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September 3, 2010

U.S. workers rate safety standards as top priority

More than eight of 10 American workers rate workplace safety first in importance among labour standards, even ahead of family and maternity leave, minimum wage, paid sick days, overtime pay and the right to join a union, according to a new study.

September 3, 2010

Saskatoon bridge closed indefinitely over structural concerns

Saskatoon’s Traffic Bridge, opened in 1907, was closed indefinitely by the city on Aug. 24 after an inspection by city engineers revealed that corrosion to the bridge’s steel trusses threatened to bring the bridge down under its own weight.

September 2, 2010

New technology could help find Jimmy Hoffa: Study

Could Jimmy Hoffa’s final resting place be easier to find with a breakthrough technology recently unveiled?

September 2, 2010

Fanshawe College’s new Centre for Applied Transportation Technologies goes green

Green building techniques and flexible spaces are the hallmarks of Fanshawe College’s new Centre for Applied Transportation Technologies (CATT) building.

September 2, 2010

Vanbots continues work on York University Life Sciences Building in Toronto

A worker ties rebar at the York University Life Sciences Building in Toronto. Construction manager Vanbots, a division of Carillion Inc., has completion of the four-storey project scheduled for spring 2011.

September 1, 2010

Halifax farmers’ market project a testament to local skills

For RCS Construction and Lydon Lynch Architects Ltd., the recent opening of the $12 million Halifax Seaport farmers’ market marked the successful completion of what is being called one of North America’s most environmentally sustainable buildings.

September 1, 2010

Libya’s construction boom picks up slack from Dubai slowdown

In the outskirts of this city, Libya’s second largest, row after row of sand-colored concrete apartment blocks and villas are sprouting from the desert. Hundreds of kilometres away, construction cranes dot the Mediterranean skyline of the capital, Tripoli.

August 31, 2010

Work continues on Victory Condos in Toronto

A worker directs traffic as concrete trucks line up at the Victory Condos on King Street in Toronto. Owner BLVD Developments Ltd. and construction manager Tucker HiRise have completion scheduled for spring 2011. The work includes a 12-storey, 180-unit building and four levels of underground parking.

August 30, 2010

Deltera continues work on Solaris at Metrogate in Toronto

Work continues on phases one and two of the Solaris at Metrogate Phase I and II in Toronto. Deltera Inc. is general contractor for the two, 40-storey-tower project. The development will include 868 units, ground floor retail and six-levels of parking above and below grade.

August 30, 2010

Vanbots continues construction on Energy Research Centre in Oshawa, Ontario

Construction has reached the top floor of the Energy Research Centre (ERC) at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) that will be the future home of the Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science in Oshawa, Ont.

August 27, 2010

Hamilton water treatment plant stays in service during rebuilding operation

Hamilton’s iconic Woodward Avenue Water Treatment Plant is receiving a $25 million structural and architectural reincarnation that involves the staged demolition and reconstruction of the four quadrants of the plant’s filter building along with some process upgrades.

August 26, 2010

Cooper Construction continues work on Balsillie School of International Affairs

Work is taking shape on the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, Ont. General contractor Cooper Construction Ltd. began work on the three-storey academic facility in September 2009; completion has been scheduled for August 2011.

August 26, 2010

Shane Baghai Development continues work on St. Gabriel Manor condos in Toronto

Work moves upwards on the St. Gabriel Manor condominium project on Sheppard Avenue in Toronto, Ont.

August 26, 2010

Accessibility compliance focus of Ontario General Contractors Association seminar

With an accessibility standard for customer service in force in the province’s public sector, the Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA) has scheduled a full-day seminar to bring firms up to speed when doing business with government agencies.

August 25, 2010

Lorne Park Water Treatment Plant project split into two contracts

Two Mississauga-based contractors are working side by side on a massive $200-million expansion of Peel Region’s Lorne Park Water Treatment Plant in the heart of Mississauga’s Jack Darling Park on the shores of Lake Ontario.

August 25, 2010

Toddglen Construction continues work on iLoft condos in Toronto

Work is winding down at the iLoft condominiums on Legion Road North in Toronto. Toddglen Construction Co. Ltd. is construction manager of the 28-storey, 230-unit project, which includes an exercise room, pool/sauna, squash courts and party room.

August 25, 2010

Construction continues on Mona Lisa Residences in North York, Ontario

Exterior work continues on the Mona Lisa Residences at Yonge Street and Finch Avenue in North York, Ont. Great Lands Corp. is owner/developer of the 28-storey, 311-unit project, which also includes 74 townhouses and underground parking.

August 24, 2010

Government austerity programs will impact infrastructure, Holcim says

Holcim, the world’s second-biggest cement maker, warned government austerity programs would limit infrastructure spending in the months ahead.

August 24, 2010

EllisDon continues work on Concord Park Place condos in North York, Ontario

Work moves along for the Concord Park Place condominiums phase one in North York, Ont.

August 24, 2010

Pennsylvania construction employment benefits from stimulus

The United States Department of Labor & Industry reports Pennsylvania construction employment rose by 2,400 in July.

August 23, 2010

U.S. coal plant construction booming despite carbon emissions concerns

Utilities across the U.S. are building dozens of old-style coal plants that will cement the industry’s standing as the largest industrial source of climate-changing gases for years to come.

August 23, 2010

Toddglen Construction continues work on California condo project in Toronto

Construction is moving along for the California condominium project in Toronto. Toddglen Construction is general contractor for the 30-storey, 368-unit project, which includes four levels of underground parking. The owner is Camrost-Felcorp.

August 20, 2010

Dominus Construction continues work on Centro condo in Scarborough, Ontario

Exterior work continues on the Centro condo project in Scarborough, Ont. Construction manager Dominus Construction Group began the two-, 31-storey tower project in April 2008. The work also includes 16 townhouses and four levels of parking.

August 20, 2010

Essex County, Ontario rejects offer from Labourers International Union of North America

Essex County has turned down a proposal from LIUNA Local 625 to participate in a municipal development fund the union proposed because it cannot legally do so, the county says.

August 18, 2010

Bombed-out Gaza airport recycled for building materials

Scores of men swinging hammers and pickaxes attack the runway and terminal of Gaza’s bombed-out airport before dawn every day, scavenging gravel and metal bars to resell as construction material.

August 17, 2010

Aluma Systems, Ulma Construcción form strategic alliance

The strategic alliance of two giant players in formwork gives them additional heft in the North American marketplace.

August 17, 2010

Construction continues on Dufferin Street jog elimination in Toronto

Concrete work continues on the Dufferin Street jog elimination project at Dufferin and Queen Streets in Toronto. Dufferin Construction Ltd./Holcim Canada have completion of the project scheduled for this summer.

August 16, 2010

Work continues on Shangri-la Toronto hotel and residences

Construction continues on the Shangri-la Toronto hotel and residences in Toronto. 180 University Management Inc. is construction manager for the 66-storey, 572-unit project; the owner is Westbank Projects Corp.

August 16, 2010

Contractors contribute to Care Enough to Act project

Kenaidan Contracting has broken ground on its latest Care Enough To Act project to help retrofit a home for a young family with two boys battling Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD).

August 13, 2010

U.S. architecture suffers recession downsizing

In the last two years, numerous U.S. architecture and engineering firms are believed to have fallen victim to the recession. No one, however, seems to know exactly how many, according to industry consultant ZweigWhite.

August 13, 2010

Raised roundabout nears completion in London, Ontario

By the end of the year, London will have solved a longtime bottleneck and accident-prone intersection east of downtown with a raised roundabout, billed as the first of its kind in Canada.

August 12, 2010

Cooper Construction continues work on University of Waterloo expansion

Work continues on the University of Waterloo Environment 3 Building in Waterloo, Ont. General contractor Cooper Construction Ltd. began the four-storey expansion to the existing building in December 2009. The project, which is aiming to achieve LEED Platinum certification, includes a two-storey bridge over the existing facility.

August 12, 2010

Industrial products price index promises break on materials

key indication of where construction material costs may be headed can be found in two Statistics Canada series, industrial product price indices (IPPI) and raw materials price indices (RMPI).

August 12, 2010

Monarch Corp. continues work on Nautilus at Waterview condo in Etobicoke, Ontario

Work continues on the Nautilus at Waterview condominium project in Etobicoke, Ont. Owner/developer Monarch Corp. has occupancy scheduled to begin in 2011. The work includes a 39-storey tower with over 400 units, a three-storey podium with retail, recreation facilities and five levels of underground parking.

August 11, 2010

Inefficient Chinese steel, cement mills to be closed

China’s government has ordered 2,087 steel and cement mills and other factories with poor energy efficiency to close as it struggles to cut waste and improve the country’s battered environment.

August 11, 2010

Bondfield Construction continues work on Dufferin Reservoir expansion in Vaughan, Ontario

Work continues on phase two of the Dufferin Reservoir expansion in Vaughan, Ont. Bondfield Construction Co. Ltd. is general contractor for the project, which includes a fully buried reservoir, removal of existing temporary holding sewage tank, and installation of a new septic system.

August 11, 2010

Aecon continues construction on new engineering building at University of Waterloo

Work has reached the top floor on the University of Waterloo’s Engineering 6 Building in Waterloo, Ont. Aecon Buildings is constructing the five-storey, 115,000 square-foot concrete structure on an existing campus parking lot.

August 10, 2010

EllisDon continues construction on Hospital for Sick Children research institute in Toronto

Concrete work progresses on the new Hospital for Sick Children research institute in Toronto. EllisDon Corp. is construction manager for the 21-storey facility, which will include research labs, education and conference space, retail space and three levels of underground parking.

August 10, 2010

Baird’s leadersip was key to stimulus program: Canadian Construction Association

With infrastructure minister John Baird appointed to a new federal post, the Canadian Construction Association says his leadership was key in helping implement Canada’s stimulus plan.

August 9, 2010

Vanbots continues construction on Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto

Work continues on renovations to the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto. Vanbots, a division of Carillion Inc. began the $18-million renovation project in fall 2009; completion is scheduled for early fall 2010.

August 6, 2010

ICI labour negotiations characterized by maturity

Maturity is the word that best defined both the negotiations and settlements in recent ICI sector bargaining, says the executive director of the Construction Employers Co-ordinating Council of Ontario (CECCO).

August 6, 2010

Eastern Construction continues work on expansion of Rotman School of Management in Toronto

Workers twist up rebar at the expansion and renovation of the Rotman School of Management in Toronto. Eastern Construction Co. Ltd. has completion of the project, which has been designed to achieve LEED certification, scheduled for May 2012.

August 5, 2010

Construction continues on Oklahoma’s tallest building

Construction on what will be the tallest building in Oklahoma has reached a key stage and soon will accelerate, a top official from Devon Energy Corp. says.

August 5, 2010

Cement-makers Lafarge, Cemex post weak outlooks

European cement makers recently posted weak or opaque outlooks, adding to investor concern about the patchy recovery in global construction markets.

August 5, 2010

Lack of local workers on Wuskwatim Dam project riles Manitoba union

A carpenters’ union in Manitoba is upset that workers from outside the province are being given preference on the $1.3-billion Wuskwatim Dam project.

August 5, 2010

Aecon continues work on Quantum-Nano Centre in Waterloo, Ontario

Construction continues on the University of Waterloo’s Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre in Waterloo, Ont.

August 4, 2010

Council of Ontario Construction Associations calls for mandatory training for workers, firms

Suggestions from mandatory entry-level safety training to a new provincial safety body were among the ideas presented to Ontario’s health and safety review, a sample of industry submissions reveals.

August 4, 2010

Vanbots continues work on Jewish community centre in Vaughan, Ontario

Work continues on the Joseph and Wolf Lebovic Jewish Community Campus in Vaughan, Ont. Construction manager Vanbots, a division of Carillion, has completion of the multi-level centre scheduled for early 2012.