connections...connections spring & summer 2020 active screening to safeguard against illness...

• Living and working with covid19 • OSCO Group welcomes PreCon • Arsenal Yards • EMD Serono • PUMA • 12 Wing Shearwater

spring & summer 2020CONNECT with us on

the biannual newsmagazine of the OSCO Construction Group

connections

Hans W. Klohn1927-2020

www.oscoconstructiongroup.com

what’s inside

on our cover... CONNECTIONS is the biannual magazine of the OSCO Construction Group, published every Spring and Fall to share news and information with our valued customers & employees

Comments and submissions are greatly appreciated and may be sent to the editor/designer: Tammy Legacy, c/o OSCO Construction Group 400 Chesley Drive, Saint John, NB • Canada • E2K 5L6 email: [email protected]

A tribute to our co-founder, Hans W. KlohnSee story on page 4photo credit: Cindy Wilson, Telegraph Journal

OSCOconstructiong r o u p

connections spring & summer 2020the biannual newsmagazine of the OSCO Construction Group

12 ...Manhattan Landmark

13 ...Arsenal Yards

14 ...Mercantile Lobby Garden

15 ...EMD Serono Research

16 ...Valley Ranch Apartments

17....800 West Park Drive

18 ...DAL Arts Centre

19 ...Horizon Health Network

20 ...Steel Custom Jobs

20 ...The Portside

21 ...PUMA Headquarters

22 ...Maine Veterans’ Home

23 ...Jetco Contracting

24 ...Windsor Arena

25 ...Marque @ the Refinery

27 ...Harvey Performance

28 ...Standing Ready

30 ...Harbour Isle

30 ...Sherwood Apartments

31 ...12 Wing Shearwater

32 ...Scholten’s Grand Bay

32 ...Rebar Projects

33 ...Halifax Tower Hotel

34 ...Jewetts Creek ATV Bridge

36 ...40 Free Street, Portland

36 ...UNBSJ Residence 3

37 ...Irving Oil Hangar

projects

42 ... Health & Wellness: Update

43 ... Safety: MDSonline database

44 ... Facilities: Canaan Equipment Upgrades

46 ...School Recruiting

47 ...Take Our Kids to Work Day

48 ...Helping Hands

public &community people

4 .....Hans W. Klohn

35 ...R.F. Jordan & Sons

38 ... Precast Parking Garages

52 ...Construction Admin Team

profiles

49 ...Harrison Wilson

50 ...Moncton Management

50 ...Borcherdt Sales

51 ...25 Year Club

53 ...Hidden Talents

54 ...Fresh Faces

54 ...Congratulations

3 ..... Message from the President

7 .....Covid19 Response

11 ....PreCon Joins OSCO Group

55 ...Our Locations priorities

3www.oscoconstructiongroup.com

message from the president

connections | spring & summer 2020

This edition is dedicated to my father, Hans W. Klohn. I had the

privilege of being mentored and working closely with him for almost 35 years. Our Group has accom-plished much over that time and, although he remained very interested and was always willing to give advice, he also understood that there can only be one captain of a ship. He was extremely good at coaching without interfering; in knowing that progress was more important than perfection. Most of all, my father loved to see young, new faces join the company with new ideas and ambitions; par-ticularly sons and daughters of former employees who had helped build the company.

In my father’s obituary, reference was made to the German philoso-pher, Goethe, who my father greatly admired and often quoted: “Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.” Those words summarized my father’s belief that if one wanted to make a differ-ence and accomplish something, what mattered most was to act; not talk. My father’s 40-year relationship with Mr. K. C. Irving was his living proof of what could be achieved with hard work, perseverance and making “wheels turn”.

One of my father’s most admirable traits was never to state the obvious. By that I mean, if someone messed something up, it wasn’t necessary to further humiliate them by reminding them of their mistake; they already knew. He was a great teacher and a wonderful father, our entire family will miss him...

The last several months have been without precedent to live and work in the midst of a worldwide pandemic.

Our group has nev-er been more chal-lenged to continue its operations and provide the essen-tial products and services required by our customers. Our collective hard work to “Protect our People, our Customers and our Businesses” has paid off. We have developed proto-cols that maintain a healthy & safe working environ-ment using social distancing, tem-perature monitor-ing and recom-mended hygiene standards. We have performed “safe space studies” for all our of-fices and plants to ensure our em-ployees can safely work together and avoid unnecessary exposure to the pandemic. We have gotten used to new phases like “new normal”, “social distancing” and “flat-tening the curve”. Hopefully, a vac-cine will be announced soon so that the social & economic devastation

underway will subside. We, as part of the construction industry, have been fortunate in that we have not had to close our doors and face the difficult decision of employee layoffs.

Message from the President“Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.” Those words summarized my father’s belief that if one wanted to make a difference and accomplish something, what mattered most was to act; not talk.

continued on page 49...

4 www.oscoconstructiongroup.com

people


Mr. Hans W. Klohn was an engineer, an entrepreneur, a business leader and a community builder. I had the privilege of knowing Mr. Hans W., Mrs. Anke, and Mr. Fritz Klohn.

This is truly the passing of an era. He was a great friend and trusted business partner to my

grandfather, K.C and my father, Jack. He helped us build the OSCO Group of companies. He has

left his legacy up to us and we need to build on it and not let him down.

Our deepest sympathies go out to Hans, Peter, Ulrike, Frauke and their families.

John K.F. Irving

on behalf of the John E. Irving family


people


photo credit: Cindy Wilson, Telegraph Journal

Hans W. Klohn1927-2020

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our

co-founder, Hans Walter Klohn, on April 15th, 2020.

Hans emigrated from Germany in 1952 to begin an almost seventy-year relationship with K.C. Irving and the Irving Family that continues today. At age 25, he was sent to Canada to oversee a structural steel contract for Irving Pulp & Paper and shortly there-after was appointed by K.C. Irving as the mill’s construction manager. In 1955, as the bond between the two men grew, Ocean Steel & Construc-tion Ltd. was created and, over many decades, expanded to become the OSCO Construction Group (OSCO). Together, Hans, in close association with Mr. Jack Irving, changed the skylines of numerous communities in

Canada and the Eastern United States. The building projects undertaken by OSCO (which are too numerous to mention) and the multi-discipline trades and products of OSCO stand as a permanent testament to the founders’ innovative spirit and their reputation as master builders. The close personal connection was given permanent expression in 2011 when, through the generous support of the families of Arthur and Jack Irving, the Hans W. Klohn Commons Building was opened at UNBSJ directly across from K.C. Irving Hall.

In reflecting on his accomplishments, Hans would not have mentioned his honorary degrees from Acadia University or the University of New Brunswick, his induction into the New Brunswick Business Hall of Fame, his

selection as an Industry Titan in the advancement of Canadian precast concrete, his Honorary Membership of the Engineers and Geoscientists of New Brunswick, or his honorary lifetime membership in the Saint John Construction Association. Rather, he would have expressed humility and gratitude for the thousands of men and women who dedicated their efforts to making the projects undertaken possible. He might have taken personal pride in the work done at the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre at Acadia University, the Loyalist Burial Grounds in Saint John or K.C. Irving Hall at UNBSJ, all of which he hoped were fitting tributes to the patriarch who had made it possible for Hans and his family to enjoy a wonderful life together in Canada.

continued on next page...


people


photo credit: Cindy Wilson, Telegraph Journal

In addition to the many charitable causes supported through the com-panies, Hans quietly supported many charitable organizations personally, including the Lutheran Church, the Saint John Boys and Girls Club, the United Way, Romero House and the

Children’s Wish Foundation.

Hans was predeceased by his beloved wife and partner of 67 years, Anke. He is survived by his four children; Ulrike (Warren) Long, Hans O. (Wendy) Klohn, Frauke (Vaughn) Smith and

Peter (Sharon) Klohn, eight grandchil-dren and eleven great grandchildren.

He will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing and working with him.


COVID19 response


COVID19Questions? [email protected]

Protecting our People, our Customers and our Business

STEP 1 - PREPARING TO COME TO WORK

#LivingandWorkingWithCOVID19

2. Temperature Screening Device

will check body temperature

STEP 2 - TEMPERATURE CHECK

Employees will be required review the 4 self-assessment questions listed below prior to coming to the work site:

If you answered YES to question 1,2,3 or 4, self-isolate at home. If you have or develop symptoms,

call your government health agency in your region. Please see the numbers listed below:

COVID19

Since March 1st we have all been experiencing the impact of the

Covid19 virus. It has had a significant impact on both our personal lives and our work environments. To ensure that our employees are protected in our workplaces, we have researched and sought out an incredible amount of safety directives, medical expertise, current legislation and equipment to ensure we can work safely.

Whether working in a plant, out of a vehicle or in an office, protocols specific to each location have been put in place. New active screening assessments, signage, procedures for

maintaining safe physical distances, guidelines for room limitations and arrangements for workstations are all examples of changes reflected in our workplaces. The following are a few example of the changes made throughout the OSCO Construction Group and its affiliated companies.

Key to our ongoing success will be each of us continuing to do our part: self-monitoring of our health, fre-quent hand washing, physical distanc-ing and following all the new guide-lines. These changes will also help us protect our families and friends outside the workplace.

We have worked hard to build resilient companies strong enough to with-stand crises. To date we have done well, but we can’t let up.

Thank you to all of our employees, customers and suppliers for their efforts in making this happen. They should be very proud. I know I am.

John K.F. Irving, Chairman and C.E.O.

staying safeSigns, Notices and Decals help to generate awareness, inform and remind everyone of the changes happening in the workplace to keep everyone healthy and safe.

signage

livingandworkingwithCOVID19Protecting our People, our Customers and our Businesses

COVID19Questions? [email protected]

keep a minimum6 feet (2 meters) apart

6ft

use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and

water aren’t available

sanitize your work

space

Wear a face mask in public when physical distancing

may not be possible

wash your hands often

elbow cough/sneeze

avoid touching face with hands

cough in tissues and throw away

self monitor for fever and cough


COVID19 response


active screeningTo safeguard against illness entering the workplace, we have begun to follow an active screening process.

Temperature screening devices may vary by location.

The process is designed to screen those that should not enter the workplace in an effort to keep everyone healthy and safe.

The checkin process allows everyone to self-assess their personal health before entering their workplace. This can be done from home.

Using a temperature screening device identifies a temperature

above 38C/100.4F, which can be one of the indicators of the COVID19 virus.

1 2checkin

In our employee homebase module, Log a Safety Incident, is for anyone that displays symptoms or is in contact directly, or indirectly, with COVID19.

homebase

temperature

3

COVID19

#LivingandWorkingWithCOVID19

keeping informed

Providing transparent, clear and timely information to everyone has remained a top priority. A variety of approaches to achieve this include:

• Emails • Newsletters• Audio recordings • Videos

Each of these communications provide an opportunity to educate, inform and stay connected. They are all available to employees on our infohub.

communications


COVID19 response


cleaning and disinfecting

• A variety of cleaning products are available specific to your workplace requirements.

• Cleaning frequency is determined based on requirements for the workplace. Increased cleaning frequency is in place in higher traffic areas.

• Everyone is to wash hands frequently and limit what is touched to only what is necessary.

guidelines & examples:

Communication and sharing of

information remains key in our

efforts. We have therefore launched a new internal

website called infohub where employees can

acess all important information related to COVID19,

including communication, policies, protocols, health

and safety response plans, and important programs to

support them.

infohub

keeping informed

Frequent cleaning of high traffic areas.

Contact-less sanitization Washing stations for frequently washing hands Sanitizer at entries

A variety of cleaning products available.


COVID19 response


physical distancing

• 6 feet of physical separation is required.

• Dividers and/or masks are used when 6 feet of separation is not possible.

• Capacity restrictions are in place to reinforce 6 feet of physical distancing. This applies to shared spaces including lunch and meeting rooms, supply rooms and washrooms, copy areas, warehouses and customer spaces.

• Additional personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, assorted masks, and buffs are available for added safety or for when 6 feet physical distancing is not possible.

• Arrows and foot decals provide direction for traffic flow and waiting areas to avoid congestion.

guidelines & examples:

Indicators mark available seating.

Dividers in small spaces provide physical distancing.

Maintaining distance in lunch rooms.

Floor decals indicate locations to stand. Arrows direct traffic to avoid congestion.

Plexiglass screens act as physical dividers.

A variety of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) offers additional level of safety.

Physical distancing and masks for added protection.

Limiting elevator passengers.

Dividers provide added protection.


special announcement


The OSCO Construction Group is excited to welcome PreCon to our

precast concrete lineup.

PreCon has been in business since 1958 and has two plants in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA): Brampton and Woodstock. The company is the largest manufacturer of custom, engineered precast/prestressed concrete compo-nents in southern Ontario. It provides single source technical sales, design, engineering, project management, manufacturing and installation services for six (6) main product lines: Flexwall, insulated wall panels, parking struc-tures, bridge girders, structural precast and architectural precast. PreCon has a dominant market position in the industrial wall panel market (Flexwall and insulated wall panels) and in the

parking garage segment. There are approximately 300 employees work-ing in PreCon’s offices, plants and field operations. The Company has a strong base of customers and suppliers in the greater GTA, as well as, a very experi-enced and capable workforce.

This acquisition allows the OSCO Precast line-of-business to expand into the largest construction market in Canada. In addition, this investment further geographically diversifies OSCO to allow for more growth in its other lines of business, such as, ready mix concrete, aggregates, reinforcing steel and structural steel.

We are looking forward to sharing experiences, processes and knowledge

between our two precast organizations to build a better & stronger competitive offering in the marketplace.

We are fortunate to have an excellent management team already in-place to lead this company as we integrate it into the OSCO organization. Mr. Peter Quail is our Vice President - Central Region and successfully ran PreCon for several years in the past. He is joined by two additional key employees: Paul Slosarcik and Angelo Guglielmo, who both worked with Peter when he ran PreCon during that period.

Stay tuned for updates on this exciting union and check them out at www.pre-con.com.

Joins the OSCO Group

contributed by: Jason Presley

& Tiffany Goguen

Ocean Steel was recently able to be a part of the reconstruc-tion of the landmark Tin Build-

ing in New York, NY. The Tin Building was famous for being the 183-year-old home of the Fulton Fish Market, which moved in 2005. After a major fire in 1995, the building weathered extensive damage from Hurricane Sandy in 2012. In 2016 the Landmark Preservation commission decided the structure was to be carefully dis-mantled, and is now being rebuilt 33 feet away from its original location, directly to the west of Pier 17.

Ocean Steel started work on this proj-ect in December 2017, under contract with Plaza Construction. Steel erec-tion for the project began in June 2019, with the final beam topped out

in November 2019. The three-story structure is being built only 32 feet away from its original location; but six feet higher above sea level. The Tin building is a 53,000 square foot com-mercial project which will function primarily as a new seafood-themed market. The building is expected to open in early 2021.

Ocean Steel supplied 585 tons of new structural steel, as well as steel decking for all levels. This project was extremely unique for all involved, due to the salvaged historic pieces of steel pulled from the original building which were reworked, painted and then reused within the construction of the new building, both inside and as part of the new western canopy. Ocean Steel was hired by Plaza to be an integral part of this historic steel replacement work. Ocean Steel over-saw the measurements (as-builts) of

all salvaged items and created as-built site plans for what the historic steel would have looked like when it was installed. This important information was used by the design team when finalizing their plans for the new install of this historic steel. After the as-builts were complete, Ocean was also enlisted by Plaza to fabricate some new pieces to replace items that were too damaged, as well as to rework the angle trusses, replacing parts on some, due to excessive wear and/or damage.

The project has been a big success, with all steel fitting very well, including all of the historic and replicated items which have found their home within the new structure. Completion of the final site-work items has been delayed due to COVID-19, however all parties look forward to a successful return to work soon, to wrap things up.

RECONS TRUC TING A M ANHAT TAN L ANDM ARK

“This project was extremely unique for all involved, due to

the salvaged historic pieces of steel pulled from the original building which were reworked, painted and then reused within the construction of the new building.”


projects



projects


Arsenal YardsStrescon Produces Distinctive Panels for Cranshaw Construction’s Mixed-use Project in Watertown MA.contributed by: Gerald K. Grassby & Liam Murphy

Arsenal Yards Building “F” (formerly known as “The Arsenal Mall” from

1983 to 2013 and the Arsenal Project from 2013 to 2016) is a combination of mixed-use, and residential devel-opment in Watertown, Massachusetts. The area is home to the original Ar-senal Mall site, which is a redevelop-ment for Arsenal Yards. It will include 250,000 sq ft of retail and restaurants, 200,000 sq ft of office space, and a 150-room Hampton Inn hotel, and 425 residences. Construction is ex-pected to be finished in late 2020.

Strescon worked with General Con-tractor, Cranshaw Construction, early in the preliminary design phase, pro-viding rough budgets and details for the architectural precast on Building F of the project. The building serves as a Roche Bros. Supermarket at the lower level, with a parking garage above on levels 2 thru 5. The upper 3 levels will be apartments.

Strescon provided 97 architectural precast spandrel panels to enclose the upper levels of the parking garage. The spandrels serve as both an archi-tectural feature, as well as a structural enclosure for the building’s partial façades on all 4 elevations of the parking portion of the building.

Production of the spandrels required a unique “basket weave” formwork to be done to achieve the Architect’s intent of replicating undulation within the face of the panels, mimicking a shallow ripple effect. The process of shop drawings began in November of 2018, and through extensive coordina-tion between Strescon’s design and construction team, and the GC and Architect, Strescon was able to provide a truly one-of-a-kind spandrel. The precast panels went into production in late November of 2019, with shipping to site starting in early March 2020. Thanks must go out to American Steel

and Precast Erectors, as well as to Sunbury Transport Ltd., for being able to proceed with work during the Covid-19 pandemic. Thanks to their professionalism, the project went incredibly smoothly. The panels took 2.5 weeks to install and 1 week to de-tail out all panels. Liam Murphy served as Strescon’s Project Manager.

This project was a great success, and both the customer and Architect are very pleased with Strescon’s high-quality precast product. We are seeing a lot of projects within the New England area, where the design intent is to use architectural precast span-drels in the parking garage elements of mixed-use developments. Archi-tectural precast is a favorable choice among many design firms for its ability to take on many different façade treatments and colors at a competitive price to other building materials.


projects


contributed by: Shauna Miller

Onlookers express disbelief when they find out that the new forest that has sprouted up at the Mercantile Centre

isn’t comprised of real trees. In fact, each of them are indi-vidually crafted art sculptures.

In the Winter of 2019, it was decided that the Mercantile Center was in dire need of a lobby upgrade. Through the in-sight and vision of Mr. John Irving and Tina Beers of Veridis Design, a plan was developed to combine art with nature.

The team began working with NatureMaker, a company that creates artisan-crafted steel art trees. Located in Carlsbad, California, NatureMaker has a permanent staff of artists, certi-fied welders, painters, sculptors, scenic artists, and craftsmen.

“Founded in 1983, NatureMaker artificial trees are a bold synthesis of art, design, and engineering. Each tree is one-of-a-kind, and individually handcrafted to conform to archi-tectural, structural, fire, and seismic specifications to create a realistic tree. For more than three decades, the scope, scale, and caliber of NatureMaker’s commissions has been a force in introducing nature as ambiance for cutting edge interiors. Steel Art Trees can now be seen in some of the world’s most prestigious locations”

The idea was to design and create a space that was reflec-tive of our New Brunswick surroundings. The design focused around 3 large birch trees with 6 smaller spruce trees. These trees are constructed from raw materials with a recycled content of 50 to 75% and designed for durability and ease of maintenance.

NatureMaker’s Artist then travelled to Saint John to install the trees with the help of a crew from Scholtens Landscaping and FCC’s superintendent, Larry Ross

Once the trees were installed, large live ferns, LED lighting, boulders and sand were installed, to complete the design. LED lights are controlled for times and color changes.

This was a total transformation for the lobby and a very exciting project to be part of.

Mercantile Lobby GardenArtisan-Crafted Trees Provide Peaceful Slice of Nature to Saint John, NB Office Building


projects


EMD SERONO RESEARCH FACILITY

contributed by:

David Leskie & Jeff Keith.

EMD Serono, Inc., the U.S. bio-pharmaceutical business of Merck

KGaA (Merck), Darmstadt, Germany, is engaged in the discovery, research and development of specialty care medicines for patients with difficult-to-treat diseases. As part of EMD Se-rono’s current investment in expand-ing their research and development presence in the state of Massachu-setts, they announced in early 2019 that they would be constructing a $70 million R&D facility on their existing campus in Billerica, MA..

The 145,000-sf expansion will include new laboratories, office space and a cafeteria for 400 R&D employees who will focus on advancing science in oncology, immuno-oncology, and immunology. The Billerica campus is one of 10 locations in Massachusetts where Merck employs more than 2,800 people. Billerica is also one of

Merck’s four global R&D hubs, the others being in Germany, Japan, and China. Merck invests about 20% of its total annual sales in R&D.

Erland Construction of Burlington, MA was selected by EMD Serono to con-struct the new mixed-use building. Designed and constructed to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Envi-ronmental Design) and WELL building standards, the building will promote energy efficiency, focus on water us-age and air quality, and incorporate design and materials that will make a positive impact on employee health and well-being.

Ocean Steel worked closely with Erland Project Manager, Matt Combs to supply: detailing 1480 squares of deck, 767 Tons of structural steel, 175 tons of HSS façade, and stairs. OSCO began production on September 30th, 2019, with the erection topping off on December 5th. Erection was completed by American Steel & Pre-

cast Erectors. An OSCO Group team project, the Building Informa-tion Modeling (BIM) coordination was completed by one of Ocean Steel’s sister companies, FCC Construction.

The OSCO Construction Group’s strong commitment to safety was a key component to being selected for this project, which was de-veloped following a PtD (prevention through de-sign) Process, for which OSCO’s Duanne Shanks hosted a site wide safety lunch and learn on hearing loss.

In order to expedite the start of steel erection, erection on the main building began while the façade was still being designed. This allowed the main building to be hoarded in to pour the floor slabs through the winter, while the façade steel was being fabricated. As the slabs were



projects


... continued from previous page

completed and the hoarding came off, façade erection resumed around the building.

The façade on the building was originally planned to be conventional cold-form framing and rain screen/curtain wall. As the design developed however, it was determined that the planned zee furring on the rainscreen represented thermal breaks. At this point, the façade changed to 3” insu-lated metal panels (sandwich panels) which did not allow for conventional cold form framing, due to the floor-to-floor heights in the building and 3’ panel widths.

To remedy the situation, Ocean Steel worked with client Erland Construction, the Structural Engineer, and the Architect, as well as the metal panel and curtain wall vendors, to

coordinate a HSS structural steel support system for the façade.

Project completion is expected in 2021.

“Having Ocean Steel’s Detailing department present during the de-sign phase of the façade support structure, with the model updated and available, was an invaluable asset in coordinating this intricate component of the project. I do not think that we would have flushed out many of the coordination issues during the shop drawing phase had we not utilized Ocean’s model to coordinate steel location with the metal panel and curtainwall needs”

– Matt Combs, Erland Construction

contributed by: Dave Dunnett P.Eng.

Currently under construction in the heart of Quispamsis, New

Brunswick, Valley Ranch Apart-ments is located at 309 Hampton Road near Autumn Avenue. The new development is being built by A.E.McKay Builders under the direc-tion of Andrew McKay. The 3-storey finished project will be approximately

20,000 square feet per floor, and offer 42 apartments with all the bells and whistles, including a full parking garage below grade, complete with elevator service.

The project kicked off in mid-Feb-ruary, with the first footings being poured on February 11th. The project continued throughout the winter conditions and by April 17th all of

the structural walls and slabs were complete. This was made possible by good common sense use of various dosages of non-chloride accelerators and superplasticizers.

At the time this article was written, OSCO Concrete had placed approxi-mately 1100 cubic meters of concrete in just over 2 months, enabling the project to proceed on schedule.

Valley Ranch Apartments


projects



contributed by: Brendan Clancy P.Eng. & Jeff Keith

Carruth Capital, LLC is a privately-owned commercial real estate firm, with over 3.7 million square feet of space under owner-

ship. One of the largest landlords in Massachusetts, they have over 220 tenants, occupying 43 commercial buildings. In late 2017, it was announced that Equus Capital Partners had sold Westborough Office Park to Carruth Capital for $40.74 million. Tucked into a wooded hillside, the Westborough Office Park is located 30 miles west of Boston, with convenient access to all of the major roadways in Eastern Massachusetts. Westborough Office Park is a master-planned, 153 acre site that will eventually contain more than 1.1 mil-lion square feet of first-class office/retail space. One of the newest additions to the development is currently under construction at 800 West Park Drive.

The $45 million 800 West Park Drive project is the future home to the Olympus Corp. of the Americas, a global technology leader, crafting innovative optic and digital solutions in medical technolo-gies; life sciences; industrial solutions; and cameras and audio products. Ocean Steel & Strescon were awarded the team package by General Contractor, Gutierrez Construction, to supply and install the structural steel and architectural precast elements for the four story, 150,000 square foot, class A office building.

Coordination between steel and precast was done in-house, easing the burden on the Construction Manager to coordinate the two trades. Using model sharing & BIM technologies, the coordination process was effortless - streamlining shop drawing preparation for expedited submittals.

Structural Steel: The structural steel portion of the scope included 800 tons of structural steel & 157,300 square feet of roof

800 West Park Drive

“Coordination between steel and precast was done in-house, easing the burden on the Construction Manager to coordinate the two trades. Using model sharing & BIM technologies, the coordination process was effortless and streamlined shop drawing preparation for expedited submittals.”

Ocean Steel & Strescon Team Up on New Location for Olympus Corporation of the Americas


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...continued from previous page

and floor decking. Installation was subcontracted to Monadnock Steel & Precast Erectors. Project schedule was of utmost importance to the client and the teamwork between Ocean Steel & Strescon made it a suc-cess. Structural Steel erection started August 14, 2019 and the building was topped off at the end of September.

Architectural Precast:

For this fourth project between Strescon and Gutierrez, Strescon was asked to supply and install 25,000 square feet of architectural precast

elements. This included prestressed spandrels, precast flat panels and curved column covers. In total, 193 pieces of precast were fabricated, delivered, and installed by Strescon. Fabrication of the precast pieces be-gan in August of 2019 and continued into October of 2019.

Strescon subcontracted the installa-tion to Monadnock Steel & Precast, knowing they had the skill to install the complicated geometry proposed by the Architect. The architectural vision for the precast included a wide

variety of pieces, including various shapes, heights, lengths, widths, projections, and thickened areas, as well as real & false joints. The build-ing’s perimeter also included angles and skews, which added to the difficulty in installing the rigid panels. Installation began in October of 2019, with the flat panels and spandrels. The round column covers were installed in a second mobilization in December. Strescon’s Project Manager on this project was Alex Linero, with Laboni Haque as Engineer and Angela Hickie on Detailing.

contributed by: Andrea Haines

Established in 1971, the Dalhousie University Arts Centre is known as

Nova Scotia’s cultural entertainment hub. Centrally located in the heart of historic Halifax, the Arts Centre is a bright, modern facility that offers professional support services and state-of-the-art technology. It is home to the Rebecca Cohn Audito-rium, which regularly features local

and world-famous performances. The location also offers venues for meetings, seminars, weddings and a variety of other events.

This past February, Allstar Rebar started fabrication at the Arts Centre, which is undergoing an expansion and renewal of existing spaces. The addition will add over 42,000 square feet for the new Arts Centre and will subsequently provide students

and sponsors with: a new concert hall that will seat 300; two rehearsal rooms; multiple teaching studios; and many more facilities. The existing Arts Centre will also undergo renovations, as well.

Allstar Rebar will be providing ap-proximately 247 tons of rebar and 60,464 square feet of mesh for the expansion. The full project is expected to be complete by the Fall of 2021.

Dalhousie University Arts Centre

contributed by:

Bill Woodhouse P.Eng., M.Eng.

In the fall of 2019, FCC Construc-tion was contracted by Commercial

Properties Limited to complete base building and tenant fit up work for a newly leased space. The tenant space was on the second floor of Jones Lake Place at 1600 Main Street in Moncton, NB. The tenant fit up was for the Province of New Brunswick’s Intensive Day Treatment team, which is part of the Horizon Health Net-work. FCC had previously completed a number of tenant fit ups for the Province of New Brunswick at Jones

Lake Place, as well as other buildings throughout the province.

The architectural design for the new space was provided by NB’s Depart-ment of Transportation and Infra-structure (DTI) while the mechanical and electrical design was contracted through FCC Construction. Work involved the complete demolition of the existing office space. With a clean slate, the existing building conditions were reviewed and a number of items were identified that needed to be addressed to meet the current build-ing code requirements. FCC, along with their team of subcontractors

and suppliers, worked diligently to prepare the space for the new tenant. Work included new drywall parti-tions and interior finishes, as well as a complete mechanical and electri-cal upgrade throughout the space. During the fit up for the Intensive Day Treatment Team, FCC also completed a small fit up adjacent to suite 290, for the Mobile Crisis team, another unit within Horizon Health.

Work on the new tenant space was substantially complete in early March. The new tenant is expected to move in and fully occupy their new space in the Spring of 2020.

Horizon Health NetworkFCC Completes New Tenant Fit Up for Province of New Brunswick at Jones Lake Place


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projects


Custom Jobscontributed by: Chris Banks, CET

• VALE PASTE PLANT & BOOSTER STATION, Voisey’s Bay, NL, Outotec Canada, 405 tons of structural steel.

• YCW ATV CLUB 70FT BRIDGE, Prince William, NB, York County West ATV Club, 10.6 tons of structural.

• CRANE BEAM & SUPPORT COLUMNS, Brunswick, ME, USA, CCB-Inc, 7.9 tons of structural steel.

• LIFTING LUG PLATES FOR CONCRETE BRIDGE GIRDERS, Bedford, NS & Saint John, NB, Strescon Ltd, 40 tons of plate work.

• CONVEYOR TROUGH PLATES, Mactaquac, NB, McDonough Manufacturing, 6.2 tons of plate work.

• HOUSE SUPPORT BEAMS, Various Locations in NB, General Contractors, 11.4 tons of structural steel.

• WEAR PLATES FOR BALER, Fredericton, NB, Fredericton Solid Waste Commission.

• ANCHOR BOLTS FOR POWER SUBSTATIONS, Fredericton, NB, NB Power, 6.6 tons of anchor bolts.

• CONCRETE CHUTE C/W LINERS, Saint John, NB, Strescon Ltd, 1.1 tons of plate work.

contributed by: Steve Dyer

The population of downtown Summerside is poised to

grow again. Fitgerald and Snow are constructing a seven storey, seventy-unit apartment building for Arsenault Bros. Construc-tion, scheduled for completion at the end of 2020.

OSCO Concrete’s Schurman Summerside plant has supplied 1175 meters of 25 MPA con-crete to date, and has roughly 200 more meters left to supply for the parking garage, outside pads and sidewalks. Site work started in August 2019 and continued through the winter months. The environmental conditions of this project made for challenging conditions while pouring the concrete floors by pump on each level, during a wet damp and early winter season. It seemed the forecast always included wind, rain, or cold temperatures, forcing last

minute decisions on whether to proceed with scheduled pours. The weather also affected the choice of admixtures, as the building was not enclosed and was exposed to the elements. The last floor was poured on Dec 30th, 2019, so the target date was met and all involved were proud to have met the deadline.

When complete, the first two floors will have fifteen units per floor dedicated to government subsidized rentals, while floors three through six will have ten units per floor ranging from 700-1220 square feet of living space. There will also be inside parking for 28 vehicles on the ground floor to compensate for the lack of available spaces downtown. The south side units will overlook the waterfront and harbor, presenting views unlike any other apartments in Sum-merside, which should help revitalize the downtown core.

The Portside


projects


PUMA North American HeadquartersStrescon Precast Used for Parking Structure at Assembly Row’s 455 Grand Union Boulevard

contributed by: Gerald K. Grassby &

Liam Murphy

Located in Somerville Massachu-setts, Assembly Row is a 45-acre

(180,000 m2) mixed-use develop-ment that first broke ground in April 2012. It includes premium retail outlets, restaurants, residential space, state-of-the-art office and research and development space, a 12-screen cinema and a 200-room hotel. Other amenities include a marina, revital-ized waterfront park, bike paths and other green space. The property owner and lead developer for As-sembly Row is Federal Realty Invest-ment Trust (FRIT), a Maryland-based real estate investment trust.

In January, 2019, FRIT launched Phase 3 of Assembly Row, consist-ing of a 300,000 SF office building at 455 Grand Union Boulevard, a 500-unit rental apartment build-ing, and 55,000 SF of ground floor retail space. The estimated total

investment in Phase 3 is expected to be approximately $475 million. Upon completion of Phase 3, total investment at Assembly Row will be approximately $1.2 billion. Along with the launch, was the announcement that leading sports brand, PUMA had signed a lease for 150,000 square feet, to anchor the new retail and of-fice building as the company’s North American headquarters.

Office space in the 13-story building at 455 Grand Union Blvd. will accom-modate an open floor plan layout with abundant natural lighting and sweeping views. Communal roof terraces will be located on the build-ing’s 6th and 13th floors. Addition-ally, 6-levels of open air parking, 489 spaces, will be constructed within the buildings footprint. The $96 million project is being built by Cranshaw Construction.

Strescon Limited supplied and in-stalled 49 precast spandrel panels on

the rear exterior face of the parking structure on the building. The precast was installed after the entire steel structure was erected, allowing the tower crane to install the precast as soon as the last beam was put into place. The precast took roughly 4 days to install.

The precast serves as a great way to create enclosure on the parking levels of the garage, along with the structural advantage of crash resis-tance. The spandrels were produced using a charcoal type face mix, with a combination of horizontal and vertical reveals. The panels provided a pleasing contrast to the other building materials of glass and light skin paneling system on the building facade.

Strescon was awarded the project in early March 2019, knowing that the connection design needed to be engineered and shared with the steel fabricator quickly, to assure all

PUMA/ Federal Realty Investment Trust



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contributed by: Trevor Watters

The chief mission of Maine Veterans’ Home (MVH) is “Caring for those

who served.” The independent, non-profit organization currently provides compassionate care at six locations in Maine: Augusta, Bangor, Caribou, Machias, Scarborough and South Paris. They provide top quality care, compassionate support and peace of mind for Veterans and their families.

In April 2019, they broke ground on a new $91 million facility in Augusta,

Maine, which will replace the cur-rent facility on Cony Road. The 179,000-square-foot development will have four two-story buildings, including three residential hous-ing buildings, each built around the “small home” model, with private bedrooms and bathrooms for each resident. The project is being built through a Joint Venture between Cianbro Corp. and VJS Construction Services.

Ocean Steel’s Saint John and Fred-

ericton fabrication facilities have teamed up to fabricate and deliver the steel for this project, consisting of 896 tons of structural steel beams and columns, and 123,000 square feet of steel decking. Fabrication be-gan in May 2019 and was completed by Ocean Steel in November 2019.

It is planned to take 22 months to build, with completion expected in December 2020 and an opening for residents and staff planned in early 2021.

connections were coordinated within the fabrication steel shop drawing phase. With the lower level steel beams and columns required early for constructing the steel frame system,

Strescon worked rapidly to provide all necessary engineered connections and shop drawings, successfully meeting the tight time frame.

Panel production ran from late December 2019 into Jan 2020.

Working alongside our erectors, Structures Derek International S.A., and our carrier, Sunbury Transport Ltd., the delivery and erection process both ran smoothly. The building is scheduled for completion in January of 2021.


Maine Veterans’ Home


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JETCO Contracting Building to Owncontributed by: David Marcatilli & Brendan Clancy P.Eng.

With the residential rental market currently boom-ing in Halifax, JETCO Contracting Inc. has

entered the mix. Co-owners Alan Harlow and Dave MacVicar decided in 2018 to commence construc-tion on a 4-STOREY, 40-unit residential building at 35 Farringdon Way. The new venture is in the Parks of West Bedford, a new Clayton/Cresco community that is the hotspot to live in HRM.

The building will offer exterior surface parking, as well as approximately 40 underground parking spaces for its residents. Primarily constructed using Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF), the building incorporates cast-in-place and structural steel to provide the structural frame. Strescon was contracted to supply 774 precast pieces, including 8” thick hollowcore planks, solid slabs and stair units. Once the hollowcore was in place, the Jetco team installed in-floor heating pipes and poured a thin coat of concrete over it. The end result will be a solid multi-unit building requiring little to no maintenance over its life and the added benefit of energy efficiency.

Construction began in the Fall of 2019 including in-stallation of the precast hollowcore. The precast floor and stair system was chosen to help mitigate potential cost and schedule impacts as a result of harsh winter weather. Pre-fabricating the main floor/roof system in a controlled environment reduced time spent on-site in difficult conditions, forming, pouring and finishing

other types of construction.

Typically, residential buildings of this sort provide a repetitive pattern to the suites being supplied.

In this case, JETCO and their Architect wanted to maximize the four apartment units at each end of the building by rotating one bedroom in each unit 90°, creating a jog or bump-out at each end. The total span from the interior bearing wall to the exterior wall of the jog was too large for the precast hollowcore, so required a different approach.

The solution was to supply structural solid slabs which would span perpendicular to the precast hollowcore. The introduction of the solid slabs shortened the


projects


contributed by: David Marcatilli

For the last 10+ years, the Town of Windsor, Nova Sco-

tia has been working towards building a new and modern rink to better represent their heritage as “The Birthplace of Hockey”. After a re-newed push in 2018-19, the four lev-els of government were finally able to put together funding for the project; $4.4 million from the Federal govern-ment, $3.6 million from the Provincial government, $1 million from the Town of Windsor, and the remaining funds coming from West Hants.

The Windsor’s town council re-ceived two proposals, from which they chose the $14.6 million Lind-say Construction L-shaped design, constructed of tilt-up concrete. The project includes a walking track around a 500-seat arena with addi-tional standing room. The project will include 8 dressing rooms, a cafete-ria, and a warm room with views of the rink and the indoor all-weather sports field.

Under the capable leadership of Proj-ect Manager Doug Aylward, Lindsay Construction broke ground in June

of 2019. The site is located on the West Hants Exhibition Grounds.

OSCO Concrete was chosen to supply concrete and pumping from its Windsor operation, located only half a kilometer from the landmark community project. In total, OSCO supplied 1350 meters of concrete.

required span into the acceptable length for 8” hollowcore under the designed loads. Each slab had post-installed support angles welded to one side. These angles provided the bearing for six precast planks each and were designed to support the total applied floor loads. To reduce extra work in the field, the solid slabs were not physically connected dur-ing initial erection, but had shoring posts installed below, to prevent over-turning of the slabs as they were loaded with the precast hollowcore.

Connection hardware was embed-ded into the perimeter edges, which anchored into the structural ICF walls cast after the precast was erected.

Typically, Strescon would offer both supply and installation scopes, how-ever JETCO not only provides Gener-al Contracting services, but also self-perform much of the install work. Working closely with the field crews, Strescon and JETCO phased the erection in 10 separate mobilizations, essentially, erecting one half of each of the five floors (including a roof) at a time. Crews were staggered so

that while precast was being erected on one half, forming, pouring and steel install was being coordinated to prepare the next half for precast erection. Final precast deliveries were made in mid April of 2020.

OSCO Concrete supplied ready-mix for this project, supplying 2000 cubic meters of concrete ranging from 20MPa to 25MPa ICF mix for the insulated forms, to 40MPa for balconies after the hollowcore was installed. OSCO also supplied concrete pumping, using a range of sizes from 36-52 meter booms.

New Rink for the Birthplace of HockeyOSCO Concrete Helps Build Arena in Windsor, NS



projects


Marque @ the Refinery


contributed by: Tara Urquhart

Founded in 1924, Irving Oil oper-ates Canada’s largest refinery in

Saint John, New Brunswick, along with more than 900 fuelling loca-tions and a network of distribution terminals spanning Eastern Canada and New England. It also operates Ireland’s only refinery, located in the village of Whitegate.

Marque Construction is currently as-sisting the Saint John refinery with a number of electrical and instrumen-tation installations. Ongoing projects at this time include: #2 Deaerator, Jet Shipping and Tankage, temporary power for tank life extension, tempo-rary power for CUI mitigation project, isolation to transfer lines from East Saint John Terminals, providing elec-trical and instrumentation support for fireproofing, and the main air blower FCCU (Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit) project.

#2 Deaerator VesselThe #2 Deaerator vessel has reached its end of life and is being replaced. Marque was involved with the demolition of electrical and instru-mentation of the old vessel and will be assisting with the new installa-

tions required. The new installations include lighting, receptacles, cables, electric heat tracing, cable tray and instrumentation.

Jet shipping & tankage projectThe jet shipping and tankage project involves changes to existing infra-structure to maximize the shipping and storage capabilities of the jet shipping system. Marque assisted with the electrical and instrumenta-tion changes required to tank 213 as it transitioned to jet fuel service. Marque also participated in the installation of overflow protection instrumentation and control panel for tanks 301 and 303, as well as assist-ing with the change in the pump be-ing used, and installing the required grounding, instrumentation and electrical infrastructure.

Tank Life ExtensionMarque has been supplying tem-porary power for several tanks that are being upgraded by Lorneville Mechanical (LMC) to extend their lifespans. Typically, a tank would be removed from service, then cleaned and purged prior to any physical work being performed on it. Only when the absence of any harmful

substances or vapors has been prov-en, can work commence. Access to the tank interior is gained by cutting a section of the tank side out. This opening has to be of sufficient size to allow for large equipment to be taken inside. Ventilation and climate control are extremely important for both the safety and working environment of personnel working inside the tank. At this point, Marque is required to provide power for the lighting packs, heater units and ventilation units.

Marque has personnel available for maintenance of this equipment, and is often requested to assist with down equipment as quickly as possible so that schedules are not affected. After all power requirements have been met, LMC is tasked with inspecting the tank for deteriorated metal, cor-rosion, and defects to both interior and exterior coatings, then mak-ing any necessary repairs. Many of the tanks have a floating roof which under normal operating conditions moves up and down, dependent on the amount of product contained within. When empty, the tank roof would therefore require support in order to perform work on the floor and the roof itself. A network of cribbing must be installed at criti-


projects



cal locations to avoid warping to the structure, as well as maintaining a level to avoid misalignment with tank walls. It is at this point that the roof seals and roof drains are inspected and repaired if required. Marque is again called in to install electric heat tracing and sump pit heaters where necessary. Depending on the repairs required, the service time for a tank can be anywhere from a few weeks to several months, so temporary power requirements can be exten-sive. Supply of power to each tank is required for welding packs, lighting, and all manner of tools and equip-ment, which can present a challenge when the tanks are a substantial distance from a substation.

CUI Mitigation ProjectMarque has been providing tempo-rary power for the CUI mitigation project on several columns. This is to ensure that work may easily be performed at several elevations. CUI stands for corrosion under insula-tion. It refers to any corrosion that takes place on industrial equipment normally covered by an insulating layer. Insulating material is placed over pipes to keep the system ef-ficient and to protect workers form accidental burns. Unfortunately, the tiny space between the pipe and the insulating material can create the perfect environment for corrosion. Even in applications where the pipes themselves may not gather con-densation during operation, it is still possible for outside moisture to seep into the space through the insula-tion. Over time, this corrosion can become so widespread that leaks and other damage happens. CUI mitiga-

tion is any process by which CUI can be slowed down or prevented. One way to treat CUI is to have pipes painted or coated. Most industrial paint solutions are durable enough to prevent moisture from seeping in or causing peeling. Having pipes painted is relatively inexpensive and can provide years of protection.

Transfer LinesThe existing transfer lines to and from the East Saint John terminal are being altered to meet EUB (Energy and Utilities Board) regulations. The lines must have isolation when they are not being used for shipping. Marque is assisting with the instal-lation of regulators around existing isolation MOVs (Motor Operated Valves) with thermal relief PSVs (Pres-sure Safety Valves) at ESJ (East Saint John) terminals. Marque’s assistance includes the installation of cable tray and heat tracing equipment, as well as providing power to the new equip-ment and eleven MOVs.

Fireproofing UpgradingMarque has been providing electri-cal and instrumentation support to fireproofing upgrading efforts that have been ongoing at the refinery. Typically, there is existing concrete fireproofing that needs to be re-moved before new concrete fire-proofing is installed. In order for the existing fireproofing to be removed, electrical and instrumentation some-times needs to be relocated and/or adjusted to ensure that it is not interfering with these efforts. Once the existing fireproofing is removed and the new installed, the electrical and instrumentation is put back in

place and permanently supported. Fireproofing is used in refineries to minimize the escalation of a fire that would occur with the failure of struc-tural supports and the overheating of pressure vessels.

FCUU Main Air Blower MotorizationMarque has been assisting with the FCCU (Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit) main air blower motorization project. Marque started with the installation of a required electrical duct bank. The duct bank is required to get cables to the new motor from the prefabri-cated e-house that is to be installed. The duct bank consists of eight runs of conduit, with a total of approxi-mately 4600 feet of conduit installed. Marque installations will include cable tray, transformers, cable bus, transfer switch, cables and grounding.

StatusAll of these projects are now current-ly on hold while the refinery, Marque Construction and the country are practicing social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last day of work for these projects was March 19th, 2020. Marque is excited to get back to work on these projects as soon as it is safe to do so.

Marque Construction is delighted to be able to assist the refinery with the electrical and instrumentation required on so many projects. We look forward to a productive rela-tionship in the future and will continue our focus on safety, customer service and proficient and specialized installations.


projects


contributed by: Jeff Kyle

Harvey Performance Company is a tool manu-

facturer that offers unique products for the

industry’s most challenging machining require-

ments. The tools manufactured by Harvey Perfor-

mance are used in aerospace, medical, automotive

and oil and gas generation industries.

Ocean Steel was contracted by Landry French

Construction, a Maine based General Contractor,

to supply and install 292 tons of structural steel,

81,500 sq. ft. of metal decking, and 150 tons of

joist, as well as supply roof access stairs and trench

covers for a new manufacturing facility owned

by Harvey Performance Company. The plant will

manufacture the company’s Helical Solutions line

of high-performance end mills

The new 79,000 square foot building will enable

the company to expand their research and devel-

opment capabilities. Located in Gorham, Maine,

the project is in the Narragansett Mixed-Use

Development District Zone. The new site is only 5

miles from the company’s current Helical Solutions

facility, which it has occupied for the past 15 years,

with over 100 employees.

With only one floor to accommodate offices, pro-

duction lines, research & development, as well as

shipping and receiving, it was a simple steel design

concept overall, with additional attention towards

the detailing of trench covers and joists. This

project used long span joists, short span joists, and

joist girders. Ocean Steel worked closely with sup-

pliers to ensure the timely delivery of product on

site, to ensure deadlines were met.

The structural steel for this project was fabricated

at Ocean Steel’s Fredericton plant on a tight

schedule, which they were able to meet for a quick

turnaround time for erection. Steel erection began

in October 2019 by American Aerial Services, who

completed the main structure in early December

2019. With erection complete, the final touches are

currently being completed on the building, which

was expected to open in June 2020.

H A R V E Y P E R F O R M A N C E C E N T E R


projects


contributed by: Rick Williston P.Eng.

The Loyal Company of Artillery of the City of Saint John was formed

on May 4th, 1793, after New Brunswick passed its first Militia Act in 1792 in response to the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars. Since that historic founding, The Loyal Company of Artil-lery formed the core of a body of artil-lery that has existed continuously in NB for over 226 years, today known as the 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, (The Loyal Company) Royal Canadian Artillery. The location has been based at the Barrack Green Site since 1793.

Following the acquisition of a 105 mm C2 towed howitzer gun, the Loyal Com-pany Association and former Honorary Colonel John Irving decided to create a monument where the gun could be on permanent display. The monument is dedicated to all Canadian Military Service personnel from New Brunswick who have worn the uniform of Canada’s

Armed Forces in defense of the Country.

A team was assembled for the project and Malcolm Boyd of Murdock & Boyd Architects was selected as the designer. Through Malcolm’s research and cre-ativity, the design was completed and a site along Saint John’s Harbour Passage was selected.

Early site excavation however, un-earthed a number of archeological arti-facts, including a small lead cross. With this finding, it was decided that this site should be left in its original condition. The Port of Saint John was contacted and were immediately on-board to pro-vide a new location for the monument. A suitable subtitute was found along the Harbour Passage walkway, at the west end of long wharf overlooking the Saint John Harbour.

The design was modified to suit the new site, and construction commenced on September 3rd, 2019. The completed

monument was unveiled on November 9, 2019, to commemorate the year of the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Land-ing at Juno Beach.

Special features of the monument include sandbag bunker walls built from concrete-filled sandbags; a bench with the Regiment’s motto “ubique” (mean-ing: everywhere) in morse code, cut in the seat supported by concrete “ammo” boxes; with the howitzer being the cen-terpiece. The gun is capable of travers-ing to points in the direction of the vari-ous wars and deployments which the Loyal Company has participated in since it was formed in 1793, from the Boer War in 1899 to Afghanistan. These loca-tions are engraved in the black granite ring which encircles the gun.

The monument was built to honour the New Brunswick Soldiers, Sailors and Aviators who have and will Stand Ready to defend New Brunswick and Canada. Many of the former gunners who have seen it have commented, “it is the nic-est gun monument in the country.” We hope everyone takes some time to see it for themselves.

OSCO Group involvement included FCC, Strescon, Ocean Steel, OSCO Rebar and Marque Construction.

Saint John Monument Pays Tribute to Those Who Serve

Standing Ready


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Archaeological Discoveries Lead to New Home for Saint John Gunners Monument While doing preliminary work on the site for the Gunner’s Monument, a pewter or lead cross that could date back to the earliest days of the European settlement of nearby Fort LaTour was discovered. It appears that the area of historical interest around Fort LaTour, a designated pro-vincial heritage site, is larger than expected so we made the decision to leave the land protected and move to a new site a short distance away,” said Stephen Strachan, Lieutenant-Colonel (Retired), former Commanding Officer 3rd Field Regiment, The Loyal Company. “The Port of Saint John has generously made a piece of land available that is closer to the harbour. The Gunners Monument will be another focal point for citizens and tourists alike along Harbour Passage.”

Archaeologists with the Heritage and Archaeology Branch, Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture identified the cross and worked with the developer to ensure that the monument could be placed at a location that would not impact buried archaeological resources.


projects


contributed by: Kim Doggett

Ocean Steel Rebar Limited is wrapping up work on a 5 story

apartment building in Charlottetown, PE. The 39-unit complex is located near the corner of St. Peter’s Road and Falconwood Drive. Ocean Steel Rebar provided Northcom Inc. with 56.54 tons of rebar and 16,112 sq.ft of wire mesh. Piers and walls were installed in February and March 2020, and slab work was completed in May. This apartment complex is just one of many new residential developments being built in the Charlottetown area.

Sherwood Apartments

Harbour Isle Begins Phase 2contributed by: Andrew Levatte

The Harbour Isle Development, also known as Magazine Landing, is a private 22-acre oceanfront enclave on

Wright’s Cove, right next to Dartmouth Yacht Club. Phase 1 of the Development broke ground in 2013 with a 14-storey apartment building known as The Hazelton, profiled in an earlier issue, clad in architectural precast concrete wall panels by Strescon. Phase 2 will consist of the addition of two 16-storey towers; an apartment building known as the Campden, and a condo known as the Seapoint.

Currently under construction at 50 Marketplace Drive, Seapoint at Harbour Isle will have a total of 104 condos, in sizes ranging from 1207 to 1729 square feet. Amenities will include a gym, heated underground parking, a party room with kitchen, a BBQ patio, and a guest suite, as well as a fitness center.

Elm Developments awarded Strescon the architectural precast wall panels for both buildings in May 2019, and Strescon quickly went to work on the shop drawings for the 211 panels. The colour and texture of the wall panels were finalized by the architect, Paul Skerry Associates Ltd. in November. They went with 100% white cement, off white aggregate, and off-white sand with a combination of light, medium and exposed aggregate finishes on the pan-els. The exposed aggregate finish will be above and below the window openings, with a medium sandblast finish at the floor line and the ends of each panel. The remainder of the panel will be light sandblast finish.

Production began this past winter and wrapped up in early June. Panel installation is slated for late summer, with the development scheduled for completion in 2021.


projects


contributed by: David Marcatilli

12 Wing Shearwater is home to the Maritime Helicopter com-

munity and centre of naval aviation in Canada. Shearwater celebrated its 100th Anniversary as an air base in 2018 and is one of the oldest military airfields in Canada, second only to Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Borden.

Shearwater was originally created as a sea base in August 1918, when the small promontory in Halifax Har-bour’s Eastern Passage, known as Baker’s Point, became United States Naval Air Station Halifax. It subse-quently became an air station for the Canadian Air Force, the Royal Cana-dian Air Force (RCAF) and the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN).

Shearwater has been a home for Canada’s air squadrons for the past 80 years, providing continuous service longer than any other Ca-nadian military air base. By virtue of its coastal location, Shearwater has been inextricably linked to the air and sea approaches to Atlantic Canada.

With the integration of the Armed Forces in 1968, Shearwater became a CFB and finally, an Air Command Wing and lodger unit supported by CFB Halifax.

A new building at 12 Wing Shearwa-ter will bring together several units who provide important behind-the-scenes telecommunications support to CFB Halifax. In the fall of 2019, the Department of Defense hired PCL Construction to construct the new

1,950-m2 Wing Telecommunica-tions and Information Systems (WTIS) Personnel and Supplies Facility, for 12 Wing Shearwater. The $9-million building was designed to meet Green Globe standards to increase energy efficiency and reduce the environ-mental footprint.

The single-story building will contain offices, a warehouse and a vehicle bay, so military personnel can install and repair communications equip-ment in base service vehicles. A workshop will have benches and a Faraday cage, so technicians can work on PCs and radios free from the effects of static electric fields.

OSCO Concrete supplied 700 cubic meters of ready mix for the project over the winter/spring of 2020.

New Telecommunications Facility for One of Canada’s Oldest Military Airfields

1 2 W I N G S H E A R W A T E R


projects


Andrea Haines

RESIDENTIAL

Lafayette 63 Unit Apartment Bldg, Dieppe, NB; Amico Construction, 101.6 Tons of rebar, 24,400 sqft mesh.

The Kensington, Riverview, NB; The Shaw Group Ltd, 195.6 Tons of rebar, 40,200 sqft mesh.

Cornerstone Apartments, Fredericton, NB; WSC Col-pitts Developments Ltd, 24.1 Tons of rebar.

Highland View Apartments, Moncton, NB; J.N. Lofford Realty Inc, 89.5 Tons of rebar, 31,800 sqft mesh.

39 Unit Apartment Bldg, Charlottetown, PEI; North-

com Inc, 56.5 Tons of rebar, 16,100 sqft mesh.

Richmond East Apartments, EPM Developments LTD, 84.69 Tons of rebar, 26,560 sqft mesh.

Chebucto Apartments, The Jane Group, 363.10 Tons of rebar, 21,760 sqft mesh.

Springhill Suites, Rice Con-tracting, 56.74 Tons of rebar, 20,960 sqft mesh.

INDUSTRIAL PEI Potato Solutions Addi-tion, Travellers Rest, PEI; G.E. MacNeill Construction Ltd, 34.6 Tons of rebar.

contributed by:

Greg Tims & Andrea HainesRebar Projects

contributed by:

Bill Woodhouse P.Eng., M.Eng.

Scholten’s is a locally owned and independently operated conve-

nience store group in Southern New Brunswick. Open from 6am-12am daily, they offer a wide range of prod-ucts and services such as fuel, grocery items, movie rentals, snacks and ready-to-go meals. With six locations in NB, they are a staple in the com-munity and well known by many.

In Grand Bay, New Brunswick, NB Liquor sought to change their product delivery by moving from a tradi-tional NB Liquor operated store to an agency store, operated independently.

Scholten’s was successful in their bid to become the agency store, which resulted in the need for an expansion to their Grand Bay location.

FCC Construction was approached by Scholten’s and asked to submit a con-struction management proposal for the expansion. The original Grand Bay location was built in the 1970s. The new expansion included increased re-tail, kitchen upgrades, a walk in cooler and a storage area. Given the pend-ing closure of the existing Grand Bay liquor store, it was critical for a quick construction turn around. As part of the project, FCC also enlisted design consultants for the civil, mechanical and electrical disciplines.

Construction started in the early fall of 2019, and the new location was opened in early January. The exist-ing facility remained fully operational during construction, which created some challenges for the construction team, but through phasing and close planning with the management team, business continued seamlessly.

Overall, this was a successful project for FCC Construction and we were thankful to have the opportunity to work with the great team at Schol-ten’s! Special thanks to Rob Murphy, FCC Project Superintendent, who worked diligently to make this project a success!

Scholten’s Grand Bay Expansion


projects


Andrea Haines

Johnson Lake Hatchery Expansion, Pennfield, NB; Hickey Brothers, 120.3 Tons of rebar, 14,000 sqft mesh.

Manure Tank, Albany, PEI; G.E. MacNeill Construction Ltd, 31.1 Tons of rebar.

Pier C Crane Stowage, Hali-fax Port Authority, 80.3 Tons of rebar.

RETAIL & COMMERCIALScotia Harvest, Lindsay Construction, 37.97 Tons of rebar, 6,048 sqft mesh.

F & Wright Automotive Build-ing, Fitz Construction, 42 Tons of rebar, 18,560 sqft mesh.

INSTITUTIONALHanwell K-8 School, Hanwell, NB; Marco Group, 215.0 Tons of rebar, 79,400 sqft mesh.

UPEI Residence, Charlotte-town, PE; Chester Remley Construction, 51.5 Tons of rebar.

DECRH Contract 4b Ad-dtion, Fredericton, NB; Sprin-ghill Construction, 65.5 Tons of rebar, 16,200 sqft mesh.

UNB Residence 3, Saint John, NB, Saint John, NB; 22.3 Tons of rebar, 10,400 sqft mesh.

DAL Arts Centre, Dalhousie University, 247.05 Tons of rebar, 60,464 sqft mesh.

contributed by: Andrew Levatte

Mid-February of 2020 saw the fi-nalizing of a deal between Hali-

fax Tower Hotel Ltd. and Strescon Limited to supply and install 118 Architectural Precast concrete wall panels, complete with Kohltech vinyl windows pre-installed at Strescon’s Bedford, NS plant. This is a major step forward for Strescon; we are now able to offer a complete build-ing envelope. Once the Precast Pan-els have been installed and caulked, the exterior of the building will be watertight. This provides a huge ad-vantage for the owner, by reducing the overall construction time and minimizing weather delays.

Construction is well underway on the new 15-storey Halifax Tower Hotel at 15 Lakeland’s Boulevard, Bayer’s Lake Industrial Park, Halifax, NS.. Form-work has reached the tower portion of the project (4th floor) with topping off of the structure slated for this fall. Once the structure has been com-

pleted, Strescon Atlantic will mobilize on site and quickly close in the hotel in less than three weeks.

The new Halifax Tower Hotel will house a restaurant and lounge on the main level, banquet halls and conference room on the second level, along with a pool, gym, and common rooms on the third level. The upper levels will be home to 87 deluxe king and queen hotel rooms, along with 12 premier suites and 4 luxury suites. The new hotel is centrally located in the Bayer’s Lake Industrial Park, one of the largest business parks in Atlantic Canada; a premier destination for shopping, dining, and entertainment.

With the first production panel and window installation approved, Strescon Bedford can move forward with full production. Fabrication of the architectural precast concrete wall panels, along with installation of Kohltech vinyl windows is slated to be complete later this summer.

Halifax Tower HotelStrescon Offers Complete Building Envelope with First Window Installation Project

contributed by: Chris Banks CET

The York County West (YCW) ATV Club was formed in

2007 with 30 members. Today, membership sits at approximately 450 members from all walks of life. YCW ATV Club is 1 of 57 such organizations in the province of New Brunswick. The club covers an area of approximately 925 square kilometers on the south side of Saint John River, from Freder-icton in the east, to Pokiok in the west, to York Mills in the south, then on to Harvey and across to New Maryland.

The 70ft bridge across Jewett’s Creek is the largest project in the club’s his-tory. It’s location is about 5.5 kilo-meters south of the intersection of Route 635 and TCH Route 2 in Prince William, at the exit to King’s Land-ing and Acorn Restaurant/Mads Truck Stop. The location of the bridge is the

only spot where Jewett’s Creek can be crossed to join the ATV trails on each side of the creek. It is therefore an es-sential and important part of the club’s infrastructure. This bridge will become a destination point on the trails, with a sheltered rest spot proposed to be built at the east end of the bridge. Snowmobilers will also have access to bridge during the winter months.

A Grand Opening of the new bridge was held on November 16, 2019. This project was spearheaded by a group of members, including Trail Coordinator, Graham Smith, and YCW ATV Club President, Ken Legge.

Others that helped construct the bridge include:

• Government of NB - Trail Infrastructure Fund

• Ocean Steel & Construction Ltd

- Steel Design & Supply: 10.6 tons of steel from Ocean Steel SJ Plant (Design: Ben Smith, Estimator: Chris Banks and Project Manager: Jeff Kyle)

• Marwood Ltd - Supply of wood deck, rails & curbs

• Smithfield Sand & Gravel - Trail grading, Abutment Design & Installation and Steel Installation

• 4 Engineer Regiment CFB Gagetown - Site Survey

• Misc. Material Suppliers: Excel Manufacturing, Fastenal & Kent Building Supplies.

Jewetts Creek ATV BridgeOSCO Helps New Brunswick ATV Club Turn Dreams to Reality


projects


35www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2020

customer profile

contributed by: Darren A. Briggs

In challenging times, it is reassuring to look to our long-standing relation-

ships with our friends that have been so positive and contributed to many mutually successful projects over the years. R.F. Jordan & Sons Construc-tion, Inc. of Ellsworth, Maine is one such contractor. We are proud to work with them and showcase their highly successful operation, as well as the multiple projects we have recently worked with them on.

Project Manager, Jim Saucier has en-listed the help of Darren Briggs and Strescon on multiple projects. More recently, R.F. Jordan was awarded a project on the heavily travelled Route 46 in Bucksport that included the installation of a very large 10’ diameter Reinforced Concrete Pipe (RCP) under a shallow fill condition. Maintaining traffic and installing the 8’ long sec-tions weighing in excess of 30,000 lbs. was child’s play for the experts in the field. The installation was com-pleted in a day, with great attention to detail, much to the pleasure of the Maine Department of Transportation.

Strescon was able to manufacture the pipe in advance, with no added cost to the project and coordinate shipping on a just-in-time basis.

In addition to this project, R.F. Jor-dan was awarded an 8’ diameter RCP conduit to be installed adjacent to an active railroad on Odlin Road in Bangor, another very heavily travelled road. This project had to be installed primarily overnight, to minimize traffic delays and to not interfere with the railroad. Adding to the list of chal-lenges was the amount of overhead utilities that had to be navigated, while lowering 26,000 lb. sections into place. Again, R.F. Jordan and their crews completed the project in stellar fashion true to their reputation.

Currently, R.F. Jordan & Sons has been awarded the site work for multiple bridges to be replaced simultaneously on Interstate 95 in Hampden, along-side Cianbro, of Pittsfield. Dave Car-ney, Project Foreman for R.F. Jordan, reached out to Darren to consider a pipe design that would work under extreme loading conditions, with fill heights almost 30 feet. Nearly 1000’ of

24” Class IV Reinforced Concrete Pipe was fast-tracked through Strescon’s rigorous manufacturing, curing and testing processes, to land the pipe with Dave and his crews along the busy Interstate.

R.F. Jordan & Sons Construction, Inc. was founded by Ronald and Ann Jordan in the 1980s after Ronald retired, completing a 25 year career with the Maine Department of Transportation. Prior to Ronald’s passing in 2018, their youngest son, Patrick Jordan took over as the Presi-dent of the firm, and was the face of the firm pushing and overseeing their aggressive growth. Sadly, during the early phases of the Hampden project, on May 3, 2020, Patrick passed away unexpectedly at 51 years of age. At no time is it ever more obvious, the lasting legacy that remains, as the employees, family and friends push forward to ensure the Jordan name goes on with all that it has valued and represented through the generations. Strescon is proud to be associated with R.F. Jordan & Sons Construction, Inc. and wishes it all the best for a bright and successful future.

R . F. J O R D A N & S O N S C O N S T R U C T I O N , I N C .


projects


contributed by: Trevor Watters

Portland, Maine is enjoying one of the largest development booms

in many years, with substantial new construction as well as rehabilitation of existing building stock. The focus of a great deal of new construction is on the Eastern Waterfront and in Bay-side, while the Arts District is experi-encing a variety of rehabilitation and adaptive reuse projects as well.

One of the increasingly rare infill

lots in downtown Portland is now under development, with workers breaking ground in September 2019, on a six-story mixed-use building at 40 Free Street. Plans call for a 50,000-square-foot structure, which includes 51 one and two-bedroom apartments, and a parking garage. There will also be space for five retail units on the ground floor.

Ocean Steel was contracted by Allied-Cook Construction to supply and install the structural steel, deck-

ing, and joists for the development. Ocean Steel has completed fabrica-tion of 362 Tons of structural steel columns and beams at our Frederic-ton facility, which is being erected by American Aerial Services. This project also included 64,500 square feet of decking, along with 8,000 square feet of steel bar joist.

Erection of the building was sched-uled for completion in May 2020, with construction completion expected later this fall.

Ocean Steel Rebar recently com-pleted work on a new four-story

residence building at the University of New Brunswick’s Saint John cam-pus, for general contractor Maxim Construction Inc.. Tucked away in the North West corner of the campus, the yet to be named third residence will house 104 beds in a more private “adjoining single room” layout (two single rooms share an adjoining bathroom). The new residence is also

connected to the existing pedway system, allowing students access to the other two residences and student center. The eco-friendly building will be the first geothermal heated and cooled residence at UNB.

The $10 million-dollar project was announced in late October 2019 and the ground breaking ceremony was held in November. Ocean Steel Rebar began work on November 12th, and

installed all footings/piers, exterior walls, interior walls, elevator pit, and pedway foundation by the end of January 2020. In total, Ocean Steel Rebar supplied 22.31 tons of rebar and 10,400 sq.ft of wire mesh.

Work at Residence 3 just wrapped up in May with exterior items such as Duct Banks and Light Bases. The residence is scheduled to open in September 2020.

Portland Continues Construction BoomOSCO’s Fredericton Plant Fabricates Steel for 40 Free Street Project

UNBSJ RESIDENCE 3 contributed by: Kim Doggett

Irving Oil Hangarcontributed by: Dave Dunnett P.Eng.

Founded in 1924, Irving Oil is an in-ternational refining and marketing

company based in Saint John, New Brunswick. In addition to operating more than 900 fuelling locations and a network of distribution terminals spanning Eastern Canada and New England, they also operate Ireland’s only refinery. Irving Oil established its European operations in 2014 with an office in London, England, and tank-age in Amsterdam.

In the spring of 2019, Irving Oil broke ground on a new aircraft hangar to serve as home base for their corpo-rate travel requirements. The Project Management company for the han-gar was Lindsay Construction.

Constructed on the opposite side of the runway from the previous Irving Oil hangar, Strescon and OSCO Concrete’s three divisions all supplied products for the new structure.

OSCO Concrete supplied approxi-mately 900 m3 of ready-mix for the 30,000 square foot project, which mostly consisted of a variety of normal strengths of concrete. The foundation was competed quickly, prior to the summer months, and the structural steel and concrete panels began in early Summer.

Strescon Limited erected approxi-mately 90 insulated concrete panels to clad the building. As soon as the building envelope was completed, the concrete slabs were cast for the

hangar in the month of August.

Strescon’s Pipe Division also con-tributed, designing and supplying 7 custom storm manhole catch basins, along with 41 meters of 140 D (class V) Reinforced Concrete Pipe (RCP). Although the man-holes and pipe are not on the runway or aprons, they still have to be designed to carry the load of the air-craft in case of a mishap. To achieve this, the manholes all have 450mm thick covers with specially designed air-craft rated frame and grating, while the concrete pipe is the strongest strength class avail-able. When special loading conditions like aircraft are a factor, concrete is the only safe way to go.

The project was completed in the fall of 2019.


projects



product profile


Product Profile:

Precast Parking Garages

WHY Precast Parking Garages?Parking garages often represent the first and last impression a user has when visiting a building. Unless a parkade is safe, secure and easy-to-use, parkers will find other options. Precast prestressed parking garages offer column free layouts allowing ease of parking due to 60-foot clear spans. Precast Designs allow for gentle sloping grade changes, while “see through” interior litewalls & shear walls means increased safety for garage users. High strength factory produced precast prestressed concrete compo-nents are highly resistant to chloride attack providing a low maintenance design. Facades can be designed to blend in with existing surroundings or stand out in their environment

Precast prestressed parking garages are cost effective both on a first cost and on life cycle cost projections. Fast construction means earlier occupancy and reduced financing costs. Winter

construction can proceed with few weather delays as precast components are prefabricated in certified, quality controlled plants. Precast prestressed concrete offers long spans, heavy load carrying capacity and shallow con-struction depths. Precast offers corro-sion resistance, low maintenance and fire resistance. The appearance and aesthetic possibilities of precast offer plenty of design freedom.

Creating the best parking structure to fit a particular site requires a careful balance of all elements and a logi-cal plan from start to finish. Involving Strescon from the beginning while key design decisions are being made can make a dramatic difference to the final result. Strescon‘s expertise and input can minimize the time and cost required to complete a project. Pre-cast parkades offer fast construction, versatility of design, attractive exte-rior finishes, durability and economy making precast prestressed concrete a popular choice.

Advantages of a Strescon Garage:

Durability; Higher Quality; Low MaintenanceHigh strength factory produced precast prestressed concrete compo-nents are highly resistant to attack by chloride ions, using low-permeable concrete that meets CSA 413.07 table 1. Pretopped double tees are recom-mended over field-placed concrete toppings. This system produces an excellent plant produced wear surface which does not require expensive site applied coatings. The top surface of the double tee is typically broom-finished for improved driving traction. Precast spandrel panels can act as a guard-rail and bumper-stop, removing the need for additional railing systems.

Fast, All-Weather ConstructionPrefabricating precast components

contributed by: Andrew Levatte

Over the last 30 years Strescon Limited has completed 50 Parking Garages, over 5.4 million square feet of double tee, throughout Atlantic Canada and the New England States. This profile includes articles on our most recent garages manufactured by Strescon Limited: 86 Newbury Street Development, Portland Maine and The Extension to Fitzroy Parking Garage, Charlottetown, PEI. Both garages are unique in their own way.


product profile


Precast Parking Garagesin certified, quality controlled plants while final design, permitting and site work is completed, allows precast to be erected as soon as foundations are poured, substantially reducing the overall construction schedule. Precast components can also be erected in winter conditions, maintaining a tight erection schedule. This allows the building to be quickly enclosed, giv-ing interior trades faster access to the building.

Column Free LayoutPrecast Prestressed double tee parking garages provide easy access to the parking stalls due to the long 60-foot clear spans and column free layout.

Bay SizesFor maximum economy, bay sizes should be as large as possible and modular, using Strescon’s standard precast prestressed concrete double tees. Maximum sizes range from 48’ for our 12’ double tee and 50’ for our 10’ wide double tee. With clear span parking, the bay size is not a multiple of the width of the parking stall.

Ramping / DrainagePrecast parking garage designs often use gentle ramping and grade chang-es to provide ease of use to its users. Sloping the structure to achieve good drainage is essential to quickly re-move rain and salt laden water from

the structure. Combining the slope of the structure with the ramping often provides an efficient drainage design. The drainage pattern selected should repeat for all floors, to allow for repetition in manufacturing the precast components. Locate isolation (expansion) joints at high points to minimize possible leakage. Slope the floors away from columns, walls and spandrels where standing water and leakage could cause corrosion.

Safe, Unobstructed ViewsSafety and security are two important factors to keep in mind when design-ing your garage. Using “See through” interior litewalls & shearwalls plus column free clear spans means in-creased safety for the garage users.

Exterior FinishesPrecast parking garage exteriors can be delivered with a wide range of shapes and finishes ranging from smooth dense structural units to any number of architectural treatments. This will allow a whole range of exterior finishes from a bold contemporary look, to one that blends in with older neigh-bourhoods. Strikingly rich and varied surface textures and treatments can be achieved by exposing coloured sands, aggregates, cements and pigments us-ing sandblasting and chemical retard-ers. Custom form liners can be used to introduce reveals, patterns and other

architectural effects. Stone, tile brick and other materials can be cast into precast panels at the factory, enabling designers to achieve the expensive look of masonry at a fraction of the price.

Profiled Projects:

86 Newbury Street, Portland MaineThe East End of Portland, Maine continues to boom. One of the high profile projects currently underway is at 86 Newbury Street. The large multi-use development takes up most of the block bordered by Fore, Newbury, Hancock and Mountfort streets — the only building not part of the project, is the Residence Inn on the corner of Fore and Hancock.

The development includes:

• The new national head office for Vets First Choice, which will support more than 1,500 employees, including a state-of-the-art pharmacy facility, enhanced software and data science labs, and office space.

• Redevelopment of Shipyard Brewing Co.’s brewery for use by Vet’s First Choice and Shipyard, including a demonstration brewery and retail;

• A Cambria Suites hotel; Cambria’s first hotel in Maine. The 102-


product profile


room beer-themed “brewtel” is in partnership with Shipyard Brewing Co. next door.

• 10 residential units in three buildings (9,060 square feet).

• Four levels of parking with 372 spaces, as well as 12 spaces for the residential units.

All of it, except for the residential units, is one building.

During the preliminary design phase for 86 Newbury, Bateman Partners and Allied Cook Construction approached Strescon Limited for help designing the parking structure. This wasn’t your standard Parking structure. With the existing Shipyard brewery on one side and a hotel on the other side, plus the proposed Cambria hotel and office building for Vets First choice closing in the remaining two sides, this was not going to be an easy task, but Strescon was up to the challenge.

The design team quickly got to work. The first meeting was held at the office of Archetype Architects, with Bateman Partners, Allied Cook Construction, Veitas and Veitas Engineers (Engineer of Record for the project) and Strescon in attendance. This is where we first realized the complexity of this garage. Shipyard Breweries wanted to continue to

have access to their loading dock for fully loaded tractor-trailers. This is a major feat of its own, but when you compound it with an office building on the Mountfort Street side of the development, a hotel on the Hancock Street side, plus three levels of hotel on top of the garage, this becomes a huge undertaking. Since the layout of the hotel wasn’t known at the time, the design team had to find a way to provide flexibility in the roof of the garage to allow for adjustments to the Hotel design in the future.

With the assistance of Todd Neil of Becker Structural Engineers (Engineer of Record for Strescon) we came up with a design for the garage. The height of the first level will be 18’, providing 15’ clear allowing access for a fully loaded truck and trailer. The main entrance of the garage off Hancock Street, plus the front of the hotel, will be a combination of precast and steel structural elements, along with hollowcore floors. For the garage itself, there was a more traditional approach, with a center Litewall and Shearwalls, along with exterior horizontal walls supporting pre-topped double tee floors. For the roof of the garage, we went with a bridge beam shape, called a NEXT beam (New England Extreme Tee). This allowed us to provide a column-

free 57’ clear span below, facilitating an efficient parking stall layout, plus providing loading capability of carrying an additional three levels of hotel space above.

With the design now complete, Strescon quickly started production on the 407 pieces of precast and prestressed concrete elements during the winter of 2019. Production wrapped up in the spring of 2020.

Unfortunately, the developer ran into extremely poor soil conditions on site, which required the foundations of the garage to be redesigned. Due to the soil conditions, they had to take a stepped approach to the foundations, which added a great of time to the cast-in-place concrete, plus steel sheet piling, H piling and bracing work on site.

This Spring saw the mobilizing of the precast installer, American Steel and Precast Erectors of Greenfield New Hampshire, set up on site. Before long, they were swinging precast concrete elements into place. The 407 pieces of precast are being trucked in from Strescon’s plant in Saint John, New Brunswick and quickly being installed. The garage installation is slated to be completed by the end of June, allowing the site to move forward on the installation of the office building and hotel.


product profile


Fitzroy Parking Garage Addition, Charlottetown

Built by Strescon in 2001, the Fitzroy Parkade is the largest parking garage in Charlottetown, PEI. The facility is centrally located adjacent to the Atlantic Technology Centre and only one block from both the Confedera-tion Court Mall and the Jean Canfield Government offices. This facility has both monthly and hourly parking for 534 vehicles.

In October of 2019, Strescon inked a deal with the city of Charlottetown to develop an addition to the garage. The $2.8-million project will see the parkade expand out towards Kent Street, essentially lining it up with neighboring businesses. Each one of the four floors in the existing structure will gain additional space. In total, the project will add 100 parking spaces.

Throughout the fall, Strescon worked on the addition design with their Pre-

cast Consultant, Graytec Engineering, and Coles Associates, the consultant for the City of Charlottetown. The final configuration required the pro-duction of 56 new precast prestressed concrete elements, including 40 double tees, 3 columns, 6 inverted tee beams, 4 load bearing spandrels, and 4 exterior horizontal panels. Produc-tion was completed over the winter.

In mid-April, the city of Charlottetown awarded the construction tender for the expansion to WM&M (1993) Ltd. Work began by repainting all parking stall lines in the existing garage, fol-lowed by foundation work for the new addition. With this work complete, temporary barricades were put in place, reducing the size of the garage to protect the general public from the construction zone.

The next phase of the project began with the reduction to one lane of traffic on Kent Street, between Great George and Prince streets. This will be

in place until the project is completed.

The original layout of the Fitzroy Park-ing Garage made allowance for retail space within the garage. This space can’t accommodate the expansion, so will be infilled. To allow for the expan-sion, a portion of the garage will have to be dismantled. Like the building blocks we played with as kids, the re-moved precast concrete elements will be reworked and reassembled in the new layout. The fact that 19 year old components can be dismantled and reworked into a different layout, truly shows the versatility and flexibility of precast prestressed concrete.

Unlike children’s blocks however, concrete components require a lot of help to rearrange. Early in June, a Manitowoc 2250 crawler Crane owned and operated by Irving Equip-ment joined the team. This huge crane arrived on 11 tractor trailers, has a 300 ton capacity, and a 180 foot boom. It took another crane and two days to assemble. The massive ma-chinery had previously been featured on the History Channel’s “The Curse of Oak Island”.

The crew of Strescon Atlantic, with the assistance of the crawler crane, will remove 64 pieces of precast con-crete from the existing garage. 56 of the pieces will be temporarily stored at a nearby parking lot and re-worked before they are reinstalled.

In early July, the crane and crew will switch to re-installing the 56 precast pieces, along with the 56 new precast concrete elements, being trucked in from Strescon’s plant in Bedford Nova Scotia. The work is scheduled to be completed by the end of July.

The fact that 19 year old components can be dismantled and reworked into a different layout, truly shows the versatility and flexibility of precast prestressed concrete.

Annual Flu Vaccine ProgramInfluenza is a respiratory infection which occurs globally with an an-nual attack rate estimated at 5–10% in adults and 20–30% in children. Symptoms typically include sudden onset of fever, cough, and muscle aches. Other common symptoms include headache, chills, loss of appetite, fatigue, and sore throat. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur, especially in chil-dren. Most recover within a week or 10 days, but some are at greater risk of severe complications, such as pneumonia. People with chronic diseases may have worsening of their underlying disease. Influenza vaccines are safe and well-toler-ated. They cannot cause illness because inactivated influenza vac-cines do not contain live virus, and live attenuated influenza vaccines contain weakened viruses.* *Source: Government of Canada

To help protect the health of our employees, our Group offers free optional flu clinics each year. We’re pleased to say that participation in this program has grown by 24% from 2016 to 2019. Stay tuned for this fall’s dates!

LifeWorks EAP ProgramTechnology has changed our everyday lives. The convenience of accessing information and ease

of communication has enhanced our lifestyle. To keep in step with this, our Group has made some changes to the EAP program. After a successful 25-years with Fam-ily Plus, in November 2019 we transitioned to LifeWorks Morneau Shepell company.

Everything you liked best about the Family Plus Program is still avail-able: Easy EAP access is available by calling 1-844-880-9142, 24 hours a day /7 days a week. Em-ployees and family members have access to confidential counselling sessions; in person, by phone, or online chat (in-person appoint-ments not available at present due to COVID19).

LifeWorks also offers a large variety of web-based services, such as:

• Online assessments, on such topics as financial health, stress, relationships, and alcohol-use.

• Support and resource materials in the form of articles, podcasts and videos. There are videos on such topics as: how to meditate, relaxation exercises, building resilient relationships, fitness ses-sions and much more.

• Online self-directed programs which can be taken at your own pace. Modules include the sub-jects such as: communication,

anxiety, grief, coping, separation & divorce, stress, depression, and substance abuse.

From Nov.1st, 2019 to May 31st, 55 Group employees took advantage of a variety of counselling and worklife services offered.

Questions? HR can assist you. Login to LifeWorks and begin the journey at login.lifeworks.com

Health SolutionsThe first program of the year start-ed on Jan.16 and was supposed to last for 18 weeks, but was unfortu-nately cut short, due to COVID19. Our last weigh-in was on Mar.12, at which time our 52 participants had lost 193 lbs as a group. There are plans for another challenge program in September.

Heath EducationEmployees in NS and PEI attended a presentation on stress manage-ment, while NB employees learned about a healthy muscle skeletal system and what needs to be done to support it.

Health Assessment were well attended in NB and will be offered in NS once the COVID19 situation allows.

Health & Wellness Review

contributed by:

Jennifer Blackwood

Empowering employees by increasing awareneess of their health and available health resources


priorities | health & wellness


www.oscoconstructiongroup.com

priorities | safety

connections | spring & summer 2020 43

contributed by: Lou Totino CRSP &

Stephan Rytz

Within each workplace of the OSCO Construction Group,

employees take on a variety of tasks, such as handling concrete components, caulking, and various coatings. Employees also interact with other trades on different job sites, and the tasks being undertaken may mean handling or being surrounded by different products.

These controlled products fall un-der Workplace Hazardous Material Information System (WHMIS2015) regulations within Canada, or Hazard Communication Standard within the USA. The framework of each jurisdic-tional Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers to inform employees of workplace hazards while handling controlled products, and the methods required to protect themselves.

A primary means by which employ-ees and supervisors can attain this much needed information, is by ac-cessing the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for controlled products. As part of the alignment with the Glob-ally Harmonized System (GHS), the sections within the SDS have been standardized, which allows individuals to locate the desired information with ease.

With so many various project sites and plants, the logistics of keeping track of, and issuing, the required SDS is cumbersome. Therefore, to ensure operations remain ef-ficient and environmentally sustain-able, digital SDS are made available

through a third party provider, which allows our operations to create fold-ers for each operation. Site Specific Project folders can be easily created to help manage SDS site documents on a larger scale project and be ac-cessible at any time.

In the Office: Project Manag-ers can easily access MSDSonline through the “Safety” tab located on OSCO SharePoint on their desktop.

In the Plants: workers can easily access MSDSonline through the Kiosk stations located in designated locations.

In the Field: Workers can easily access MSDSonline through a mobile application for their smartphone, entitled Chem Mgmt, then scanning a Quick Response (QR) code which gives access to the OSCO Construc-tion Group’s SDS Library – Go ahead! Give it a try! (see QR code above, by article headline).

If an SDS is not available or not located within the folder for specific operations, individuals have an op-tion to search

the MSDSonline database, which contains nearly 20 million SDS. New SDS can get uploaded to the appro-priate operation’s folder for future reference.

Ultimately, the goal of the OSCO Group is ensuring supervisors & employees access the proper infor-mation at the moment they need it most – at their fingertips! Doing so, they can make well informed deci-sions to protect themselves and the ones around them.

MSDSonline databaseS A F E T Y D A T A S H E E T S – R I G H T A T Y O U R F I N G E R T I P S !


priorities | facilities


contributed by: Shawn Putnam

OSCO Aggregates’ Canaan moun-tain sand pit is in Southampton,

N.S., on the #2 highway between Amherst and Parsborro. This pit was acquired by OSCO in the winter of 2014 from lease holder SW Weeks Construction.

A bit of history The original lease owner and equip-ment purchaser was Shaw Resources. Shaw saw the potential of the Canaan property to become the major sand source for the Atlantic provinces and a timely opportunity to supply the large NB/PEI fixed-link bridge project, so they made a huge investment in the purchase of a brand-new Eagle Iron wash plant.

The Canaan sand was one of two

sands chosen to be capable of meet-ing all the strict technical requirements for the bridge project, but Shaw’s lost the bid. That loss was a major blow, as they had produced a huge inventory in preparation to supply the project. Shaw then received another strike against them. Even though the Canaan sand tested as one of the best sands available, it contained some lignite. Although levels were well within CSA concrete sand limits, it sometimes caused black surface streaks which were viewed negatively by customers. Although it was only a visual rather than structural problem, it cost Shaw their local sales and they were forced to shut down production.

A few years later, in the early 2000’s SW Weeks saw the value of Canaan as the future sand source for the Monc-ton market and purchased the lease

and equipment from Shaw. Weeks consulted Eagle Iron Works on options available to remove the lignite from the concrete sand, and on their rec-ommendation, purchased an attrition mill. The attrition mill operates like a 2 celled blender with 1 beater pulling the sand down and forward and the other set pulling it up and out, grinding the lignite into a powder which floats out with the wash water. SW Weeks made the required changes and began production.

The changes were successful and the Canaan sand was now free of lig-nite. Weeks produced until they had no more room to stockpile, but they couldn’t get local concrete produc-ers to give them another try. In the end, their sales couldn’t sustain the business, and they were forced to de-crease their hours to one day a week.

Canaan Equipment Upgrades


priorities | facilities


OSCO enters the mixIn 2012, OSCO began to search for a sand source for its PEI ready-mix plants. At this time, the PEI plants were getting their sand by ship from NFLD. The ship deliveries were becoming less and less reliable, and if not man-aged properly, would push sand costs well over budget.

In the summer of 2013, OSCO realized the same thing both Shaw and SW Weeks did; Canaan is the future source of concrete sand for the Atlantic prov-inces. What differentiated them from the other two failed attempts however, was that OSCO was its own customer.

In 2014, OSCO purchased the lease and paid SW Weeks a fixed cost per tonne to produce sand with their equipment. This 5-year deal allowed Weeks to do the necessary repairs to get the plant up and running again, and gave OSCO the confidence needed to purchase the equipment. During the 5 years SW Weeks operated the wash-plant, it was an 85 ton-per-hour (tph) operation, because all fin-ished sand products were put through the attrition mill. It didn’t matter if the product being produced contained lignite or not, there was no option to bypass the mill.

OSCO equipment upgradesThe first change OSCO made be-fore producing in 2019, was to install an additional sand screw. This one change allowed two sand products to be made at the same time, and increasing production to 130 tph.

Vibrators also needed to be added to the feed hoppers to stop the sand from bridging over and reducing the hoppers’ capacity. When the capac-ity gets reduced, the loader has an unknown time to load trucks and stockpile products, causing the plant to run empty prematurely. The vibra-tors are timer controlled to run for 30 seconds every three minutes, stopping compaction and giving a constant feed rate. With a constant feed, rate the loader operator knows how long

he has to complete his other tasks without the plant running empty.

The wash plant feedstock is provided by 2 spillways bringing sand from dif-ferent locations of the property. One from an area with a coarse sand and the other from an area with finer sand. The two products are blended at the plant to make full use of the resource at different rates, depending on the product being produced. A second shift had to be added to the day because the equipment feeding the material over the fine spillway could only average 85 tph.

To be more efficient and increase our tph, OSCO purchased a bigger feeder capable of 250 tph, as well as 237’ of overland conveyor which moved the feeder closer to the face. The sand face in Canaan is 100’ high in places. SW Weeks benched the face with an excavator, throwing the material from bench to bench until it reached the bottom for the loader. This meant the sand was handled 4 times before it got to the spillway. OSCO’s purchase of a bulldozer enabled us to push the face down and out, bringing it closer to the feeder for the loader and decreas-ing handling costs. The dozer also pushes sand over the coarse spillway, reducing handling costs previously incurred by the loader, dump trucks and excavator.

Wastewater Another major investment for the 2020 season was the installation of a slurry pump and 1700’ of 12” HDPE pipe to move our wastewater to loca-tions mined out on the property and away from the wash plant. This invest-ment provided huge financial, envi-ronment and safety improvements.

Previously, wastewater was gravity fed to 3 settling ponds and then pumped back to the plant once it was clear. Maintaining the ponds required them to be bailed out six times a month with an excavator, then hauled by tandem trucks to areas of the pit which were ready to be reclaimed. This was costly,

messy, and had increased safety risks. With the pump, there is now no more mess or safety risk and the costs are minimal.

The slurry pump allows us to effi-ciently get our tailings to the areas of the pit we want to reclaim. This should reduce or end our flocculant and co-agulant usage, which previously cost as much as $1/tonne when SW Weeks was washing. Now that the slurry is pumped to a location where real estate isn’t an issue, the pond can be larger, allowing more time for the fines to settle, reducing the need for costly chemicals to accelerate the process. The clean water gravity feeds back to the clean water pump that feeds the plant, decreasing the chances of dirty water escaping from the site.

More space leads to more opportunities for efficiency Pumping the wastewater away from the plant also frees up valuable real estate around it. The settling ponds can now be filled in, allowing more room for stacking inventory, without the use of loaders.

This also gives us space to move our truck scales where they can be seen from the plant. Currently, the loader must drive out of sight of the plant to top up trucks and print the load receipt. With the scale in view of the plant, the tickets can now be printed by the plant foreman, allowing the loader operator to stay in the machine. This will decrease truck turnaround time and help us better serve our cus-tomers. These are exciting upgrades that benefit customers, employees and ownership.

OSCO is dedicated to providing the equipment needed to produce the best quality products efficiently and safely. OSCO Aggregates employees enjoy what they do and appreciate having jobs close to home. Sales doubled from 2018 to 2019, verifying that OSCO made the right decision, Canaan is becoming the sand source for the Atlantic provinces!


public & community


contrib uted by: Ashley Dooks CPHR

& Jennifer Gionet

Once again, OSCO Construction Group’s HR & Operational Depart-

ments partnered to hold information sessions at the University of New Brunswick and the New Brunswick Community College during the 2019-20 school year. We continue to target these university and college campuses to give them a personalized introduc-tion to our Group of Companies and discuss the potential career opportu-nities that exist after graduation.

In the fall, we had the opportunity to speak to the Structural Steel Design 1 class at UNB Fredericton and Brittany Gilliss (OSCO) spoke to the budding engineers about the day to day opera-tions within the connection design department.

We were also invited by the MBA pro-gram at UNB Saint John to participate in their “Table Talks” evening during Orientation Week, for the incoming MBA students. Recruiters from our human resources department had the pleasure of sharing tips about net-working, resumes and interviewing, workplace culture “must do’s”, and performance management.

Most recently, Kyle Blanchard (FCC) and Callum Young (Strescon) rep-resented our Group of Companies at UNB Fredericton and presented “Digital Technologies in Construction”. Their presentation was attended by approximately 150 final-year engineer-ing students in various programs.

Continuing to show the engineering technology students that a CAREER can be attained with OSCO, rather

than just a job following graduation, we returned to NBCC Fredericton and NBCC alumni Ann Eagles (OSCO) presented on the progression of her 20-year career with Ocean Steel & Construction Ltd. Ann was able to show the students how she has built her career with Ocean Steel, describ-ing each of the roles she has worked in and connecting it to her education from NBCC.

OSCO’s school recruiting relation-ship with NBCC also includes visiting the trade programs. Each year during the months of January, February & March, OSCO’s Human Resources & Operational Departments visit steel fabrication and welding students all over the province of New Brunswick in hopes of finding future employ-ees. With the help of Plant Managers Troy Hawkes (Ocean Steel-SJ) and Andrew MacKenzie (Ocean Steel-F), OSCO visits the students enrolled in trade programs at CCNB-Bathurst, NBCC-Moncton, NBCC-St. Andrews, NBCC-Saint John, NBCC-Woodstock

2019-20 School RecruitingOSCO Teamwork Continues to Help Educate Students Now and For the Future!


public & community


and NBCC-Miramichi. With the goal of finding future full-time employees, OSCO has used this opportunity to bring students into our fabrication shops in Saint John and Fredericton, to complete their programs required work practicums.

As in years past, OSCO had been preparing to host several weld-ing and steel fabrication students in 2020. However, the sudden onset of COVID-19 caused OSCO to step back and reflect on our responsibility to keep both our employees and any potential students visiting our shops safe. Regretfully, OSCO made the dif-ficult decision to suspend our annual practice of hosting trades students

for their work practicums. It was not a decision taken lightly, as OSCO has long valued being a part of the trade programs within our community col-leges. We have every expectation to host students again in future years.

Finally, OSCO has made a concerted effort this past year to re-engage with our high schools and have been pro-viding support to the to local skilled trade classes. OSCO has been sending steel materials and consumables, in an effort to help students hone their trade skills. Our Group of Companies has also committed to sponsoring regional and provincial skilled trade competitions at both the college and high school levels. Additionally, we are

constantly searching out new op-portunities and partnerships, with the hope of ensuring that local students will be offered the best opportunity to learn new skills and potentially put those skills into practice at OSCO!

This year’s school recruiting season has had great successes to be proud of, and has faced challenges we were not expecting. The OSCO Construc-tion Group firmly believes that the time and effort put into our local educational institutions will not only pay off in the short term, but will position OSCO as an organization students will want to work for upon graduating from their programs of choice!

contributed by:

Shelley McNamara

Take Our Kids to Work Day is an annual event where students

are given the opportunity to step into their future for a day and get a glimpse in the real working world. This year’s event was held on No-vember 6th, 2019. The students were given an opportunity to job shadow with their parent/sponsor and learn

about different careers within the OSCO Construction Group.

This year, a morning session was held, which included a company presentation, safety orientation, a work experience discussion, and a plant tour. A total of thirteen students participated, our largest group yet!

The students were led through a shop safety orientation, which was

then followed by a guided tour through the main shop floors. The group learned about the concrete and steel processes, the functionality of the different machinery, as well as upcoming projects that the compa-nies are working on.

Thank you to our students and spon-sors: Johnathan Burgess (Shonda Burgess, FCC), Rachel Shanks, Matix Roberts & Jade Lynn Sheph-ard (Duanne Shanks, Group Ser-vices), Brayden Sears (Leslie Sears, Group Services), David Stewart (Fred Stewart, Group Services), Payton Urquhart (Tara Urquhart, FCC), Brynlee Jenkins (Jill Stewart, Ocean Steel), Daniel Bastarache (Janice Miller, OCI), Lauren Adams (Peter Adams, Strescon), Sydney Slipp (Amy Ames-Slipp, Strescon), Cynthia Haque (Sajjadul & Laboni Haque, Strescon), and Jacob Perry (April Glendenning, Group Ser-vices). The students were presented certificates of participation.

A big thank you also goes out to the sponsors for volunteering, as well to everyone who helped make this day possible including OSCO’s Safety Manager, Duanne Shanks for assisting with event coordination.

Take Our Kids to Work Day

contributed by: Tyler Isnor

Heart & Stroke Foundation: On February 14th OSCO employees partici-pated in a “Dress Red” event where em-ployees wore red and donated money for the Heart & Stroke foundation by purchasing a red heart sticker. With the company matching dollar for dollar we raised a total of $250.00.

United Way: OSCO Donated $5,000.00 to the United Way founda-tion of Saint John for the 3rd year in a row. This money will help target poverty reduction, fair access to education and building strong communities.

A few of the other organizations we supported this past year:• Children’s Wish Foundation• Bobby’s Hospice• Canadian Cancer Society • Canadian Diabetes Association• Canadian Mental Health Association• Children’s Wish Foundation• Romero House• Alzheimer Society• NB Lung Association• Cedar Festival• Amazeatorium• The Play Project• Saint John Theater Company• Fundy Trail• UNB• Sussex Minor Hockey• Bedford Bantam• Festival of Trees• Sackville Flyers • and many more!

Helping HandsOSCO Construction Group is a proud supporter of many organizations

and associations who strive to support and better our communities! Here are highlights of some of the organizations we have raised money for in the past year!

Dress Red for Heart & Stroke

United Way donation


public & community


On November 28th, 2019, friends and colleagues of Harrison

Wilson gathered in the OSCO Construction Group lunchroom to give their best wishes to the Vice President and General Manager of the Steel Sector. After 42 years in the fabricated steel industry and 17 years at the helm of Ocean Steel, Harrison decided it was time to pass the torch to his 2nd in command, Bill Gates. Harrison has been a well-respected figure in the industry, serving as a board member of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction for 8 years. His experience and advice has been sought after by his colleagues across Canada.

Harrison’s legacy at Ocean Steel started in 1977, after graduating from UNB, when he was hired as a Project Engineer. He subsequently decided to further his education, took a leave of absence and obtained a Master of Engineering degree from the University of Toronto in 1980. Upon his return, he was promoted to Chief Engineer where he built up the engineering department, training additional design talent. In 1997, he assumed the position of Operations

Manager. This gave him responsibil-ity, both in Saint John and Frederic-ton, in several departments including engineering, shop drawings, project management, quality control, erec-tion & construction management, shipping, purchasing and inventory control.

Thereafter, on the retirement of Alan Lock in 2002, Harrison accepted the position of General Manager. Once in this leadership role, he oversaw the expansion of Ocean Steel’s geo-graphic reach into western Canada and further south into the eastern United States. At the same time, he helped with the growth of the Rebar Division in Saint John and expansion into the Halifax market with acquisi-tion of Allstar Rebar. He also super-vised the introduction of the Fabtrol manufacturing resource planning system for structural steel.

Harrison’s steady leadership guided Ocean Steel through the Picadilly Potash Mine Project; the largest structural steel project in OSCO’s history. Finally, in 2014, he was ap-pointed Vice President of the Steel Sector for the OSCO Construction

Group. His selfless manner and tire-less work ethic will be sorely missed. Harrison was one of the true gentle-men in the rough-and-tumble world of construction and his soft-spoken, respectful but persistent approach was greatly appreciated by all with whom he worked.

The Board of Directors for the OSCO Group and all its employees extend their sincerest appreciation to Harrison for his significant contribu-tion to the success of the Steel Sector during his 42-year career. He has earned a richly deserved retirement to spend time traveling and to be with his family and friends. We sincerely wish him continued good health and happiness as he transi-tions to his “stress-free days in the sunshine”.


people


Harrison WilsonBest Wishes to OSCO Steel Division’s Vice President and General Manager

49www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2020

On a positive note, I want to welcome all the employees of PreCon to the OSCO Construction Group. We are very excited to grow our engineered precast con-crete line of business with the addition of this reputable company. Many thanks to all the team members at OSCO and PreCon for their dedication and hard

work to make this possible.

I foresee much opportunity for our entire Group as we move into the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Besides sharing the experience and knowledge between Strescon and PreCon in the precast concrete industry, we now have access to a major geographic market in which to expand our other construction

business lines: rebar, structural steel, ready mix, construction aggregates, electrical and construction manage-ment. My father would have been very proud of us all…

Hans O. KlohnPresident, OSCO Construction Group

... President’s Message (continued from page 3)


people


Welcome Aboard to Russell Cooke!

contrib uted by: David Bancroft

November first was one of those pivotal days in the history of a

company. It marked the changing of the guard at OSCO Concrete’s Moncton, NB plant.

After 25 years as Manager of the Berry Mills Road operation, Jean Bourque retired and handed the reins to Corey Landry. Jean started work at the location when it was BR Concrete, which had been purchased by Mike Schurman. Finally, in 2004, OSCO purchased the operation and it remains under that banner today.

Throughout the years, Jean brought his technical background for ready mix to the table. This, along with his strong interpersonal skills, earned the company many loyal customers who knew they could count on Jean to deliver what they needed, when they needed it.

Late in 2018, Corey was hired to ap-prentice under Jean in preparation to take over when Jean retired. Corey

brought youth and enthusiasm to the job, as he returned from out West looking to set up base in his home-town of Moncton. Raised in a family that owned and operated a general contracting company in Moncton, construction was in his blood.

2019 proved to be a trial-by-fire year for Corey, as Jean took on work at the Moncton Water Treatment Plant. Jean decided to finish his career on a high note, and with help for the first time since becoming the manager, the duo produced more concrete in one year than ever before in the his-tory of the plant. This involved many pours starting at 2am, followed by long days, as the remaining custom-ers were serviced in the afternoons.

Jean was well liked by his peers in the organization, and we all want to wish him well in his retirement. The future of the company in Moncton is in good hands, and Corey will always have the support of us all in the Ready Mix Division.

We wish you both well in the future.

Changing of the Guard at Moncton Ready-Mix

contrib uted by: Andrew Levatte

In an ongoing effort to continue the growth of Borcherdt Concrete Prod-

ucts, Russell Cooke was recently hired to the position of sales associate.

Russell is a 2020 graduate of the Construction Management Technol-ogy program at the Nova Scotia Com-munity College (Waterfront Campus) in Dartmouth NS. From his education at the Community College and two years of a bachelor’s degree from St. Francis Xavier University, Russell has gained many valu-

able skills which will help him in his new role.

The past two summers while Russell was attending school, he worked at Strescon Bedford as a labour-er. During this time, he was able to gain a working knowledge of the various products manufactured in the Precast Division, and the high quality to which they are made.

In accepting this new challenge, Russell looks forward to beginning his career with the OSCO Construction Group, as well as developing new markets for the various precast specialties Borcherdt is known for.


people


Year ClubWelcomes 18 New Members!

contrib uted by: Ashley Dooks CPHR

The OSCO Construction Group’s annual 25 Year Club Dinner was

held on October 24th, 2019. Our ever growing list of members - 18 new inductees this year - required a larger location, so was moved to The Cor-nerstone on Leinster St., in Saint John, NB - a beautiful venue for hosting the event. After the opening reception and everyone was seated, George Paisley (Strescon retiree) as always, graciously presided over asking the blessing for our meal.

Following the meal was the induc-tion of our newest members into the 25 Year Club. As in years past, we commissioned videos to be filmed and viewed during the evening of the dinner. The video presentations really allow us to paint a proper picture as to why OSCO prides itself in our em-ployees. In addition to receiving their induction gift and years of service pin, the attending inductee’s guest was presented with a gift basket full of chocolates and treats!

The induction ceremony began with

the Steel sector, as three employees from Ocean Steel & Construction Ltd. were inducted: Tim Ganong (Plant Superintendent), Robert Smith (Regional Sales Manager) and Doug Thompson (Estimator). Tim and Doug were in attendance to receive their gifts from their managers, however Robert was not able to attend the dinner, so his gift was accepted on his behalf by his manager.

Next, we inducted the employees of the Ready Mix sector. Alvin Belyea (Driver), Jean Bourque (Plant Manag-er) and Dallas McKinney (Driver) were inducted from OSCO Concrete NB, and John King (Driver) was inducted from MacLean’s Ready Mix. Alvin and Dallas were on hand and were pre-sented their gifts from manager, and himself a member of the 25 Year Club, Dave Dunnett. Jean and John were presented their gifts at a later date by their respective managers.

Our biggest group of inductees came from the Concrete sector. Strescon Limited inducted Jean Paul Benoit (Chargehand), Anthony Brown (Lead hand), Douglas Clarke (Chargehand),

Leandrea Dicks (Production Coor-dinator), Terry Garland (Labourer), Jody Hunter (Lead hand), Anthony Jennings (Machine Operator), Jerry L’Huillier (Labourer), Douglas Renfrew (Skilled Production Worker Lead), and Peter Roy (Labourer). Of this group, the managers of Leandrea, Terry, Anthony J. and Jerry were able to present their gifts in person to the inductees.

Last, but certainly not least, Edwina Thurston (Plant Manager) of Borcherdt Concrete was presented her induction gift by her manager.

At the conclusion of the induction ceremony, Mr. Hans O. Klohn and Mr. John K.F. Irving drew winners for door prizes, and as luck would have it, all prizes but one went to the same table!

Finally, Mr. Klohn thanked everyone for coming, and the evening ended with group photos of the inductees, managers and guests.

Congratulations to all of our 25 Year Club Inductees for 2019!

25

52 www.oscoconstructiongroup.comconnections | spring & summer 2020

department profile

contributed by: Heather Fox

Who is the team making things happen behind the scenes in the

Construction Sector? Nancy May-nard, Candace Galbraith, Roxanne Walsh, Stacey Galbraith, Heather MacKenzie, Shonda Burgess, Sue Doucet, Madison Spear, Pam McAl-lister, Mary Ann Gates, Deborah Walton and Elena Correia.

The Administrative Team is an inte-gral part of our business. Technol-ogy is constantly advancing, and information needs to be accurate and up-to-date, for clear projections and real time answers. To meet these requirements head-on, our team is constantly training and updating their skill-sets to keep up with client and project needs as they arise. They all embrace the newest technology

available, and enjoy being part of a dynamic company that is growing and moving forward with the con-struction industry.

Our Administrative Team members are brought in at the beginning of projects, along with the key project management team. They are given all budget information and are engaged with the project at set up, to maintain all information and financial docu-ments required to develop and pres-ent information for a wide suite of reports. They are responsible for data entry, customer support, purchasing,

document control, job maintenance and cost reporting, along with any customer requirements as they are mandated.

Our group has had the opportunity to work on a vast array of projects of all sizes and complexities. There is never a time when two jobs are the same, which provides a constant sense of satisfaction to be part of something ever changing and developing. Over the years, the team has also been fortunate to work on joint ventured projects, collaborating with other construction companies. These part-

livingandworking

withCOVID19

“The administration department plays a vital role in executing our projects. Many contractors can get the physical work done. The real success is in making sure the costs are tracked accurately, the reports are accurate and current, the billings are issued and both payables and receivables are managed in real time.“ Management team testimonial

Construction Sector Administrative Team


people


In addition to the fantastic work they do for the OSCO Group on a daily

basis, some of our people also have amazing skills, hobbies and side-gigs

that they work on during their off hours. Artists, photographers, sculptors,

magicians, musicians, athletes and artisans of all kinds are among us.

Although most are too humble to blow their own horns, we’re thrilled to

do it for them in our new Connections section:

nerships have broadened everyone’s vision and abilities to both maintain and fine-tune existing procedures

and practices, as well as collaborate with our associates to develop new best practices procedures.

Some years are a little more challenging than others and this year with the Covid-19 Pandemic, all have had to adapt to new ways of working, whether on-site or working remotely. No challenge is too great for this group, as you can see from the pictures. All have taken necessary steps to keep engaged and working in order to continue to meet our client’s needs.

Many who have worked with FCC’s Civil Division Manager may not

be aware of Rick Williston’s hidden talent, but they definitely won’t be surprised by his attention to detail.

Rick has been with the OSCO Group for 12 years. During that time, he has overseen many major projects for the Civil Division, such as the Picadilly Mine Project, Saint John’s Safe Clean Water Project, and the Saint John Regional YMCA.

What does he do to unwind from these large projects? After spending many years coaching his sons Ryan

and Matt through minor hockey and lacrosse, he suddenly found himself with free time to take on something new. Although he always had an in-terest in wood carving, he had never tried it. He took the plunge in 2016, taking carving lessons from Bob Car-ney in St. Andrews, New Brunswick.

As can be seen in the photos of his work, he’s come a long way in the past 3.5 years. In fact, he’s won numerous awards for his work, at the New Brunswick Wood Carving As-sociation Competition & Sale events in 2017, 2018 & 2019.

“There are many aspects of wood carving that appeal to me, the cre-ativity part (which I never realized I had) and transforming a piece of wood into a finished piece. The com-bination of patience and attention to detail, using your mind to figure out details, dimensions, symmetry, etc., the physical work and the detailed painting and finishing are all very enjoyable to me.”

To check out more of Rick’s wood-carvings or inquire about particular pieces, check out his facebook page at facebook.com/RWWoodcarving.

“The administration team plays a key role in achieving our project goals. We live in a fast-paced, project environment and the administrators make it possible. Unfortunately, we often don’t make enough time to celebrate their important contributions. To put it simply, these projects are not pos-sible without them.“ Management team testimonial

Rick Williston: Woodcarver


people


congratulations!FRESH FACESOcean SteelTiffany Goguen ...............................Project Manager, SJ

OSCO Group Services Greg Hiltz .................................. Light Fleet Manager; SJ

Daniel Barrett ........................ Payroll Administrator, SJ

Rebecca Forrest......................Payroll Administrator, SJ

Hetish Anumalla .......... Technical Support Analyst, SJ

Martin Connors .................Internal Audit Specialist, SJ

Robert James .................. IT Engagement Manager, SJ

Hans A. Klohn ................ Director of Risk Management

and Administration, SJ

Lokeshwari Karkada ............. Corporate Recruiter, SJ

Ashley Miller ........................................ HR Generalist, SJ

Camila Ugarte .......................... Corporate Recruiter, SJ

John Yates ........................ Executive Director of HR, SJ

OSCO Concrete Nicole Campbell ........................ Safety Coordinator, NS

Steven Bridgeman ....................Batcher/Dispatcher, PEI

Allstar Rebar Nova ScotiaAndrea Haines ........................ Production Assistant, NS

PreCon Precast LimitedPeter Quail .............Vice President-Central Region, ON

Family Additions:

Congratulation to Cory

Westaway (Bedford Ready

Mix) and his partner Kate, who

welcomed baby boy, Porter on

January 30, 2020.

Congratulations to Jenny Gionet

(Group Services) and her husband

Chad, who welcomed a baby girl,

Caroline, on April 2, 2020.

Congratulations to Eric Bordage

(Group Services) and his wife

Jocelyn, who welcomed a baby

boy, Blake, on October 8, 2019.

Congratulations to Andy Miller

(Construction) and his wife Jill

who welcomed a baby boy, Lou,

on February 27, 2020.

Congratulations to Mike

Hazelwood (Strescon) who

welcomed his second grandchild

on June 18th, 2020. Mike’s

son Alex and his wife Josee

welcomed 9 lb, 9 ounce,

Huxley Alexander Normand; a

healthy baby brother to Malcolm,

who will be 3 in August.

Engagements:

Congratulations to Angela

Hickie (Strescon-SJ) and Chris

Greer (Strescon), who recently

got engaged.

Applause:

Congratulations to Jonathan

Atherton (Group Services) who

passed his CPA (Chartered Profes-

sional Accountant) exam, and will

receive his formal designation in

April, 2020.

Congratulations to Kyla Burry

(Group Services) who recently

received her CTMP (Certified

Talent Management Practitioner)

Designation, a national accredited

life time designation through the

Canadian HR Academy.

1960-2020

FCC turnsFUN FACT: When FCC was

originally incorporated, they produced and sold

“Insolite” expanded poly-styrene insulation used

to make insulated precast concrete panels.

Coming Next Issue:

Our LocationsSTRUCTURAL STEEL:OCEAN STEEL - Corporate office & SJ plant 400 Chesley Drive, Saint John, NB • CAPhone: (506) 632-2600 Member Since • 1955

OCEAN STEEL - New England Sales Office40 Burlington Mall Road, Suite 207Burlington, MA • USAPhone: (781) 221-2152 Member Since • 1991

YORK STEEL - Plant & service center 550 Wilsey Road, Fredericton, NB • CAPhone: (506) 444-7989 Member Since • 1995

OCEAN STEEL CORPORATION - Office 53 Shaw Road, Conklin, NY • USA Phone: (607) 584-7500 Member Since • 2004

PRECAST:STRESCON LIMITED Corporate Office & SJ plant101 Ashburn Lake Rd., Saint John, NB • CA Phone: (506) 633-8877 Member Since • 1963

STRESCON LIMITED - Bedford office & plant 131 Duke St., Bedford, NS • CA Phone: (902) 494-7400 Member Since • 1978

STRESCON LIMITED - New England Sales Office40 Burlington Mall Road, Suite 207Burlington, MA • USAPhone: (781) 221-2153 Member Since • 1991

PRECON - Office & plant 35 Rutherford Road, Brampton, ON • CA Phone: (905) 457-4140 Member Since • 2020

PRECON - plant 1100 Dundas Street, Woodstock, ON • CA Phone: (519) 537-6288 Member Since • 2020

BORCHERDT CONCRETE PRODUCTS Office & plant 326 Hardscratch Road, Brooklyn, NS • CA Phone: (902) 742-7811 Member Since • 2008

AGGREGATES:OSCO AGGREGATES 749 Little Dyke Rd, Debert, NS • CA Phone: (902) 662-3722 Member Since • 2008

OSCO AGGREGATES 248 Canaan Mountain Road, Canaan Mountain, NS • CAPhone: (902) 546-2373Member Since • 2014

CONSTRUCTION:FCC CONSTRUCTION - office 400 Chesley Drive, Saint John, NB • CA Phone: (506) 632-7800 Member Since • 1960

MARQUE CONSTRUCTION - office400 Chesley Drive, Saint John, NB • CA Phone: (506) 634-1144 Member Since • 1966

KENNEBEC CONSTRUCTION - office 400 Chesley Drive, Saint John, NB • CA Phone: (506) 632-7800 Member Since • 1994

REBAR: OCEAN STEEL REBAR LIMITED Saint John office & plant 400 Chesley Drive, Saint John, NB • CA Phone: (506) 632-2600 Member Since • 1955

ALLSTAR REBAR NOVA SCOTIA Office & plant 48 Duke Street, Bedford, NS • CA Phone: (902) 832-0917 Member Since • 2008

READY-MIX (OSCO Concrete):

OSCO CONCRETE NB - Saint John plant 101 Ashburn Lake Rd., Saint John, NB • CA Phone: (506) 633-8877 Member Since • 1963

OSCO CONCRETE NB - Moncton plant1212 Berry Mills Rd, Moncton, NB • CAPhone: (506) 858-7110 Member Since • 2004

SCHURMAN CONCRETE - Summerside plant 240 MacEwen Rd, Summerside, PE • CA Phone: (902) 888-4331 Member Since • 2004

SCHURMAN CONCRETE Charlottetown office & plant 412 Mount Edward Rd, Charlottetown, PE • CAPhone: (902) 628-0127 Member Since • 2004

MACLEAN’S READY-MIX - Montague plant 669 Queen’s Road, Montague, PE • CAPhone: (902) 838-2925 Member Since • 2012

SACKVILLE CONCRETENova Scotia office & plant 17 Estates Road, Lower Sackville, NS • CAPhone: (902) 864-3230 Member Since • 2008

BEDFORD READY-MIX - plant 414 Bluewater Rd., Bedford, NS • CA Phone: (902) 835-0882 Member Since • 2008

GLENHOLME READY-MIX - plant 749 Little Dyke Road, Glenholme, NS • CA Phone: (902) 662-3722 Member Since • 2008

ANNAPOLIS VALLEY READY-MIX - Plant 20 Park Drive, Windsor, NS • CA Phone: (902) 798-2291 Member Since • 2008

PQ

ON

NYMA

ME

NB

PEI

NS

BORCHERDTconcrete products

Hans W. Klohn July 15, 1927- April 15, 2020

We honour the passing of a great business leader, an exceptional entrepreneur

and wonderful friend on April 15, 2020

Hans W. Klohn emigrated to New Brunswick from Kiel, Germany in 1952 and in partnership with K.C. Irving,

co-founded Ocean Steel & Construction Limited on November 7th, 1955.

Mr. Klohn had a lasting impact on the construction industry through his involvement

in numerous major projects, both in Canada and the U.S.

Hans W. Klohn was named an Honorary Life Member of the Saint John Construction Association,

selected as a “Titan of the Precast Concrete Industry” by the Canadian Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute,

awarded an Honourary Doctor of Science degree from the University of New Brunswick

and inducted as a member of the NB Business Hall of Fame.

Hans Klohn will be greatly missed by all of us who admire him

and had the privilege of knowing and working with him.

Our thoughts are with Hans, Peter, Ulrike, Frauke and their families at this sad time.

John K.F. Irving

connections...connections spring & summer 2020 active screening to safeguard against illness...

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