Piling Industry Canada Magazins Issue #1 2015

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Piling Industry Canada

PICmagazine www.pilingindustrycanada.com

www.pilingindustrycanada.com

Issue 1 | 2015

Sunny Side up eCA pile driverSA better solution for Shore up new Jersey’ssolar farm drilling Superstorm defence

Movinginto the21st Century Science World’s pilingproject reaps benefits of BiM

Our support systems extend far below the surfaceThe only company that offers you all four types of support systems:

We carry ASTM A252, A139, A53 B

AWWA C200, API & CSA Specifi cations

Supporting the construction industry since 1953Delta

#6-8500 River Road

Delta, BC V4G 1B5

Phone: 604.946.2655

Fax: 604.946.2630

1.866.400.PIPE

Calgary

9100 Venture Avenue S.E.

Calgary, AB T3S 0A2

Phone: 403.236.1788

Fax: 403.236.2478

1.866.441.PIPE

Edmonton

6515 - 34th Street

Edmonton, AB T2B 2V8

Phone: 780.465.0671

Fax: 780.465.2367

USA

3888 - Sound Way

Bellingham, WA 98227-9754

Phone: 866.400.7473

Fax: 866.419.4005

> Concrete Pile > Steel Pipe

> H Pile > Sheet Pile

When We Build Our Facilities, Our Engineers Specify The Finest

Structural Materials.

Celebrating Forty Years of Quality Tube Products | 1-800-376-6000 | www.independencetube.com | www.itcpiling.comC H I C A G O , I L | M A R S E I L L E S , I L | D E C AT U R , A L | T R I N I T Y , A L

Aesthetically Pleasing, Structurally Sound. As an Architect or Engineer, you are always looking for that “perfect” building material. At Independence Tube we feel we have achieved that balance of looks and strength in our Hollow Structural Sections (HSS)

Cost Effective. Cost Competitive. But it gets better. Over 90% of the HSS products manufactured by Independence Tube meets or exceeds Grade C mechanical properties. Get the additional strength at no additional cost.

Plentiful Inventory. Renowned Rolling Schedule. We stock the inventory for your next project, and with our frequent Rolling Schedule, on-time delivery is a given.

You now have a choice: HSS looks great, meets all your quality requirements, and the price is right.

HSS SizesSQUARES

2"—12"

RECTANGLES2.5" x 1.5"—16" x 8"

ROUNDS2"—16"WALLS

.109" to .688"LENGTH

Up to 80' in length

HSS HOLLOW STRUCTURAL SECTIONS

QUALITY PRODUCT, READILY AVAILABLE

Every order, every time. Atlas Tube was founded in Harrow, Ontario, in 1984 with a focus on high-quality service and manufacturing excellence. Today, we’ve grown to become Canada’s largest manufacturer of straight-seam ERW pipe piling, but our dedication to meeting your needs remains the same. Our small-mill approach to service is backed by big-mill resources. And because Atlas Tube pipe piles are produced to meet or exceed ASTM A500, A252 and CSA G40.21 specifications, and are available in sizes up to 20" OD and lengths to 125', it’s easy to fulfill your exact project specifications — even on short notice.

When you have a tight deadline, Atlas Tube can deliver. Call 800.265.6912 or visit atlastube.com/stronger

14-JMC-1329_ad_Piling Canada Ad - June Issue_v4.indd 1 4/2/14 9:21 AM

YOU CAN

ON US!BUILD

DRIVEN. HELICAL. CONCRETE. MICRO. ANCHORS. THE CHOICE IS YOURS.

OFFERING OUR PILING, ENGINEERING, & BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION SERVICES NATIONWIDE

FORT ST. JOHN • GRANDE PRAIRE • CALGARY • REGINA • ST. JOHN’S • GOOSE BAY

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6 PIC Magazine • June 2015

DELCommunications Inc.

PIC Table of Contents

DELCommunications Inc.

Published by

Suite 300, 6 Roslyn RoadWinnipeg, ManitobaCanada R3L 0G5

President & CEO: David Langstaff

Publisher: Jason Stefanik

Managing Editor: Carly [email protected]

Sales Manager: Dayna [email protected]

Advertising Account Executives:Jennifer HebertMichelle Raike

Production services provided by:S.G. Bennett Marketing Serviceswww.sgbennett.com

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© Copyright 2015, DEL Communications Inc.All rights reserved.The contents of this pub lica tion may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without prior written consent of the publisher.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein and the reliability of the source, the publisher in no way guarantees nor warrants the information and is not responsible for errors, omissions or statements made by advertisers. Opinions and recommendations made by contributors or advertisers are not necessarily those of the publisher, its directors, officers or employees.

Publications mail agreement #40934510Return undeliverableCanadian addresses to:DEL Communications Inc.Suite 300, 6 Roslyn RoadWinnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3L 0G5Email: [email protected]

PRInTED In CAnADA 06/2015

PIC News ................................................................................................................................8

Moving Into the 21st Century – SCIeNCe World’S PIlINg ProjeCt reaPS beNefItS of bIM ............................................ 14

gearing Up – WearINg the rIght ClothINg oN the job CaN MeaN So MUCh –yoUr CoMfort, yoUr haPPINeSS, aNd eveN yoUr Safety ..................................................................................................... 20

New Central library raises More Than just expectations .......................................... 22

Piling It on – SePt-IleS getS a MUltI-USer Wharf ............................................................................... 26

Sunny Side Up – a better SolUtIoN for Solar farM drIllINg ............................................................. 30

lifespan – dIgNIfIed eNd IN SIght for SIr aMbroSe Shea lIft brIdge ...................................... 36

a Simple Strategy – great rIgS brINg the CUStoMerS IN; great ServICe keePS theM CoMINg baCk ..................................................................... 38

eCa Pile drivers Shore Up New jersey’s Superstorm defence ................................... 42

Quick-draw grizzly Multigrip – NeW PIle drIver delIverS oN all CoUNtS ................................................................... 44

get on hercules’ Side – the CoMPaNy’S SIde grIPS have beeN revolUtIoNIzINg WorkSIteS SINCe 1998 ........................................................................ 48

Three Steps – MaNagINg rISk WIth fUgro loadteSt’S INNovatIve SolUtIoNS ............................ 50

on The best behaviour – geokoN’S Model a9 retrIevable exteNSoMeter SySteM .......................................... 52

On the cover: An APE 200-6 driving soldier piles for a temporaryretaining wall on the North East Anthony Henday Project. Flatiron Construction Corporation, the contractor, is shown constructing shoring works for work on one of the projects’ bridge ramps. In addition to the 200-6 vibro, an APE Model 600 Super Kong and 2 APE diesels and also being utilized for foundations and other earth retention work.

The Project is run under a joint venture: Flatiron-Dragados-Aecon-Lafarge JV.

APE Canada 9004B Yellowhead Trail, Edmonton AB, Canada T5B 1G2Office: (780) 474-9888 • Toll Free: (855) 328-9888Larry Mulanax, North Central Regional Mgr., [email protected] Colin Grindle, Sales/Rentals, Cell: (587) 784-5050, [email protected]

APE

CANADA LTD ● A

PE CANADA LTD

●

As a premier steel foundation supplier now offering NZ sheets in addition to our extensive product line, Skyline Steel is the ideal partner for your next project.

Visit www.skylinesteel.com/nz or call 888.450.4330.

SectionWidth

in

Heightin

Thicknessin

Pilelb/ft

Wall Weight

lb/ft2

Section Modulus

in3/ft

Moment of Inertia

in4/ft

NZ 19 27.56 16.14 0.375 55 24.05 35.08 283.1

© 2015 Skyline Steel, LLC. Skyline Steel is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nucor Corporation, the largest producer of steel in the United States.

Skyline_PIC_NZ_0515_f.indd 1 5/14/15 3:40 PM


CanadaPiling Industry NewsJobsite premiere of Liebherr’s Largest duty cycLe crawLer crane

liebherr’s hS 8300 hd, the world’s larg-est duty cycle crawler crane, recently had its premiere on a jobsite in bavaria. It is the first liebherr crane for the construction machinery market to be equipped with the innovative hy-brid drive Pactronic®.

The hS 8300 hd combines the traditional robust design of liebherr’s range of heavy duty cycle crawler cranes with state-of-the-art-technologies. Thus, the efficiency of the machine is significantly improved during practical application. for a further increase in performance the crane is fitted with hydraulic free-fall winches offering approximately 50 tonnes of line pull.

Since the end of 2014 the company Wanner & Märker has been using the new duty cycle crawler crane for gravel excavation in one of their three quarries. The jobsite is located in the south of germany, close to the city of In-golstadt.

The proportions are remarkable. The ma-chine, with an entire weight of more than 350 tonnes, operates on the site with a 44-milime-tre-long main boom and a dragline bucket made by rädlinger. The digging depth is ap-proximately 26 metres, the unloading height about 15 metres. apart from the dimensions of the hS 8300 hd, which dwarf other duty cycle crawler cranes in comparison, the machine impresses with its innovative hybrid drive al-lowing an increase in turnover at the jobsite by up to 25 per cent.

powerful hybrid drive pactronic®The hS 8300 hd is the first construction

machine on the market to be equipped with the Pactronic® system developed by liebherr. This innovative hybrid drive based on hy-draulics offers both economic and ecological advantages. Surplus energy is stored and sub-sequently regenerated so increasing the mate-rial handling capacity while at the same time significantly reducing fuel consumption.

The hybrid drive is already a proven tech-nology. It has been used in liebherr’s mobile harbour cranes since 2010 and has contributed to the consolidation of the world market leader position of this product line. The proven tech-nology of the hydraulic accumulator ensures low maintenance requirements and maximum

reliability. The reduced energy consumption considerably reduces emissions therefore causing much less environmental pollution.

extended service lifeIn the development stage special attention

was paid to an extended service life of the duty cycle crawler crane. Therefore, the steel fabri-cation of the basic machine is extremely solid and critical points were reinforced using extra high-quality materials such as carbon fibre. furthermore, special production methods, in-cluding the use of automated welding robots, increase the machine’s service life even under extreme operational conditions.

apart from dragline operation the hS 8300 hd is suitable for various other material han-dling jobs. The machine can, for instance, also be equipped with an orange-peel grab and a clamshell.

as other liebherr machines the hS 8300 hd incorporates many components and sys-tem solutions developed by liebherr. apart from the homogeneous system this also guar-antees high availability of spare parts within the liebherr service network. The proven li-tronic control system, which is based on CaN-bUS technology and includes all control and monitoring functions of the machine, belongs to the standard equipment of the hS 8300 hd. The litronic system works reliably even under extreme weather conditions and vibrations.

piLe dynamics compLeteLy revamps its piLe driving anaLyzer® system

Pile dynamics has recently announced the release of a new model of Pile driving ana-lyzer® (Pda) System, the Pda-8g, billing it as the culmination of a complete redesign effort

of the most widely employed system for dy-namic load tests of any type of deep founda-tion. like previous Pdas, this eight generation model performs the test normalized by the american Society of testing and Materials standard aStM d4945. The test, which for many decades has been accepted as an alter-native for static load tests in more than 100 countries around the world, takes place either during pile driving or when a substantial mass impacts a non-driven pile. at each impact the Pile driving analyzer takes data obtained by sensors attached to the pile and calculates bearing capacity and other quantities.

In the new Pda-8g these quantities num-ber more than 230: a trove of information to the geotechnical engineer, who doesn’t even need to be at the job site. With this new model Pile dynamics made its Sitelink® technology easier to use. Sitelink transmits test data in real time from the field to an office computer at an alternate location. The majority of engi-neers will probably still use the Pda-8g in the field, however. for them, Pile dynamics made a tablet-like Pda that is thinner than previ-ous models, light, ergonomic, and with a high visibility touch-screen display that responds to gesture controls like swiping and pinch-to-zoom.

The Pda-8g is being offered with either four or eight universal channels of data ac-quisition, all compatible with both cabled and wireless sensors. This enhancement from pre-vious models is of particular interest to those who test large diameter shafts. data transfer from the sensors to the Pda is extremely fast, suitable to test piles driven with high blow rate hydraulic hammers. The Pda-S software includes extensive data input help and output customization, and two real time capacity cal-

Taking the

LEADin over 40 countriesaround the world

Deep Foundation Contracting ServicesLeader SystemsImpact Hammers

Statnamic Load Testing TechnologyReverse Circulation Drills

Custom Foundation EquipmentSite Support

Project Planning

www.berminghammer.com | www.berminghamfoundationsolutions.com

Wellington Street Marine Terminal, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8L 4Z9Tel: 1.905.528.7924 Fax:1.905.528.6187 | Toll Free: 1.800.668.9432 (in Canada and USA)

Canada's oldest and most innovativedeep foundation contractor - Since 1897


CanadaPiling Industry Newsculation methods (CaSe and iCaP®, which is similar to the well-respected CaPWaP® software). Incidentally, a new version of the CaPWaP data analysis software is also being released. all Pda systems include licenses of CaPWaP, of the grlWeaP Wave equation analysis software and of the complete Pda software suite.

Pile dynamics offers a host of other systems for quality assurance of deep foundation in ad-dition to the Pile driving analyzer. for more information on the Pda-8g visit www.pile.com/Pda.

atLas copco featured one-megawatt Qac 1200 generator at power-gen® internationaL

atlas Copco QaC 1200 generators produce one megawatt of predictable power. They can be used in prime power or critical standby applications in a multitude of industries, in-cluding construction, mining, and oil and gas. operators also can parallel as many as 16 QaC 1200 generators for greater dependability, ver-satility, and reduced fuel consumption.

The generators feature plug-and-play tech-nology that allows users to connect the units with a single cable. once this is done, they can connect the power cables to a common bus, set the desired parameters, and the generators au-tomatically synchronize. This enables the units to automatically power down or up, depending on the load requirement, which helps save fuel.

In addition to reduced fuel consumption, paralleled QaC 1200s provide more depend-able power than multi-megawatt generators. relying on a single multi-megawatt genera-tor for primary power puts the worksite and budget at risk if an outage occurs. by compari-son, running multiple, one-megawatt genera-tors that are paralleled keeps power supplied to tools and machinery even if one unit goes offline.

atlas Copco engineers the QaC 1200 into custom, 20-foot enclosures with the same footprint and form factor as ISo containers. This ensures the units are structurally sound and can accommodate features that would otherwise weaken the integrity of standard shipping containers such as larger openings for maintenance access and control panels on the outside. The enclosure also helps minimize engine noise to 75 dba at 23 feet, which makes it an ideal generator for sound-sensitive appli-

cations near hospitals, museums and schools.The International Convention for Safe Con-

tainers (CSC) also approves the 20-foot enclo-sures, which means cargo ships, railroad cars and semi-trailers can readily transport the QaC 1200 generators.

The QaC 1200 features a Cummins QSt30g5 diesel engine that is ePa tier 2 cer-tified and provides 1158 kva/926 kW prime power rating (60 hz). With this fuel-efficient, electronically-governed engine, the integrated fuel tank provides a minimum run time of eight hours.

engine fluids are plumbed to the edge of the skid on the QaC 1200 to eliminate the hassle of maneuvering pans into the interior space. The standard, spillage-free base frame is sized to contain 110 per cent of all the machine’s fluids and fuel, which safeguards the site and protects the environment.

atlas Copco also offers optional cold-weather packages for the QaC 1200 genera-tors. They include alternator heaters, coolant heaters and battery chargers to ensure depend-able starts and operations in cold climates.

ihc iQip opens new yard and offices in austraLia

IhC IQIP, part of royal IhC, is expanding its global presence with a new office and yard in Perth, australia. With the acquisition of its australian agent Machinery Supply on the 4th of May, IhC IQIP reaches a new milestone in her aim to be a strong local partner for its cli-ents. The facility provides the rental and sale of foundation, installation and decommission-ing equipment and aims to increase its service level to clients active in the oil and gas and coastal and civil market in australia and New zealand.

Increasing its local presence globally is an important part of the overall IhC IQIP strate-gy, states jan albert Westerbeek, executive di-rector of IhC IQIP. “as our existing customer base grows to include clients that operate all over the world, the demand to be served local-ly also increases, ultimately requiring equip-ment and servicing to be available nearby. our intention is to develop into a true international company, using our footholds to be as close to our customer base as possible.”

Through Machinery Supply, IhC has main-tained a solid presence in the australian re-gion for many years, already offering hydro-

hammers, vibratory hammers and fUNdex foundation rigs to her local customer base. In order to further expand the level of service and to provide access to its full range of equipment, IhC has acquired its agent. by doing so, IhC as total solution supplier is better able to sup-port clients in the oil and gas market and the coastal and civil markets.

profile royal iHCroyal IhC is focussed on the continuous

development of design and construction ac-tivities for the specialist maritime sector. It is the global market leader for efficient dredging and mining vessels and equipment – with vast experience accumulated over decades – and a reliable supplier of innovative ships and sup-plies for offshore construction.

IhC has in-house expertise for engineering and manufacturing integrated standard and custom built vessels, advanced equipment and also providing life-cycle support. This integrat-ed systematic approach has helped to develop optimum product performance and long-term business partnerships.

The company’s broad customer base in-cludes dredging operators, oil and gas corpo-rations, offshore contractors and government authorities. IhC has over 3,000 employees based at various locations in The Netherlands, brazil, China, Croatia, france, India, Malaysia, the Middle east, Nigeria, Singapore, Slovakia, South africa, the United kingdom, the United States and australia. technological innovation will remain the company’s underlying strength through its continuous investment in research and development. Moreover, it helps to safe-guard a sustainable environment.

profile iHC iQipIhC IQIP supplies innovative equipment

and smart solutions for foundation, installa-tion and decommissioning in the oil & gas, off-shore wind and coastal & civil market. found-ed in 2015 by merging four well known royal IhC subsidiaries IhC hydrohammer, IhC fUNdex equipment, IhC handling Systems and IhC Sea Steel, we draw on more than 200 years of combined experience and expertise and an unbridled passion for service and in-novation to meet the demands of a broad cus-tomer base, including oil and gas corporations, installation contractors, engineering agencies and government authorities. n

Authorized Distributor for the Following:

www.bayshoresystems.com

Call: 888.569.3745

More Drill Time.Less Down Time.

When you buy a LōDril®, TR Series, LAD Series or any other rig from Bay Shore Systems, you’ve made an investment that will keep paying you over and over again.

That's because Bay Shore rigs keep working over and over again. So, if you’re getting more downtime than drill time from your current equipment, it’s time to make a move to Bay Shore Systems.

• Solid Engineering• Common Source Parts• Rugged Construction• 95% Service Issues Resolved in Less Than 24 hours

PROUDLY MANUFACTURED IN THE U.S.A.

PIC Magazine • June 201512

PIC directory updates

Company Name: ______________________________ address: ______________________________________

City/Prov: _________________________________________________ Postal Code: ______________________

Phone: _________________________ fax: ______________________ toll free: __________________________

email: _____________________________________ Website: ________________________________________

Contact Person: ______________________________________________________________________________

Please fax this form to DEL Communications Inc. at 1-866-711-5282.

Did we make any errors?although every effort is made to ensure that all our information is accurate, we realize that some changes do occur. Please advise us of any changes to your listings by completing the form below, so we can ensure all changes/corrections are reflected in the next edition. del Communications Inc. does not assume any liability arising from errors, omissions, or accuracy of the listings.

Please update the following information:

Agra Foundations Limited Office Contacts Pile Contractor

Edmonton Head Office 7708 Wagner road NWedmonton, ab t5e 5b2Principal contact: jonathan hazenberg, PresidentPhone: (780) 468–3392fax: (780) 466-7465email: [email protected]: www.agra.com

Calgary Office416 Monument Place SeCalgary, ab t2a 1x3Principal contact: Steve Mallinson, general Manager – Calgary operationsPhone: (403) 272-5531fax: (403) 569-1007email: [email protected]

Saskatoon Office35571 range road 3051, Corman ParkSaskatoon, Sk S7t 1C8Principal contact: greg gelleta, general Manager – Manitoba, Saskatchewan operationsPhone: (306) 373-3762fax: (306) 955-2388email: [email protected]

Vancouver Office101 12391 horseshoe Way richmond, bC v7a 4x6Principal contact: alan Stewart, estimatorPhone: (604) 270-1115fax: (604) 241-7119email: [email protected]

Keller Canada/Keller Foundations/ Keller Pile DrivingPile Contractor, Consultant, Supplier, Manufacturer, Sister Company: Cyntech Construction ltd. (Screw Pile/Proprietary Piping anchor System – design, engineering, Manufacturing, Installation)

zone 3 – acheson Industrial area#2-53016 highway 60acheson, ab t7x 5a7Principal contact: Stephen e. olney director of business developmentPhone: (780) 960-6700fax: (780) 960-6725email: [email protected]: www.kellercanada.com

North American Caisson Ltd. (See Keller Canada)Pile Contractor, Consultant, Supplier, Manufacturer, Sister Company: Cyntech Construction ltd. (Screw Pile/Proprietary Piping anchor System – design, engineering, Manufacturing, Installation)

zone 3 – acheson Industrial area#2-53016 highway 60acheson, ab t7x 5a7Principal contact: Stephen e. olney, director of business developmentPhone: (780) 960-6700fax: (780) 960-6725email: [email protected]: www.kellercanada.com

SSA Recruitment Ltd.engineering/Consulting

Suite 600 1285 West broadwayvancouver, bC v6h 3x8Principal contact: julie hsuPhone: (778) 371-3435email: [email protected]: www.ssaltd.com/canada/

directorywww.pilingindustrycanada.com

Piling Industry Canada 2015 Directory

TORONTO: 519-623-6454OTTAWA: 613-241-5551

CALGARY: 403-248-4884www.hcmc.ca

“Innovation in Foundations”

HC Matcon Inc.122 Earl Thompson RoadAyr, Ontario N0B 1E0

Tel: (519) 623-6454Fax: (519) 623-6061

HCM Contactors Inc.# 9777 Enterprise Way SE Calgary, Alberta T3S 0A1

Tel: (403) 248-4884Fax: (403) 248-4897

TORONTO: 519-623-6454OTTAWA: 613-241-5551

CALGARY: 403-248-4884www.hcgroup.ca

“Innovation in Foundations”

Shotcrete Shoring CaissonsPiles and Lagging Helical PilesSlurry Walls MicropilesUnderpinning Rock AnchorsSoil Anchors Caisson WallsStructural Shotcrete

HC Matcon Inc.122 Earl Thompson RoadAyr, Ontario N0B 1E0

Tel: (519) 623-6454Fax: (519) 623-6061

HCM Contactors Inc.9777 Enterprise Way SECalgary, Alberta T3S 0A1

Tel: (403) 248-4884Fax: (403) 248-4897


canada | U.s. | internationalPICMoving Into The 21st Centuryscience worLd’s piLing proJect reaps benefits of bim

By Melanie Franner

traditional paper-based drawings may be the status quo for many in the Canadian construc-tion industry but some leading-edge innova-tors have made the transition into the digital world. building Information Management (bIM) has already taken root in some sectors and is proving to be an invaluable tool – even in the piling industry.

bim by design“I’ve been using bIM for about eight or nine

years now,” states geraldine rayner, vice-presi-dent of Consulting Services, Summit bIM Con-sulting ltd. “Unfortunately, the adoption rate across the industry has been patchy at best.”

according to rayner, there is still a lot of confusion around the concept of bIM. This has led to some hesitation and a slow adoption rate.

“bIM is a process of utilizing digital tech-nology to convey information rather than pa-per,” she says. “Some in the architectural com-munity are using bIM to produce black and white traditional drawings. a small number of people are using it as a tool to create a digital

prototype – that’s where the real value comes into the equation.”

The use of bIM-enabled software allows us-ers to access and manipulate data throughout the various stages of construction – from the design through to facilities management.

“bIM is really about trying to take the digi-tal prototype from the manufacturing side of the industry and applying it to the architectur-al and owner side,” adds rayner. “We can do the estimating, the time analysis, scheduling, ordering, etc. – all from a 3d prototype. This allows us to resolve any potential problems be-fore they occur – and well before getting to the actual job site.”

Key benefitsThere are many significant advantages in-

herent in the use of bIM, according to Sum-mit bIM Consulting. These include: collabora-tion, cost certainty, facility asset management, improved quality, informed decision making, increased productivity, reduced fM cost, reuse of data, reduced changes, reduced risk, and sustainable design analysis/visualization.

at the end of the day, bIM can reduce a project’s overall costs and improve efficiencies along the way.

a report from the Construction task force

in the United kingdom, Rethinking Construc-tion, cites recent studies that suggest: up to 30 per cent of construction is rework; labour is used at only 40 to 60 per cent of potential ef-ficiency; accidents can account for three to six per cent of total project costs; and at least 10 per cent of materials are wasted.

“More than 30 per cent of the cost of a proj-ect is tied up in inefficiencies, delays and wast-age,” states rayner. “as we learn to use bIM effectively, we can reduce this percentage. but the potential exists to eradicate it completely.”

rayner describes bIM as a number of dif-ferent tools. each segment of the construction industry has its own tool but there is a com-mon “language” that allows everyone to talk to each other. The information is entered once and then used repeatedly throughout the dif-ferent phases of the project. It may involve a bit more work at the front end but that extra work will reap digital rewards throughout the entire project – even once that project has been handed to the owner in the facilities and op-erations management phase.

a 2013 Mckinsey global Institute report on infrastructure productivity states that: “a key source of savings in project delivery is invest-ing heavily in early-stage project planning and design. This can reduce costs significantly by

Geraldine Rayner, vice-president of Consulting Services, Summit BIM Consulting Ltd.

O�ering a full range of piling products including sheetpile, H-pile, and pipe for sale or for rent anywhereacross North America from eight stocking locations.

Sheet piling - Hot Rolled, Cold Formed A572 Grade50 Standard. A690, A588, and other grades readilyavailable - all in your “as required” length.

Call us for support and service on your next project.

Providing Piling Product Solutions to the Heavy ConstructionIndustry for over 25 years

Providing Piling Product Solutions to the Heavy ConstructionIndustry for over 25 years

Providing Piling Product Solutions to the Heavy ConstructionIndustry for over 25 yearsO�ering a full range of piling products including sheetpile, H-pile, and pipe for sale or for rent anywhereacross North America from eight stocking locations.

Sheet piling - Hot Rolled, Cold Formed A572 Grade50 Standard. A690, A588, and other grades readilyavailable - all in your “as required” length.

www.rollformgroup.comRoll Form Group Suite 100 - 6701 Financial Drive, Mississauga, ON L5N 7J7 Tel: (905) 270-5300 Fax: (905) 593-3489 950 Industrial Road, Cambridge, ON N3H 4W1 Tel: (519) 650-2222 Fax: (519) 650-2223 26 Country Road 351, Iuka, MS, 38852 Tel: (662) 424-1460 Fax: (662) 424-0314Piling Products 945 Center Street, Green Cove Springs, FL, 32043 Tel: (904) 287-8000 Fax: (904) 529-7757


canada | U.s. | internationalPIC

preventing changes and delays later on in the process when they become ever more expen-sive. bringing together cross-functional teams from the government and contractor sides early in the design process can avoid the altera-tions that lead to 60 per cent of project delays.”

Summit bIM Consulting typically works with building owners, many of whom have used bIM to great advantage.

“The cost of change orders on a project can be about 10 per cent,” says rayner. “owners have to bear that cost. our clients have all seen a reduction in the number of rfIs and the number of change orders associated with their building projects. They have seen some definite benefits, like having all of the build-ing’s information data go straight through to building, maintenance and operations depart-ments, without needing to be re-entered along the way.”

other important elements that bIM brings to light – before actual construction – are soft and hard “clashes”. The former refers to hav-ing enough space within a certain area of the building to do the required work and the latter is used to identify actual obstructions, such a

pipe hitting a duct. all of this becomes readily apparent when working in 3d.

“There’s no doubt that bIM has the potential to improve industry efficiencies,” says rayner, who adds that the design side of the industry has the skill set to start generating this data and many of the large construction contractors have evolving bIM departments – all of which is very good news.

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Michael Sullivan, CTech, a Structural Technologist/BIM Specialist with Bush, Bohlman & Partners

piLing worK proves premiseWhen consulting structural engineering

firm, bush, bohlman & Partners, was awarded the $35-million renovation project to Science World in 2011, they didn’t hesitate to make use of revit Structure within a bIM process to cre-ate a 3d digital version of the existing building structure. That foresight has paid huge divi-dends along the way.

Science World at telUS World of Science is located in an iconic geodesic dome, which was originally built for expo ’86 as a temporary structure. The building is close to 30 years old – and still going strong. This is due, in part, to the massive structural engineering work completed in 2011.

“Part of our work in 2011 was to do a seis-mic assessment and retrofit of the original expo building podium structure utilizing 3d dy-namic analysis,” states Michael Sullivan, Ctech, a Structural technologist/bIM Specialist with bush, bohlman & Partners (consulting struc-tural engineers), who adds that the podium and base structure support a 47-metre high geode-sic dome and was built partially over water.

“The existing building structure used a com-

plex and congested pile-supported foundation system – with battered piles at major column-support locations. during this expansion proj-ect, over 400 – or 98 per cent – of the existing piles were modelled digitally,” he explains.

extensive new piling work was required on the Science World podium base structure’s ex-isting foundation system. large steel moment-resisting frames were centred along the radial gridlines on the west side. The frames were anchored by custom-cruciform shape, wide-flange columns. The steel columns were then supported by the new pilecaps keyed into the existing concourse level such that no addi-tional gravity or seismic loads were transferred back to the existing structure.

bush, bohlman & Partners used revit soft-ware to determine where the existing piles were located so that workers could cut through the podium’s deck structure to drive the new piles.

“We used the modelling software initially to lay out the locations of the existing piles and to where to cut through the existing deck to drive the new piles,” explains Sullivan, who adds that the new piles were designed to support the new expansion seismic retrofit and relieve the load from the existing structure. “We cast the pile caps directly into the holes cut through the existing deck structure.”

east meets westThe west side of the podium structure re-

quired over 40 new concrete-filled steel piles, of which 30 were battered piles. The former were 508 centimetres in diameter and 15 me-tres long. The latter were 610 centimetres in diameter and 15 metres long, each with a 55 milimetre diameter dywidag rock anchor. all

of these piles had to be driven from a rig set up on a barge on the false Creek side of the building.

“The battered piles were part of the seismic system upgrade,” explains Sullivan. “Where new columns bear on an existing concrete beam, we spanned new reinforced concrete beams underneath that existing beam and placed pilecaps with battered piles, in groups of three, on either side to transfer the new column loads off of the existing deck support beams.”

The renovation and expansion work on the east side of the podium wasn’t as extensive and didn’t require seismic upgrading to the exist-ing previous expansion completed in 1988. a total of 20 new piles were driven to support the new entry sequence and augment the struc-ture’s existing foundation system.

“The use of revit software in this project was huge,” states Sullivan. “It facilitated the installation of the piles relative to the dome and to the existing piles. The facility remained open during the work so being able to know the exact locations of where to cut through the deck was invaluable. We used revit to lay it all out before we started the actual work. Plus, the existing battered piles were slanted and angled in different directions. We used revit to lay out where each new pile could be located without running into the other piles already there.”

more to comealthough the benefits of using bIM tools

were well established – and capitalized upon – during the 2011 renovation project, it looks like it may be a case of where bIM just keeps on giving. last year, telUS World of Science

Piling Industry Canada • June 2015 19

canada | U.s. | international PICagain approached bush, bohlman & Partners.

“They asked us to conduct an assessment of the dome and piling foundation structure because the facility has long outlasted its ini-tial lifespan as a temporary structure,” states Sullivan. “We’ve been tasked to review all of the existing structure with the goal in mind to make it last many more years.”

In 2014, bush, bohlman & Partners com-pleted the condition assessment study of the entire existing building and expansion base structure, which involved going out in a small boat at low tide and doing an extensive visual study of the underneath of the existing base structure. This study revealed the damaging effects of salt water on the existing steel piles and these were categorized within the 3d digi-tal model to create a comprehensive condition assessment report of the base structure. This information will be used to facilitate any fu-ture remediation work.

“We categorized the piles according to the severity of their condition and then colour-coded and scheduled them for easy identifi-cation,” states Sullivan. “and we can provide all of that detailed information up front so

that contractors know exactly where and what needs to be done to provide more accurate bids.”

fortunately, bush, bohlman & Partners al-ready had completed a lot of the preliminary work required in the condition assessment study – thanks to their use of bIM on the 2011 renovation project.

“It does take longer to digitally model a building, especially an existing structure like Science World,” concludes Sullivan. “but we’re certainly pleased that we put the energy in to do it in 2011. Not only did it prove advanta-geous back then but now, with this new assess-ment four years later, it will make our work that much easier.” n

PROJECT No.CHECKEDDRAWNSCALED/M/Y

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consulting structural engineers

B U S H, B O H L M A N & P A R T N E R S

The Revit Structure Model in which these documents reside, and all families created andcontained within the Revit Model, are the sole property of Bush, Bohlman & Partners andremain exclusively for the use of Bush, Bohlman & Partners unless otherwise authorized.

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Science World Facility Renewal Project

Existing Piling 3DSR101

EXISTING PILING CONDITION SCHEDULECONDITION DESCRIPTION TOTAL

A STEEL IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, NO VISIBLE RUST, NO MATERIAL LOSS 56B VISIBLE BUT LOCALIZED LIGHT RUST, NO MATERIAL LOSS 78C EXTENSIVE VISIBLE LIGHT RUST, NO MATERIAL LOSS 128D HEAVILY RUSTED WITH POSSIBLE SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF MATERIAL 46E HEAVILY RUSTED WITH PROBABLE SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF MATERIAL 94

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Why is this man smiling?Lee Sieng Kai uses the Geokon Model A-9 Retrievable Extensometer to measure strains along concrete piles during static load tests. The Model A-9 eliminates the need to install tel-tale rods or strain gages and can be used again in future tests. The Model A-9 saves time and money – and

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canada | U.s. | internationalPICGearing Upwearing the right cLothing on the Job can mean so much – your comfort, your happiness, and even your safety

By eMily Pike

Working outside in the heat of the summer is something that office workers pine for, but those in the sun know it can come with its own set of problems. Sunburn, overheating, sweaty clothes, and not having the right gear for a change in weather can all make you miserable during the workday.

When it comes to getting the right clothes for the job, quality is an important consider-ation. In cases where the employer supplies the worker’s personal protective equipment, quality garments mean they replace them less and workers have the confidence in knowing they’re protected. david finlayson, North american product manager for helly hansen Workwear, outlines the types of questions to ask when buying:

“Will the reflective striping work after it has been washed a few times? Will background co-lours continue to stand out when a garment is dirty? Will fire-resistant treatments wash out? do I trust that the manufacturers will stand behind their products?”

With the ultimate goal being comfort and safety for workers and employers, finlayson knows companies that buy their employees’ equipment need to ensure they are of a high standard.

“When you are working in some of the most demanding conditions, you need to know that your clothing will perform as expected. leav-ing the jobsite during the day to replace torn personal protective equipment is not an op-tion for a lot of people. Companies need to trust that manufacturers and brands are using fabrics and materials that will last and protect all the time,” he states.

Whether you’re on a budget, or just starting out in the industry and don’t know what to buy first, finlayson shares what goes on your feet can get you to dance a jig on the way to work, and also on the way home.

“I have never heard a complaint from some-one who has purchased great boots that it was not worth the investment. one of our biggest retail partners, Mark’s, sells a line of helly

hansen Workwear boots that are drawing rave reviews. Mark’s is also known for their very strong line of dakota products,” he adds.

but that’s not all. finlayson also recom-mends that you invest in some quality bot-toms: shorts or pants, whichever you prefer are best suited to the job.

“you are going to be wearing these every day and they will be subject to wear and tear, especially by our hardest-working customers. buy the ones that you will not need to replace every few months or it will cost you more in the long run,” he explains.

This summer, finlayson’s go-to product is their Chelsea Construction Pant. taking off faster than any other product they’ve launched in the last decade, and a hit in europe for sev-eral years, this multi-purpose clothing item has everything you need in a work pant.

“It has hanging pockets in the pants for nails, screws and other pieces, Cordura re-inforced knees and cuffs, and a nice blend of


canada | U.s. | international PICcotton to ensure it is a little cooler in the sum-mer. It works well for any tradesman - working inside or outside.”

keeping cool while working is an achievable goal as what you’re wearing moves sweat away from your body.

“The body’s temperature drops when sweat stays in the fabric, causing a chilling sensation. you want layers that will move moisture away from the skin so it can evaporate. you don’t want employees to cool off too much, but you also don’t want to run the risk of heat stroke,” explains finlayson.

Working outdoors means you have to be ready – rain, sun, wind – you can never really know what to expect. to be completely geared up, finlayson recommends: “boots, moisture-wicking baselayers (including socks, a t-shirt, and a hat), a midlayer that is Uv protectant and an outer layer depending on the weather (such as rain gear, windproof shells, trades jackets), and high-visibility vests or outerwear if you are working near traffic. don’t forget your helmet and safety goggles or sunglasses.”

If you work outside, you likely don’t have

the option of being a fair-weather employee. finlayson knows that making sure you’re pre-pared can ensure the sun shines on your work-day, no matter what the weather.

“Wear an undershirt that wicks away mois-ture – it will keep you dry and comfortable;

make sure you have a ball cap or a high-visi-bility hat with a brim; bring along a packable, lightweight rain-suit for those impromptu changes in forecast that are common in Cana-da; and don’t forget your sunscreen, and water for hydration.” n

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canada | U.s. | internationalPICNew Central Library Raises More Than Just Expectations

By Melanie Franner

Calgary’s New Central library will soon be a welcome addition to the east village, helping to re-connect this vibrant new community with the downtown core. It will certainly stand as a landmark building – an unusual geometric oval shape with a soaring, four-storey atrium – but it will also stand as a testament to innova-tive design, engineering – and piling.

an unusuaL siteThe reason the New Central library will be

one of the city’s more prominent architectural feats lies with the fact that it is being built on a piece of land bisected by an existing lrt line. This necessitated the architects lift the ground plane up and over the lrt tracks and create a raised foundation in the process. No simple task.

but fortunately, Calgary Municipal land Corporation (CMlC) was able to tap into some well-honed experience.

“CMlC hired us to do a study that showed

it was possible to build over a live lrt track,” states Ian Washbrook, associate, entuitive, the structural engineering firm on the project. “We had the unique experience of designing and building the Manhattan West platform at Penn Station in New york, the busiest com-muter rail line in North america, on a site that was dissected by many active rail lines. our so-lution for that project demonstrated that it was economically feasible to build over the existing lrt tracks on the Calgary site.”

Next up was the architectural team, which was comprised of Snøhetta and dIalog.

“We viewed the site as a ‘probatunity’, which is a combination of problem and opportunity,” explains rob adamson, partner, dIalog. “The geometry of the curving train tracks meant that the building was sort of separated in two. There was no budget in the project to re-align the tracks so we had to sit back and think of how we could leverage the situation to be an opportunity. We ended up designing

a curving, structural system to the building. The fact that we had to go up and over the lrt tracks enabled us to make an amazing outdoor public plaza where people in the community can congregate.”

building up and over the lrt tracks meant that the tracks had to be encapsulated – the first time in Calgary’s history that an active lrt line is being encapsulated to allow for above-grade development. The project will cover 135 metres of lrt track and is cov-ered within the New Central library’s total $245-million budget.

The other twist in the project was that the lrt had to remain operational.

“We had very limited opportunity to work with the lrt corridor shut down,” states Washbrook. “The window of time was be-tween 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. each morning. That, and the very rare times when the tracks were shut down for regular maintenance, were the only incidents of the power being shut down.


canada | U.s. | international PIC

during operational hours construction cannot take place within the right of way. Innovative construction solutions were needed to limit and mostly eliminate work within this zone.”

piLing particuLarsentuitive started on the project in january

2014. The design encapsulation and construc-

tion documents were completed in august. The structural engineering firm did, however, begin sequential tendering in September to advance the pile work.

The piling work started on the east side of the site.

“our solution to encapsulate the tunnel prior to building the library involved the use of very, very deep piles that ranged between 18 and 25-metres long and with diameters of four to six feet,” says Washbrook. “The piles were rock-socketed in 10 metres or more of bedrock. We then installed the grade beams and steel posts in the pre-formed wall panels before pouring the tunnel walls.”

The pre-cast double-tee roof structure is scheduled for installation on top of the pre-formed walls in august 2015.

The existing lrt communications and power lines on the north end of the east side of the site posed a bit of a challenge in the encap-sulation process.

“There was one area, in particular, where the communications and power lines were right in the way of our piles,” states Washbrook, who adds that the piles were spaced 10 to 12 metres

apart. “We didn’t want to increase the width of the tunnel in that particular area as it would increase costs significantly and increase the depth of the tunnel structure required, result-ing in an architectural impact of the library. We had to build a temporary cantilevered frame to support the rerouting of perma-nent communication and power lines before

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the new permanent piles could be advanced through the abandoned existing communica-tion and power lines. This took some plan-ning and sequencing. There was a four-month period where no piling took place while this rerouting was taking place.”

eighteen piles were driven in the southern end of the east side of the encapsulation proj-ect in September 2014. The remaining three piles on the east side went in after the rerout-ing of the communications lines.

worK in progress“This project is very challenging,” states

rodrigo fragachan, project manager, bau-er foundations Canada Inc., the company charged with doing the piling for the lrt encapsulation component of the project. “The piling work occurred right beside the high-voltage lrt lines so it meant for very, very tight conditions. We used a bauer bg28 rig, which barely fit in some areas.”

fragachan adds that the tightest corner on the site was about eight metres wide.

The encapsulation piling project was di-vided into two phases. a temporary working platform had to be installed in order to ensure that the rig was stable and would not affect the active lrt.

“The majority of piles used tremmie con-

crete methods due to the presence of ground-water in the pile bore,” says fragachan. “We installed mesh and barricades as additional safety measures to ensure that nothing got on the tracks. all the groundwater had to be pumped, treated and then disposed of.”

according to fragachan, the company had an average crew size of between five and seven on site during the piling work on the east side.

“one of the biggest challenges we had was the use square dowel cage inside the centre of the pile’s reinforcement cage in order to ac-commodate the grade beams,” he says. “The dowels had to be installed in a particular ori-entation and extra caution was exercised while extracting the casing in order to reduce the rotation of the cage.”

fragachan and his team completed the pil-ing work on the west side in May of this year. They then had to disassemble the rig and move it to the east side before re-assembling it for work to begin anew. This alone will take three days.

west side storyThe piling rig was moved to the west side

of the site in april 2015. This second phase of the encapsulation piling will involve 20 piles in total. due to the tracks bisecting the site, the piling rig needs to demobilize and remobilize

as if the two sites are on opposite sides of town. The rig cannot drive overtop of the lrt tracks.

“The work on the west side will involve sev-eral large diameter piles,” states Washbrook, who adds that the larger diameter piles will range between five and six feet. “The larger di-ameters are needed here because some of the library columns share the encapsulation piles. There are four instances where we have four very large loads that will require large trans-fer pilecaps measuring more than 14 feet deep consisting of two, five-foot diameter piles.”

The library itself will require approximately 90 piles measuring between four and five feet in diameter. Washbrook anticipates that mo-bilization for the library work will begin this summer.

a Library LiKe no otherThe New Central library is scheduled to

open in 2018. When finished, it will have been several years in the making and will have drawn upon the expertise of almost all in-volved in the project. but it will be a bold and striking embodiment of being able to accom-plish the unthinkable – of bringing together two separate physical sites to create a unified whole and, in so doing, connecting two dis-parate communities to create a stronger city core. n

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canada | U.s. | internationalPICPiling It On sept-iLes gets a muLti-user wharf

By Colleen Biondi

The tiny town of Sept-Iles, Quebec, is a ship-ping icon and the busiest port in Canada next to vancouver and Saint john. Specifically, the community has transported billions of metric tonnes (Mt) of iron ore, from the labrador trough, to destinations like China, since min-ing began in the area. That history, although impressive, may be a thing of the past.

Sept-Iles now has bragging rights to a brand-new, 450-metre-long, multi-user wharf which will fundamentally change the look of the industry and its impact on the economy. The $220-million project – which began in the fall of 2012 and is just now operational – makes Sept-Iles the largest port in North america and poised to double its annual ex-porting capacity to 50 Mt. The cost of the project was shared by the federal government (25 per cent), the Port authority of Sept-Iles (25 per cent), and five iron ore mining compa-nies (50 per cent).

The new dock infrastructure allows two Chinamax freighters (each freighter can hold 350,000 Mt of product) to come right to the dock for loading; this replaces the unwieldy process of loading up on small ships at the dock and then going out into the bay to trans load onto big tankers. It is, quite simply, a deal

changer for the community – Sept-Iles will be a more competitive global player in the iron ore export business, competing neck and neck with the likes of giants like brazil and austra-lia.

Three years ago, bermingham founda-tion Solutions of hamilton was asked by the project’s general contractor, Pomereau, to bid on the foundational elements required for the project. It was appealing and a good fit says greg Stokkermans, professional engineer and project manager for bermingham foundation Solutions. after all, the company was an expert in marine work, having completed dozens of Canadian projects.

They got the nod that fall and began mo-bilizing in November 2012. The foundation components of the job – installing piles and drilling caissons – took one full year (the su-perstructure took a year longer). The shipload-ers have recently arrived from China after a 43-day, 10,275 nautical-mile trip through the Panama Canal, along with an elevator, a trip-per car and 27 conveyor galleries needed for this world-class structure to fully function.

Providing the foundation for a project of this magnitude and sophistication had its share of challenges adds Stokkermans.

The year-round construction schedule meant working in extremely cold conditions and battling both gusty winds and ice during the wintertime. during that timeframe, the order of the day included heating equipment, breaking ice, providing thermal clothing for employees, and mitigating health and safety concerns with watch, exit, rescue and buddy programs.

“you are on the gulf and exposed to the atlantic. It is very windy and you are working with very large booms. ambient temperatures can be as low as minus 30 C. It is tricky,” he explains.

each of the 130 super-large piles, which measured 190 feet long and weighed 65 tonnes each, used on the project were installed in one piece, requiring a complex and specially-designed infrastructure of hoists, cranes, drill and lead systems. at bermingham, engineers like Stokkermans’ design products like these using the latest 3d modelling and finite-el-ement analysis software. They also use field instrumentation and laboratory experiments (measuring strain, pressure, temperature, and load) to perfect each tool’s usage.

advanced systems, like these, increase the productivity of pile driving operations by min-imizing crane movements and decreasing the amount of time needed for the pile to be under the hammer and to be spotted (it is estimated that using such systems can increase produc-tivity from an industry standard of 50 per cent to 75 per cent). but safety is the number one benefit. Care is taken not to exceed the limits of the crane, but the most critical safety bonus is the smaller work crew needed to drive a pile. Since piles are placed with the aid of the hy-draulic spotter and lead, only a crane operator and front end man are needed to carry out the task.

In addition, once at the bedrock, piles were drilled four metres into six-foot-diameter rock sockets to ensure safe distribution of the load. an elaborate false work system was also con-structed in advance of the drilling to ensure



the piles were on location and supported. five months after the piles were concreted, the false work was safely removed.

finally, there were the minke whales. It was mating season for the popular mammals between May 1 and july 15 and the noise and vibrations associated with the drilling were simply too dangerous to the animals and their procreating activities. The department of fish-eries and oceans originally asked the crew to take special care and to monitor their actions and their proximity of the whale pods. but eventually, they directed the crew to cease op-erations during that time.

bermingham proposed an alternative. They created a “bubble curtain” which used air bubbles to absorb the noise of the project and agreed to certain work methodologies which contained mitigation measures. for example, they partnered with a halifax research firm to develop a monitoring program to track the ex-act sound the work was generating. They also created a special vision tool so they could see and accommodate the whales while working at night.

The end result was successful. The project crew worked through the vulnerable period; the noise and disturbance to the animals was minimal and within authority guidelines.

There were even personal challenges. Stok-kermans, his wife and small baby relocated to Sept-Iles for the duration of the project. but even that was opportunistic -- the engineer is now quasi-bilingual and has developed an ap-preciation for the positive dynamics of small-town living.

+1(281) 205-7261 | [email protected]

at day’s end, logistics and communication among the construction parties were key to the project’s success. Wall charts were constantly fluctuating with reprioritized steps and proce-dures; regular meetings ensured everyone was on track for daily tasks.

No one is happier with the result than Presi-

dent and Chief executive officer with the Port authority of Sept-Iles, Pierre gagnon.

“There’s never been a better time for the dock to open,” he says. “Its size and capacity… will mean significant economies of scale for new players in the iron industry, urgently needed in the current depressed market conditions.” n

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canada | U.s. | internationalPICSunny Side Upa better soLution for soLar farm driLLing

By david WolFe and Craig Berninger

The demand for utility-scale solar power grid systems, or solar farms, has skyrocketed in both the United States and Canada in recent years. This growth is in part due to government subsidies and tax credits such as the feed-In tariff (fIt) Program run by the ontario Power authority to promote the use of renewable energy.

as the solar farm industry has grown, so have regulations for their installation. for instance, frost protection is now required to reduce the possibility that the foundational posts will move due to frost heave

H.B. White drills postholes using a Soilmec SM-16 GT rig in the background. In the foreground, sewer pipes have been placed in the holes to prevent cave-ins.

– an upward swelling of the soil from ice growth during freezing tem-peratures. These stricter installation requirements have put increased demands on solar farm foundation installation.

In addition, large solar farms are typically installed over hundreds of acres on a very tight schedule, requiring contractors to increase their productivity and cost effectiveness. as the industry evolves, so does the need for more reliable equipment to complete jobs faster.

h.b. White Canada Corporation is a design-build contractor experi-enced in installing solar farms in ontario, Canada in conjunction with the fIt program. h.b. White engineers, procures, constructs, and com-missions complete solar power grid systems with the help of some sub-contractors.

When h.b. White constructed early solar farms, they used traditional methods and equipment. however, they quickly recognized that a new solution to solar farm installation was needed. They turned to Soilmec, using continuous flight augering (Cfa) with Soilmec SM-16 gt rigs to get the jobs done right.

at a typical solar farm, a rack is placed on four posts and then 36 solar panels are attached to each rack. The solar panels each weigh ap-proximately 25 kilograms. The posts are installed at a depth adequate to provide the necessary uplift and lateral support, for instance to protect

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against the uplift force due to wind blowing on the underside of the solar panels. The required post depth varies with the subsurface conditions, but posts are normally driven into the ground at a depth of about three metres.

probLems with traditionaL soLar farm instaLLation

h.b. White has been working in the renewable energy sector for more than 10 years, starting with the installation of wind farms and more re-cently solar farms. In 2013, they installed a solar farm in alfred, ontario – a 10 MW site that included 5,500 posts, 1,500 racks, and 50,000 solar panels. They constructed this solar farm across 100 acres of land located in a low-lying bog during the early summer when the soil was dry, using traditional installation methods.

Solar farm posts are normally installed with low-cost equipment. The postholes are drilled with an auger attached to a skidsteer, backhoe, or excavator, or they are simply pounded into the ground with a post-driving machine. When hard ground is encountered, an air-track drill machine is often used.

during construction on the alfred site, h.b. White used two skid-steers with 1.2-metre augers and multiple 0.6-metre extensions to drill holes with a 254 millimetre diameter and 2.4 metre depth. They then moved in hydraulic post drivers to pound in the posts the final 1.2 me-tres.

When drilling with the skidsteer and extended auger, h.b. White had to track the machine forward as they lowered the boom to keep the hole straight. This was a serious challenge. on a daily basis, they broke auger extensions. and when they tried to drill fast, it resulted in non-vertical holes and led to a hole rejection rate as high as 25 per cent. approxi-mately 1,375 of the 5,500 posts needed adjustment to meet specifications.

In 2014, they constructed another solar farm in Welland, ontario, which was a similar size to their previous project in alfred. Initially they moved forward with the traditional skidsteer method. however, this time they had the added challenge of winter weather and abrasive ground conditions, leading to a failure rate of 50 per cent when installing the first 500 posts. This was due to augers walking, metal breaking from the cold temperatures, and holes that weren’t straight.

a change was needed to make their budget and schedule.

Soilmec SM-16 GT rig is ready to start drilling postholes at the Marsh Hill Solar Farm.

Operations are in full swing as H.B. White drills holes and installs smartposts with frost sleeves.

new soLution for soLar farm instaLLationh.b. White began researching their options and Soilmec provided

their solution: continuous flight augering using a Soilmec SM-16 gt rig. The choice was clear, once they did a detailed breakdown of the cost of their current installation method compared to the cost of renting the Soilmec SM-16 gt rig. for instance, they were previously drilling post-holes with two skidsteers, two operators, and four labourers. This work could be done more cheaply and reliably using one SM-16 gt rig, one operator, and two labourers.

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once they began Cfa drilling with a Soilmec SM-16 gt, h.b. White’s rejection rate reduced dramatically while productivity increased. Using two skidsteers with augers, they were drilling approximately 50 holes per day with a 25 per cent rejection rate per machine. The Soilmec SM-16 rig allowed them to drill 100 holes per day with a 10 per cent rejection rate, where rejections were largely due to in line measurement errors or augers hitting rocks.

The remaining 5,000 posts at Welland were installed using one SM-16 gt rig in three months, allowing them to complete the job on time and within budget.

moving forward with a new soLutionh.b. White has moved forward with solar farm installation projects

using Soilmec SM-16 gt rigs to drill all their postholes.Their latest solar farm project, the Marsh hill Solar farm, is located

in Uxbridge, ontario between Marsh hill road and highway 12. It was h.b. White’s largest solar farm installation yet – 7,000 posts, 1,750 racks, and 62,000 solar panels installed over a 90-acre site. The solar farm is capable of producing 18 MW of power.

They tackled the drilling using three Soilmec SM-16 gt rigs, which were equipped with augers that were 305 millimetres in diameter and 5.3 metres long. a fourth SM-16 gt rig was onsite as a backup.

The drilled holes had a 280 millimetre diameter and 3.8 to three metre depth. The Soilmec drill rigs performed well, averaging over 60 holes per rig per day despite harsh winter conditions. a subcontractor was used for two days, but they were only able to complete 30 holes per day using an air-track drill machine with auger.

The subsurface conditions at the Marsh hill Solar farm were difficult, consisting of about 2.4 metres of sticky clay on the top, 2.5 metres of dry creek bed with small cobbles mixed with clay and sand in the middle, and sticky clay beneath. Soil cave-ins were a major issue.

however, h.b. White developed a strategy to avoid cave-ins. once the SM-16 gt rig drilled a posthole, an ez spotter attachment on a skidsteer was used to temporarily place a sewer pipe into the hole to keep it open. This allowed them to drill about 100 holes ahead, followed by a crew that installed the posts.

later, the sewer pipe was removed with an excavator, a frost sleeve was placed by hand, and finally the smartpost for the solar panels was inserted with the excavator. The frost sleeve was a 273 millimetre diam-eter and 1.5 metre deep PvC pipe that was permanently installed down to the frost depth, in order to protect against smartpost movement due to frost heave. The smartpost was a rectangular, galvanized steel post with

H.B. White struggles through harsh winter storms during the Marsh Hill Solar Farm installation.

pre-drilled holes, which was named “smart” because the corresponding solar panel rack could be easily bolted onto it later.

The smartposts were installed at a depth of 1.8 metres above grade, so they ranged in length from 4.6 metres to 5.3 metres. once the posts were placed, a skidsteer with a concrete bucket was used to fill the PCv frost sleeves with concrete.

overcoming chaLLengesh.b. White faced many challenges during the Marsh hill Solar farm

construction.Their first challenge was to perform major site grading. They had to

provide fill up to 2.5 metres deep in areas throughout the site, adding a total fill of 52,045 cubic meters for the project. They also had to cut up to two metres deep in many areas with a total excavation of 50,985 cubic metres. and all of this had to be done in the first three weeks.

The Marsh hill installation was also a winter build with temperatures as low as -30 C. The concrete plant froze up twice. The cave-in protecting sewer pipes were fragile at these frigid temperatures, requiring twice as many sewer pipes to be used due to breakage. and h.b. White had to leave the equipment running overnight to prevent equipment damage and to avoid having to wrap blankets around the equipment to warm the hydraulics and fuel systems so the machines would start.

They also faced subsurface and environmental difficulties. for in-stance, a large portion of the site carried a lot of water that caused soft, unstable ground. When building roads or trenching in this area, extra steps were needed to de-water. The water also caused problems when drilling, since the holes didn’t stay open for long and filled with water.

despite these issues, h.b. White was able to complete the project on time and within budget. This included drilling approximately 84,000 linear feet, pouring 2,380 cubic meters of concrete, and installing 7,000 posts, 1,750 racks, and 62,000 solar panels.

This major solar farm was built on a tight schedule. The first hole was drilled in late November and the last hole in the first week of febru-ary, despite the winter storms and holidays. The entire solar farm was completed and energized on March 31, 2015. h.b. White is currently commissioning the site, which will take on a full commercial production load at the end of april.

Authors: David Wolfe is construction manager at H.B. White Canada Corporation. Craig Berninger is sales associate at Champion Equipment Sales, LLC and Soilmec North America. Soilmec manufactures drilling and ground engineering construction equipment. Craig can be reached at [email protected] n

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canada | U.s. | internationalPICLifespandignified end in sight for sir ambrose shea Lift bridge

By Melanie Franner

It’s been more than half a century since the Sir ambrose Shea lift bridge officially opened, connecting the Newfoundland and labrador communities of Placentia and jerseyside. The bridge was designed to span the “Placentia gut”, a channel of water with tides that change direction every eight and a half hours. The tides themselves can attain speeds of up to nine knots.

Using an unusual design for its time, the Sir ambrose Shea lift bridge consists of two ap-proach spans and one centre vertical lift span. each measures 30 metres in length. The cen-tre vertical span – which can be raised from a clearance of three metres to a height of 21 metres in one and a half minutes – weighs 100 tonnes.

The centre span of the Sir ambrose Shea

lift bridge is raised, on average, 2,500 times each year. It comes as no surprise then that the provincial government’s department of transportation and Works was forced in 2011 to tender the construction of a new lift bridge that would replace the aging structure. a $40.6-million contract was eventually awarded in March 2013 to hj o’Connell Construction limited, a joint venture between a division of bird Construction Inc. and vancouver Pile driving ltd.

proJect parametersThe government contract consists of replac-

ing the aging Sir ambrose Shea lift bridge with a new lift bridge in Placentia directly ad-jacent to the existing one, as well as realigning the adjacent roadway route 100 and removing the old bridge once the new one is operational. also included is the building and equipping of a control house for the bridge’s significant me-chanical and electrical components.

The project is expected to take three years to finish, with an anticipated january 2016 completion date.

The new bridge was designed by Parsons (formerly delcan), an engineering, construc-tion, technical, and management-services firm.

“The bridge is located in a very harsh envi-ronment, so the reliability of its operations is a high priority,” states joanne McCall, division manager, Parsons. “recognizing that simple and conventional operating systems bring the highest degree of reliability and minimize maintenance, we determined that these con-ventional systems, both mechanical and elec-trical, should form the basis of the bridge de-sign as much as practical. Special care was tak-en to select members, details and systems that are long lasting and enhance the durability of the structure. details include closed structural sections, enclosure of mechanical machinery and components, and minimizing exposure to the elements.”



discerning detaiLsThe new lift bridge requires the building

of two 58-metre long temporary trestles, with 600-millimetre pipe piles, and a deck, to en-able the placement of a 150-tonne crawler crane. The crane is used to construct the two new central piers deep in Placentia bay.

“each pier required that we build an l-shaped work trestle and a cofferdam out to each of the two piers,” states Clancy lannon, project manager, vancouver Pile driving. ac-cording to lannon, each of the two piers re-quired 136 pipe piles of 325 millimetre diame-ter. Thirty additional pipe piles of the same size were required for each of the two abutments.

“The soil on the site was pretty complex. The Newfoundland and labrador department of transportation and Works had boreholes drilled to 70 metres depth and found that the soil got looser with depth. Therefore, we had to do extensive Pda testing of the piles,” says lannon, who adds that the testing was done by ottawa-based Urkkada technology ltd. “We initially went in expecting to have end-bearing piles but we ended up with most of the load being borne by the friction between the shafts of the piles and the surrounding soil.”

In total, the new bridge will use: 9,920 me-tres of pipe piling; 2,200 metres of sheet pile (for the cofferdams); 4,100 cubic metres of concrete; and 1,000 tonnes of structural steel.

“Putting in the tremie concrete proved to be a bit of a challenge because of all the piles needed for the piers,” says lannon. another challenge was the strong current. “We had

limited times to do certain work. for example, the sheet piles could be cut off primarily dur-ing the low tide. We built a small platform and shield that would deflect the tide a bit to get us more time. We ended up with having three hours during low tide and only an hour during high tide.”

The company used gander-based Central diving ltd. for the underwater work.

“It took 11 days for the divers to cut off the steel piles on the south pier and it will prob-ably take another 10 days to do the ones on the north pier,” states lannon, who adds that the company is just finishing the concrete on the north pier. after that, the structural steel can be erected and then the mechanical compo-nents installed. “The next tricky bit will prob-ably be the installation of the left span, which will take place this summer. Sectional barges will be needed to float in place so that the span can be lifted by cranes. Securing the barges is going to be tricky with that current.”

according to lannon, the new bridge is lo-cated approximately 22 metres from the exist-ing one.

“It more or less uses the same construction concept as the old one, just different materials,” he explains, noting that there were no piles used on Sir ambrose Shea lift bridge. “The new superstructure will also be tubular instead of angular like the old one, which is primarily for aesthetics and maintenance.”

vancouver Pile driving was onsite for 18 months to complete the waterworks portion of this project.

in with the newSir ambrose Shea lift bridge has remained

and will continue to remain operational dur-ing the construction of its successor, aside from brief lane closures. Its 50-year life span, however, has come and gone. although the bridge has recently been repaired to enable its use until 2016, the community has already shifted its focus to the new lift bridge nearing completion.

“The new Placentia lift bridge is a lasting and very necessary infrastructure investment which will benefit the people of Placentia and surrounding communities for many years to come,” stated the honourable Paul davis, minister of transportation and Works when announcing the awarding of the contract to hj o’Connell Construction.

The honourable felix Collins, minister of Intergovernmental and aboriginal affairs, and Mha for Placentia, echoed his senti-ments: “This is a major development and will ensure the long-term social and economic vi-ability of the Placentia region.”

The federal government has contributed $8-million toward the $40.6-million project.

“It’s been a really interesting project,” con-cludes lannon. “It’s a complex one in that it has some unusual challenges, such as the tides, strong currents and high winds, not to mention the soil itself. but the end result will be a new bridge for the community – one that will have a lifespan of another 50 years or so.” n


canada | U.s. | internationalPICA Simple Strategygreat rigs bring the customers in; great service Keeps them coming bacK

When bay Shore Systems first introduced the lodril® back in 1991, there were few, if any, low profile drilling rigs on the market that could satisfy the needs of a demanding drilling company. The market was hungry for a versa-tile, reliable, and powerful drill rig that could get underneath bridges or power lines, inside buildings, or over obstacles and still drill shafts in the depths and diameters needed. and they wanted productivity. That meant a rig needed to maintain powerful torque at drilling speeds of 30 to 60 rpm. fast-forward nearly 25 years. The lodril® tapped into this market and even the most biased observers have to conclude that it has been a resounding success. With nearly 600 rigs sold and more than 98 per cent of that number still working, there is little doubt that the lodril® has had a lasting effect on the market.

but the lodril® is only one of several keys to success bay Shore has implemented to earn its spot in the demanding drill rig market.

“early on we knew we could design and build a rig that would do the job,” explains

adam Minatre, vice-president of sales and son of company founder herb Minatre. “but we knew that if we didn’t listen to our custom-ers and provide them with exceptional service on an on-going basis, even the best rig in the world would not be enough to create long term customer relationships.”

passionate about customer service

The drive for excellence in customer service has resulted in some innovative procedures that reach all the way from engineering and design, to service after the sale. first, whenever possible, bay Shore uses common source parts in building their rigs. That means that custom-ers can often find replacement parts quickly and easily at their local machinery dealer.

Second, bay Shore maintains an inventory of less accessible parts ready to ship at a mo-ment’s notice. a recent customer service audit revealed that fully 95 per cent of all service is-sues are resolved in less than 24 hours.

“our customers tell us all the time that the Bay Shore’s TR150 belonging to Xcel Energy working on utility foundation project.

Xcel’s TR150 logged 4,000 machine hours over three years with zero down time. Here they are working on one of the 1,000 utility foundations completed during this time.

busiest rigs in their fleet have come from bay Shore,” says Minatre. “of course we’re pleased with that. We want our customers to be suc-cessful in the drilling business and we want to create the equipment that helps them be suc-cessful. That’s why a big part of the drill rig business has to be committed to serving our customers. downtime on a job means that our customer is not making money, we are more than a little obsessed with keeping our custom-ers working.”

The third part of the commitment to cus-tomers has to do with the service staff them-selves. bay Shore service technicians are expe-rienced rig operators. They know bay Shore equipment inside and out and can often trou-bleshoot a problem over the phone. They are skilled at listening, diagnosing, and communi-cating solutions to get a customer’s rig back in full operation. but, if not, they are prepared at a moment’s notice to travel to the customer’s job site and roll up their sleeves to solve the problem.

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customer feedbacK taKes shape in the tr series rigs

bay Shore has taken customer feedback to a whole new level. accumulating data from years of customer feedback has taken physical shape in a whole new line of drill rig. The tr Series of rigs can rightly be termed the “drill-er’s drill rig”.

Transmission line foundations are often in difficult places. That’s one reason Bay Shore’s TR rigs mounted to excavators have been workhorses for drilling companies doing utility work.

More utility work being done by a Bay Shore TR70 mounted to a truck. The power needed for the hydraulics is generated by the main truck engine making an upper engine unnecessary.

“after years of listening to our customers, working with them on job sites and seeing how they use our equipment to solve their drilling problems, our engineers designed a line of rigs specifically addressing the issues we heard most often,” explains jim tippett, bay Shore general manager. “The wide variety of base machine options, drilling depths and torque ratings means that our customers have what they need to cover the broadest range of drill-ing requirements.”

The tr Series of rigs features mounting options from truck-based rigs, track-mount-ed rigs or excavator mounted units. truck mounted rigs are Pto powered so the hydrau-lics for the drill are run off the main engine. This increases efficiency, reduces environmen-tal impact and transportation and permitting costs. truck rigs boast up to 70,000 ft-lbs (108 k-Nm) of torque and drill depths up to 80 feet (24 metres).

ergonomic controls make the truck rigs easy to operate and reduce operator fatigue that is common with archaic mechanical con-trols. less fatigue means higher productivity for rig owners and increased safety on the job-site.

“The truck rigs are increasingly popular with utility companies doing high voltage in-frastructure work,” says tippett. “They can

get in under high-voltage lines and still drill a deep enough hole to get the job done.”

larger, excavator mounted or track mount-ed rigs have torque ratings up to 200,000 ft-lbs and drill depths to 100 feet. excavator mount-ed rigs are perfect for the on-slope drilling of-ten required for transmission line foundations.

Specifically, the tr150 mounted to an ex-cavator has been a customer favourite for utility foundation work as a massive effort is underway to modernize transmission lines. a perfect example of bay Shore rigs working profitably for customers can be found in xcel energy.

“xcel energy used a tr150 for three years with zero downtime,” notes Minatre. “during that time they logged more than 4,000 ma-chine hours, drilled 1,000 foundations, and poured 150,000 yards of concrete. all with a single tr150 providing the drilling work. That’s exactly the kind of performance we ex-pect from every piece of equipment that leaves our facility.”

If there is a lesson to be learned from the bay Shore experience over the past 25 plus years, it is this: There is nothing more important than listening and responding to your customer. do that simple thing and your customers will keep coming back for more. In the drilling business, as in any business, your customer’s success is also your success. n

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canada | U.s. | internationalPICECA Pile Drivers Shore Up New Jersey’s Superstorm Defence

By Brian M. Fraley, Fraley aeC SolutionS, llC

as the hurricane season approached in No-vember of 2014, eIC associates was work-ing feverishly to install just over 3.5 miles of steel sheet pile wall on the Mantoloking, N.j. beachfront for the New jersey department of environmental Protection’s (NjdeP) bureau of Coastal engineering. The objective was to reduce the possibility that history would re-peat itself.

The borough of Mantoloking was deci-

mated by hurricane Sandy in october of 2012, leaving in its wake fatalities, stranded resi-dents, mangled homes, crumbling infrastruc-ture, and felled telephone poles. The ocean met the bay in up to five breach areas, forcing first responders to navigate the town in boats.

The scope of this $23.5-million project – part of a much larger beach fill project by the United States army Corps of engineers (US-aCe) – entails driving the sheet piles, and

The RTG 21 T prepares to hoist a steel sheet pile prior to pile driving. The narrow work space was positioned between the dunes and the ocean within close proximity to multi-million-dollar beachfront homes.

installing bent plate caps and geotextile anti-scour aprons. The primary objective is to pro-tect a $265-million investment by the New jer-sey department of transportation (Njdot). The reconstruction of route 35, initiated 10 years ago to address pavement distress and drainage issues along this coastal emergency evacuation route, was accelerated when hurri-cane Sandy demolished the infrastructure. The wall will also protect Mantoloking’s residents, homes, and commercial buildings.

pivotaL piLe driving production

The equipment-intensive project hinges on two german-manufactured rtg rammtech-nik gmbh pile drivers rented from aPC Member equipment Corporation of america (eCa), a prominent distributor of special-ized foundation construction machinery for heavy commercial, civil, mining, and marine construction projects with east Coast and Canadian locations and a legacy dating back nearly 100 years. The rg 19 t and rg 21 t pile drivers with telescopic leaders fueled eIC’s high level of production. Maintenance of the equipment, championed by eCa’s Sales engi-neer Chas raysik and a highly-skilled service department, was also critical since downtime was unacceptable on this deadline-sensitive, momentum-driven operation.

eIC Project Manager derek Serpe speaks with a calm and collective demeanor, sugges-tive of eIC’s bold, performance-driven culture. When he talks of an “unmatched level of ser-vice,” his sincerity is genuine. It’s apparent that both contractor and distributor are aligned on the importance of maintaining the schedule. “We’ve had instances where it’s the middle of the day on Saturday and something is broken,” Serpe recalls “We called Chas and there was a mechanic out there on Sunday. by Monday at 7 a.m., we were back to work.” It’s apparent that this 10-year partnership remains intact based on personal service where the head of eCa’s


canada | U.s. | international PICservice department turns over a personal cell phone number to pile driver operator rich kaminski.

piLe driving powerThe sheer power of the rg 21 t pile driver

can be felt as steel vibrates against steel high above. Sand particles rain down lightly and the beach flexes as the 45-foot-long steel pile seems to slide into sand with the ease of a can-dle pushed into a birthday cake.

dirk himborg, rtg rammtechnik’s sales director for North america, describes the operation over the staccato pounding of the high-frequency vibrator overhead. he makes a machine-gun-like noise to mimic the sound of 3,000 rounds of vibrations per minute ad-ministered by the rg 21 t. It starts with en-suring that the holes drilled in the sheet piles are symmetric so operator rich kaminski can properly hoist and set them in place with the rg 21 t. once the hammer is properly posi-tioned atop the pile, the vibrator ramps up to top speed and the descent begins. because the sand is non-cohesive, the vibration essentially displaces the material in what he describes as a “fluid condition.”

worKing in the sandThe geotechnical aspect of this project is

intriguing for anyone that has tried to drive a beach umbrella into soft sand. The surface layer is fine beach sand, below which is a layer of black sand, clay, and an additional layer of fine sand. himborg explains the science as the operation unfolds. “It’s all about friction,” he explains, indicating that the high water table is helpful. “When you come to a water-saturated area, it acts like a lubricant and facilitates the penetration process.” The steel sheets essen-tially displace the sand as they are driven.

The rtg pile drivers feature an active push system, according to himborg, which allows the machine to plow through dense materials such as clay. The sand on this project was no match for the rtg’s. While eIC occasionally encountered clay at the tip elevation, the pile drivers were met with little resistance. drive time hovered between two and three minutes 95 per cent of the time. he describes the situ-ation as “putting the brakes on the hammer” when the sheet breaks through the clay below and needs to be stopped by the rig. Serpe in-dicates that the power of the rtg’s was the

EIC’s production relied on RTG 21 T and RTG 19 T pile drivers with telescopic leaders to install just over 3.5 miles of steel sheet wall on the Mantoloking, NJ beachfront. Both machines were rented from Equipment Corporation of America’s Aldan, Pa. office.

defining factor in punching through the heavy layer of clay beneath the beach.

tight worKing spaceThe worksite, framed by a towering dune

and stockpiled steel sheets, is not much wider than a couple bowling alley lanes. just above the dune, a curious neighbour watches the pile-driving operation from the upper deck of a multi-million-dollar beachfront home as the rg 21 t vibrates a sheet into the sand.

“In this area, you can’t get any more of an easement or you’ll be in someone’s living room,” Serpe says with a laugh. The wall was designed to follow the easement between the shoreline and the dunes, while adhering to residential property line setbacks, and tying into the future beach fill project. This required close coordination with the USaCe and the NjdeP.

invisibLe protectioneIC will not only deliver protection to the

barrier island of Mantoloking, but the finished project will restore the beach to its original ap-pearance. This is the first phase of a $300-mil-lion USaCe beach fill project that will build up dunes, a berm, and extend the beach by 200 feet between the Manasquan and barnegat In-lets.

When all is said and done, Mantoloking will return to the bucolic island atmosphere that residents have traditionally enjoyed. but it will

be stronger. This wall of steel will be a distant memory, disguised by dunes. “you’re never go-ing to see this wall,” says Serpe as waves crash gently nearby, “and it’s the last line of defense, if god forbid, the big storm ever comes again.” It seems like a small price to pay. n

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canada | U.s. | internationalPICQuick-draw Grizzly MultiGripnew piLe driver deLivers on aLL counts

By Melanie Franner

When roberval, Quebec-based gilbert Prod-ucts Inc. began working on a new pile driver prototype, it did so with its customers in mind. two years later that prototype has become a reality and the company’s customers are using the new side-grip vibratory pile driver to both improve their existing business and expand into new business opportunities.

money weLL invested“We’re very pleased with our return on in-

vestment,” states Serge riel, foreman supervi-sor at Pieux geodex Inc., a Montreal-based company involved in deep foundation work and marine structures. “Thanks to gilbert, we now have a better line of equipment to service our customers.”

That all-important line addition from gil-bert Products is the grizzly Multigrip, which was launched in fall 2014.

“The grizzly Multigrip is unlike anything else on the market,” states alex gravel, direc-

tor of sales and marketing, gilbert Products, who adds a customer of theirs developed the initial prototype before approaching gilbert Products for the fine tuning of the design, as well as the manufacturing and marketing of the product. “We are always receptive to new ideas. a lot of them come from our internal engineering department but some do come from our customers. We always value their input.”

it’s in the detaiLsThe grizzly Multigrip combines power,

versatility, and speed in a side-grip vibratory pile driver. at the heart of the innovative de-sign is the attachment tool that can be used to increase excavator productivity and reduce operating costs. but the real excitement lies in the fact that this attachment tool – an exclusive lateral clamping device – provides for quick changes without having to go back to the shop.

“The grizzly Multigrip is designed for ver-

satility,” states gravel. “Users can work in h-beam and sheet piling applications and then switch to round pile driving mode in five to seven minutes – while still on the jobsite. It increases productivity and saves a lot of time.”

It also opens the doors to new opportuni-ties.

“We are now able to go from putting pipe in the ground to doing sheet piling in a little over five minutes,” states riel. “In the past, we had to turn down a lot of the smaller jobs because it would cost us too much money to move the cranes and booms. by using an excavator with the grizzly Multigrip attached to it, we can put the bucket back on and start excavating right away.”

another advantage riel and his team soon realized was the ability of the grizzly Multi-grip to work in tight spaces.

“Conventional cranes and suspended vibros need a lot of head room,” he says. “We had a few very tight places to work in, like under

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THE FUTURE OF SIDE-GRIPEnhance your excavator’s profitability with the new Grizzly MultiGripTM vibratory pile driver. Specially designed to help contractors accomplish their deep foundation work at a lower cost, the Grizzly MultiGripTM will drive your productivity by combining power, versatility and efficiency. Driven by our side-gripping jaw system, equipped with the exclusive 3PAS and Quick-Change technologies, handling, driving and extracting sheet piling and round-shaped piling has never been so simple. Also, the Grizzly MultiGripTM easily turns into a powerful compactor with the compaction plate that comes standard.

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bridges, where the grizzly Multigrip proved much more accommodating.”

riel and his crew have outfitted one of their Caterpillar 345d excavators with the grizzly Multigrip.

“We have a special team dedicated to using it for small jobs or jobs in tight spaces,” he says. “and we currently have enough work to keep that team busy full time. right now, the one piece of equipment is enough to service our clients’ needs but we may be looking at adding a second one in the near future.”

innovation at its bestThe broad appeal of the grizzly Multigrip

lies in its versatility and leading-edge design. It can be used for a variety of applications: sheet piles for the construction of retaining walls for civil engineering work, sewers and aqueducts, all types of building protection systems, cof-ferdams, etc.; h-beams for foundation piles or soldier piles for temporary or permanent retaining and lagging walls; and tubular piles measuring between four to 16 inches for foun-dation work in buildings, bridges, culverts, electrical pylons and other types of construc-tion.

“The name of the new product comes from the fact that the lateral clamping system uses

a three-point grip that is similar to a ‘bear hug,’” states gravel, who adds that the patent-pending technology is known as the three-point contact system (3PaS). “This provides maximum holding force and ensures optimal energy transfer from the vibrating unit, which results in faster pile driving.”

The vibrator itself is built of high-quality steel and features a 40-degree inclination sys-tem and continuous rotating hd360-degree system, which offers exceptional maneuver-ability and control during manipulations. high-strength eccentric shafts generate the force of the impact, producing the centrifugal force that is then transferred by 3PaS.

another interesting feature of the grizzly Multigrip is the safety aspect built into the de-sign. The system ensures that the jaws remain tightly closed in the case of a broken line so the material stays locked in the clamping device and thereby eliminates the risk of an accident.

breaKing new groundIn december of 2014, gilbert Products

entered into a distribution agreement with equipment Corporation of america (eCa) for the exclusive license to sell and distribute the grizzly Multigrip throughout the eastern U.S. and the province of ontario. The company

hopes to have its complete dealer network in place within the next few months.

“We see a lot of potential in this product,” states gravel. “Companies are looking for ways to broaden their business. at the same time, they want to increase their efficiency and lower costs. The timing for the grizzly Multigrip is perfect.”

So enthused is gravel that a new division has been created for the grizzly, with plans to eventually grow the product line.

“We’ve been in business for 29 years and have developed three other corporate divi-sions, each with its own product line,” states gravel, who states the launch of the grizzly Multigrip has been a significant milestone moment for the Canadian manufacturing company. “The grizzly is an important prod-uct for us because it diversifies our product line. We’ve created a new construction division as a result.”

according to gravel, the common denomi-nator among all of gilbert Product’s divisions – forestry, sawmilling, off-road, and now con-struction – is the company’s dedication to increasing the productivity of its customers through innovative new products. and there’s no doubt that the new grizzly Multigrip seems to fit the bill on that count. n

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canada | U.s. | internationalPICGet on Hercules’ Sidethe company’s side grips have been revoLutionizing worKsites since 1998

hercules Machinery introduced the first side grip in the industry 17 years ago and since then has perfected the Movax® Sonic Side-grip®, placing more than 500 units at work-sites throughout the U.S. and Canada. an excavator-mounted attachment, this vibratory pile driver features an articulating side grip with two unique side-gripping jaws and one bottom jaw that deliver unmatched dexterity when handling, driving or extracting nearly any style of piling.

designed to deliver the utmost efficiency, the Movax Sonic Sidegrip can not only drive pile up to 50 feet, but it also reduces the amount of peripheral equipment needed, like cranes, loaders and manlifts. It uses an exca-vator’s hydraulics to safely and quickly pick up, unload, place, drive, and extract piling. With the most advanced auto-steering system available, the Movax Sonic Sidegrip precisely drives pile at 3,000 vibrations per minute.

Its superior maneuverability means the Movax Sonic Sidegrip can expertly handle challenging worksites with low overhead or narrow passageways.

“We use the Sonic Sidegrip a lot in pits and in buildings where we don’t have the head-room clearance,” says Patrick kirchner, vice-

president of force Construction. “It performs well for us every time.”

hercules has continued to enhance the de-sign, development, and testing of the Movax Sonic Sidegrip, resulting in a superior ma-chine that far surpasses the performance of conventional vibratory drivers/excavators.

“We apply our extensive experience and the knowledge of our engineering team to inno-vate and manufacture the very best product for our customers, effectively increasing their worksite performance and efficiency,” says tom dame, national sales manager at her-cules Machinery. “by continually perfecting the Sonic Sidegrip, we’ve helped customers increase production rates and positively im-pacted their bottom line.”

additionally, hercules Machinery backs its customers with comprehensive support and training, ensuring they get the most out of their machine.

an all-around performer and valuable ad-dition to worksites coast to coast, the Movax Sonic Sidegrip remains the elite vibratory pile driver in the industry, offering an innovative way to drive pile while increasing the utiliza-tion of excavators already present on work-sites. n

features of the movax® sonic sidegrip® from hercuLes machinery at a gLance

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canada | U.s. | internationalPICThree Stepsmanaging risK with fugro Loadtest’s innovative soLutions

fugro loadtest is dedicated to advancing the deep foundation industry managing risk with o-Cell®, SoniCaliper™, and rIM-Cell® technol-ogies to provide safe, efficient, and innovative foundation solutions worldwide.

o-ceLL – design caLibrationThe osterberg Cell (o-Cell) is the premier

foundation element static load testing method. No project is too big or too small to recognize economic benefit from use of the o-Cell. They have been successfully used to test a variety of foundation elements including drilled shafts, auger cast piles, barrettes, driven piles, and helical piles. to date, loadtest has conducted thousands of successful o-Cell tests in over 60 countries. loadtest is approaching a quar-ter century of foundation performance ad-vancement as demonstrated by the increasing world record load test history, including the current 2013 louisville, ky 72,600 kip record. This demonstrates the ability of the o-Cell to measure true geotechnical capacity allowing for designs to be pushed to more economic performance levels. Many ultra-high capacity foundations are designed today as a direct re-sult of loadtest’s ability to calibrate and verify foundation performance.

The o-Cell’s ability to provide geotechnical failure in the foundation materials makes it the optimal risk management tool for establishing key design calibration information. foundation design optimization seeks economy by maxi-mizing the use of available materials strengths. This calibration approach requires the consid-eration of risk in quality construction and final product performance. The risk management approach to construction quality considers the question of construction influences and identi-fies construction issues to prevent.

sonicaLiper – construction risK management

Managing drilled foundation element con-struction risk requires understanding how defects, which affect foundation performance, can occur in the manufacturing process. exca-vation conditions prior to concrete placement influence foundation element quality. This di-

SoniCaliper output depicting shaft excavation misalignment and out of plumbness.

rectly relates to the foundation’s ability to safely service the needed loads.

Interpreting load test data from excavations with cross sectional area variations was the in-centive for SoniCaliper development. as with many developments additional beneficial uses become apparent after implementation.

SoniCaliper measures the excavation shape and determines the actual excavation volume as compared to theoretical plans volume, in-formation which assures sufficient concrete delivery. This information allows for planning assuring proper tremie embedment, minimiz-ing potential for cold joints or defects from tremie broaching.

Physics dictate that a decrease in SoniC-aliper return is directly related to presence of particulate in the slurry column; an indication of a need for rechecking the excavation slurry cleanliness parameters against specification re-quirements. Slurry cleanliness is of import as settling particulate can aggregate at the excava-tion tip reducing end bearing capacity and/or settle on the top of the concrete column, be-coming deposited as defects causing reduced lateral capacity.

SoniCaliper measurement of excavation alignment is quality critical as reinforcement steel placement can drag side wall materials into the excavation also producing soft toes and defects in the lateral resistance area.

The SoniCaliper is a cost-effective construc-tion risk management tool for Qa/QC of deep foundation elements such as drilled shafts, slurry walls (barrettes) and secant walls.

rim-ceLL – performance verification

reliability Improvement Method, or rIM-Cell, is the latest technology in drilled shaft load confirmation and performance Qa/QC. The rIM-Cell provides proof-loading of pro-duction foundation elements confirming, as constructed, design performance. The rIM-Cell is designed with drilled shafts construc-tability in mind with its large open center to minimize shaft toe disturbance and concrete flow obstruction during placement. light-weight and simple, the rIM-Cell attaches eas-ily to the tip of the reinforcing cage.

The use of grout as the pressurizing fluid re-stores pile integrity after verifying foundation



element performance. applied as a two stage process; stage one, the grout, confined in the rim, applies pressure at the pile toe and along the pile shaft verifying performance; stage two, grouts the annulus crack created in the first stage restoring integrity.

Proof of foundation element performance to 1.2-1.3 times the required code loading (design, service, or resistance) verifies the de-sign and minimizes two of the most troubling sources of uncertainty: site variability and construction defects. Use rIM-Cell as a statis-tical tool to verify foundation element design performance matches the lrfd code logic. It simultaneously reduces uncertainty and improves reliability. knowledgeable upfront application confirms economical optimized geotechnical design parameters via lower fac-tors of safety for aSd or higher resistance fac-tors for lrfd codes.

a secondary risk management benefit from rIM-Cell verification is its action as a post-construction stressing device. Unlike traditional base-grouting, the rIM-Cell’s grout pressure confinement offers high static pressure and a known load in every soil con-dition. This post-construction stressing en-gages the shaft end bearing resistance, reduc-tion of settlement, and consolidation of loose material at the shaft toe, producing a stiffer initial response. additionally, it reverses di-rection of the initial skin friction response, pre-loading it also providing an initial stiffer load response.

fugro loadtest’s o-Cell, SoniCaliper, and rIM-Cell technologies combine to provide opportunity for foundation optimization from the design and construction into service. This three-step risk management approach of design calibration, construction quality and verification together produces the most eco-nomical efficient foundation possible. n

RIM-Cell Verification adjoining shafts, same plans dimensions; first shaft did not verify for 600 kip capacity (red line), second shaft verified for 6oo kip capacity (red line).

Fugro has the experience, equipment, technology and professionals necessary to provide a complete and integrated plan to reduce potentially catastrophic and expensive risks on deep foundation projects. Fugro Loadtest applies state-of-the-art bi-directional technology, the Osterberg Cell®, to produce the information needed for true foundation optimization.

• Geophysical evaluations• Advanced site exploration (CPT, DMT, rock coring)• Seismic studies/liquefaction analysis• Complex soil properties analysis• Foundation design calibration (O-Cell® load testing)• Standard deep foundation load testing and dynamic analysis• Performance verification (RIM-Cell® proof loading) • Construction risk management (SoniCaliper™ shaft

excavation inspection)• GIS data management

MANAGING DEEP FOUNDATION RISK

888 241 [email protected]

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canada | U.s. | internationalPICOn The Best BehaviourgeoKon’s modeL a9 retrievabLe extensometer system

Measuring the load magnitude at various depths within a concrete pile will enable the pile designer to test how the pile behaviour agrees with its designed behaviour - perhaps the pile is too weak and needs to be longer or larger, or perhaps it is over-designed and mon-ey can be saved by using a smaller or shorter pile. The measurement of load is usually done by embedding strain gages inside the concrete pile and the measured strains are converted to stresses and then to loads. This method can be expensive and thus the number of piles that can be tested in this way is limited. an alterna-tive is to use the geokon Model a9 retrievable extensometer System, the benefit of which is it’s re-useable and can deployed inside a steel- or plastic-pipe cast into the concrete pile. This results in significant cost savings where repeat-ed tests are required.

operating principLeThe system consists of up to eight pneu-

matically actuated anchors with spring-loaded

transducers that are connected to one another in series by a single connecting rod. When in-stalled, the anchors are fixed in place and the transducers measure the deformation between the anchor positions. The connecting rods are held in tension to eliminate errors due to bowing and friction. This method removes the possibility that strain gages used in the more conventional pile tests can be damaged during the pile construction.

system componentsThe standard system is designed for a maxi-

mum of eight anchor/sensor segments. each anchor contains eight pistons, which can be pneumatically actuated to force them out against the sides of the steel or plastic pipe. The pistons are spring-loaded and automati-cally retract when the pressure is removed. a pressure manifold, containing on/off valves and check-valves, connects to each of the in-flation lines leading to the anchors, enables each of the anchors to be actuated in turn,

and maintains the anchor pressure during the monitoring period. gas pressure is obtained from a pressurized nitrogen bottle.

each anchor is attached to a vibrating wire sensor (or, optionally, to a dCdt or linear potentiometer sensor) and can be linked to adjacent anchors by means of Swagelok fit-tings that grip the interconnecting rods. These rods can be adjusted to various lengths using a hacksaw. Connecting rods may be made from fiberglass, stainless steel, or carbon graphite.

readout is accomplished by connecting cables from each sensor to the geokon Model gk-404 or gk-405 readouts. Switch panels or multiplexers (geokon Model 8032) are avail-able to rapidly switch through all the active sensors. In this way the deformation of the pile under loading can be measured between each pair of adjacent anchors, the deformations are converted to strains and then to stresses and then finally to the load that is felt by the pile at various depths.

case historiesjimah Coal Power Plant, Negeri Sembilan,

Malaysia: a $800-million USd project used several geokon a-9 retrievable extensome-ters to monitor loads and displacements down the shafts and at the toe of driven pre-stressed concrete piles.

degendamn embankment: austrian a2 autobahn highway between vienna and graz . early stabilization procedures in the mid-



1980s could not stop the sliding of the road as cracks started to appear in the pavement in 2000. to secure the road and prevent further damage, 40 (five-piston anchors) a-9 retriev-able extensometers were installed in 20-plus heavily reinforced concrete shafts to monitor and measure lateral deformation of the deg-endamn road embankment with the unstable slope.

4,000 tonne load test, hong kong: In one

of the tallest skyscraper in asia, several a-9 retrievable extensometers in multiple con-crete foundation barrettes were installed at depths from 33 metres to the toe depth at each barrette. The data collected showed a clear pic-ture of the testing and pile behaviour.

About Geokon, Inc.Geokon, Incorporated is located in Lebanon, New Hampshire, U.S. and was founded

in 1979. Over the years, Geokon, Inc. has emerged as The World Leader in Vibrating Wire Technology™ due to their quality, responsive customer service and industry-leading designs. Geokon’s broad range of geotechnical instrumentation is manufactured at their factory in the U.S., by a staff of trained, qualified and experienced machinists and assemblers. Geokon’s instruments are used primarily for monitoring the safety and stability of civil and mining structures including dams, tunnels, mines, foundations, piles, embankments, bridges, excavations, pipelines, wind turbines, and more.Geokon has more than 110 employees, many of whom have been with the company for over 20-plus years. Their wealth of experience, outstanding customer service and technical support allows Geokon to quickly and effectively satisfy the most demanding geotechnical monitoring requirements. In addition to direct sales, Geokon has a network of more than 40 worldwide agents and has, through their efforts, participated in major civil engineering projects throughout the world. For information, please visit www.geokon.com, email us [email protected], or call directly 1-603-448-1562. n

american Piledriving equipment ofC, 6, 33arntzen Corporation 30atlas tube jMC Steel group 4bay Shore Systems, Inc. 11, 39bermingham foundation Solutions 9Canadian Piledriving equipment Inc. 34dominion Pipe & Piling IfCeCa Canada 28-29eSC Steel Inc. 27fraser river Pile & dredge gP Inc. 16geokon, Incorporated 19gilbert Products Inc. 45hammer & Steel, Inc. obChCM Contractors, Inc. 13hercules Machinery Corporation 49Independence tube Corporation 3

liebherr Werk Nenzing gMbh 53loadtest 51Northstar Inc. 5Pengo Corporation 47Pile dynamics Inc. 23Piledrivers local Union 2404 43Platinum grover International Inc. 25roll form group 15rSt Instruments ltd. 21Selix equipment Inc. IbCSkyline Steel 7, 17Soilmec North america 35SSa recruitment 21Watson drill rigs 41Westco drilling & Piles ltd. 31

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Documents

Piling Industry Canada Magazins Issue #1 2015