Specifier edmonton the Construction Specifications Canada is an organization representing diverse interests in the construction industry and related professions. It is dedicated to improving the quality and flow of information between these interests, whether in the form of specifications, contract administration, or marketing. November 2017 Edition Editor: Tracey Stawnichy What a nice day for a picture… Walking East on 104 Ave… In This Edition… Executive List))))))))))))..2 Chair’s Message))))))))))).3 Membership))))))))))))).3 Education))))))))))))).4-5 Industry News & Events)))))))).4 UK Backs £1.6bn Plan to Bury Busy Highway at Stonehendge))))).12-13 Ontario’s Marijuana Framework Received Mixed Reviews)))))))))).13-15 Los Angeles Paints its Streets White)))))))))))))).15-16 The Protector of Canada’s Sacred Islands))))))))))))).16-18 Researchers Creating Roads That Can Be De-Iced With Wax)))))))))))))).18-19 BC Researchers Develop Eco-Friendly, Affordable, Quake-Resistant Concrete)))))))))))))).20 Today’s Roads Can’t Handle Today’s Climate Conditions)))))))))))).20-21 Assocation Links & Liaisons)))))))))))))).24 November 14, 2017 Breakfast Meeting Indemnity Provisions Corbin Devlin Location: Chateau Louis Conference Centre Time: Breakfast start at 7:30am Cost: $25.00 Early Bird Registration Ends November 6 th $35.00 Regular Registration For Registration: Visit Eventbrite.ca and search “CSC Breakfast” Meeting Sponsor: Next Month’s Meeting…. December 14 th Speaker to be determined) VISIT YOUR WEBSITE AT http://www.csc-dcc/edmonton.ca/ Help us develop a website that meets your needs. Go to the ‘Want More Info’ link online and let us know.
Transcript
Specifier
edmonton
the
Construction Specifications Canada is an organization representing diverse interests in the construction industry and related professions. It is dedicated to improving the quality and flow of information between these interests, whether in the form of specifications, contract administration, or marketing.
November 2017 Edition Editor: Tracey Stawnichy
What a nice day for a
picture…
Walking East on 104 Ave…
In This Edition… Executive List))))))))))))..2 Chair’s Message))))))))))).3 Membership))))))))))))).3 Education))))))))))))).4-5 Industry News & Events)))))))).4 UK Backs £1.6bn Plan to Bury Busy Highway at Stonehendge))))).12-13 Ontario’s Marijuana Framework Received Mixed Reviews)))))))))).13-15 Los Angeles Paints its Streets White)))))))))))))).15-16 The Protector of Canada’s Sacred Islands))))))))))))).16-18 Researchers Creating Roads That Can Be De-Iced With Wax)))))))))))))).18-19 BC Researchers Develop Eco-Friendly, Affordable, Quake-Resistant Concrete)))))))))))))).20 Today’s Roads Can’t Handle Today’s Climate Conditions)))))))))))).20-21 Assocation Links & Liaisons)))))))))))))).24
November 14, 2017
Breakfast Meeting
Indemnity Provisions
Corbin Devlin Location: Chateau Louis Conference Centre Time: Breakfast start at 7:30am Cost: $25.00 Early Bird Registration Ends November 6th $35.00 Regular Registration For Registration: Visit Eventbrite.ca and search “CSC Breakfast”
Meeting Sponsor:
Next Month’s Meeting….
December 14th Speaker to be determined)
VISIT YOUR WEBSITE AT
http://www.csc-dcc/edmonton.ca/
Help us develop a website that meets your needs. Go to the ‘Want More Info’ link online and let us know.
$50 for Individual (personal) Sponsor $250 for Corporate Sponsor
Owner’s Rep Cam Munro 780 231 1739
Sustainability Darlene Helfrich 587 930 3432
At Large Dave Lawrence 780 901 7260
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Contact any member of the Executive, attend one of our Chapter Meetings, send your name and address to CSC Edmonton
Chapter, PO Box 35093 Mid Town PO. Edmonton, AB T5J 0B7, or go to edmonton.csc-dcc.ca for additional contact information.
GOALS OF CSC
Construction Specifications Canada is a multi-disciplinary non-profit association dedicated to the improvement of communication, contract documentation, and technical information in the Construction Industry. CSC is a national Association with Chapters in most major Canadian Cities. To this end, CSC pursues the study of systems and procedures that will improve the coordination and dissemination of information relevant to the construction process. We seek to enhance the quality of the design and management aspects of the construction activity through programs of publication, education, and professional development, believing that by so doing, we can contribute best to the efficiency and effectiveness of the construction industry as a whole.
OBJECTIVES OF CSC
To foster the interest of those who are engaged in or who are affected by the compilation or use any forms of specifications for the construction industry.
To publish literature pertaining to the construction industry.
To engage in activities to improve procedures and techniques related to the construction industry.
The opinions and comments expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the official views of Construction Specifications Canada. Also, appearance of advertisements and new product or service information does not constitute an endorsement of those featured products or services.
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Announcements:
This area is for announcements about you, our members. Any milestones, awards, or other
announcements, please contact the Executive.
Chair’s Message
Jeff Halashewski, CSC Edmonton | Chapter Chair
! I’ll be back in time for the Networking Event on November 23rd4see everyone there!
Membership in CSC
Position Open
In the construction industry’s fast-paced environment, the need for and value of Construction Specifications Canada is greater than ever. CSC brings together individuals from all segments of the construction industry. All who have a vested interest in Canada’s largest industry are invited to join CSC. When you join CSC, you become part of the only association that brings together
professionals from all aspects of the construction industry.
DESIGN TEAM
CSC offers members of the Design Team the opportunity to meet with other members and exchange information. It also affords you the chance to help improve technology and its management, and the means to improve ways in which your ideals are translated into clear, concise, and complete documentation.
BUILDING TEAM
If you are a member of the Building Team, CSC offers you the opportunity to become involved in formulating specifications. Your valuable input into the programs can help generate time and cost savings, as well as improve performance.
SUPPLY TEAM
The multi-disciplinary composition of CSC allows members of the Supply Team to meet with other members of the construction team. CSC programs in data filing and information retrieval are geared to present convenient and concise information on your products for proper evaluation and specification.
THE STUDENT
If you are a student of architecture, engineering, or construction technology, CSC will provide you with a greater exposure to, and a better understanding of, the construction industry, giving you an excellent opportunity if you plan a career in the construction field.
Mr. Chanhee Kwon Architectural Technologist ACI Architects Inc. 17225 – 102 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB T5S 1J8 Tel: 780-486-6400 Fax: 780-486-6401 Email: [email protected] Website: www.aci-arch.com New Member Sponsor: Mr. Kevin Osborne
Mr. Brent Bauman, PSP, CTS-D, LEED AP Associate Stantec Consulting Ltd. 10160 – 112 Street Edmonton, AB T5K 2L6 Tel: 780-917-7456 Fax: 780-917-7279 Email: [email protected] Website: www.stantec.com
Yes, We’ve Moved (Contact / Mailing Address Update)
Mr. John L. Karman, RSW, C.Tech, PMP, LEED AP Senior Project Director SMP Engineering 101, 10835 – 120 Street NW Edmonton, AB T5H 3P9 Tel: 780-482-5931 Fax: 780-488-9784 Email: [email protected] Website: www.smpeng.com
Previous Members Re-Joining / Re-Activated
None this month.
CSC Education:
Mike Ewaskiw, CTR
Principles of Construction Documentation The PCD course is an introductory course that will enable the student to have a better understanding of construction documentation (specifications, drawings, and schedules), products, bidding procedures, and contracts. It is also a prerequisite to all the other CSC education courses.
Specifier 1 Specifier 1 is an intermediate level course that will take the individual beyond the concepts previously introduced in the PCD Course. Although some of the same topics are included, the depth of comprehension and explanation exceed that of the PCD course. The Specifier 1 is a prerequisite for the Certified Specification Practitioner (CSP) designation from CSC. Successful completion of the course may be credited toward the experience component requirements for the Registered Specification Writer (RSW) designation.
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Technical Representative The TR course provides a better understanding of contract documents and bidding procedures, product representation, professionalism, and ethics, and will provide a new depth of understanding and explanation of concepts beyond what was previously introduced in the PCD course. The course is designed for the individual involved in the supply section of the construction industry, such as manufacturer representatives, agents, or distributors of products. The student will have successfully completed the PCD course. Contact Mike for all your educations needs. Mike Ewaskiw, CTR
District Manager, StonCor Group P: 780-237-7844 E: [email protected]
EDUCATION COURSES
Upcoming Classes:
• Principals of Construction Documentation (PCD) – January 8, 2018 (10 weeks) Location: TBA • Specifier – TBA Location: TBA • Construction Contract Administration (CCA) – January 8, 2018 (11 weeks); Location: TBA • Technical Representative (TR) – January 8, 2018 (11 weeks);
Location: Stoncor Group, Unit 22, 3110 – 51 Avenue
• Cost for Courses: $600.00 for members and $700.00 for non-members • Class Times: 6:00 – 9:00 PM.
Upcoming Classes Online:
TBA Upcoming Workshops: Principles of Construction Documentation (PCD) 5 Day Workshop – November 22 – 26, 2017 Location: Eaton Chelsea Toronto, Toronto, ON Construction Contract Administration (CCA) 5 Day Workshop – March 21 – 25, 2018 Location: Eaton Chelsea Toronto, Toronto, ON Specifier (SP) 7 Day Workshop – March 19 – 25, 2018 Location: Eaton Chelsea Toronto, Toronto, ON
INDUSTRY NEWS & EVENTS
November 3, 2017 CCI Conference 2017 Canadian Construction Innovations Beanfield Centre, Toronto, ON www.ccinnovations.ca
February 7-8, 2018 Canadian Concrete Expo Concrete Construction Industry The International Centre, Toronto, ON www.CanadianConcreteExpo.com
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ACTIVE LINKS ON ICONS
Social Media:
Check us out:
Articles of Interest
UK Backs £1.6bn Plan to Bury Busy Highway at Stonehenge Sourced from: http://www.globalconstructionreview.com
One of the world’s most famous prehistoric sites, Stonehenge, is set to enjoy peace and quiet again after the UK government backed a £1.6bn plan to put the buy highway running next to it underground.
Since 1933, visitors hoping to experience the mysteries of the ancient site in Wiltshire, England, have had to contend with noise and fumes from the busy A303 trunk road passing close by; a major artery running from Basingstoke to Devon. But today after a consultation begun in March the government has given its blessing to a plan for a tunnel at least 2.9km long (1.8 miles) that will channel lorries and cars underground.
Influential heritage groups cautiously welcomed the plan, which moves a tunnel entrance further away, but other campaigners expressed “shock” and called for a “complete re-think” of the issue.
As well as restoring tranquility for a million visitors a year, the infrastructure scheme will reconnect the two halves of the 6,500-acre World Heritage site currently split by the road, and remove the sight and sound of traffic from the Stonehenge landscape. Claiming a win-win for all, the government said the tunnel, which widens the section to four lanes, is part of a new southwest “expressway” that will help the economy and ease congestion in the region by linking the M3 and M5 motorways.
Plans for a tunnel were first tabled in 1995 but have been bedeviled by concerns over cost and visual impacts. The current plans were subject to a consultation which gathered submissions from 9,000 people and organisations, the government said. As a result, Highways England modified the route by moving an entrance to the tunnel 50m further away, to avoid intruding on the view of the setting sun from Stonehenge during the winter solstice.
The change drew cautious welcome from three influential heritage organisations, Historic England, the National Trust and English Heritage, who said today in a joint statement: “We welcome the amended route and believe it can, if designed and located with the utmost care, deliver a lasting
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legacy for the World Heritage Site and restore peace and tranquillity to the Stonehenge landscape.”
Not everyone is happy, however. Campaign group Stonehenge Alliance is organising a petition against the scheme, saying it will “cause severe and permanent damage to the archaeological landscape of the World Heritage Site (WHS) in direct conflict with international advice to the UK Government earlier this year”. The group objects to the “huge expense”, which has been increased by £200m. Also objecting is Campaign for Better Transport, on similar grounds. “The project needs a complete re-think, not a minor tweak which still threatens major harm to this iconic landscape,” said spokesperson Kate Fielden.
Work is expected to start in 2021, the BBC reported.
Ontario’s Marijuana Framework Received Mixed Reviews Sourced from: http://dailycommercialnews.com
Key players in the construction industry say one important element is still missing with the Ontario government’s recently released cannabis framework – giving employers the tools they need to maintain health and safety on the jobsite.
The federal Liberals are planning to legalize marijuana by July 2018 and Ontario is the first province in Canada to publicly announce a comprehensive plan to regulate federally legalized cannabis.
David Frame, Director of Government Relations for the Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA), who has been involved in consultations at the provincial level, said while the government has recognized there is a health and safety issue in the workplace, there is still a long way to go.
In a section entitled Workplace Safety, the plan states, "the province will be developing resources to guide employers, labour groups and others as they manage workplace safety issues related to impairment at work through education and awareness initiatives."
"I'm disappointed with that but it's at least a step forward," said Frame. "What we would like the government to do particularly in the context of the construction industry is to recognize that workers need to report to work free of substances that can impair their ability to work safely."
Frame and the OGCA are asking the government to implement regulations in the construction industry under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, as they have done for other industries, restricting the use of substances that can cause impairment while on the job.
I think by doing that, at least it gives one more tool for employers and unions to be able to deal with the problem," he noted. "They're essentially saying they are going to leave it up to the workplaces to deal with the issue of impairment. If that's going to be the approach, they need to make sure the workplaces have the tools to do that."
Calling the framework "safe" and "sensible," a release issued by the Ministry of the Attorney General states legislation will be introduced later this fall, following the conclusion of province-wide consultations.
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"There seems to be very little focus on health and safety and that's kind of an alarm bell," commented Ian Cunningham, president of the Council of Ontario Construction Associations, adding the Ministry of the Attorney General did address workplace health and safety issues in their consultations.
"It's critically important for all businesses, but particularly construction businesses where the work is generally more hazardous than other types of work, that workers come to work ready and fit to do their jobs. It's not acceptable for their own safety and for the safety of others working on a construction project that they might even be moderately impaired from the use of cannabis or any other legal or illegal substance."
Key elements of the government's approach to transition to the legalization of cannabis include: prohibiting the use of recreational cannabis in public places and workplaces and restricting the use to private residences; proposing the minimum age to use, purchase or possess recreational cannabis in Ontario is 19 years old; and having the LCBO oversee the legal retail of cannabis in Ontario through new standalone cannabis stores and an online order service.
Approximately 150 standalone stores will be opened by 2020, servicing all regions of the province, and online distribution will be available starting July 2018. The intent is to ensure that there will be only one legal retail distributor for cannabis in Ontario.
The province will also pursue an enforcement strategy to help shut down illegal operations.
Sean Reid, Vice President of development and member relations for the Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA), said the fact the government has chosen a "highly managed" approach to the distribution of cannabis shows they are acknowledging there may be challenges ahead.
"There are still so many unanswered questions especially pertaining to employer rights and responsibilities," said Reid. "What is most on the minds of our members right now is what is this really going to mean at the end of the day for safety on our work sites and what ability do employers have to manage that."
Frame was also concerned about the proposed timelines with cannabis expected to be legalized by July 1, 2018. "The timelines for this are ridiculously tight and outside of the health and safety affects, Ontario has an incredible job to put a regulatory regime in place, distribution channels and recognized suppliers for this whole thing," he said. "I don't see how it can be done at a level that will meet the demand for July 1."
Reid said steps need to be taken to make sure it's rolled out properly. "Our view is if we have to do this then we have to do it right and we have to take the time to do it right," he stated. "If key stakeholder communities are saying this timeline is unrealistic for us to implement this safely and responsibly then the government needs to look carefully at that."
Gilbert Brulotte, past Chair of the Canadian Construction Association, who is also a member of a coalition of associations representing federally regulated groups on the matter, said although some progress has been made in the sense that safety has been recognized as a relevant topic, he is convinced it's not getting the attention it deserves.
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"The impression is that the initial focus has more to do with age and commercialization, how are we going to distribute it and sell it, versus how are we going to deal with the consequence of that commercialization," Brulotte noted.
He pointed out testing mechanisms and impairment thresholds are in place to deal with alcohol impairment, but not cannabis.
"This has always been an area that the coalition has focused on...we want a clear recognized way to test, a clear threshold of what will be considered impairment," explained Brulotte, adding whatever the method, the government needs to make sure employers don't go against individual human rights. "We can deal with it if we have the tools to deal with it."
Recently, the federal government announced up to $274 million to support law enforcement and border efforts to detect and deter drug-impaired driving as well as enforce the proposed cannabis legalization and regulation. According to a release, subject to parliamentary approval and Royal Assent, these investments will support the government's commitment to provide regulated and restricted access to cannabis no later than July 2018.
Los Angeles Paints its Streets White Sourced from: http://www.globalconstructionreview.com Image below: Coating being applied in Laurel Canyon
The Los Angeles local government has painted a number of streets white in an effort to lower temperatures. Coating a road in a lighter colour can reflect heat, as opposed to dark asphalt which absorbs 80 - 95% of sunlight. The layering costs up to $40,000 per mile and lasts for five to seven years. According to Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services results from preliminary testing have shown that a light
grey coating reduces temperatures by 10 degrees.
The Cool Pavement Pilot Project is taking place across the city, where a product called CoolSeal was first applied to Jordan Avenue in Canoga Park.
Maria Jimenez, a Jordan Avenue resident, told the Los Angeles Daily News “Now, it’s a few degrees cooler. If it wasn’t for this street, the heat wave would make my apartment hotter.”
Since then more tests have been carried out in Laurel Canyon (pictured) and Westchester.
The Bureau of Street Services say the goal of the project is to decrease “the risk of heat-related deaths and to save energy by reducing air conditioning”. A study by the American Meteorological Society found that 1,000 people die per year due to extreme heat in the U.S. A record temperature for Downtown L.A. was set in July this year at 98F (36.6C).
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Other ways to combat the “Urban Heat Island” are to increase the amount of trees lining the streets and to use roof cooling products.
A recent Canadian study showed that even a single tree in an urban environment can decrease heating costs and moderate wind speeds.
Los Angeles major Eric Garcetti has pledged to reduce the temperature in the city by three degrees over the next 20 years according to local newspaper The L.A. Times.
Greg Spotts, assistant director of the Bureau of Street Services, said: “We're hoping to inspire other cities to experiment with different ways to reduce the heat island effect. And we're hoping to get manufacturers to come up with some new products.”
“Potentially there could be a huge market for cool pavement products and, in fact, it's part of a much larger economic trend where solutions for climate change could be the next great investments for the future.”
GuardTop, the firm behind CoolSeal said: “The benefits of cool pavements extend beyond just cooling the local ambient air.
“More reflective parking lots allow building owners and cities to save on energy needed to illuminate streets and parking lots.”
The Protector of Canada’s Sacred Islands Sourced From: http://www.bbc.com/travel
For thousands of years, the Haida people have created a culture inseparable from their islands – and they’ll do whatever it takes to preserve it. For more than 150 years, towering cedar totem poles have watched over the land at SGang Gwaay (Ninstints) village site, the intricately carved ravens, eagles and thunderbirds symbolising an unbreakable bond between humans and nature. The totems on this tiny, rocky, forested island in the Pacific Ocean are just a few of many carved by the Haida people, who have been cultivating a culture inseparable from their islands for 13,000 years.
“Haida culture is the relationship with the land and the sea. The totem poles are about the relationship with the land and the sea. If we lose access [to the land], we lose our culture,” said Guujaaw, former president of the Council of the Haida First Nation.
Located 100km beyond the western edge of Canada, British Columbia’s 250km-long Haida Gwaii island chain cradles serpentine coastlines with pristine beaches, dramatic cliffs rising above a deep blue sea, breathtaking fjords where bald eagles soar and tiny inlets where puffins roost. The moss-rich woodlands hold hemlock, Sitka spruce and western red cedar trees that stand up to 55m tall, and shelter black bears, pine martens, river otter and ermine. The sea is home to humpback whales, orcas, porpoises, sea lions and salmon.
Haida Gwaii’s remoteness protected the land for thousands of years. Even today, the only way to reach the archipelago is by boat or plane from Vancouver or Prince Rupert, BC. But despite the
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islands’ isolated location, their rich resources couldn’t remain a secret forever.
Until the 1970s, the harvesting of Haida Gwaii’s forests was done by local outfits logging small numbers of trees. But by the early 1980s, the industry had ramped up to unsustainable clear-cutting by outside companies. Logging-permit meetings were closed to the public, and the Haida had no voice in the use and treatment of their land. The Haida have long lived by the principle of Yah’guudang, which calls for respect for the relationship between all living and non-living things, from the clams in the intertidal zones and the salmon in the rivers to the trees in the forest and the eagles in the sky. For acts as small as picking berries or as large as felling an ancient cedar for a totem pole, Yah’guudang requires the Haida to be mindful of how each action affects the rest of the ecosystem for seven generations to come. Due to concerns about theft and vandalism, in the 1970s tribal elders revived the tradition of the Watchmen, a vigilant group of protectors who once stood guard over the Haida villages, alerting elders to threats to the islands such as invaders. Today, the Watchmen still safeguard the land, but they also act as ambassadors of Haida culture, providing visitors and newcomers with knowledge of Yah’guudang and the strong bond the Haida people have with the islands.
A decade ago, Walter Russ jumped at the chance to devote his retirement to the land. Ever since, he’s been standing guard over Haida village sites like Windy Bay, a Haida village on the eastern shore of Lyell Island (Athlii Gwaii) in the south-east portion of the archipelago.
“Protecting [Haida Gwaii] from the sky to the bottom of the sea – that’s a real hard thing to do,” he said. The Haida soon became angered by the negative impact the logging industry was having on their sacred islands. Many of the old-growth Sitka spruce and western red cedar forests were decimated, and its once-clear salmon streams were muddied.
In November 1985, after new logging permits had been approved for Lyell Island, the Haida community took a stand. They linked arms and physically blocked loggers’ access to the logging road. During those two weeks, 72 Haida – including Guujaaw and respected elders – were arrested. But the Haida’s efforts paid off.
After years of negotiations, the Gwaii Haanas Agreement – a compromise meant to respect both Haida culture and Canada’s industrial interests – was finalised in 1993. The agreement designated the southern third of the archipelago the new Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, a nature and cultural reserve co-managed by Parks Canada and the Haida Nation. In 2010, similar protection of the sea was added by creating the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. Repercussions from the Gwaii Haanas Agreement reverberated across Canada. Since then, new agreements between First Nations tribes and the Canadian and provincial governments have protected more aboriginal land and extended First Nations’ rights to fish, hunt and practice their culture as they traditionally have on the land and sea (this model has also been used by aboriginal people as far away as New Zealand, including the Maori Waikto-Tainui people protecting their Waikato River).
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In 2004, Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site was nominated for Unesco World Heritage status. Together with the already established SGang Gwaay heritage site, Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site would meet six out of the seven criteria required to make the list. If it receives Unesco status, the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site will become one of fewer than 40 sites that meet multiple criteria, including the Great Wall of China meeting five criteria and Machu Picchu meeting four. However, only three other sites – Australia’s Tasmanian Wilderness, China’s Mount Taishan and Mexico’s Calakmul – meet as many of the criteria as Gwaii Haanas. But the Haida people have mixed feelings about the possible Unesco status. While some want the economic benefits of tourism, others worry that visitors could threaten the islands’ Yah’guudang once again.
“It’s quite a natural relationship with the land and it’s quite deep and old,” Guujaaw said. “It’s not necessarily the kind of thing where you look and say ‘oh isn’t that beautiful’. But a tourist, a visitor might be saying that and we [Haida] look at it in a whole, deeper way.” Sharing the ‘deeper way’ of looking at this serene island chain is what Haida Watchman are all about. Those who remember the 1985 Stand now pass the torch of protecting and respecting Haida Gwaii to future generations, teaching younger community members like Kelsey Fitzgerald the history of the Haida people and the importance of respecting the islands’ delicate ecosystem. “This is something that we need to do. It’s something that’s already part of me, so telling my children the history of what our grandmothers and grandfathers have done seems to just come naturally so for me. I’m not scared to be a part of this. It’s already shaping me,” said Kelsey Fitzgerald, Haida Watchman.
Researchers Creating Roads That Can Be De-Iced With Wax Sourced from: http://dailycommercialnews.com / Korky Koroluk Phase-change materials – or PCMs – show up in the research literature from time to time. They're intriguing things: materials that release latent heat as the material changes between its liquid and solid state. Many different materials have been used in different ways.
One suggestion, which got a brief burst of publicity a decade or more ago, was to embed capsules of PCMs in gypsum board to help stabilize interior temperatures in conjunction with a building's HVAC system.
I don't know what became of the idea. I've done a couple of quick searches without turning up any evidence that it ever developed into a commercial product.
Now PCMs are back in the news, this time by researchers from three American universities including Drexel U in Philadelphia. They have come up with a system that could create roads that de-ice themselves during winter storms. All they had to do was add a little paraffin wax to the road's concrete mix.
Put that way, it sounds trivial, but it's not. After more work is done, researchers may have a product
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that could be used at airports to keep runways free from ice and snow. It could be used on expressway ramps.
There could be many applications in the parts of North America where snow and ice can cause problems.
The research team involved people from Purdue University and Oregon State. The team leader was Yaghoob Farnam, of Drexel. The team was among the first to show that using PCMs as an environmentally friendly alternative to salt can be just as effective as the standard salting, scraping and plowing.
"Phase-change materials can be incorporated into concrete using porous lightweight aggregate or embedded pipes, and when the PCM transforms from liquid to solid during cooling events, it can release thermal heat that can be used to melt ice and snow," Farnam says. "By inhibiting the formation of ice and snow on the pavement or bridge surface, the use of PCM may reduce or eliminate the need for de-icing chemicals or salts, snowplowing or both — saving money and positively influencing the environmental impact of such operations."
The paraffin oil the team used is the same ingredient that is found in candles, wax polishes, cosmetics and waterproofing compounds.
Like all PCMs, it releases thermal energy when it changes its physical state, which means that as the temperature drops and the oil begins to solidify, it releases energy as latent heat. That in turn means that the oil can be tailored to embed de-icing capabilities in a road surface so that it becomes thermally active during snowstorms.
During the research, the team created a set of concrete slabs. One had paraffin-filled pipes embedded in it and one had porous lightweight aggregate infused with paraffin. The third was a reference slab without paraffin. Each was sealed in an insulated container and then covered with about five inches of "snow" manufactured in the lab.
With each container held just above the freezing mark, both the paraffin-treated slabs melted the snow within 25 hours, all the snow on the reference slab remained frozen. Thawing was a little faster on the slab with the paraffin-filled tubes. But in the group's second experiment, in which the ambient air temperature in each container was lowered to freezing before the snow was added, the paraffin-treated aggregate was more effective than the embedded pipes.
Farnam says the team believes that infusing lightweight aggregate paraffin is the method that shows the most promise. But he warns that additional research is necessary.
That would enable researchers to gain a better understanding of other factors such as ways in which the paraffin might influence things like the durability of the concrete pavement, skid resistance and long-term stability.
With winter approaching, I have just laid in a bag of de-icing salt. So I'd be curious to know how concrete infused with paraffin would perform on my front walk.
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BC Researchers Develop Eco-Friendly, Affordable, Quake-Resistant
Concrete Sourced from: http://journalofcommerce.com Researchers in British Columbia have developed a spray-on concrete they say will protect schools from even the strongest earthquakes and cut the cost of seismic retrofits in half.
The new material will be used in the next few months to seismically upgrade a Vancouver elementary school and researchers say they hope to expand the application to other buildings around the province.
Salman Soleimani-Dashtaki, a PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia, says spraying a 10-millimetre layer of the fibre-reinforced concrete on a masonry wall kept it from crumbling in a simulation that mimicked the Magnitude 9 quake that hit Japan in 2011.
He says fibres allow the material to behave more like steel and it's more environmentally friendly than traditional concrete because 70% of the cement used to make it is replaced with fly ash, an industrial byproduct.
UBC President Santa Ono says the innovation will allow the BC government to reinforce double the number of schools for the same price.
BC Advanced Education Minister Melanie Mark says the new technology will have a far-reaching impact and could save the lives of people not only in BC, but around the world. École Harbour Landing and St. Kateri Tekakwitha are part of the Joint-Use Schools Project, which includes 18 elementary schools co-owned between Catholic and public school divisions at nine locations in Regina, Saskatoon, Martensville, and Warman. Each location includes a 90-space child care centre and community space.
In Regina, the joint-use schools are located in Harbour Landing, Greens on Gardiner, and Rosewood Park. The schools were constructed using public-private partnership (P3).
The government is investing $635 million into the project, which includes the cost of construction and maintaining the schools in like-new condition over the next 30 years. Joint Use Mutual Partnership is the P3 team that delivered the 18 new schools.
Grand opening celebrations will be hosted at all of the new schools in Regina, Saskatoon, Martensville, and Warman in September and October.
Since 2007, the Government of Saskatchewan has committed approximately $1.5 billion toward 67 major school capital projects and numerous smaller projects such as portable classrooms and preventative maintenance and renewal.
Today’s Roads Can’t Handle Today’s Climate Conditions Sourced from: https://www.smartcitiesdive.com Engineers are using outdated temperature data – from 1964 to 1995 – to pick the right temperature-
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sensitive asphalt blends for use on roads today, Ars Technica reported, citing a new study in Nature Climate Change, which found the mismatch could raise road maintenance costs significantly. In a study of nearly 800 asphalt roads built in the U.S. over the last 20 years, researchers found that 35% used an asphalt product ill-suited to current climate conditions. For one-quarter of those cases, the roads weren't built to handle the high temperatures it experienced currently.
The researchers note that using an asphalt product even one grade short of what would be necessary could cut a few years off the road's life, requiring repaving sooner than anticipated.
One in five miles of highway pavement was in poor condition in 2014 with urban roads (32%) worse off than rural ones (14%), according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. Poor roads don't cost only those charged with their maintenance and repairs, however. That level of disrepair caused vehicle operators $112 billion in additional fixes and operating costs that year.
State and local governments paved roads in asphalt when prices for the material were low. Now, they are now rethinking that strategy as construction costs trend upward. To help manage those costs, at least 27 states have turned some of their asphalt roads to gravel, with most of that work occurring in the last five years, the ASCE reported.
Omaha, NE, is one municipality doing just that. The New York Times reported earlier this year that the city decided to convert some asphalt roads, including those in higher-end neighborhoods, to gravel after it struggled to fund repairs, such as filling potholes.
Montpelier, VT, has also made headlines for its de-paving activities. The city saved $120,000 by replacing asphalt on some run-down roads with dirt and gravel reinforced with a geotextile for stability rather than repaving, Wired reported.
A substantial number of de-paved roads are in rural areas that don't see heavy traffic, according to a 2016 study from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program. Still, regardless of their location, drivers aren't necessarily in favor of gravel roads, which generally lead to more wear on their vehicles as compared to asphalt or concrete surfaces.
However, it's likely more state and local governments will look to de-paving as a way to manage road maintenance costs as questions continue around potential new long-term funding sources for infrastructure.
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ASSOCIATION LINKS
• Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA) www.acsa-safety.org
• Architecture 2030 www.architecture2030.org
• BuildingSMART Alliance (North American Chapter of BuildingSMART): www.buildingsmartalliance.com
• Building Information Modeling (BIM) Forum www.insightinfo.com/bimforum
• BuildingSMART International (formerly IAI) www.buildingsmart.com
• Biomimicry Institute www.biomimicryinstitute.org
• Biomimicry Guild www.biomimicryguild.com
• Canada BIM Council www.canbim.com
• Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC) www.cagbc.org
• Canadian Green Building Council (CaGBC) – Alberta Chapter: www.cagbc/chapters/alberta
• CCDC Documents www.ccdc.org/home.html
• Construction Specifications Canada (CSC) www.csc-dcc.ca
• Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) www.csinet.org
• buildingSMART Data Dictionary bsdd.buildingsmart.org
• International Construction Information Society (ICIS) www.icis.org
• Institute for BIM in Canada (IBM) www.ibc-bim.ca • Ace BIM www.acebim.ca
ASSOCIATION LIAISONS
Alberta Association of Architects (AAA) http://www.aaa.ab.ca/
Alberta Painting Contractors Association (APCA) www.apca.ca
Alberta Painting Contractors Association (APCA) www.apca.ca
Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists, and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA) http://www.apegga.org/ [email protected]
Alberta Roofing Contractors Association (ARCA) http://www.arcaonline.ca [email protected]
Association of Science and Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta (ASET) http://www.aset.ab.ca/ Russ Medvedev, [email protected]
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) http://www.ashrae.org/ / [email protected]
Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) http://www.bomaedmonton.org/ / [email protected] Consulting Engineers of Alberta (CEA) http://www.cea.ca/ [email protected]
