Piling Canada
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Traxxon Rock Drills appointed new Comacchio distributor

Italian drilling rigs manufacturer Comacchio announced the appointment of Traxxon Rock Drills Ltd. (Traxxon) as distributors of the full range of Comacchio drilling rigs for Western Canada, Yukon and Northwest Territories. The agreement became effective on June 12, 2023.

Founded in 1963, Traxxon designs and builds mobile drilling rigs for the rugged West Coast. Supporting customers and working in remote areas under adverse conditions became the hallmark of the company’s culture.

Based in Surrey, B.C., Traxxon runs a modern, fully equipped workshop and offers a wide range of products and services, including custom rock drilling solutions, drill service and repair, original equipment manufacturer drill parts, rock tools and accessories, 24-7 technical product support and training.

Traxxon team members posing in front of Comacchio vehicle
Left: Dave de Groot, Traxxon’s operations and service manager; Steve Cross, Traxxon’s general manager; Phil Ball, Traxxon’s sales manager; Jussi Helisto, Traxxon’s inventory manager and Shaun Norman, Traxxon’s vice president

“Just like at Comacchio, at Traxxon we found a customer-centric approach, commitment to exceptional after-sales service and support, and in-depth understanding of the problems and challenges each customer uniquely faces. We are confident that our shared values will help us provide our local customers with quality drilling equipment, creating custom drilling solutions that fit their needs, with safety, reliability and versatility always in mind,” said Piero Guardigli, Comacchio full range drilling product representative and agent for North and South America.

“Over the years, we have weathered challenges, embraced change and consistently evolved to meet the ever-changing demands of our dynamic marketplace,” said Phil Ball, sales manager, foundation drills at Traxxon. “Today, we take pride on our remarkable journey, and as we look forward to the future collaboration with Comacchio, we remain steadfast in our mission to deliver quality, value and innovation to our valued customers around Western Canada.”

The Comacchio range of drilling rigs currently includes six product lines, designed and built to cover the full spectrum of applications:

  • Large diameter piling rigs
  • Micropile and anchoring rigs
  • Geotechnical site investigation rigs
  • Water well and geothermal drilling rigs
  • Mineral exploration drilling rigs

Traxxon will operate in synergy with SMA Équipements and Caisson Consultant, covering the areas of Quebec and Ontario, respectively.

For more information visit traxxon.com. Piling Canada

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COR/SECOR audit instrument update

Effective Nov. 1, 2023, all companies are required to submit audits using the new harmonized audit instrument. For more information on the new COR/SECOR audit instrument, go to constructionsafety.ca/csam-audit-update-webinar. This update aligns with industry best practices and regulatory requirements.

What to know:

  • The Construction Safety Association of Manitoba (CSAM) has diligently updated their online audit tool to incorporate these changes, taking into account industry’s valuable feedback.
  • To access the online audit tool go to constructionsafety.ca/online-audit-tool.
  • Hard copies of the new audit instrument are available at the CSAM office in Winnipeg, Man. Additionally, companies can access the audit instrument online.
  • Any audit submissions on Nov. 1, 2023, using previous versions of the audit instrument will be returned.
  • To maintain compliance and ensure the seamless processing of audits, it is imperative that companies use the new harmonized instrument. Piling Canada
Exterior of Gruppo Trevi building

Trevi Spa earns certifications for social accountability, diversity and gender equality

Trevi Spa, a company of the Trevi Group leading the division that carries out special foundations and soil consolidation works, continues to build its own environmental, social and governance (ESG) identity with organizational processes based on international best practices. In October 2023, the company obtained three significant ESG-related certifications from DNV, a certification and assurance company that issues the SA8000 ethical certification, the ISO 30415:2021 diversity and inclusion certification and the UNI/PdR 125:2022 gender equality certification.

“Having obtained these certifications confirms Trevi’s commitment to sustainability through a process of continuous improvement, especially in some key areas such as respect for human rights, respect for labour law, protection against child exploitation and guarantees of safety and health in the workplace, freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining along the entire value chain of the company’s activities,” Giuseppe Caselli, CEO of the Trevi Group, said.

SA8000: certification for Social Accountability International

The SA8000 certification of Social Accountability International is a management system focused on working conditions. It is also called ethical or social certification because it requires the company to address aspects of worker protection that go beyond occupational health and safety, and includes fair wages, prevention of child labour, compliance with the requirements of national collective agreements, freedom of association and prevention of any form of discrimination.

SA8000 guarantees compliance with the best international guidelines and ethical rules defined by the world’s most influential organizations for protecting human and labour rights, such as the International Labour Organization conventions and the relevant United Nations conventions. It is an international ethical certification of a voluntary nature that commits companies to an audit of their supply chains, triggering a virtuous circle throughout the entire process. It is issued following a verification process of transparent and measurable requirements.

ISO 30415:2021: certification for diversity and inclusion

Trevi Spa also obtained the certification for diversity and inclusion for the effectiveness of the actions taken to create a diversity-inclusive working environment. Issued by DNV according to the international standard ISO 30415:2021 on human resource management – diversity and inclusion. The standard is acceptable globally. It is granted at the end of a verification process of transparent and measurable requirements.

The standard aligns with Global Compact’s principles and some of the most important United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, such as gender equality, decent work and economic growth, and inequality reduction. It is inspired by the principles of human rights at work.

Since its foundation, Trevi has promoted and supported the values of diversity and inclusion. These elements are essential for a company that works on five continents, often in contact with unique realities, different peoples and cultures. Thus, diversity has always inspired Trevi, contributing to innovation and value creation with positive effects on business and making it possible to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world. In the same way, inclusiveness is fundamental to guarantee fairness and equal opportunities to everyone in the organization, protecting and enhancing their uniqueness. It is an assumption of responsibility that requires the constant contribution of the entire organization in terms of policies, processes, organizational practices and the behaviour of individuals.

UNI/PdR 125:2022: certification for gender equality

The purpose of the UNI/PdR 125:2022 certification for gender equality is to acknowledge the willingness of organizations to adopt a systemic approach and cultural change capable of creating inclusive and equal working environments. The certification body considered six areas to assess the organization’s inclusiveness and respect for gender equality: culture and strategy, governance, human resources processes, opportunities for growth and inclusion of women in the company, pay equity by gender, protection of parenthood and work-life balance. Piling Canada

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Major gains in workplace equity for professional and administrative staff at Candu Energy

A female majority group of Candu Energy workers, represented by the Society of Professional Engineers and Associates (SPEA), has won a major victory in their fight for fairness and equity at Candu Energy, a subsidiary of SNC-Lavalin (now AtkinsRéalis).

After joining SPEA and a multi-year struggle to bargain a fair and equitable collective agreement, an arbitrator has awarded a first contract to the Operations and Administration (OA) employees at Candu Energy.

“We are proud to report that the collective agreement includes the same protection for compensation and guaranteed working conditions that all other SPEA represented members have at Candu Energy,” said Michelle Duncan, staff representative at SPEA.

The OA employees, which includes accountants, cost controllers, planners and administrative employees who work alongside their counterparts, including engineers, technicians and technologists represented by SPEA, whose compensation and working conditions have been protected in collective agreements for decades.

The OA workers’ attempt to secure the same guaranteed entitlements to dental, health and leave benefits as male-dominated units was referenced in a 2022 shareholder proposal calling upon the company to strengthen its equity-related reporting.

In a resounding victory, the OA workers have been awarded most of the terms and conditions they sought at the bargaining table, conditions the employer refused to agree to for years.

The new collective agreement expires along with all other collective agreements at Candu Energy in 2026. AtkinsRéalis, has with few exceptions adopted a fractious approach to labour relations since it first purchased Candu Energy from Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. Two out of the last three rounds of bargaining to date resulted in multi-week strike actions.

The relationship deteriorated further when SNC-Lavalin moved to fire the president of the union in early 2023, on what the union describes as malicious and unfounded allegations.

“We are confident that we will win the president’s job back, but SNC-Lavalin’s war on the union is ongoing. We are preparing for the strong likelihood of a strike in the next round of bargaining,” said Duncan. Piling Canada

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Nominations open for DFI awards

The Deep Foundations Institute (DFI) is accepting nominations for its 2024 awards, which showcase and celebrate the achievements and contributions of individuals, teams and companies in the deep foundations industry. This is a great chance for individuals, companies and colleagues to get recognition for their accomplishments.

The Distinguished Service Award (DSA) recognizes individuals who have made exceptionally valuable contributions to the advancement of the deep foundations industry.

The Outstanding Project Award (OPA) recognizes the superior work of DFI members. Each year, a project is chosen from geotechnical projects submitted for consideration by DFI members.

The C. William Bermingham Innovation Award encourages and recognizes innovative contributions to deep foundations technology. The award pays tribute to the innovative spirit of Bill Bermingham, a DFI past president, and his contributions to DFI and the deep foundations industry.

The Ben C. Gerwick Award for Innovation in the Design and Construction of Marine Foundations is awarded to an individual, team or company, and pays tribute to Ben Gerwick, recognizing his innovative spirit and his many contributions to the design and construction of marine foundations.

The submission deadline is April 15.

The DSA, OPA and Bermingham awards are being presented at DFI’s 49th Annual Conference on Deep Foundations in Aurora, Colo., from Oct. 7 to 10. The Gerwick Award will be presented at DFI’s SuperPile Conference from June 12 to 14, in San Francisco, Calif. Piling Canada

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CCA welcomes Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations as its newest Affiliate Association

As the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) continues to make significant progress on addressing key issues impacting the Canadian construction industry, they recognize and value the support of their dedicated Affiliate Associations. CCA recently announced its newest Affiliate Association.

The Canadian Federation of Construction Safety Associations (CFCSA) works as an umbrella organization for 13 provincial and territorial construction safety associations located across Canada.

Taking on the difficult goal of harmonizing the safety regulations across the country, CFCSA promotes awareness for construction health and safety, and is a valued source for sharing training standards and documentation.

As a national association, they also provide the construction industry with a network to collaboratively produce industry standards and resources. CFCSA is the lead on national programs such as the COR accreditation standard, and the National Construction Safety Officer and National Health and Safety Administrator designation programs.

When it comes to the Canadian construction industry, both CFCSA and CCA are similar in that they work together with their members to strengthen and continue to push the construction industry forward. Supporting provincial, regional and territorial associations to help provide consistent support from coast to coast, CFCSA is looking forward to working with CCA to build a stronger, safer Canada. Piling Canada

Illustration of two heads, face-to-face

Buddy Up for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention

Buddy Up Skills Training, a new mental health and suicide prevention program, is being implemented by CSV Midstream Solutions Corp. (CSV) in partnership with the Centre for Suicide Prevention (CSP) at the Albright Gas Processing Plant construction project near Grand Prairie, Alta.

Information from Statistics Canada states that there were 4,011 suicides in Canada in 2019, and 2,058 were males. Middle-aged men die by suicide more than anyone else.

“We know that long hours and remote working conditions can result in people feeling isolated from familiar support systems, so we’re taking steps to create a more supportive environment as it pertains to mental health in our industry,” said Daniel Clarke, CSV’s chief executive officer.

The Buddy Up program, mandatory for all site workers involved in the Albright project, trains people to skillfully respond to co-workers struggling with mental health issues or thoughts of suicide.

“Buddy Up training includes a 20-minute webinar to learn how to have a conversation with someone who’s struggling,” said Chad Merchant, construction manager for the Albright project. “The intent is for every contractor to see and feel the value in this training and, hopefully, to embed the program into their companies.”

People who want additional training can also take the half-day in-person connector-level workshop, Suicide Alertness for Everyone (SafeTALK). The third and highest level of training is a two-day
in-person Applied Suicide Intervention Skills (ASIST) workshop.

“SafeTALK trains individuals to recognize warning signs indicating that someone is considering suicide,” said Merchant. “These workshops are conducted in person at the Centre for Suicide Prevention or at our Albright construction site. The supporter-level training, ASIST, is the most extensive. It trains individuals on how to intervene when someone is thinking about suicide.”

Colour-coded hardhat stickers are given to workers when they complete training.

“There are three different colours associated with Buddy Up, Connector and Supporter training, making it easy to identify a person’s level of training,” said Merchant. “Using visible stickers also helps normalize conversations about mental health and suicide.”

The Buddy Up program, modelled after Australia’s MATES in Construction program, is the first of its kind to launch in Canada.

“The training teaches people to engage with their co-workers,” said Merchant. “Workers spend so much time together, and being able to recognize irregularities is easier when you know what to look for. We aren’t trained to fix the problem, but to listen and direct the person who’s struggling to the right individuals and resources.”

One of the purposes of the Buddy Up program is to make talking about mental health and suicide prevention more common among workers, says Merchant. Participants are supplied with materials and contacts to ensure they have the correct information and know who to contact for additional help.

“The beauty of this program is the anonymity that the training provides,” said Merchant. “If two people are seen talking, no one will know if they are talking about something that’s been weighing on them or last night’s hockey game.”

CSV plans to roll out the program throughout the entire company over time.

“We’re definitely learning as we go,” said Merchant. “In terms of implementation at other sites, the training is designed in a way that’s meant to be universally applicable, so it can be replicated at other CSV sites and across other companies or industries.”

Feedback on the program has been positive, says Merchant.

“We have been receiving a lot of feedback on how the program is filling a need in the oil and gas and construction industries, and also how the program has helped people personally,” he said. “From what we’ve heard, this program is already affecting people’s lives in a positive way. Between inflation and recovering from the pandemic, the past few years have added all kinds of additional stressors, so it feels like the program is coming at a time when people really need it.”

Merchant says this kind of support is needed in many industries where mental health stigmas still impact people.

“I am so proud to be a part of this program,” said Merchant. “This is a step in the right direction, but it’s also just the beginning. To shift the negative stigma associated with mental health and suicide, we’ll need to see more ongoing and conscious efforts like this one.”

“The primary objective of the Buddy Up training is to establish a supportive framework that encourages individuals to seek help when needed and pay attention to the people around them.”

Akash Asif, Centre for Suicide Prevention

Akash Asif – Centre for Suicide Prevention

In Canada, men have a suicide rate three times higher than women, states the statistics section of CSP’s Buddy Up website. As a Champion in the Buddy Up program, individuals or organizations can become ambassadors by spreading the word about how suicide in men can be prevented.

“After becoming a Champion in 2020, CSV Midstream Solutions has played an important role in the development and growth of Buddy Up,” said Akash Asif, strategy and operations director with CSP.

“Engaged representation from CSV team members in Buddy Up advisory committees and Champion consultations has provided a fresh perspective and helped CSP to define the strategy and direction of the campaign.”

The Buddy Up webinar outlines common myths and facts about suicide, how to have a conversation with someone you’re worried about, and how to stay connected with other people, says Asif.

“Providing additional, optional training opportunities builds a network of helpers and fosters an environment where it is okay to offer and seek help,” he said. “Allowing people to choose the level of training they take allows them to help at the level most suited to them. Everyone has a role to play in suicide prevention that is based on their comfort level.”

Buddy Up skills training aims to promote authentic conversations by making the subject of suicide prevention friendly and non-threatening for workers, says Asif. To ensure the program’s ongoing effectiveness, all participants will complete evaluations at each training level.

Asif says that work colleagues involved in the Buddy Up program are playing the role of a friend and not that of a counsellor.

“The primary objective of the Buddy Up training is to establish a supportive framework that encourages individuals to seek help when needed and pay attention to the people around them,” he said. “As we collaborate with various organizations, we respect their existing industry standards and practices. Our goal is to promote a culture of openness and support, allowing individuals to reach out to help someone they are worried about. We do not offer crisis services. Instead, we equip people with the knowledge and skills to respond to someone who is considering suicide.”

In collaboration with CSV, CSP is encouraging regular check-ins and the importance of self-care, says Asif. Additional resources and materials about suicide prevention are available at suicideinfo.ca.

“There are already conversations happening with other companies who are interested in bringing Buddy Up training to their workplaces,” said Asif. “Slight adaptations may be required to ensure the effectiveness of the program based on the audience. This program is a great opportunity to advance suicide prevention within the workplace as we aim to normalize conversations about mental health and suicide. It provides colleagues with the social license and language to both offer support and seek help when they are struggling.”

Individuals or organizations interested in bringing the Buddy Up campaign or skills training to their workplaces can visit buddyup.ca or email akash@suicideinfo.ca for further information. Piling Canada

Data projected on desktop monitor

CloudPiling Software for Deep Foundations Design

A Belgian company launched during the pandemic has brought innovation to the marketplace to help geotechnical engineers as they calculate requirements for foundation and retaining wall projects. CloudPiling is a platform – and the name of the company that created it – that eliminates the repetitive input of data into the multiple tools generally used in planning deep foundation projects.

“The motivation to build CloudPiling was twofold,” said Michelle Vanhove, director of operations and co-founder of CloudPiling. “On the one hand, there was frustration about the lack of proper software; on the other hand, it was also disillusioning to find that civil engineers were doing heavy university studies only to find themselves in the field dealing with endless, repetitive calculations in Excel. These could be better automated, giving those engineers more time to provide advice and think about concepts.

“We are convinced that automation through technology is not the future, but the present in the construction industry. This is why we want to upgrade the job of geotechnical engineers with our solution and let them really make a difference.”

“The idea of CloudPiling originated on my first day in the field,” said Thomas Zwaenepoel, technical director and co-founder of CloudPiling. “There, I learned firsthand about the software that structural and civil engineers had at their disposal to create geotechnical designs. Really good software simply did not exist at that time, so I decided to make it myself.

“CloudPiling is the first software worldwide that integrates all calculation tools for repetitive geotechnical calculations in one comprehensive web application. As a civil engineer, I stood with my boots in the mud and understood the requirements for such a tool, a great asset since most software tools are made by IT or academic people.”

The importance of an integrated geotechnical design

Pile design is commonly done as follows:

  • First, a bearing capacity calculation is done to determine the required pile base level to ascertain the pile diameter and the type of pile system.
  • Second, mostly only where there are horizontal loads or moments at the pile top level, a soil structure interaction calculation is performed to determine the pile’s shear forces, bending moments and horizontal displacements.
  • Third, the structural design is done based on a conservative combination of vertical loads on the one hand and shear forces and bending moments on the other hand.

“We are convinced that automation through technology is not the future, but the present in the construction industry.”

Michelle Vanhove, CloudPiling

The CloudPiling software integrates the vertical and horizontal behaviour, and the structural design of foundation piles and retaining walls. This means an engineer can use data on point and shaft resistance, and negative skin friction resulting from the bearing capacity calculation to extend the soil structure interaction calculation. This extension allows the engineer to determine, for example, the normal force at each location in the pile.

With information on the normal force and bending moment at each location in the pile, engineers can perform a more detailed structural design analysis. Various scenarios – using more or less concrete and more or less steel – can be examined to evaluate capacity and calculate costs.

The benefits of CloudPiling

On the single central CloudPiling platform, all users within a company are working with the same data, entered once, reducing the potential for errors and saving users time by automating repetitive tasks.

With “a huge lack of engineers” in Belgium and the Netherlands, this time-saving feature is very important, says Vanhove. Engineers can do more of the creative work they enjoy – calculating the most-economic designs – and less data input. The time saving also enables them to review a broader range of options to determine the best design to meet capacity requirements and material-reduction goals.

Using less concrete and steel lowers project costs and reduces a project’s carbon footprint. Vanhove points out that the construction industry is responsible for 39 per cent of global carbon emissions, with foundations work accounting for 20 per cent of that amount. Reducing emissions is an increasingly essential consideration for a carbon-intensive industry in a carbon-conscious world. For Vanhove, it enables people to do something to address a big problem, even if only with a small step.

Data projected on desktop monitor
The software helps engineers avoid the overuse of materials due to their limited knowledge of a nearby building’s foundation type and strength

Information retention through the platform can also be essential. When a new project is planned adjacent to an existing building, for example, access to information about the foundation of the existing structure can help engineers determine requirements for the project. It could help them avoid the overuse of materials resulting from their limited knowledge of the nearby building’s foundation type and strength.

Product expansion and company growth

Originally available only for the Belgian market, CloudPiling now has a version for use in the Netherlands. Each version includes regulatory requirements specific to the country to ensure that designs meet building standards.

Vanhove and Zwaenepoel are interested in growing internationally in the long term. For now, their goal is to become the leading company in geotechnical design in the two countries where they now offer the software.

In the meantime, CloudPiling has been nominated for the Cobouw Awards in the Netherlands. These are the most important awards in the Netherlands to recognize achievements in the Dutch construction industry in such categories as digitalization, sustainability, innovation and infrastructure.

“We have just learned that we are among the three finalists, so we will be invited to the gala awards ceremony. This recognition means a lot to us,” said Vanhove.

Through a partnership with Ghent University in Belgium, the company offers its platform to students doing a master’s program in geotechnical engineering. The students can use the software as they work toward their education goals. The company has also been invited to give guest lectures at the university.

By providing engineers with more computing power, CloudPiling enables them to use steel and concrete more efficiently. Additionally, it allows engineers to question traditional foundation concepts and immediately calculate the economic and CO2 footprint consequences of any potential alternatives. The engineer has more control to choose the best possible foundation solutions.

To learn more, go to cloudpiling.com or email info@cloudpiling.com. Piling Canada

BE-600-C

A New Standard for Desanding

In the almost 60 years since BAUER Maschinen (Bauer) manufactured its first machine, the German brand has stood for excellence, performance, quality and – most of all – innovation. Bauer has added to this stellar reputation by introducing the next step in separation technology.

In June 2023, the Allgäu branch of Bauer launched the BE 600-C desanding system. The BE 600-C is the successor to the existing BE 550 model. It builds upon more than 30 years of delivering high-quality mixing and separation technology through BAUER MAT Slurry Handling Systems (a member of the Bauer Group).

The new BE 600-C is said by the company to “have it all.” The modular, two-stage system has a double cyclone for higher efficiency separation. It is completely contained (including the storage tanks and solids discharge, hose guide, all-round inspection and upstream coarse screen). For mobility, the BE 600-C can also be packaged within an optional CSC-certified container frame for easy delivery to the jobsite.

“Because all the components can be installed within the container frame, the transport, assembly and commissioning on site can be carried out quickly and easily,” said Kurt Ostermeier, head of product management for mixing and separation technology at Bauer. “We can install the complete desanding system and make it ready for running in under 12 hours, so one day is more than enough to get your system in place and put it to work.”

BE 600-C
The BE 600-C has a modular, two-stage system with a double cyclone for higher efficiency separation

The BE 600-C features an impressive slurry throughput capacity of 600 cubic metres per hour and can process up to 120 tonnes of solids per hour, setting a new benchmark for desanding. The double cyclone also provides better cleaning of the slurry, resulting in less sand content in the cleaned slurry and fewer settlements in the storage tank underneath the desander.

The BE 600-C advantage

From large-scale cutting systems and tunnelling operations to smaller piling projects, the new BE 600-C is as flexible as its customers.

Although the BE 600-C desanding system is relatively new to the marketplace, the technologies that underpin the new system are time-tested. The new unit comprises two reliable, standard BE 300-C desanding systems with optimized separation.

When called for, the BE 600-C can be easily split into two individual BE 300-C systems, with the upstream coarse screen being used to feed a single system. The modular advantage of the BE 600-C means that for smaller operations like piling – where a comparatively smaller slurry capacity is required – users can separate the system into two separate BE 300-C units and still desand up to approximately 1,200 gallons per minute.

“If you have a submersible pump with a capacity of about 2,000 gallons per minute, then you can use the BE 600-C as is,” said Ostermeier. “But if you need less capacity – say a piling project using 1,000 gallons per minute – then you can rely on a single BE 300-C rather than use the two together. It just depends on the capacity of what you want to feed into the desanding system.”

BE 600-C
Two BE 300-C together make the BE 600-C

When the BE 600-C is split into two separate BE 300-C units, rather than run in tandem, it can also be used with or without the coarse screen in front for various applications. However, using the coarse screen can benefit projects encountering cohesive solids like clay.

“Clay presents a problem in that, if it gets too dry, it can get stuck on the screen,” said Ostermeier. “But the coarse screen is slanted downwards with an adjustable angle. This means if we have a lot of clay, we can put the coarse screen on top to mitigate it by not allowing the clay to sit, dry out and become stuck. This is definitely a huge advantage of the BE 600-C.”

Another advantage to the new BE 600-C system is its relatively small physical space on the jobsite. As the pumps and desilters are self-contained and not outside as with standard double cyclone systems, the BE 600-C has a footprint of roughly 36 square metres and is a good fit for any project.

“The size of the unit is a big advantage, and the BE 600-C is very compact, especially when compared to other desanders on the market,” said Ostermeier. “In addition, most of our competitors’ machines run at more than 200 kilowatts (kW) and as high as 250 kW. Our system, however, uses high-efficiency pumps that have a very low energy consumption when installed at 174 kW, which is becoming very important to society right now.”

The BE 600-C also has an optional tarp housing for noise protection, significantly reducing the sound power level from 95 to 93 decibels. The housing also serves as weather protection and heat insulation for regions dealing with freezing temperatures.

Digitalization and automation in focus

The BE 600-C also stands out in digitalization and brings users several new features. Each of the two BE 300-C systems has a 12-inch touchscreen display, and the entire system can be easily operated in ‘master-slave’ mode from just one screen. This allows the user to control either one or both BE 300-Cs from a single interface. The display also lets the operator see which parts of the system (conveyor belt, flow meter, accessories, etc.) are running and which are not.

An EWON router establishes a connection to the internet, meaning that all data – such as pressures, operating hours, power consumption and error messages – can be retrieved remotely. This enables Bauer service specialists to connect to the device quickly and easily – from anywhere in the world – and carry out a remote diagnosis if necessary.

“If you’re in America and are having a problem with your machine and need some troubleshooting from the BAUER MAT service department, we can plug into your machine and see what its message history is and then diagnose the issue from across the ocean,” said Ostermeier. “It also means that if we want to take control of the complete plant remotely, it should be possible.”

Digitalization and automation are ongoing processes that will continue to play a major role in the future. Bauer’s goal is to one day fully and permanently integrate its equipment into the cycle of a digital site. Going forward, the company wants to retrieve even more data on its machines’ wear and tear, and look into providing additional preventative maintenance – fixing a problem before it becomes a problem.

For more information about Bauer and the BE 600-C desanding system, contact the company at
bauer.de/bma. Piling Canada

Photos: courtesy of BAUER Maschinen

Younger hands holding older hands

Accommodating Caregivers in the Workplace

According to Statistics Canada, in 2022, more than six million Canadians combined paid work with some level of unpaid care, about one-third of Canada’s total workforce. Almost half are part of the “sandwich generation,” caring for aging parents or in-laws, and children under 18.

However, workers also care for others who may need help because of disabilities, chronic illnesses, injuries or other health crises.

In Ontario alone, 2.5 million working caregivers provide unpaid support for activities of daily living or support the physical and/or mental health of a family member, partner, friend or neighbour, says Amy Coupal, CEO of Ontario Caregiver Organization (OCO).

“It’s important to understand that everyone’s caregiving experience is unique, not only because of their own individual circumstances, but the individual circumstances of the person that they’re caring for,” said Coupal.

However, the OCO’s 2022 Spotlight Survey did find some commonalities. Almost three-quarters of the caregivers who responded to the annual survey said that they had made job changes, ranging from working with their employer to find a way to balance work and caregiving responsibilities, moving to part-time work, taking paid or unpaid leave, or even quitting a job for a while to manage their caregiving duties. One in three working caregivers reported that they were worried about losing their jobs, and 30 per cent had considered leaving their jobs because of caregiving responsibilities. Ten per cent said that they had turned down job opportunities.

Covers of various Ontario Caregiver Organization (OCO) studies and reports.

Many prefer to keep their personal lives separate from work, and it can be challenging to tell an employer about a caregiving role, the OCO report says. Still, when work responsibilities compete with those of caregiving, it can impact caregivers’ physical and mental health.

“More than half reported that balancing those two roles is stressful,” she said. “And some likened it to having another full-time job.”

The survey says that “the rate of caregiver distress is going up steadily every single year,” and burnout is at an all-time high (even higher than during the height of the pandemic). “Yet many caregivers continue to go unseen and under-supported in the workplace,” said Coupal.

Planning for unpredictability can make a big difference

While the top three things caregivers say they need most are respite, mental health support and peer support, about half also wish for more support from their employer, including financial aid and better access to information about employee benefits and federal and provincial financial support.

“Awareness is a great place to start,” said Coupal. “That is, recognizing the practical reality of people’s lives, building an understanding of caregiving across the workforce, and telling employees specifically what the company’s stance is on caregiving and what support is available for caregivers.

“Appointments or procedures can be planned for, but things come up unexpectedly that can affect an individual’s ability to arrive or stay at work.”

“Many caregivers continue to go unseen and under-supported in the workplace.”

Amy Coupal, Ontario Caregiver Organization

An employer planning for that unpredictability can also make a big difference. That might include providing technology to support off-site work, online scheduling systems to enable employees to log in for shift requests or changes, or even something as simple as designating times and areas where caregivers can make private phone calls without judgment or repercussions.

Sectors like construction, which require in-person work, may experience challenges implementing certain kinds of accommodations, Coupal says, but there are practical things that management and workers can explore, such as flex hours or shifts, job-sharing, allowing a certain number of sick days to be eligible as caregiving days, or offering the opportunity for short- or long-term paid or unpaid leave when someone is in a significant caregiving time of their life.

The OCO also advises employees to find out if they are eligible for the federal government’s leave benefits and financial assistance, such as the Employment Insurance’s Caregiving Benefits and Leave or Compassionate Care Leave coverage, if they must take time away from work to provide care or support to a child or adult who is critically ill or injured, or need time to provide full-time support for someone who requires end-of-life care. Workers may also be eligible for unpaid, job-protected family caregiver leave, family medical leave or critical illness leave under their province’s or territory’s employment standards act.

Caregiving skills are highly transferrable to the workplace

“Caregivers bring unique skillsets that positively impact culture, retention and ultimately, the bottom line,” according to a recent study conducted by the Rutgers Center for Women in Business in the U.S. The study says that “soft” skills developed through unpaid caregiving – empathy, efficiency and tenacity, increased ability to prioritize tasks, patience, collaborating, delegating, anticipating needs, being adaptable, emotionally intelligent, and thinking flexibly and strategically – are traditionally less valued than “hard” or technical skills.

“Awareness is a great place to start. That is, recognizing the practical reality of people’s lives, building an understanding of caregiving across the workforce, and telling employees specifically what the company’s stance is on caregiving and what support is available for caregivers.”

Amy Coupal, Ontario Caregiver Organization

However, these skills are core management skills that are highly transferrable to any workplace and are less likely to be replaced by artificial intelligence and machine learning, and are also more difficult to teach through corporate coaching, skills workshops or on-the-job training. According to Carers Canada, a Canadian Home Care Association program, $1.3 billion is lost in workforce productivity in Canada annually due to caregiving demands. When turnover, lost institutional knowledge and absenteeism are factored in, the hidden cost to companies for not supporting caregivers may be even higher.

Unique skillsets that positively impact culture, retention and the bottom line

“The more we acknowledge the things happening in our day-to-day lives, the more robust conversations we can have about how to make caregiving work in our personal lives and also how to be successful at work,” said Coupal. “The ratio of male-to-female caregivers is relatively equal. When we talk about what caregiving is, people who weren’t thinking of themselves in that way realize that they are caregivers. A lot of this is just developing awareness for employees and awareness for employers looking to retain good employees. This is a practical thing that they can do to help enable that.”

The OCO offers workshops and online resources for employees, managers and HR professionals, and maintains a 24-hour Ontario caregiver helpline (1-833-416-2273).Piling Canada

Building under construction with sun setting in background

A Roadmap to More Sustainable Construction

According to The World Bank, more than half of the global population lives in an urbanized area. By 2045, it is predicted that this number will increase to six billion. As urban populations expand swiftly, the built environment must keep pace to provide the homes and facilities that people need.

When it comes to construction, it can’t be business as usual. The built environment is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG) and produces at least 37 per cent of global emissions. If there is a hope of cutting emissions and restricting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of this century – the goal outlined in the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change – then the way buildings are constructed, maintained and decommissioned must change.

That’s the focus of a new report funded by the German government and produced by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in association with the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction and the Yale Center for Ecosystems in Architecture (Yale CEA).

Released on Sept. 12, “Building Materials and the Climate: Constructing a New Future” provides a roadmap towards more sustainable construction. Two years in the making, the document draws upon the expertise of many contributors from six continents, led by Anna Dyson, Yale CEA’s founding director and the Hines Professor of Architecture at the Yale Schools of Architecture and Environment (YSE).

Anna Dyson, Barbara Reck, and Naomi Keena
Left to right; Anna Dyson, Barbara Reck, and Naomi Keena

Piling Canada connected with two of the report’s lead authors to discuss their findings and the implications for the global construction industry.

Naomi Keena, assistant professor at McGill University’s Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture and founding director of McGill’s TRACE (Think-tank and Research in Architecture and Circular Economy) Lab, explains the report’s origins.

“In today’s industry, in the design and construction of buildings, there’s been a large focus on operational energy,” she said. “We’ve heard a lot about net-zero energy buildings, but that typically only looks at the operational phase of the building life cycle. It doesn’t look at the extraction of materials, the manufacturing of those materials, the construction process and the end-of-life phase.”

She says as power grids around the world become more decarbonized through the adoption of cleaner sources of electricity, a building’s operational energy consumption and associated emissions will also decrease.

“Then, the big challenge in the building industry will be the embodied carbon coming from our building materials,” said Keena. “This report really focuses on that materials aspect. Where are we getting our materials from, how are they being manufactured and what’s the embodied carbon associated with that? How are these buildings being maintained and then at the end of life, what’s happening to these materials? Are they going to the landfill, can they be recycled, can they be reused? This report is about taking a whole life cycle approach to the decarbonization of buildings.”

“We’ve heard a lot about net-zero energy buildings, but that typically only looks at the operational phase of the building life cycle. It doesn’t look at the extraction of materials, the manufacturing of those materials, the construction process and the end-of-life phase.”

Naomi Keena, McGill University’s Peter Guo-hua Fu School of Architecture and TRACE Lab

Barbara Reck, senior research scientist at YSE and node lead at the Remade Institute, says the energy required to make different building materials can vary considerably.

“Steel and concrete are among the most energy-intensive materials to produce,” she said. “On the other hand, bio-based materials require much less energy to produce. In fact, timber that stays in a building for 50 to 100 years will actually become carbon-negative. It has the potential of storing the carbon longer than the forest could store it because, at some point in the forest, the tree will fall, decompose and release its carbon.”

Reck says that today, the total energy footprint of a building breaks down into about three-quarters operational energy and one-quarter embodied carbon. However, cleaner energy and present-day initiatives are gradually reducing that operational component.

“With a business-as-usual scenario, by 2050 the share of the embodied carbon (in present-day buildings) will increase to 49 per cent, while operational energy will decrease from 75 per cent to 51 per cent,” said Reck. “That is because operations are becoming more and more efficient, and the relative carbon share of the building materials becomes greater.

“Our report is trying to say that the 49 per cent of embodied carbon projected by 2050 is still a lot of carbon. Given our climate emergency and given that everybody is now striving for net zero, is there a way to get the embodied carbon to net zero? Our report lays out a very ambitious roadmap on how to do this.”

A three-pronged approach

In addition to focusing on embodied carbon and CO2 emissions produced through the extraction, manufacture and installation of various building materials, the UNEP report offers a three-pronged suite of recommendations for decarbonizing the built environment. This approach is based on a trio of concepts: avoid, shift and improve.

“We look at how we can reduce embodied carbon by 2060, knowing there will be more construction and more demand for buildings,” said Keena.

The first recommendation is to avoid waste and the extraction of non-renewable materials. The report encourages a circular economy, focused on extending the life of existing buildings and reusing and recycling current materials.

Building under construction surrounded by cranes

“Then, we are looking to shift to the use of biomaterials; regenerative materials that are typically extracted from forestry or agricultural by-products,” said Keena. “Biomaterials should always be local to where you are building, so we looked at coconut husk, hemp, corn stalks, sawdust – the waste from crop (that) can be converted to building materials. If we can sync the building materials industry with agriculture and forestry, we can store carbon for longer.”

While timber is commonly used in Canadian residential construction, Keena says that moving to more bio-based insulation products, such as cellulose, can help reduce a home’s carbon footprint.

The final recommendation centres on how to improve on renewable conventional building materials and the way they are produced, including concrete, steel, metals, glass and bricks. Electrifying and decarbonizing the energy used to produce and maintain these materials is a key concept to realizing this approach.

Reck says that overall, the report encourages the building industry to increase material efficiency, making the most of the available supply to ultimately do more with less.

Looking at life cycle

“Building Materials and the Climate: Constructing a New Future” stresses the need to tackle decarbonization in the built environment through a total life cycle approach. To achieve success quickly and efficiently, supportive government policies must enable all stakeholders across the supply chain to work together. The concept of circularity features heavily in the report.

“If we are reusing materials, what happens at their end of life is very important,” said Keena. She says that findings from Montreal indicate that selective deconstruction of residential buildings – focusing on the reusing and recycling of materials – offered GHG reductions of 63 per cent compared to landfill disposal.

At the other end of the process, Reck says material efficiency is a critical manufacturing concept that will help maximize yield.

“It’s about trying during manufacturing to use the best available technologies and design for longer lifetimes. If you can expand the building lifetime, that is in a way the lowest hanging fruit. That’s why maintenance is so important. Lifetime extension is really the biggest measure.”

Barbara Reck, Yale School of Environment and Remade Institute

“It’s about trying during manufacturing to use the best available technologies and design for longer lifetimes,” she said. “If you can expand the building lifetime, that is in a way the lowest hanging fruit. That’s why maintenance is so important. Lifetime extension is really the biggest measure.”

She says Canadian aluminum production is an example of successful decarbonization. “Aluminum needs the most energy to produce of all metals. Having access to hydro power in the aluminum industry, Canadian aluminum is one of the least carbon-intensive aluminum in the world.”

Although the road to decarbonization has been mapped by many industries, including steel and cement producers, the problem is still how to scale up quickly enough to reach the world’s pressing climate goals.

“Our report presents a novel way to put existing knowledge together,” said Reck. “Our approach is an all-hands-on-deck approach. The building sector needs to look at the entire life cycle. Yes, conventional materials can be decarbonized, but will it happen quickly enough? At the same time, we must encourage design for disassembly, reuse and recycling, and shift to bio-based materials.”

Will the world mobilize quickly enough to meet the climate goals identified in Paris? Reck says there has been a lot of interest in the new report from within the architectural, engineering and construction community, which is looking at the document as an inspirational roadmap toward a more sustainable built environment.

“We were very ambitious (in the report), but our vision is that by 2060, it could be achieved,” she said.

To read more, go to unep.org/resources/report/building-materials-and-climate-constructing-new-future. Piling Canada

Person touching virtual display hub

Social Media as a Valuable Tool for Construction Companies

Social media has become much more than a buzz phrase. Nowadays, digital marketing is leading the way. Social media marketing, or unpaid activity you conduct on social media channels, combined with social media advertising, which is paid for, can make a dynamic and effective addition to a marketing toolbox. However, like all tools, these do the job only if used correctly. There are social media professionals who make their living helping companies pursue this line of marketing, but here’s how to get started with a few guidelines.

Who?

Construction industry professionals may consider social media unimportant, but they should think again. All businesses, even construction companies, can benefit from digital exposure.

What?

There are several social media platforms, such as:

  • Facebook: this is great for generally getting the word out. Who isn’t on Facebook these days?
  • Instagram: visual focus is key here, so share pictures, examples of work, stories, etc. Instagram is good for growing a brand. Before-and-after images work well. So do videos showing how machinery works, even inspiration for design.
  • LinkedIn: this business-to-business platform is aimed at professionals to drive targeted conversions. Most top construction companies have a presence on LinkedIn. It is important to establish a company as an expert here.
  • YouTube: great for video marketing. Think how-to videos or time-lapse photography of a project. These do not have to be expensive videos. Keep them short, under five minutes in length.

Why?

The reasons for pursuing a social media presence are many and varied. Exposure is a big one; there are nearly five billion social media users around the globe. Think brand awareness at far less than the cost of traditional media.

Practicalities of this approach include gathering questions potential clients have to address them and improve customer service, networking with other industry professionals, promoting special offers, gathering testimonials to use in other marketing, interacting with potential customers and even collecting items for an electronic portfolio. Most of all, social media offers a better conversion rate than traditional media, meaning that people who visit the platform are more likely to take the desired action, such as clicking through to a company’s website.

How?

First, think about goals for a company to achieve with social media, and start with one or two platforms. Post consistently, such as twice a week. Be faithful to that schedule to engender trust on the part of the user. Think about posts that will inspire conversations, such as before-and-after pictures of work, highlighting a specific team member, videos of construction progress, etc. If the platform provides tracking possibilities, find out about them and use them. Consider making the most of the effort put into marketing. For example, if the company has a blog, post it on social media. Weave social media into the existing marketing strategy. Remember that nowadays, an approach that involves informing works better than a hard sell; share information.

Tips

Here are some general tips on using social media:

  • Before posting anything, check to ensure it is accurate and from a reliable source.
  • Celebrate any awards and/or accolades a company receives.
  • Stay away from controversial (religious, political) content.
  • Share company history at some point, again to engender confidence.
  • Highlight what the company does differently that gives it a competitive advantage.
  • Share handy construction tips.
  • Highlight testimonials.
  • Be sure to use construction language and key words so when people search them, they find the post. Think about what words would be searched.
  • Respond to comments received. Engage, even if there is negativity in a post. Handle it with dignity and honesty.
  • Become involved in industry-specific groups on the platform.
  • Start discussions, especially on LinkedIn. Contribute to others’ discussions.
  • Think about photo quality – maybe a unique angle to capture attention?
  • Share the company page as much as possible. The people who read the content may share it with their networks.
  • Use the company’s brand imagery when possible.
  • Add buttons that connect to social media from the company website.
  • Have someone proofread posts. A fresh eye can catch errors.

For a little effort, companies may reap great rewards. Brand awareness leads to qualified leads. Use social media with as much care as when using construction tools. Piling Canada

David Eisenstadt

David Eisenstadt is the founding partner of tcgPR (The Communications Group Inc.), a Toronto-based public relations consulting firm serving builders, developers, contractors and the real estate industry across Canada since 1973. Find more at tcgpr.com.

Women in Governance with John McKenzie pushing button on table on table

Levelling the Playing Field

Gender disparity in the workplace has long been a big issue. Just ask any woman in the workplace. So, it is encouraging and refreshing to see organizations such as Women in Governance (WiG) helping to level the playing field.

WiG is a Montreal-based non-profit organization formed in 2010 that supports women nationwide in their career advancement, leadership development and ambitions to serve on boards. WiG also helps organizations achieve workplace equity, diversity and inclusion with its Parity Certification, which began in 2017.

“What we did from 2010 to 2017 was support the women who had mentoring programs through governance training, inspiring events, panel discussions and more,” said Caroline Codsi, founder of WiG.

Hillary Clinton and Caroline Codsi on stage
Interview with Hillary Clinton (left) by WiG founder and CEO Caroline Codsi, who moderated for two interviews with Clinton, conducted as part of the 2017 literary tour for Clinton’s book What Happened

“Then we found that women would go back into the workplace that had traditionally been built by men for men and, although they had the boldness that was required and the education and ambition, they still faced some systemic obstacles.”

Codsi says she is pleased that to date, WiG has one million employees working for an organization with the Parity Certification. “This means we’re actually modifying corporate culture and implementing new policies, in addition to launching new strategies to allow women to progress. This is how you have a real impact. Not just one woman at a time.”

What WiG looks for

Codsi says WiG is striving for a 40/60 balance between men and women at companies that achieve parity certification by boosting innovation, performance and the capacity to penetrate new markets, create new products and boost employee engagement.

“The organizations we work with get that they have to do that. On a broader scale, this is how you have a fair society where women can contribute to the level of their competence and knowledge. This is probably the fastest way to accelerate gender equality in Canada. The other important way is through parliament and having more female parliamentarians and legislators who can focus on ensuring this.”

“Organizations will say they want to have more diversity, equity, inclusion and women at every level of the organization in leadership roles, but they don’t necessarily know where the gaps are or their magnitude.”

Caroline Codsi, Women in Governance

She says that the quickest way to accelerate gender equality in Canada is by reaching the top echelons of major corporations, where women can contribute to the level of their competence, knowledge and experience.

“The young women I’ve met don’t lack experience and they don’t expect to be treated any differently. They will call out unconscious misogyny and sexism in a nanosecond.”

The certification process

To begin the certification process, WiG has an online platform that houses a questionnaire with approximately 80 questions to help organizations better understand where they stand on the gender parity spectrum.

Chrystia Freeland sitting with Caroline Codsi on couch
Fireside chat at WiG’s 2019 Montreal Gala between the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance (right), and WiG founder and CEO Caroline Codsi

“Organizations will say they want to have more diversity, equity, inclusion and women at every level of the organization in leadership roles, but they don’t necessarily know where the gaps are or their magnitude,” said Codsi.

“We need a robust pipeline of female talent, so we must ensure organizations are doing the right thing with the women who join their ranks and the women who have been with them for a while. This is to ensure they have an equal chance with their male counterparts to progress within the organization. We look at targets and show our clients their numbers for each category and what they should ideally look like by 2030, for example. We share with them practices, benchmarking and recommendations, and help them progress toward parity.”

Jacques Goulet holding Platinum-level Parity Certification trophy flanked by Anthony Ostler and Nicole Piggott
Jacques Goulet, president of Sun Life Canada, receving the Platinum-level Parity Certification trophy for the sixth year in a row at WiG’s 2022 Toronto Gala. Left to right: Anthony Ostler, president and CEO of the Canadian Bankers Association (presenting partner of the 2022 Toronto Gala); Goulet and Nicole Piggott, president, Synclusiv and board member at WiG. At​ the time of the photo, Piggott was working at WiG as chief operating officer.

More than 100 companies in Canada and the U.S. have been certified. This includes many companies, such as financial institutions, universities, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, federal and Crown corporations and more. Some companies that have achieved certification include Air Canada, Bishop’s University, Canadian Coast Guard, CBC, City of Montreal, Concordia University, FedEx, McGill University, National Bank of Canada, Pfizer, Rolls Royce, Sun Life and more.

“We have a very high retention rate of about 80-plus per cent of organizations that recertify year after year,” Codsi said. “This is because they want to see how they’ve progressed since the last time they’ve submitted. Many companies will resubmit the following year and hopefully continue their progress of certification.”

“Gender equity is like driving a car up a hill and if you remove your foot from the pedal, it’s just going to go backwards.”

Caroline Codsi, Women in Governance

She says that as societal perceptions shift and organizations transform, the methods to achieve gender equity must be revisited and refined regularly to gauge progress, ensure accountability and help pinpoint areas where the strategy might be faltering, necessitating recalibration.

Certification levels

The WiG Parity Certification allows companies to achieve bronze, silver, gold and platinum status by answering a series of questions that will contribute to change by:

  • Influencing organizations to implement programs and practices that foster career advancement of women from all backgrounds to senior leadership positions.
  • Enabling organizations to attract the best and brightest talent.
  • Highlighting a more inclusive company culture, which correlates with higher employee engagement.
  • Supporting enhanced innovation and ability to respond to market fluctuations.
  • Differentiating organizations such that they attract investors, customers and other stakeholders.
  • Engaging men as stakeholders in gender parity and recognizing their role as equal beneficiaries in advancing workplace inclusion.

The certification process also examines the qualitative aspect of a client’s numbers.

WiG will then explain the results and suggest initiatives that should be implemented. Once this is done, WiG sends a detailed, comprehensive and personalized report to the client explaining where they have been ranked from bronze to platinum.

Wide angle shot of stage with attendees in foreground
Women in Governance’s Annual Recognition Gala in Montreal in 2018

Codsi says of the current 83 certified companies, 10 have achieved platinum certification, and the other 73 are spread out amongst gold, silver and bronze.

“What’s really interesting with the organizations we work with is that we have those that are doing phenomenally well that are pioneers and models in that field. And they still come back year after year to recertify because it’s a dynamic exercise. There are always new things happening within the organization and society, so we add new criteria.”

She says when major corporations reach the top echelons, this is how you achieve a fair society where women can contribute to the level of their competence, knowledge and experience.

“I would say that this is probably the fastest way to accelerate gender equality in Canada. Gender equity is like driving a car up a hill and if you remove your foot from the pedal, it’s just going to go backwards.” Piling Canada

PMx28 driving sheet piles

Solutions for Complex Geotechnical Challenges

Why would an established highway contractor with a history of using a crane with a diesel hammer for pile driving be working at the Philadelphia Navy Yard with a sophisticated pile driving rig?

That would be a fair question by anyone familiar with James J. Anderson Construction Co., Inc. (JJA) and Junttan Oy, a pile driving equipment manufacturer.

Those familiar with the Philadelphia construction market tend to associate JJA with the region’s most established companies. JJA’s origins date back to 1981 when it was founded by Jim Anderson. Since then, the company has expanded its expertise into nearly every aspect of heavy civil construction. Expansion into new areas is in JJA’s DNA.

Broad Street Quay Wall project

The Broad Street Quay Wall project, owned by the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), serves as the gateway to a reimagined Navy Yard and represents an engineering feat years in the making. It includes two vehicle lanes in both directions, a two-way elevated bike lane and a scenic pedestrian plaza overlooking the Reserve Basin.

JJA’s rectangular 700-foot-long jobsite, located just inside the main gate of the Navy Yard, is a straight shot connecting Crescent Drive to Intrepid Lane. To the right, towering ships anchored in the square-shaped pocket of the Delaware River make most of the construction equipment on site seem small.

From an engineering standpoint, this project was necessary to stop the subsidence of Broad Street due to hydraulic erosion.

“The old seawall was cracked and leaking, allowing water underneath Broad Street,” said JJA’s chief engineer Bob Crawford, P.E. “This area undergoes a six-foot tide, so the water goes up and down in the Reserve Basin six feet twice each day. The tidal ebb and flow getting through the seawall was undermining the roadway to the extent that they had to shut down a portion of Broad Street.”

Worker inspecting sheet pile installation
JJA met or exceeded the estimated timeline for the installation of sheet piles and battered pipe piles during its first experience with the PMx28

The joints in the existing cast-in-place concrete wall, located 20 feet apart, had widened over time. Small amounts of soil were removed every time the tide rolled out.

JJA has been working on this project since June 2022. “There was an existing concrete seawall sitting on a timber deck,” Crawford said. “Our overall scope was, first, to drive a line of NZ 38 sheet piles to create a new 700-foot steel seawall behind the existing concrete wall, then to remove the old seawall and timber deck on which it sat and drive 12-inch epoxy coated piles in front to support a new concrete pedestrian walkway.

“The new steel seawall had to be anchored to a concrete tieback sitting on battered piles. The tieback sits 50 feet behind the seawall. Three-inch diameter galvanized tendons go from the steel seawall back to the concrete tieback. Once that system and the utilities are all in, we reconstruct the Broad Street roadway, new sidewalk, bike path and pedestrian plaza.”

To build the concrete tieback anchor, JJA drove 79 18-inch and 79 16-inch pipe piles, designed to be 80 feet long and driven on a 2V:1H batter. During test pile installation, it was determined that there were locations on the project where the tieback piles would need to be spliced and driven more than 100 feet to achieve design capacity due to changing soil conditions.

“None of the pipe piles on the project are seated in rock,” Crawford said. “The 16-inch compression piles and 18-inch tension piles both derive their capacity from predominantly skin friction with only a minor contribution from end bearing for the compression piles.

“We’ve seldom done friction piles, so this was an experience to go through the test pile program and all the dynamic analysis iterations with urban engineers to determine that the production piles will attain the design capacity.”

From conventional to unconventional

JJA had never used a Junttan pile driving rig, but had seen them used locally and online. “JJA (typically uses) diesel hammers, air hammers, vibratory hammers and drilled piles installed with a crane, and our usual experience – primarily working for (the Pennslyvannia Department of Transportation) – is end-bearing piles to rock,” Crawford said.

Since past work was performed with a crane-mounted hammer, JJA was a first-time customer for Junttan USA.

In October 2022, Junttan USA provided JJA with a PMx28 pile driving rig with an HHK5S hydraulic impact hammer to drive the pipe piles, while the contractor simultaneously scheduled a rig from another vendor to vibrate in the sheet piles. When that rig became unavailable due to an emergency project, Junttan USA’s sales engineer Matt Eastburn saw an opportunity to expand the role of its rig.

PMx28 pile driving rig with HHK5S hydraulic impact hammer
JJA rented a PMx28 pile driving rig with HHK5S hydraulic impact hammer from Junttan USA to handle pile driving at the Broad Street Quay Wall project in the Philadelphia Navy Yard

Junttan USA had never rented a rig with a vibro package and leaned on its partners in Canada to supply the package to be installed on the PMx28. The cross-continental partnership paid off.

“For the sheet piles, we had the rig equipped with a PTC variable moment hammer, so we had to mount the power pack on the back,” Eastburn said. “We took off the counterweight and essentially used the power pack in its place.”

Junttan USA had Junttan Canada ship the vibro and power pack to the Navy Yard, where the PMx28 was waiting. JJA provided crane support on the assembly. The transition between vibratory and standard pile driving was seamless. When the time came to drive the 16- and 18-inch-diameter piles, the vibro components were removed, and the counterweight and HHK5S hammer were re-installed.

Aside from a small portion where a Philadelphia Water Department culvert pokes through the seawall, all pile driving was completed using the Junttan PMx28. “We did all the engineering in-house,” Eastburn said. “Junttan USA installed the vibro kit, which was supplied by Junttan Canada. They had retrofitted it to a PMx28 they had in stock. Junttan Oy is always supportive of our companies, but their main role here was engineering work for the battered piles.

“The most challenging part of the engineering we had to do was the stability analysis to ensure that the rig wasn’t going to tip over while holding the 2V:1H batter and the 8,000-pound pile and 23,500-pound hammer. With the elimination of a portion of the counterweight, we were able to lay the leader back with a full-length pile.”

“Junttan was amazing,” Crawford said. “(Eastburn) did a balancing act with the weight of the hammer. I don’t know if it’s near the limits of the PMx28’s capability, but it’s probably pretty close to getting 26 degrees of incline and holding all that weight in place.”

Extreme battered piles

The key issue for JJA was finding an unconventional way to drive 80-foot-long piles on an extreme batter that was not labour and material intensive, says Crawford. “We’ve done battered piles before, but not quite this extreme,” he said. “At this angle, we would have needed significant anchored falsework to maintain the pile angle at such an extreme batter.”

Crawford also says JJA’s conventional equipment would have faced other challenges in this application. “We’ve had problems in the past with diesel hammers on significant batters. Diesel hammers tend to misfire when tilted. We don’t have that issue with the Junttan hydraulic hammer.”

“If we had done this pile driving conventionally with a crane boomed over those trees, it would never have happened.”

Bob Crawford, James J. Anderson Construction Co., Inc.

Although JJA has experience installing battered piles of lesser degrees, 26 degrees was a batter it had never encountered. This angle was necessary due to the heavy loads of large trucks and transport vehicles that will enter the Navy Yard on Broad Street. As these live loads will exert high lateral pressure on the new steel sheet pile seawall, they had to be counteracted by the battered piles in the tieback anchor. Due to the extreme batter, JJA required a follower to drive the battered piles the final few feet to grade.

Training supports production

Adapting to a new pile driving machine is no easy task for an operator. JJA’s operator, Steve, embraced the challenge and the pile driving productivity reflected that. Steve was familiar with JJA’s standard setup – a crane with diesel hammer. Junttan USA sent in a technician and provided on-site training, which included an in-depth assessment of the rig’s components and how to operate it. In addition to being a quick learner, Steve had studied the manual prior to training.

“Steve had quite the learning curve at the beginning, but once he got to know the machine, he was off to the races,” said Eastburn.

Since JJA had never used a Junttan rig, production was a serious concern, especially considering that the piles were to be driven with a 26-degree batter. JJA ultimately met or exceeded the estimated production for the installation of the sheeting, as well as the battered pipe piles.

PMx28 hoisting piles
The PMx28’s ability to hoist and drive piles without falsework was the main factor for JJA choosing the Junttan rig over its traditional use of a crane-mounted hammer

Although Crawford says the PMx28’s ability to hoist and drive piles without falsework was the main factor for choosing Junttan, the operator’s ability also played a big role. “There’s a learning curve, of course. But once it has been overcome, production reaches where it needs to be,” he said. The narrow 700-foot-long site also made using a crane-mounted diesel hammer with leads and bottom falsework prohibitive.

“The crane would have to be positioned to control the top end of the leads where a majority of the pre-driving weight is located,” Crawford said. “This would then require falsework at the bottom of the pile to maintain orientation and position. After completing one pile, we’d have to move the entire setup ahead every time. (Junttan’s setup is) self-contained. It holds the pile and moves it ahead without expending time to disassemble and reset falsework.”

The sheet piles were driven straight and accurately without the need for alignment falsework. After driving the steel sheet pile seawall, JJA connected a double-channel waler to the back of the sheet pile to accept the tieback tendon connections. The adjustments needed to attain proper bearing for the waler attachment were less than one inch.

Eastburn says that having a single rig offered JJA easier setup, better site access and less equipment to maintain.

“Our PMx28 setup is transported in three loads: one lowboy for the rig itself and two falloff loads on standard flatbeds for the hammer and counterweights. It requires a little bit of machine support to assemble, but once it’s set up, you can track back and forth to each pile on-site,” he said.

Under and over the Navy Yard

The Navy Yard operated as a U.S. naval base from 1876 to 1996, so it stands to reason that the underground conditions are as diverse as its history.

During installation of the 16-inch pipe piles for the tieback anchors, JJA encountered the remains of a 700-foot-long timber bridge from the 1800s about 11 feet down. The bridge had once connected Broad Street with this area of the Navy Yard, which was once known as League Island.

The Pennsylvania Historic Museum Commission determined that the underground structure had low historical significance, so JJA was permitted to put points on the 16-inch pipe piles to penetrate the bridge wall, which was comprised of six- and 12-inch timbers. The tips allowed the contractor to drive 16-inch piles through roughly two feet of wood using the PMx28.

PMx28 supporting large pile
Junttan USA conducted a stability analysis to ensure that the PMx28 would stay upright while supporting an 8,000-pound pile and 23,500-pound hammer while holding an extreme 2V:1H batter

“If you’re driving a pile on a batter with a crane and leads, and a timber wall is there, the pile will slide down the wall trying to find a weak spot and then penetrate there,” said Crawford. “This pushes the pile off of its design location and orientation. The (PMx28) held it where it had to be, so we were able to keep the pile on its designed line while penetrating the wall. The point penetrated, and the hammer held up well under this added stress.”

The pile driving challenges were not just underground. The Navy Yard is densely populated with buildings connected by a labyrinth of narrow streets and 90-degree turns. Transporting 80-foot-long piles on a 100-foot-long trailer was a logistical challenge, especially with the historic sycamore trees that bordered the site.

PIDC agreed to prune the fronts of the trees to provide access for the piles and the Junttan rig.

“If we had done this pile driving conventionally with a crane boomed over those trees, it would never have happened. We don’t have the space or clearance to fit a rig holding a 26-degree batter through the tree canopies. Booming back just the mast of the Junttan rig where the trees had been pruned in the front worked for us, and more importantly, worked for PIDC,” said Crawford.

JJA finished its pile driving work with the Junttan setup in July 2023, but continued marching toward the timely completion of the project in December.

As drivers and pedestrians enter the Navy Yard, they will see freshly paved roads, newly constructed granite-clad walls with recreated stone piers and a new pedestrian walkway with extensive landscaping, but will never realize the complex geotechnical challenges below that were overcome by a forward-thinking project team and a willingness to break out of the comfort zone and engage with new equipment technologies. Piling Canada

Construction working standing behind Expander Body

Expander Body Shapes Ottawa’s Public Transit

Expander Body (EB), the multi-faceted technology revolutionizing deep foundation engineering worldwide, is now available and operating in Canada and the U.S. This one-of-a-kind technological system maximizes efficiency for deep foundations and shoring projects.

“Expander Body technology is of significant value to all projects using piles, micropiles, tiebacks and anchors,” said Richard Heringer, general manager and vice president of sales at Expander Body International (EBI). “In almost all soil types, this technology advances efficiencies, improving capacity dramatically for projects, including retaining walls, shoring, ground stabilization, tunnelling, buoyancy control and more.

“It was initially invented in Sweden in the 1980s and evolved into a superior solution for foundations under the expertise of one of our board members, Mario H. Terceros (professor and geotechnical engineer at the University of Santa Cruz in Bolivia). Since then, it’s been used for 210 projects internationally with exceptional success.”

How it works

Initially, the EB resembles a 1.2-metre tube of thin pleated steel sleeves attached to a traditional pile or tie-back system. “It is inserted into the soil where needed in any direction (even upside down) to the required depth calculated according to the geotechnical data and where we’ve seen we can capture capacity,” said Heringer. “We then pump in liquid grout under pressure, inflating the (EB).”

Unlike traditional piling, every EB installed allows for reliable quality control and verification of performance during installation in real time by continuously monitoring the pumping pressure and pumped volume of grout.

Expander Body tiebacks installed in foundation
Expander Body is efficient for deep foundations and shoring projects

“If the EB is installed as a pile, once it’s inflated, cement (grout) is injected through the balloon and into the toe beneath the unit. This preloads the soil through our unit, resulting in little to no settlement when the foundation is loaded.”

Heringer says that using EB technology improves workload efficiency, foundation security and cost reductions, typically significantly shortening the length and diameter of friction piles and tiebacks.

“EB technology improves piles and tieback capacities usually by two or three times for piles and even more for tiebacks. In a recent project preliminary design proposal in eastern Ontario, using EB technology demonstrated the ability to reduce the diameter of the piles from 30 inches to 24 inches and the drilled depth required from 40 metres to 21 metres per pile,” Heringer said.

“Based on the 100 piles forecast for the project, this predicted a savings of $1.4 million. Shallower installations and smaller diameter piles save substantial labour-related time, equipment and operational expenses, maximizing deep foundation (return on investment) for project owners, design builders, foundation contractors and reducing risk for engineering firms (liability).”

The Ottawa LRT Project

Recently, the EB system proved its worth in the ongoing Ottawa LRT Project. In April 2019, Kiewit, as part of the East-West Connectors consortium (Kiewit-Eurovia-Vinci), was awarded Stage 2 of the project with Kiewit and Vinci completing construction services and WSP Canada Inc. and Hatch Ltd. for design engineering. This is a considerable project, with Phase 2 CLE alone covering a 27-kilometre LRT extension and 16 new stations.

Hicham (Sam) Salem, principal and design engineering lead at Scientific Applied Concepts Ltd. (SACL), became involved in the project when the design requirements for shoring supports couldn’t be met using standard post-grouted anchors.

“EB technology improves piles and tieback capacities usually by two or three times for piles and even more for tiebacks.”

Richard Heringer, Expander Body International

“We explained the EB product to the general contractor and the piling contractor,” said Salem. “They had designed shoring for an excavation in the west end, but test anchors didn’t deliver the required capacity. Two test EB anchors were installed at our suggested seven metres, and three standard post-grouted test anchors were even deeper than before, up to 28 metres. The traditional anchors still fell substantially short of the targets, while the EB anchors met the needed capacity at a depth of only seven metres. The decision was made to utilize the EB anchors for the excavation.”

The companies involved in this project published a conference paper for this comparative test that was presented at GeoSaskatoon2023 in October, titled “Performance Evaluation of Standard Grouted Anchors Versus Expanded Anchors” by Mudasser Noor (SACL), Salem (SACL), Hamid Batenipour (Kiewit Engineering Group) and Troy Skinner (Marathon Underground Construction Corporation).

Batenipour says the LRT station needed complex shoring to excavate and open the area. Rather than the much longer traditional tiebacks, the EB system allowed them to compete on the project.

We installed 29 EB tiebacks for a temporary shoring system. We did have to go back and modify the excavation, removing some of the soil to make a lower elevation for a crane pad, which meant the loading wouldn’t work for two of the EB anchors, but other than that, the system worked very well,” he said.

  • Two Expander Body units laid on ground
  • Expander Body standing vertically

Heringer says that the client, Kiewit and Marathon Underground Constructors Corp., needed a range of capacities of 1,400 kilonewtons (kN) for those anchors. Three traditional systems, including 10-strand cable to a depth of up to 28 metres or more, failed capacity needs (below 600 kN).

“(The EB 612) achieved 1,200 kN and (the EB 812 achieved) 1,400 kN at seven metres. That is a drilling savings of 24 metres (for each of the 29 tiebacks). These savings do not include time, labour, material or equipment, and (the products) are now being adopted as a potential solution for the balance of Phase 2 and Phase 3 of this major multibillion-dollar project,” said Heringer.

“We are a Canadian company, and our board of advisors and associates consists of deep foundation experts featuring world-recognized expert Bengt H. Fellenius, PhD. Wherever there is a deep foundation, EB technology is a potential solution. It all depends on the type of application and soil conditions, but what we say to clients is to send us the information. We’ll look at it at no charge and tell you whether our technology will work. We don’t claim to be a solution to every project, but want to provide better (return on investment) for everyone involved.”

There are hundreds of successful major international projects that used EB technology. With the recent completion of several successful projects in the U.S. and Canada, the EB system is quickly gaining recognition and acceptance in North America. Piling Canada

St. Vital bridge under construction

St. Vital Twin Bridges Rehabilitation Project

Canadians have become quite familiar with what’s known as the “construction season” in this country – that time of year when cities take advantage of the warmer temperatures and longer days of summer to complete as many infrastructure projects as possible.

However, for some commuters in Winnipeg, Man., a recent bridge rehabilitation project is now getting them used to the idea of a “construction year” (or two).

The St. Vital Bridge, comprised of two two-lane bridges spanning the historic Red River, first opened in late-1965, connecting the municipality of St. Vital to the city’s downtown. The two bridges connect Winnipeg’s Dunkirk Drive in St. Vital to the south with Osborne Street in Fort Rouge to the north, and have been an important part of helping the surrounding area grow and evolve.

After more than 50 years, the twin St. Vital bridges were starting to show their age and needed some serious TLC. The last rehabilitation of the structure was done in 1988.

“The reason for this rehabilitation project was the state of both the bridge deck and the driving surface,” said City of Winnipeg project manager and bridge project engineer Damir Muhurdarevic. “Anyone who has driven over the bridges over the last couple of years would think the bridge looked almost like a checkerboard because of all the repairs over the years. It was just in terrible condition.”

St. Vital bridge, under construction

In 2021, the City of Winnipeg conducted an extensive bridge condition assessment, which concluded that it was time for a partial or full deck replacement of both bridges. The City also assessed the nearby road conditions and determined that the streets on both sides of the bridge also needed major or minor rehabilitation. To save on schedule and budget, it made sense to repair the roads in conjunction with the bridge repairs and kill two birds with one stone.

“While this is being called a rehabilitation project, it’s really a significant multi-disciplinary project that includes the rehabilitation of the twin bridges’ superstructure, as well as the rehabilitation of the north and south sides of St. Vital Bridge, and the creation of new multi-use pathways and riverbank stabilization,” said Muhurdarevic.

M.D. Steele Construction was selected as the general contractor, and with construction beginning in March 2023, the scope of the approximately $60 million project will completely replace the concrete bridge decks, strengthen the steel girders, remediate the foundation, stabilize the riverbank and widen the bridge decks.

“It’s really a significant multi-disciplinary project that includes the rehabilitation of the twin bridges’ superstructure, as well as the rehabilitation of the north and south sides of St. Vital Bridge and the creation of new multi-use pathways and riverbank stabilization.”

Damir Muhurdarevic, City of Winnipeg

The project also significantly improves the active transportation network and brings 1,450 metres of new multi-use pathways and sidewalks to the community, enhancing the pedestrian and cycling connections and experience. When complete, the bicycle traffic will stop contending with cars in the shoulder lane and will pass north and south on both sides of the bridge without obstruction.

The west deck of the bridge was expected to be closed until November, with traffic limited to one lane in each direction. Bridge construction then switched to the east side until October 2024. The landscaping phase is expected to be complete by June 2025.

Keeping it green

Throughout the project’s design phases, the project team communicated constantly with the City of Winnipeg’s urban forestry department to ensure that the bridge rehabilitation would have minimal impact on the surrounding greenery. While approximately 50 trees were removed to accommodate the work on the bridge, once construction is complete, the landscaping program will plant 400 new trees and shrubs in and around the neighbourhood.

During the demolition of the existing bridge deck, the project team also created an environmental containment plan to keep all demolished materials out of the river ecosystem.

Heavy equipment working on St. Vital bridge
The project revitalizes the active transportation network with 1,450 metres of fresh multi-use pathways and sidewalks, enriching pedestrian and cycling connections for the community

“Because the work is taking place in the vicinity of and adjacent to the Red River, we had to submit an application to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, as well as a self assessment of our procedures,” said Muhurdarevic. “The project received approval to go forward after the department determined that the project only had a negligible impact to the environment, and any negative impacts that might exist were offset by our plans for positive enhancements.”

Like all City of Winnipeg projects, safety has been kept top of mind throughout the bridge rehabilitation. As part of this, M.D. Steele submitted a safety plan before the work commenced and has two full-time safety inspectors on site to ensure this safety plan is being followed.

Shifting challenges

Muhurdarevic says there are always three major challenges with any project: the schedule, the cost and the quality of the work. “The challenge is to get all three aligned, and we are trying really hard to keep everything in line so we can re-open the road before the snow flies,” he said. “But there’s not a lot of flex to the schedule, particularly when something unforeseen comes up.”

This was the case along the north bank of the Red River. In May, the team discovered that a pier supporting both decks of the bridge had shifted about an inch since the initial 2021 assessment and – if left alone – it would end up overstressing the foundation.

“We had set up monitors on the riverbank and noticed that some significant horizontal movements had occurred at the bottom of the pier towards the river, and the amount of movement we observed was higher than what would be acceptable and required remediation,” said Muhurdarevic. “Because of this, the consultant was tasked to do an additional analysis to come up with a design solution on what to do to prevent further movement.”

Workers working below St. Vital bridge

The solution was to underpin the pier, which consisted of encapsulating the existing pile cap and increasing the size of the structure holding up the deck. This meant driving 28 new steel H-piles around the existing pile count and constructing a much larger pile cap. The new pile cap offers a much larger and more stable supporting structure for the piers.

The new pile design does not rely on the old pile cap to support the structure’s weight, and the new pile cap now carries the entire load. The structural connection between the two bridge decks was achieved by doweling into the existing pile cap and installing dowels to achieve another connection.

Construction on the new pile cap started in July, and the work was completed in early September, just before the deck pour. “In the end, we were delayed by about a week, which – in the grand scheme of things for a project this size – is not all that large, and we were able to get back on schedule and within our original budgeted price,” said Muhurdarevic. Metro Piling Ltd., from Headingley, Man., completed the piling works.

Looking ahead

When fully complete in 2025, this rehabilitation and landscaping project will add another 50 years to the St. Vital bridges’ lifespan, breathe new life into the existing structure and improve travel through the area for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and transit users.

In addition to further improving the look and feel of the area, the City of Winnipeg is also incorporating a public art component into the project. It is currently working with the Winnipeg Arts Council to help shape an eventual art installation for the project zone. To do this, the council has established an art committee to develop ideas for what type of public art is most appropriate in this location.

“We now have a set of recommendations that came out of this process, and by the end of the year, the Winnipeg Arts Council will publish a call for artists to submit their art for competition. We ultimately want this project to be more than a route to traverse and instead become a destination that people want to see,” said Muhurdarevic. Piling Canada

Cartridge injectors on display

A Century of Lubrication Innovation and Counting

In 1926, Russell and Leil Gray fumbled with a manual grease gun in freezing Minneapolis temperatures that turned grease into a thick sludge. Thinking there had to be a better way, Russell came up with an air-powered, portable lubricator while working as a parking lot attendant.

The brothers ran with the idea and opened a store later that year to sell their new lubricator. That idea has since led to the creation of Graco Inc., which supplies technology and expertise for managing fluids and coatings in industrial and commercial applications.

“Our division is the founding division of Graco, so that’s something that we like to take a bit of pride in,” said Shane Norman, Graco’s global product marketing manager for the lubrication division. “We’ve been innovating in lubrication ever since. We’re strong in products found in service centres or maintenance shops that would be used to service the equipment in the piling industry.”

Their products are used in machines that prepare foundation work, such as excavation equipment and dozers. The lubrication products are often used when this large-scale equipment requires the 250- to 500-hour maintenance schedules. To assist with this maintenance, the company also offers pumps, hose reels, meters and fluid management systems that can track every drop of oil to ensure the end users are putting the correct oil into the proper crankcases.

Norman says this equipment can benefit from technologically advanced solutions when it comes to greasing, and there has been plenty of research and development into automatic lubrication products. The demand for automatic lubrication has increased since it was introduced more than 80 years ago.

“The automatic lubrication system market is going to grow significantly over the next 10 years.”

Shane Norman, Graco Inc.

“A lot of workers don’t want to pick up a grease gun every two or three hours to grease equipment and then go back to work or to refill hard-to-reach lube points on some pieces of equipment that aren’t very safe to get to. That’s where automatic lubrication comes in because it provides a much safer and more efficient use of everybody’s time and money,” said Norman.

Through automatic lubrication systems, grease is placed into a lube point at a designated time or cycle intervals to flush contaminants and maintain proper lubrication. This process allows workers to spend time on more productive tasks on jobsites and extends the life of the bearing or lubrication point. Further development and refinement of automatic lubrication systems is a priority for Graco, and Norman says demand for these systems will continue to increase.

Automatic lubrication systems

“The automatic lubrication system market is going to grow significantly over the next 10 years, specifically for two reasons: There is concern about safety and the lack of available workers to do the work,” Norman said. “In every industry, downtime is critical. With an automatic lubrication system, especially Graco’s newest product we’re launching, we’re focused on making the intervals longer between any failure or downtime. And once the service is required, we want to make it as easy and seamless as possible to get back to work.”

As the industry has changed, Graco has emphasized simplifying its oil and grease automatic lubrication systems. In 2018, it launched a new controller with Bluetooth capability to make it easier for either a distributor or end user to see the parameters of what is taking place within the system directly on their phone. This enables them to program the pump or download diagnostics directly from that controller via an app.

  • Graco Compact Dyna-Star automatic lubrication system
  • Graco GLC X auto lubrication controller

Graco has also launched new pumps over the last few years, focusing on integrating components that historically have been separate in the main pump casing. This innovation will not only make the components more compact, but it will also make them easier to service.

Another recent innovation has been the launch of a new set of injectors. Two different systems are available for dispensing grease to lube points. One is a series progressive system in which the grease travels through each metering block in a series, so one point has to dispense before the next point can dispense. The other is a single-line parallel-based system, so the main line is pressurized and once the injectors reach a certain pressure, grease is injected into the lube point.

“Since the injector space hasn’t had any innovation since the 1940s, the injectors on the market today look and feel the same as they have for decades. We took a step back and considered all the key stakeholders and what really impacts their jobs,” said Norman.

Servicing injectors

Injectors are usually replaced every one to three years, depending on how much the machine is used and how clean the grease entering the automatic lubrication system is kept. When an injector has to be changed, it usually takes two hands to do the job and about 15 to 20 minutes to complete because so many components and grease lines need to be removed.

“When we went back to the drawing board, we made a working section for our new GCI cartridge injector platform that is plug and play,” said Norman. “It’s just a threaded connection, so we can take out the old cartridge with an impact wrench and put in a new working section in less than a minute, and you are back up and running again. The additional benefit is that it’s a lot safer to do this since it only takes one hand, and you don’t have to spend as much time underneath the machine in cramped spaces where they mount the injectors.”

“Our division is the founding division of Graco, so that’s something that we like to take a bit of pride in.”

Shane Norman, Graco Inc.

He says manufacturing processes have also improved, so the new injectors have tighter tolerances and better surface finishes. It also provides about twice the lifespan of current injectors.

Graco products are currently sold through distributors and original equipment manufacturers. The company has online content and YouTube videos to assist with product use, and relies heavily on training its distributors so they understand how to install and service their products and perform any troubleshooting. The distributor usually works closer with the end user to ensure they get the most out of the products. After almost 100 years in business, Norman says Graco expects to continue being an innovation leader for another century.

“We’re going to continue to focus on efficiency improvements – whether it’s with the pump itself or on any other aspect of the system – but we are also going to focus on how we can get more data around automatic lubrication and vehicle service maintenance type products. We want to provide good insights for the end users so they know exactly what is going on with the systems. We want to make lives better and less complicated when it comes to lubrication.” Piling Canada

Contractor operating a hydraulic earth drill

Take Note

Mistakes in data recording have never been more costly than they are today. Spatial data helps aircraft to fly safely, money is stored on a server and reflected as numbers on a screen, and the odometer reading on a vehicle helps determine its value. Society generally accepts these co-ordinates, figures and numbers as true, so when they differ from reality, it can lead to chaos and unwise decisions.

By comparison, recording soil sampling data accurately and using proper sampling equipment may seem insignificant. However, whether it’s choosing the location for a new home or rotating crops that feed an entire country, the data will be used to make important, long-lasting decisions.

Thankfully, the world of soil sampling is not as time-sensitive as it is for a plane midflight; ample opportunities exist to use collection equipment precisely, and record, check and recheck data. With soil quality judged by the data derived from the sample, it’s essential to record data and practise accurate collection procedures at every opportunity. Properly implementing a few fundamental pieces of equipment and recording basic elements during sampling can save time, reduce cost and streamline operations for experienced geotechnical engineers and those just breaking into soil sampling.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have established guidelines and data crucial to an accurate and thorough soil sampling project, much of which can be recorded in the field before the sample is tested in a lab. Establishing a recording system before entering the sample site is crucial to accurate data recording and prompts the need for a dedicated soil sample log and pre-labelled containers. Preparing materials beforehand can allow a contractor to focus on recording data accurately and implementing the proper sampling equipment, like cathead kits, safety hammers and split spoon samplers, instead of fumbling through the process.

Unique identifier

Start by assigning the overall sample area a unique identifier, such as Sample Area One or SA-1. From there, the terrain layout and soil sample requirements will largely dictate the labelling method used, but sample areas can be broken down further into sample sites, like SS-1, SS-2 and so on. Borings can then be assigned to specific sample sites within the overall sample area. For example, SS-1 can contain borings 1-12, or B-1, B-2, etc., with the individual boring containers and the logbook labelled with this information.

Establishing a recording system before entering the sample site is crucial to accurate data recording and prompts the need for a dedicated soil sample log and pre-labelled containers.

Referencing and recording data will be much more fluid after establishing an identification system like the one above. From there, the contractor can decide what specifics should be recorded on the individual sample containers and what should be in the logbook. For example, recording boring co-ordinates, dates and times in both locations is good practice.

Date and time

Once containers have a label, the logbook is set up and data recording priorities have been established, contractors should note the date and time they arrive at the sample area, and the times for every boring within a sample site. For example, a contractor arrives at SA-1 at 9 a.m., takes their first boring, B-1, at the first sample site, SS-1, at 9:15 a.m., the second boring at 9:20 a.m., etc. Be sure to record the last boring time along with the time range for the sample site, SS-1, before moving on to SS-2 and restarting the process. With soil conditions constantly changing, the tiniest detail from time of year to time of day can impact the results and how they are interpreted.

Soil and weather conditions

Take note of the weather conditions upon arriving at the sample area and consider how these may change during the collection process. Also, note the soil conditions. Depending on soil type or conditions, a contractor may divide a sample area into sample sites, but individual boring conditions can still vary. Soil colour should also be noted, as it can give clues to the mineral content and soil condition.

Soil condition descriptors can be anything relevant, such as smooth, gritty, sand, clay, etc. At this point, soil conditions can also allude to specialty equipment requirements and techniques that may be needed.

Sampling techniques, drill type, boring depth and more

If soil is determined to be sandy and loose, this may call for switching to a hollow stem auger, which creates a natural casing in the soil and protects the sample from contamination by the unstable surrounding soil. A hollow stem auger’s centre rod and plug can be removed, providing a clean path to insert a soil sampler. If the environment makes this equipment change necessary, record it in the notes.

Contractor operating a hollow stem auger
Sandy and loose soil may call for a hollow stem auger. The contractor can remove the centre rod and plug of a hollow stem auger, providing a clean path to insert a soil sampler.

A sandy and confined environment may also call for a more manoeuvrable drill, such as a hydraulic earth drill or post-hole digger. These drills can be paired with tripod kits to ensure accurate sampling of 35 feet. More robust drills can sample in tough clay and remain manoeuvrable and compact by using stabilizing legs, tower kits, cathead kits and manual safety hammers to reach depths down to 100 feet.

Truck-and trailer-mounted drill options can reach similar depths. These may come with automatic hammers to ensure accuracy and make quick work of tough soils in more easily accessed sample sites. Look for original equipment manufacturers that pair soil sampling accessories with their drills to ensure compatibility, straightforward setup and smooth operation.

Record any equipment changes due to changing soil conditions, whether switching augers, using hand sampling tools or bringing in an entirely different drill rig. This will make a good reference for later to trace irregular sample results back to possible equipment-soil mismatches.

Equipment model names and drill types are also important to note. This may be the same for an entire sample area or change from site to site based on the soil conditions and sample requirements. For example, a contractor may use a hydraulic earth drill to reach a target depth and then use a manual or automatic safety hammer to drive in a split spoon sampler. These are all essential aspects of the sampling process that should be recorded. This helps in case of sampling anomalies or user errors, such as forgetting to discard the top few inches of a sample from a split spoon taken without using a hollow stem auger, as this commonly contains material that has dislodged from the walls of the borehole.

Record any equipment changes due to changing soil conditions, whether switching augers, using hand sampling tools or bringing in an entirely different drill rig.

Additionally, note the borehole depth and size of the soil sampler. Such as, “B-1 taken at a borehole depth of 20 feet with a 24-inch split spoon sampler.” At this point in data recording, consider noting the blow counts needed to drive in the soil sampler to the desired depth. This should be noted for every borehole.

Photos, photos, photos

Photos are an important part of the documentation process. While the camera on a smartphone will do, a dedicated field-ready camera with proper weather sealing and a removable memory card is ideal for collecting photos throughout the sampling process. Take landscape shots of the sample area to have them on hand for cross-referencing with a map and boring co-ordinates for later confirmation or questions that may arise after testing. Pictures of the sampling process at every borehole can also be helpful and shed light on mistakes when reviewed later. Additionally, the surrounding soil, the entire soil sample and any individual sections chosen from the sample should be photographed for later reference and note-taking confirmation. The camera used for site photography can also provide an excellent third source for referencing soil date and time, in addition to the logbook and containers.

Handling the sample

Different industries and contractors establish their own standard operating procedures for handling and storing samples. An overall guidance to not alter the sample’s chemical properties is generally followed based on which properties are of interest. However, an airtight container for storage in the field is essential. Place the samples in the shade, preferably in a cooler, until they can be refrigerated or sent to a lab. Individual labs may offer further shipping and storage recommendations.

While the impact of soil sampling may seem to rely solely on trusted systems, like a testing lab, to provide reliable data, it’s important to remember that the person in the field is still flying the plane. A contractor’s actions will determine how closely the soil sample at the lab represents the soil at the jobsite. A well-constructed soil sample log, diligent note-taking and proper sampling equipment will ensure every borehole counts, and any decisions made will be wise. Piling Canada

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Piling Canada is the premier national voice for the Canadian deep foundation construction industry. Each issue is dedicated to providing readers with current and informative editorial, including project updates, company profiles, technological advancements, safety news, environmental information, HR advice, pertinent legal issues and more.

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    About Us

    Piling Canada is the premier national voice for the Canadian deep foundation construction industry. Each issue is dedicated to providing readers with current and informative editorial, including project updates, company profiles, technological advancements, safety news, environmental information, HR advice, pertinent legal issues and more.

    Sign Up

    Submit your email to receive our e-newsletter.