Construction Business May/June 2016

May/June2016 Vol. 13 No.4

GraNdView HeiGHts aquatic ceNtre PM 40063056

Jack DaviDson anD BcRB&Hca’s 50tH anniveRsaRy RoaDBuilDing | gReen BuilDing | BuilDing envelope

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Inside 06 Connections

Jack Davidson, president of the B.c. Road Builders and Heavy construction association, reflects on the association’s 50th anniversary as he prepares to retire at the end of the year.

May/June | volume 13 no 4

PUBLISHER

MANAGING EdItoR CoNtRIBUtING wRItERS

Dan gnocato dang@mediaedge.ca cheryl Mah christopher Black David claassen

10 feature Project

Jason curtis

the grandview Heights aquatic centre is the latest addition to surrey’s demand for world class civic facilities to service its growing communities.

Rob DuMerton kathleen lausman lisa Mattern neil norris gord Rajewski allison Rudzitis

industry Focus

Harry sturm christine vanDerwill

14 Roadbuilding

Major interchange projects Benefits of Warm Mix asphalt non-Destructive pavement assessment

karen tam Wu

B.C./ALBERtA SALES

Dan gnocato tel: 604.549.4521 ext. 223

20 Green Building

sustainability boosts the bottom line encouraging climate action lean improves project Delivery

puBlisHeD By

PRESIdENt kevin Brown

22 Building Envelope

advanced Building envelope Diagnostics a case of scope creep setting Realistic performance goals

departments 04 Message from the Editor 26 the Legal file

Damage provisions in construction contracts Be careful What you estimate Warranty Risks

29 Architect Corner Communication through Design

30 Industry News

vANCoUvER offICE 2221 Hartley ave. coquitlam, B.c. v3k 6W9 tel: 604.549.4521 Fax: 604.549.4522 toRoNto offICE 1000-5255 yonge st. toronto, on M2n 6p4 tel: 416.512.8186 Fax: 416.512.8344 copyright 2016 canada post canadian publications mail sales publication agreement no. 40063056 — issn 1710-0380 Return all undeliverable canadian addresses to: suite 1000 — 5255 yonge street, toronto, ontario, M2n 6p4

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PRoUd SPoNSoR of

Cover Photo

the award winning grandview Heights aquatic centre in surrey, B.c. photo: ema peter

FeBRuaRy 15 & 16, 2017

construction Business is British columbia and alberta’s construction magazine. each issue provides timely and pertinent information to contractors, architects, developers, consulting engineers, and municipal governments throughout both provinces. complimentary copies are sent bi-monthly to all members of the architectural institute of B.c., B.c. construction association, B.c. Roadbuilders and Heavy construction association, consulting engineers of B.c., construction specifications canada — B.c. chapter, greater vancouver Home Builders’ association, B.c. Ready-Mixed concrete association, independent contractors and Businesses association of B.c., urban Development institute of B.c. and vancouver Regional construction association.

noveMBeR 9 & 10, 2016

MaRcH 21 & 22 2017

Editor’s Note

Memory Lane

w

ith the string of sunny and early hot weather here, hitting the waterfront or pool is on the minds of many. One pool that is attracting a high number of visitors is the striking new Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre in South Surrey.

Opened to the public in March, the technically challenging project has already earned it a couple of prestigious industry awards. The mass timber roof that resembles an undulating wave form required thinking out of the box from the entire project team. The result is a pool that more than meets the growing community needs, while providing opportunities for competitive events.

Inside, you will also find features on road building, green building and the building envelope. In our green building section, read

about the benefits of lean project delivery, how sustainability can boost the bottom line and government efforts to encourage action against climate change.

One of the most familiar faces and principal spokespersons for the B.C. construction industry will retire at the end of this year.

Jack Davidson has been at the helm of the B.C. Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association for almost two decades and has seen many changes and successes. Having interviewed him many times over the years, chatting with him about the association (celebrating 50 years) for this issue was not only a walk down memory lane for him, but me as well. The association has achieved many accomplishments over the years and some are highlighted in the profile feature.

Congratulations to the BCRB&HCA on reaching the 50th anniversary milestone and we wish Jack all the best in his retirement.

Cheryl Mah Managing Editor

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UBC’s new Pharmaceutical Sciences Building claims six awards For Nick Maile, the only thing better than having a building he helped plan and develop win a series of major architecture awards, it’s seeing the people who use the building truly enjoying it. The development manager for UBC Properties Trust believes the university’s new Pharmaceutical Sciences Building is “architecturally pleasing, but any building, no matter how beautiful, if it doesn’t work for the students and faculty, it’s not a success. This one, though, is incredibly lively – people like to be in it and they use every space.”

“At UBC, we are trying to be on the leading edge of sustainability and energy efficiency,” says Nick, “but it’s definitely a challenge with a building like this, where there is a data centre in the basement plus a lot of a lot of laboratories and many fume hoods.” (Fume hoods limit exposure to hazardous chemicals or toxic fumes, but they are energy-guzzlers: one fume hood alone can use more energy than three typical B.C. homes.)

For help, UBC turned to BC Hydro’s New Construction Program, which provides funding for an energy-modeling study – a simulation of how a building might function throughout a full year if it’s designed and built with a variety of energy saving measures – along with additional financial incentives for implementing those measures.

The energy-saving measures include capturing waste heat from the data centre and recycling it into the building, as well as daylight sensors and a low temperature water system. Together, these measures are estimated to add up to about 1.2 million kilowatt hours of savings every year over a similar building that does not include them.

In addition, says Nick, “The incentive from BC Hydro for installing these measures really does help. It may be a small percentage of the overall construction budget, but we can give that money back to the Pharmacy people to use for long-term operations. So not only does the university win by saving on energy use, the department wins as well.”

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Connections

Celebrating 50 Years of Leadership the B.c. Road Builders and Heavy construction association was formed in 1966 and has played a key role in advocating the importance of an efficient transportation system to the province’s economic growth and prosperity.

By cHeRyl MaH

Highway 16 construction

t

he B.C. Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association (BCRB&HCA) is marking two significant milestones — celebration of its 50th anniversary and the retirement of its longest serving president.

Jack Davidson has been the face and voice of the B.C. road builders for 17 years. At the end of 2016, one of the long standing leaders in the B.C. construction industry will be retiring.

“It’s been a great job — a fun industry to work in. I love coming to work every day,” says Davidson. “We’re celebrating our 50th anniversary…. and it will be our biggest and most spectacular party. It seemed like a good way to go out — with a big party and on top.”

Davidson joined the association in late 1999, bringing with him considerable experience in association management and government relations.

A graduate of BCIT, he worked in the family cedar manufacturing business before serving for seven years as executive director of both the Cedar Shake and Shingle Bureau in Washington State and the B.C. Shake and Shingle Association in Mission.

“I’ve always liked association business. I like working with government and members and when the opportunity here came along, I wanted to do it,” says Davidson, who took over from Tony Toth.

Since then, he has provided strong leadership and helped to build collaborative relationships with governments, stakeholders and industry members.

“We’re proud of the cooperative partnerships that we’ve built, especially with the Ministry of

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May/June 2016

Transportation. We are consulted and work together to advance how roads and bridges in B.C. are built,” he says.

Successful collaborations with MOTI include the publication of the Blue Book and the Transportation GHG Emission Reduction Best Practices; the Shift into Winter and Cone Zone campaigns; and the Maintenance Contractors/ MoTI joint community improvement programs.

Davidson believes one of the association’s biggest accomplishments over the last five years is firmly establishing transportation and infrastructure as a top three priority for the public. “Our major goal is to make sure everybody understands that infrastructure is the key to a strong economy.

If you can’t move goods and services and workers around in an efficient manner, productivity goes down and we become uncompetitive.”

Advocating for sustained and strategic investment in core infrastructure has been a strong mandate throughout the association’s history. But it originally started as a bargaining agency to negotiate union contracts for B.C.’s road builders.

In the 1950s, three British Columbia labour unions essential to road building began to bargain together as a “Tri-Pac” (the Teamsters Local 213), the Operating Engineers (Local 115), and the Tunnel and Rock Workers (Local 168)). The Tri-Pac’s original purpose was to have more bargaining strength in contract negotiations and to fend off rival unions.

Eventually, the B.C. road building companies realized that through the existing Heavy Construction Association, their issues and voice were

not being heard. So 12 founding firms worked together to establish what was known as the BC Road Builders Association in 1966.

In 1989, the maintenance sector joined the association’s construction service and supply sectors in order to provide a single, unified voice for the industry.

Since that time, the association has grown to include more than 250 members today representing privatized highway maintenance contractors, construction contractors, underground/utility contractors, paving contractors and the various service and supply companies to the industry.

Of the 12 founding firms, four are still currently active with the association: Emil Anderson Construction Co. Ltd.; Dawson Construction Ltd.; Peter Kiewit Sons Co. of Canada Ltd.; P.F. Law Construction Ltd. and Columbia Bitulithic Ltd.

Connections

Building the TransCanada Highway

“Our members are strong entrepreneurs that can set aside competition and work together for the industry,” says Davidson about the association’s longevity. “We want the right people that will support us and work with us. Every member is approved by the board of directors — that’s why our members are so strong.”

The association is marking the five decade milestone throughout 2016 at all member events and will also be launching a history

book this fall with an elaborate celebration planned for the AGM conference in December.

“We’re excited about the anniversary. It’s an opportunity to celebrate our many successes,” says Davidson.

Those successes include, first and foremost, the many challenging bridges, highways and roads in B.C. built by member firms as well as the maintenance required to keep them functioning efficiently and safely.

Highway improvements through Kicking Horse Canyon, Okanagan Lake Crossing, the Richmond-Airport-Vancouver (RAV) transit line, Golden Ears Bridge, the Sea-to-Sky Highway improvement and Port Mann Bridge/Hwy 1 improvement are just some of the mega infrastructure projects completed over the last 10 years in B.C. The association is also dedicated to safety for road construction and maintenance. In 2001, the road builders partnered with WorkSafeBC to establish the BC Road Construction and Maintenance Safety Network (CSN) to improve health and safety practices among road workers. The focus of CSN gradually shifted to the construction industry at large and in 2010 became the B.C. Construction Safety Alliance (when it amalgamated with the Construction Safety Association of B.C.) Another important milestone was when the Safety Network took the lead in introducing a certificate of recognition (COR) pilot program in the province. The successful COR program is now a recognized standard for all construction companies committed to a high level of safety.

In 2010, the association was presented with the BC Lieutenant Governor’s Awards for Public Safety for establishing the Construction Safety Network and bringing COR programs to the province.

“Worker safety is huge and we continue to be dedicated to improving safety,” says Davidson.

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Connections

1976 convention

Early Bridge at 10 Mile

Last year the association was successful in lobbying the provincial government to amend the Slow Down Move Over regulations to improve roadside worker safety.

Bringing training initiatives to the industry has been equally important. Working initially with the Industry Training Authority and members, the association has organized and started several heavy construction related apprenticeship programs in B.C. — heavy equipment operator, asphalt laydown technician, plant operator and utility/grade person. The association is currently developing a plan to re-energize training for the road building sector.

“We have an exceptional ACE-IT training program with the Abbotsford School District and the University of the Fraser Valley. We do foundation courses for 15 students a year and we think that model is working well and will expand,” says Davidson.

The Heavy Equipment Operator ACE-IT Apprenticeship Program is the only program of 8

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May/June 2016

its kind in Canada. It safely trains high school students in the practical and functional skills needed to become heavy equipment operators.

Networking opportunities are also a key component of the association.

“We have one of the most successful [association] golf tournaments with more than 360 people playing. Our fall conference in Kelowna is equally well attended and our Christmas party in Victoria is now considered one of the best parties in B.C.,” says Davidson.

The annual golf tournament was named after Ivan Hanchard, the second longest serving association head, in May 1995 after his death. Since it became a charity golf tournament in 2001, more than $370,000 has been donated to the B.C. Children’s Hospital. The tournament also supports the Betty Spalton Fund which provides scholarships to women interested in careers in the road building and heavy construction industries.

Davidson notes the association focuses on seven key areas: municipal, provincial and

federal governments, MOTI, worker safety, skilled workforce and member services. Each year the board of directors identifies strategic goals in those areas.

“We are currently focusing hard on building stronger relationships with municipal governments to address issues,” says Davidson. For example, the association is advocating municipal contracts containing provincial funding should use fair, open and transparent tendering practices.

With both public and private projects expected to drive steady volume for the near future, Davidson is optimistic for the industry.

“All the indicators are that this year is going to be good with continuous growth in our industry through to 2018,” he says, noting provincial infrastructure investment has declined slightly over the past three years but promised federal infrastructure money will provide a boost. “In the near term, it looks very good.”

The lower oil prices have also reduced the costs for members which means “bids are generally under estimates right now” for public projects and the MOTI is putting those savings back into more projects, adds Davidson.

The association is also getting involved with the Getting to Yes campaign, started by the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (ICBA), which supports responsible resource development. The goal is to get proposed projects to yes, creating construction jobs and millions of dollars in economic activity.

“We need projects to go ahead and make sure the naysayers are not the only ones having a voice,” says Davidson, citing the debate over the replacement of the aging Pattullo Bridge as an example. “There should also be a North Fraser perimeter road, but that wasn’t approved. Congestion is a major problem and contributor to greenhouse gases.”

Commuting to the association’s Burnaby office from Mission every day, Davidson knows first-hand the condition of the region’s roads and bridges and the substantial economic impact of congestion.

He won’t miss the commute or working six days a week. But what he will miss the most is the people. Many of the business relationships he has built over the years have turned into friendships.

“For a small organization, we have done a ton of work,” reflects Davidson, who oversees a staff of four. “Getting the right staff is important and the team we have now are great assets to the association and will help the association carry on into the future.”

Communications and membership manager Parveen Parhar, who has worked at the association for 11 years, says: “His energy and passion for our industry and his job has been contagious and I am so impressed by how hard he has worked for all of these years. As everyone keeps saying, he’s definitely leaving big shoes to fill, but I am excited for him to enjoy a very welldeserved retirement.”

Davidson’s hard work and dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed. In 2013, he received a prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal.

Other leaders in the construction industry also feel his contributions have been significant.

“Jack, with his own unique style, has provided outstanding leadership to the road building industry in B.C. In fact no matter what the occasion, he found a way to pass on the road builder message,” says Philip Hochstein, ICBA president. “He also knows how to throw a party. With his wife Marilyn they found a way to transform the Empress Ballroom into a space that dazzled the attendees at their annual Christmas conference.”

Davidson’s honesty and frank contributions to discussions impacting the industry stand out for Keith Sashaw, president and CEO of ACEC-BC. “Jack has been an exceptional representative for the road building sector and the construction industry generally. His diligent work on behalf of his members in forging strong relationships has resulted in the BC Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association being the recognized voice for that constituency,” says Sashaw, who has also served as a past VRCA president.

Davidson is quick to credit the different board chairs over the years for driving the organization’s ongoing success. “It always seemed that the right person came along at the right time for us. People like Dee Miller and Tom Johnson provided great leadership. Our current chair Chad Tenney is young, enthusiastic and has a good vision,” says Davidson, who has no retirement plans yet.

Tenney also acknowledges Davidson’s strong leadership over the years for effectively identifying and delivering on key strategies and goals for the association.

“He has been an excellent advocate for our industry and worked very hard to take our association to the next level. We are well-known and respected among our industry stakeholders and partners, thanks in large part to Jack, and his commitment to relationship building,” says Tenney.

Kelly Scott, who joined the association in March 2016 as vice president, will take over as president in January.

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Feature Project

Innovative Pool Design By cHeRyl MaH | pHotos By eMa peteR

t

he long-anticipated Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre is making a big splash in South Surrey.

Officially opened in March 2016, the Aquatic Centre is an architecturally striking facility that will meet the recreational needs of a growing community while providing the capacity to host competitive swimming and diving events.

Designed by HCMA Architecture + Design, the $55 million project serves as an anchor for the developing area and is the first to be completed on a “super block” that is part of Surrey’s long range vision for a regional campus of health, wellness and sports excellence.

“The City of Surrey set the bar very high, wanting a world class facility with iconic architecture,” says Melissa Higgs, associate and project architect at HCMA Architecture + Design.

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Programmatically the design had to balance recreational needs with the unique needs of swimming and diving competitions.

“It was important to figure out how to orient the pools to meet those needs,” says Higgs.

“The pools are arranged end to end rather than side by side, allowing us to bring the activity of the leisure pool onto the corner, while creating a separate and quieter environment for the competition pool.”

A key design objective was to have the activity within the building be highly visible. The design team chose to do that by maximizing glazing towards the street and placing the leisure pool and waterslide close to the corner of 24th Ave and 168 St. The 95,000-square-foot aquatic centre includes a 10-lane, 50-metre FINA certified competition pool, 10 metre high dive tower and a leisure pool with a waterslide.

Other features are two hot tubs, universal change area, fitness centre overlooking the natatorium and seating for up to 900 spectators.

But the most dramatic and defining feature is the mass timber roof that resembles an undulating wave form.

“Swimming pools have a very long span from a structural perspective so we looked at different solutions,” says Higgs. “Instead of going the short span — across the lap pool, we came up with the idea of a cable hung structure.”

Wood was chosen because it met a number of important design considerations including Surrey’s Wood First policy. “Wood also performs very well in pool environments and aesthetically it creates a warm atmosphere,” notes Higgs. “We were able to get the full span we needed with a very shallow wood structure. In a way it’s really a form follows function — very efficient solution to the problem.”

Feature Project

Glulam “cables” were used instead of conventional steel roof trusses, reducing the effective structural depth by 90 per cent. This strategy also served to reduce the building volumes and energy costs, as well as sequester carbon.

When coming up with the roof structure design, Fast & Epp project engineer Derek Ratzlaff explains that they had to work within the constraints of the dive tower on one end and the water slide on the other end. With the two structures creating natural high points, the concept was to create a timber catenary roof suspended between concrete end buttresses and a central V-column support. The sections span 180 feet and 120 feet long.

While suspended catenary steel cable systems are not uncommon particularly on bridges, the use of timber as long spanning tension cables

is rare. The result is what the project team believes to be the world’s most slender and longest span timber roof ever built.

“The innovation is in the material choice.

Wood is unusual in tension instead of a cable,” says Ratzlaff, noting the buttresses are doing double duty supporting the roof and serving as the dive tower.

Execution of the innovative design required a high level of technical accuracy from the construction team.

“The biggest challenge was making sure the glulams met the tolerances between the buttress columns,” says EllisDon Construction project manager Gary Watt. “It took many painstakingly long days to make sure everything was all lasered and surveyed in correctly.”

Construction took 20 months with EllisDon achieving substantial completion in December

2015. Peak manpower was just over 100. Installation of the roof was a key milestone.

The 532,000 lbs of glulams for the roof were manufactured by Western Archrib in Edmonton and trucked to the site. The extensive preplanning by the project team allowed Seagate Structures to assemble and install the roof structure in 12 days, completing the work ahead of schedule.

More than 100 rafters measuring 120 and 180 feet long were raised over 74 feet and set in place with two 2.5 inch steel pins on each side. Each assembly is made up of paired glulam beams, each measuring only 5 inches wide and 10.5 inches deep.

All the buttresses are post tensioned, which was another undertaking in itself.

“The post tensioning required extra planning and careful mock ups… before the work was May/June 2016

construction business

11

done and a lot of that work had to be done high in the air,” says Watt.

A unique envelope connection design was also required to accommodate the roof. Like a suspension bridge, the roof will move under different loading conditions (eg. wind, snowfall).

The design team had to ensure the deflection of the roof would not exceed 200mm.

“Because of the movement in the roof, all the walls had to be sleeved at the roof line — that was tricky,” says Ratzlaff, explaining a long slotted-hole connection was used as the solution.

Considerable time was spent developing a glulam cable to concrete connection and glulam mid span splice connection that would be structurally sound, aesthetically pleasing and easy to erect.

To avoid unsightly exposed mechanical ducting, the vertical steel facade columns along the south wall were used as ducts to eliminate condensation at the exterior glazing.

“We actually have the ducts for the mechanical systems in the columns — highly unusual.

We drilled holes into the steel columns and air is piped right into the columns from underneath the pool deck and shoots across the glass,” says Ratzlaff, adding it’s another unique example of the structure doing double duty.

Additional highlights of the building engineering include an exhaust system to extract tri12

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May/June 2016

chloramines (chlorine odour) from the pool surface, which provides a more pleasant and healthy environment for swimmers.

“This is the first pool that we’ve done that has a trichloramine exhaust system, which is constantly extracting air across the surface of the pool water and removing trichloramines,” says Higgs, noting the LEED certified building’s mechanical system is highly efficient and uses heat recovery.

the design team had to ensure the deflection of the roof would not exceed 200mm.

Watt cites installing the mechanical equipment was another challenge. “Instead of being on the roof because of the design, the mechanical equipment is all in the basement. It all had to be put in place during construction. It was a very tight space for all these large electrical and mechanical equipment. Lots of careful planning and BIM modeling to make sure everything would work and fit.”

The unique nature of the building meant plenty of custom work for the various trades. For the

structure to come together, sequencing of work was not as straightforward as building top to bottom. “It required work to be done in different areas at a certain time,” says Watt.

The innovation and technical expertise required to make the roof a reality has already earned the project two prestigious awards. It was honoured with a 2016 AIBC Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Merit Award in Architecture and a 2016 ACEC-BC BC Lieutenant Governor’s Award.

“It was a bit of surprised but we’re really proud to be honoured like that,” says Ratzlaff, who also worked on the Richmond Olympic Oval. “It is definitely a highlight project.”

Higgs says, “the roof makes it a beautiful experience inside the pool and a striking building on the outside. We’re proud of the architecture, but the real success is the huge impact it will have on the community. The amount of use from the public has been high — upwards of 2,500 a day in the first week it opened.”

Watt says the pool is definitely not a typical project.

“We had a very good team that worked together to resolve any issues quickly,” he says. “I will probably never do another one that looks like this in my career — lots of challenges and different construction techniques and thinking outside the box. This definitely wasn’t a box.”

pHoto: Fast & epp

Feature Project

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Road Building

Major Interchange Projects Girder installation for Canal Bridge (Glenmore Trail); Overview photo of Trans Canada Highway interchange project.

It’s anticipated that the interchange will be operational by late 2016 with all activities completed by the summer of 2017.

Glenmore trail

N

o matter what quadrant of Calgary motorists use this year, one is likely to find some sort of road construction.

Calgary continues to be a very active urban municipality, and something unique is happening now. Three major interchange projects are being constructed at the same time.

“The City of Calgary is investing heavily in many modes of transportation including major road infrastructure,” says Michael Thompson, director of transportation infrastructure. “And the building of these projects couldn’t have come at a better time, to help with an economic downturn and allowing us to take advantage of positive contract pricing.”

The budget for these three interchange projects is significant, more than $260 million.

The three projects have many similarities. All three are using significant traffic detour strategies and are following proven construction methods to build the necessary infrastructure.

Another similarity is that each project involves a major thoroughfare with traffic volumes ranging from 45,000 to 55,000 vehicles per day.

A significant component of each project was environmental and safety considerations, and the ability to allow for other modes of transportation including pedestrian movement and pathways.

The Trans Canada Highway / Bowfort Road N.W. interchange is located on the west side of Calgary, and is a gateway into the city from the Rocky Mountains. It is surrounded by businesses and an established community to the north, and 14

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Canada Olympic Park (one of the major sites of the 1988 Olympics) to the south.

The Glenmore Trail / Ogden Road S.E. interchange is located on a major east-west artery in the city, connected to the industrial area in southeast Calgary but includes residential communities to the north of the project site.

The Macleod Trail / 162 Avenue interchange is also located in the south and is surrounded by a large shopping centre, businesses and service facilities, as well as numerous residential communities. It is also a gateway into the city from the south accommodating commuter traffic along Macleod Trail.

All three of these interchanges will be operational by the end of 2017.

trans Canada Highway “The new interchange is an important part of a safe, effective transportation network that supports and services the surrounding recreation, business and community areas, and the city at large,” says Peter Rudolf, project manager.

Key elements include: • Building a separate detour to allow for construction of the bridge structure, maintaining the same number of traffic lanes • Construction of new TCH roadway will be about 9 metres below the original highway • Along with relocation of major utilities, the project will see a series of local roadway improvements including Bowfort Road, 83 Street and Canada Olympic Way.

The project includes a new interchange at Glenmore Trail and Ogden Road, a new roadway for Glenmore Trail, and a new bridge over the Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway tracks and a local canal. The new Glenmore Trail will be elevated by approximately 10 metres above the current roadway.

It also includes improvements to the intersection at Glenmore Trail and Barlow Trail, along with the realignment of a busy industrial roadway and the building of a new north-south road to connect with Ogden Road.

“This will increase capacity on one of the busiest commercial goods movement corridors in Calgary at a location that is one of the most significant bottlenecks on the major roadway, due in large part to train crossings,” says project manager Sig Undheim. “When this project is completed, there will not be any at-grade railway tracks on Glenmore Trail at this location.”

Macleod trail After completing an analysis of traffic flow at this intersection and evaluating several designs, it was determined that a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) was the best layout for an interchange at this location, the first urban DDI in Canada.

“This type of interchange is designed in such a way that the two directions of traffic will briefly cross to the opposite side of each other on bridges over Macleod Trail, allowing more effective traffic flow at the signalized intersections within the interchange and enabling left-turning vehicles to proceed without crossing opposing traffic,” explains project manager Kara Wolfe. “The design reduces delay and improves efficiency within a relatively tight space compared to a more traditional diamond interchange.”

Construction of the interchange and roadway will: • improve mobility for commuters, cyclists and pedestrians while accommodating access to surrounding businesses and services • improve community access and connectivity to and from Macleod Trail • increase road capacity to serve growth areas in southwest Calgary, including transit-oriented development around area LRT stations.

Road Building

Benefits of Warm Mix Asphalt By lisa MatteRn

d

espite Canada’s withdrawal from the Kyoto Protocol in 2011, the Government of Canada continues to work toward developing and achieving ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The federal government continues to put stricter environmental regulations into effect. This has resulted in increased pressure to reduce emissions in all industries across the country. The Government of Canada has pledged to provide national leadership and join with the provinces and territories to take action on climate change with a goal of developing a Canadian energy strategy to protect Canada’s energy security, encourage energy conservation and bring cleaner renewable energy into the electricity grid. Each province and territory has developed an action plan to move toward a greener future.

All areas of industry are under enhanced scrutiny and must find green solutions. One such green solution for the asphalt industry is the inclusion of warm mix asphalt (WMA) to standard operations. Warm mix is an asphalt mix that includes a technology which improves the production and placement of conventional asphalt mix at significantly lower temperatures.

Environmental testing has been conducted on standard hot mix asphalt (HMA) and WMA to monitor the GHG emissions produced at production. The findings show that WMA provides lower emissions and utilizes less energy than standard HMA. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in the US has implemented a program called “Every Day Counts” as they strive toward improving the way that roads are built.

FHWA is identifying and deploying innova-

tions that: shorten project delivery, enhance roadway safety and protect the environment.

WMA has been identified as an effective, proven and market ready technology that is being prioritized for accelerated use.

The inclusion of warm mix technology provides many environmental benefits and operational efficiencies. Lowering the mix and compaction temperatures can provide performance related benefits such as: energy savings, lower emissions, increased production, decreased plant wear, increased percentages of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS), reduced thermal segregation, reduced aging of the binder and enhanced worker safety.

The utilization of warm mix technology can allow plants to realize a 30 – 80 per cent reduction in emissions. Over all emission reduction is dependent primarily on HMA production temperature vs WMA production temperature. WMA also has the added benefits of being compliant with air permit limitations, while allowing for incremental production increases.

Plants that operate in populated or urban areas will also become a greener neighbour. Turning down the plant production temperatures allows for less fumes and increased energy savings.

The ability to achieve longer hauls when using WMA is another major benefit to plants and contractors. For fixed plants, realizations of 100 – 300 per cent increases in market reach have allowed companies to be competitive and win work that is normally outside of their geographical reach. The cost to move a mobile plant can be in excess of $30,000 per move. To keep a mobile plant placed for a longer period of time provides tremendous cost savings benefits.

A significant benefit of WMA is increased worker safety. The International Agency on Cancer Research has re-classified asphalt paving fumes from “unknown” to “possible carcinogen.” The asphalt industry consistently looks to determine how best to reduce worker exposure to fumes. The use of engineering controls and WMA helps to ensure that exposure to workers is low. WMA is proven to reduce and eliminate paving site exposures.

The harsh winters and colder temperatures experienced in Canada can have a significant negative impact on long-term performance of asphalt pavements, and provide challenges to contractors in complying with the requirement for reduced emissions and greener technologies.

Agency officials across Canada and the USA are interested in utilizing warm mix as a more economical, environmentally friendly and easy-to-use alternative to manage asphalt pavements in need of repair and replacement and to deal with the high incidence of cold weather cracking.

At typical HMA temperatures, oxidization causes the asphalt cement to lose elasticity, contributing to premature aging and transverse cracking. A trial was conducted in 2015 by a contractor in Northwestern Wisconsin. The contractor approached the transportation infrastructure agencies with the concept of repaving with WMA. Agency officials were interested in the approach and at the recommendation of their asphalt supplier, the counties experimented with WMA containing the warm mix additive Evotherm.

The use of Evotherm allowed a mix temperature of 240°F, which is 60°F to 90°F cooler than typical HMA. In addition to the savings on process fuel used during production, the reduction in carbon emissions and the enhancements to the comfort of paving crews, the lower mix temperatures resulted in significantly less oxidization of the asphalt cement.

As a method of comparison on initial Evotherm WMA projects, the county paving crew paved one lane of a two-lane road with WMA and the other lane with a traditional HMA. Comparative checks of these sections conducted in subsequent years showed a 50 per cent decrease in the number of observed thermal cracks in pavements paved with Evotherm WMA. Warm mix technology is an effective solution to reducing GHG, improving long term quality of road mixes and increasing worker safety.

Lowering the mix temperature has demonstrated benefits to both the contractor and the environment.

Lisa Mattern is key accounts executive, asphalt additives manager at Brenntag North America.

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Road Building

Non-Destructive Pavement Assessment

By HaRRy stuRM

I

nvesting in pavement assets can be a significant endeavour. Assessment is a critical part of determining how long a roadway or parking lot will last, and whether it needs maintenance or rehabilitation. Today we have newer tools to help assess, manage and investigate pavement infrastructure.

Typically, pavements have been, and continue to be, assessed by visually reviewing the surface for distress. Surface distress provides an indication of how the pavement is responding to the environment and traffic loads.

Distress data collection generally includes the type, severity and extent of the distress. This information can then be used to interpret what is causing the distress, how extensive the problem is, and whether some action may be warranted.

Actions may include maintenance or rehabilitation. The collected data can also be entered into a pavement management system to monitor the pavement deterioration over time. A pavement management system is very useful in determining priorities between multiple facilities.

If a need for rehabilitation is identified due to the severity and extent of the distress, an investigation is completed. Typically destructive testing methods are used and may include cores or boreholes or both. Cores are drilled through the surface materials of the pavement to assess thickness and the materials can also be tested in a laboratory to determine the material properties.

Boreholes are typically augered into the underlying gravel and subgrade materials. The boreholes are used to confirm granular thickness and the

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type of subgrade material (underlying soils).

Samples of the granular and subgrade materials can be collected for laboratory analysis. The laboratory test results are used to assess the material properties and indirectly strength.

While these methods remain in common use today, new non-destructive tests can be used to provide detailed information for a reduced cost.

This is becoming common where the paved areas are large. Non-destructive methods can also provide more extensive information on thickness and strength than destructive methods. Options to assess strength and material thickness include Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD), and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR).

FWD collects information on the strength of the pavement and the subgrade. FWD equipment generates dynamic loads through a system of falling weights to replicate truck loading. The pavement deflection, caused by the dynamic loading, is measured using a series of sensors extending out from the load point. The measured deflection data is then interpreted using software to determine the strength of the pavement and the underlying subgrade soils. Data can be collected at frequent intervals as it is relatively quick, especially when compared to drilling a borehole.

FWD data is used to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the existing pavement. The strength information combined with information on traffic loading can be used to determine how long the pavement will last. In addition, it can be used to determine what strengthening is required to attain a desired pavement life. It can

also identify areas where the subgrade soils may be weaker than the other areas and alert the designer to the potential need to improve the subgrade. The FWD also typically collects GPS data for each test location. This allows the designer to pinpoint potential problem areas accurately.

GPR is a quick, non-destructive test that determines pavement thickness continuously. A GPR survey identifies the individual pavement layers and thickness. This data can be used to generate layer profiles.

GPR uses an antenna to transmit a signal into the ground. The antenna also receives the reflected signals, and the time for the signal to return provides information on the material type and thickness. The typical GPR antennas used for assessing pavement thickness is selected to provide relatively accurate data on the surfacing material thickness. The thickness of the underlying granular materials can be determined if they do not extend to depths greater than 600 mm.

GPR data can be used to identify areas where the pavement thickness differs significantly from the norm. This information is useful in assessing whether some types of rehabilitation options are feasible. Thickness information is important when the existing materials are to be reused. Rehabilitation techniques which recycle materials in place require a minimum material thickness or consistency in thickness to be successful.

Typically GPR vehicles are equipped with a GPS system to collect coordinates. The GPS data can be used to link to other site data, including FWD data. The more accurate the thickness data used in the FWD analysis is, the more precise the assessment of pavement strength will be.

The GPR layer thickness data, in combination with the FWD data, is then used by the pavement engineer to develop rehabilitation options.

The data can be used to fine tune the rehabilitation options and develop the most cost effective option for the site. The information can also be used to identify and address localized issues.

These non-destructive test methods can provide useful insight into the pavement and allow for better rehabilitation designs. A good understanding of the existing pavement helps in predicting pavement performance (deterioration) and developing future work programs. It is also useful in prioritizing activities between multiple sites with the help of a pavement management system.

Harry Sturm, P.Eng. has more than three decades of experience in pavement, geotechnical and materials engineering. He is a senior associate with the Stantec Consulting in B.C. with extensive experience managing data collection and design projects.

Green Building

Encouraging Climate Action By kaRen taM Wu

A

s part of the many recent commitments the federal government has made to support emissions reductions, this year’s budget placed considerable emphasis on buildings and energy efficiency. New funding will benefit leaders: from those jurisdictions which lay out ambitious climate plans to those in the building sector involved with super energy efficient projects. The result should be a clear sense of direction for collective climate action.

Budget 2016 earmarked nearly $750 million for actions specific to the buildings sector. Key items include:

• $128.8 million over five years to raise the bar for energy efficiency standards and codes for buildings, products, industry and vehicles; • $40 million over five years to integrate climate resilience into building design guides and codes for homes, institutional, commercial and industrial facilities; and • $573.9 million over two years for improving the energy and water efficiency of social housing.

Over and above these commitments, the big-ticket item is the $2 billion Low Carbon Economy Fund, which will be up and running next year. Funding will flow to provinces and territories that demonstrate significant action to reduce emissions, above and beyond business as usual. Projects that have the greatest carbon reduction bang per buck will be favoured.

pHoto: stepHen Hui, peMBina institute

Boosting green buildings Meanwhile, new provincial climate plans have the potential to set a high bar for climate action in the buildings sector.

Under Alberta’s new Climate Leadership Plan, the province has committed $645 million over five years towards the creation of Energy Efficiency Alberta. The new agency will design and administer programs — including education

and outreach, energy audits and incentives — to encourage energy efficiency and community energy systems.

Early reports about Ontario’s climate plan hinted at possibly the most aggressive provincial action aimed at the building sector: $3.8 billion for retrofitting buildings and transitioning buildings off of natural gas, requiring zerocarbon homes and small buildings by 2030 (and all other buildings by 2050), requiring energy efficiency upgrades at time of renovation and energy audits at time of sale for homes, and retrofitting government buildings. The province is likely to become the first in Canada to require energy and water use reporting and benchmarking for buildings larger than 50,000 square feet.

One key focus of Quebec’s Energy Policy 2030 is to improve energy efficiency by 15 per cent over 15 years. The Quebec government also plans to establish a new government body as a one-stop shop to deliver and provide financing for energy efficiency initiatives and support clean tech companies.

An updated climate plan is expected to land soon in British Columbia. The report of the government-appointed Climate Leadership Team suggests strategies the province could adopt to reduce B.C.’s emissions from various sectors. The team recommends a target to halve emissions from buildings by 2030. Meeting this goal would require a rapid transition to constructing nearly zero-energy buildings and retrofitting existing buildings, employing more carbon sequestering and low carbon materials, and installing higher efficiency appliances. The B.C. government has yet to adopt these recommendations.

Energy efficiency key Focusing on energy efficiency in Canada’s homes and buildings can significantly curb emissions, while transforming markets and boosting the economy.

The Acadia Center conducted a study for Natural Resources Canada in 2014 that found that for every dollar invested in energy efficiency, the GDP grows by $5 to $8. The study estimated that $1.9 billion to $8.5 billion spent on energy efficiency programs across Canada could result in annual GDP and job growth potential at between $19 billion and $48 billion, and between 100,000 and 300,000 jobs, respectively.

According to the Canada Green Building Council, more than $23 billion in GDP and nearly 300,000 jobs were generated by the country’s green building sector in 2014. At the Pembina Institute, we mapped (see www.pembina. org/bcgreenbuildings) more than 10,000 green homes and buildings — associated with over 23,000 jobs — in B.C. It’s worth noting that Canadians already have the skills needed for energy efficiency initiatives.

Some builders are already pushing the envelope on nearly zero-energy buildings. In Vancouver, four passive house multi-unit residential buildings are under construction. These will be among the largest buildings of this level of energy efficiency built in Canada, and they need to become the norm.

With the right policies and financial mechanisms in place, it is possible to transform the way buildings are constructed and retrofit for super energy efficiency within a short time frame. For example, in less than 10 years, Belgium’s Brussels-Capital Region implemented a large-scale passive house building initiative and incentivized deep retrofits of existing buildings.

An annual budget of 60 million euros provided incentives, subsidies and support programs. As a result, more than 5,000 buildings have been built or renovated to passive house standards in Brussels since 2007.

When it comes to climate action, all players need to be leaders. We need to harness the innovation and problem-solving skills of the development industry: incentives and frameworks are brought to life by innovation. The provinces must execute the best game plans possible to reduce emissions in order to access federal funding. This in turn will move energy efficient new buildings and deep retrofits from niche to norm.

The federal government must put forth a vision and provide the right tools to curb emissions from buildings. It’s a can’t-miss opportunity to show Canada that action on climate is good for the economy.

Karen Tam Wu is director of the buildings and urban solutions program at the Pembina Institute (www.pembina.org), a non-profit thinktank that advocates for strong, effective policies to support Canada’s clean-energy transition.

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Green Building

Sustainability boosts the bottom line By cHRistine vanDeRWill

A

s new federal leadership is paving the way for a low-carbon economy and climate action plans roll out in provinces across Canada, one might ask: what is the role of small and medium-sized business?

Ninety-nine percent of Canada’s businesses are small and medium-sized enterprises (SME).

In B.C.’s Lower Mainland alone, SMEs generate an estimated 30 to 40 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) through the energy used to heat and power their buildings, the fuel consumed by their vehicles and equipment, and the waste generated while making products and delivering crucial services. In making the transition to a prosperous, low-carbon economy, SMEs will be critical players.

Fortunately, there is already a strong and growing group of SME leaders in construction innovating on this front, and along the way, demonstrating that cutting carbon emissions also means cutting costs and becoming more competitive.

• Glacier Creek Contracting has reduced their waste sent to landfill by 35 per cent and their emissions from landfilled waste by 226 tonnes CO2e. They were also able to reduce their waste hauling fees by more than $64,500.

• Aggressive Tube Bending has been working to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by improving insulation in its new facilities, introducing anti-idling practices for vehicles and heavy equipment, retrofitting lighting for maximum efficiency, reducing emissions from welding gases, increasing recycling efforts and eliminating unnecessary paper use. Overall, from 20112013, Aggressive Tube Bending reduced their emissions by 22 per cent.

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• Continental Roofing developed a custom mobile app that crews can use to send reports and photos to the office rather than making an extra trip to deliver paperwork. As a result, the company has reduced fuel costs by 15 per cent across its fleet of 30 trucks and cut carbon emissions by 35 per cent per employee.

• RDH reduced greenhouse gas emissions per employee by 34 per cent,, equivalent to removing 38 cars from the road each year, through simple low-cost strategies such as reducing

..cutting carbon emissions also means cutting costs... paper use, installing more efficient lighting, and reimbursing staff for transit passes.

• Concert Properties has set a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 20 per cent by 2020.

By tracking greenhouse gas emissions Concert is also drawing the link between operational expenses and carbon/energy performance. For instance, gathering building energy data from across their portfolio, Concert now monitors energy use per square metre, and can identify particular properties on which to focus their efficiency efforts.

Not only do these companies represent innovation in the construction sector, but they are all also Climate Smart certified, and among hundreds of SMEs across Canada that are finding smarter, less carbon-intensive ways of doing business.

To date, more than 80 construction sector businesses have certified as Climate Smart, including companies such as Perkins + Will, BTY Group, Gateway Property Management, Penfolds Roofing & Solar, BelPacific Excavation & Shoring, Century Group, BC Comfort Air Conditioning, Unitech Construction, DL Safety Consulting, Umbrella Property Services and more.

“Construction and real estate development companies working on the design and construction of our future infrastructure are essential partners in building a low-carbon economy. They collectively represent as much opportunity for reducing emissions as any other sector; they will either help us build towards a low-carbon economy, or alternately lock us into a carbon emissions-dependent society,” says Climate Smart president Elizabeth Sheehan.

In 2013, Climate Smart released a Construction and Real Estate sector Industry Brief packed with data and evidence to help companies benchmark their progress among an industry range and uncover significant opportunities for improving operational efficiencies.

Findings from the brief include: • Responding to and anticipating supply chain requirements is the number one motivation for companies within the construction and real estate sector to measure emissions with Climate Smart. This demonstrates a response to emerging market drivers to meet environmental standards, and stay competitive on bids and proposals.

• The largest share of emissions from the construction sector are attributable to fuel used in vehicles and equipment. In building construction, 51 per cent of emissions are attributed to transportation & equipment, while for those in the heavy construction and specialty trades, 92 per cent of emissions are from these same sources.

• The majority of companies are reducing their main sources of emissions (transportation and waste) in their offices, throughout their building portfolios and at construction sites, through both innovative low-cost behaviour change initiatives and capital upgrades.

• Landfilled waste is the second largest emission source in building construction. Through participating in the Climate Smart program, 56 per cent of construction firms and 70 per cent of real estate property managers are now diverting waste from landfills by increasing recycling rates and educating staff on waste separation.

Christine VanDerwill is client relations manager at Climate Smart, a Vancouver-based social enterprise that provides training, software, support and certification for SMEs to measure and profitably reduce carbon emissions.

Green Building

Lean Improves Project Delivery By katHleen lausMan Additional impetus for changing the way capital projects are designed and executed is the flat or declining productivity of the building industry over the past number of decades relative to most non-farm labour.

Mosaic Centre in Edmonton is Alberta’s first net-zero commercial building.

Project Delivery Benefits

t

he construction industry is at crossroads with projects regularly delivered late and over budget. We’re lagging behind other industries in productivity and wasting billions annually. Lean project delivery holds promise for change. Lean Construction Institute of Canada (LCI-C), established last year, provides education and training for Canadian companies wanting to embark on their lean journeys.

what is Lean Project delivery?

Lean is based on the Toyota Production System Principles used in manufacturing. Lean, as applied to design and construction projects, has a focus on value creation through waste reduction/elimination, workflow efficiency, highly collaborative processes, trusting and respectful behaviours and continuous improvement through continuous learning using reflection.

Lean design and construction had its origin in the U.S. based on lean manufacturing and additional methodologies developed by Glenn Ballard and others plus the establishment of the Lean Construction Institute in the late 1990s.

Lean project delivery started in Canada in Saskatchewan with health care projects (Moose Jaw Hospital), in Manitoba with post-secondary education projects (University of Winnipeg) and Alberta with commercial office (Mosaic Centre) and education projects (Red Deer Catholic Schools). The experience of these lean practitioners has influenced others across Canada.

Lean Project delivery Education and training A volunteer group of lean project delivery practitioners comprised of facility owners, designers, constructors and supply chain across Canada were the catalyst and organizers behind the establishment of the LCI-C. It was established in June 2015 as a special committee of the Canadian Construction Association (CCA). It provides awareness, education and training across

Canada on the why, what and how lean project delivery improves the industry.

LCI-C provides education and training on lean methodologies and tools such as: • Target Value Design (TVD) where a target budget is a design criteria; • Last Planner System to improve productivity and predictable scheduling; • 5 Why problem identification and A3 problem solving; • Choosing by Advantage (CBA) advantagebased decision making; • 5S to organize the office or construction site.

Various local lean project delivery communities of practice are being established to share knowledge and experience with other practitioners in the area.

LCI-C hosted its inaugural conference and training day themed Lean for Extraordinary Results in April 2016 in Calgary to a crowd of over 170 delegates interested in change.

why Care?

Facility owners are dissatisfied. Seventy percent of projects are over budget and delivered late with less quality than required. Construction continues to incur the greatest incidents of injuries and deaths by comparison to non-farm labour. Traditional delivery methods create silos around owners, A & E designers, general contractors / construction managers, subtrades and the supply chain equating to waste. A lack of trust between parties results in systems of checks, double-checks and over-specification creating yet more waste. Designers and constructors are concerned about dwindling profit margins, while owners have increased facility project demands with less per-capita funding.

“Broken Buildings, Busted Budgets: How to Fix America’s Construction Industry” by Barry B. LePatner was the first book to document the inefficiency and waste — $120 billion annually — in the U.S. construction industry. In Canada, the situation is similar.

The application of lean principles and methodologies in the building industry within Canada is catching on. The positive results from other countries and from the early adopters within Canada have sparked interest.

Lean practitioners ranked lean project delivery benefits as follows in a 2013 McGraw Hill Construction survey: • Improved safety (77 per cent); • Greater customer satisfaction (80 per cent); • Higher quality of construction (84 per cent); • Reduced project schedule (74 per cent); • Greater productivity (77 per cent); • Greater profitability / reduced costs (64 per cent); • Better risk management (71 per cent).

The industry cannot continue to do business with yesterday’s approach and expect improved results. Early adopters to lean project delivery have started their journey and hold a competitive advantage and a track record of better project outcomes. A commitment to continuous and shared learning will improve the industry with added value and reduced waste.

“Lean project delivery helped the project teams meet tough sustainability targets set by the owners such as LEED Gold & Platinum and the Living Building Challenge — at no additional costs,” said Murray Guy, commissioning agent with Integrated Designs Inc. who has participated in a number of lean projects in Canada.

The benefits of lean design and construction are proven but this new way of operating is not without challenges. Cultural change is probably at the core of slow adoption within companies and organizations. Change is difficult and there really needs to be a commitment at the leadership levels. However, frustration with traditional project delivery methodologies suggests this is a perfect time for change.

“Our use of 5S on a project had a surprising by-product. It enhanced our safety culture onsite so much that we reached our goal of zero incidents, which we track constantly” added Gary McEwan, manager of special projects with PCL Westcoast Constructors.

Kathleen Lausman is LCI-C co-chair and the former Deputy Minister of Community & Government Services, Nunavut. To learn more about LCI-C, visit lcicanada.ca.

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Building Envelope

Advanced Building Envelope Diagnostics un-manned aerial vehicles or drones are fast emerging as a powerful diagnostic tool.

By goRD RaJeWski

S

ince the early 1970s, the use of portable infrared thermographic imagers have been employed throughout Canada by trained thermographers, building science professionals, designers, contractors and property owners.

Infrared thermography, when used by those with an understanding of materials, system design and construction, can efficiently identify deficiencies that might otherwise go undetected.

With advancements in commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), it is now possible to conduct thermographic surveys from the air.

UAv as a research/ diagnostic platform It is estimated that 2.6 million drones have already been purchased around the world for research, commercial and hobby use. It is expected that within a few short years, the number of “drones” in use will grow exponentially.

Drones are typically small aircrafts that are propelled with a minimum of four rotors, powered by re-chargeable batteries, which operate via radio control, and are guided by GPS. They 22

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are light weight and offer user-friendly flight to the operator.

The most sophisticated commercial drones available currently, utilize high definition (HD) video and thermographic cameras to identify energy leaks, entrapped moisture in conventional roof assemblies, and damage to exterior facades.

In Canada, one commercial operator is Toronto-based Industrial Skyworks (ISW), a leader in aerial building inspection using unmanned technology developed by SkyBEAM, in partnership with Tremco Roofing. This group offers their clients the opportunity to aerially survey large multi-building campuses, shopping centres, educational institutions and health care facilities.

SkyBEAM’s software consolidates thermographic imagery and HD video imagery into comprehensive, interactive and easy to understand reports that can be accessed by their clients via a cloud based application. A virtual model of the subject building is created in 2D and 3D. The data collected can be transmitted to service technicians who are tasked with verifying the data, through geo-positioning. The technicians

can see the exact location in relation to the suspected problem areas. Additional information can then be added from the field in real time.

Aerial Roof Moisture Surveys The use of hand-held portable thermographic imaging systems to determine whether a conventional roof assembly has become compromised by moisture, typically involves a crew of two, who undertake the survey in the early evening hours. The process can be unsafe, given that the crew needs to transit roof access ladders, and different roof levels, which often contain over-head dangers such as cables, ducts and other hazards.

Facilities with many roofs, on differing elevation, containing all manner of roof top equipment, can take several hours to survey.

When undertaking an aerial roof scan using a drone, the operator arrives on-site and sets up his equipment from a ground level parking area.

A satellite image of the subject facility is downloaded into a tablet computer. The drone operator then applies a “flight plan” to the satellite image.

This process is similar to using a hand-held GPS when hiking, and adding “way points”. Essentially,

Building Envelope

field service tech will upload his findings, and a report is produced.

Aerial Exterior facade Surveys Application of infrared thermography as a diagnostic tool for assessment of exterior facades has been in common use for several years in Canada.

It is generally considered an efficient means to gather performance data on subject buildings, and this technique can identify anomalies such as air leakage, conductive heat loss processes, and moisture damage.

Drones equipped with HD video and thermal imaging cameras, provide the opportunity to map entire elevations of subject buildings, in a similar manner as they can find entrapped moisture in roofs. A drone can be programmed to fly up and down the exterior of a building elevation, capturing every square metre of the exterior. The drone flies at a pre-set distance from the wall being surveyed, ensuring that the final map is consistent as it is comprehensive.

A crew using a hand-held imager must compensate for the angle of incidence when surveying from the ground. This can be difficult when thermographic surveys are requested on buildings exceeding 10 storeys in height. Drones do not have this issue.

other Applications the operator programs a grid-like pattern, with way points, that the drone will fly. The objective is to ensure that every square metre of the subject roof is “surveyed” in flight. The drone is programmed to fly a safe distance above the subject roof (80 metres). On larger facilities, a “safe fly zone” is established using a ground crew equipped with radios that will ensure that pedestrians exiting the building are prevented from entering an area in which the drone is operating. If a pedestrian were to enter the safety zone, the drone operator must stop the flight, until the pedestrian has safely cleared the area.

The drone actually flies over the roof twice: one flight is undertaken to map the roof surface in high definition video, while the second flight, undertaken following sunset, provides the thermographic survey. The on-board HD camera records an image every four seconds, while the infrared camera records an image every two seconds. The data is collected on-board with an SD card that the operator will remove following completion of the flights.

Dependent on the overall area being surveyed, the drone can accomplish both flights within a

fraction of the time a two-person crew using a hand-held imager could. The drone operator is never subjected to unsafe conditions.

Following the flight, the hundreds of images are digitally assembled to create a comprehensive map in real time, and in thermal. These maps are then analyzed by trained thermogra-

uavs... is a powerful diagnostic tool with numerous applications... phers and suspect areas are identified for further field verification. The data is transferred to a field service tech, who is equipped with a tablet computer (or in some cases a Smart Phone).

The field devices are equipped with a geo-positioning application that permit the field service tech with the ability to accurately go to the location of interest and perform additional verification tests within the zone of interest. Once verification testing in the field is completed, the

Drones are already being utilized in Canada to help contractors, designers and owners determine progress on new construction projects.

By quickly flying over the site area, it is possible to obtain a more comprehensive view of where projects are at in the construction sequence.

On existing buildings, it is possible, using drones equipped with advanced video cameras, to not only fly where it may be otherwise difficult to access, but also zoom in to small details that are of interest. It is possible to determine whether a caulked sealant joint has become debonded within a single joint, using advanced drone technology, all from a safe distance.

Conclusion UAVs, in the hands of properly trained and licensed operators, who also possess a background in building science, is a powerful diagnostic tool with numerous applications today and in the future.

Gord Rajewski is a registered engineering technologist and a certified level I & II thermographer. He is currently the regional director of Williams Engineering Canada for the Northern Region, based in Edmonton.

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Building Envelope

A Case of Scope Creep By cHRistopHeR Black

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or many industries, including the building construction industry, “scope creep� is a dreaded term. For those unfamiliar with the term, it refers to the growth of the project scope beyond its originally expected magnitude, typically resulting in increased costs and/or duration.

A targeted window replacement project located in Richmond, B.C. experienced scope creep, highlighting the need for an adequate contingency fund and challenges that can arise with building envelope work.

The building is a residential care home for seniors, providing 24-hour care, supervision, recreation programs, and support services. The facility is governed by a non-profit organization, operated by a volunteer board, and funded by the Ministry of Health. The building has a mixture of one, two, and three storey sections built circa 1982, with a newer four storey addition built circa 2005. The complex includes approximately 88,000 square-feet of floor area.

The targeted rehabilitation focused on sections of the original one storey building. The managers for the facility wanted to replace the windows to address water ingress, thermal performance, and maintenance related issues. The managers awarded the prime consultant services for the project to a building enclosure consulting engineering firm with broad experience in windows, walls, roofing, and waterproofing. Because of the broader experience and specialization of the firm, the project was able to continue with minimal delays when unexpected conditions were discovered through the construction process.

The consulting engineering firm conducted an investigation to establish a preliminary scope of work, which was then refined during design development and construction document stages.

This was followed by tendering and awarding the work to a general contractor.

Soon after beginning the removal and reinstallation of the windows, which included targeted

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base of wall waterproofing, it became apparent that the level of lightweight steel framing corrosion was more significant than expected because of years of water ingress. Further invasive investigation was conducted (i.e. numerous interior and exterior exploratory openings) to better determine the extent of the required rehabilitation, and the impact to both the project budget and duration.

During rehabilitation of the corroded steel framing it became evident that the original steel stud shear wall framing had not been installed as originally designed and was therefore structurally inadequate. A number of structural components were not installed, including only half of the cross bracing. Structural upgrading was required, which necessitated additional interior and exterior finishes replacement.

Completing a rehabilitation project within a licensed care facility providing 24-hour care yielded another set of challenges, as the facility managers were mandated to provide a minimum number of beds for residents at all times. Residents had to be relocated to other rooms in the facility to accommodate the work, allowing only a limited number of rooms to be accessed at any one given time. This reduced construction efficiency, thus increasing the project cost and duration. In addition, this also increased the number of reviews required by the various consultants (building envelope and structural).

The increased scope of rehabilitation made it necessary to selectively disable the fire alarm system in the areas of work. Fire watch procedures therefore had to be implemented where the alarm system was disabled. In addition, after an inspection by the local fire department, because the fire walls were affected during the rehabilitation and given the type of occupancy, it was required to implement a 24-hour fire watch at locations where the fire walls were affected. Providing this dedicated service was not anticipated in the base scope of work and was an additional cost.

The original construction cost for the project was approximately $290,000. The work is still under construction, but projected costs to address the steel stud corrosion and associated detailing is an additional $540,000. The structural upgrading is projected to cost an additional $350,000. The estimated increase for the 24hour fire watch is $125,000. Bringing the total revised construction costs to over $1.3 million.

Also, the estimated increase to the schedule is 45 weeks (from 17 weeks to 62 weeks).

This case study highlights the need for a monetary reserve set aside to address possible unforeseen future expenses. In addition, having a team of qualified consulting professionals helps in mitigating risks, address unforeseen challenges as they arise, and control costs. It is important for the consultant team to ensure the work is being completed in general conformance with the contract documents through field reviews and construction contract administration. The administration of the contract by the prime consultant should include the preparation of change orders, change directives, supplemental instructions, and certificates for payment, allowing for all parties to better manage costs and scheduling.

All changes to the contract price and contract time are expected to be authorized by the owner, and tracked on a log sheet by the consultant so extras to the contract can always be easily totaled. For time and expense work such as the work related to unforeseen steel wall framing deterioration due to water ingress and inadequate original design, contractor timesheets and materials receipts should be reviewed in detail for legitimacy. Finally, at project close, all warranties must be collected and the consultant team will conduct a final review of the work after all deficiencies have been satisfactorily resolved. Prior to the end of the first year, another deficiency review will be conducted.

The level of scope creep in this project was significant, with the project size, cost, and duration far exceeding the original window replacement project. However, it serves as an example that owners should be prepared for unforeseen site conditions in rehabilitation projects. The scope creep in this project was due primarily to excess damage from water ingress which was allowed to continue over a long period of time, inadequate original design, working in an occupied care facility, and increased governmental regulations with increased project size.

Christopher Black is a senior building science consultant with LDR Engineering Group and an instructor at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. He has been involved in the building science industry for over 11 years.

Building Envelope

Setting Realistic Performance Goals glazing systems and spandrel panels By neil noRRis

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urrent trends for mid and high-rise construction in Western Canada have moved increasingly towards using greater areas of glazing systems, including window wall and curtain wall. However, glazing systems have not been traditionally seen as on par with opaque walls for thermal performance. People enjoy big views, but not big heating bills, so there has always been a give and take when it comes to window to wall ratio vs the thermal performance of the envelope. In cold climates, such as Edmonton, where traditionally opaque low-rise buildings with low window to wall ratio were common, new high-rise residential projects with entire window wall facades have begun to pop up.

At the same time, in what may be a counter to this trend, jurisdictions across North America are pushing for greater energy efficiency from the building envelope. This has often taken the form of higher R-value (or lower U-Value) requirements in codes and standards or in project design goals. In order to meet these goals and keep the look of a highly glazed building, designs are trending towards more spandrel panels, framed within these glazing systems, to replace precast concrete or cladded walls as the opaque building envelope.

This has led to more scrutiny over the thermal performance of the glazing systems, especially the spandrels. Over the past 15 years there have been significant improvements to vision glazing systems, such as using low-e coatings, gas fills and warm edge spacers. Insulated spandrels, on the other hand, have not changed significantly beyond adding thicker backpan insulation. While this may seem good enough, the large amounts of aluminum framing in glazed façades set up a web of conductive material which allows the heat to go around the insulated portions of the spandrel. As a result, the actual effective R-values of spandrels can fall far below expectations. A realistic analysis of glazing systems spandrels is needed in order to truly achieve both the energy and architectural goals on building projects.

Significant work has been done to provide an easy way to determine the thermal performance

of the vision systems, such as NFRC-100. This typically involves 2-Dimensional heat flow modelling where the components act in a predictable manner. Many glazing system manufacturers are already doing this for their vision systems. However, spandrel systems contain different materials in a variety of arrangements and are impacted significantly by adjacent building components.

This makes figuring out the thermal performance of spandrels more complicated.

The spandrel may block the heat from escaping through the middle of the panel, but the web of mullions allows the heat to flow in many different directions around it and out, like water in a leaky bucket (or leaky curtain wall). Following the same 2-D analysis for spandrels, as with the vision sections, can provide rough estimates, but can miss these 3-D heat flow effects through multiple intersecting spans. As a result, the 2-D analysis can often be too optimistic with regards to U-values and too pessimistic when it comes to condensation risk.

For building project teams to know what to realistically expect from spandrels, and for manufacturers to know where it makes the most sense to improve their systems thermally, looking at the systems from a 3-D perspective is necessary.

Using 3-D thermal modelling, several spandrel systems were analyzed in the Building Envelope Thermal Bridging Guide, BETBG (available for free online from BC Hydro). The results of this study show the impact of 3-D heat flow effects for several types of glazing systems. As an example, let’s look at a generic window wall system, with a 3’x 3’ spandrel panel, flanked above and below by vision glazing as shown in Figure 2. Table 1 shows what effective R-values can be expected from this is a common window wall detail.

For the first case (no interior insulation) the 1D R-value through the centre of the system is approximately the nominal R-value of the insulation plus the resistance of the steel stud backup wall (in this case R-12.6 + R-2). When 3-D heat flows are accounted for, this drops to R-7.1. So why the drastic difference in values? Heat is able to bypass around the insulated backpan through the horizontal mullions at the head and sill and

table 1: R-values for a Generic window wall 3’x3’ Spandrel System stud cavity insulation

Backpan Mineral Wool insulation

spandrel panel With no slab Bypass

spandrel panel including slab Bypass

none

3” (R-12.6)

R-7.1

R-3.8

2” spF (R-12)

3” (R-12.6)

R-9.8

R-4.4

Figure 2 Typical Window Wall System at a Slab Bypass

along the verticals and out. With the reduced insulation from a slab bypass, this is dropped further to R-3.8. While sprayfoam in the stud cavity may seem like an effective solution, in this case the same thing happens and all the heat simply skirts around the sprayfoam.

There are, of course, many ways to improve systems to provide greater spandrel R-values.

First and foremost, the size of the thermal breaks can make a difference, as well as placement.

Thermal breaks should be aligned as much as possible with the insulation layer (which is difficult if the glazing is at the front and the backpan is, well, at the back). Larger spans of spandrel make this alignment easier as well. If there is floor to floor spandrel, the backpans will most likely be aligned and it can be more effective to use sprayfoam in this case. For window wall systems, ensuring that the slab edge is covered with insulation as much as possible, including down to the deflection header, and aligning the thermal break with this insulation at the edge of the concrete can also significantly help.

While every project is different, this should give a general impression of the impact framing and detailing can have on glazing spandrel systems. In the BETBG, a large variety of different glazing systems and improvement approaches were analyzed, however further research is ongoing, as there are always more details that can be analyzed. With a more realistic look at spandrels, smarter decisions can be made on how to improve performance.

Neil Norris is a building science engineer at Morrison Hershfield Ltd in Vancouver, specializing in building performance analysis and component modelling of building systems.

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Legal File

Damage Provisions in Construction Contracts By allison RuDzitis

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feature of many construction contracts is the so-called liquidated damages clause. This type of clause is often included in cases where it would be difficult or impossible to determine the damages that might arise from breach of contract. The contracting parties include language in the agreement which tries to estimate the amount of reasonable compensation upon breach.

But liquidated damages clauses are not always upheld as such; penalty clauses often masquerade as liquidated damages clauses, and courts do not uphold the former. Typically, courts do not focus on the phraseology of a clause to determine its true identity. If the clause’s intent is to figure a genuine estimate of damages, it is generally upheld as a liquidated damages clause. But if its intent is to frighten the other party into performing its contractual obligations, due to unreasonably high damages, it will be deemed a penalty clause and therefore unenforceable.

The Ottawa Community Housing Corp. v.

Foustanellas (“Ottawa”) decision by the Ontario Court of Appeal (“Court”) is interesting in that it held that a clause was neither a liquidated damages or a penalty clause, but rather a ‘stop payment’ provision. It is a noteworthy decision in that the clause does not attempt to estimate damages at the time the parties contracted, but rather halts the parties’ contractual obligations when the breach occurs, and then tries to assess damages at the moment of breach.

ottawa Community Housing Corp. v. foustanellas In this case, the respondent, Ottawa Community Housing Corporation (OCHC) was a notfor-profit organization that provided subsidized housing to low-income individuals. In 2004, OCHC invited tenders for the supply and installation of carpet and under pads in some of its housing units. The lowest bid was put forth by Argos Carpets (Argos), a subsidiary of the corporate appellant Argos Carpets Ltd. (ACL) (the Carpet Contract). This winning bid contemplated a profit of 10-15 per cent for Argos.

OCHC became suspicious that Argos was inflating its invoices and overbilling. After investigations, OCHC determined that Argos provided poor quality of product, did not meet its obligations under the Carpet Contract, and was generating a profit closer to 25-50 per cent. Therefore, OCHC withdrew from the contract.

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the Carpet Contract ACL sued OCHC for amounts they felt were due and owing under the Carpet Contract. At appeal, ACL sought the Court’s advice as to whether or not the clause in question amounted to a liquidated damages or penalty clause.

The Court actually found that the clauses constituted a ‘stop payment’ provision, and not a penalty or liquidated damages clause. The clause in question, clause 1.6.3 of the Carpet Contract, states: Except in the case of insolvency, where any or all of the work has been taken out of the hands of the Contractor, the Contractor will not be entitled to any further payment, including payments then due and payable but not paid. The obligation of the Owner to make payments will cease, and the Contractor will be liable upon demand to pay the Owner an amount equal to all the losses and damages incurred by theOwner for the non-completion of work.

The Court confirmed the finding of the trial judge, in that clause 1.6.3 did not amount to a liquidated damages or penalty provision, as no particular sum was stipulated. The Court described the effects of clause 1.6.3 as: First, it relieves the owner (OCHC) from any obligation to make payments to the contractor, including in respect of unpaid receivables, pending determination of the owner’s losses and damages arising from the contractor’s non-compliance with the Carpet Contract.

Secondly, it establishes the contractor’s (Argos’) liability to the owner (OCHC) for an amount equal to the owner’s losses and damages

occasioned by the contractor’s non-completion of the work provided for in the Carpet Contract.

Thus, properly read, clause 1.6.3 functions as a ‘stop payment’ provision. It is designed to halt the owner’s contractual obligation to make any payments to the contractor pending determination of the owner’s losses and damages arising from the contractor’s breach of contract.

Note to Industry In order to achieve the desired outcome, a construction contract must be carefully drafted in order to reflect the parties’ true intentions. In addition to contractual clarity, the parties themselves must understand what they are agreeing to and what is the true contractual nature of the agreement. If a compensation clause is desired, the beneficiary of that clause (usually the owner) should ensure that it is specific enough for a court to interpret it as a liquidated damages clause and not as something unintended like a penalty clause.

It is also important for both parties to understand the distinction between the total amount owing and interim payments due under a construction contract. A liquidated damages clause affects the total owing. Ottawa illustrates that a provision stating “the Contractor will not be entitled to any further payment” upon default affects only the interim payment obligations. It is not considered a liquidated damages clause or a penalty clause because it does not purport to affect the total owing, only the timing of payments.

Allison Rudzitis is an associate at McLennan Ross LLP in Edmonton.

Legal File

Be Careful What You Estimate

By DaviD claassen

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frequent cause of disputes in residential construction is disagreements over budgets and budget estimates provided by contractors. In an effort to avoid the risk of cost overruns, most contractors enter into cost-plus contracts with homeowners. Homeowners, understandably, want to know how much their proposed project is going to cost. The result is that contractors issue budget estimates they do not necessarily intend to be stuck with, but that homeowners often expect to be a maximum price. A recent decision of the Supreme Court of British Columbia is a helpful reminder to the construction industry that a contractor may be stuck with an estimate, despite clear contractual language to the contrary, if they aren’t careful.

In Sea-Bright Builders Inc. v. Graves, 2016 BCSC 709, the contractor, Sea-Bright Builders, sued the homeowner for failure to make payment of several progress draws. The homeowner defended that claim on the basis that Sea-Bright should only be entitled to the amount of its budget estimate and not the subsequent cost overruns. The project in this case involved two phases: phase one involved moving a craft home from another property to the homeowner’s property and connecting the homes; phase two involved substantial renovations to both houses to make them one cohesive home.

There were early budget discussions between Sea-Bright and the owners that made it clear that the general budget for the project was in the range of $450,000 to $500,000. Each of the formal budget estimates provided by SeaBright during the project included fairly clear disclaimer language that read “Only items shown herein are included in the Budget Estimate amount shown. Project is proceeding on a ‘Cost Plus’ basis. This is a Budget Estimate only and is not to be misconstrued as a fixed price estimate. It is prudent to allow a contingency amount when making financial plans based on Budget Estimates.”

The actual contract entered into between SeaBright and the homeowners stated that the budget estimate was “attached to, and forming part of, this Contract.” Despite that somewhat ambiguous language, the contract also stated that the “renovation work will proceed on a ‘Cost Plus’ basis” and that the “actual billing submitted may be more or less than the amount indicated in Budget Estimate #01… and/or subsequent Budget Estimates”.

In April 2010, Sea-Bright provided an estimate for phase one of the work of approximately

$140,000. That work ultimately cost approximately $180,000. In July 2010, after completion of phase one, Sea-Bright issued an estimate of $420,000 for the phase two work, which did not include the addition of a master bedroom that had previously been contemplated. At the same time, Sea-Bright issued a cost to complete of approximately $495,000 (consisting of the budget and some changes in progress). This would bring the total cost to $680,000, significantly above the financial means of the owners. Further discussion led to another budget a few weeks later that significantly reduced the scope of work, but added the master bedroom back in. This budget estimated a total cost of approximately $500,000.

The owners considered this amount too much, and requested that the master bedroom again be removed from the scope of work. Sea-Bright agreed and continued to work. In November 2010, Sea-Bright produced a new estimate of cost to complete of approximately $535,000, despite the removal of the master bedroom. At this time, the project was brought to a halt and litigation commenced by Sea-Bright against the owners for non-payment.

In the litigation, the owners took the position that the budget estimates should be binding. The court ultimately agreed that the budget estimate issued in July 2010, including the changes underway, should have binding contractual effect.

The court identified the factors that led it to that finding as follows:

• at the time it was given, the project was significantly over budget, and, to Sea-Bright’s knowledge, the defendants were stretched and under-financed; • the cost was of overriding importance to the defendants, and this was communicated to Sea-Bright; • Sea-Bright held itself out as having expertise in estimating and specifically undertook to calculate what additional financing the defendants would require to assist Sea-Bright in continuing with the job; • the homeowners clearly relied upon SeaBright’s advice in this regard and obtained private financing on the basis of it; and • the defendants indicated that they could proceed only on the basis that the budget estimate was not exceeded — Sea-Bright understood that and proceeded.

As a result, the court reduced the outstanding fees owing to Sea-Bright by approximately $40,000.

Contractors should be aware that courts can be sympathetic to homeowners, even in the face of clear contractual language, and that contractors should be sure to give accurate estimates or risk being stuck with an unexpected fixed price contract.

David Claassen is a lawyer with Jenkins Marzban Logan LLP. His litigation practice involves working in all areas of construction and contract disputes.

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Legal File

Warranty Risks supplying What’s ordered May not Be enough.

By RoB DuMeRton

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arranties assure that a good or service will conform to a certain standard. Ideally, warranties are clear and the parties understand what standard is being guaranteed. Unfortunately, case law reveals suppliers sometimes provide warranties they do not understand and find the product they supplied does not meet the standard they warranted it would, despite having provided the product ordered free from manufacturing defects.

In Greater Vancouver Water District v. North American Pipe & Steel Ltd. (2012 BCCA 337) North American Pipe & Steel agreed to supply pipe in accordance with the specifications of its contract and, despite having no input into the design of the project, warranted that the pipes would be “fit for the purpose for which they are to be used” and “free from all defects arising at any time from faulty design.”

The pipes ultimately failed, causing the Water District considerable damage. The trial court found that the pipes were manufactured in accordance with the Water District’s specification and that the failure of the pipes resulted from the Water District’s design.

The trial judge made the following statement with regard to defects caused by owner’s specifications: The general rule is that defects caused by an owner’s specification are not the responsibility of the contractor, unless the contractor expressly guarantees that the construction would be fit for a specific purpose, or a warranty can be implied by the owner’s actual reliance on the contractor’s skill and judgment.

The Court of Appeal confirmed that the warranty provided by North American Pipe & Steel covered the failure, despite that it had delivered the specified pipe, because it had promised the pipe would work with the owner’s design.

The Court of Appeal acknowledged that sometimes warranties appear to distribute risk unfairly, but that is a matter for the marketplace: There is a danger attached to such clauses.

Contractors may refuse to bid or, if they do so, may build in costly contingencies. Those who do not protect themselves from unknown potential risk may pay dearly. Owners are unlikely to benefit from circumstances where suppliers and contractors are faced with the prospect of potentially disastrous consequences. Parties to construction or supply contracts may find it in their best interests to address more practically

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the assumptions of design risk. To fail to do so merely creates the potential for protracted and costly litigation.

In R219 Enterprises Ltd. v. OK Builders Supplies Ltd. (2015 BCSC 1128) the court found OK Builders had breached a warranty to provide concrete in accordance to certain CSA standards despite having supplied the concrete that was ordered.

R219 contracted with OK Builders to supply concrete for two exterior slabs. OK Builders was not made aware that the slabs would be exposed to chlorides, such as de-icing salts. Within a few months of being poured, the surface of the slabs was deteriorating, delaminating, and scaling.

The owners sued OK Builders.

The causes of the failure of the concrete included that the wrong specification of concrete had been ordered by a representative of the concrete finisher and supplied by OK Builders. The concrete finisher ordered “30 MPa” concrete and, complying with that order, OK Builders supplied CSA standard “F” class concrete, which has a compressive strength of 30 MPa, but is not intended to be exposed to chlorides. When OK Builders delivered the concrete, it provided a delivery ticket which contained an express warranty that the concrete was supplied in accordance with the applicable CSA specifications.

The court found that the correct CSA standard of concrete for the slabs was “C” class, which is intended to withstand chloride exposure but has a compressive strength of 32 MPa.

OK Builders argued that it was not liable for supplying the wrong standard of concrete because it did not know the slab would be exposed to chlorides and that it had merely supplied the concrete that was ordered by an experienced contractor. In rejecting OK Builders’ argument, the court made the following statement: OK Builders’ duty as the supplier of concrete to R219 extends beyond merely taking the order. It had the responsibility to ensure that the concrete produced and supplied to R219 met the performance requirements for the intended use and purpose of the concrete ordered.

Suppliers who warrant that a product will be fit for its purpose or meet the requirements of the owner’s design are expected to supply the product that the owner needs even if the owner’s own specification or order is incorrect. As the Court of Appeal warned, the distribution of risk should be addressed in the marketplace and warranties that appear to be unfair will be enforced.

Suppliers need to turn their minds to the scope of the warranties that they are providing and ensure that they are not taking on unintended and commercially unreasonable risk.

Rob DuMerton is a construction lawyer practicing at McLean & Armstrong LLP in West Vancouver, B.C. and regularly drafts and reviews construction contacts for owners, contractors, and suppliers.

Architect Corner

Communication through Design open, honest and transparent public and city consultation helped deliver a complex multi-phase project in an established community in less than one year.

By Jason cuRtis

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joint-venture partnership between Truman Development Corporation and The Royal Canadian Legion North Branch 264 employed a multidisciplinary team to work closely with the local community and the City of Calgary to ensure that construction could begin on a mid-rise programmatically complex, high density pair of buildings, including all permits and public hearings in less than one year.

A team approach with regular transparent public consultation took advantage of the newly implemented, concurrent Land Use and Development Permit Process at the City of Calgary.

The proposed redevelopment of the Legion site on Kensington Road was intended to revitalize the home of an aged fiscally unsustainable social organization to create a new, vibrant mixeduse hub on an underdeveloped inner-city site.

The deal struck was as follows: Truman would fund and build a new home for the Kensington Legion on a smaller sub-divided portion of the existing site. The new building would include a mix of social, recreational and cultural activities with market-rate rentable office space to provide the Legion with a sustainable income. In return for this wholly owned new standalone building, Truman would develop the remaining, larger portion of the site with a mixed-use mid-rise development.

Core team members S2 Architecture, Civic Woks and Intelligent Futures established a professional, solution-oriented rapport with the city and worked within the newly implemented concurrent application stream. This enabled greater continuity between the Land Use and Development Permit applications by ensuring that one team, rather than two separate independent teams, could work on both applications simultaneously.

The city advised the team to implement a developer led, transparent and rigorous public consultation process that would include the community at large. The team was also advised that city administration would participate in a separate public engagement process to present a policy-oriented perspective comparing the proposed development with the city’s long term strategic goals.

After multiple community association presentations and meetings with the local city councilor, the seven week engagement process was launched.

It was designed to be flexible, honest and transparent. Participants were encouraged to explore, question and share their thoughts on the pro-

The project earned a 2016 Award of Merit for Planning Practice Project from the Canadian Institute of Planners.

posed vision for the site. The project team guided the engagement process and regularly shared up to date project information as the design evolved. It ensured that feedback from the community was comprehensively responded to and that it had an impact on the final outcome.

The communication tools ranged in scale from advisory postcards mailed to neighbours, to media coverage from several print and television outlets. Individuals were also encouraged to participate in the process via on-site sandwich boards, a dedicated project website with supporting e-newsletter and social media notices circulated by local stakeholders.

Feedback was recorded via forms on the project website, a phone line where callers could speak to team representatives, a 24/7 on-site sounding board and 14, three hour engagement sessions hosted weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays at the Legion site where attendees could speak with project team members from all disciplines.

The Legion’s own Royal Kensington Room was host to these engagement sessions. In the social space, participants could review project information across 36 information panels, meet and ask questions of project team members, view the visuals library, and examine a physical model of the proposed development.

The team took care to establish detailed guiding development and design principles which would serve as a ‘north star’, a guide for authentic stakeholder engagement. This would

be reflected throughout the visioning, design iteration, and application review progression. The team knew that carefully considered adherence to these fundamentals could result in a range of great city building outcomes.

This approach to public engagement proved successful and saw 160 participants attend engagement sessions. 220 individual notes were left on the sounding board, and 88 online responses were submitted. The process culminated in a comprehensive 98 page ‘What We Heard’ report that guided readers through the engagement promise and project particulars. It provided in-depth responses to questions asked by the participants and included an appendix of all feedback (positive and negative) received during the process.

Undertaking such an extensive public engagement process is expensive and risky. It requires the design team to be highly responsive and flexible in their approach to design. Multiple design iterations will need to be developed to balance client, community and city planning objectives and then recirculated for further comment.

The public hearing heard voices for and against the proposal but after a long day of healthy debate, it finally received unanimous council approval and thanks from the ward councilor for the best public engagement ever.

Jason Curtis, Architect, AAA, MRAIC, RIBA, LEED AP, is associate principal at S2Architecture in Calgary.

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Industry News AIBC ARCHItECtURAL AwARdS HoNoUR 12 PRoJECtS The Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC) Architectural Awards honoured 12 projects, with two receiving the prestigious Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Award in Architecture medal.

The Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia Awards in Architecture were established to recognize excellence in completed architectural projects led or designed by AIBC members.

This year, the two winning projects are: • Telus Garden by Henriquez Partners Architects • Guildford Aquatic Centre by Bing Thom Architects in joint venture with Shape Architecture Seven exceptional projects by B.C. architects received a Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia Awards in Architecture — Merit Level including York House Senior School by Acton Ostry Architects Inc.; MNP Tower by the Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership in association with Kohn Pederson Fox; Rough House by Measured Architecture Inc.; Grandview Heights Aquatic Centre by HCMA Architecture + Design and Jasper Place Library by HCMA Architecture + Design in joint venture with Dub Architects.

The winner of the AIBC Innovation Award in 2016 is Surrey Operations Centre by Taylor Kurtz Architecture + Design Inc. and Rounthwaite, Dick & Hadley Architects. For all the winners, aibc.ca

ALBERtA CodE AdoPtIoN The 2014 editions of the Alberta Building Code and the Alberta Fire Code based on the 2010 National Building and Fire Codes were adopted at the end of February 2015 by provincial regulation. Also adopted by regulation is the National Energy Code for Buildings (NECB) 2011 edition.

Key changes in the codes include: • A new building class known as “B3” to address the demand for a more flexible range of care accommodation for an aging population.

• New provisions to allow for the construction and fire protection during construction of six-storey wood buildings entirely based on the national code requirements for the upcoming 2015 national building and fire code editions • New building protection against radon gas • Energy efficiency requirements for housing and small buildings under section 9.36 of the Alberta Building Code.

Each code has a coming into force date and a transition period. The coming into force date is the date on which the codes apply or may be used in Alberta. The transition period is to allow construction under the previous 2006 Alberta Building Code or under the new codes. All coming into force dates have a standard six-month transition period to construct in the previous code provided a permit has been issued.

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CoqUIHALLA HIGHwAY CELEBRAtES 30 YEARS May 2016 marks 30 years since the opening of one of B.C.’s largest infrastructure projects — the Coquihalla highway. This 324-kilometre project opened up the interior to economic development and improved access to the west coast of B.C. Built on the former rail bed of the Kettle Valley Railroad, the first phase of the Coquihalla highway covers more than 120 kilometres and was completed on May 16, 1986, to coincide with Expo ’86 in Vancouver. Over 10,000 workers contributed to the building of this project through some of the most challenging terrain in the province. Starting in 1984, the entire project took two years to complete.

Today, the highway has over 20,000 vehicles per day and over four million per year. Phase 1 connected Hope to Merritt and was viewed as the largest and most difficult of the three phases. Phase 2 from Merritt to Kamloops was completed in September of 1987 and Phase 3 — the Okanagan Connector joining Merritt to Peachland was completed in October 1990.

The Coquihalla highway will receive a significant improvement this year with expansion of the Box Canyon chain-up area. Funding from provincial and federal levels is now in place to expand the chain-up area to accommodate up to 70 commercial trucks, providing more space for commercial vehicles to chain up in the winter. The project will also see the construction of new washroom facilities, as well as additional parking and deceleration and acceleration lanes.

GREEN SkILLS tRAINING foR CANAdA Responding to the growing demand for skilled workers in the green building field, the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) and Urban Green Council (the New York Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council) have announced a strategic partnership to bring Green Professional Building Skills Training (GPRO) to professionals across Canada.

Geared at trade professionals, GPRO consists of a series of courses and certificate exams developed

by Urban Green Council that aim to close the gap between conventional and sustainable construction practices. GPRO courses are taught to impart the principles of sustainability by way of trade-specific knowledge. Since the program launched in 2011, over 8,000 people have received GPRO training across the U.S. and Canada.

“It is clear that Canada’s building industry is embracing greener, higher performing buildings as best practice,” said Thomas Mueller, president and CEO of the CaGBC. “We are introducing GPRO to meet the demand for trained construction professionals which are knowledgeable and skilled to deliver top quality buildings in the growing green building industry.

Builders and operators are already using GPRO certified trained professionals to bring LEED into their projects across the United States and in the Greater Toronto Area. Offering GPRO training nationally means bringing a much-needed set of green skills training to Canada’s construction industry, and in turn supporting Canada’s economic and societal push toward actionable solutions to climate change.

The Toronto Chapter of the Canada Green Building Council has been offering GPRO education in the GTA since 2015. The CaGBC is currently preparing course material and will roll-out the first round of national training in the fall of 2016. Certified trained professionals will earn AIA and GBCI credits while completing the training. For more information on GPRO and CaGBC Education’s additional offerings, visit www.cagbc.org/gpro.

LMS doNAtES $25,000 LMS Reinforcing Steel Group made a $25,000 donation to the Canadian Red Cross Fire Relief Fund in an effort to support those impacted by the Alberta wild fires.

“We hope our contribution can help the community of Fort McMurray recovery quickly from this devastation,” says Ron McNeil, CEO, “we tip our hat to all the first responders and rescue workers that are working tirelessly to extinguish the fires and get people back to their homes.”