FEATURE | Concrete/Masonry

Concrete pour underway at $160 million Mississauga, Ontario wastewater treatment plant

DAN O’REILLY

correspondent

North America Construction is now in the midst of pouring 29,000 cubic metres of concrete for nine treatment tanks at Mississauga’s Clarkson Wastewater Treatment Plant

The concrete pour is part of an overall $160-million expansion that will increase the plant’s treatment capacity from 200 to 350 mega-litres a day. The pour started in April and will continue until July 2012.

While a massive undertaking, the preconstruction work and community relations initiatives have proved to be as equally challenging, suggest the project partners that include the contractor, owner Peel Region and its consultant, AECOM.

Located on Lakeshore Road within view of Lake Ontario, the plant has ample space for the expansion that is needed to meet rapid residential growth in Mississauga and Brampton, says William Fernandes, the region’s capital works manager for wastewater treatment.

Still, three long-defunct lagoons had to be decommissioned to make space for the tanks. “We couldn’t do this project without them (the lagoons) being removed.”

The approximately year-long removal operation carried out by another contractor consisted of dewatering — with the water retreated on site — and trucking the remaining solid waste to landfill sites, says Fernandes.

With the lagoons out of the way, excavation was able to proceed. That, however, proved to be particularly trying as large sections of the area is shale and in some spots the shale was six metres deep, says NAC project manager Mike Moylan.

“We excavated 200,000 cubic metres of earth, of which 150,000 cubic metres had to be trucked offsite.”

Ensuring mud and dirt from the trucks wouldn’t be deposited on Lakeshore Road and other area streets proved to be a challenge itself. A layer of coarse sand was applied at a separate dedicated entrance to the NAC work site.

“That didn’t work out very well. So we built a concrete pad,” says Moylan, explaining the truck tires are washed at the pad before exiting the site. Chemical dust suppressant is also sprayed on the internal roads.

A good measuring gauge on the success of those initiatives is the substantial decrease of area resident complaints about dust and dirt, says Fernandes.

Construction of the tanks is now in full progress and it involves pouring about 150 metres of concrete on a daily basis. The slabs for the tanks, which include primary and secondary aeration, and secondary final, are 450-mm-thick and the walls are between 350- and 450-mm-thick, says Moylan.

With an estimated 60 to 70 truckloads of concrete entering the plant weekly, a high degree of coordination between NAC and supplier St. Mary’s Cement is crucial, he says.

“Sometimes we schedule pours at 5:30 a.m. in the morning so their (St. Mary’s) trucks can beat the morning traffic rush. But that isn’t always possible and sometimes we have to cope with delays.”

AECOM has an on-site team of structural inspectors to ensure the concrete has the desired strength says Ignatius Ip, associate manager of wastewater engineering.

It also uses the services of material performance specialist, Davroc Consulting Engineers. The results of Davroc tests are posted on line about eight days after they are conducted, says Ip.

NAC will have an estimated workforce of 120 men on site when the project hits its peak later this fall, says Moylan, who estimates another 40 subcontractors will working there over the life of the project.

While the concrete pour will be finished next July, the project won’t be completed until June 2013. As the general contractor, NAC is also responsible for a massive amount of other work including equipment installation, mechanical/electrical connections and the construction of the blower building, says Moylan.

The Daily Commercial News Article

May 25, 2011

McGuinty Government Salutes Excellence in Apprenticeship Training

Sixteen Ontario employers are being recognized for their dedication to training the next generation of skilled workers and supporting the province's economic future.

The annual Minister's Awards for Apprenticeship Training celebrate employers that show leadership in training apprentices, support the apprenticeship training system, and promote careers in skilled trades. From these 16 nominees, four will be announced as 2011 winners in June:

• Arborvalley Urban Forestry Co. Inc. (Newmarket)
• Besseling Mechanical Inc. (Hamilton)
• BLM Transportation Group Inc. (Kitchener)
• Community Living Toronto (Toronto)
• Con's Electric Company Ltd. (Timmins)
• Classic Honda (Brampton)
• Deloro Stellite (Belleville)
• Elliot Lake Ford (Elliot Lake)
• Flo Components Ltd (Mississauga)
• George and Asmussen Ltd. (Breslau)
• Laser Electric Ltd. (Balderson)
• Mining Technologies International Inc. (North Bay)
• North America Construction Ltd. (Morriston)
• The Mane Obsession Hair Salon  (Kingston)
• Toromont CAT (Thunder Bay)
• Wells Ford Sales Ltd. (Stirling)

Ontario's economy is turning the corner to a better tomorrow. Supporting measures to improve education and training are cornerstones of the McGuinty government's plan to build a knowledge-based economy for the future.

QUOTES

"Through their dedication to training apprentices, these exceptional employers are making an important contribution to Ontario's economy, as well as their own businesses. They are helping build the skilled workforce we need to compete and prosper."

 – John Milloy
Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities

QUICK FACTS

• There are more than 120,000 apprentices learning a skilled trade today - double the number from 2002-2003.
• Since these awards began in 2002, more than 200 employers have been nominated.

LEARN MORE

• 2011 Minister's Awards for Apprenticeship Training
• Learn how to work in the skilled trades.
• ontario.ca/tcu-news

CONTACTS 

• Annette Phillips
  Minister’s Office
  416-326-5748
  annette.phillips@ontario.ca
• For public inquiries call
  416-325-2929
  or 1-800-387-5514
  TTY 1-800-263-2892
• Tanya Blazina (For media)
  Communications Branch
  416-325-2746
  tanya.blazina@ontario.ca

Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
ontario.ca/postsecondary

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© Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2008 - 2011

NAC is a rapidly growing company that recognizes the shortage of skilled trades, and is an active contributer to programs that encourage the trades industry. NAC runs several Pre-Apprenticeship programs where each successful participant has signed up with the Ministry of Training as an Apprentice. NAC's commitment to the apprenticeship system is shown by consistently employing and training apprentices and journeypersons.

The awards will be presented in the Spring of 2011

For more details about the Ministers Award for Apprenticeship Training in Ontario follow the link below:

www.ontario.ca/apprenticeshipawards

On January 21, 2011 NAC achieved its quest for continuous improvement and registration. 

Work at the Clarkson site will commence on March 14th, 2011.

More...

See the complete interview here:  http://watch.bnn.ca/#clip410732

It may not have been the largest of its kind in Ontario, but even it wasn’t an almost round-the-clock non-stop concrete pour at the Duffin Creek Pollution Control Plant in Pickering went off without a hitch. It took 363 truck loads or 3,259 cubic metres of concrete from three different St. Marys CBM plants for the construction of a 2, 970 square-metre 1.1-metre thick slab for an incinerator, part of a $575-million Phase 3 expansion. More...

The completion of construction deficiencies continues on the Seymour-Capilano filtration plant, as Metro Vancouver prepares the facility for operation.

"We are slowly introducing more and more water and testing the system," said Glenn Bohn, communications specialist with Metro Vancouver.

"The commissioning of the Seymour-Capilano treatment plant is well underway. We began deliveries of filtered Seymour water from the plant in December. The commissioning is being ramped up in the coming weeks."

The Seymour and Capilano watersheds supply up to 70 per cent of the Lower Mainland's drinking water.

The Seymour-Capilano filtration plant, which is the largest facility of its kind in Canada, will filter up to 1.8 billion litres of water per day.

"Seymour source water is going through the Seymour-Capilano filtration plant and 65 per cent of the water from the Seymour River is being filtered through the plant," said Bohn.

A quarterly report submitted to the Water Committee in November 2009, said NAC Constructors were busy completing construction deficiencies throughout the plant.

In September the plant was 97 per cent complete and Metro Vancouver was planning for transfer of site safety responsibilities from the prime contractor to Metro Vancouver.

"All of the major construction contracts are nearing completion, except for the twin tunnels," said the reports author Mark Ferguson, water and waste water treatment division manager.

"As of the end of September 2009, twin tunnels completion is 55 per cent. The balance of the project is at 97 per cent overall completion. Filtration of Seymour and Capilano source waters is scheduled for late 2009 and mid-2013, respectively."   More...