connections

the biannual newsmagazine of the OSCO Construction Group ’s Home Office Takes Shape

spring & summer 2017

• New Hampshire Women’s Correctional Facility • Harvard University • • Anheuser Busch • Dalhousie University • IKEA • Aggregates 30th • the biannual newsmagazine of spring & summer 2017 connections the OSCO Construction Group what’s inside

projects

4...... Irving Oil Home Office 17....Anheuser-Busch Expansion 28....Alma Wharf Upgrades 8...... New Hampshire Women’s 18....Port Saint John 29....Foisie Innovation Studio Correctional Facility 19....UNB Center for Healthy 30....Around the Refinery 10....Mount Holyoke College Living 32....Harvard’s Smith Center 11.....Dalhouse University IDEA 20... FCC Projects Group at 33....AVA Theatre profiled by Buildings Irving Refinery CPCI 12.... Centre for 21... Aitken Lighting Upgrade 34... IKEA Halifax Precision Medicine 22... Saint John Water Project 35....Shoreland Transport 14....The Parks of West Bedford 26... O’neil Cinemas at the Point 35....Rebar Projects 15.... DOT Precast Pipe 27... Pipe Project Profiled by 36....South & Hollis Street 16....Tidal Power Generators Stormceptor

priorities 3...... Message from 37....Safety: Evolving Safety Culture the President 38....Environment: Spills 52....Our Locations 38....Environment: Sustainable SJ Award 39....Facilities : OSCO Head Office Reno

public & people

community 42....I.T. Team Profile 44....25 Year Club 40...Helping Hands 46....OSCO Aggregates 40...Marque Wins NB-MAP Award Celebrates 30 Years 41....Take Our Kids to Work Day 49....Group Wellness Program 51....CWB Recognizes OSCO 51....Fresh Faces 51....Congratulations OSCO construction group

CONNECTIONS is the biannual magazine of the OSCO on our cover... Construction Group, published every Spring and Fall to share news and information with our valued customers & employees The Irving Oil Home Office in Saint John, NB takes Comments and submissions are greatly appreciated and may be sent to the shape with help from the OSCO Construction Group. editor/designer: Tammy Legacy, c/o OSCO Construction Group See story on page 4. 400 Chesley Drive, Saint John, NB • • E2K 5L6 email: [email protected] www.oscoconstructiongroup.com Message from the President

I’ve stated many times in the ity, our ability to deliver and maintain microprocessors, data storage & As past, our primary Mission is the level of service that has made our transmission, software programming to “provide valued construction solu- Group successful becomes more of tools, networking, mobile devices, tions in the design, manufacture & a challenge. The importance of mak- sensors and application software. installation of building components”. ing the right strategic, organizational As a result, the collection, analysis While this undertaking delineates changes becomes critical to accom- and distribution of information has how we plan to utilize our assets to modate growth without deterioration changed dramatically. Advances in fabricate & erect our products, we of the support services described. At hardware and software have vastly mustn’t forget that it also includes the OSCO Construction Group, we expanded the speed and scope the associated support services re- have implemented and are introduc- at which data can be digitized, quired to perform our mission. These include marketing & sales, estimating & project management, procure- “Our plan is to utilize our historical information for the ment & supply chain management, benefit of our customers and all of our supply chain contract administration & risk assess- partners to make their collective experience with the OSCO ment, invoicing & collections, trans- portation logistics & shipping, health Group as valuable, efficient and pleasant as possible.” & safety, quality assurance, plant & equipment maintenance/upgrades, employee training & development ing several new initiatives which al- stored, analyzed and shared. Big, and timely communication & cus- low expansion in size and scale while, unstructured data repositories can tomer feedback. Without these basic from our customer’s perspective, not now be used by sophisticated, services being executed as effec- affecting our primary mission. cognitive, computer algorithms to tively and efficiently as possible, our optimize a company’s machinery, customer performance could weaken One of our most important equipment and services; in other relative to our competition. decisions has been to invest heavily words, the entire product delivery in our information technology (IT) system has the potential to be At the same time, as our organization infrastructure. Dramatic changes develops in size, reach and complex- have taken place since 2000 in continued on page 51... www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2017 3 projects

Drone photos (this page and cover) courtesy of Irving Oil Limited

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Project Update: Irving Oil Home Office

contributed by: Luke Johnson, P.Eng., EllisDon Corporation bring signifi- installation are scheduled to start PMP, GSC, Dave Dunnett, P.Eng.,, cant project experience to the table, shortly after precast. This stage Brendan Clancy, P.Eng., Jason and have been able to harness the of the project is a critical one. It is Presley & Kim Doggett capabilities of the OSCO Group of very important that the windows, Companies to keep the project mov- limestone and associated weather ing along quickly. barriers and insulation be installed ince breaking ground on the proj- with great attention to detail, to ect back on June 6, 2016, much S The elevator cores have reached level ensure the integrity and longevity of has changed on site at the Irving Oil 10. Ocean Steel has completed erec- the building envelope. To this end, Home Office Project in Saint John, tion of structural steel and decking to a full scale mock-up of the building New Brunswick. level 6 on the south side of the build- envelope has been completed ing and level 3 on the north side. As outlined in our Fall issue of Con- (pictured below). The mock-up is nections, FCC Construction joined an exact replica of the corner of the Placement of concrete slabs is also with EllisDon in the spring of 2016, as building at the level 11 roof line. This progressing well with slabs placed to joint venture partners to manage the process allowed for the evaluation level 6 on the south side of the build- construction of Irving Oil’s new Home of the construction details and ing. Reinforcing steel and concrete for Office. Designed by B + H Architects, sequencing, prior to construction the slabs are being provided by OSCO the 317,323 square foot building will of the building. Part of the mock- Concrete and Ocean Steel Rebar Lim- be LEED certified and will include 11 up was left incomplete, to allow for ited. The placement of slabs provides floors plus mechanical penthouse. inspection of the insulation and air rigidity to the structure and will allow vapour barrier applied to the precast Strescon to start precast concrete wall backup panels. This process proved FCC Construction panel installation in May. to be a valuable one, with many Work is continuing to progress well. Aluminum window and limestone lessons learned that will be applied to Both FCC Construction and the continued on next page...

Our investment in a new home office represents our confidence in Saint John and our province. We are proud of our people and our community. The total employment activity of Irving Oil home office employees in uptown Saint John will result in $8 million in direct consumer spending at local shops and restaurants.

Irving Oil Headquarters This means a total of 17,000+ Irving Oil workers will They will also purchase Nearly doubling the number of Irving Oil sporting and cultural event tickets purchase 173,620 140,000 coffees employees working in uptown Saint John. purchased each year. lunches uptown each year. and make hundreds of shopping trips to uptown boutiques. Infographic source: homeofficesj.ca source: Infographic www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2017 5 projects

the building structure. As shown by expected to be completed late in the side of the building whose install the limestone mock-up, this building summer of 2017, with the exception needs to be coordinated around will be of classic character and a of any leave-out steel that can’t be the removal of the tower crane and centrepiece of architecture in Saint installed until the tower crane and man hoist. One of the stairs will John for years to come. man hoists are removed. become an architectural feature for the project, and as such, Ocean Steel Ocean Steel This project has required detailed is working closely with FCC EllisDon planning and scheduling due to to ensure the coordination of proper Ocean Steel & Construction was hired the variety of tradespeople on site logistics and scheduling for this com- by the FCC-EllisDon Joint Venture working together at the same time. plex activity. to supply and install 2000+ tons of The Ocean Steel erection crew has structural steel and 290,000 sq. ft. of worked through these complexities Strescon decking on the Irving Oil Home Of- with the other project teams to en- fice project. sure the steel and decking remained Strescon Limited has been con- on schedule. tracted by the FCC-EllisDon Joint Ocean Steel started initial delivery Venture to provide both Architec- of embeds and anchor bolts on Sept Getting the steel and decking to tural and Structural Precast concrete 22, 2016, for placement within the level 6 on both halves of the build- components for the Home Office. perimeter walls and the 4 concrete ing is a key milestone, as this allows Strescon’s team includes Alex Linero cores that will be the future homes the completion of slabs up to level (Project Manager), Josh Armstrong for two of four staircases, as well as 4, which is required to allow precast (Project Engineer) and Angela Hickie the elevators. panel install to commence. Getting (Lead Detailer) who are responsible the precast up and going is a huge for overseeing a scope of work that Primary steel erection commenced schedule event, as it will lead into the includes the supply and installation of on level 1 South on November 21st, limestone install scheduled to start 721 precast pieces. and was wrapped up within a couple this summer. of weeks. Continuous steel erection Strescon’s primary scope is to pro- however, did not commence until In addition to the leave-out steel, vide 675 (74,768 sq.ft.) of structural January 19th, 2017. Steel erection is there are two huge stairs on the East precast panels which will support the

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hand laid limestone façade. The lime- Ocean Steel Rebar To date, Ocean Steel Rebar has sup- stone will be hung off the exterior plied 325 tons of reinforcing steel, face of the precast, using galvanized Ocean Steel Rebar Limited has cur- 80,000 square feet of mesh, and over steel clip supports. As many of the rently completed the following ele- 2900 mechanical couplers. precast pieces are prestressed, load ments for the Home Office project: bearing spandrels, Strescon’s team OSCO Concrete worked closely with the construction October and November: team to co-ordinate the acceptable • foundation footings and walls up to OSCO Concrete NB Limited has been locations of the clip supports. Work- Level 1 supplying concrete to FCC-EllisDon ing around pre-stressing strands, crit- • South Core and North Core Level 1. for the Irving Oil Home Office Project since August 2016. OSCO has been ical bar reinforcing, and the precast December: placing concrete all winter, using connection hardware provide some • South Stair Core Levels 3 to 5 cold weather accelerators in the mix limitations, but the team was able • South Elevator Core Level 1. to find solutions for all attachment to obtain strength at a faster rate than conditions. At the mechanical pent- January: normal, allowing the project to move house level, hand laid limestone is not • South Stair Core Levels 6 and 7 along despite the winter conditions. required, so Strescon will be supply- • South Elevator Core Levels 4 to 6 The total project was estimated at ing architectural cornice spandrels, • North Elevator Core Levels 2 and 3. about 8000 cubic metres. To date: and infill panels with a concrete finish February: the center core is well established; to simulate the limestone below. A • South Elevator Core Levels 6 to 9 the foundation is mostly complete; total of 46 pieces (4,770 sq.ft.) will be • South Stair Core 7 to 9 and a variety of slabs have started. provided for this area. • North Elevator Core Levels 3 and 4 The project will continue through Fabrication of the precast panels be- • North Stair Core Levels 2 and 3. 2017 and into 2018 with approximate- ly 3000 cubic metres left to supply. gan in late February 2017, and will be March: complete by mid May 2017. Strescon • North Elevator Core Levels 4 to 6 Stay tuned to future issues for updates and FCC-EllisDon J.V. are currently • North Stair Core Levels 4 to 6 on this exciting project! preparing for erection of the precast • South Elevator Core Levels 9 to 11 which will begin in May 2017. • South Stair Core Levels 9 to 11. www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2017 7 projects

New Hampshire Women’s Correctional Facility

contributed by: vide services for inmates with mental since 2008. Gerald Kirkwood Grassby health and substance abuse needs. The prison area will encompass 224 Strescon Limited recently teamed ecades after the State of New beds with future expandable space to up with Gilbane for the first time, to DHampshire was ordered to incorporate an additional 350 beds. supply and erect precast insulated provide female inmates the same CarbonCast® wall panels for this services as their male counterparts, The new facility was designed by project. construction is currently in progress SMRT Architects and Engineers, of on the new Women’s Correctional Portland, ME, while Gilbane Building This past April, Strescon finished Facility in Concord, New Hamp- Company is serving as Construction installing 226 precast components, shire. Without a suitable facility for Manager on the project. including 198 CarbonCast insulated female prisoners, the State of New wall panels, on schedule. It was great Hampshire faced a costly lawsuit that Founded in 1873, Gilbane Building to team up with a large customer like threatened its bond rating. Company is one of the oldest family- Gilbane, who is such a major player owned design and build companies in the building construction market The new $50 million, 100,000 sf-plus in the U.S. and is recognized as a in New England and throughout the facility will incorporate four buildings, leader in the industry. Headquartered . including areas for health services, in Providence, Rhode Island, Gilbane programming and education, visita- was ranked #3 for correctional facili- The project was many years in the tion, industries, and housing. There ties builders in the U.S., by Engineer- making; going through countless will also be two stand-alone general ing News Record in 2012. It has design, estimating and budget pro- population housing units and one consistently ranked as one of the top cesses for the State of New Hamp- minimum security housing unit. One 5 correctional facilities contractors in shire. Strescon worked alongside of the general housing units will pro- the US by Engineering News Record Gilbane for 3-4 years, providing all

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types of cost analysis and design made this a successful project for all American steel and Precast Erectors, criteria for the precast insulated wall who were involved. played a vital role in both the coordi- panel system. The project was finally nation of tasks on site, as well as the awarded to Strescon in early 2016, Installation was challenging on the scheduling of precast deliveries. Many after many rounds of competitive East elevation of the facility in par- carefully scheduled crane mobiliza- bidding processes. ticular, due to lack of clear, level site tions were needed to allow the facility access. The solution was to utilize a to be constructed in zones before be- The project was always slated to use 300-ton crane to erect panels along ing enveloped with Strescon’s precast precast wall panels for the exterior the face, before switching over to a panels on the exterior. wall system, along with a series of smaller hydraulic crane for installing solid load-bearing walls which would all the other elevations. Strescon is looking forward to create closure walls for the gym- teaming up with Gilbane again in the nasium. Extensive coordination on Jack Wilson, Strescon’s Construc- future, on more successful projects the panel fabrication and installation tion Manager, alongside our erector, like this one.

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Mount Holyoke College

contributed by: Jeff Keith center that will consolidate student was increasingly complex, due to the dining in a central location. The 34,000 intricate arches and slopes in the roof ocated in South Hadley, MA, Mount square-foot addition of a Dining and system, which required elliptical rolled LHolyoke College is a highly selec- Community Center will create a com- members. tive, nondenominational, residential, munity dining experience with seating research liberal arts college for women. for 1,000. Shawmut Design & Con- Ocean Steel’s subcontractor, Bouchard Founded in 1837, nearly a century before struction is the Construction Manager Steel Erectors, began erection of the women gained the right to vote, Mount for the project. dining hall addition in January 2017 and Holyoke is now renowned for educating completed the work in March 2017. women leaders, from medical pioneers Ocean Steel & Construction supplied Ongoing renovation work in the to Pulitzer Prize–winning playwrights. and installed 240 tons of Structural Existing Blanchard Hall and Loading Steel, 127 joists & 53,000 sf of metal Dock is scheduled for this summer. The Mount Holyoke is currently carrying out decking. Fabrication was performed at college website estimates substantial a $50 million expansion of its campus our , NB facility. The project project completion by April, 2018.

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Dalhousie University IDEABuildings photos courtesy Shawmut Design and Construction

contributed by: Kayla Smith

llstar Rebar is currently working on the Dalhousie University IDEA ABuildings for J.W Lindsay Construction, in Halifax, NS. The project will require 374.87 tons of rebar and 46,560 square feet of wired mesh.

The “IDEA” acronym stands for “Innovation and Design in Engineering & Architecture” the IDEA Project is a massive $64-million investment in Dal’s downtown Sexton Campus, which includes two new academic build- ings, totaling 86,000 sq. feet; the “Innovation” building and the “Design” building. The focus is to provide modern space for students to learn the art of design through hands-on experience, and increase interaction and col- laboration between students in the Faculties of Engineering, and Architec- ture & Planning.

The two structures are being built to the left and right of an existing build- ing, which can make it difficult at times to offload deliveries, as they can’t crane over the existing building. The Innovation Building is adjacent to C and C1 Buildings, and the Design Building is on Morris Street. To better organize Allstar’s deliveries, we use colored tags (blue & white) to designate rebar for each location.

Allstar Rebar began working on this project in January 2017 and is expect- ed to be finished by April 30th, 2018. www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2017 11 projects

New Brunswick Centre contributed by: Kim Doggett, Stewart Totten for Precision Medicine & Jean Bourque

he Université de Moncton Precast Pipe: Strescon Lim- pipe had to be carefully coordinated Tis Canada’s largest French- ited’s Concrete Pipe Division worked with the installation contractor. As language university outside Québec. with Carter Excavating & Acadian mentioned, during dry weather, there The university’s three campuses Construction on this job, to relocate was always flow in the conduit. Dur- are located in New Brunswick’s the municipal services (sanitary, storm ing wet weather, the 48” diameter francophone regions at Edmundston, and water) around the perimeter of pipe was running at full capacity. In- Shippagan and Moncton. In August the new building. This required: a stallation therefore had to take place of 2016, the University announced large diameter “doghouse manhole” during a time of no rain or melting; the construction of a new research to sit over the existing live combined and on a weekend, when the traffic facility; the New Brunswick Centre sewer; a bend manhole structure; a was low enough to shut down the for Precision Medicine (NBCPM). Stormceptor storm water treatment street. The Canadian and New Brunswick device; and related piping. governments are investing $10.5 Strescon worked with the contrac- million and $5.25 million This was a challenging project for ev- tor to ensure a smooth delivery and respectively, while the eryone involved. The existing com- everything went well. Considering, we University of Moncton bined (sanitary and storm sewer in only had a “best guess” of the shape and other partners are one pipe) sewer was an inverted of the existing pipe, we were happy contributing an additional teardrop brick conduit, which had to hear from Wallace Carter “That $10.7 million on the been in place for over a hundred doghouse fit over the existing line per- $26.45 million project. years (below left). The challenge fectly and I could not have asked for for the designer was not having exact anything better”. The Center is being built next to the measurements for wall thicknesses, Carter Excavating & Acadian con- Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University or exact flow rates prior to excavating. struction have a long successful Hospital Centre. It will be a five story, The challenge for the contractor was history with the OSCO Group of 40,000 square foot building with the dealing with the constant flow. Even companies, and this project is just capacity to house approximately 160 during dry weather, there was always one more to add to the book. researchers. The NBCPM will focus on about 6” to 8” of flow in the bottom of cutting edge biomedical, genomic, and the pipe. Finally... this was challenging Rebar: Ocean Steel Rebar is also population health research by develop- for Strescon, to make manhole struc- currently working on Phase 1 of the ing new diagnostic tools & therapeutic tures to fit a “best guess” at the size and NBPCM, for Acadian Construction techniques that are patient specific, configuration of the piping. based on their unique molecular (1991) Ltée. Ocean Steel Rebar start- biomarkers and what options would be Adding to the challenges for all, the ed installing rebar in February 2017 most effective for that person. speed required for this project meant and will provide a total of 32.40 tons that the final design was not complet- of reinforcing steel for the project. The NBCPM will be New Brunswick’s ed at bid time, so quite a few assump- first multi disciplinary health research tions had to be made. Strescon worked Ready-Mix: OSCO Concrete’s center situated inside a clinical set- with Carter excavating, Acadian Moncton, NB plant also participated ting. It is expected that this center will Construction & Stantec to come up on this project, supplying a total of attract researchers from all over the with the “least cost” design & started 440 m3 of 25 MPa concrete to world, thus also increasing research making the manholes on January 24th. Acadian Construction to date, with funding, publications, and the number The first one (14’-2” wide) shipped to an estimated total of approximately of U de M students that can be trained the site on January 31st. 500 m3 for Phase I (foundation work and find career opportunities within only). Work started late fall of 2016, New Brunswick. Projected comple- Delivery & installation of the man- and the first pour was first week of tion of the building is spring 2018. holes over this constantly running January.

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This was a challenging project for everyone involved. The existing combined (sanitary and storm sewer in one pipe) sewer was an inverted teardrop brick conduit, which had been in place for over a hundred years.

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I and II with a combined 300 units; Mythos Developments’ 11 story 150 unit concrete structure; and the 72 The Parks unit, 200 on Broad, built by South Ridge Construction.

of West Bedford In 3 short years West Bedford Hold- ings and it’s partner builders have developed well over 1/3 of the 1500 contributed by: Dave Marcattili to set aside 375 hectares of green hectares and in doing so have been a space for residence to enjoy. big part of keeping the Halifax estled in the highly sought after economy rolling. They have also Narea of Kearney Lake, in the Bed- OSCO Concrete and its partner cus- managed to develop one of the most ford suburbs of Halifax, NS, are the tomers have enjoyed a steady flow of sought after residential areas in Parks of West Bedford. A development business as a result of the develop- Halifax, with brisk homes sells and low by West Bedford Holdings; a company ment. Superior Foundations, Harbour vacancy rates. formed as a partnership between two Foundation and Stevie-Crete of ’s largest develop- Foundation are just a few ex- ers; Clayton Developments, a division amples of customers who, over of Shaw, and Cresco Homes. the last 3 years, have regu- larly worked on single dwell- The Parks is a huge undertaking that ing homes and townhomes involves the development of 1500 throughout Park West. hectares of land with a planned build- out of 10 to 15 years. The develop- Along with the residential ment encompasses all types of living work, the local construc- needs: from single family homes; to tion industry has benefited townhomes; to large multi-residential from a number of multi-story buildings; to restaurants and shop- residential building in the area. ping; all within walking distance of OSCO has been able to supply each other. With an expected 20,000 concrete and pumping services residents and a $1.5 billion cost, West to a number of these projects Bedford Holdings has also managed also, including: The Ravines

Photos taken by Dave Marcattili from the 7th floor of the Myths Development building. 14 connections | spring & summer 2017 www.oscoconstructiongroup.com projects

Precast Pipe Pre-Order Program Provides Productivity for MDOT

contributed by: Darren Briggs tions, or the entrance or exit of competitors… Strescon has always North America looks to maintained a steady and resolved As a new dawn following approach to working in the com- the economic downturn which munities in which it resides, and to began in 2007, it is very clear that the clients it considers to be not communities suffered in a variety only partners, but friends. of ways. As prices escalated and demand for products and services As Strescon modernized its facili- declined, businesses failed and ties and systems over the years, people lost their jobs. The housing it has always strived to effictively market crashed, as foreclosures manage its capacity while maxi- boomed. Tax-bases were deci- mizing production opportunities. mated, putting extreme stress on Strescon’s VP & General Manager, communities and public officials Don Isnor, will tell you the first to tighten up their respective day on the job, that “Budgets drive operations. everything!” For me, that was 15 years ago and I remember the At this stage, people were for- lessons expressed to me then, as tunate to stay warm and feed much as today. their families. New infrastructure construction and maintenance Out of that, we have always programs were limited to high sought to utilize all available tools priority projects only. Daily news to evaluate opportunities com- reports told of highway and bridge ing as far in the future as pos- failures from poorly maintained sible; sometimes by several years. infrastructure, but it was neglect We work hard to get involved in born out necessity; necessity to designing projects as early as pos- survive! Regardless of the eco- sible, so that we can assist project nomic uncertainty, the clock is still owners with efficient and effective ticking while infrastructure is aging value-added design and engineer- and failing at alarming rates. The ing ideas, while providing them demand for repairs and replace- with valuable financial and quality ment has never been higher. returns.

Strescon is certainly vulnerable to One of the largest challenges with the ebb and flow of the economy, construction in our region is the but it has strived to stay the course seasonality challenges associated through the decades, by providing with winter and mud… because time-tested, consistent and quality yes, mud is a season! We have products and services. Regardless small windows of opportunity of shifts in the economic condi- to work “in-stream” because of

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... continued from previous page lenges. By sitting down and discussing saved them money by purchasing at scheduling options with Strescon’s times when steel, energy prices and wetland and wildlife mitigation Pipe Manager, Gaetan Vaillancourt, currency options were favourable. concerns. So how do we level out it was determined that a pre-ordering this challenge? We simply work dili- program was the appropriate tool to Strescon strives to manage its manu- gently to partner with our clients and assist our customers with insuring that facturing variables like no other; going provide solutions. their products were available when the extra mile to help its custom- ers move forward in their successful One such example was with Maine needed. This, in turn, makes Strescon operations. In doing so, Strescon can Department of Transportation (MDOT) better able to manage its team mem- continue to solidify its leadership role during the past year. MDOT had bers through historically or seasonally in the many markets it serves. multiple projects requiring attention. soft periods. They had ordered an unprecedented As a result, MDOT was able to order As a new era evolves, Strescon is not amount of large diameter pipe, which multiple units of 96” and 120” diameter only eager to get out and work with its would need to be constructed and in- reinforced concrete pipe, nearly a year current clients, but it is equally stalled in limited time frames. As with in advance of its expected installation interested in meeting new friends and any producer, arranging production schedule. This not only ensured the solving new dilemmas. How can we windows to coincide with delivery and pipe was available when needed, but help you with your challenges? installation windows can provide chal-

below the water line. An addi- tional 130m3 are then pumped at Harnessing the Tides a later date, to fine tune the bal- last to the appropriate weight and lev- contributed by: Dave Dunnett P.Eng. wharf terminal C on the west side of el. The 260m3 was placed in 12 hours Saint John. The other will proceed into 11 different compartments. OSCO his past fall, OSCO Concrete’s Saint once the first unit has proven viable. Concrete’s Quality Control Technician, John Ready Mix plant worked with T Justin MacLean, came from Halifax to a company called Open Hydro, who is This was a job that OSCO secured assist with coordination between the commissioning 2 tidal power genera- with the help of Dave Marcattili in site and the batch plant and to monitor tors to be located in . One Halifax. The tidal barges were orginally the consistency of the mix. was filled with concrete ballast in contracted to be filled with concrete the , in Halifax, but the job was transferred The second 130m3 pour took place Pugsley to Saint John. The project involves about a week later. If all goes well, 3 pumping 260m of high slump lean there may be a second turbine to fill concrete into the ballast tubes later in 2017.

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Anheuser-Busch Expansion

contributed by: Jeff Keith chelob, among many others. Merri- checker plate. This was OSCO’s first mack ships approximately 100 trucks time working with Harvey. nheuser-Busch Companies, LLC a day, serving Maine, Vermont, New Ais a brewing company based in St. Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connect- Ocean Steel supplied 476 tons of Louis, Missouri USA and headquar- icut and Rhode Island. The brewery Structural Steel, 3300 sf of grating, tered in Leuven, Belgium. It has been began a large, 2-phase expansion 15000 sf of decking & 77 joists. a wholly owned subsidiary of An- in 2016. They are currently in the Drawing Preparation began in May, heuser-Busch InBev since 2008. The process of adding a new Ferment- 2016 and was performed in-house largest beer producer in the world, ing Cellar which includes a Unitank by OSCO Engineering and OSCO Anheuser-Busch InBev employs over Building, as well as an Annex Building Detailing. Installation was subcon- 30,000 people and operates 12 brew- Super Structure and Stair Tower. tracted to American Steel & Precast eries in the United States. Erectors who, in addition to the Ocean Steel Corporation was con- above installation, performed two One of those breweries has been tracted by the Construction Manager critical picks installing 18 ton pipe operating in Merrimack, New Hamp- for the project, Harvey Construction, modules for the project. Steel shire since 1970 and produces such to supply and install the structural erection began in October 2016 and brands as Budweiser, Busch and Mi- steel, metal decking, joists, grating & was completed this past March. www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2017 17 projects

rehabilitation of the deck has also Port Saint John increased the load bearing capacity from 250 lbs/ft2 to 2000 lbs/ft2.

The topping slab was replaced in six Rehabilitation & phases; three for the East Crane Rail completed in November and the West Modernization Crane Rail was completed in January. This work represents only a small portion of the rehabilitation improve- ments planned for Rodney Terminal. contributed by: Kim Doggett & Rebar: Ocean Steel Rebar re- Dave Dunnett P.Eng. cently completed the supply & install ReadyMix: OSCO Concrete’s July of 2016, Port Saint John of reinforcing steel for Alternative Saint John Plant also participated on In announced a seven year, $205 Concrete Technologies Ltd at Port this project, pouring concrete for the million Port Modernization Project. Saint John’s Rodney Terminal. Work new crane rail foundations. The proj- The Project is being funded by a began in October 2016 and saw ect is being supplied to John Flood three-way partnership between the Ocean Steel Rebar provide a total of And Sons Construction. Government of Canada, the Govern- 90.31 tons of rebar for approximately ment of New Brunswick and Port 301.5 linear meters of topping slab OSCO has been supplying the project Saint John with each partner contrib- around the East and West Crane Rails. intermittently for over the past 5 uting one-third. The goal is to expand This portion of the terminal’s top- months and is now nearing comple- Port Saint John’s vessel and handling ping slab around the crane rails was tion. To date we have supplied capabilities by increasing channel replaced with heavier reinforcement approximately 260 cubic metres of a depth, alongside terminal depth, 50 Mpa accelerated concrete for berth length, loading bearing capac- in part due to the larger gantry cranes ity, and container storage areas. recently purchased by the Port. This winter conditions.

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Complex Rebar Project at UNB’s Center for Healthy Living

contributed by: Kim Doggett March 2017 for general contractor perience with similar retaining walls Bird Construction, providing 300 made them the ideal choice for this he University of New Brunswick is tons of reinforcing steel and 27,000 project. Their placing team from Iron Tundertaking a $36 million dollar square feet of wire mesh. Because Workers Local 842, Placing Manager, capital project at its Fredericton, NB this building is situated on a steep Trevor Taber, and Project Manager campus which will see the addition hillside, a challenge in this project will Josh Fowler will work hard to ensure of a three storey, 60,000 sqft building be the installation of a complex re- a safe, accurate, on time placement joined to the west side of the Richard taining wall on the MacKay Drive side of reinforcing steel for our customer. J. Currie Center, to be known as the of the building (see photo top right). Center for Healthy Living. This expan- Ocean Steel Rebar expects to sion allows for applied research in the The retaining wall is approximately complete their portion of work this Preventative Health Care field, and will 8.7 meters tall and 139 meters long. summer, with the building scheduled allow researchers to focus on health, The height of this retaining wall to open by Spring 2018. The Currie wellness, physical fitness, health pro- means it is heavily reinforced; this Center and the Healthy Living motion, and the prevention of chronic alone provides a challenge when Building will replace the aging Lady diseases such as diabetes and obesity. placing large bars, especially closely Beaverbrook Gym which is scheduled placed ties. Bird Construction felt for decommissioning in the Fall of Ocean Steel Rebar began work in that Ocean Steel Rebar’s previous ex- 2018. www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2017 19 projects

FCC Projects Group at Irving Refinery

contributed by: David Safford & Rick Williston P.Eng. GSC

Construction and the FCC OSCO Construction Group have a long and proud history of work at the Irving . FCC currently has a Facility Maintenance Operation on site at the Refinery, con- siting of 29 workers. Part of this opera- tion includes a “Projects Group”, which Shipping Container Reuse consists of 1 supervisor, 4 carpenters and one labourer, who carry out a variety of projects at the refinery and at Shipping container recycling has become a hot topic these days, other Irving Oil facilities. The Crew that with conversions including everything from hipster pop-up shops, makes up the Projects Group is Joel to multi-residential buildings, to tiny homes. The containers used for McLaughlin, Nick Brown, Kurtis Fan- the Refinery projects are known as “one way” containers. They come joy, Chase Larsen and Albert Doyle. from overseas to provinces, and then are sold off. They The group is supervised by Duane are often just used for storage. The first idea to convert one was for the Radio Tower Equipment Shelter, and was considered initially as a Buchanan along with Maintenance cost saving, and time saving, measure. The result of the first conver- Manager Dave Safford. sion was very positive, the other conversions have spawned from this. The types of projects undertaken by the projects group include: interior and

20 connections | spring & summer 2017 www.oscoconstructiongroup.com projects

exterior building renovations; con- vapour barrier upgrades and com- The work included insulation/ crete work; custom cabinets; custom plete new interiors. Two of these vapour barrier and interior fit- furniture; fences; storage facilities; renovations have been completed. up with accommodations to hold etc. Some recent projects that have the equipment. Two of these have been completed by the group are the Radio Tower Equipment been completed. custom conversions of shipping con- Shelters: These conversions were tainers into various facilities, some done rather than building new Security Turnstile Gate examples are; structures. They are completely Entrance: After new full-body new fit-ups with heating & air turnstiles were installed at Gate 8, the Blast-Can Renovations: These conditioning. These house highly existing turnstiles were reused and facilities house personnel for office sensitive radio tower equipment. Two installed in a converted shipping space and shop fabrication. They are of these have been completed. container for additional personnel located in the refinery in areas where flow during turnaround events. Along blast protection is a requirement. VOC Monitor Stations: These with re-installing the turnstiles, the The renovations provided have made house gas calibration equipment that facility had overhead doors installed these fully functional for all seasons. is monitored 24/7 by the Irving Oil on both sides, with ramps. The renovations included insulation/ Refinery for environmental purposes.

Aitken Arena Lighting Upgrade

contributed by: Sandi Hansen the facility fully operational; minimizing damage to the ice before he Aitken University Centre surface; and working at night to Tis a multi-purpose facility accommodate previously sched- in Fredericton, NB. Owned and uled functions, an immense managed by the University of amount of detail had to be put New Brunswick, the Aitken Cen- into careful planning, coordina- tre has historically played the tion and scheduling, in order to role of Municipal Civic Centre minimize unnecessary conflict. for the greater Fredericton area With obstacles identified and since it opened in 1976. solutions developed prior to starting the project, the team FCC Electrical, through public was able to focus on the task at tender submission, was awarded hand and complete the project the contract to replace 56 exist- in less than a week. ing High Intensity Discharge after (HID) Light Fixtures suspended The FCC Electrical team, led by 35 feet directly over the Aitken Electrical Project Manager Rick Centre ice surface, with energy Hetherington and crew of Tim efficient LED Light Fixtures, Schotanus, Jeff Sharpe, Adam complete with a new network Brochu and Justin Acker, were lighting control system to com- able to use their skills of - pliment the versatility of the new eration, adaptability and effi- fixtures. ciency, to complete this unique project with great success. The Due to a multitude of onsite Aitken Centre project was challenges, such: as keeping completed in August of 2016. www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2017 21 projects

22 connections | spring & summer 2017 www.oscoconstructiongroup.com projects

Saint John Water Project Showcases OSCO Group Teamwork

contributed by: Dan Fox, GSC, Brendan Clancy, P.Eng., Kim Doggett, Chris Banks, CET, & Dave Dunnett, P.Eng.,

ork continues to FCC Civil necessary, in order to coordinate the Project Wprogress on the con- many interrelationships Update: struction of Saint John’s FCC Civil has provided Construction with the foundation de- Safe Clean Drinking Water Management along with North sign and the building Project. There is a very American Construction (Morriston, envelope. busy schedule of activities planned ) for their respective scopes Strescon Limited over the construction season. The of work. current planned scheduled turn over will be supplying and of the Plant is April 2018. FCC is responsible to manage: installing a total precast solution for the process- ing OSCO Group member companies • Construction of the Administration area of the new Saint John “Safe continue to make significant contribu- Building Clean Drinking Water” project. tions to the construction of the facility. • Plant architectural elements, in- Strescon’s team includes Tim Mac- These member companies include: cluding precast enclosure, win- Donald (Project Manager), Josh dows, doors, stairs etc. Armstrong (Project Engineer) and FCC Civil: Construction Management Angela Hickie (Lead Detailer) who are • Mechanical systems, including Ocean Steel: Administration building responsible for overseeing the scope HVAC, potable water, sewer & storm structural steel and miscella- of work which includes the supply and neous steel • Electrical base building work, installation of 482 precast pieces. including interior, exterior and yard Ocean Steel Rebar: all reinforcing steel lighting, fire alarm, and CCTV Precast Components: OSCO Concrete: all ready-mix supply • All earth works, roads, fencing, sew- • Insulated Wall Panels: 87 Pieces, Strescon: all precast concrete er, storm, and fire water systems. 20,084 sq.ft. FCC Electrical: all electrical work • Interior Shear Wall Panels: 3 for both NAC and FCC Civil Strescon Pieces, 514 sq.ft. scopes of work Strescon’s Engineering group was • Architectural Projection Panels: 6 injected early in the process as was Pieces, 413 sq.ft.

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...continued from previous page given to both the insulating (R-Value) Ocean Steel requirements of the precast system, • Beams: 32 Pieces, 910 lin. Ft. as well as how the precast system Ocean Steel, along with the help • Columns: 36 Pieces, 500 lin. Ft. would interact with other trades and of Bill Mayberry, Structural Steel their insulating requirements. To • Hollowcore Plank (12” Deep): 318 Consulting Engineer, were also achieve continuity of the insulating Pieces, 32,698 sq.ft instrumental in the progression of layers, many of the precast insulated the Administration Building steel Water treatment plants are con- sandwich panels were required to design. They provided a complete sidered a “Post Disaster Building”; cut back the front face by 4” along Engineered Package for the structural a building that is essential to the the bottom of the pieces. Once steel. They helped to optimize solu- provision of services in the event of installed in the field, the insulation tions for a newly designed canopy, a disaster; thus require special con- coming up from the foundations and layout of the rooftop screen siderations during the design and could overlap with the insulation wall barrier, to assist in the comple- development phase. Additionally, within the precast panels. This elimi- tion of design and fabrication. Steel due to the nature of the project as nated our ability to provide direct fabrication was completed in late a water processing facility, connec- bearing between the front face and March, consisting of 30.2 tons of tion design options were extremely the cast-in-place foundation, thus steel for the Administration Building limited. This all had to be achieved the panels were designed to use ad- & Canopy; 7.0 tons of steel joists; and without causing erection issues in ditional rows of C-Grid Carbon Fiber 5,300 sq.ft. of steel roof deck. the field for Strescon Atlantic’s crew. inter-wythe connectors to “hang” Finding a balance between struc- the front wythe off the of structural Installation of structural steel, joist & turally sound designs, economical back wythe. deck was scheduled to start April 10, details and fast/efficient field -con 2017 and be completed by early May. Production of the precast compo- nections was a challenge that had to nents is expected to be complete by be overcome. OSCO Concrete May 2017, and erection will begin in Special considerations were also June 2017. OSCO Concrete’s Saint John plant is also currently working on the Saint

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24 connections | spring & summer 2017 www.oscoconstructiongroup.com projects

John Water treatment plant be- Ocean Steel Rebar water inlet shafts. ing constructed by Port City Water In February and March, Ocean Steel Partners. It has been a busy fall and winter at the Rebar worked on the upper walls Safe Clean Drinking Water Project site. OSCO is supplying North American of the water plant and on the pipe Construction with the bulk of the con- In October, Ocean Steel Rebar com- gallery slab, for a total of 139 tons crete for the water treatment plant. pleted the installation of reinforcing installed. OSCO has already placed in excess steel for the chemical area, pipe gal- Ocean Steel Rebar is close to finish- of 4500 metres of specialized lery, and walls, for a total of 101 tons. ing their work on this Project and will concrete with an integral waterproof- In November, work was completed on be working on the remaining sec- ing agent, for the first phase of the the equipment slabs and walls, while tions of upper walls and the upper project. The concrete pours have been the primary focus was in the filtration slabs in April and May. going steadily since August of 2016. area, for a total of 177 tons installed. Stay tuned to future issues for OSCO is scheduled to place another In December, Ocean Steel Rebar updates on this exciting project! 1000 cu metres before the summer installed 66 tons to finish the filtration of 2017. We are also supplying FCC tank, chlorine Construction with concrete for the contact roof, Administration Building that will be equipment slabs, attached to the facility. and the dissolved air flotation tank In addition to the water treatment base. January was plant itself, OSCO is supplying Gulf a slower month, Operators at several sites throughout with 48 tons of the City, as part of the infrastructure rebar installed phase of this project. This work has in the chemical been ongoing for the past 10 months area, and the raw and will continue for the next year.

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www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2017 25 projects

O’neil Cinemas at The Point Littleton, MA

contributed by: Gerald K. Grassby supply, install and grout 90 pcs of ing. A future phase of development 8” strescore plank for this project. will expand the complex to 12 screens. he Point is the first mixed-use Strescon was brought on board by Tretail destination of its kind in Hutter because they knew we could For movie-lovers, this theater will Boston’s Metro Northwest. Located at detail and produce plank for the proj- provide a second-to-none viewing the intersection of I-495 (Exit 31) and ect with a quick turnaround schedule. experience, with 7.1 Dolby Digital Sur- Route 119 in Littleton, the $110 million round Sound, Vivid 4K Digital Projec- project is the region’s only open-air The main challenge for this project tion, the latest 3D viewing technol- center that combines shops, restau- was the number of mobilization’s our ogy, closed captioning, and a Dolby rants, grocery, hotel, and entertain- precast erector, M Solberg Enterprises Atmos three-dimensional sound ment. The 540,000 square foot center needed to coordinate on site. After system that makes moviegoers feel features O’neil Cinemas, Market Bas- each level of plank was placed and like they’re completely immersed in ket, Courtyard by Marriott, The Paper grouted, the erector needed to wait the action on screen. The Grand DLX Store, Starbucks, Tavern in the Square until the masons had built cmu sup- Auditorium will include a 72-foot wide and several others. The Point is situ- port walls to support the next level. curved screen; the biggest in Boston’s ated in the heart of the I-495 “Think In all, a total of 3 separate phases of Metro Northwest region, and one of Belt” and serves more than 250,000 install and grouting were required. All the largest in the United States. high-tech workers at nearby technol- planks were installed by the middle of ogy companies such as IBM, Red Hat, April 2017. Plus, all auditoriums will be outfitted Juniper Networks, and Cisco. with all-leather deluxe loungers with The cinema complex at The Point will arm tables and electronic, fully Strescon Limited was contracted by initially feature 8 state-of-the-art wall- reclinable foot rests. So sit back and Hutter Construction Company to to-wall screens with all-stadium seat- relax while you enjoy new releases!

26 connections | spring & summer 2017 www.oscoconstructiongroup.com projects Strescon Pipe Project Gets Profiled by Stormceptor ®

contributed by: Dave Webb Halifax NS. Strescon and Imbrium had worked n the Summer of 2016, Strescon with CBCL during the Iwas chosen as supplier to Dexter design phase of the proj- Construction Limited to provide ect to help select a unit pipe and manholes for the Glooscap that met the designers Landing Commercial Development. storm water treatment Imbrium Systems, the parent com- One critical component of the proj- goals and the owners budget. Given pany of the Stormceptor technol- ect was the installation of the storm that there was a gas bar planned for ogy, chose the project to highlight water treatment device, an EOS-750 the site, a Stormceptor EOS model the products exceptional treatment had been specified by the consultant made sense with its increased stor- capabilities in its online newsletter for the site design, CBCL Limited of age capacity in case of a fuel spill. and website.

reprinted with permission from stormwater runoff from a multi-pump Stormwater research from the US Stormceptor gas bar island, a , EPA’s NURP studies and more recent coffee shop and over 20 parking global research has demonstrated that Stormceptor EOS spaces. Based on the land use and gas stations and convenient stores foot traffic, the site will be expecting have been classified as hotspots, as chosen for Gas Bar continual in and out vehicle traffic. they have high potential to contribute Treatment From this comes the typical drips and significant amounts of hydrocarbons, leaks experienced from vehicles, and sediments laden with toxic met- Glooscap Landing is a multi-phase accidently when using the pumps at als and other pollutants. It has been 11-hectare development located right gas bars. reported that there are 5 to 10 oil off the 101 Highway nearby , spills reported in Canada each day. Oil Nova Scotia. Based on the location, The Glooscap First Nation, owner of and hydrocarbon breakdown com- once completed, this new commer- the development, has a mission state- pounds are known to interfere with cial site will create employment for ment as clear as the project’s focus. animal metabolic activity and mem- roughly 200 people, and will provide “Do something today that makes our branes, which is damaging to fish and more resources and general econom- community more prosperous than it other ecology. As such, the greatest ic prosperity to Glooscap First Nations was yesterday, with a core value which environmental risks at gas bars are and the surrounding communities. resonates throughout the community hydrocarbon spills gone uncaptured, consistent with the Municipality of the and untreated stormwater that allow The project’s first phase is roughly 0.5 County of Kings… Do no harm (to self, pollutant-laden sediments deposited impervious hectares which picks up to others, the earth).” in downstream lakes and estuaries. continued on next page... www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2017 27 projects

continued from previous page... Alma Wharf Upgrades contributed by: Sandi Hansen

Electrical has been successful at securing a contract FCC from General Contractor, Dexter Construction, for both phases of the Alma Wharf Extension project in Alma, NB. The wharf is owned by the Federal Government of Canada.

The current construction industry for both public and private tendering has become extremely competitive and saturated by multiple tender submissions. FCC Electrical has drawn upon past experience, a collective team effort, and a shared vision for success, in order to help secure awards.

The Alma Wharf Extension project consists of two separate phases. Phase I consisted of a new extension to the existing wharf. This extension involved the installation of electrical services, including: new LED pole lighting; welding outlets; and shore power connection stations, for use by local marine personnel. The FCC Electrical team was able to work through the complications of extreme weather and a congested work site, all the while maintaining existing electrical services.

Phase II of the project will refurbish the existing wharf, including To mitigate the environmental impact from a new concrete deck. FCC Electrical will be replacing all existing the common pollutants washed off this type electrical services and lighting to match those installed in the of site from rain and snow melt, and to provide Phase I portion of work. Phase II is currently underway and is required sediment and hydrocarbon treatment scheduled for completion in the Summer of 2017. and storage for the Glooscap Landing phase one development, CBCL Limited selected a The FCC Electrical team, led by Supervisor Jim Johnson and Stormceptor EOS. The Stormceptor EOS is an crew of John Arnold, Jeff Sharpe and Geoff Bateman have Extended Oil Storage stormwater runoff treat- been working ment system, designed to capture and retain together diligently to hydrocarbons, sediment and debris. insure that this project is completed Taking into account the gas bar and conve- on schedule. It is the niece store, the Stormceptor EOS unit chosen combined determi- over other oil grit separator (OGS) units based nation and effort of on its increased hydrocarbon storage capac- each team member ity and cost efficacy. Additionally, Stormceptor that continues to EOS’s ability to capture and retain over 95% ensure that FCC free oil without pollutant resuspension during Electrical remains infrequent, large intense storm events like most successful. API separators designed for a limited maximum flow rate, or the use of absorbents made it easy to select. The exceptionally large hydrocarbon storage volume is a key Stormceptor EOS’s val- ue attribute for safe capture and containment of accidental oil, fuel and hydrocarbon spills.

The water quality performance attributes coupled with design flexibility, made it seamless to incorporate the Stormceptor EOS into the site to meet the water quality performance requirements, and help protect the down- stream Minas Basin and the .

28 connections | spring & summer 2017 www.oscoconstructiongroup.com projects Foisie Innovation Studio

contributed by: Trevor Watters distinctive project-based curriculum. efforts to complete the fabrication A groundbreaking ceremony was held of a structural steel building for the orcester Polytechnic Insti- two years later, in September of 2016. Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s tute (WPI) is a private research W The $49 million, 78,000-square-foot “Foisie Innovation Studio project”. university in Worcester, Massachu- facility will provide future generations This project consisted of 562 tons setts, focusing on the instruction and research of technical arts and applied of students with the physical of structural steel and composite sciences. Founded in 1865, WPI was space in which to immerse steel deck, supplied to Shawmut one of the United States’ first engi- themselves in WPI’s distinc- Design and Construction. neering and technology universities tive brand of learning. Plans Although the project itself is and now has 14 academic depart- for the building include a fairly straightforward, the actual ments with over 50 undergraduate variety of academic spaces footprint of the site is very small and graduate degree programs in ranging from high-tech and compact, flanked by occupied science, engineering, technology, classrooms to an innovation buildings on either side. This situa- management, the social sciences, and and entrepreneurship center and a tion makes the erection sequencing the humanities and arts, leading to global impact lab that will support the critical for the project success. bachelor’s, master’s and PhD degrees. “hands-on” aspect of the WPI curricu- lum. The building will also include a Ocean Steel is expecting to complete In October 2014, WPI Alumni three-floor residence hall with space erection in April 2017. The building is launched a fundraising project to help for 140 students. scheduled for completion in early Fall fund the creation of the Foisie Innova- of 2018. tion Studio, the future hub of WPI’s Ocean Steel’s Fredericton and Saint John facilities recently combined

www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2017 29 projects

Around the Refinery Marque Construction Electrical & Instrumentation Installations

contributed by: try operations, assure quality, and first reheater, while the lower row on Karen MacVicar & Peter Higson help keep costs down, while reduc- each side supplies heat for the second. ing waste and minimizing confusion. or the Marque crews working the Ir- They help speed acceptance and Marque’s first task under the Rheni Fving Oil refinery in Saint John, 2017 bring products to market quicker. project was to install the 35+ main has started off in high gear. Amongst home run instrumentation trunk cables. the many projects Marque is working The Rheniformer first reheater takes The concerns with pulling large cables on, the #1 Rheniformer is the largest. the hydrogen/hydrocarbon mixture in the cold winter months (damage due and reheats it to the optimum temper- to low temps making the cable brittle) #1 Rheniformer ature so that the desired reactions can were mitigated with the use of heat- take place in the second reactor. ing tents, which pre-heated the cables This project was started in 2015-2016 prior to pulling them in place. The total but the major portion of the work was The second reheater performs the amount of trunk cables pulled was in deferred until 2017. The #1 Rheni- same function as the first, ensuring excess of 39,000 former was in operation until 2015 that the same desired reactions can feet - over 7 The total amount when it was shut down. The reheater take place in the third reactor. miles! These furnaces are being replaced, due to cables ran from of trunk cables The first and second reheaters occupy structural damage and the process the safety man- pulled was in sections of the same single-cell, box tube coils reaching the end of their ager, which was type furnace. The first reheater fur- excess of 39,000 life. The replacement furnaces will be newly installed nace tube coil constitutes the convec- identical to the existing ones, with the by Marque in the feet - over 7 miles! tion and upper radiant section, while major improvements of: the addition North Satellite the second reheater furnace tube coils of a modern BMS (burner manage- Building, to the new shutdown and as- are located in the lower radiant sec- ment system); additional heater sociated junction boxes, located both tion of the firebox. temperature indications; stack carbon on and off furnace. monoxide and methane measure- The fuel burners for both reheaters are ment; and an optimized selection of Marque’s crews of electricians are now wall mounted. They run in longitudi- burners, tube and tube supports, all busy installing the numerous lengths nal rows, in three banks on each side which have been redesigned to meet of off tray and cables, as well as ter- of the box shell, and are fired using the latest API (American minating the wiring. At the same time, refinery fuel gas. The firebox has 72 Institute) standards. These standards the instrument fitters are installing air burners (36 per side wall). The top two enhance the safety of the oil indus- and process tubing to the instruments rows of burners provide heat for the

30 connections | spring & summer 2017 www.oscoconstructiongroup.com projects

Having 72 burners creates quite a maze of cabling and tubing. ingress to the existing substation, which has been in place since the re- Careful coordination is required with the other trades such as finery first operated. A new substation pipefitters, boilermakers and insulators, to ensure a productive is being constructed, which requires and safe work flow is maintained. the installation of new switchgear, motor control centers, power dis- tribution panels, soft start motor for the project. The instrument crew locations around the refinery: HRU controllers, transformers, lighting, fire has also installed 12 air sub header Substation; RFCCU Substation; South alarm panels, uninterruptable power manifolds to provide the air to the end Satellite; Unmanned Satellite; Central supplies, and building ground connec- users. Each burner requires several Satellite; and the North Satellite; as well tions. With this new infrastructure in cables to control stations, as well as as a number of free standing towers place, the focus will shift to replacing a number of air connections. Having with remote field speakers. The new the existing Cooling Tower Fan motors 72 burners creates quite a maze of installation was completed late in 2016, with more efficient equipment. cabling and tubing. Careful coordina- and is now in service after a successful tion is required with the other trades testing. The dismantling of the old sys- No. 2 Hydrogen Plant Methanator such as pipefitters, boilermakers and tem is ongoing and will be completed insulators, to ensure a productive and in the spring of 2017. Another project completed by safe work flow is maintained. Marque’s crews was the No 2 Hy- 145 Boiler Plant Lighting drogen Plant Methanator. It was Marque has also been working on a determined that the reactor was number of smaller, but no less impor- The 145 Boiler plant lighting project under-instrumented; highlighted by an tant projects around the refinery, such was required because the existing incident where the Methanator expe- as Mass Notification, Methanator, Fuel interior and exterior lighting had de- rienced what is known as a “Runaway” Gas Lines and Boiler Plant Lighting, to teriorated and needed to be replaced. in which the temperatures go beyond name a few. A total of 59 lights, including wall acceptable limits. Marque’s crews mounted, ceiling mounted, and stan- installed a number of instruments, Mass Notification chion lights, along with cables, trays as well as cabling, tray and tubing, to and conduit, were installed. The exist- monitor the temperatures and help The Mass Notification system is to alert ing lights were removed. The work mitigate this issue. This work was refinery staff of an emergency if one inside the plant was performed during completed in early February 2017. arises. The existing system was an out- the cooler spring days, to lessen the of-date air horn system, that could not heat stress effect of working in such a Marque’s experienced tradespeople be heard in all locations of the refinery. warm humid environment. have been providing a high level of The updated system can deliver both support to the refinery for many years. alarm and voice messaging, directing #1 Cooling Tower Substation The emphasis is on quality workman- personnel as required in any situa- ship, while always being aware of the tion. The speaker system is completely The #1 Cooling Tower substation work extreme importance of safety. It is a electronic, with battery back-up. that Marque’s electrical forces are relationship that Marque hopes to For Marque, the project involved the involved with, is a result of equipment continue, assisting Irving Oil with any installation of sirens and antennas in deterioration due to significant water future challenges that emerge.

www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2017 31 projects

OSCO Undertakes Challenging Steel Project at Harvard University’s Smith Campus Center

contributed by: Jason Presley

cean Steel has been hired by OConsigli Construction Co., Inc. to supply and install over 570 tons of structural steel and over 420 squares of metal decking for the refurbish- ment of the Richard and Susan Smith Campus Center project at Harvard University, in Cambridge, MA.

Formerly known as Holyoke Center, the building was renamed in 2014 in honor of Richard A. and Susan F. Smith, who donated the funds for its renovation. The Smith Campus Center Even the simplest of tasks take longer to the fabrication and installation, with is scheduled to open in 2018. It is part and require more planning, because of tighter steel standards in place. of a multiyear effort to create and the nature of the project and site. Ocean Steel’s erector, Boss Steel Inc. improve common spaces across the Though the project commenced back was gearing up to commence the University. in March of 2016, detailing, fabrica- next round of steel erection at the end The project is a combination of new tion and erection remain ongoing, as of April. The next phase of site work steel construction and retrofit work, new areas have their demo completed includes a portion of the Welcome making it a very complicated and com- and become available for us to do our Center main building, along with the plex project. Not only did Ocean Steel work. The first major phase of erection Dunster MER’s and primary steel to fol- need to have all of the existing building has been completed on the Holyoke low. Once this next phase is wrapped conditions verified in order to be able street site, and the glass (by others) up, there is still a lot of work left to do, to order material and detail the steel installation has commenced, bringing with the balance of the Welcome steel for fabrication, but even the erection is one of the major architectural features to follow, along with the Arcade bridge much more complicated than normal, of the project closer to completion. steel that joins Holyoke to Dunster. We with the campus center remaining ac- also have more steel yet to be detailed, Both the Holyoke and Welcome tive during construction. From having for the roof area of the existing Wel- phases are primarily Architecturally to overtake spaces in the lower level come and Dunster buildings. Exposed Structural Steel (AESS), with parking garages; to shutting down the much of the steel remaining forever This project is being detailed in- garage entrance ramps; to rerouting exposed to review, under a field-ap- house. While the bulk of the fabrica- student access to and from the under- plied intumescent and paint top coat. tion is being done at our Fredericton construction buildings; this project has In fact, over 260 tons out of the 570 plant, the Saint John plant has helped proven to be very cumbersome from a tons supplied for this project is AESS. out with some fabrication work on scheduling and logistics point of view. Again, this adds a layer of complexity the Holyoke phase.

32 connections | spring & summer 2017 www.oscoconstructiongroup.com projects

Strescon Project Recognized by CPCI

contributed by: Brendan Clancy P.Eng.

Strescon’s work on the AVA Theatre in Boston was recently recognized by the Canadian Precast Concrete Institute (CPCI) as their December, 2016 Project of the Month. Below is what they had to say about this amazing Photo by Gerald K. Grassby project:

reprinted with permission from CPCI 198 spot-parking garage, covered by a phase, which completed the end of glass curtain wall facing Stuart Street. summer 2015. AVA Theater The parking garage is 90,000 square feet and features a pedestrian walk- The following precast concrete prod- District Apartments way connecting Stuart and LaGrange ucts were used for this project: Streets. The 45 Stuart Street building is in Boston • Architectural solid Cladding Span- projected to be LEED Silver Certified. drels – 413 he eye catching 30-storey resi- • Architectural solid Vertical Cladding Tdential building in Boston’s Theatre Due to extremely restricted access to District is bringing much needed this project location, Strescon and Ava- Panels - 284 residential housing to the downtown lonBay Communities, Inc. coordinated • Architectural solid Garage Cladding area, drawing young professionals into efforts to perform nighttime erection. Spandrels Panels -181 the city. The innovative AVA Theater This was to ensure they did not impact • Architectural solid Column Covers/ District Apartments, located at 45 Stu- trades working on site during the day Infill Panels – 28 art Street and next to Boston’s cultural, and to disturb the local community • Precast Solid Slabs – 4 educational and medical facilities, during busy hours. Erection of the pre- • Panel thickness ranged from 6-8” offer 398 residential units (represent- cast concrete panels was scheduled ing 384,000 square feet) varying from Strescon Limited supplied roughly in two phases. The initial Phase began studios and one and two bedroom 100,000 square foot or 910 individual in April 2014, followed by the second units. The first five floors include a panels for this project, which were

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used in combination with metal panels and glass curtain walls to create the building’s striking envelope. Architectural precast concrete is not only compatible with all structural systems, it can be designed to harmonize with, and complement, all other materials.

Each visible precast concrete element consists of the same architectural, light sandblast finish, to maintain consistency between the upper and lower sec- tions of the structure. Improvements in fabricating processes allow architectural precast concrete to be produced in al- most any color, form, or texture, making it an eminently practical and aestheti- cally pleasing building material.

The major factor in Strescon produc- ing this project was their ability to design the unique, three-storey vertical column covers that CBT Architects had envisioned for this project. Precast con- crete’s moldability and versatility offers the freedom to sculpt the structure’s facade in imaginative ways. It is difficult to imagine an architectural style that cannot be expressed with this material. IKEA Halifax The “sky’s the limit” when it comes to architectural precast concrete and its applications. contributed by: Dawne Grandy waste management and mobility. The store will include a restau- Owner: AvalonBay Communities, Inc. leading home furnishing re- rant, Market Hall, Showroom, tailer with 375 stores in more Architect: CBT Architects Childs A SMALAND playroom, and offer than 50 countries worldwide, Bertman Tseckares Inc. customers a complete range of IKEA is visited by 884 million convenient services. Engineer: McNamara/Salvia Inc. people every year. In November Consulting 2015, IKEA Canada announced a Allstar Rebar is currently working Contractor: John Moriarty & Associates coast-to-coast expansion plan to on IKEA for Bird Construction. Precast Supplier: Strescon Limited double the store count from 12 The new $100 million building is to 24 stores in the next 10 years. located on Cutler Avenue in To the delight of Atlantic Canada, Dartmouth Crossing, NS. For the one of these new stores would project, Allstar Rebar is providing be built in Halifax, NS. 131 tons of Rebar and 109,920 square feet of Wire Mesh. Allstar Billed as “the most sustain- began working on the project in able IKEA store in Canada”, it August 2016. The 328,000 will be the first LEED-certified square foot store is expected to IKEA in the country. The design open in the fall of 2017. will focus on energy efficiency,

34 connections | spring & summer 2017 www.oscoconstructiongroup.com projects

Shoreland Transport Aircraft Hanger

contributed by: Kim Doggett

cean Steel Rebar is currently working on a new air- Ocraft hanger at the Saint John Regional Airport for J.W. Lindsay Enterprises Ltd. Ocean Steel Rebar will be providing a total of 29.18 tons of rebar for the foundation of a 14,200-square foot pre-engineered building which will belong to Shoreland Transport Inc. Ocean Steel Rebar started installation of rebar in February 2017 and is expected to finish by the end of April 2017.

Shoreland Transport is a division of Cooke Aquaculture Inc. in St. George, NB. It was originally created to maintain control over the shipment of fresh fish to various markets. They currently have a small hanger at the Saint John Regional Airport that is not large enough to accommodate the new aircraft the company has purchased. The new aircraft hanger represents only a small portion of the recent growth this New Brunswick company has planned for its future.

Construction: 38 Tons of rebar, Construction: 24 Tons of rebar. 45,000 SF of mesh. Anaerobic Digester System, contributed by: Greg Tims & Centre de Medicine de Lake Utopia NB. Gulf Operators Kayla Smith Precision du New Brunswick, Ltd: 63 Tons of rebar. Moncton NB. Acadian Construction: 33 Tons of rebar Shoreland Transport Aircraft INSTITUTIONAL Hanger, Saint John NB. JW Shannex Lifestyle Building, Lindsay: 29 Tons of rebar. Dalhousie Idea Building, Moncton NB. Superior Halifax, NS. JW Lindsay Foundation: 224 Tons of rebar. JD Irving Parking Garage, Saint Construction: 374 Tons of rebar, John NB, Gulf Operators Ltd, 202 46,560 Sq ft of mesh. Residential Tons of rebar. Willow Park Armoury, Halifax, Rhuland Slab Rehabilitation Marine & Bridges NS. Bird Construction: 84 Tons of and Balcony’s, Halifax, NS. rebar/74,160 Sq ft of mesh. Sherwood Properties Inc: Ferry Terminal Rehabilitation 69 Tons of rebar. Phase 2, Wood Islands PEI. Refuse Recycling Area - Canadyne Inc: 22 Tons of rebar. IWK, Halifax, NS. JW Lindsay Hemlock-74 Unit Apartments, Construction: 20 Tons of rebar. Bridgewater, NS. Hemlock Living Municipal Inc: 126 Tons of Rebar, 31,840 Sq UNB Centre for Healthy Wastewater Treatment Plant, ft of mesh. Living, Fredericton NB, Bird Fredericton NB. Springhill Construction, 300 Tons of rebar, Industrial Construction: 20 Tons of rebar. 28,000 SF of mesh.

Rebar Projects Pratt & Whitney-AMC Blade Ecole la-Belle-Cloche Addition, Line, Enfield, NS. JW Lindsay Fortune Bay PEI. MacLean www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2017 35 projects

Precast “Brick” at South & Hollis Street

contributed by: Andrew Levatte Window frames are then recessed approved, Strescon Limited began within the wall, creating deep window creating the master molds, using a outh and Hollis Street Development sills which reveal the brick material rubberized formliner to create the im- Sis a 7-storey, mixed-use building on to its fullest. By contrast, the South pression of brick. Production started in the corner of South and Hollis Street Façade (South Street) includes a late fall 2016, with the panels quickly in Downtown Halifax, NS. The project sequence of well-articulated bay being produced, in time for late Janu- features over 5,800 square feet of windows that are ‘added’ to the solid ary installation. It only took 5 days to commercial retail space at grade, with brick form. Protruding Bay windows install the 80 precast panels (approxi- multiple store fronts that line both and balconies are positioned in a mately 15,000 sqft of wall area). With streets. Ground floor landscaping and rhythmic fashion, to create vertical the building now enclosed, the owner paving ensures adequate space for proportions that govern and align a could concentrate his efforts on fin- active patio spill-out during summer series of corresponding ‘subtractions’ ishing the interior of the building. months. The project also includes 63 below; forming commercial openings residential units, and incorporates a at grade, that articulate a finer-grained Concrete in its liquid state can take fully landscaped rooftop. pedestrian streetscape experience. any shape. By introducing a formliner to create the impression of brick, the The building design responds and Due to site restrictions, traditional cured concrete truly resembles a hand stays true to the uniform nature of hand-laid brick could not be used for laid brick wall. Close attention to the brick as a primary building material. this project. The owner and Archi- details and concrete colour was As such, the base and middle por- tect approached Strescon Limited to important in achieving the brick look. tion of the built mass is manipulated come up with a solution. After look- The window details, exposed panel by a series of glazed ‘additions’ and ing at a number of options, a brick ends, and the red pigment added to ‘subtractions’, to establish an architec- (formliner) precast panel was chosen. the concrete during the mixing tural dialogue of material depth. The process, were some of the areas East façade (Hollis Street) establishes Strescon quickly laid out the build- focused on during design and fabrica- a series of large vertical ‘subtractions’ ing and submitted approval drawings tion. With the precast now installed, as a set of voids within the brick mass. for review. Once the drawings were you cannot tell it isn’t real brick.

36 connections | spring & summer 2017 www.oscoconstructiongroup.com priorities | safety

Evolving the Safety Culture

contributed by: Foremen and field level staff. Lou Totino COHS, CSS Warm weather each year brings a Spring Kick-off afety Culture within the construction industry Engagement meeting with all field level staff. It Shas certainly changed over the years. It was not starts off with a review of WHMIS 2015, followed that long ago that employees would show up with- by two-way discussion of varying topics relevant out steel toe footwear, hard hats, or safety eye wear; to the upcoming rebar season, including roles and or starting their day without identifying hazards as- responsibilities of all field level staff. sociated with their activities. Engagement meetings with Foremen involve a The positions of Managers, Supervisors, or Foreman year in review and roundtable discussions on were roles that focused solely on production. various safety related topics. In 2017, a Nova Scotia However, as time passed, those roles become more Department of Labour Officer was invited to and more positions of safety leadership as well as present a PowerPoint Presentation pertaining to the production. Internal Responsibility System and what it means to be someone in a leadership role. Feedback and The duties of workplace parties differ across engagement lasted longer than expected, with Canadian jurisdictions as well as across the United comments & questions from both management and States. Yet there are unifying concepts, such as foremen, and a lot of take-away information. the requirement of Internal Responsibility System (IRS). The IRS is a very useful model, as it maps onto Within the Allstar Rebar Plant, safety initiatives have Due Diligence, legal duties, and the elements of also been introduced. In 2017, a TAKE FIVE program the Occupational Health and Safety Management was introduced to proactively identify hazards System. It is the framework that ties much of associated with working in a plant and yard setting. Occupational Health and Safety law together. This program is overseen by Plant Superintendent, Dawne Grandy, who takes every reasonable Leadership for safety is something the management measure to ensure identified hazards are addressed team of Allstar Rebar and Ocean Steel Rebar (along appropriately and in a timely fashion. with the entire OSCO Group) take very seriously. They strive to practice their Due Diligence and It is important to note, that a Safety Culture is not they want their Foremen & employees to do the created overnight or over a few short months. It same! Over several years, the leadership team has takes every group a different timeline. It takes a lot continuously put safety of their workers first! of effort by both, leadership and their employees to remain proactive and positive with a view to To propel the Safety Culture forward, the workplace safety. Allstar Rebar Nova Scotia Area management team of Jim Moody and Troy Manager, Jim Moody and Ocean Steel Rebar Cleveland has regularly encouraged engagement Services Placement Manager, Troy Cleveland have from all employees, pertaining to workplace safety. certainly transformed the Rebar Safety Culture They proactively set time away from their busy through their efforts. workloads to arrange team meetings with their

plan the job follow the rules watch your back stay alert STOP & correct communicate www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2017 37 priorities | environment

A few ways to lessen the expense of these occurrences include: proper The Spilling Truth maintenance on equipment; fast re- sponse to leaks or spills; fast reporting to the appropriate personnel; proper contributed by: April Glendenning, PTech diately, it could mean the difference of a 5 gallon pail of contaminated soil containment & clean-up; and proper t’s no secret that environmental versus a dump truck load. disposal of contaminated material. Ispills occasionally happen in in- dustrial settings. With all of the large There are many aspects to proper At the OSCO Group, all vehicles with- equipment and moving parts, it is spill cleanup. To stop and contain in the fleet have been equipped with just a matter of time before there is the spill or leak is crucial; however, spill kits. This allows the driver faster a blown hydraulic hose, leaks from proper disposal of a contaminated access to absorbent materials to con- equipment or a fuel spill. It’s all part spill kit is equally as important. It is tain any fluid that may be released as of being in an industrial setting. against environmental regulations to a result of equipment malfunction or The unfortunate thing about these dispose of contaminated absorbent a motor vehicle accident. incidences is they can cost industries pads and “zorb-all” in the garbage millions of dollars per year, either To completely stop spills and leaks is or dumpster. This material must be in penalty charges if not properly almost impossible and out of our reported, or in clean up and reme- disposed of with a company licensed control. What we can control however, dial costs. Just one piece of leak- to handle the disposal of hazardous is ensuring proper clean-up and ing equipment, if left undetected and contaminated materials. Failure disposal, as well as properly reporting or unreported, can cost a company to do so may result in fines and/or the spill. Following these procedures thousands of dollars in clean-up. If dumpsters being turned away at the will not only help lessen our costs; but the leak is reported and fixed imme- landfill, at the company’s expense. also our impact to the environment.

OSCO Construction Group Once Again Recognized by Sustainable Saint John

contributed by: April Glendenning, PTech since the beginning, and has been ceived is based on improvements that involved in helping to organize and members have instituted. If you look at ustainable Saint John present during “Lunch and Learns”, the plaque, it takes the form of a tree Sis a group of area as well as assisting in the planning of with 12 leaves. Yearly, as each mem- businesses established other educational opportunities that ber implements new improvements in 2010. The goal of this group is Sustainable SJ can offer its members. in certain areas, they are awarded ad- to work together to help make the ditional leaves for their tree. greater Saint John area operate in a On March 16th, the OSCO Construc- more sustainable manner. tion Group was once again recognized We were awarded two new leaves this by Sustainable Saint John for its prog- year. Our first was the Tree Plant- OSCO has participated in the group ress in sustainability. The award we re- ing leaf, in recognition of the 100

38 connections | spring & summer 2017 www.oscoconstructiongroup.com priorities | facilities

OSCO I.T. Office Renovations

contributed by: Bill Woodhouse, P.Eng., M.Eng.

Construction recently completed renovations to the FCC bottom floor of the OSCO Group Head Office at 400 Chesley Drive. This 2700 sq.ft. space was previously unfinished and used primarily for storage. The newly completed office space will serve as the new home for the Group I.T. division, which pre- viously shared space with members of the accounting team.

Work began in December of 2016 and was completed in early March. The fit-up included new drywall partitions, acoustic ceiling tile, flooring, and new mechanical & electrical. The interior finishes were specified to be consistent with the other floors of the building. The new space includes two offices, nineteen workstations and an eight-seat conference room.

tree seedlings that OSCO handed out to • Cleaning Products employees last year during Environment • Leadership Week. We were also awarded a leaf for • Material Substitution Community Involvement. This leaf recog- • Hazardous Waste Management. nized the fundraising actions that our em- ployees take, to assist charitable groups Each of our employees has contributed and non-profit organizations around the to receiving this award. If you have any Saint John area. ideas about how we can make further environmental improvements in the You will see from the picture of our above categories to add the missing Award, there are still five leaves to be leaves, please let me know. obtained. Those leaves can be for any the following areas; Thank you to all of our employees for thinking green! It is that mind-set that • Special Recognition leads to more sustainable options for our • Buying Local companies to ensure a healthier environ- • Printing ment for future generations to enjoy. • Transportation www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2017 39 public & community

• United Way • Canadian Breast Cancer • Heart and Stroke Found. Society Helping Hands • Special Olympics N.S • Prince County Hospital Foundation • Teen Life Choices contributed by: Tyler Isnor • ALS Society • Canadian Mental Health Construction Group is a proud supporter of Assoc. • Kurl for Kids OSCO many organizations and associations who strive • Red Cross Fires • Eastern Shore Minor to support and better our communities. Following are some of the Hockey • IWK Heath Care Foundation groups we have contributed to in the past year: • Lebanese Cedar Festival • The Joshua Group • Halifax Lebanese festival • Heart and stroke • Saint John Police Assoc. • NB Lung Association • Chebucto Cedar Festival • Canadian Diabetes Assoc. • Romero House • Children’s Wish Foundation • KVHS AAA Varsity Boys • Canadian Red Cross • Saint John SPCA • Annual Poppy Campaign hockey team • Rivers Cross Church • Canadian Cancer Society • Boys and Girls club • Ronald McDonald House • YMCA • Bobby’s Hospice • Loch Lomond Villa • Irving Hockey League • First Steps • Alzheimer’s society of N.B • American Cancer Society

ach November, leaders of the construction Marque Esector come together to celebrate mentor- ship and apprenticeship in the New Brunswick skilled trades. The Distinction in Mentorship Wins 2016 Awards Gala, hosted by NB-MAP, honours industry and individuals who champion effec- NB-MAP tive mentorship in the construction trades. On November 9th, 2016, NB-MAP, govern- ment, and business & union leadership came Corporate together in Saint John to recognize those who lead the charge in building strong workplace Champion learning cultures. We are pleased to announce that the recipient of the 2016 Corporate Champion Award (under 100 employees) was Award Marque Construction Limited.

contributed by: Tom Coughlan Marque Construction has been committed to workplace mentorship since the inception of NB-MAP; as one of the organization’s original

40 connections | spring & summer 2017 www.oscoconstructiongroup.com public & community Take Our Kids to Work Day

contributed by: Deb Flewelling and Tim Dawson. eral ready mix operations work; from Tyler Isnor & Vivian Chaisson The students then had a pizza party work orders coming in, to trucks go- for lunch, followed by job shadow- ing out with the Ready Mix Concrete ovember 2nd, 2016 was National ing their parent or sponsor for the for customer delivery. OSCO treated Take Our Kids to Work Day. This N afternoon. the participants to a pizza lunch to program provides grade 9 students cap off the day. across Canada an opportunity to job Nova Scotia operations also partici- shadow a parent or sponsor for a day, pated in this event. Norman Kinslow, Thank you to our students and while learning about different career Shop Supervisor with Allstar Rebar, sponsors: Jacey Ganong, Joseph opportunities. OSCO’s HR Depart- brought his son Ryan along for the Ganong (Tim Ganong, Elaine ment sponsors the morning session day. Ryan observed the Rebar fabrica- Ganong and Mike Jacquart), Emma each year, with company and safety tion process, then toured the yard and Galbraith (Candace Galbraith), Kail orientations, a work experience offices before the Allstar team treated Short, Simon Jackson (Darrell discussion, and a plant tour of Ocean him to a pizza lunch. Bedford Ready Short) Ethan Bourque (Tabatha Steel. Twelve students participated Mix also had a couple of visitors. Patterson) Patrick Anthony (John this year; nine at OSCO head office Curtis MacLennan, Ready Mix Driver, Anthony), Alyssia Armstrong (Tina and three at Strescon Bedford. brought in his son Shelby, while Andy Blair and April Glendenning), Dill, Purchasing Agent, brought his Gregor Stewart (Mark Stewart), Students in Saint John spent the son Jonathan for the day. Shelby and Shelby MacLennan (Curtis MacLen- morning getting to know each other Jonathan were given an overview of nan), Ryan Kinslow (Norman with some icebreakers, followed by the computerized batching processes Kinslow) and Jonathan Dill (Andy a safety orientation with Jim Pat- by Phil Sherring, Batcher, then Dave Dill) for choosing the OSCO Con- terson. The students also had a tour Marcattili, Business Development struction Group on Take Our Kids to of the Ocean Steel shop, lead by Manager, showed them how the gen- Work Day.

partners and testing grounds, Marque want an on-the-job-mentor, and the Mil- operation with the Government of New was instrumental in the development lennial generation will make up over 75% Brunswick (GNB), providing workforce of the NB-MAP model and core cur- of the Canadian workforce and customer solutions and human resource change riculum, and remains ahead of the pack base by 2028. Recruiting and retaining management to the building trades. in it’s ongoing dedication to workplace this generation is absolutely essential mentorship. to the survival and sustainability of the The NBBTU recognized that as a result of skilled trades. attrition due to retirements, the time was Why Focus On Mentorship? right to try a new approach to training The essential role of on-the-job learning Updating the trades’ 400+ year history and engaging construction workers, in the skilled trades has taken a backseat in mentorship and apprenticeship, to suit through the delivery of an apprentice to priorities like productivity. Combined the needs of the current generation and mentoring program called NB-MAP. with the pending baby boom retirement address new pressures like technology, is NB-MAP helps employers develop a and a lack of diversity in the workforce, a simple and sustainable way to recruit, learning culture in their workplace, the sector is faced with the loss of thou- train and retain the Millennial workforce increasing the quality of training and sands of years of knowledge, skill and knowledge transfer for apprentices, NB-MAP (New Brunswick Mentor Ap- experience. providing teaching and coaching prentice Program) is a non-profit organi- supports to journey persons, and tools According to Randstad Canada, over 75% zation developed by the New Brunswick for supervisors to continually support of Millennials (those born after 1980) Building Trades Unions (NBBTU), in co- on-the-job learning. www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2017 41 peopleprofile

Keeping the Connections Open: the I.T. Team

1 Million emails per month 500+ 100+ Managed Smart Phones applications ranging from very Business Specific applications to Enterprise Grade ERP solutions. 5,500+ Skype for Business Interactions per Month 330 attachments on average, OCI Shared that our Threat Detection Services I.T. systems block each month • • • • By the • 1000+ Numbers end users connecting from over 65 Network Locations 618 Service Tickets averaged per month

250+ Virtual Servers hosted on 5 Physical Servers These Virtual Servers are powered by:

268 Processors with a total computer power of 662GHz,

4,620GB of RAM

&125TB of Storage Space

42 connections | spring & summer 2017 www.oscoconstructiongroup.com peopleprofile

contributed by: Nick Hatt Operations Team: These people • Server/Network Management and often are working behind the scenes Support. OCI’s Private Cloud is a ny company that has been around ensuring the infrastructure is up and very flexible, scalable and re- as long as the OSCO Construc- A readily available. dundant system, which allows us tion Group, has witnessed significant to easily grow and shrink, share technological changes over the years. Design and Strategic Team: resources, and avoid outages. Fortunately, OSCO Group has always These people are planning what’s next prided itself on not only embracing, for our quickly evolving environment. • Secure Data Center: but keeping ahead of technology. As • An advanced Uninterruptable Solutions Team the Group continues to add technol- Power Supply (UPS) and Genera- These people design/build applica- ogies, it is the I.T. Team which ensures tor ensure that power is always tions and integrate software with our that all the systems run smoothly. available. Oracle systems. The OSCO Construction Group has • Redundant Air Conditioning units an IT Team of Professionals with a OCI Shared Services I.T. keep the Data Center cool. In combined experience of over 200 the event of a failure, monitor- In addition to the OSCO Construction years in the industry. ing systems can inform Building Group, OCI Shared Services IT pro- Maintenance. Over the years, the Team has evolved vides support to a number of other • Firewalls protect the network and from a few individuals managing a Ocean Capital companies. All of our availability has been increased with few users and applications, to a Team IT clients benefit from the following: the addition of a redundant core. that manages: • Client Management and Support. • Diverse Network Connections • Over 1000 end users connecting from geographically separate lo- from over 65 Network Locations. • Tier 1 - 24-7 Helpdesk Support. cations ensure our clients can al- • More than 250 Virtual Servers. • Our Tier 2 Helpdesk Staff are not ways access their Systems hosted • More than 100 applications ranging limited to the Helpdesk. They are in the Data Center/Private Cloud. from very Business Specific ap- mobile, “feet-on-the-ground” • A two-tier backup system allows plications to Enterprise Grade ERP technicians, who bring that experi- us to backup quickly and reliably solutions. ence back to the helpdesk. to disk, and then send backup data to tape for off-site storage. Change is frequent in I.T., but the • If a problem cannot be fixed over development of an aggressive train- the phone, the technician also has • Monitoring and Management ing plan has allowed the I.T. Team the freedom to physically go to the Software is used to monitor and to remain current. Our team totaled location to resolve the issue. manage systems, allowing us to over 40 training days in 2016. proactively prevent issues. • If a technician needs assistance, The OSCO Group now has several they can escalate to another mem- Our New Secure Location Team Members who are ITIL Certi- ber of the IT Staff working in our The I.T. Team has recently completed fied. ITIL is the industry standard Operations and Design groups. the move into our new location. Se- framework of best practices to de- • Computer Management: cure access to the new office space is liver I.T. Services. • Managed Anti-Virus software controlled through door cards. The I.T. Team primarily • Remote Control software for The goal of our Team is to give all consists of: remote technical assistance • Inventory of Hardware & Software users equal support. By limiting drop- ins and funneling the IT workload Support Team: These are the • Security Patch Management. through the same system, we can people you would typically interact • Remote Software Installations. ensure that users in Winnipeg can with for the majority of break/fix • Centrally Managed monitoring of expect the same level of service as items or standard requests. PC Health. those in the Saint John office. www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2017 43 people

Year Club Welcomes 5 New Members!

contributed by: Ashley Dooks, BBA CPHR and create videos for those inductees The final inductee of the evening was who wished to be filmed. Troy Hoar, Foreman with Marque Con- he OSCO Construction struction. Troy’s video included stories TGroup’s annual 25 Year Our first inductee was Blaine Gre- from current supervisors and co-work- Club Dinner was held at encorn, Ready Mix Driver with OSCO ers, but also gave our audience a truly The Union Club in Saint John, NB, on Concrete from our Annapolis Ready unique perspective, as Troy’s brother, Friday December 2nd. Mix Plant. David Bancroft, General Terry (a 25 Year Club member him- Manager of OSCO Concrete, opened self!) was involved with the video. Carl This was the first time having our dinner with very kind words regarding Blaine’s Blanchard, V.P. & General Manager hosted by Saint John’s historic Union career with the Company and then of our Construction Sector, presented Club. The Union Club was built in the had the honor of presenting Blaine Troy with his gift and induction. 1890’s, so a lot of our attendees took with his gift and official induction. the time to appreciate the architecture The video presentations have really and craftsmanship of the structure. Our second inductee was Chris Fisher, allowed us to paint a picture of why Foreman with Strescon Limited. Chris’ OSCO prides itself in our employees. As always, George Paisley (Strescon video, featuring current and former In addition to receiving their induction retiree) graciously presided over a mo- supervisors, as well as current employ- gift and pin, the attending inductees’ ment of silence for retirees who had ees, gave a great perspective of what guests are presented with a basket full passed away since last year’s dinner, it was like to work with Chris over the of chocolate. followed by asking the blessing over years. Following the video, Don Isnor, the meal. Guests were then treated to V.P. & General Manager of our Concrete The evening closed with Mr. Hans O. a delicious full course dinner. Sector, presented Chris with his gift and Klohn and Mr. John Irving drawing welcomed him into the 25 Year Club. tickets for door prizes, then everyone Following the meal was the induc- Two additional inductees from our picked up the newest issue of Con- tion of our newest members to the 25 Concrete Sector, David McSheffrey & nections on the way out. Year Club. Keeping with the tradition John Miller, both of Strescon, were not started a couple of years ago, we able to attend the dinner, so Mr. Isnor Congratulations to all our 2016 25 commissioned Arrowfoot Inc. to film accepted their gifts on their behalf. Year Club Inductees!

44 connections | spring & summer 2017 www.oscoconstructiongroup.com people 302 Members more Years of x 25 Years (plus) = than Service!!

Laurence Seale...... 1963 Roger Allain...... 1972 Donald Dorey...... 1978 Timothy Logan ...... 1985 Past & Present Members: Guy Daigle...... 1963 Joseph Crowley...... 1972 Raymond Drisdelle...... 1978 Daniel Mailman...... 1985 Hans W. Klohn...... 1955 Gerald Martin...... 1963 Hugo Bursich...... 1972 John Paul Gionet...... 1978 Richard Thibodeau...... 1985 Raymond Vautour ...... 1955 Bruce Holder...... 1963 Joseph Hector...... 1972 Barry Harrison...... 1978 Stewart Totten...... 1985 Gerald Durley ...... 1955 Harold Donovan...... 1963 Kenneth Underhill ...... 1972 Edward Hebert...... 1978 Gaetan Vaillancourt...... 1985 Francis Gogan...... 1955 Adolph Wahlmann...... 1964 Rodger Weeks...... 1972 Laurie LeBouthillier...... 1978 Randsford White...... 1985 Donald Isnor (Sr. )...... 1955 Cecil Maxwell...... 1964 Henry Myers...... 1972 John Marks...... 1978 Vernon J. Wilson...... 1985 Philip Miller...... 1955 George Chapman...... 1964 Alfred J. Condon...... 1972 Kevin McGrath...... 1978 Ron Estabrooks ...... 1986 Charles Williston...... 1955 Francis Currie...... 1964 Wayne Smith...... 1972 David Oliver...... 1978 Leo Henry...... 1986 Hans Schmidt...... 1955 Thomas Hinam...... 1964 Edmund Gallant...... 1973 Keith Wedge...... 1978 David Drysdale...... 1986 John Tobin...... 1956 Lloyd Ginn...... 1964 Darryl Kingston...... 1973 Harold Cavanaugh...... 1979 Steven Robertson...... 1986 Leandre Savoie...... 1956 Ralph Whittaker...... 1964 Denis Brideau...... 1973 Clarence Savoie...... 1979 Brent Boyles...... 1986 Thomas Woodman...... 1956 Roche Galluchon ...... 1964 Joseph Mullin...... 1973 Don Isnor (Jr.)...... 1979 Rod Macintosh...... 1986 Willard Crowley...... 1956 John Morgan...... 1964 Donnie Ritchie...... 1973 Terry Hoar ...... 1979 James Cosman...... 1987 Welden Paul...... 1956 Gunter Unger ...... 1965 Gordon Haines...... 1973 Gerry Higgins...... 1980 Don Daigle...... 1987 Herbert Eichmann...... 1956 Thomas Crowley...... 1965 Jack Delaney ...... 1973 Eric Nolan...... 1980 Wayne Hartin...... 1987 Paul Mackin...... 1957 Rose Robertson...... 1965 Steve MacNeill...... 1973 Gary Cairns...... 1980 Michael Jones...... 1987 John Fres...... 1957 Kenneth Cole ...... 1965 Donald Grimmer...... 1973 Richard Roy...... 1980 Robert Morin...... 1987 James Mill...... 1957 Harry Walker...... 1965 Richard Melanson...... 1973 Donald Greenslade...... 1980 William O’Hearon...... 1987 Ralph Hopps...... 1957 Emerson Cousins ...... 1965 John Hachey...... 1973 William Davis...... 1980 Leandre Richard...... 1987 Fran Oulton...... 1957 Emil Dreyer...... 1965 Robert Gogan...... 1973 Jim Isnor...... 1981 James Leamon Lawless.. 1987 Basil Bogle...... 1957 James McKinnon ...... 1965 George Grass...... 1974 Joyce Murray...... 1981 Herbert Stevens...... 1987 Archie Moore...... 1958 James Levine...... 1965 Howard Dryden...... 1974 Jeff Price...... 1981 Michael Hazlewood...... 1987 Ron Goodine...... 1958 George Sharpe ...... 1966 Gorden MacQuarrie...... 1974 John Hilchey...... 1981 Ulrike Long...... 1987 Roy Davis...... 1958 Vincent Gautreau...... 1966 Raymond White ...... 1974 Doug Murphy...... 1981 René Bélanger...... 1988 Walter Patterson...... 1958 Maurice Devost...... 1966 Robert Dunham...... 1974 Jim Johnson...... 1981 Carl Blanchard...... 1988 Gordon Lewis...... 1958 Andy O’Hearon ...... 1966 Clinton Swim...... 1974 Ron Theriault...... 1981 Greg Chase...... 1988 Fritz Klohn...... 1958 Terry King...... 1966 George Gray...... 1974 Ronald Basque...... 1982 Robert Cosman...... 1988 Zoltan Nevelos...... 1958 Eleanor Thomas ...... 1966 Herb Stanley...... 1974 Kevin Basque...... 1983 Gerald Daigle...... 1988 Leonard Kinsella...... 1958 Valentin Cernjak...... 1966 Jack Rackley...... 1974 Abbey Duguay...... 1983 Reid Edgar...... 1988 Leroy Hill...... 1958 George Paisley...... 1966 Philip Thompson...... 1974 Randy Malin...... 1983 Garnett Edgett...... 1988 John Boudreau...... 1958 Leo Maurice Wallace ...... 1967 Gerald Duguay...... 1974 Ron Ward...... 1983 Gary Fillmore...... 1988 Earl Anderson...... 1958 Norman St. Coeur...... 1967 Jean H. Richard...... 1974 David A. Hume...... 1984 Michael Flannigan...... 1988 Osborne Tatton...... 1958 Grant Maxwell...... 1967 Charles Wedge...... 1974 Norman D. Hazelwood... 1984 Heather Fox...... 1988 Ian MacKinnon...... 1958 Melvin Peacock ...... 1967 John A. Hume...... 1974 Michael Belding...... 1984 Gerald Ladds...... 1988 Douglas Wiggins...... 1958 Joseph Ovide Frigault .... 1967 David Murray...... 1974 Fernand Duguay...... 1984 Barry McCullough...... 1988 Jack Williston...... 1958 Alfred Ward...... 1968 Paul Biggar...... 1974 W. Wayne Morgan...... 1984 Gregory Osmon...... 1988 Norman Oliver...... 1958 Gerald Muise ...... 1968 Murray...... 1975 Gary Bogle...... 1984 Dennis Peach...... 1988 Don Melvin...... 1959 Paul McDermott...... 1968 Sandra Garnett ...... 1975 Kenneth Parlee...... 1984 Thomas Coughlan...... 1989 Doug Messer...... 1959 Chris Hachey ...... 1969 Audrey Knodell ...... 1975 James F. MacFarlane...... 1984 Peter Dougay...... 1989 James Hennessy...... 1959 Gerald Marks...... 1969 Jessie Smith...... 1975 Bruce Gogan...... 1984 Brent DeMerchant...... 1989 Alfred Savoie...... 1959 John Doiron...... 1969 Tom Adams...... 1975 Carl Parlee...... 1984 Sylvia Fowler...... 1989 Erik Liedstrom...... 1959 Martin Ryan ...... 1969 Karl Butler...... 1975 Michel Roy...... 1984 Herb Greenwood...... 1989 Walter McGrath...... 1959 Daniel Vienneau...... 1969 Donat Richard...... 1976 Michael Atkinson...... 1984 George Lawson...... 1989 Bertha Arseneau...... 1959 Thomas Hinam...... 1969 Delbert Mason...... 1976 Lorenzo Sr. Savoie...... 1984 Lorne MacMillan...... 1989 Robert Griffiths...... 1960 Francis Hebert...... 1969 Gerard Rioux...... 1976 Douglas Oliver...... 1984 David Marcattili...... 1989 Dorothy McGrath...... 1960 Leonard Robichaud...... 1969 Joseph Caissie...... 1976 Malcolm Belding...... 1984 Brian McLaughlin...... 1989 Angelo Knappic...... 1960 Arthur Arnburg ...... 1970 Brian Lane...... 1976 Michael D. Eroh...... 1984 Shawn Putnam...... 1989 Raymond Vienneau...... 1960 Peter Cox...... 1970 Stephen Taylor...... 1976 John Sparks...... 1984 Danny Rogers...... 1989 Herman Morin...... 1960 Valerie LeBlanc...... 1970 Lawrence Maloney...... 1976 Bruce Beckett...... 1984 Beverley Sarty...... 1989 Joseph Frigault...... 1960 Jim McKenna...... 1970 Clarence Allain...... 1976 Christine Boyd...... 1984 Laurie Wheaton...... 1989 Joe McNeil...... 1960 David Kierstead...... 1970 William Bennett...... 1976 Mike Lewis...... 1984 Rosemary Carrier...... 1989 Gerry Belzil...... 1961 Brian Case...... 1970 Rick Gavel...... 1976 Leo Cox...... 1985 Gordon Arsenault...... 1990 William Morrow...... 1961 Tom Findlay...... 1970 David Irvine...... 1976 Gregory Currie...... 1985 Pat Bagley...... 1990 Doug Damon...... 1961 Fred Brown...... 1971 Kenneth MacLean...... 1976 David Dunnett...... 1985 Cathy Parker...... 1990 Gerry LeBlanc...... 1961 Lionel Hancock ...... 1971 Harrison Wilson...... 1977 Randy Gallant...... 1985 Blaine Greencorn...... 1991 John Cosgrove...... 1962 Raymond Goguen...... 1971 Bruce Durley...... 1977 William Gates...... 1985 Christopher Fisher...... 1991 Dave Loomer...... 1962 Pat Oakley...... 1971 Tim Latter...... 1977 Bernard Harrington...... 1985 Troy Hoar...... 1991 Fred Beckett...... 1962 Terry Arseneau...... 1971 James Anderson...... 1977 John Jones...... 1985 David McSheffrey...... 1991 Eugene Haines...... 1962 Sidney Larusic ...... 1971 Alden Killen...... 1977 Hans Olaf Klohn ...... 1985 John Miller...... 1991 Don Eisner...... 1962 Walter Forgraves ...... 1972 Vince Davis...... 1978 Eric LeBlanc...... 1985

www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2017 45 people

46 connections | spring & summer 2017 www.oscoconstructiongroup.com people

1987 2017

OSCO Aggregates Celebrates 30 Years

contributed by: Shawn Putnam ground. Dad and Mom were ready for In 1989, we purchased a jaw and roll a change, so in the winter of 1987 the crushing plant, a second loader, and How it all began campground was sold. Dad then pur- a truck scale. The crusher enabled us chased a screening plant, conveyor, to make type 1 and type 2 crushed all started with my father’s a reconditioned Hough 80 front end gravels and kept us from adding to It ambition to be a successful en- loader and built a 30x36 shop in Little the stockpiles of stone that had been trepreneur, enabling him to provide a Dyke on the gravel property (pit#1). created with the screening operation. living for his family and an opportu- Dad was very proud of his children so With the addition of two metal pipes nity for his children. My Dad, Merle he used our first initials, Merle (dad), to the screen deck, and a 2” Honda Putnam, and his two brothers owned Shawn (me) and Dennis (my brother), water pump to supply the water from a family business consisting of a large to create M.S.D. Enter- the pond, M.S.D. was dairy farm, beef farm, campground prises Ltd. now able to provide a and residential rental properties. My washed product to the father wanted to explore oppor- The first aggregates 1987 2017 market as well. tunities on his own so he met with (dry screened gravels, his brothers and they agreed to go sand and clear stone) The next opportunity their own ways. My father said to his were sold to the lo- to grow our business brothers “you decide what you guys cal market in March came in 1991 with the want and I will take what’s left, I just of 1987. During our purchase of a con- want out.” When it all got settled, second year of operation, M.S.D. crete plant which was erected in Dad ended up with the campground, was awarded a contract to supply the gravel pit. In order to supply our rental properties and was given 103 the Town of Truro with the required own aggregates, we required a larger acres of gravel land in Little Dyke. gravel for various projects. Sales water pump and the installation of increased dramatically and provided a presoak including four spray bars During this time, our family lived on, us with the necessary boost to have a with proper nozzles, on the screen- and had the responsibility for, the successful business. ing plant. The crushed 1” minus was day to day operation of the camp- continued next page... www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2017 47 people

...continued from previous page we started selling our first concrete again. In May of 2008, an additional stone into the Halifax market. We 14 acres abutting pit#2 on Little Dyke washed to make concrete stone and supplied them with ½” concrete Road was purchased, giving the com- sand for the ready mix plant. We were stone for exposed aggregate, and we pany a total footprint of 164 acres. also approached by Nova Scotia Sand still are their supplier 20 years later! and Gravel for a price on 3/8”, 2” and OSCO Construction Group 2”-4” natural washed stone. This was In 2004, Casey Concrete agreed to the start of a relationship that still buy a portion of their sand and stone Pennecon sold its Nova Scotia as- exists today. for their Truro location and this was sets on November 1, 2008, to OSCO the beginning of another customer Construction Group. In the spring of As the business continued to grow relationship that still exists today. 2009, the wash plant, now renamed and demand increased for good the BAM (big xxx machine) by OSCO’s quality concrete sand and stone, Pennecon Jim Isnor, was moved to pit#2 on we purchased a new Mark 2 Pow- Little Dyke road. This was a major erscreen decked out with a fac- Discussions to sell the business were undertaking, that included: the instal- tory wash kit. We also purchased a started in 2005 with David Bancroft lation of three phase power to Little trident 2 dewaterer for our sand. The from Pennecon. An agreement was Dyke Road; all new concrete foun- dewaterer took the water out of the reached, and in January 2006, own- dations; a closed loop water supply; sand, but it also gave us the ability to ership changed hands. That same and relocation of the truck scale and pull more dust from the bottom end winter, a deal was made with Will scale house. With all the many talents if needed. Kare paving to purchase their wash of M.S.D Enterprises’ employees, as plant. The wash plant was disas- well as the supervision of George In 1990 my father was diagnosed sembled and moved to the new pit#3 Lawson and myself, everything went with melanoma and in 1994 he quite smoothly and we were became too sick to work every back washing late spring. day. At the age of 24, I became the operations manager of 1987 OSCO Aggregates both the aggregates and con- 2017 Years crete companies. My younger The company now operates brother started working with under the name of OSCO Ag- me in the summer of 1993. gregates and supplies stone December 17, 1996 my dad location, on Highway #2, during the to Strescon (Bedford Precast), and passed away at the very young age spring of 2006. sand to OSCO Concrete’s ready mix of 54. My mom came back to work in plants in Prince Edward Island and the office for a couple of years before This wash plant doubled the hourly Moncton. To meet current and future deciding she wanted to start her own production capabilities and enabled demands, an additional source of business as a massage therapist, so the company to produce high quality sand needed to be located. In 2014, she left and went back to school at products. M.S.D. Enterprises had now OSCO made a deal with SW Weeks to the age of 52. become a major supplier for the local purchase a sand operation in Ca- construction markets as well as ready naan Mountain. Since that purchase, The decision was made in 1996 to mix producers. Now that M.S.D was Canaan Mountain has been OSCO’s sell the crusher, and subcontract the part of the Pennecon group of com- main sand supply for the PEI and crushing out to the lowest bidder. panies, the Halifax market supply of Moncton plants. This provided me with fixed costs on non-reactive and ½” exposed aggre- the crushing and freed up some time gate increased, to include Sackville March 2017 marks 30 years in the to spend with family. Concrete, Bedford Ready Mix and aggregate business for OSCO Aggre- Quality Concrete. gates. During this time, we have Our first opportunity to sell aggre- maintained long term relationships gates outside the local area came It was originally projected that pit #3 with our customers and are known to from Ocean Contractors Ltd., located was going to provide 6-8 years of have one of the best fine and coarse in Dartmouth. We had developed a product, but with steadily increasing concrete aggregate products in the relationship with Ocean by purchas- sales the pit was exhausted in three area. OSCO Aggregates is looking ing some concrete mixer trucks from years and the company was faced forward to continued growth and them, and through this relationship with moving the wash plant once prosperity.

48 connections | spring & summer 2017 www.oscoconstructiongroup.com people Group Wellness Program

In February 2015, Jennifer Blackwood was hired as the health and wellness expert to design a health and wellness program for our employees. As part of this new program Jennifer rolled out an education and screening initiative whereby 219 people have participated in a health assessment. These assessments consist of a private screening session that identifies an individual’s blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels. This program is being repeated in 2017 after a very successful first year. Below are some testimonials from employees who participated in the process.

“I found the health Group had acquired it education session and which would be close to the health assessment twenty two years ago. I to be very beneficial; have seen all the changes they helped me to take first hand, one of the steps to a healthier latest being the health life. I have worked for assessment and educa- Strescon for 28 years sumer of energy drinks and soda. My tion sessions. Jennifer’s and I’ve been a smoker since I was energy level was like a rollercoaster, 15 years old. I took advantage of sessions have been very informative my sleep pattern was so messed up the smoking cessation plan at work regarding food labelling, wellness, that my doctor prescribed a sleep- which paid for the nicotine patch healthy choices and lifestyles. I had ing aid. My food choices were not and I’ve been smoke free now for begun my own lifestyle changes good. The education sessions and 7 months. I was the type of smoker about four years ago when I quit the health assessments helped me that would have a cigarette and a realize the long term effects of my smoking and three years ago when coffee if I was hungry and didn’t lifestyle habits and helped me un- I quit drinking. These changes have eat all day until I went home. I was derstand what changes I needed to been beneficial to my family and my underweight and didn’t realize that make. personal health. The past year my was a health risk as well. So now I’m wife and I decided to make changes eating good food and have gained I am happy to say that I have been off to our diet, we now replace pasta about 30 pounds which puts me at a energy drinks for around a year, and I with spaghetti squash and replace normal weight for my height. My next haven’t had a soda in about a month. potatoes with cauliflower. Be- step is to join the Gym and start an I have dropped 6Lbs, and my body lieve it or not I spend exercise program so that I stay strong isn’t craving sugar like it used to. I and to help control further weight haven’t had to use sleeping pills in a time on Sunday gain. I feel like a new person, my while and my energy level is consis- peeling and slicing breathing is so much easier; I’m off tent throughout the day. I have been veggies for my my puffers completely unless my al- drinking only carbonated water and snacks at work, lergies act up. I sleep well and have a milk. I cook and bring my lunches to continued next page... lot more energy than before. I’m very work, and avoid fast food. I am grate- thankful for the new me and for the ful that our company cares about my support I received thru my work.” health and provided the information Jodi to live a better, healthier life.”

“I would like to thank FCC/OSCO for Jonathan their Employee Wellness program. “I started work at York Steel four Prior to this I had been a heavy con- or five months before the Irving

www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2017 49 people

...continued from previous page ate the company support and the Cholesterol down, waist measure- willingness to provide us with these ment down, more energy, no more quite a change from me sitting on education programs to enable us to brain fog during the afternoon, the couch munching on a big bag of better ourselves and encourage us to sleeping better and overall stress barbecue chips with my t-shirt riding make healthy life style choices.” level reduced! I’m grateful for the up over my stomach. My wife would Leonard opportunity to participate in these glance over and say “Where did you assessments. Thank you OSCO!” get that baby T”. Five months later “I participated in the first Health As- I’m down 40 pounds, I feel lighter, Elaine sessment offered by the company my clothes are actually too big and in spring, 2016. The information “I found the Health Assessment to be my energy level has increased and al- provided at that time about nutrition a very informative experience. Noth- though I take medication for my knee and ‘knowing your numbers’ helped ing was rushed and I came away with arthritis it’s much better as a result give me the incentive to make some an improved understanding of several of the weight loss. I’m still chewing changes that have had a positive health related topics. I now feel that I Nicorette gum but I’m also going effect on my person as a whole. It am better equipped to make healthy for counselling. On a personal note was exciting to see that when I went decisions going forward.” I’m turning 60 this year, so it is never for a re-check in February, 2017, my too late to make changes. I appreci- Nick numbers had improved significantly!

... President’s Message (continued from page 3) underway with Human Resources (NAFTA) will have to be renegotiated. to complement and deal with these Whether it will be just “tweaked”, as significantly enhanced. Our plan is to InfoTech changes. initially stated by the President, or utilize our historical information for substantially reworked remains to be These are exciting times for all mem- the benefit of our customers and all seen. Also unclear is if the focus will bers of our Group, both in our plants of our supply chain partners to make be primarily on dairy & wood prod- and offices; the construction industry their collective experience with the ucts, aerospace and professional is quickly adopting all the aforesaid IT OSCO Group as valuable, efficient services and leave construction- enhancements to radically improve and pleasant as possible. related steel or concrete products its product delivery model. We plan undisturbed. With our existing Organizational changes are also to be one of the industry leaders in American-based fabrication capacity, underway to complement this stated helping to make this happen in our we are ready to respond regardless of vision to BE FAST, BE GLOBAL, BE markets. For our employees, the op- where these NAFTA negotiations may CONNECTED. We have established a portunities to participate in a grow- lead. However, given the long-stand- fleet management group to leverage ing, high-tech environment should ing, strong trading relationship that our IT infrastructure and optimize be both stimulating and challenging. exists between Canada and the the total capital & operating costs For our customers and supply chain United States, we believe this nego- per hour for our fleet of over 300 partners, we look forward to provid- tiation will be amicably resolved mobile assets. At the same time, we ing additional ways to collaborate sooner rather than later. Regardless are creating a facility management and to helping your businesses be- of the eventual outcome, the OSCO group to perform the same function come more profitable. Construction Group plans to remain for our manufacturing buildings & a major supplier of steel and concrete On another topic, business for the equipment in our 20 plant locations. products in the United States. OSCO Group is still strong and We are planning to upgrade our trending upward; however, with the procurement processes and inven- election of a new American Presi- tory management by leveraging our dent, it appears that the North ERP’s functionality and knowledge Hans O. Klohn American Free Trade Agreement bank. Finally, we have several projects President, OSCO Construction Group

50 connections | spring & summer 2017 www.oscoconstructiongroup.com people FRESH FACES congratulations! Ocean Steel Family Additions: Congratulations to Aaron David Leskie...... Project Manager, SJ Johnson (FCC) and his wife Sloan Gillis...... Procurement Specialist, SJ Congratulations to Rob Fox who welcomed a baby girl on Jarett Premo...... Regional Sales Manager, NY (FCC) and Martha Russell on the October 21st! This is their first birth of their first child, daughter child, as well as the first grand- OSCO Group Services Rachel Mae Fox, on January 15, child for Jim Johnson (FCC). 2017 weighing 6lbs 11oz. Rachel Jonathan Atherton...... Accounting Specialist, SJ is also the first grand child for Congratulations to Josh Malley Dan & Heather Fox (FCC). (FCC) and his wife Jocelyn who Strescon welcomed a baby boy. Jordan Congratulation to Geoff Lloyd was born on March 24th. Jim LeBlanc...... Heavy Fleet Supervisor, SJ Bateman (FCC) and his wife Alex Carvalho...... Precast Detailer, SJ Lindsay on the birth of their Engagements: Craig McCullum...... Project Manager, SJ second child, Reese Freda Congratulations to Joshua Erica King...... Quality Control Inspector, SJ Nancy, born on February 27, Fowler (Ocean Steel Rebar) Chris MacLellan...... Plant Coordinator, SJ 2017 weighing 7lbs 3oz. who is engaged to marry Kody Bradley...... Quality Control Inspector, SJ Congratulations to Josiah Rachel Weare on July 15th at Matthews (Ocean Steel-SJ) and Jonathan Fillmore...... Quality Control Inspector, SJ Adairs Wilderness Lodge. Kellie O’Neill...... Warehouse Coordinator, SJ his wife Kesia, who welcomed baby girl Adaela Quinn Matthews on March 20th, 2017. Applause: Congratulations to Kristen Congratulations to Vanessa Shaw (Group Services) who Buckley (Ocean Steel-SJ) and graduated from UNBSJ with a Nick Cowan, who welcomed a Bachelors in Business Adminis- baby girl Thursday April 20th, tration in May, 2017. 2017. Mya Deanna Cowan was 8lbs 12oz. Congratulations to Courtney Curtis, daughter of Roger Congratulations to Chris Curtis (York Steel) and Jean Paisley (Strescon-SJ) and his Curtis. Courtney graduated with wife Elisabeth, who welcomed a BSc from UNB Fredericton, their second child, and brother and has been accepted into the to Jeremiah, Ezra Norman accelerated nursing program in Paisley, on February 25, 2017. Moncton this fall.

CWB Recognizes Ocean Steel on 40 Years of Certification

his past November, the Canadian Welding Board (CWB) Tpresented Ocean Steel with a certificate recognizing their 40 years of certification with the board, and their ongoing commitment to excellence. Pictured at left, accepting on behalf of Ocean Steel, is Harrison Wilson, Vice President and General Manager of the Steel Division. The Canadian Welding Bureau was formed by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) over 60 years ago. The purpose of the Welding Bureau is to administer Canada’s national welding standards, which are embedded in the national building code and other industry specific documents. www.oscoconstructiongroup.com connections | spring & summer 2017 51 Our Locations STRUCTURAL STEEL: READY-MIX (OSCO Concrete): AGGREGATES:

OCEAN STEEL - Corporate office & SJ plant OSCO Concrete NB - Saint John plant OSCO AGGREGATES 400 Chesley Drive, Saint John, NB • CA 101 Ashburn Lake Rd., Saint John, NB • CA 749 Little Dyke Rd, Debert, NS • CA Phone: (506) 632-2600 Phone: (506) 633-8877 Phone: (902) 662-3722 Member Since • 1955 Member Since • 1963 Member Since • 2008 OCEAN STEEL - New England Sales Office OSCO Concrete NB - Moncton plant OSCO AGGREGATES 40 Burlington Mall Road, Suite 207 1212 Berry Mills Rd, Moncton, NB • CA 248 Canaan Mountain Road, Burlington, MA • USA Phone: (506) 858-7110 Canaan Mountain, NS • CA Phone: (781) 221-2152 Member Since • 2004 Phone: (902) 546-2373 Member Since • 1991 Member Since • 2014 SCHURMAN CONCRETE - Summerside plant YORK STEEL - Plant & service center 240 MacEwen Rd, Summerside, PE • CA 550 Wilsey Road, Fredericton, NB • CA Phone: (902) 888-4331 CONSTRUCTION: Phone: (506) 444-7989 Member Since • 2004 Member Since • 1995 FCC CONSTRUCTION - office SCHURMAN CONCRETE 400 Chesley Drive, Saint John, NB • CA OCEAN STEEL CORPORATION - Office & plant Charlottetown office & plant Phone: (506) 632-7800 53 Shaw Road, Conklin, NY • USA 412 Mount Edward Rd, Charlottetown, PE • CA Member Since • 1960 Phone: (607) 584-7500 Phone: (902) 628-0127 Member Since • 2004 Member Since • 2004 MARQUE CONSTRUCTION - office 400 Chesley Drive, Saint John, NB • CA MacLEAN’S READY-MIX - Montague plant Phone: (506) 634-1144 PRECAST: 669 Queen’s Road, Montague, PE • CA Member Since • 1966 Phone: (902) 838-2925 STRESCON LIMITED Member Since • 2012 KENNEBEC CONSTRUCTION - office Corporate Office & SJ plant 400 Chesley Drive, Saint John, NB • CA 101 Ashburn Lake Rd., Saint John, NB • CA SACKVILLE CONCRETE Phone: (506) 632-7800 Phone: (506) 633-8877 Nova Scotia office & plant Member Since • 1994 Member Since • 1963 17 Estate Drive, Lower Sackville, NS • CA Phone: (902) 864-3230 STRESCON LIMITED - Bedford office & plant Member Since • 2008 REBAR: 131 Duke St., Bedford, NS • CA Phone: (902) 494-7400 BEDFORD READY-MIX - plant OCEAN STEEL REBAR LIMITED Member Since • 1978 414 Bluewater Rd., Bedford, NS • CA Saint John office & plant Phone: (902) 835-0882 400 Chesley Drive, Saint John, NB • CA STRESCON LIMITED - New England Sales Office Member Since • 2008 Phone: (506) 632-2600 40 Burlington Mall Road, Suite 207 Member Since • 1955 Burlington, MA • USA GLENHOLME READY-MIX - plant Phone: (781) 221-2153 749 Little Dyke Road, Glenholme, NS • CA ALLSTAR REBAR NOVA SCOTIA Member Since • 1991 Phone: (902) 662-3722 Office & plant Member Since • 2008 48 Duke Street, Bedford, NS • CA BORCHERDT CONCRETE PRODUCTS Phone: (902) 832-0917 READY-MIX - Plant Office & plant Member Since • 2008 326 Hardscratch Road, Brooklyn, NS • CA 20 Park Drive, Windsor, NS • CA Phone: (902) 742-7811 Phone: (902) 798-2291 Member Since • 2008 Member Since • 2008