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Featured Articles
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Jun 2010
Clean energyInnovative Swan Hills project aims to produce synthetic gas from deep coal seams
Has Alberta finally found the key to unlocking its vast coal resource? In a province best known for its oil and gas, insitu gasification technology could hold the key to clean, low-carbon synthetic gas from unminable coal. This gas is expected to produce the same amount of energy that natural gas does, but with roughly half the greenhouse gas emissions. And it might help redefine how Alberta produces its energy.
The Swan Hills Synfuels In-Situ Coal Gasification/Sagitawah Power Project
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Jun 2010
Down to a trickle
There’s a slowdown in pipeline construction right now, but $43 billion in projects looms
If you look at everything on the books for the next 15 years, Canada's pipeline industry has just over $43 billion of proposed new large-diameter pipelines. Not surprisingly, much of it is driven by planned oilsands development and expansions.
Add in the two Arctic natural gas pipelines-Alaska and Mackenzie (if they ever get the go-ahead)-and the tab climbs to an estimated $85 billion.
This year, however, tells another story. The sector has slowed down after several years o
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Jun 2010
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Something BIG is coming
Province’s highways are ready to handle slew of modules from South Korea
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When the first of about 200 enormous modules from South Korea destined for the Kearl oilsands project near Fort McMurray lumbers over the border from Montana this fall, it will hit highways that don't usually see giant loads.
Highways 4, 845, 539, and a portion of Highway 36 lie south of the province's High Load Corridor. As in Idaho and Montana, work is underway to ready the road for the big event.
Alberta Transportation has already undertaken road and bridge analyses to d...
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Jun 2010
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A FAST way to make highways safer
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Imagine an overpass or a bridge that would automatically apply the proper chemical when the surface iced up. No more guesswork about when to send the trucks out. No more dangerously slippery surfaces.
No, this is not science fiction. It's Fixed Automated Spray Technology, or FAST. In use around the world for several years, it's a safe bet that it's only a matter of time before it arrives in Alberta.
One of the prime benefits to FAST is that it can significantly reduce crash...
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Jun 2010
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Back in the game
Growth ahead for Alberta oilsands projects
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An enormous resource and continuing global demand are driving the resuscitation of construction work in Alberta's oilsands, and it's good news for industry.
Brad Anderson, executive director of the Construction Owners Association of Alberta, says it's been a tough year for many in heavy industrial construction, with fewer people working and many leaving the province. But, he adds, that doesn't mean new projects won't see the same challenges experienced before the recession.
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Jun 2010
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Another labour crunch?
Demand for skilled trades in the oilsands likely to increase in 2011–12
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A graph depicting construction activity on the Construction Sector Council's website for 2006-15 that refers mostly to Alberta's oilsands construction shows a line marking the period from early 2006 to mid-2007 that shoots up almost vertically. It then levels off before dropping sharply for 2009.
According to the council, investment in engineering construction-a category that outside of bridges and highways in Alberta mostly means oilsands-jumped from $10.6 billion in 2006 to $15.6 bi...
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Jun 2010
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Steel of a deal
Prefabricated steel buildings and components offer durability
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A shorter construction schedule, longer-lasting structures, and higher quality are driving increased interest in prefabricated steel components and buildings in Alberta.
"We are pricing stuff all the time," notes Alex McGillivray, sales and marketing coordinator for VanderWal Homes and Commercial Group, which is based in Petrolia, Ont. VanderWal Group has recently priced projects in Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Okotoks, and Fort McMurray, and expects business to continue to increase...
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Jun 2010
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Pitched vs. flat
Despite the cold, climate still allows a wide choice for roofing
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Roofs are sometimes referred to as the fifth side of a building, suggesting their role as part of an integrated, complete envelope system that includes waterproofing, exterior walls, and cladding.
"Whether you use pitched or low slope, sometimes called flat, and what materials are used, depends on the type of building and its purpose, and how the roof might contribute to its architectural qualities," says Trevor Sziva, marketing director at the Alberta Roofing Contractors Association....
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Mar 2010
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In with the old
Renovating what you’ve got can be a good alternative to starting from scratch
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Sometimes building new is the best option. Let's face it, The Bow in Calgary wouldn't have the same panache if EnCana Corp. had decided to makeover an old building. But due to a range of factors, owners often turn to renovation to create the space they need.
The maintenance and sometimes restoration of historical architecture is one reason for renovating.
The Garneau Theatre building in Edmonton was built in 1940 and houses a movie theatre and retail space. It has been desi...
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Mar 2010
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A lesson in being green
Emphasis of new Alberta schools is on sustainability and energy efficiency
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Long before talk about climate change, reducing emissions, and being environmentally responsible became a hot-button topic, the government of Alberta was already on the leading edge of the green movement in this province.
Four years ago, the government adopted the Building Owners and Managers Association's Building Environmental Standards program, or BOMA BESt. Its purpose is to improve workplace environments by making them safer and healthier while reducing energy consumption, cuttin...
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