Topic
Green Construction
How investing in green infrastructure can jump start the post-coronavirus economy
June 21, 2020 Michael Drescher and Lucas MollameThis article was originally published on The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Disclosure information is available on the original site. COVID-19 has turned the world on its head. Many socio-economic benefits…
How new construction technologies are improving efficiencies and reducing emissions on the job site
April 16, 2020 Peter GibbonsFuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions are becoming major factors in the construction industry and as a result, companies are starting to overhaul the way they operate. While LEED and other green building programs have been reshaping the design-build space…
Updated version of Zero Carbon Building Standard takes aim at embodied carbon
March 27, 2020 On-Site StaffA new version of the Canada Green Building Council’s (CaGBC) Zero Carbon Building Standard takes aim squarely at embodied carbon. The update, released by the CaGBC earlier this month, takes the organization’s zero-carbon building rules to the next level. The…
In the crosshairs: From carbon sinks to energy-efficient materials, MTO targets climate change
March 18, 2020 Saul ChernosWith a highway network stretching 17,000 kilometres, 2,850 bridges, 29 airports, 11 ferry services and numerous other assets to manage, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation is on the front lines when it comes to mitigating the effects of climate change.…
Bobcat introduces new R2-Series compact excavators, improving on design and performance
March 17, 2020 On-Site StaffBobcat says it has packed the digging power of larger machines into its new lineup of R2-Series compact excavators capable of squeezing onto tight job sites. The company showed off the first two machines in the new line at…
EllisDon to take on new $105M mass timber, zero-carbon build at Centennial College
February 29, 2020 On-Site StaffWith momentum for mass timber buildings continuing to build, Centennial College has announced plans for a new wood campus building in Scarborough, Ont. Contractor EllisDon and design firms Dialog and Smoke Architecture have been chosen to take on the $105…
Aiming to disrupt construction, building products start-up Nexii to open new production plant in Squamish, B.C.
February 19, 2020 David KennedyA British Columbia building products start-up looking to upend the construction industry’s conventional building process is scaling up its operations with a new 90,000 sq. ft. production facility. Nexii Building Solutions Inc. announced plans to invest in the new commercial-scale…
New job in green construction for former Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson
January 22, 2020 The Canadian PressVANCOUVER—Former Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson is lending his expertise to a Canadian company working to expand green building technology around the globe. Robertson, who served as Vancouver’s mayor from 2008 to 2018, has joined Nexii Building Solutions as its executive…
Federal scientists study how to adapt building codes to climate change
January 6, 2020 Bob Weber, The Canadian PressCanada’s building codes are modernized every five years. The next update is due this year and is likely to be the first to address climate change realities
It’s not easy going green: For contractors, embracing the sustainable building ‘paradigm shift’ isn’t optional
June 10, 2019 David KennedyWith exposed concrete on all sides and piping from mechanical systems overhead, a compact drilling rig bores slowly into the ground beneath the Arthur Meighen Building in Toronto. The rig takes about a day to drill a 13-centimetre (five-inch) borehole…
Assessing the future: Job site robotics are quickly gaining ground
February 18, 2019 Jacob StollerIn the 1959 sci-fi novel Starship Troopers, Robert Heinlein introduced, perhaps for the first time, the concept of the powered exoskeleton — a motor-assisted armoured suit that gives its wearer superhuman strength. Since then, exoskeletons have shown up in countless…
Green buildings must do more to fix our ‘climate emergency’
February 8, 2019 Meg Holden and Rebecca HoltThis article was originally published on The Conversation, an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts. Disclosure information is available on the original site. After more than three decades of talk about the potential of…
Feds fund country’s first geothermal electricity plant; $51.3M project will create 100 construction jobs
January 11, 2019 On-Site StaffREGINA—Thousands of small-scale geothermal boreholes have been drilled across Canada over the past several years for home heating, but until now, the country has not tapped into the clean source of energy to produce power. That’s set to change as…
Construction industry embraces unlikely source of growth: shifting work off the job site
January 2, 2019 by David KennedyModular building comes into its own as timeline and labour issues squeeze builders
B.C. earmarks $1.1B to retrofit its stock of social housing
November 23, 2018 On-Site StaffVICTORIA—British Columbia has set aside $1.1 billion over the next decade to upgrade its stock of social housing. With a focus on emissions, the retrofits aim to improve building efficiency and reduce energy use. The province pointed to boiler and…
Green light for $40M wind power project in remote Inuvik, N.W.T.
November 16, 2018 On-Site StaffINUVIK, N.W.T.—A wind turbine project worth tens of millions of dollars has become the first northern Canadian infrastructure job to secure funding under Ottawa’s new Arctic Energy Fund. The Inuvik Wind Generation project will get $30 million from the federal…
Contractors complete 70-metre high foundation for B.C.’s Site C hydro project
October 31, 2018 The Canadian PressVANCOUVER—The foundation for Site C hydroelectric project has been completed. Acciona says the 70-metre high foundation structure is solid enough to support the 1,100-megawatt power plant and spillways. The company leading the construction for contractor Peace River Hydro Partners says…
Construction of first Canadian pumped hydro station built since 1950s planned for next year
August 15, 2018 Dan Healing, The Canadian PressCALGARY—A hydro power storage project proposed at the site of one of the worst coal mining environmental disasters in Canada has been given regulatory approval. Turning Point Generation, developer of the Canyon Creek Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Project, says the…
Starting small: Hybrid and electric equipment looks to earn its place
August 9, 2018 Nate HendleyA new breed of compact equipment is starting to inch its way onto the job site. This April at Intermat, German manufacturer Wacker Neuson revealed the all-electric EZ17e mini-excavator. One of the first machines of its kind, the EZ17e performs…
Construction 2.0: Technology is changing construction, the industry must change with it
July 24, 2018 Paul StruthersThe construction industry in Canada is experiencing a transformation. New technologies tailored to the space are creating greater efficiency, but labour gaps are increasing, access to capital is shrinking and a trade war with the U.S. has begun. To adapt…