JUNE 2018CONSTRUCTIONINFOCUS.COMEVERYTHING IT TOUCHES TURNS TO GOLD AED FIGHTS FOR ITS MEMBERS AT ALL LEVELS CREATIVITY THROUGH INNOVATION AND QUALITY EDITOR’S CORNERWelcome to a new issue of Construction in Focus. This month, we look at the myriad factors that make workplaces safe and pro-ductive. While top-down policies and adherence to relevant standards are important, it is the mindset woven into a company’s culture that truly makes a workplace safe and healthy. Policies that make employees feel valued and cared for can make them more engaged and more invested in their work – leading to a happier, healthier and safer workforce overall.As Jessica Ferlaino writes in this issue’s Workplace Well-being – Good for Employees and the Bottom Line, wellness initiatives have grown to become a staple of the modern business landscape. The most effective of these, she writes, “are those that understand that health, happiness and pro-ductivity are interrelated concepts,” and it is true that a company that values worker well-being will see returns in the forms of greater productivity, improved morale, reduced absenteeism, and lower healthcare costs. Incentives and challenges – such as for smoking cessation or weight loss – are one form these initiatives can take; others include shifts toward a physically healthier working environ-ment, one featuring good air quality, natural light, ergonomic chairs, the option to stand or walk while working, and healthy snacks in the lunchroom. On the construction site, wearable devices can be used to encourage mobility and fitness, sun pro-tection and hydration should be accounted for, and Personal Protective Equipment should be provided to assure not only safety, but comfort.Workplace wellness programs aren’t a fad – they are a tool that modern businesses have at their disposal to attract and retain the best and brightest, to save money, and to ensure everyone goes home safe at the end of the day.Jaime McKee EditorSuite 300, 7071 Bayers Rd. | Halifax, NS | B3L 2C2 | CanadaP: 1-647-479-2163 | E: info@fmgpublishing.comEDITORJaime McKeeDEPUTY EDITORTim HockenDIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTRobert ChambersDIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONSColin O’NeillREGIONAL MANAGERSAdam Cameron | Ciaran DunneMANAGER OF TRAINING & DEVELOPMENTNate SeligRESEARCH MANAGERSMatt Shay | Sasha Morozova | Ashley Macdonald Peter Swale | Des O’reilly | Simon Lisowiec Zach O’keefe | Scott Forbes | Joshuwa Amero Mehul Jagawat | Evan Broussard | Aaron ConwayPRODUCTION COORDINATORClaire ChambersGRAPHIC DESIGNERSEbic Tristary | Yoana Ilcheva | Gavin Billings Lindsay Bailey | Sarah LeesonOPERATIONS MANAGERJonathan FisherCONTRIBUTING EDITORJessica FerlainoCONTRIBUTING WRITERSMargaret Eaton | Jen Hocken | Mark Golombek Anne Lindert-Wentzell | Pauline Müller | Ryan Cartner Robert Hoshowsky | Charline Cormier-Pellerin Samita Sarkar | Nate Hendley | Stacey MccarthyCOPY EDITORThora SmithSALES & MARKETINGPamela Taylor | Luke Simms | Lucy Palmer Kayla Brown | Dean Lucas | Shawn Clarke Sam DesjardinsCONTROLLERJen HamiltonPUBLISHERJeff Hocken Canada Line Tunnel was ground zero in LiUNA’s efforts to fight for Temporary Foreign Workers.Workers from Central and South America were paid as low as $3.47 per hour to drive the Canada Line Tunnel, under the City of Vancouver. Pictured is a worker climbing out of gigantic tunnel boring machine (TBM), after breakthrough in March 2008.ON THE COVER3INSIDE JUNEFOCUS ON: CONCRETE REINFORCING STEELFOCUS ON: FOUNDATIONS GENERAL CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION SERVICESCONCRETE & STEEL 03 EDITORS CORNER06 INDUSTRY EVENTS07 INDUSTRY NEWS4FOCUS ON: EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTORS10 COVER STORYA PROACTIVE APPROACH TO RESOLVING A LONGSTANDING DEBATEAbout forty skilled Central and South American workers from Ecuador, Peru, Columbia and Costa Rica came to British Columbia, Canada as temporary foreign workers (TFWs) in 2006. This story incited Labourers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA) to call for reforms to Canada’s TFW program (TFWP) and the International Mobility Program (IMP). LiUNA, a powerful voice within the construction industry with over half a million members – 110,000 of whom are in Canada – has been the only Canadian union to address the issue.ARCHITECTURE & ENGINEERINGEQUIPMENT, MACHINERY & PRODUCTS SUSTAINABLE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION 5CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS Are you planning an event relating to North America’s growing Construction Industry?To get your event listed in Construction in Focus, please contact us at least six to eight weeks before the event takes place at or call 1-647-479-2163WORKPLACE MENTAL HEALTH 201813 – 14 June, Toronto, ONFor over ten years this event has delivered the information and insight leaders have needed to help them create mentally healthy workplaces. This has included extensive discussion of issues such as stigma, employee benefits, return to work, EAPs and all the fundamental issues that need to be addressed. This year, a new range of issues are being addressed, such as dementia, ADHD, grief, isolation, autism, diversity, happiness, resiliency, suicide, domestic abuse, culture, toxic leadership and sleep. Meet the thought leaders and innovators, and hear how they’re succeed-ing with their workplace mental health initiatives.For more information TEXAS HOME & GARDEN SHOW16 – 17 June, Houston, TXThe Texas Home & Garden Summer Show at NRG Center is the place to find everything you need to tackle your home improvement projects, reinvent your outdoor spaces, plan your next Texas adventure and amazing home decor. Highlights include contractors to get the work done for you, remodelers to make your home into your dreams, and new ideas and innovations from the industry.For more information AIA CONFERENCE ON ARCHITECTURE21 – 23 June, New York, NYWith 70 events over three days including tours of NYC’s architecture, seminars, workshops, and networking events, this immersive conference and expo promises something for everyone. Find solutions for your projects at the Architecture Expo, a 200,000 square foot materials play-ground packed with the newest products and trusted brands, hosted at the Javits Center.For more information MARIJUANA @ WORK29 June, Toronto, ONCanada will become the first G7 country to legalize the recreational use of cannabis, yet marijuana legalization brings several economic, regula-tory, social and health challenges for Canadian workplaces. At the same time, the use of medical marijuana is becoming more commonplace. The accommodation of medical marijuana is emerging as a prevalent issue facing Canadian workplaces. This conference is focused on a variety of aspects that will impact Canadian workplaces, and highlight practical implications, considerations, and best practices for employers.For more information NATIONAL ERGONOMICS CONFERENCE & ERGOEXPO21 – 24 August, Las Vegas, NVAt this conference, attendees will earn how to build an effective ergonomics program or maximize an existing one, on any budget. ErgoExpo is also home to the industry’s largest expo, featuring hundreds of exhibitors offering thousands of ergonomic and safety products all under one roof. Learning tracks include Industrial Ergonomics and Safety, Material Handling / Tools / Workstation Design, Office and Mobile Workforce, Wellness / Healthcare / Lab Ergonomics, and much more.For more information INDUSTRY EVENTS6INDUSTRY NEWSLOAN SECURED FOR HOTEL AT JFKA $230 million loan has been secured to fund the construction a new hotel at JFK Airport in New York, one of the nation’s busiest airports. M & T Bank has agreed to lend MCR and Morse Development the funds to finance the proposed TWA Hotel project. TWA Flight Center was established in the 1960s at JFK and became a landmark transit icon. The hotel project will reimagine the site with the addition of its first full-service hotel. The hotel is set to open in the spring 2019. The hotel will be set in two low rise buildings on-site and will feature 512 rooms, six restaurants, eight bars and a fitness center that will be tied together with a 1960s inspired aesthetic. The rooms have been designed by New York firm Stonehill Taylor. While M & T Bank served as the lead arranger and administrative agent for the multi-bank loan for the project, other participants include Mercantil Bank, BMO Harris Bank, Western Alliance Bank, Flushing Bank and Union Labor Life Insurance Company. BECHTEL RECEIVES TOP NODS ONCE AGAINFor the 20th consecutive year, Bechtel has been named Engineering News-Record’s (ENR) top U.S. contractor for 2018, topping the prestigious list of 400 of the leading industry players based on its 2017 revenue performance. The company was ranked first in the petroleum, transportation and industrial sectors, second in hazardous waste, third in power and sixteenth in telecommuni-cations. Since 1898, Bechtel has complet-ed over 25 000 projects in 160 countries around the world and is internationally recognized as a leader in project man-agement, engineering, procurement and construction. 7INDUSTRY NEWSSOLAR NOW A CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENT IN CALIFORNIASolar panels will now become a require-ment for new home construction in California. Under the new policy, single family homes, apartments and condo-minium complexes of three stories or less will require solar panels, making it the first state in the nation to adopt such a policy. The new regulations will come into effect for new construction after January 1, 2020. Solar panels are already included in thousands of new builds each year, even without the new regulations, but the impact will be far greater when the new regulation comes into play in 2020. As California has no shortage of sun, and given the increasing cost-effectiveness of solar, the decision by the California Energy Commission was unanimous. The average cost of a solar system is averaged out to be roughly $40 each month, an investment that can end up saving homeowners upwards of $80 each month on utility bills. While the construction industry did not attempt to influence the decision, there has been an air of concern surround-ing the impact the new rules will have on home prices. Many industry players would prefer the changes be phased in over a longer period of time to minimize the potential impact it can have on the market and home prices. The regulations are flexible and will make considerations in the event of limited space or areas covered by shade. Homes that incorporate battery storage technology will also benefit from an energy credit. The decision will go before the California Building Standards Commission later this year for approval. GLADSTONE HOTEL IS CANADA’S FIRST B CORP CERTIFIED HOTELThe Gladstone Hotel, which is located in Toronto, Ontario, is Canada’s first B Corp certified hotel and finds itself among 2400 other companies and organizations worldwide who have become part of a global movement of leaders that make efforts to strengthen the market through the adoption of sustainable, social and environmental consciousness and change. One of only 11 hotels worldwide to receive B Corp certification, the Gladstone Hotel boasts two green roofs and contributes greatly to the social fabric of the city through extensive artistic and cultural programming. The hotel is considered a community landmark and is popular for both residents and visitors to the city alike. 8INDUSTRY NEWSAPPEALS COURT HALTS ATLANTIC COAST PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION A three judge panel in the US Fourth Circuit Appeals Court has ordered a halt to all construction and activity associated with the Atlantic Coat Pipeline, accord-ing to the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC). The project was found to be non-compliant with the minimum legal standards of the US Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Opinion. MEGA-MALL GETS GO-AHEAD IN MIAMI-DADEThe American Dream Miami project, a retail and entertainment facility proposed by Canadian developer Triple Five, the firm responsible for Minnesota’s Mall of America, has received the go-ahead from Miami-Dade County, which has voted 9 to 1 in favour of changing zoning designations and the county’s growth plan to make way for the new standard for mega-malls.The $4 billion project, which will boast 6 million square feet of space, a ski slope, submarine lake, and much more, making it a true retail theme park, won final zoning approval and will be built on undeveloped land located just off the Florida Turnpike, making it accessible for the 30 million visitors that are expected each year.9Next >