REINFORCING THE FUTURE SINCE 1948 AGF Group PEOPLE-DRIVEN DESIGN FBM A BIGGER MARKET AND BIGGER OUTLOOK MAKE A BIGGER BRAND Brothers Paving & Concrete Corporation CONSTRUCTIONINFOCUS.COM M AY 2 02 3nothing. (it’s everything). nothing. (it’s everything). EDITOR’S CORNER nothing. (it’s everything). nothing. (it’s everything). 3 “Physical safety, while critical to any construction project, cannot be the only component of a company’s wellness strategy,” writes Margaret Patricia Eaton. “By overlooking mental health concerns such as depression, work-related stress, and anxiety, the industry has sidestepped what may be one of the reasons it has difficulty attracting and retaining skilled trades.” Safety may indeed be top of mind for all ethical organizations in the construction space, but I think we’ve all been privy to the developing conversation that it may not be enough. A broader, more holistic approach to health and safety that includes mental health and wellness, addiction support, and suicide prevention is beneficial to both employees and their workplac- es—and frankly speaking, it is needed. “Apart from being the right thing to do from an ethical stand- point, caring for employees’ health and well-being also makes sound economic sense,” writes Margaret in this issue. “Numerous reports and studies… reveal a positive correla- tion between employee well-being, employee productiv- ity, and company performance.” Unfortunately, construction as a whole lags behind other sectors in mental health and wellness offerings; compounding the problem is that, for a breadth of reasons, many construction-sector employees may be reticent to access mental health services even when they are offered. A true paradigm shift is in order, and this issue’s Health and Safety for Body and Mind – Workplace Wellness in Construction explores what that might look like. Jaime McKee Editor Suite 300, 7071 Bayers Rd. | Halifax, NS | B3L 2C2 | Canada P: 1-647-479-2163 | E: EDITOR Jaime McKee DEPUTY EDITOR Tim Hocken COPY EDITORS Thora Smith | Allister Havercroft CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Nate Hendley | Claire Suttles | William Young Allison Dempsey | Margaret Eaton | Jessica Ferlaino Robert Hoshowsky | Pauline Müller DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS James Corbett OPERATIONS MANAGER Severina Gachparova SENIOR CONTENT DEVELOPERS Scott Forbes | Aaron Ferguson CONTENT DEVELOPERS Logan Neil | Erin McWhinney | Louis Susara Mackenzie Adams | Wendy Hood-Morris | Faye Hiscock SALES TEAM Pamela Taylor | Morgan Culpepper | Dean Lucas GRAPHIC DESIGN TEAM LEAD Laura Pratt GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Ashley Dowling | Ebic Tristary | Yoana Ilcheva OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR Julia MacQueen IT ADMINISTRATOR Rebecca Sanford CONTROLLER Jen Hamilton PUBLISHER Jeff HockenINSIDE MAY FOCUS ON: GREEN BUILDING AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT EQUIPMENT & PRODUCTS 4 Workplace Wellness in Construction Increasingly, the construction industry is embracing total human health, focusing on mind, body, and spirit when addressing wellness—but it hasn’t always been this way. CONSTRUCTION SERVICES 5 CONSTRUCTION IN FOCUS EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND EXPERIENCE 17 – 18 May, Chicago, IL Learn to elevate the employee experience by re-examining Employee Value Proposition (EVP), reinventing internal communication strategies, and redesigning office space to fit the new world of work. This marcus evans conference will act as a guide for reforming traditional engage- ment surveys and exploring how data analytics can drive meaningful workplace change. Gain insight into cultivating a positive work environ- ment that shapes empathetic leaders who can foster an inclusive culture. For more information BUILDING KNOWLEDGE: THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY EXPLAINED 30 – 31 May, Winnipeg, MB Are you new to the construction industry or a longtime employee interested in understanding all the pieces of the industry? Building Knowledge: The Construction Industry Explained (formerly known as Construction 101) is designed to put the pieces of the construction industry puzzle together. Participants have called this two-day session a Master’s Program in construction because of the vast and valuable information you’ll learn. Learn how various stakeholders fit into the industry, and try out a variety of activities which will help you appreciate project delivery all the way from concept to closeout. For more information BUILDING LASTING CHANGE 1 – 2 June, Vancouver, BC Canada Green Building Council’s (CAGBC) annual conference, Building Lasting Change, is where the country’s green building sector meets. From engineers, architects, and designers, to builders, manufacturers, real estate professionals, owners, tenants and policy advisors, BLC brings the green building community together. Enjoy sessions with leading experts and visionaries, showcasing the latest innovative approaches and practical solutions that will take us to the next level of sustainability action. For more information REAL ESTATE INVESTORS SUMMIT 5 – 7 June, Boston, MA The Real Estate Investors Summit is an invitation-only, premium Summit bringing chief investment officers and innovative fund managers and consultants together. The summit’s content is aligned with key investment challenges and interests, relevant market developments, and prac- tical and progressive ideas and strategies adopted by successful pioneers. Key topics will include Interest Rates and Inflation, Lucrative Niche Opportunities, Commercial Vs. Residential, Digital Disruption, and more. For more information THE INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE CONFERENCE® (IBC) 12 – 14 June, National Harbor, MD The International Bridge Conference® (IBC) is the pre-eminent arena for the bridge industry in North & South America, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. Presented by the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania, the IBC annually attracts more than 1,000 bridge owners and engineers, senior policy makers, government officials, bridge designers, construction executives, and suppliers from throughout the U.S. and abroad. The IBC is planned by an all-volunteer group and provides continuing education and networking opportunities to members of all facets of the bridge industry. For more information INDUSTRY EVENTS 6 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 1-647-479-2163INDUSTRY NEWS NEW LIFE THROUGH MODULAR BRIDGES America’s roads and bridges have served the nation well over the decades, but are now at or even past their lifespans. Based in Parsippany, New Jersey, the Acrow Corporation has the solution: use modular steel bridges to keep cars and trucks moving. For over 70 years, Acrow has dedicated itself to designing and manufacturing prefabricated modular components for bridges intended to be permanent, and others for emergencies, detours, military purposes, and other rapid response applications. The company recently supplied two modular bridges to keep vehicles on the road during a key bridge replacement project on north-sound Interstate 91 in Northampton, Massachusetts. J.F. White Contracting is responsible for replacing four struc- turally deficient bridges originally installed in 1965. “Acrow’s structures were installed on Interstate 91 to reduce incon- venience to motorists during a bridge renovation project on the heavily traveled route,” stated the company on its website. “Because maintaining the route is so critical, the two temporary bridges were specified to accommodate heavy commercial and non-commercial traffic during the multi-year project.” Additionally, Acrow was also behind the installation of a tempo- rary modular steel bridge structure at the junction of Autoroutes 520 and 13 in Montréal, Québec. “Autoroute 13 is a major north- south freeway in the Montréal urban region and the main link to Ville de Laval, the third-largest city in the province,” stated the company. “At the interchange with Autoroute 520, the six-lane route is heavily traveled, making a rapid installation of the temporary structure a priority and Acrow’s modular steel structure an ideal solution.” REBAR ROBOTS SPEED CONSTRUCTION The aphorism ‘time is money’ is especially true in construction, where project delivery dates are critical. New technology like 3D printing is speeding up the building process to the point where what used to take months now requires just days. Now construction crews have another ally: robots that can reduce rebar installation times by 50 percent. Advanced Construction Robotics (ACR), the company behind the rebar-tying TyBOT, recently launched IronBOT, able to lift, carry, and place rebar bundles weighing about 2,300 kg (5,070 lb.) in transverse or longitudinal orientation without humans doing the lifting. Both IronBOT and TyBOT were used on Florida’s Port St. Lucie West Boulevard Bridge project, working alongside bridge specialist Shelby Erectors, Inc. The project—initially estimat- ed to take two weeks—was completed in just seven days. The pilot project saw IronBOT place 66,700 kg (147,048 lb.) of rebar, with TyBOT successfully completing 58,068 ties in 6.5 production shifts. The IronBOT was launched earlier this year at CONEXPO. According to ACR, the combined IronBOT and TyBOT technolo- gies will save time and construction costs, and will change the way the industry installs reinforcing steel. 7INDUSTRY NEWS BILLIONS NEEDED TO REPAIR U.S. DAMS: REPORT Like America’s roads and bridges, dams are aging and urgently in need of expensive rehabilitation, according to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO). In April, the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO) released its 21-page report, The Cost of Rehabilitating Dams in the U.S.: A Methodology and Estimate. According to data, the price tag to rehabilitate America’s non-federal dams is $157.5 billion, while the cost of rehabilitating solely critical dams is about $34.1 billion. “These estimates were based on actual dam rehabilitation costs for non-federal dam repairs over the past ten years and estimated costs for known upcoming projects,” states ASDSO in a media release. “It included nationwide cost data for more than 500 projects, including dam removals. Project costs ran from $10,000 for small projects to more than $500 million for large complex projects.” Despite the passing of President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Act two years ago—which has already seen more than 20,000 projects being awarded funding—the ASDSO report reveals the urgent need for ongoing investment, stating, “The Act, which provided more than $4 billion towards dam rehabilitation, is only a step towards adequately address- ing the nation’s backlog of dam rehabilitation projects.” At present, there are over 88,600 non-federal dams in the U.S., and the number of high-hazard potential dams, “where loss of life is probable should the dams fail,” has gone up about 20 percent over the past decade, to more than 16,000. In America, approximately 65 percent of dams are privately owned, some 31 percent are held by federal, tribal, state, or local governments, and the remainder are owned by quasi-governmental utilities or have unknown ownership. According to the ASDSO, “Many dam owners cannot afford the high cost of dam rehabilitation and need grants and loans to rehabilitate their dams to reduce the risk of dam failures or serious incidents.” The Cost of Rehabilitating Dams in the U.S. report is available 8INDUSTRY NEWS MASS TIMBER PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE INSTALLED AT GEORGE BROWN COLLEGE’S LIMBERLOST PLACE Constructing over 65 wood-based projects across North America in the past 20 years, PCL recently installed a new mass timber bridge at George Brown College’s Limberlost Place. Representing the college’s commitment to sustainability in design and performance, the 10-storey Limberlost Place is the most recent addition to George Brown’s Waterfront Campus. Located in Toronto’s East Bayfront community, the new mass timber, zero-emissions project “will be the first institutional building of its kind in Ontario” when it opens in January 2025, according to the college. The two-storey mass timber pedestrian bridge represents a milestone for the building-in-progress. Erected almost 20 metres (65 feet) above street level, the bridge links Limberlost Place’s level five to level six, the future Daphne Cockwell Centre for Health Sciences. For George Brown College, the new Limberlost Place is signifi- cant for many reasons, including the fact is will be open years ahead of Toronto's 2030 goals for sustainable design and performance for new developments. Made with Canadian mass-timber components, the structure has already become “a global model for mass timber sustainable construction,” according to the college. The bridge’s individual cross-laminated timber (CLT) pieces were made off-site then shipped to the college’s location and built on-site, which took four days to assemble. The team then successfully took on the complex challenge of a one-day lift to put the bridge in place. “Thank you to all of our partners, consultants, and extraordinary tradespeople who have been integral in achieving this significant milestone. This accom- plishment truly showcases the exemplary level of skill, and patience it takes to ensure everything goes according to plan,” said Myke Badry, PCL Toronto’s district manager, on the compa- ny’s website. “Congratulations to the entire project team as we move one step closer to the completion of this revolutionary project that is setting a precedent in mass timber construction.” Made from two glue-laminated trusses and four CLT panels, the new bridge is 21.4 meters (70 feet) long. Comprising almost two dozen steel connecting plates and 241 steel dowels, the bridge weighed about 31 metric tonnes at the point of install. A video of the bridge being lifted into place is available at 9Next >