Articles
Canadian construction outlook positive for 2019, but last year’s setbacks could cast a long shadow
December 5, 2018 by David KennedyWith no rose-coloured glasses necessary, the outlook for the construction industry in 2019 remains positive, if somewhat tepid. Near-record employment, six-straight quarters of higher spending in the non-residential segment and progress on several major projects have bolstered confidence this fall…
From the editor… Tech keeps trucking
December 5, 2018 by David KennedyIntegrating fully autonomous vehicles certainly won’t become standard on work sites for several years, but the prospect is no longer science fiction
Top 10 Canadian construction trends to watch in 2019
December 5, 2018 On-Site StaffThere is no shortage of changes, both positive and negative, the industry faces as 2018 comes to a close. On-Site caught up with Mary Van Buren, the president of the Canadian Construction Association, to discuss the trends the industry association…
Lean Construction: Getting past the silos
December 5, 2018 Jacob StollerToronto’s Humber River Hospital, completed in 2015, is an award-winning facility featuring fully integrated digital infrastructure, compliance with LEED, a natural people-friendly environment and floor layouts that support Lean workflows. What’s not immediately obvious is the project’s diverse input from…
Silica dust on the job site: Inconsistent regulations force the industry to play catch up
December 5, 2018 Jillian MorganIt takes decades of breathing in the fugitive dust created by drilling, cutting and grinding concrete, stone and other materials containing crystalline silica for silicosis to scar and harden the lungs. The incurable disease is one of a handful caused…
Picking up creature comforts: On-Site’s 2019 pick-up report
December 5, 2018 Mario CywinskiNot long ago, pick-ups were seen as little more than dedicated work trucks. Those days are long gone. With the rise of crossovers and SUVs, people want bigger vehicles, and for many, pick-ups have become “an SUV with a truck…
Job site automation: Can job sites be more like factories?
December 5, 2018 Jacob StollerWolves and construction materials don’t have a lot in common, but finding them can present similar challenges. Thus, a presentation on tracking wolf packs became the inspiration for a unique solution for locating construction materials on job sites. “I thought,…
Integrated Asset Delivery: Risk management for the entire lifecycle
December 5, 2018 David BowcottIn recent years there has been a resurgence of the Integrated Project Delivery model in the North American construction marketplace. This method traces its origins to the heyday of North Sea oil exploration, when owners, design firms and contractors created…
Credit in the construction industry
December 5, 2018 Siobhan SmallWhen we think of credit, we usually think of a method of paying for goods or services. In the construction context, however, credit can serve a role analogous to that of a performance bond. While owners can choose to request…
From the editor … Taking stock of opportunities
October 2, 2018 David Kennedy765,917 kilometres – that’s the final tally of just how far Canada’s public road infrastructure stretches. Cobbling together highways, arterials, collectors, local roads and even urban laneways, the impressive measurement would take you to the Moon and then nearly get…
Steeling for a trade war: Canada’s dangerous, unavoidable dependence on foreign steel
October 2, 2018 Saul ChernosAn ongoing trade spat, which has seen the U.S. slap tariffs on a list of imports, has shone a spotlight on the Canadian construction sector’s dependence on foreign steel. When U.S. President Donald Trump introduced the tariffs in March, he…
Elevating your game: New regulations and focus on safety redefining working from heights
October 2, 2018 David KennedyWith their feet planted on an elevated work platform 40 metres (130 feet) above the Ottawa River, a pair of employees with marine construction contractor O.D.S. Marine set to work replacing a series of 10 high-voltage power lines on an…
Shifting gears: Vocational truck makers are not prepared to sit in neutral
October 2, 2018 Nate HendleyVocational vehicles aren’t sitting idle. The priorities of safety, performance and comfort may have stayed the same, but manufacturers have embraced new ways to bolster everything from air brake stopping times to headlight performance. With an emphasis on technology, improved…
Nipping job site impairment in the bud: Construction industry grapples with cannabis legalization
October 2, 2018 by Jillian MorganLeft high and dry, Canada’s construction industry is tackling recreational marijuana legalization with few proven tools at its disposal and the deadly threat of impairment lurking in the haze. “Cannabis changes nothing and cannabis changes everything,” says Andrew Pariser, vice…
Bridging Canada’s busiest road: Crews cap off distinctive pedestrian span over Ontario Hwy. 401
October 2, 2018 David KennedyLeapfrogging 14 of the busiest traffic lanes in the country, six railway tracks and a city street, the pedestrian bridge over Highway 401 in Pickering, Ont. is one of the longest enclosed footbridges in the world. After nearly eight protracted…
Managing heavy equipment: Making sense of equipment operation data
October 2, 2018 Jacob StollerConstruction, it is frequently observed, has not enjoyed the technology-driven productivity gains that have occurred in manufacturing over the past two decades. A partial explanation for this is that manufacturing equipment operates in a static environment, making it relatively easy…
Certificates of completion: The purpose, process and pitfalls
October 2, 2018 Krista Johanson and Siobhan SmallCompletion certificates play an important role in any construction contract or subcontract. This article sets out how certificates of completion influence projects, details how to issue a valid certificate and explores some common mistakes that can postpone the lien period.…
Managing risk through business development
October 2, 2018 David BowcottIt used to be that the construction business was relatively straightforward for contractors. You staffed your operations with estimators, project managers and superintendents, and then pursued business through a tendering process in which the low bid would win the job.…
Infrastructure Report 2018: Canada’s spending plan starts hitting its stride
August 9, 2018 by David KennedyIt may have been a little slow off the proverbial mark, but the federal government’s $180 billion infrastructure plan is now off and running. As of August 2018, the federal government has approved funding for thousands of projects across the…
From the editor… Cut Ottawa some slack
August 9, 2018 by David KennedySlagging slow-moving government projects and the lumbering Ottawa bureaucracy is a treasured Canadian pastime. I’m far from an exception, and enjoy heaping some well-deserved blame on Parliament Hill as often as it has it coming. Occasionally though, I’m willing to…