Articles
Staying out of the shop: Big data, vocational trucks and the drive toward predictive maintenance
October 10, 2019 David KennedyUptime matters, particularly when it comes to work trucks. Whether it’s a five-person crew waiting on an aggregate delivery, or an entire job site paralyzed by a concrete mixer stalled in an inopportune spot, delays are always costly. Until now,…
Could blockchain be the new glue of contracting?
October 9, 2019 Jacob StollerBased on what one reads and hears about blockchain, it’s not hard to conclude that it’s just another word for Bitcoin. However, while blockchain is the technology underpinning Bitcoin and other crypto currencies, digital money is only one of its…
Rising waters: Canadian communities counter worsening storms with fresh infrastructure work
October 9, 2019 Saul ChernosWhen it rains in Canada these days, it pours. Just six years ago, torrential rains dumped multiple summers worth of rain on parts of southern Alberta in just 48 hours. Mudslides closed sections of the Trans-Canada Highway and damage to…
From the editor… Sprucing up a piece of construction history
October 8, 2019 by David KennedyIt’s old, plenty rusty and somewhat less refined than the far newer suspension bridge that stands beside it. But even after a century of wear and tear, the Quebec Bridge is something to behold. It’s worth hanging onto and it’s worth…
First in, last out: What’s new in the versatile world of heavy-duty telehandlers
October 8, 2019 Nate Hendley“We always say the telehandler is the Swiss Army knife of the job site [because] of its ability to do so many different jobs,” says John Boehme, senior product manager at JLG Industries Inc. “It’s the first machine on the…
The level playing field assumption: A ‘go or no-go’ cautionary tale
October 7, 2019 David BowcottYour construction company is about to bid what you believe to be a very attractive new project. Your firm has been prequalified along with three others, the RFP document has been issued and you are set to compile your best…
The ‘prevention principle’ in contracts – schedule extensions and liquidated damages
October 7, 2019 Dirk Laudan and Siobhan SmallThe owner of an infrastructure project agreed to provide engines for the contractor to install, and their installation was on the contractor’s critical path. Because of supplier problems, the engines failed to arrive on time. The owner knew this would…
From the editor… SNC-Lavalin retreats from construction, but don’t expect a bonanza
August 22, 2019 David KennedyThe writing’s been on the wall for months, and a few weeks back, SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. finally confirmed the speculation. Facing a laundry list of problems, the company said it plans to turn away from construction, stop taking on lump-sum…
Getting on track: Urban transit projects roar to life, creating opportunity for Canada’s construction sector
August 21, 2019 Jillian MorganWorking in tandem along a stretch of highway in Montreal, a pair of launching gantry cranes hoist 50-ton concrete segments into the air off flatbeds below. The gantries slide the prefabricated segments into place, steadily forming a single 30-metre span…
Doing things differently: Getting ready for prompt payment and adjudication
August 20, 2019 Arif GhaffurThe Striking the Balance Report, delivered back in 2016, was the catalyst for Ontario to modernize its Construction Lien Act, which had been last reviewed in the early 1980s. As part of a wide-ranging review, this report also addressed the…
Adding to the mix: Using admixtures to get your concrete to do what you want it to
August 19, 2019 David KennedyLooking up at the coffered dome of the Roman Pantheon, several thousand tonnes of ancient concrete overhead, the majesty of the nearly 2,000-year-old temple is lost on few. The building’s dome, still the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world,…
Small excavators go big: Compact job sites force contractors to do more with less
August 16, 2019 Nate HendleySmall-sized excavators have hit the big time. And surging growth in the segment isn’t finished yet. According to a research report released this March, the global market for mini-excavators accounted for US$7.2 billion in 2017, with construction making up the…
Handling big data has become a significant challenge for construction firms. AI is helping them cope
August 13, 2019 Jacob StollerMuch of the popular discussion about artificial intelligence (AI) is concerned with the question, “Will a computer take over my job?” While the farther-reaching answers are subject to speculation, it’s undeniable that AI out-performs humans at handling large amounts of…
Staying on target: Fall election looms as federal infrastructure plan progresses in fits and starts
August 13, 2019 David KennedyIn the early morning hours of June 24, a few minutes before sunrise, a small convoy of cars drives slowly across the freshly paved asphalt deck of Montreal’s new Samuel de Champlain Bridge. With the deep blue of twilight still…
Mandatory adjudication: What Ontario can expect based on the U.K. experience
August 13, 2019 Robert Wilson and Marie-Ève CaissyOn October 1st, Ontario will implement the final phase of extensive amendments to modernize and update its Construction Act. Among the most significant of these amendments is the implementation of a mandatory dispute adjudication system that allows parties to refer…
Drilling down: Concrete cutting and coring equipment advances on the job site
August 13, 2019 Jillian MorganScarcely any structure can be built without concrete, leaving no shortage of work for the crews that cut, core and demolish the ubiquitous building material on a diversity of job sites. The labour-intensive process is necessary to deliver most projects,…
Firming in the construction insurance market
August 13, 2019 David BowcottTo manage risk, you and your company draw on two key risk management areas. The first is the use of risk controls and other solutions that prevent and mitigate risk. The second is risk finance solutions, which provide capital in…
From the editor… The tariffs are gone, but don’t hold out for cheaper steel and aluminum
June 12, 2019 by David KennedyPrime Minister Justin Trudeau, with several cabinet ministers in tow, took a victory lap through the Hamilton, Ont. Stelco plant May 17, hours after news of the tariffs being lifted first surfaced last month. Predictably, Trudeau credited his government’s countermeasures…
Staying on top: Attracting and retaining talent has never been tougher – or more integral to success
June 12, 2019 Saul ChernosConstruction activity continues to fire on all cylinders in Canadian urban centres and is faring well in most other areas of the country. Canada’s Top Contractors are hitting fresh heights as well, but the success masks a steep challenge for…
Playing the long game: Machine control developers cautiously build to full autonomy
June 11, 2019 Jillian MorganDriverless machines won’t be moving dirt on job sites anytime soon. Before an armoury of fully autonomous equipment can work alongside crews, machine control developers at the helm admit there will be a few hurdles to jump. Though it may…