Category: Technology

Key Takeaways:

• Frenter users will be able to see real-time estimates of their equipment value, informing critical business decisions around utilization and fleet optimizations. 
• Boom & Bucket customers who purchase Frenter-enabled assets can access a detailed history of maintenance and usage data.
• The companies said the partnership will support the shortened average lifecycle of new equipment and set a new standard for the use of equipment data in the purchase and resale of heavy equipment.

The Whole Story:

Halifax-based Frenter — a  provider of GPS, maintenance and analytic solutions for heavy equipment —  has announced a strategic partnership with Boom & Bucket, a digital marketplace for heavy equipment.

The companies say the partnership will allow heavy equipment owners to leverage data to get the most out of their assets from daily operations to resale.

They added that the partnership combines Boom & Bucket’s expertise in used heavy equipment resale with Frenter’s detailed data collection and system of record. Frenter users can see real-time estimates of their equipment value, informing critical business decisions around utilization and fleet optimizations. 

If the decision is to sell, users can list equipment directly on Boom & Bucket in a few clicks on the Frenter platform. Boom & Bucket customers who purchase Frenter-enabled assets can access a detailed history of maintenance and usage data.

“We have a vision of connecting the full ecosystem of heavy equipment,” said Zach Laberge, Frenter CEO & founder. “We’re very excited for what Boom & Bucket brings strategically as well as their shared vision for the future of equipment technology and what we can build together. This partnership will allow our customers to realize higher returns on their assets, unlocked through the tracking and improvements that come with Frenter. Giving them the opportunity to reinvest in their fleet, creating a flywheel effect for their business.”

Both Frenter and Boom & Bucket stated that they are excited to collaborate in the space and leverage their joint expertise to support heavy equipment owners throughout the lifecycle of their assets. They said the partnership will support the shortened average lifecycle of new equipment and set a new standard for the use of equipment data in the purchase and resale of heavy equipment.

“At Boom & Bucket, we recognize the indispensable value that comes from understanding the life story of heavy equipment,” said Adam Lawrence, CEO and cofounder of Boom & Bucket. “Our strategic partnership with Frenter marks a new era where data meets the marketplace, enhancing transparency and trust. This collaboration is set to revolutionize the industry by enabling owners to maximize their equipment’s value throughout its lifecycle, ensuring a smarter, more informed equipment economy. We are thrilled to join forces with Frenter, as we both aim to empower owners with knowledge and foresight, turning every decision into an opportunity for growth and efficiency.”

Key Takeaways:

• The company’s acquisition of Cervus Equipment in 2021 included material handling operations from Alberta through Manitoba.
• The company now wants to expand its material handling business nationwide, creating a new and separate division. 
• It will focus on delivering premium forklift brands. 

The Whole Story:

The Brandt Group of Companies has announced a major expansion to its material handling equipment dealer network in a move that is expected to generate $500 million in new revenue and up to 300 new jobs over the next three years.

The company’s acquisition of Cervus Equipment in 2021 included material handling operations from Alberta through Manitoba. Brandt has now announced its intentions to deepen and expand its commitment to the material handling industry in Canada. The company will expand its material handling business nationwide, creating a new and separate division. 

“We believe that the material handling sector is primed for growth and in need of a nationwide alternative to the existing patchwork of small dealer groups,” said Shaun Semple, CEO of Brandt. “That is why we’re using the lessons we have learned from growing the agriculture, construction & forestry, and transportation pillars of our business to create a fourth pillar to serve the material handling industry.”

Brandt officials explained that Canada depends on its material handling operations across the country—from ports and transportation hubs to warehouses and distribution centres. Lift trucks and other material handling equipment and related infrastructure are essential to support the flow of goods to Canadians and support the country’s ongoing national growth.

Brandt officials added that they recognize that an opportunity exists to provide tailored solutions and to build deeper, stronger relationships with companies that operate lift trucks across the country. Brandt is uniquely suited to leverage their customer-focused brand promise to ensure customers have access to the equipment, specialists, parts, and service required to run thriving businesses.

As part of this expansion, Brandt says it plans to grow its network of material handling focused stores into new territories focused on delivering premium forklift brands backed by a dedicated rental fleet, parts network and dedicated service network focused on repair work and preventative maintenance.

Key Takeaways:

• PCL says the agreement will allow it to train and empower its project teams to de-risk its projects around contract compliance.
•  Officials state that after exploring at least five various solutions, Document Crunch demonstrated the ability to leverage PCL’s current internal processes and improve and automate them.
• Document Crunch was founded in 2019 by Josh Levy, Adam Handfinger and Adam Nadler—two lawyers and a serial businessman.

The Whole Story:

Document Crunch, an AI contract intelligence platform, and PCL Construction, Canada’s largest contractor, have announced a major partnership.

PCL will use Document Crunch’s AI platform to train and empower its project teams to de-risk its projects around contract compliance.

PCL stated that since launching in 2019, Document Crunch has quickly become the industry leader in construction contract risk review and mitigation through its proprietary AI solutions that simplify contracts, standardize contract review by identifying critical risks, and transfer contract knowledge from the back office to the field, allowing for better contract compliance by project teams.

“Our bigger vision has always been around project teams being better enabled at contract compliance,” said Josh Levy, co-founder and CEO of Document Crunch. “We made a significant investment into building an enterprise-grade product ready to be adopted by project teams across the board. This includes meeting the highest data security and privacy standards, having just completed our SOC 2 Type II compliance audit. PCL was an early adopter and an excellent partner who helped us get over the threshold from good early solution to enterprise ready. This partnership is a strong signal that our vision is real, and that our product is ready to be operationalized every day across projects within construction operations.”

PCL explained that they recognized the need to ensure consistency in managing contracts throughout the project lifecycle, as well as the need to create a standardized workflow for the complete transfer of ownership and direction from one responsible party to another at every stage of a project.

“After exploring at least five various solutions, Document Crunch gave us the ability to leverage our current internal processes and improve and automate them,” said Mark Bryant, chief information officer at PCL. “Consistent behavior and approach produce consistent results. This means our customers can be assured we manage project expectations with the same lens regardless of the team.”

According to PCL, the partnership validates Document Crunch’s impact and mission to empower everyone in construction—from the back office to project teams—to understand what’s in their contracts. The contractor added that It also sets new standards for risk review, contract compliance and project management workflows, ultimately leading to a less risky and more profitable industry. .

“The only thing for certain is that change will occur,” said Bryant. “We prefer to be shaping it to the best of our abilities, not trying to catch up.”

Key Takeaways:

• Mercer Mass Timber is launching its own construction services division that will integrate engineering, manufacturing, and construction teams under one roof.
• The new division will offer a wide range of services, including full mass timber structure erection, logistics planning, lift/bracing engineering, site supervision/consultation and more.
• Officials stated that the expansion will allow developers and owners to unlock the full potential of mass timber.

The Whole Story:

Mercer Mass Timber is expanding beyond materials production with the launch of its own construction service division. 

The Vancouver-based manufacturer of timber building materials announced Mercer Mass Timber Construction Services will offer both comprehensive on-site installation for fully integrated construction and project consultancy for clients seeking expert guidance and strategic support. 

Mercer stated that this expansion marks a significant step forward for Mercer Mass Timber, enabling customers to achieve greater project efficiency and faster completion times.

By offering comprehensive planning, scheduling, on-site installation, and quality control from one vendor, we’re empowering developers and owners to unlock the full potential of mass timber.

Brian Merwin, senior vice president at Mercer Mass Timber

Mercer officials explained that historically, the construction industry has faced challenges with fragmented processes and siloed communication between a wide range of stakeholders. These operational silos are further impacted by lagging technological advancement and digitization, an aging workforce, and a lack of skilled workers, which widens issues like poor information sharing, uncoordinated efforts, and ultimately, project inefficiencies and failures.

Mercer Mass Timber believes its new division bridges this gap by integrating engineering, manufacturing, and construction teams under one roof for unparalleled control over the entire construction process. This holistic approach fosters collaboration, ensuring safe, rapid, and risk-managed installation for mass timber projects.

Mercer Mass Timber’s Construction Services plans to take a vertically integrated approach, minimizing project complexities by taking control at every stage. This means meticulously detailed production plans, combined with in-house engineering expertise and precise logistics work together to deliver faster completion times and reduced costs.

The company explained that controlling the entire process allows its team to optimize communication and resource allocation, leading to less waste, minimized risks, and streamlined construction schedules. 

“In order to be competitive in today’s market, our customers need the assurance that their projects will be completed on-time, on-budget, and with exceptional aesthetics and quality,” said Brian Merwin, senior vice president at Mercer Mass Timber. “Now, with the launch of Construction Services, we’re extending our mass timber production capabilities to support the entire project lifecycle with a value engineering led approach. By offering comprehensive planning, scheduling, on-site installation, and quality control from one vendor, we’re empowering developers and owners to unlock the full potential of mass timber. At Mercer Mass Timber, we’re not just building structures; we’re revolutionizing the way construction works.”

Construction Services key offerings include:

• Full mass timber structure erection: Utilizing proprietary mass timber-specific tools, Mercer Mass Timber handles the complete timber installation process, including layout, crane management, mass timber rigging, temporary structure bracing, and hardware installation.
• Logistics planning & installation sequencing: Meticulous planning ensures efficient material delivery and on-site management.
• Lift/bracing engineering: In-house engineering expertise ensures safe and efficient lifting and bracing solutions.
• Site supervision/consultation: Dedicated superintendents and construction managers provide on-site oversight and support throughout the installation process.
• Construction scheduling: Advanced scheduling tools optimize resource allocation and minimize delays.
• Modelling & technology: Project models that simulate construction activities and BIM technology ensure seamless communication and coordination.
• Project management: Detailed plans and close collaboration with clients, subcontractors, and suppliers ensure smooth project execution.
• Labor management: Vertical integration with engineering and manufacturing teams optimizes workflow and resource allocation.
• Quality control: Unwavering commitment to quality ensures projects meet the highest standards.
• Water mitigation implementation: Working knowledge and expertise of mass timber water mitigation strategies to best meet client goals.

Key Takeaways:

• France-based Technip Energies’ solution will be Powered by the Shell CANSOLV CO2 capture system.
• The plant will eventually capture and store an estimated 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide each year.
• Heidelberg Materials anticipates carbon capture will begin in late 2026.

The Whole Story:

France-based Technip Energies has been awarded a front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract for the carbon capture technology for Heidelberg Materials’ Edmonton carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) project. 

The project is expected to be the first full-scale application of CCUS in the cement sector.

Powered by the Shell CANSOLV CO2 capture system, the Technip Energies solution which will be the basis of the FEED study, is based on regenerable amine technology.

“We are excited to take this latest step in our journey to produce the world’s first net-zero cement,” said Joerg Nixdorf, vice president cement operations, Northwest Region for Heidelberg Materials North America. “With each milestone we come closer to realizing our vision of leading the decarbonization of the cement industry.”

Heidelberg Materials North America says it will be commissioning the world’s first net-zero cement plant at its Edmonton location by adding CCUS technology to the facility. The plant will eventually capture and store an estimated 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide each year, which is the equivalent of taking 300,000 cars off the road annually. Subject to finalization of federal and provincial funding agreements, the company anticipates carbon capture to begin in late 2026.

“We are pleased to have been selected by Heidelberg Materials North America to provide the FEED of this groundbreaking project in Canada,” said Christophe Malaurie, SVP decarbonization solutions for Technip Energies. “Leveraging our carbon capture solution powered by the Shell CANSOLV CO2 capture system, we are committed to supporting the decarbonization of the cement industry and Heidelberg towards the production of net-zero cement.”

Is there anything more iconic to the construction sector that a big excavator moving some dirt?

Behind all that heavy machinery are the suppliers that make sure those machines get where they need to be and stay running. Canada is no slouch when it comes to the heavy equipment sector. In fact, it’s home to some of the largest equipment dealers in the world.

The following list includes just a few major heavy equipment players that call Canada home.

Cooper Equipment Rentals

Established in 1972, Cooper Equipment Rentals Limited is a full-service construction equipment rental company, servicing contractors across Canada. With more than 70 branches in six provinces, Cooper specializes in the rental of compact, aerial, heavy construction, pump and power, climate control and trench safety equipment. They also have their sights set on future technology, recently announcing an exclusive partnership with risk-mitigation technology platform Brickeye, a leading construction technology company focused on risk mitigation applications. Cooper is now the sole rental provider of LumiNode and LumiSense systems for ambient monitoring applications across the country. These advanced remote monitoring devices track ambient temperature and humidity on sites.

Finning Cat

B.C.-based Finning‘s history goes way back. Just last year, the company celebrated its 90th anniversary. Started by Earl B. Finning in a shed near Vancouver’s Canadian National railway station, the company has gone on to become the world’s largest Caterpillar dealer with operations in Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. It also employs more than 13,000 people worldwide. Locally, they are working to train the next generation of heavy equipment operators. They recently announced a partnership with a First Nations Group to provide mobile simulators with operator training programs.

Ault Industries

When Jackson Ault saw that that parts of Quebec were not getting their equipment needs met, he did what any good entrepreneur would do. He learned to speak french and moved to the region, founding Ault. The company is an exclusive distributor of McCloskey International, Lippmann, Superior, Ecoverse and McCloskey Washing Systems. They have grown into McCloskey International’s and Lippmann’s largest dealer in the world. And this past November, Ault was acquired by Alta Equipment Group Inc. for $36 million as part of the group’s expansion into Canada.

SMS Equipment

SMS Equipment was formed in 2008 by the consolidation of three Canadian Heavy Equipment companies (Federal Equipment, Coneco Equipment and Transwest Mining Systems). Their team strategy has paid off. 15 years later, they are one of top heavy equipment dealers in the country and the largest independent Komatsu dealer globally. Today, SMS has 2,600 employees at 42 locations from Anchorage, Alaska, to Paradise, Nfld. the Komatsu PC8000-11 is the largest surface mining excavator on the market.

Equipment Sales & Service

Another elder on this list, Equipment Sales & Service Limited (ESS) was founded in an Ontario automotive garage in 1946 by Bill Willis. 75 years later they have kept it in the family. The company is now in its third generation as a private family-owned business.  Today it operates 12 branches across Canada, representing multiple OEM lines supporting the construction, mining, forestry, foundation and drilling industries. The company is the longest distributor of Link-Belt equipment in the world, one of the largest aftermarket suppliers of construction parts in Canada, the largest Berco dealer in Canada and the largest Esco wear parts dealer in North America.

Brandt

The Brandt Group of Companies — headquartered in Regina, Sask. – is a privately owned manufacturing and distribution company that serves a growing international audience in industries such as agriculture, construction, forestry, rail, mining, steel, transportation, material handling, and energy. The company boasts more than 6000 employees and more than 180 locations in Canada, the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand. More than just a major player in the heavy equipment world, Brandt is one of Canada’s largest privately owned companies. Just this winter, Brandt celebrated the grand opening of three state-of-the-art facilities in Moncton, Fredericton, and Edmundston in New Brunswick.

Developers and other project owners in pursuit of low-carbon construction methods are increasingly choosing mass timber for their projects. But to do so in larger and taller buildings, they must reassure civic leaders, fire and rescue services and insurance underwriters—along with the public—that these projects are fire safe.

New research, supported by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), Canadian Wood Council and federal and provincial governments, is doing just that. A recent series of tests, dubbed the Mass Timber Demonstration Fire Test Program, show, even in worst-case fire scenarios, mass timber buildings perform similarly to noncombustible construction. 

Sparking Questions: Are bigger and taller mass timber buildings fire safe? 

The calls to construct more buildings with mass timber to help tackle climate change are growing. This is true here in B.C., across the country and around the world, demonstrated by the growing announcements of ever-taller wood buildings. 

It’s not just the building industry touting mass timber’s benefits. In a recent report, Canada’s biggest bank points out that constructing taller wood buildings and swapping concrete and steel with mass timber represents a potential 12% to 25% drop in carbon emissions. 

So far, Canada has successfully completed more than 660 mass timber projects, with B.C. and Quebec accounting for 257 and 184 projects, respectively. Ontario has at least 90 mass timber projects. 

“In B.C., we do have a precedent of building taller wood buildings in several jurisdictions through an alternate solution process. Taller, more dense mass timber buildings can help play a greater role in addressing both climate and affordable housing challenges,” says Shawn Keyes, executive director of WoodWorks BC and professional engineer.  

“But to open this market further, we need to support ongoing fire research, like this [Mass Timber Demonstration Fire Test Program] to reassure stakeholders and further document mass timber’s fire safety. This can help support the evolution of the building code at the national and provincial levels to allow for even taller mass timber buildings.”  

Keyes points out this recent series of mass timber fire tests adds to a growing body of research proving that low-carbon, engineered wood products are fire safe. In the event of a fire, previous testing has shown mass timber products char on the outside, forming a protective layer for the unburned wood below the char layer, which retains structural strength.  

For example, in a previous fire resistance test, when a mass timber panel (five-ply, cross-laminated timber) wall was subjected to extremely high temperatures in a standard fire scenario, its structural capacity withstood the exposure for over three hours—longer than building codes require. This was the case even when it was not encapsulated with a fire-resistive layer.  

B.C. is a leader in mass timber, with legislation that incentivizes the use of wood in publicly funded buildings. The provincial building code permits the construction of six-storey wood-frame and mass timber residential buildings and some municipalities have adopted the 2020 National Building Code which permits the construction of 12-storey mass timber buildings. 

These tests are worst-case fire scenarios designed to demonstrate how mass timber responds to severe fire conditions. Even in the extremely rare condition where sprinklers have failed and fire fighters are unable to reach the fire, the mass timber structure begins to put itself out once the building contents have burned away. 

Marc Alam, Senior Manager, Codes and Standards for the Canadian Wood Council

Wood engineering and fire experts believe this latest round of fire tests provides strong evidence that the code can further evolve to allow for more exposed wood and taller mass timber buildings. 

“This new series of fire testing shows that taller wood buildings, including those with exposed timber, do achieve fire safety standards and provide good fire performance, comparable to other building materials. They provide strong evidence to evolve the National Building Code,” explains Marc Alam, Senior Manager, Codes and Standards for the Canadian Wood Council. 

Five fire tests: understanding the scenarios and the bottom-line results 

The Mass Timber Demonstration Fire Test Program—using a two-storey, 334 square-metre (3,600 square-foot) mass timber structure—is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive mass timber fire test series to date. The bottom-line results, complemented by expert analysis, show that mass timber is safe, even in rare instances of serious, unattended fires. 

“These tests are worst-case fire scenarios designed to demonstrate how mass timber responds to severe fire conditions. Even in the extremely rare condition where sprinklers have failed and fire fighters are unable to reach the fire, the mass timber structure begins to put itself out once the building contents have burned away,” says Alam. 

“The bottom-line results and what these extreme tests show is, even under those rare conditions, the mass timber fire decays and begins to put itself out after ignition,” Alam adds. 

Held in Ottawa in the summer of 2022, more than 150 experts from across Canada, including fire officials, building regulators, insurance industry representatives, engineers and architects, as well as wood industry and NRC fire research experts, witnessed the fire testing firsthand. Several national consulting firms provided expert analysis, while suppliers from across Canada provided the mass timber materials for the test structure.  

“These tests are giving municipalities, code officials, fire service professionals and insurers a lot of good information—and it was really helpful that many of these folks were able to see the tests as they were conducted. It is becoming clearer through this research that mass timber buildings perform well and these buildings aren’t going to be any more difficult to put out a fire than a steel or a concrete building when built to best practice standards,” says Steven Craft, a fire engineering expert and founding principal at CHM Fire Consultants Ltd., one of the firms contributing to the fire test analysis and final report. 

Here’s a summary of the five test scenarios: 

Test # and Date: Test 1 (July 7, 2022)

Test Type: Completed residential suite: A code-prescribed solution for noncombustible construction 

Location: 2nd storey residential Suite B 

Description: The first test involved a fire in a fully furnished residential suite as a baseline scenario representing a National Building Code prescribed solution for noncombustible construction permitted for a tall building. The test provides a baseline scenario for comparison purposes, representing an acceptable solution of the National Building Code (e.g., a code-prescribed solution) permitted for a high building of noncombustible construction. Three of the four interior walls were finished with plywood. The ceiling was finished with fire-retardant-treated plywood. The floor and all structural elements are protected and did not contribute to the fire. 

Test # and Date: Test 2 (July 14, 2022) 

Test Type: Completed residential suite: Exposed mass timber

Location: 2nd storey residential Suite A 

Description: The second test shows the performance of exposed mass timber in a realistic occupied residential scenario for direct comparison with Test 1, the code-prescribed solution for noncombustible construction. The side-by-side comparison of an identical space with identical fuel load and ventilation conditions in Test 1 gives a performance comparison between a fire compartment in a building of non-combustible construction and one with exposed mass timber construction. 

Test # and Date: Test 3 (Sept. 29, 2022) 

Test Type: Construction site: Garbage bin fire source 

Location: 2nd storey residential Suite B 

Description: The third test shows the performance of exposed mass timber during a construction site fire (severe garbage can fire). In this scenario the floor, ceiling and one wall are exposed mass timber. Other compartment walls are protected with gypsum. 

Test # and Date: Test 4 (Sept. 15, 2022) 

Test Type: Construction site: Exposed mass timber 

Location: 2nd storey residential Suite C 

Description: The fourth test shows the performance of exposed mass timber in a realistic but severe construction site scenario. The fuel load included wood cribs in addition to light wood framing installed in a typical residential suite configuration that had not yet been protected by gypsum board.

Test # and Date: Test 5 (June 22, 2022) 

Test Type: Completed building: Open plan office floor with exposed mass timber 

Location: Full 1st storey 

Description: The fifth test shows fire performance and dynamics in a typical occupied open-office space in a mass timber building. The space is much larger than previous tests with a larger footprint as well as a higher floor to ceiling height. 

Common findings in all five tests 

Craft points to some common and promising findings across all five fire scenarios, which are further elaborated on in the technical report.    

In all five tests, the test mass timber structure remained stable and solid enduring the cumulative effects of five severe fire tests with a total fire exposure of 19 hours, and the stair shaft was not adversely affected in any test. 

While some exposed CLT ceilings showed some delamination in the cooling period, this did not cause any re-ignition or fire regrowth. 

The average char depths in the exposed mass timber members were well within the two-hour fire-resistance rating in all the tests. 

What do these results mean for mass timber construction?  

Although there isn’t a quick and simple solution when it comes to fire testing and safety, these test results are giving us additional and valuable data points. According to Craft, these data sets complement previous testing that has shown mass timber buildings can be built to provide good fire safety.  

“Through all the [mass timber] fire research that we’ve done to date, and over the last 15 years, I believe the building industry and fire experts have gained a really good appreciation for how we can design mass timber buildings to be safe and fire resistant. These tests are showing how we can go taller and expose more wood in these buildings while staying fire safe,” adds Craft. 

These latest tests go further to specifically show how open plan workplaces with exposed mass timber—an increasingly popular trend in office design—are fire safe.   

“In the open office floor plan scenario, the test shows the fire quickly died down on its own. Once all the fuel load was used up—basically the furnishings—the fire decays. As follow-ups to past tests with smaller compartments, this new research shows we get as good or better performance in an open office scenario,” Craft points out.  

Similar to past mass timber fire tests, Craft adds, these tests reinforce how mass timber performs differently than light-frame wood construction. Mass timber’s inherent natural resistance to fire, paired with good fire design, makes the fire performance of mass timber buildings comparable to noncombustible steel and concrete buildings.  

What do these results mean for building codes and insurers?  

To build taller than 12 storeys with mass timber—outside of an alternative solution process—requires a change in the building code at the national and provincial levels. These recent fire test results open the possibility to both. 

“These robust mass timber fire tests give developers and design teams good, solid justification to go above what the code requires and use these test results as part of their alternative means submission,” explains Alam. 

Eventually, Craft, Alam, and Keyes see these tests helping to evolve the national, and subsequent provincial codes, beyond the current height and encapsulation restrictions.  

The results can also offer more reassurances to underwriters, and help them better understand mass timber’s fire performance properties to potentially lower the cost associated with insuring mass timber buildings.  

Insurance underwriting has emerged as the most difficult challenge for both mass timber building construction and occupancy insurance, according to the recent Royal Bank report. For the most part, mass timber buildings require a customized policy, which adds to a project’s final cost, and is ultimately passed down to the owner or end buyer. 

“I believe there is an increasing body of insurers who are becoming more accepting and understanding of the differences in mass timber fire behaviour, particularly how it differs from light-frame wood construction. Our hope is that this type of testing can begin to answer their questions and eventually help standardize premiums and bring down insurance costs,” says Keyes. 

In many respects, B.C. is leading when it comes to mass timber construction. After bringing to market Brock Commons, the first 18-storey timber hybrid building in the world, the province has seen rapid growth in the number of taller mass timber buildings constructed, he points out. 

“I anticipate the Province, and the broader industry, will benefit from this comprehensive fire testing as the results are used to streamline building codes, expanding the use of wood to help tackle climate change and boost the construction of more sustainable, affordable housing.” 

To view and download the full technical report click here. 

Key Takeaways:

• B.C. courts have upheld the government’s decision to pause power service to crypto-mining projects.
• Forestry products company Conifex sought to compel BC Hydro to provide power to several of its high-performance computing data centres it planned to use for mining.
• BC Hydro argued that the order should stand and Conifex’s mining centres would collectively use approximately 2,500,000 megawatt-hours of electrical energy per year.

The Whole Story:

A B.C. forestry company has been blocked by the courts in its quest to power a new cryptocurrency mining operation. 

Conifex Timber Inc. sought to compel BC Hydro to provide the massive amounts of electricity required for mining. The B.C. Supreme Court (BCSC) sided with BC Hydro, upholding the province’s ability to halt power for new crypto mining operations.  

“Conifex is disappointed by, and disagrees with, the BCSC’s decision,” said the company in a statement. “Conifex continues to believe that the provincial government is missing out on several opportunities available to it to improve energy affordability, accelerate technological innovation, strengthen the reliability and resiliency of the power distribution grid in British Columbia, and achieve more inclusive economic growth.” 

The company stated that it is considering its position in relation to the judgment, including potentially appealing the ruling, along with other legal avenues which it may pursue.

Crypto mining is the process of validating transactions on a blockchain network and adding them to the public ledger, known as the blockchain. The miners use powerful computers to solve complex mathematical problems that confirm and secure transactions. In proof-of-work-based cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, the first miner to solve the problem gets the right to add the next block to the blockchain and is rewarded with newly minted cryptocurrency and transaction fees. This process requires significant computational power and energy consumption, making it a competitive and resource-intensive activity.

At issue in the case was the validity of a 2022 order in council issued by the lieutenant governor which directed the BC Utilities Commission (BCUC) to issue orders relieving the BC Hydro of its obligation to supply service to cryptocurrency mining projects for a period of 18 months.

Conifex continues to believe that the provincial government is missing out on several opportunities available to it to improve energy affordability, accelerate technological innovation, strengthen the reliability and resiliency of the power distribution grid in British Columbia, and achieve more inclusive economic growth.

Statement from Conifex

As a result of that decision, two of the Conifex’s data centre projects were removed from BC Hydro’s interconnection queue. At the time of the decision, those two projects were at the front of the queue.

Conifex argued that the order was an unreasonable exercise of the lieutenant governor’s authority and contravened the intent and purposes of the Utilities Commissions Act. Conifex also argued that the order is invalid because it does not comply with the government’s obligations under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act to consult with Indigenous peoples, in this case the Tsay Keh Dene Nation, with whom Conifex intended to collaborate with on its cryptocurrency mining projects.

Northern B.C.-based Conifex is a forestry company that had plans to diversify its operations by developing high-performance computing data centres for cryptocurrency mining. The first required step to secure sufficient electrical power for a mining operation is completing BC Hydro’s interconnection process. In early November 2021, Conifex’s first proposed centre completed that process, and is now moving forward. At the time the  order was issued, two of the Conifex’s other mining facilities were in the interconnection queue with BC Hydro, and were at the front of that queue.

The interconnection process requires the new customer to pay for any new system infrastructure requirements that are for that customer’s sole benefit, and to contribute to the cost of any system reinforcements or upgrades necessary to serve that customer.

BC Hydro made several comparisons to put the electricity usage of Conifex’s facilities in context, notably that projects would use almost half of the output of the Site C Project.

Christopher O’Riley, the CEO of BC Hydro, argued that Conifex’s mining centres would collectively use approximately 2,500,000 megawatt-hours of electrical energy per year. In fiscal year 2022, BC Hydro’s nine largest customer sites each required delivery of more than 500,000 megawatt-hours of electrical power, but none of the nine sites required more than 1,000,000 megawatt-hours.

BC Hydro noted that cryptocurrency mining is a comparatively new phenomenon. It has grown rapidly in the province over the past several years, and the interconnection requests for cryptocurrency miners have far exceeded projections forecast by BC Hydro in December 2020.

Justice Michael Tammen says in a ruling issued Friday that the government’s move in December 2022 to pause new connections for cryptocurrency mining for 18 months was “reasonable” and not “unduly discriminatory.”

Last summer, Conifex signed an agreement with 

The verdict comes less than a year after Greenidge, a cryptocurrency datacenter and power generation company, announced that it has executed a new hosting agreement with Conifex. Greenidge added that Tsay Keh Dene Nation, a First Nation with a traditional territory in north central B.C., would be collaborating with Conifex in supplying hosting services to Greenidge. Under the initial agreement, Conifex would host 750 miners on behalf of Greenidge with capacity of approximately 80 PH/s. 

The agreement included consideration for a potential expansion of 25MW of mining capacity using renewable energy. 

Key Takeaways:

• The decision comes after direction from Ontario’s minister of energy to the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), outlining next steps related to the project including a cost recovery agreement.
• Using water and gravity, pumped storage acts like a giant battery. It stores excess electricity when demand is low and makes it available when it is high.
• If built, the facility would provide 1,000 MW of flexible energy to Ontario’s electricity system.
• It is expected that construction for the project would begin in the latter part of this decade with in-service in the early 2030s.

The Whole Story:

TC Energy Corporation announced this month that it will continue to advance the Ontario Pumped Storage Project with its prospective partner Saugeen Ojibway Nation, and begin work with the Ministry of Energy and the Ontario Energy Board (OEB), to establish a potential long-term revenue framework. Further, TC Energy and Saugeen Ojibway Nation will assist with the ministry’s evaluation of the Project’s broader societal and economic benefits.

The decision comes after direction from Ontario’s minister of energy to the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO), outlining next steps related to the project including a cost recovery agreement. Subject to an agreement with the IESO, this direction from the minister will facilitate the continued development of the project, that if constructed, will support Ontario’s long-term plans to grow the economy and build a sustainable, reliable and clean electricity system.

TC Energy and Saugeen Ojibway Nation stated that they look forward to continuing work with the Ministry, the IESO and the OEB to advance the project, which they say will play an important role in accelerating the province’s ambitious plans for clean economic growth.

Using water and gravity, pumped storage acts like a giant battery. It stores excess electricity when demand is low and makes it available when it is high.

The Ontario Pumped Storage Project will be designed, engineered, and built by a domestic supply chain. During construction, the project will create 1,000 unionized jobs and over 75% of the total materials and supplies will be provided by Ontario-based companies.

Based on feedback from stakeholders and Indigenous groups, the project team opted to completely re-designed the project to enhance protections for Georgian Bay & near-shore environments.

The project remains subject to the approval of TC Energy’s board of directors and Saugeen Ojibway Nation. It is expected that construction for the project would begin in the latter part of this decade with in-service in the early 2030s, subject to receipt of regulatory and corporate approvals. Further, any future capital allocation decisions will align with TC Energy’s net capital expenditure limit of $6-7 billion post-2024.

 The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) estimates that Ontario needs 5,000 to 15,000 megawatts (MW) of new electricity production by 2035. When operational, the OPSP will provide 1,000 MW of flexible, clean energy to Ontario’s electricity system — enough to power a million homes for up to 11 hours.

Key Takeaways:

• The acquisition is expected to close on February 4. 
• The two companies will have a combined 1,000-person team that can leverage shared tools, processes, and resources.
• Post acquisition, Dynamysk will continue to operate independently out of its Calgary and Sherwood Park offices, with a transition to Allnorth planned for later in the year. 

The Whole Story:

Allnorth Consultants Limited has announced its plans to acquire Dynamysk Automation Ltd., a provider of instrumentation, controls (automation), and electrical (ICE) solutions.

Allnorth stated that since its inception in 2006, Dynamysk has excelled by the integration of engineering, inspections, commissioning and installation, to offer full-service solutions over the entire project lifecycle to their clients. 

The company noted that it has worked with the Dynamysk team to confirm strong alignment in core values. Both Allnorth and Dynamysk said they prioritize a focus on the well-being of their teams, strong client relationships, and profitability. They added this strong alignment in core values will promote a cultural fit between the two companies, which can facilitate a smooth integration process.Leadership teams from both companies have identified synergies that can accelerate growth initiatives, enhance service offerings, and improve profitability. 

The two companies will have a combined 1,000-person team that can leverage shared tools, processes, and resources. The companies noted that the acquisition also lays the foundation for further organic expansion, supported by Dynamysk’s innovative quality and completions software solutions, like RFO Central (Ready for Operations).

“The acquisition of Dynamysk Automation is a significant milestone in our journey to provide opportunities for our team to provide comprehensive solutions to our valued clients. We look forward to the exciting opportunities that lie ahead as we embark on this journey together,” said Darby Kreitz, CEO of Allnorth.

The integration of Dynamysk’s instrumentation, controls (automation), and electrical team significantly enhances Allnorth’s service offerings. Dynamysk’s clients will benefit from Allnorth’s expertise in civil, structural and mechanical engineering as well as geomatic, materials testing, environmental, and project delivery services. This unique service bundling can be extended to various sectors, including energy and renewables, metals and minerals, fiber and chemicals, and infrastructure.

“Dynamysk continues to look for opportunities to grow value as it relates to our customers, our shareholders and most importantly our people,” said John Lisoway, president of Dynamysk. “When the Allnorth opportunity presented itself, we examined our synergies and realized that together, it checked off all the boxes.  Dynamysk wanted a partner who would complement what each had to offer, creating greater opportunity and value for our customers’ business (the one-stop-shop approach),  a partner that created opportunities for its people to grow, prosper and feel valued (built by people), a partner that shared common core social and fiscal values, and finally a partner who was in, and who understood, the services business.  The integration of Dynamysk with Allnorth is something I am very excited about and look forward to what the future brings.”    

Post acquisition, Dynamysk will continue to operate independently out of its Calgary and Sherwood Park offices, with a transition to Allnorth planned for later in the year. 

Allnorth is a privately held, multi-disciplinary engineering, project delivery and construction services company established in 1995. They service clients primarily in the metals and minerals, energy and renewables, fiber and chemicals and infrastructure sectors. They have offices across Canada, in the U.S. and Mexico.

Dynamysk is a privately owned Canadian company specializing in delivering fully integrated lifecycle solutions in the industrial Instrumentation, Controls (automation), Electrical (ICE) disciplines. This includes all phases of a project from engineering through fabrication, installation, inspections, commissioning and maintenance. Founded in 2006 and with office locations in Calgary, Alta. and Sherwood Park, Alta, Dynamysk has completed projects for clients in Canada, the U.S. and overseas.

Key Takeaways:

• Capital Power Corporation and Ontario Power Generation have signed an agreement to assess the development and deployment of grid-scale small modular reactors (SMRs) in Alberta. 
• Capital Power and OPG will complete the feasibility assessment within two years.
• The governments of Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick jointly released a Strategic Plan in 2022 for the deployment of SMRs.

The Whole Story:

Nuclear power could be coming to the prairies. 

Capital Power Corporation and Ontario Power Generation have entered into an agreement to jointly assess the development and deployment of grid-scale small modular reactors (SMRs) to provide clean, reliable nuclear energy for Alberta.

Through the agreement, the two companies will examine the feasibility of developing SMRs in Alberta, including possible ownership and operating structures. SMRs are being pursued by jurisdictions in Canada and around the world to power the growing demand for clean electricity and energy security.

Capital Power and OPG will complete the feasibility assessment within two years, while continuing to work on the next stages of SMR development.

OPG is currently building North America’s first fleet of SMRs at its Darlington New Nuclear site in Ontario. The construction of the first of four SMRs is scheduled for completion at the end of 2028, and the unit is expected to be online by the end of 2029. Once assembled from modular pieces, the reactor would be roughly the size of a football field. It could provide power to 5,000 people for 20 years.

The governments of Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick jointly released a Strategic Plan in 2022 for the deployment of SMRs. The Commitment Agreement announced advances the plan, placing the provinces at the forefront of nuclear innovation, clean energy, and emerging markets for SMRs across Canada and around the world.

This agreement offers Capital Power a tremendous opportunity to elevate the company and Alberta on the world stage and marks a key milestone in its evolution to build a decarbonized power system and create real net-zero power solutions for customers.

“Ontario looks forward to leveraging our world-class nuclear expertise to advance the next generation of SMR technology in other jurisdictions across Canada and around the world,” said Todd Smith, Ontario’s minister of energy. “SMRs will help secure new investments that will create good-paying jobs and safely and reliably power communities to meet their growing needs.”

Record-breaking cold temperatures this month highlighted the province’s need for reliable energy. Energy demand began to outstrip supply, prompting officials to issue an emergency alert broadcast asking Albertans to shut off lights, unplug cars and avoid using appliances.

Elsewhere in Canada, some of its largest and most important nuclear facilities are currently undergoing enormous upgrades while still generating power: 

• Ontario’s Bruce Power, the world’s largest operating nuclear facility is in the midst of a $13- dollar upgrade project. It provides 30% of Ontario’s power. The work will extend the facility’s life by decades.
• Darlington Nuclear Generating Station in Clarington, which supplies 20% of Ontario’s power is also in the midst of a massive $12-billion refurbishment.
• Pickering Nuclear Generating Station is currently asking the federal government to allow it to continue operations and to conduct refurbishments of its own.
• Officials in New Brunswick are currently negotiating a potential partnership with Ontario Power Generation aimed at improving operations at the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station, a plant NB Power has owned and operated for 40 years.

As the world’s construction sector is in the midst of battling high costs, labour shortages, unprecedented demand and more, many are looking to the tech sector to see if there is a better way to build.

According to a recent report by Cemex Ventures, Cemex’s corporate venture capital and open innovation unit, contech investment in 2022 was $5.38 billion. Nearly 50% of this investment took place in North America, 30% in Europe. The most active countries were U.S., U.K. and Canada. The most investment went into products that enhance productivity, at 53%.

In addition, Cemex released its annual list of the Top 50 Contech Startups. We went through the whole list and picked out 10 that caught our eye.

Automatic Construction 

You can’t just inflate a home like a balloon, can you? The idea of inflatable concrete buildings sounds crazy. But it could be another tool to rapidly build structures. Here’s how Automatic Construction does it: Plastic fabrics with reinforcement and internal structures are delivered to a site and then pumped full of air. The inflated structure is then filled with whatever pumpable concrete you want. The forms stay put, providing built-in waterproofing and an airtight barrier. Mechanical systems are installed in built-in chases.   

Mix Interesting 

Mix Interesting is a digital mixing master that uses artificial intelligence to help to develop greener concrete 10 times faster than traditional methods. The company combines mathematical optimization, physical models and AI in a software tool that is able to propose new and promising concrete mix designs with a single click . The company says that this makes innovation cycles shorter, cheaper and reduces the number of laboratory experiments significantly.

Waste Robotics

Based out of Quebec, Waste Robotics is making the dream of robots doing the dirty work a reality. Waste Robotics  integrates advanced waste handling processes, computer vision, deep learning algorithms and state-of-the-art robotic technologies to enable smaller, more precise, safer and more profitable waste recycling facilities. This is particularly useful for construction, which generates nearly 1.3 billion tons of waste each year. And let’s be honest, it’s oddly satisfying to watch robots methodically sort things. 

2050 Materials

2050 Materials is a digital information and research platform and API for the AEC industry to explore, compare and source building materials. Their goal is to take the global data on building products, which can often be complex and hard to access, and present it all in a singular format that can be used by anyone. The company also developed the Embodied Carbon Optimizer, a visual tool that provides a simplified LCA for early design phases to quickly compare the climate impacts of building systems, like facades and roofs, by customizing standard assemblies per component.

Advanced Construction Robots

Advanced Construction Robotics’ name pretty much says it all. They make advanced construction robots for the construction sector. They also use artificial intelligence to automate processes. Currently, the company has TyBOT, which performs rebar tying duties, a painful and relative task when done by humans.  TyBOT self-locates, self-positions and self-ties more than 1,200 intersections per hour. The company also offers IronBOT, which lifts, carries and self-places horizontal and longitudinal rebar. 

oculai

Oculai isn’t a generic AI like ChatGPT. It knows construction inside and out and can recognize building processes. Using jobsite camera data, oculai records the work carried out for each day and automatically enters it into a ready-made daily construction report. This inlcudes photos, working hours and even weather data.

Aren

Aren’s patented technology brings together civil engineering, computer vision, deep learning, and artificial intelligence to monitor infrastructure assets, minimize the risk of failure, prioritize repairs, and optimize global infrastructure spending. After a digital twin of an asset is created and monitored, Aren’s artificial intelligence tool automatically detects and quantifies the severity of any damage, tracks changes over time, assesses how the damage is evolving and calculates the rate of deterioration of the asset to predict future structural changes.

BuildWitt

Founded in 2018 by self-described “chief dirt nerd” Aaron Witt, BuildWitt started off using photography and video to document some of the most incredible heavy construction sites on the planet. They have grown to offer specialized marketing services and training software for the construction sector. But most importantly, Witt and his team make construction look unbelievably cool and fun. And that is a huge part of what the industry needs to recruit more works. Witt’s YouTube channel alone has more than 250,000 subscribers.

Conox

Rather than toss out concrete waste, Conox has developed a process to melt it down to make traditional glass and other glass products. Conox says its propriety methods add a high value use of recycled concrete and provides the glass industry with a new, low greenhouse gas raw materials. Waste concrete is generated at a rate of nearly 2.2 billion tons a year. Conox gets it out of landfills and back into the economy.

Faber

It’s no secret that finding workers is one of the biggest if not the biggest challenge the industry faces today. Based in Vancouver, B.C., Faber has created an online marketplace that allows for contractors or construction companies to sign up and connect to a large database of skilled labour resources in their local city. Additionally, the platform allows contractors the flexibility to add or remove workers based on project demands.

EllisDon has formed a strategic partnership with jobsite analytics company Timescapes as part of its efforts to accelerate construction technology.  

EllisDon says Timescapes’ mix of high-resolution timelapse visuals with AI-powered analytics has been proven out on five active pilot projects and the contractor plans to roll the technology out across the business.

EllisDon’s Data & Digital Engineering team, who recently hosted their inaugural ConTech Accelerator, have been seeking out and developing strategic partnerships with tech solutions that can deliver in the field. EllisDon teamed up with Impulse Partners to create the ConTech Accelerator program – an open innovation initiative dedicated to the future of construction. The program aims to accelerate startups and their technology deployment on construction jobsite.

As EllisDon’s self-perform division for IT Support, software development, SaaS services, and VDC/BIM operations, the Data & Digital Engineering team stated that it is proud to add Timescapes to the growing list of solutions available to project teams.

Timescapes provides construction cameras that capture high-quality visual data from job sites and AI analytics that are automatically extracted from the images so project teams can easily action the insights. 

EllisDon found that Timescapes’ analytics and complete visual record of construction progress allowed for quicker and easier dispute resolution, data-driven decision-making, live insights that deterred unnecessary site walks, and streamlined communication and collaboration with contractors and consultants in the field. All of which amounted to improvements on the projects’ schedules and budget.

“Using Timescapes on our sites has given us the ability to not only generate beautiful project visuals and timelapses but also access advanced analytics for activity on site, “said Hammad Chaudhry, VP innovation & construction technology, EllisDon. “These insights allow our construction and project teams to review construction progress remotely while also being able to make more informed decisions about the project.”

Chester Boyes, Timescapes’ CEO and founder, views the partnership with EllisDon as another strong step forward for the company in the Canadian construction industry. 

“Our mission is to empower construction teams with the critical information they need to build better, faster, and safer in a much more collaborative way,” said Boyes. “We see visual data as the key component to achieving this goal. The strategic partnership with EllisDon, a leader in Canadian construction, will give us deeper insights into how companies can leverage visual data and analytics at both the project and overall organization level so we can continue to build on our market-leading solution.”

Key Takeaways:

• The Province of B.C. is proposing code changes that expand what builders can do with mass timber, including constructing structures up to 18 storeys.
• The changes would also allow for more exposed mass timber or fewer layers of encapsulation in buildings, depending on a building’s height.
• Officials say the changes would allow buildings, such as schools, shopping centres and housing to be built faster.

The Whole Story:

Mass timber may soon be going to new heights in B.C.  

Officials announced proposed changes to the building code that would enable taller mass timber buildings, as many as 18 storeys for residential and office buildings, instead of the current 12-storey limit. 

The changes would also allow for more exposed mass timber or fewer layers of encapsulation in buildings, depending on a building’s height, and allow more building types, such as schools, shopping centres and industrial facilities, to be built using mass timber.

Officials say the changes would allow buildings, such as schools, shopping centres and housing to be built faster, leading to a better environment and economy.

“These proposed mass timber building code changes align with our recent work to deliver more homes near transit hubs by allowing taller buildings and more sustainable housing options near transit,” said Ravi Kahlon, minister of housing. “These changes will also help reduce carbon pollution, support the forestry sector, create jobs, build more homes and lead to more vibrant, healthier communities.”

The proposed changes are posted for public comment on the Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes website. After the comment period, the B.C. government will decide on what changes are ready to move forward and what changes, if any, need further technical analysis. Key changes are expected to be adopted as soon as spring 2024.

B.C. and Quebec spearheaded a joint task group to develop the proposed code changes on an accelerated timeline to expand mass timber in Canada. Once the public comment period is complete, a package of proposed code changes will be made available to provinces and territories to consider for adoption in their codes, and for future consideration for the national building codes. These proposed changes have also been reviewed by an expert technical advisory group made up of fire safety experts, regulators, engineering and building code experts from across Canada.

B.C. has a history of going tall with mass timber .Builders in B.C. made history in 2017 when they completed Brock Commons, a 12-storey student housing tower at the University of British Columbia. At that time, it was the tallest mass timber building in the world and required special approval and several structural reviews.  

The province introduced its Tall Wood Initiative in 2019. Local governments were invited to submit an expression of interest to be early adopters of mass timber buildings up to 12 storeys ahead of changes to the National Building Code. They were the first province in the country to allow mass timber construction at that height. 

Today a total of 22 communities can build mass timber buildings up to 12 storeys, including the City of Vancouver, which has similar provisions to those of the Mass Timber Initiative in its own building bylaw.

The proposed changes also come on the heels of the largest, most comprehensive mass timber fire testing in Canadian history.

Dubbed The Mass Timber Demonstration Fire Test Program, the national study looked at five scenarios using a two-storey, 334 square-metre mass timber structure.

The study suggests, even in the most severe instances, taller mass timber structures can provide a level of fire performance that is on par with similar concrete and steel-constructed buildings. The testing was observed by more than 150 experts from across Canada.

Key Takeaways:

• It was the largest, most comprehensive mass timber fire testing in Canadian history.
• The study suggests, even in the most severe instances, taller mass timber structures can provide a level of fire performance that is on par with similar concrete and steel-constructed buildings.
• The testing was observed by more than 150 experts from across Canada.

The Whole Story:

Canadian researchers have been investigating mass timber fire performance in the nation’s largest and most comprehensive testing to date.

Their report shows engineered wood products, such as cross-laminated timber, offer good fire performance comparable to non-combustible materials.

Dubbed The Mass Timber Demonstration Fire Test Program, the national study looked at five scenarios using a two-storey, 334 square-metre mass timber structure.

Researchers say this makes it the nation’s largest and most comprehensive mass timber fire research ever. The study suggests, even in the most severe instances, taller mass timber structures can provide a level of fire performance that is on par with similar concrete and steel-constructed buildings.

“This new series of fire testing shows that taller wood buildings, including those with exposed timber, do achieve fire safety standards and provide good fire performance comparable to other building materials. They provide strong evidence to evolve the National Building Code,” said Marc Alam, senior manager, codes and Standards for Canadian Wood Council.

The testing was observed by more than 150 experts from across Canada. Fire officials, building regulators, insurance industry representatives, engineers, and architects, as well as wood industry professionals and National Research Council of Canada (NRC) fire research experts, witnessed the fire testing firsthand.

“These tests are giving municipalities, code officials, fire services and insurers a lot of good information — and it was really helpful that many of these folks were able to see the tests as they were conducted,” said Steven Craft a fire engineering expert and founding principal at CHM Fire Consultants Ltd., one of the firms contributing to the fire test design and analysis. “It is becoming clearer through this research that mass timber buildings can perform well and it isn’t going to be any more difficult to put out a fire in these buildings than in a steel or a concrete building, when built to best practice standards.” 

Testing scenarios included a fully furnished residential suite as a baseline, exposed mass timber in an occupied residence, fire at a construction site, a more severe construction site fire and fire in an occupied office made of mass timber. 

Officials say that in all five tests, the test mass timber structure allowed for full burn out of the fire, whether the scenario was during construction or for a finished structure, in the rare event of no fire sprinkler activation or fire service intervention, and the stairwell was not adversely affected in any test. The tests concluded in the summer of 2022 and the report written by NRC was recently released.

“Through all the [mass timber] fire research that we’ve done to date, and over the last 15 years, I believe the experts have a very good appreciation for how we can design mass timber buildings to be safe and fire resistant. And these tests are showing how to go taller and expose more wood in these buildings while staying fire-safe,” said Craft.

Researchers noted that test results also show how open plan workplaces with exposed mass timber —an increasingly popular trend in office design—can be fire safe.

“In the open office floor plan test, the fire quickly died down on its own, showing that once the fuel load is consumed by the fire—basically the furnishings—the fire decays,” said Craft. “As follow-ups to past tests with smaller compartments, this new research shows we get as good or better performance in an open office scenario.”

The project team noted that the testing could benefit B.C.’s efforts to be a global leader in mass timber. 

“I anticipate the province, and the broader industry in B.C., will benefit from this comprehensive fire testing as the information obtained continues to streamline the building code, helping us tackle climate change and boost the construction of more sustainable, affordable housing”, said Keyes.

The research initiative was supported by the NRC, Canadian Wood Council, and federal and provincial governments.

The Canadian Wood Council will be giving a presentation that highlights the fire tests and results on November 16 in Vancouver as part of the inaugural WoodWorks Summit. To register or learn more go to woodworkssummit.ca.

The rise of artificial intelligence technology has been astounding. Experts are calling it a transformative paradigm shift that has every industry pondering how it can be used and what its implications will be.

Canada could be a major player as these technologies develop. According to a recent report by Deloitte, Canada ranked first in the five-year average year-over-year growth rate in AI talent concentration compared to G7 nations.

The number of AI patents filed nationally across Canada rose by 27% in 2021-2022 with 158 patents, and 57% in 2022-2023 with 248 patents. This rate of increase puts Canada second among G7 nations in 2022-2023.

“Canada has become the springboard to advance AI-fueled enterprises around the globe. Our openness to newcomers, our highly skilled workforce, our banking stability with access to global markets, and our commitment to a standard of living that is second to none has allowed us to translate our ideas and curiosity into tangible solutions that address real-world challenges and opportunities,” said Anthony Viel, CEO of Deloitte Cannada. “Our future success depends on embracing an entrepreneurial, inclusive, and responsible culture that generates—and delivers on—these ideas for good.”

The economic impact could be huge. It’s predicted that AI could contribute as much as $15.7 trillion to the global economy by 2030.

Here are a handful of AI companies in Canada that have turned their attention to the construction sector.

OpenHouse.ai

What if you could predict the right project for the right market? The OpenHouse.ai Builder Intelligence Platform provides insight into a potential home buyer’s preferences and demands for home builders. The AI-powered solution bolts onto a home builder’s existing website to understand what a buyer is looking for in a home. The company says this data provides accurate insight into a builder’s local market, so they can optimize community planning and design, maintain an optimal mix of floor plans, and de-risk their inventory programs. The company recently partnered with Calgary homebuilder Trico Homes to leverage AI in their development process.

Qii.AI

The Qii.AI team originally set out to create a drone inspection company, but soon found the mountains of data they collected needed to be managed and organized so it could be useful to clients. In 2020, they rebranded as Qii.AI and launched an enterprise platform that combines drone inspection software with a cutting-edge computer vision labeling tool and machine learning. Qii.AI says their deep knowledge of drone operation and the industrial sector give them unique insight for clients. The Qii platform was recently chosen by the Royal Canadian Navy for use in its ship inspection program.

Augmenta

One of Augmenta‘s early design partners put it this way: “It’s like you’re providing each member of my VDC team with their own VDC team.” The Augmenta team is on a mission to automate building design for contractors and engineers. The company says its tools can create highly cost, labor, time and energy efficient designs that are fully code compliant, error-free and constructible One of the Toronto startup’s current offerings designs electrical raceways 70% faster than the traditional way of humans doing it manually on computers.

Mercator AI

With clients like Chandos, DIRTT and Fillmore Construction, Calgary-based Mercator is making a name for itself in the Canadian market. Founded in 2020, Mercator AI says it can address a critical challenge for business development in construction – delayed project discovery. The company’s solution mines and analyzes millions of industry activities, transforming them into actionable opportunities. This helps clients identifies emerging projects, exposes competitive landscapes, and drives strategic business development with real-time data.

UBC’s Smart Structures Lab

Academia is also taking notice of AI’s potential in construction. Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have spent years developing AI-controlled robots that can analyze jobsites and perform construction activities. The school’s Faculty of Applied Science researchers recently demonstrated at a real site how their technology can transform construction vehicles — cranes, forklifts and excavators — into smart construction robots. The team said that they plan to continue testing their technology with builders in a variety of jobsite conditions.

Zetane

Montreal-based AI development company Zetane Systems is working with Pomerleau to apply AI algorithms and neural networks to help accelerate, de-risk and improve estimating processes. Zetane was chosen for the project after Pomerleau issued a call for small tech companies to help them improve estimating with AI. In 2022, Pomerleau announced it would be extending its work with Zetane to apply AI to pre-construction planning.

Maket

Designing a home doesn’t require hours of work or in-depth knowledge of complex computer programs. Maket is an end to end solution that uses ground-breaking research in generative AI, natural language processing and deep learning to automate the creation of floorplans based on programming needs and environmental constraints. The company says this can optimize creativity and efficiency. Maket caught the eye of Techstars, a mentorship-driven business accelerator, in 2021

Key Takeaways:

• DIGITAL will work with collaborative project teams from industry, government and academia to develop new ideas.
• The call will develop a portfolio of innovative digital solutions that can be shared and deployed across the province.
• Project proposals are encouraged to contemplate opportunities across the full life cycle of housing construction.
• DIGITAL’s Housing Growth Innovation Program is leveraging a $9 million investment over three years from the province.

The Whole Story:

DIGITAL, Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster for digital technologies, has launched a call for proposals under their new Housing Growth Innovation Program to grow housing production capacity in B.C.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) report “Housing shortages in Canada: Updating how much housing we need by 2030” forecasts that B.C. will need to add hundreds of thousands of new housing units by 2030. Under the Housing Growth Innovation Program, DIGITAL will work with collaborative project teams from industry, government and academia to develop new ideas, find what works and action solutions that grow the construction sector and build more homes.

Project proposals are encouraged to contemplate opportunities across the full life cycle of housing construction including due diligence, design, construction and post-construction stages and those related to medium to large-scale residential construction, including prefab and mass timber. DIGITAL says there is also room to address friction points that inhibit growth through an open category aimed at systemic supply chain or market challenges as housing production capacity grows. 

DIGITAL stated that the call will develop a portfolio of innovative digital solutions that can be shared and deployed across the province to unlock the growth and economic potential of housing construction in B.C., and ultimately help grow housing stock.

“DIGITAL is proud to announce the launch of our Housing Growth Innovation Program, an effort that will leverage our proven approach to developing digital solutions to address the housing challenge in British Columbia,” said Sue Paish, CEO of DIGITAL. “We look forward to working alongside private industry, government and housing community partners to develop new ideas, find what works and action solutions for the benefit of all British Columbians.”

DIGITAL stated that it believes in assembling collaborative project teams to develop and drive forward innovative solutions to some of society’s biggest challenges. Its partnerships include but are not limited to builders, educators, professional service providers, not-for-profits, technology developers and government bodies. 

They argued that this approach allows teams to draw upon a larger range of skills, expertise and experience, thereby improving the quality of the innovations produced and ensuring they are ready for commercialization and real-world applications.

DIGITAL’s Housing Growth Innovation Program is leveraging a $9 million investment over three years from the province, which was announced in April 2023, as part of the Digital Housing Construction Initiative in their Homes for People Action Plan.

“This is another step forward in our government’s commitment to use existing technology and leading innovation to bring a more efficient permitting process to B.C. so we can build more homes, faster,” said Ravi Kahlon, minister of housing. “We are excited to see DIGITAL work with partners to advance digital innovation and increase productivity in British Columbia’s housing construction sector.”

Interested parties are encouraged to visit the Housing Growth Innovation Program call for proposals page for more details and to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI).

Key Takeaways:

• Researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have spent years developing AI and robotic solutions for construction.
• They recently demonstrated that their robots can scan sites, create a digital twin and begin doing tasks that it recognizes as unfinished when compared to the BIM model.
• The team has also written algorithms that recognize humans and hazards so the robots will stop work if someone is in danger or adjust their path if something is in the way.

The Whole Story:

Autonomous construction robots are ready to graduate from the classroom and begin doing real construction work on jobsites. 

UBC Faculty of Applied Science researchers recently demonstrated at a real site how their technology can transform construction vehicles — cranes, forklifts and excavators — into smart construction robots powered by AI.

Structural engineer Dr. Tony Yang, a professor of civil engineering and lead researcher of the Smart Structures lab, believes these robots will help to speed up construction times, make construction sites safer and address labour shortages.

Yang and his team deployed their technology at a site on Mitchell Island in Richmond, B.C. for a crowd of construction company representatives. Aerial drones fitted with cameras captured details that were then used to create a digital twin of the site. AI-equipped cranes and forklifts used this information to move construction materials such as beams and columns around the actual site, navigating around obstacles without needing a human operator.

“So over the last few years we have been developing many novel AI algorithms to allow us to actually be able to execute this,” said Yang. “We’re riding on this wave because AI technology is now actually very mature and it can be easily applied. You can see cars driving by themselves. We can start using this kind of technology to do autonomous construction.”

Yang explained that the smart construction robots are able to recognize objects, performing detailed scans of structural components for quality assurance. They can precisely place objects on site and check against a computer model to ensure they’re building according to plan. They can make autonomous decisions such as navigating around obstacles or instantly stopping work to protect a worker who is in danger.

“Once these things become more mature and the first jobs get going, it will just roll it by itself because it’s cheaper, faster and safer and there is zero ramp up time,” he said. “You don’t need to train people. It’s already immediately deployed. So it will become the only way to do it.”

Yang believes AI and robots can help solve construction’s labour crunch in a way that is cheaper, faster and safer than traditional methods. 

“The new generations, like Generation Z and Generation X, they really don’t like to go to construction sites. It’s a very harsh environment. It’s tiring,” said Yang. “It’s getting very difficult to actually get skilled workers to work in many places. The idea behind this is now we can start building with robots. We can train the robot to do our jobs, to make the construction more efficient.”

He explained that this would eliminate laborious tasks and elevate skilled workers’ roles on a site. 

“I envision those skilled workers as skilled managers and they can start managing more projects, even remotely overseas. They can be elevated and the machines are doing the dirty jobs,” said Yang. 

Yang believes we are at a point where the technology works and is ready to be deployed, but the biggest barrier is the industry itself. 

“The construction industry is usually very reluctant to change,” he said. “One reason is because the business model is to have this crew of people and then charge by the hour. It’s like a big mothership and it can be difficult to change directions.”

Yang noted that previous implementations of AI and robots in construction pale in comparison to what can be done now. The technology has been used for painting or tiling but he believes it is ready for real construction work that creates the actual structure of a project. And while the industry may be reluctant to change, Yang says it is inevitable.   

“I think in the next 10 years, this is the only way to do business because no one will be there to do it,” said Yang. “Our skilled workers are retiring. They cannot do it. So it will be unavoidable. We are lucky we’re pushing the envelope, but there’s still a lot of work ahead of us.”

The demonstration was performed in front of dozens of construction company representatives and Yang said he and his team plan to continue developing the technology. 

Next on his radar is applying AI and autonomous machines to excavation tasks and working with local builders to test the technology out in a variety of situations and weather conditions.    

The construction industry needs to work together if it wants to address its many challenges. 

This was one of the main messages to come from the first-ever Construction Innovation Summit in Vancouver. The event, organized by the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association, brought together hundreds of the nation’s leaders for a two-day conference focused on pushing the industry forward. The event featured panels, keynotes and talks from some of construction’s brightest minds.

Getting better together

“Collaboration across everything — from architects, engineers, sub-trades, owners, and general contracts — was a very strong theme,” said ICBA President Chris Gardner. “To tackle the challenges that emerge in any project, the foundation is cross-discipline collaboration.”

The group organized the two-day conference in response to the increasing pressures builders face. 

“The theme of innovation in construction is a timely one because when you look at Canada as a whole, we have a big productivity and innovation challenge,” said Gardner. “It has been decades in the making.”

However Gardner noted that construction’s reputation for lagging when it comes to innovation isn’t completely justified. 

“I do think there’s a lot more technology and innovation in the industry than it gets credit for,” he said. “There’s roughly $5 billion invested each year across North America in software directly related to construction.”

But he believes more can be done and, with the multiple challenges the industry is facing, innovation is becoming a necessity. Gardner explained that in 2020 when the global pandemic hit it forced construction to rethink how it operates. This crisis was then followed by global supply chain disruptions. Then material costs rose, inflation became a national issue and interest rates are at record highs. This is on top of an ongoing labour shortage impacting construction and other industries. 

“We’ve sort of gone from one crisis to another and as a result, all these factors are driving contractors and construction leaders to do things better, build more with less and be more efficient,” said Gardner. 

It’s a challenge that trickles down to all Canadians. Gardner noted that the rising costs and risks associated with construction and development are contributing to the housing affordability crisis. 

“Part of dealing with affordability and bringing costs down is building more supply and using innovation to take some of the cost out of the building process,” said Gardner. 

He noted that government also has its own role to play by cutting red tape and approving projects faster. 

Following the pandemic, many have wondered if the industry will be getting back to normal. With the ongoing challenges, Gardner believes that this is the new normal. 

“We actually never got back to normal. COVID was the first big shock,” he said. “There have been lots of other shocks. One right now is the uncertainty of geopolitics. Turn on the news feed and it’s right there. I think everyone accepts that getting back to normal is something that doesn’t seem to be a path right now.” 

But he hopes that events like the Construction Innovation Summit can help galvanized industry leaders.

“There is a whole group of uncertainties but at the same time we need to build more housing and infrastructure,” he said. “The need for that isn’t going away. So it was great to bring everyone together and ask them how we can tackle these challenges.”     

Making construction’s voice heard

Dave Baspaly, president and CEO of the Council of Construction Associations (COCA) in B.C., focused on analyzing government action’s in the province and how the industry can make their voices heard. 

“There certainly has been a labour-leaning force right now that has moved a lot of things into play that have not been good for the industry,” said Baspaly. “And we have not been able to express the consequences because of the speed of the regulatory calendar.”

Baspaly explained that traditionally, changes moved more slowly. This gave the industry more time to react, give input and help shape health and safety regulations. Some of the rapid changes happening include topics like mental health, asbestos, soft tissue damage and job site bathrooms. 

“You have to slow it down and go at the pace of the people,” said Baspaly. “COCA is has been working hard with association members to slow things down. There is no need to go 100 mph with all these regulations concurrently. There is no prize for speed and it will just cause issues.” 

Baspaly also fears that B.C.’s approach could threaten the financial stability of WorkSafeBC. He believes rates will go up and the reserve will be bled down, undermining failsafe features. He also fears that rushed decisions could set precedents that will impact the industry for decades. 

“Once we enter into these situations, even with the best intentions, we end up with some regulations becoming really unworkable in the real world because it’s effectively just a cash transfer — moving money to move out benefits,” he said. “There is no way to repatriate those claims back to where they should be and eventually you have insolvency down the line. We need sustainable regulations that work for labour and the employer long-term. There is not point trying to win at the other’s expense.”

Baspaly stressed that writing emails and letters voicing industry concerns matters, especially when there are large numbers of people and companies doing so. He strongly encouraged the industry to voice their concerns directly or through associations that they are a part of. 

Taking the first steps toward innovation

Amy Marks, executive vice president of Symetri USA and YouTube’s “Queen of Prefab”, spoke about how builders can take their first steps towards innovation and her vision for the near future of construction. 

“I was incredibly impressed by this event,” she said. “You had leaders from all around the region coming together, having conversations, learning from each other. I think it’s important. It’s not about one company doing well when we are trying to address issues around needing more hospitals, data centres, roads and homes. All the boats need to rise and we have to get everybody to change as an ecosystem.”

Marks explained that this ecosystem includes architects, sub trades, general contractors, product manufacturers, engineers, lawyers, risk managers, procurement arms, government, owners and anybody else that touches the construction process. 

“It really takes an ecosystem’s attention and maturity to really enable business to be done differently,” she said.

Her talk also zeroed in on some small steps builders can take to begin industrializing their process. She demonstrated how Revit can integrate with a program called Naviate to start fabricating parts from BIM models. 

She also noted that many are looking to take advantage of AI, machine learning and other emerging tools. But she explained that one first needs to get a concrete idea of what their business goals are so they can begin structuring and organizing their data to accomplish those goals. 

“It’s almost like asking someone if they want to build a library for a third-grade class or if they want to create the Library of Congress. Those are very different,” she said. 

According to Marks, charging ahead with technology changes without a clear idea of what you want can just reinforce bad processes and lead to more waste. 

Looking to the future, Marks sees construction, like many other industries, shifting from being a process to being a product. She envisions an industry where parts of a building can be chosen by designers at the start of a project and that product’s performance, specifications, environmental impacts and other meta data is readily available. 

“You should start thinking about how to make a product out of what you make and how you can digitize it so someone can consume it in an organized manner,” she said.

She believes the mechanical, electrical and plumbing portions of buildings are especially ripe for this kind of innovation. 

“You want people to be able to design with certainty and have little waste,” she said. “A lot of money is made from wasteful business processes. People make money on the lack of information silos. I believe pressure has to come from the top down — the big owners, governments and others — and they have to start incentivizing people not to do that.”