonomy comes upon us until one day, we’ll look back and realize that it’s been there.”

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GREEN CONSTRUCTION

GREEN DISRUPTION

Building products start-up Nexii opens production plant in Squamish, B.C. BY DAVID KENNEDY

ment, but Sidwell says the project will run into the tens of millions of dollars. The new facility will greatly increase Nexii’s scale after a successful pilot of its building system and production process at a 20,000 sq. ft. plant in Moose Jaw, Sask. At the centre of the new building system is a proprietary material the company calls Nexiite. For now, the formula for the lightweight composite is a tightly guarded secret. “What’s available for viewing for the public is pretty minimal at the moment until we get a number of patents filed on it, which we’re expecting will be in the next 60 or 90 days,” Sidwell says. Sidwell was willing to share that Nexiite is about half sand. The other 50 per cent of its makeup is a blend of “readily-available” materials. To form its building panels, the company uses an approximately half-inch layer of Nexiite on each side of a conventional insulating core. “The Nexiite is both the interior and exterior finishing and is structural,” Sidwell says. “So, it’s a completely different methodology of construction.” So far, the company’s founders have put up a half dozen buildings – from single family homes to a senior’s residence – in Moose Jaw using the method. Sidwell, a serial entrepreneur who came out of retirement to lead the company, joined the founding brothers – Ben and Michael Dombowsky – about 15 months ago. More recently, Gregor Robertson, a former Vancouver mayor, signed on as executive vice-president of strategy and partnerships. The team sees few limitations to what types of buildings its system can be used on. “It will really run the gamut,” Sidwell says. “We can do high-rise PHOTOS: NEXII

British Columbia building products start-up looking to upend the construction industry’s conventional building process is scaling up its operations with a new 90,000 sq. ft. production facility. Nexii Building Solutions Inc. announced plans to invest in the new commercial-scale plant earlier this year and has begun renovating an existing facility in Squamish, B.C. to fit its purposes. Stephen Sidwell, the company’s CEO, says the plant will let Nexii start manufacturing its environmentally friendly pre-fabricated building components on a larger scale. “We’re shooting for initial start-up in low volumes in June or July of this year and are looking to have full production toward the end of the year,” he says. The company did not disclose the exact cost of the invest-

22 / APRIL 2020

cladding – so the exterior envelope of high-rise buildings, where there would still be a traditional steel and concrete core – we can do commercial and industrial buildings, as well as multi-family and single-family as well. There’s really no limitation to what the Nexii building system can do both from an architectural perspective and the type of buildings.” On projects for which the company is currently offering “complete solutions,” Nexii materials comprise around 60 per cent of the building, Sidwell notes. In the near future, it plans to begin incorporating other modular components such as kitchen or washroom pods, which could boost that figure to as high as 85 per cent. “We kind of consider ourselves as a pre-fabrication site or system where we flat pack on a semi and then deliver to the job site and crane into place our very large platform panels in a fraction of the time it would take [for conventional construction],” he says. “We typically reduce on-site construction anywhere from 65 to 90 per cent.” The company is jumping into the pre-fab building market at a busy time. Off-site construction is expected to continue to gain traction across Canada as builders see the cost and timeline benefits of moving away from stick building. PCL Constructors Inc., EllisDon Corp., and Bird Construction Inc. are just a few of the prominent

Canadian contractors investing in modular construction facilities to do more work off the job site. Forgoing conventional materials such as wood and steel, Nexii also sees itself as a cleantech alternative to traditional construction methods. The building system uses no Portland cement – an often criticized high emitter of greenhouse gas emission – and the company says buildings put up using its materials require less energy to heat and cool than conventional structures. With the unique new offering, the company has a healthy pipeline of projects to keep the plant floor at the new facility north of Vancouver buzzing, Sidwell says. The Squamish site will create 150 new manufacturing jobs. Meanwhile, construction companies and project developers interested in the new technology are getting up to speed. Nexii says it’s licensing a number of contractors and assemblers to work with its building system. Once crews have been retrained, they’re cleared to work with Nexii materials. The company would not disclose what contractors it’s currently working with. As far as costs are concerned, Sidwell says Nexii is “very comparable” to traditional materials, even before factoring in savings such as faster construction and lower operating costs. With initial production at the plant scheduled to start this summer, Nexii plans to have its first B.C. building under construction later this year.

GETTING TO ZERO Updated clean building standard takes aim at embodied carbon

new version of the Canada Green Building Council’s (CaGBC) Zero Carbon Building Standard takes aim squarely at embodied

carbon. The update, released by the CaGBC last month, takes the organization’s zero-carbon building rules to the next level. The original standard focused mainly on eliminating carbon emitted by buildings during their operations phase. Version 2 stipulates greenhouse gases emitted in the manufacture of building components must also be reduced or offset. “There is no time to waste or reason to wait,” Thomas Mueller, the CaGBC’s president and CEO, says in a release. “Zero

carbon buildings represent the best opportunity for cost-effective emissions reductions today. The changes we’ve made give the industry and government a clear path to show carbon leadership with positive climate action that future-proofs buildings, encourages innovation, and drives job growth,” Mueller adds. The original standard did refer to embodied carbon – requiring builders to measure and report the amount in their projects – but set no limits or restrictions. Under Version 2, any project aiming for zero carbon certification will need to reduce and offset the emissions embodied within a building’s construction materials. The updated set of rules also incorpo-

rates best practices related to refrigerant leaks, tightens requirements for energy efficiency and airtightness, and requires builders use of at least two innovative strategies over the course of a project. According to the CaGBC, building operations represent about 17 per cent of all Canadian GHG emissions. Meanwhile, carbon embodied in building materials and generated during construction account for about 13 per cent – making those emissions a logical next target. As with the previous version of the standard, the zero carbon rules can be applied to new builds or retrofit projects. on-sitemag.com / 23

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COVID-19 The virus has forced the closure of Canada’s borders and compelled provinces to strictly limit the size of gatherings.

‘Uncharted waters’

he Canadian construction industry is entering “uncharted waters” as provincial governments declare states of emergency and Ottawa closes the country’s borders to all but vital supplies to limit the spread of COVID-19, or coronavirus. Currently, job sites remain active, but the evolving battle against the virus and wide net of protective measures cast against it could force work stoppages. Even if sites remain open, coronavirus will take a heavy toll on the industry. “The COVID-19 outbreak will continue to impact all levels of the supply chain, including the availability and prices of materials, manufacturing, logistics, and manpower,” Howard Wise and Max Mandel at law firm Goodmans LLP wrote in a March 16 update. “To a large degree, we are navigating uncharted waters,” the pair added. The role force majeure clauses may play in the impending fallout from the virus is among the uncertainties. A vital component in project risk allocation, most construction contracts include a force majeure clause that relieves a party of its liability due to a natural disaster or a so-called act of God. Still, no previous Canadian judicial decisions have taken serious outbreaks or epidemics into account when considering force majeure, Wise and Mandel noted. With no direct precedents to build off of, the lawyers said they expect courts to look instead to Atlantic Paper Stock Ltd. v. St. Anne-Nackawic Pulp and Paper Co. Ltd. – a 1975 Supreme Court of Canada deci-

26 / APRIL 2020

sion that described force majeure events as when “…a supervening, sometimes supernatural, event, beyond the control of either party, makes performance impossible. The common thread is that of the unexpected, something beyond reasonable human foresight and skill.” Evolving government “social distancing” policies and rules limiting the size of gatherings may determine the number of companies that can fall back on force majeure clauses. “A vibrant construction site often includes more than fifty people, and sometimes hundreds,” Wise and Mandel said. “It is possible these scenarios may broaden the scope of what may constitute a force majeure event. If borders are closed to goods or supply-chain disruptions, these too could potentially amount to force majeure events.” Whether a specific contract specifically cites pandemics or diseases among its list of “triggers” for force majeure, is another point of contention. Some contacts do, Wise and Mandel noted, but many others do not. They pointed to Canadian Construction Documents Committee (CCDC) 2 stipulated price contract as one notable example. The contract lists labour disputes, strikes, lockouts, fire and abnormally adverse weather conditions — as well as any “cause beyond the contractor’s control.” “COVID-19 may still be captured in a broader category such as ’emergency’ or ‘any cause beyond the Contractor’s control,’ but that classification may be open to challenge by an adverse party,” Wise and

Mandel said. Elliot Smith, Danna Donald, Jagriti Singh of Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP agreed that coronavirus “could potentially still qualify” as force majeure in these situations. In an update March 5, the team also pointed to the CCDC 2 stipulated price contract as having the type of open-ended language that could cover the outbreak. Still, that may not be the final word on the topic. “Even if COVID-19 does satisfy the contractual definition of an event of force majeure, it is important to also confirm whether any contractual exclusions might apply to the circumstances and if any other contractual requirements have been met,” the Osler team wrote. “For example, contracts sometimes have restrictions on a party claiming force majeure for something that is impacting its subcontractors or suppliers, but not directly impacting the party.” Smith, Donald and Singh also advised any parties entering into new agreements after December 2019 to think over how to address COVID-19 in new contracts. Events “reasonably foreseeable at the time the contract was entered into” typically lead to the exclusion from force majeure, they note. Given the current situation, it would be difficult to argue in new contracts that fallout from the virus was not “foreseeable.” While the situation across the country remains in flux, for now, both sets of legal experts advise contractors and owners to carefully review their contract documents to help assess risk and plan their next course of action.

MEMORYSTOCK / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS /GETTY IMAGES.

No precedents put construction in tight spot on force majeure clauses, coronavirus

APRIL 2020

THE NEXT PAVE: FOCUS ON SIMPLICITY IN THIS ISSUE: www.on-sitemag.com 29 Concrete pavingâ€™s next generation | 34 A different take on site-cast concrete

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CONCRETE PAVING

The

Next Pave As in all Conexpo-Con/Agg years, it was all hands on deck for concrete paver manufacturers in 2020. The industry continues to roll out innovative features to take on a wider range of tasks, integrate more game-changing technology and simplify operations for concrete paving crews. ALLEN ENGINEERING

“Because of the efficient way the paver ‘screeds’ the surface, the paving crew’s labor for finishing time is greatly reduced,” the company says. Among other perks, the VLP 2424 works on tight job sites that would have required finishing by hand in the past, letting contractors free up crews to take on other jobs. Allen says the paver is also able to account for multiple obstructions on a paving surface, considerably speeding up complicated jobs. The new paver can be used on a number of projects, such as overhead bridge decks, light or heavy rail decks, roads and slabs on grade.

GOMACO Building off a decades-long track record in high-production concrete placing, Gomaco premiered its GP360 in Las Vegas this March. The new, two-tracked machine is both a slipform paver and a placer/ spreader. “The new innovation gives contractors the technology of the Gomaco GP3 slipform paver with the ability to convert the prime mover into a concrete placer/ spreader,” the company notes. “The prime mover is equipped with vibrator circuits for paving and auger drive circuits for placing.” As a slipform paver, the new GP360

PHOTO: ALLEN ENGINEERING

Originally designed to take on an exceedingly specific task – pave the areas between the rebar in the concrete plinths for light rail projects – Allen Engineering has reconfigured its new VLP 2424 to tackle a range paving applications. The innovative VLP, or Versatile Light Paver, uses overhead main frame sections to support and provide rigidity to the paver frame. Paving profile frames attached to the main frame strike-off and pave concrete to the desired grade. Being self-propelled, the paver lets the operator adjust its speed to match concrete delivery, while still providing a smooth finish.

on-sitemag.com / 29

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CONCRETE PAVING

PHOTO: GOMACO

filtration systems have been completely upgraded and include enhanced monitoring of hydraulic circuits flow pressure and filter conditions, G&Z notes. Capable of paving from eight feet to 34 feet (2.5 to 10 metres), the S600 can also be outfitted with numerous G&Z options, such as AccuSteer, SmartLeg, TeleEnd and VariWidth. is capable of slipforming up to 30 feet (10.97 metres) wide. With a 60-inch (1524-millimetre) belt added, it can place concrete up to 36 feet (19.97 metres) wide. Gomacoâ€™s G+ digital control system, which is able to carry out the controls conversion for switching between applications, forms the foundation of the new machine. The technology also runs machine-to-machine communication, sonic sensors and 3D machine guidance, to name a few. With the conveyor belt driven by a Caterpillar C7.1 Tier 4 diesel engine with 302 horsepower, the GP360 has a discharge speed of up to 492.5 feet per minute. The conveyor belt can be mounted on either the left or right side of the machine, depending on job site needs, the company notes. A dual-drive auger system moves the concrete to the center or outer areas and across the strike-off once the material is placed on grade.

GUNTERT & ZIMMERMAN Built around a unique tractor frame that lends itself particularly well to paving city streets, secondary roads, highways or even airports, Guntert & Zimmerman showcased its newly redesigned S600 concrete slipform paver at Conexpo 2020. The manufacturer, which has been making concrete slipform pavers since the 1940s, originally released the model in 2010, but has upgraded numerous aspects of the paver, including its engine. The redesigned S600 is powered by a CAT C7.1, 302 hp six-cylinder diesel engine, which meets Tier 4 Final and EU Stage V requirements. The company says the new paver is also easier to service, with better access to the pumps and filters. The power unit electrical and hydraulic

The Advantage is

Safety vacuworx.com on-sitemag.com / 31

OS_Vacuworx_April20_CSA.indd 1

2020-03-20 1:10 PM

PHOTO: GUNTERT & ZIMMERMAN

CONCRETE PAVING

WIRTGEN

POWER CURBERS

PHOTO: POWER CURBERS

Aiming to provide paving crews with a “one machine” solution, Power Curbers launched the latest model in its 5700 Series this January. The company showed off the new 5700-D, which replaces its 5700-C, at the high-profile Vegas show. “The 5700-D excels in curbing, sidewalk, barrier, ditches, paving, tunnel, agricultural and specialized applications,” Power Curbers says. “Compact size, simple

design, easy operation, high productivity and versatility remain core features of the 5700-D.” The slipform curb and gutter machine is equipped with the new Power Curber SlipSmart Control Solution, designed to provide crews with a new level of precision while maintaining simplicity. The tech solution can communicate with 3D systems from Leica, Topcon and Trimble. With a compact design, the company says the new 5700-D can easily operate around tight spots such as parking lots, islands and cul-de-sacs. At the same time, its design gives operators a clear view of concrete as it exits the mold, allowing them to make the necessary adjustments quickly and cut down on manual rework behind the paver. Among other tweaks from previous models, the machine’s high-pressure water system uses a new pump operators can leave on without worrying about system wear and provide on-demand high-pressure water from the wand. Power Curbers says the 5700-D’s auger conveyor pivot is also easier to rotate, while the hopper includes shovel holders on both sides.

PHOTO: WIRTGEN

“The paver has sufficient weight to avoid overloading and to obtain low smoothness numbers, while being agile enough, with the available G&Z productivity features, to give the contractors more actual paving hours on every job,” the company says. Along with city, highways and airport paving jobs, the S600 can be used for applications such as barrier walls, off-set paving and zero or minimum clearance paving.

Early this year, the Wirtgen Group released a new machine to take the lead in its paving train. The company’s new WPS 62i Placer/Spreader, designed to work in tandem with the slipform pavers and texture curing machines following behind it, made its debut at World of Concrete 2020 “Thanks to the hydraulically telescoping machine frame and concrete scraper unit, the two-track placer/spreader can be easily adapted to any job site situation,” the company says. The WPS 62i/WPS 62 feeds concrete supplied from the side and ensures it’s spread homogeneously in front of the slipformer following behind it. Typically, the spreader will be travelling over pre-placed reinforced steel while being fed by a mixer alongside it. The machine has two different scraping units with working widths between 12 and 24 feet (four and 7.5 metres). It’s able to lay concrete up to 20 inches (500 millimetres) thick. For its concrete feeder, the spreader uses a five-foot, three inch (1.6 metre) conveyor belt capable of speeds of up to 9.8 feet per second (3 metres per second). The height of the feeding unit is hydraulically adjustable, as is the height and angle of the discharge unit. Built using a fully modular design with standard hydraulic quick-change couplings, Wirtgen says the new WPS 62i/WPS 62 can be easily converted and quickly prepared for transport.

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TILT-UP

Tilting at

CONVENTION A different take on site-cast concrete slowly gains ground in Canada

gone up across Canada in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia, ranging from offices and business parks, to big box stores and schools. While there has been some uptake in Canada, particularly on the West Coast, the method remains far more popular south of the border, with thousands of buildings erected using tilt-up each year. It’s also being used for an increasing set of structures. Once limited to large buildings with basic layouts, new methods allow builders to use tilt-up for a wider range of designs. A recent project in North Miami, for instance, saw tilt-up panels used for the cladding of a nine-storey student residence. Hundreds of panels have also been used to build complex buildings such as prisons.

WEIGHING THE BENEFITS No building method is foolproof. Famed inventor Thomas Edison was an early backer of tilt-up in the early

ALACATR/ ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS / GETTY IMAGES.

ith wooden forms spread along a floor slab like sidewalk segments and a crane nearby ready to lift cured wall panels into place, this isn’t your typical site-cast concrete. The tilt-up building process, which traces its roots back more than a century, boils down to casting concrete wall panels and other building elements on forms laid flat on a building slab, or a specially-built casting bed. Once cured, a crane simply hoists – or “tilts-up” – the panels into place. As the individual concrete panels are raised, crews secure wall segments with braces and then fasten the separate pieces together. Incorporating some of the perks of both cast-in-place and off-site precast, the tilt-up method continues to earn market share, chipping away at the more conventional approaches. According to the Tilt-up Concrete Association, dozens of tilt-up buildings have

34 / APRIL 2020

1900s, but it wasn’t until decades that tilt-up gained momentum, driven by advances that made it more practical and economical. Today, tilt-up’s main benefits revolve around the speed and simplicity of construction, as well as the durability of concrete structures. Keeping work firmly on the ground is one major perk. Contractors casting tilt-up wall panels can skip the scaffolding and vertical formwork. At the same time, windows and doors can be easily built into the formwork, simplifying the opening process for workers. When space is at a premium, however, tilt-up’s tendency to spread out horizontally can become liability. Panels can be stacked on top of each other, but tilt-up does require a relatively large project site so formwork can be built, making the method unsuitable for tight urban locales. Unlike precast concrete, which is typically formed using reusable molds in a manufacturing plant, tilt-up generally requires custom forms. While this adds cost, contractors save on transportation and related logistics. Advocates of tilt-up also tout the environmental benefits. Panels can be made of solid concrete, but much of the time, sandwich-type panels with built-in insulation are prefered. Concrete’s thermal mass – its inherent ability to absorb and hold onto heat – helps owners slim down building mechanical systems, saving on costs and emissions. Of course, designers do need to weigh these longer term benefits against the carbon embodied within the concrete itself. With concrete as their main building blocks, tilt-up structures typically have a durability edge over up those others relying on wood or metal.

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CONEXPO

REDEFINING CUTTING EDGE

There’s no denying coronavirus left Conexpo-Con/Agg 2020 with something of a different feel than previous events. But the industry came together in a big way at show and many of the innovative new solutions equipment makers and software providers showed off will be leading the way as builders help push toward recovery. Here are some of the highlights: BOBCAT Bobcat says it has packed the digging power of larger machines into its new lineup of R2-Series compact excavators capable of squeezing onto tight job sites. The E42 and E50, the first two models in the line, feature a redesigned Bobcat engine that simplifies maintenance and improves performance in cold weather compared to previous models.

DOOSAN

CASE Case Construction Equipment premiered the construction industry’s first fully electric backhoe loader – dubbed “Project Zeus” at this year’s Conexpo. While offering equivalent performance to diesel models in the company’s lineup, the new 580 EV offers considerable cost savings and zero on-site emissions. The company plans to ramp up production through 2020.

CATERPILLAR Weighing in at over 200,000 pounds, the new Next Generation Cat 395 excavator is reinforced to take on a lifetime of tough work. Delivering 10 per cent more production, requiring about 20 per cent less maintenance and offering twice the durability of its predecessor, the new excavator is capable of using larger buckets to up productivity.

36 / APRIL 2020

Slated for release later this year, Doosan previewed the biggest model in its excavator line ever available in North America at Conexpo. The company’s DX800LC-7 was paired with a 6.1 cubic yard bucket at the show. Given its size, the machine caters largely to mining applications, but could also be put to use on large infrastructure projects.

DYNAPAC To complement its SD Paver Range, Dynapac is rolling out the new V5100 TH E and V6000 TH E screeds. The fully redesigned units are geared toward durability and serviceability. Operators can control the screed through the main control panel, or with a remote. They are available with working widths up to nine metres (29.5 feet).

JOHN DEERE

HITACHI Coming shortly to its Dash-6 excavators – starting with the ZX350LC-6 – Hitachi previewed its new Solution Linkage Integrated Grade Control with Topcon at Conexpo. The system lets operators set a grade and hold it, simplifying machine operation, increasing efficiency and lowering daily operating costs. The new solution will be available in the United States and Canada.

Highlighting its wide array of technology at Conexpo 2020, Deere showed off a range of its newest offerings, including its SmartWeigh payload measuring system and its SmartAttach technology, which lets operators install attachments more easily. Both systems are integrated with JDLink to maximize productivity through connectivity and data collection.

KOBELCO Excavator maker Kobelco showed off more nearly two dozen machines at Conexpo, including those from its innovation-packed SR line. Among other features, the company’s exclusive iNDr Cooling System that cuts noise is available in all models in the lineup. Kobelco’s NEXT-3E system also lets operators balance performance and fuel economy on the job.

HYUNDAI A working prototype of the new Hyundai R18E electric-powered compact excavator was among the highlights for the equipment manufacturer at Conexpo 2020. The two-ton compact machine is designed for use indoors or in urban settings and offers power and productivity equivalent to the diesel-powered Hyundai R17Z-9A compact excavator while being 60 per cent more efficient.

KOMATSU Equipment maker Komatsu did not keep things small at Conexpo 2020. The company showed off its updated WA800-8, 254,700-pound wheel loader. Among other upgrades, the loader’s cab has been rebuilt with a 7-inch monitor, a heated and ventilated operator seat and enhanced visibility. The WA800-8 also incorporates automatic dig, semi-automatic approach, and semi-automatic dump functions to simplify operations.

JLG Lifting equipment manufacturer JLG is adding to its lineup of boom lifts with the new 600 Series Hi-Capacity HC3 Booms. The series includes the 600AJ, 600S and 660SJ – with platform heights of 60 to 66 feet. All three lifts are rated for three occupants. The series comes with a new LED display used for the platform and ground consoles.

KUBOTA Moving into a new segment, Kubota premiered its new SCL1000 at Conexpo. Featuring wide tracks on a narrow machine, the stand-on track loader has an operating capacity of 1,000 pounds. The new machine is powered by a 24.8 horsepower turbo-charged Kubota diesel engine with quiet operation and no diesel particulate filter requirement.

on-sitemag.com / 37

CONEXPO LEICA The iXE3 3D excavator machine control solution from Leica Geosystems can now automatically control boom, bucket, tilt and tilt rotator bucket functions on a range of excavators from major OEMs. The technology aims to increase machine productivity and accuracy to target depths, while decreasing operator fatigue and fuel consumption.

LIUGONG

SNORKEL

The Dressta brand of equipment maker LiuGong premiered its new TD-16N, which it says sets a new benchmark for visibility, this March in Las Vegas. The dozer features a mid-cab design over a mid-mounted automatic, dual path hydrostatic drive train. It comes with a standard six-way angle blade and is compatible with 2D or 3D grade control systems.

Aerial lift manufacturer Snorkel went big at this year’s Conexpo-Con/Agg show, premiering its brand new 2100SJ.The company said the new “mega boom” is the largest self-propelled boom lift in the world. The new model is capable of reaching heights up to 216 feet (65.8 metres) and will be available early next year.

MACK To relieve strain on operators, Mack Granite axle back models will now come with the truck maker’s Command Steer active steering system. The technology combines an electric motor with the existing hydraulic steering to help cut muscle strain by up to 30 per cent. The option will be available starting in the third quarter of 2020.

TAKEUCHI MANITOU The MTA 12055 from Manitou Group has the largest lifting capacity in the construction telehandler range, the company says. The new infrastructure and heavy construction oriented machine can lift up to 12,000 pounds and has a lifting height of 55 feet, five inches. The new telehandler is equipped with a 120 hp engine and can travel at speeds up to 22.8 miles per hour.

38 / APRIL 2020

Weighing in at 12,700 pounds and boasting a 73 horsepower engine, the new Takeuchi TW80 Series 3 is built for tight spaces and light-use applications. Among other areas, the company has focused on improving the compact wheel loader’s cab by installing an updated monitor panel, new rocker switches and a standard HVAC system to keep operators content.

VERMEER

TOPCON

The new D220x500 S3 Navigator horizontal directional drill delivers up to 54,000 lb.-ft. of torque at a spindle speed of 36 revolutions per minute, as well as 240,400 pounds of thrust/ pullback. Machine maker Vermeer says it’s designed for large-diameter water and utility installs in urban areas, and can take on challenging pipeline work as well.

The latest addition to Topcon’s Automatic Excavator system lets operators easily swivel or tilt the bucket with automatic boom control for faster and more efficient excavation. The new feature helps operators excavate more quickly while moving the excavator fewer times. Topcon said the system is particularly beneficial on slopes where it’s difficult to line up perpendicularly.

VOLVO A new technology from Volvo Construction Equipment turns excavators semi-autonomous and slashes grading times nearly in half. Volvo Active Control enables the excavator to automatically adjust the boom and bucket movements to make precise cuts along the programmed path. It’s available on Volvo’s EC220E, EC250E and EC300E crawler excavators.

WACKER NEUSON A backpack concrete vibrator is the newest addition to Wacker Neuson’s line of battery-powered equipment. Introduced at Conexpo, the new ACBe is built in three modules, including the backpack with integrated converter, removable/replaceable battery and internal vibrator. Battery run times vary depending on the vibrator head, but typically range from two to four hours.

TORO Powered by a lithium-ion battery and designed for indoor applications, Toro showed off its new e-Dingo 500 compact utility loader at Conexpo. The machine has zero exhaust emissions, making it ideal for sensitive construction applications. The company said the e-Dingo 500 will be compatible with a number of existing Toro attachments and be available this spring.

WIRTGEN The Wirtgen Group showed off a wide array of new equipment across all four of its product brands. Under the Hamm banner, the company showcased a new generation of pneumatic tire rollers at the Vegas show. The HP Series includes a host of technical innovations, including an overhauled operator’s platform, flexible ballasting and an innovative additive sprinkling system.

on-sitemag.com / 39

RISK

By David Bowcott

To shutdown or not to shutdown? For projects that remain open, job site safety becomes paramount during the coronavirus pandemic

hould we close construction sites, or should we keep them open while ensuring every location maintains the best practices designed to prevent worker exposure to COVID-19? This was the great debate going on within the construction sector when I sat down to write this column. Those that want to close job sites cite several reasons for such a decision. Protecting workers, protecting the public and helping to “flatten the curve” are typically among them. Others also point to closures helping contractors to more clearly enforce the force majeure clauses within their contracts. Those wanting to keep the job sites running have their own set of reasons, but perhaps their most compelling rationale is that the economic ramifications of a long-term cessation of work would be catastrophic to the construction industry and its supply chain. In other words, the knock-on effects of such an economic disaster would be far greater than the impacts on employee health, the public and the health care sector. It is one of the most difficult debates to take place in recent memory because so many lives will be affected by this decision. It truly is a “life or death” decision. Regardless of the outcome, we can address the immediate need for any active job sites to adhere to best practices that will limit the exposure of workers, the public and the health care sector. On March 29, the Ontario government released a document outlining its stance to help construction employers understand their rights and responsibilities while operating during COVID-19. This document is representative of similar documents produced by other governments as well as corporations and it deserves a closer look. The following summary highlights steps all contractors should seriously consider implementing: 1. On-site best practices – Job site strategies to prevent and mitigate the risk of germ spread: • Wash your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer. • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. • Stay home if you are sick. • Avoid high touch areas, where possible, or ensure you clean your hands after. • Wash your clothes as soon as you get home. • If you are ill: notify your supervisor immediately, complete the province’s COVID-19 self-assessment and follow the instructions you get. 2. Reporting illness – A clear set of instructions are provided in the event an employee on the job site becomes ill. First and foremost, it recommends the employee be sent home. It further

40 / APRIL 2020

indicates the employer should advise the worker to complete the self-assessment document referenced above or call their doctor and/or Telehealth Ontario. 3. Getting information on infection prevention and control – This section instructs employers to educate themselves on the topic of preventing and controlling infections on the job site. 4. Reporting requirements – The document stresses that all employers are required to report all known positive test results for COVID-19 to the ministry within four days. It also indicates that results should be reported to the joint health and safety representative and the trade union, if applicable. 5. Sharing information and posting policies – The document stresses the importance of sharing information with everyone within the organization and on the job site. It indicates all employers/constructors need to post and communicate COVID-19 policies. 6. Physical distancing (two metres) – The document provides several methodologies the employer can institute to ensure optimal physical distancing is taking place on the job site. Staggering start times and lunch breaks, as well as limiting the number of people who use elevators and hoists at one time, are among the most notable. 7. On-site sanitation – This section instructs employers to sharpen their focus on maintaining a clean job site by ensuring all parties have access to soap and water, sanitizers and washrooms. Sanitizing surfaces and any shared tools are other key steps. 8. Track and monitor the workforce – Employers will need to track where employees infected with COVID-19 have worked and who they came into contact with. Such practices ensure all that have been exposed are notified and that affected areas of the jobsite are disinfected. Every government and corporation related to the construction industry has published, or will be publishing, similar documents. Review as many of these documents as you can and aggregate the best of the best practices to ensure your job sites are optimally managed to minimize the risk of pathogen spread. Whether the government or corporations decide to completely avoid this risk by shutting down all construction sites remains open for debate, but in the meantime, we can at least minimize the risk to employees and the public by implementing these best practices. Stay safe everyone!

David Bowcott is Global Director – Growth, Innovation & Insight, Global Construction and Infrastructure Group at Aon Risk Solutions. Please send comments to editor@on-sitemag.com.

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SOFTWARE

By Jacob Stoller

Seeing the big picture Contractors are finding new ways to leverage data. The key is separating what matters from what doesn’t

t’s almost impossible today to buy an appliance or a piece of machinery that isn’t collecting data. Construction equipment – dozers, excavators, cranes and haulers – is no exception. The catch is that having the data doesn’t necessarily mean being able to utilize it. “Now there’s so much data coming off these machines that there’s a lot of opportunity there,” says Brett Roberts, Telematics manager at Doosan Infracore North America. “I think some customers do take great advantage of that and use the data to get insights into how to better their business and become more efficient. But most customers I think are a little intimidated by the data, and don’t really know how to attack it or how to use it.” As OEMs continue to introduce more sensing and monitoring features on their machines, improvements in geo-systems, wi-fi, and cellular technologies are making it faster and easier to bring that data into centralized IT systems. However, unless adequate data management systems are in place, too much data can be as problematic as not enough. “One of the biggest challenges I’ve heard from customers is

42 / APRIL 2020

the onslaught of data,” says Dave Adams, product sales manager for Connected Services at Volvo Construction Equipment. “Fault codes flood their phone or email. They’re often confusing and require additional research to understand. Even then, they may find it’s something that is not critical. This can lead them to ignore codes and miss something important and/or costly.” “Once you use wireless and remote sensing technologies in construction, you will end up with huge amounts of data” says Osama Moselhi, a professor and the director of the Centre for innovation in Construction and Infrastructure Engineering and Management (CICIEM) at Concordia University. “The challenge is to mine this data and have it in an actionable format. You can make use of it in development of dashboards that assist project managers in making timely decisions.”

STARTING WITH THE BASICS Historically, telematics in construction has developed in two phases. In the early days, it was all about tracking mobile assets – a particular concern for contractors with large fleets. Although

and catch trends that indicate opportunities for improvement. The data they generate can support more accurate project bidding, staying on budget, and making fleet managers’ lives easier by translating the codes they are otherwise flooded with. The point of telematics is to simplify the operation and maintenance of your machine, helping maximize your cost of ownership.” For contractors who aren’t sure where to start, reducing idle time is one of the best opportunities for a quick return on investment. “Idle time is one of the biggest areas we work on,” Roberts says. “It affects fuel, warranty, maintenance, and wear of parts on the machine, and it’s something you can easily change.” Roberts notes he has seen customers cut down their idle time by 30 per cent. Telematics software allows contractors to look at idle time and other indicators in the context of how the equipment is being operated. “With telematics, people are able to go in and actually see how much working time is on the machine versus idle time, and how much fuel is being burned in each power mode, for instance,” Roberts says. “And I can actually start to analyze and have conversations with operators about how to be more efficient.” Idle time might also be a symptom of workflow issues on the site. For example, if the workload is improperly balanced between different pieces of equipment, data gathered through telematics can help improve the work process so that utilization is consistent across different lines of equipment. “We look at queue times, where a piece of equipment is in the same place for too long,” Stephenson says. “That could be the result of having too many haulers in a load and haul scenario. If you have too many haulers, they’re going to be waiting for the one in front of them to get loaded.”

USING EQUIPMENT APPROPRIATELY

the field has expanded significantly since those days, knowing where equipment is located is still the most common application of telematics. “From a really basic sense, a lot of this is about knowing where your equipment is,” says Patrick Stephenson, business area director for Trimble. “A lot of the contractors are interested in when things go missing, where they are now, where they are supposed to be later - that’s the most basic thing that telematics can do right away. Contractors see almost an immediate return on investment with that.” The second phase took off in 2008 when the Association of Equipment Management Professionals (AEMP) brought major construction equipment OEMs together to create the first telematics standard for the industry. The standard, released in 2010 as AEMP Telematics Data Standard V1.1, greatly expanded the scope of construction telematics by defining how data such as fuel consumption, location, operating hours and mode of operation is integrated into a central IT database. The standard has since been updated to reflect the many technological advances during the past decade. This wider scope has opened the door to a host of ways in which telematics data can be leveraged to improve efficiency and profitability. “Telematics allow contractors and operators to utilize their machines in the most efficient and profitable way,” Adams says. “They can monitor service intervals — helping avoid downtime —

Telematics can also help improve load balancing over multiple job sites. For example, if a large excavator is being used only two hours a day on a job site, it might be more efficient for the company if this machine is relocated to another job site that has been employing three smaller excavators. Ensuring that equipment is being utilized in the correct power mode is another issue. For example, telematics data might reveal a machine has spent a great deal of time doing lift work while in digging mode. This might indicate the machine and operator are not working as productively as they should be. Telematics creates the opportunity for fact-based discussions with operators, who can be shown the data and provided with coaching in order to improve performance. “Telematics can also help identify machine on-sitemag.com / 43

SOFTWARE

misuse and provide opportunities for operator training,” Adams says. “For example, with the right telematics system, a fleet manager could see that a certain machine has a high number of hot turbo shutdowns. They can then work with the operator(s) of that machine to address the issue.” Alarms and alerts also play a major role here, and this has been one of the big advantages of telematics. “Reports and alerts from a quality telematics system can also help keep jobs on budget by identifying issues quickly, prioritizing them, and suggesting actions to be taken,” Adams says. “This avoids unplanned downtime and lost hours.” Perhaps the most appropriate and important application for alerts, however, is ensuring that workers are kept safe. Telematics can alert a manager or safety officer if a truck driver is on the highway without a seatbelt, if a machine has been running too hot for too long, or if it has entered an area where there is blasting going on.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Jacob Stoller is principal of StollerStrategies. Send comments to editor@on-sitemag.com

PHOTO: DOOSAN

As the automotive industry continues to introduce features that move vehicles closer to fully autonomous operation, similar innovations are being applied to construction equipment, and this could lead to huge advantages. Smart control technology combined with 3D vision capabilities, for example, could enable multiple pieces of equipment to work interactively to create the most efficient outcome. “You could have a war zone-like centre for deployment and monitoring equipment fleets that interacts to avoid collisions and improve productivity” Moselhi says.

However, given the unstructured nature of construction sites, this will not happen as rapidly as some believe. “Getting to autonomy is probably be a longer journey than in automotive because of the complexity,” Stephenson says. According to Stephenson, companies need to look at both ends of the spectrum – take advantage of the immediate wins that result from the technology, as well as keep an eye on the future. In the near term, contractors can expect improvements in software that allow them to take advantage of the data they already have. Equipment OEMs such as Doosan and Volvo CE offer hosted software solutions that allow them to take a more active role in helping contractors manage their equipment. Dealers, for example, can receive alerts that a piece of equipment needs attention. On March 10, Trimble announced Trimble WorksOS, a hosted software platform that helps contractors integrate telematics data across vendor lines, so that they can compare equipment from different OEMs as well as equipment in different classes. In the longer term, telematics will become one element of a digitally transformed construction industry, where equipment, materials and employees are connected. “The idea is connecting everything – allowing you to manage everything on your jobsite,” Stephenson says. “That’s our ultimate goal – the idea of 100 per cent connectivity is really where you start to see productivity gains on the job site.”

With so much data streaming off new equipment, one challenge for contractors is making use of it.

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CONTRACTORS & THE LAW

By Erin Cutts, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

Unanticipated Site Conditions and Exclusionary Clauses: Who is Responsible?

contractor’s ability to anticipate site conditions is critical to the success of any construction project. Indeed, the cost of the work provided for in the construction contract is typically predicated (at least in part) upon certain assumptions made by the contractor about site conditions at the project. These assumptions are usually based upon the contractor’s own verification of conditions or upon information provided to it by the owner (and in some cases, both). Furthermore, the costs associated with discovering unanticipated site conditions can be significant, particularly where the scope of the problem is widespread. It is, therefore, not surprising disputes over unanticipated site conditions are common in the construction industry. Based on the considerable expense that can be incurred as a result of an unanticipated site condition, it is common for owners to incorporate exclusionary provisions into their construction contracts that prevent contractors from relying upon the geotechnical reports or other site condition information provided to the contractor by the owner. As a rule, the courts have upheld these exclusionary provisions, particularly in circumstances where it would be relatively simple for the contractor to perform its own verification of owner-supplied geotechnical reports. The New Brunswick Court of Appeal decision, Brad Gould Trucking & Excavating Ltd. v. Bird Construction Co, 2015 NBCA 47 highlights the importance of this verification exercise. In Brad Gould, the Province of New Brunswick retained Bird Construction to construct a courthouse in Saint John. Pursuant to the construction contract, Bird was provided with a geotechnical report prepared by the Province’s engineer. Based upon Bird’s understanding of the information in the geotechnical report, it concluded that it could remove all of the subsurface materials by digging. Shortly after commencing the work, Bird discovered that it would need to use a hydraulic breaking machine at considerable expense to remove certain of the subsurface materials. The evidence before the Court of Appeal disclosed that the geotechnical report had properly described the subsurface materials and that a digging technique could not be used to remove some of those materials. Bird’s evidence was that it had not engaged a third party engineer to review and the Province’s geotechnical report because the expense associated with such an engagement would only have served to significantly increase the value of Bird’s bid and ultimately would have increased the Province’s costs. The Court of Appeal rejected this argument, holding that Bird had an obligation to ensure it understood the geotechnical information provided to it. The Court further commented that discharging this obligation would not have been unduly onerous in the circumstances as it would have

simply required Bird to engage a third party engineer to review and compare the geotechnical report to Bird’s bid. There are, however, exceptions to the general rule. For example, in Trident Construction Ltd. v. W.L. Wardrop & Associates Ltd., 1979 CarswellMan 116, the Manitoba Court of Queen’s Bench held that a contractor is not required to completely re-work an owner’s engineer’s design in the course of verifying that design, even where an exclusionary clause in the contract requires the contractor to be entirely responsible for understanding the site conditions. In Trident, the contractor entered into a contract with the City of Winnipeg for the construction of a sewage disposal plant. The city had also entered into an engineering contract for the supervision of the construction. The engineers designed the plant using information from other experts who had extensively

It is not entirely clear where the courts will draw the line and uphold an exclusionary clause that prevents a contractor from relying upon the information regarding site conditions provided to it by an owner researched the problems typically encountered when designing and constructing a sewage disposal plant. Two of the known problems with this type of construction related to concrete buildings that had to be built below the water table and large sections of concrete that had to be joined with a material that would allow the sections of concrete to expand or shrink, but would still allow the system to be waterproof. During the course of construction, the contractor discovered the height of the water table as determined by the engineer’s report did not take into account seasonal fluctuations and that the material chosen to fill the joints between the sections of concrete was unfit as the material would not be able to prevent leaking. The seasonal fluctuation issue had been addressed in one of the expert’s reports that was relied upon by the engineers, but this information had not been passed onto the contractor or its subcontractor. The contractor’s correction of these issues delayed the project by several months. The owner penalized the contractor for the delay, relying upon a provision in the contract that required the contractor to be entirely responsible for understanding the problems involved with the construction. The Court in Trident found largely in favour of the contractor, commenting that in many cases, an owner will retain an engineer on-sitemag.com / 45

CONTRACTORS & THE LAW ADVERTISERS’ INDEX & WEBSITES that will take many months researching and preparing the plans and specifications involved in a project for which they are paid substantial sums. On the other hand, contractors are only given a few weeks to prepare and to submit a competitive bid for the construction of the project based on those comprehensive plans and specifications. In this timeframe, it is impractical for any building contractor to independently and comprehensively verify the plans, specifications and addenda that are issued for the bid. In the result, the Court held that despite the exclusionary clause, the contractor was entitled to rely upon the site condition information prepared by the owner’s engineer in the circumstances. While it is not entirely clear where the courts will draw the line and uphold an exclusionary clause that prevents a contractor from relying upon the information regarding site conditions provided to it by an owner, it is clear that giving a contractor insufficient time to review and verify a comprehensive set of plans and specifications prior to the bid submission will likely invalidate such an exclusionary clause. On the other hand, where verification of site conditions is possible (and presumably not unduly onerous), the court will likely uphold an exclusionary clause if there is a complete failure by the contractor to verify such information.

Adrian Steel.......................... www.AdrianSteel.com .................................................. 13 B2W Software........................ www.b2wsoftware.com/Shannon ................................. 15 Bobcat.................................. www.bobcat.com/newe145 .......................................... 19 Brandt Tractor....................... www.brandt.ca ............................................................ 11 Doosan..................................www.discoverdoosan.com/OnSite ................................ 41 Freightliner........................... www.freightliner.com ................................................. 2, 3 Hitachi.................................. www.HitachiConstruction.com ....................................... 4 InEight.................................. www.InEight.com ......................................................... 21 John Deere............................. www.JohnDeere.com .................................................... 48 Kryton.................................... www.kryton.com ........................................................... 32 Mack..................................... www.MackTrucks.com/GraniteCommand ..................... 30 Mapei.................................... www.mapei.com .......................................................... 28 Navistar................................ www.internationaltrucks.com ...................................... 47 Northbridge Financial........... www.nbfc.com ............................................................... 6 Vacuworx............................... www.vacuworx.com ...................................................... 31

Erin Cutts is a lawyer at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. This article is for information purposes only and may not be relied on for legal advice. Please send comments to editor@on-sitemag.com.

Viewpoint.............................. www.VIEWPOINT.com/ValueofOne ................................. 35 Western Star.......................... www.westernstartrucks.com .................................. 24, 25

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