T h e B i a n n u a l M a g a z i n e o f t h e O S C O C o n s t r u c t i o n G r o u p

Boston’s Channel Center Utilizes Strescon’s New Thin-Brick Process • Team Members Work on St. GeorgePulp & Paper’s New Hydro Dam • Steel Division Implements New Estimating Software • Managing theConstruction of Kent Homes’ New Head Office • 2003 Recognition Dinner • Employee News & MORE...

AL S O I N T H I S IS S U E:

FALL

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Steel SectorMeetsSignificantMilestone onColeson CoveProject

C O N N E C T I O N S • F a l l 2 0 0 32 C O N N E C T I O N S • F a l l 2 0 0 3

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What’sInside...

CONNECTIONS is the Biannual Magazine of the OSCO Construction Group. Our members include: Ocean Steel & Construction Ltd., Strescon Limited, York Steel Inc.,FCC Engineering, & Marque ConstructionCONNECTIONS IS PUBLISHED TO SHARE NEWS WITH OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES.ALL SUBMISSIONS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED AND MAY BE SENT TO THE EDITOR:Tammy Legacy, Communications Coordinator, OSCO Construction GroupPO Box 3187, Saint John, NB, CANADA • E2M 3S3 Fax: 506-632-7689 • Phone: 506-632-7543 • e-mail: legacy.tammy@oceansteel.com

Check out our websites at: www.oceansteel.com & www.strescon.com

Message from President . . . .2Coleson Cove . . . . . . . . . . . .3Kent Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Irving Tissue . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Channel Center . . . . . . . . . .6CAA Maritimes . . . . . . . . . . .8St. George Hydro . . . . . . . . .9Stora Enso . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Dormitories . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Worcester State College DormSpringfield College Residence Hall

Job Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . .12St. Joseph’s Hospital; Irving OilPetroleum; Irving Personal Care;Ready Mix Update; OSCO Rebar;FCC Civil; JDI Moncton; JDIVeneer Sawmill

Precast Concrete SoftwareConsortium . . . . . . . . . . .14OSCO Infonet . . . . . . . . . .15Steel Estimating . . . . . . . .15

WHAT WE DO Steel Quality News . . . . . .16Youth Apprenticeship . . . .16Safety Awards . . . . . . .17-19Weight Watchers . . . . . . .19FCC Civil Folder . . . . . . . .19Deniso Lebel . . . . . . . . . .19

Team Effort . . . . . . . . . . .20Opinion Survey Results . . .21Nat’l Precast Day . . . . . . .21OSCO Employee Recognition

Award Dinner . . . . . . . . . .21Suggestion Award . . . . . .22OSCO Group Picnic . . . . .22Fresh Faces . . . . . . . . . . .23Congratulations . . . . . . . .23OSCO Golf Challenge . . . .23

HOW WE DO IT

M E S S A G E F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T

WHO WE ARE

Steel Sector Meets Major Milestone TowardsHelping Coleson Cove Convert to Cleaner-air Fuel- CONTRIBUTED BY BERNIE BLAKELY

A Breath of Fresh Air

"The way a team plays as a whole determines it's success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but

if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime."- BABE RUTH

They never hit a home run or won a world series, but the players thatsuited up for the Coleson Cove refurbishment project are certainly feel-ing the same sense of accomplishment. The 1050 MW Coleson Cove

generating station underwent a major refurbishment to allow it to burnOrimulsion®, and in doing so became only the second plant in NorthAmerica to be able to use the more economical liquid fossil fuel consisting of

70% bitumen and 30% water. New Brunswick Power owns andoperates the thermal generating sta-tion which is located on the Bay ofFundy near Saint John, NewBrunswick. The station has threeboiler units, each having a capacityof 350 MW. All three units will beconverted from burning # 6 residualoil. The $750 million conversionintroduced flue gas desulphurization(FGD) equipment to significantlyreduce sulphur dioxide emissionrates, catalytic reduction equipmentto reduce nitrogen oxide emission

rates, and a flue gas precipitator toreduce particulate emission rates.The upgrades are required to meetnew environmental standardsensuring the operation of ColesonCove beyond 2005.

OSCO's experience, versatility,and competitiveness in the heavyindustrial market allowed them tosecure the contract to detail, fabri-cate and erect over 6000 tons ofstructural and miscellaneous steelrequired for the FGD building, thelimestone storage and grindingbuilding, and the electrical building.

• Ocean Steel• York Steel• OSCO Rebar• Marque Electrical

continued next page...

In this issue you will read aboutmore examples of our group’scontinued ability to adapt to

our changing business climateand to make our strategic planand vision into a reality. Doingbusiness in today’s ever-changingenvironment has never been morechallenging. Costs for raw materi-als, fuel and trucking, as well as,exchange rates all remain volatile.The construction market eithergoes boom or bust. Tax laws keepchanging, delivery schedules aremore aggressive and technologicaladvances never end. Competitionis coming from further away andthe demands placed on us, bothpersonally and professionally,have never been greater!

In the midst of all this, weremain focused on our basic for-mula to obtain more work from anexpanding customer base:

Fastest Schedule + Competitive Cost + Highest Quality + Best Safety Record + More Customer Benefits

= PROJECTS AWARDS

Fastest Schedule means reducingour customer’s time to produce aproduct and generate income.Our “Be Fast” part of our visionstatement continues to focus us in

this direction. We are developingnew computer estimating systemsand 3D CAD modeling systems tomove us towards this destination.Improving our ability to create,manage and distribute “project-based” information is a keyelement to reducing project deliv-ery times.

Competitive Cost = ImprovedProductivity x Better Unit HourlyCost. We want to continuallyimprove our productivity or totalman-hours to do our work byinvesting in the latest machineryand equipment, eliminating waste,improving our design/manufactur-ing/installation processes andtraining our people.

The second part of the costequation, unit hourly costs, rep-resents our “loaded” hourlycosts to: (i) design/prepare shopdrawings; (ii) manufacture ourcomponents: and, (iii) install our prod-ucts.

We continueto build bettermanagementreports inorder tounder-standallthe

input components that make upthese unit costs. This helps us tosee how we can better manageand reduce costs wherever possi-ble. By allowing ourselves to “BECONNECTED” we can share witheach other how we are doing, aswell as new ideas that will improveour productivity and reduce ourunit costs.

Highest Quality is a must andcannot be compromised. Our cus-tomers rightfully expect topquality and one of our core valueswill always be to: “Provide qualityproducts and services”. We are notprepared to give up quality underany circumstances.

Best SafetyRecord isanotherimportantobjective, bothin our plantsand on thejobsite, andagain one ofour core val-ues remainsto: “Maintainsafe & healthyworking envi-ronments”.

When the goinggets tough...A formula for success in a competitive environment

It involves every-one in the OSCOGroup and each ofus can make asubstantial differ-ence: no matterwhat sector ordepartment wework in.

continued on page 13...

...A Breath of Fresh Air (continued from pg.3)

Major platework structures werealso required in the design, fabrica-tion, and erection of threelimestone storage silos.

Like most construction projects,there was a tight schedule with acritical path and several crucialmilestones. In this project one of themilestones that received significantattention was the installa-tion and operation ofa 120 ton overheadcrane that was to beused, during con-struction only, bythe mechanicalcontractor Babcockand Wilcox (B&W)Canada Ltd. forthe installation ofthe two absorbertowers. B&W wasresponsible for

the engineer-

ing and modifications to the existingboilers, as well as the design, sup-ply, erection, and commissioning ofthe FGD equipment and the wetelectrostatic precipitator. Theabsorber towers, a major element inthe process, reduce the sulphurdioxide contained in the flue gas asit passes upward through the tow-ers. B&W used a modularizationtechnique, due to limited laydownarea on site, and manufacturedeach of the 56'-0" diameter towersinto several segmental componentsoff site.

The design of the FGD buildinghad to incorporate the installationand operation of this overheadcrane. The design concept usedallowed the crane to travel beyondthe footprint of the main FGD build-ing at the elevation of 236'-0" , andthen run out on to a 55'-0" can-tilevered framework that becameaffectionately referred to as "thebeak". On to the beak, the crancecould lift each segmental section ofthe absorber towers and carry themback inside the main frame of thebuilding, to be lowered down and

attached to

the previously placed segment.The owners design representa-

tives Harry Olive and Bruce Pond ofthe Coleson Power Group workedclosely with the Ocean design engi-neers headed by Ben Smith,meeting on a weekly basis to ensurea continuous flow of shop drawings.This teamwork relationship gave thedesigners the comfort to waiveapproval and proceed directly tofabrication upon receipt of shopdrawings, greatly impacting theschedule.

The team also recognized theimportance of doing as much of theoverhead crane assembly as possi-ble either in the shop or on theground. As an example, OSCO shopattached the electrical bus barsrequired to operate the crane, to thesupporting crane beams, savinginstallation in the field at an eleva-tion of over 200’.Thanks to the hard work and dedi-cation of all involved, the milestoneof August 1-03 was achieved andthe operation of the crane ransmoothly - allowing the absorbertower construction to proceed onschedule.

The entire project is scheduledfor completion in the fall of 2004.

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ConstructionManagementwith a twist...

When the largest homebuilder in Atlantic Canadadecides to build a new $3

million, 3-level, 26,000 sf headoffice complex, chances are goodthat they will play a large role inthe construction. For FCCEngineering’s Civil Division, award-ed the design-build managementcontract, this means that their cus-tomer is also their largest

sub-contractor.Through its forty years in busi-

ness, Kent Homes has created areputation as Atlantic Canada'sleading home builder. Kent modularhomes are composed of two or moresections which are constructedwithin their manufacturing plant.The completed sections are thendelivered to the customer’s homesite - sometimes hundreds of miles

• FCC Civil Division• FCC Electrical • OSCO Rebar

FCC Civil overseesthe building of

$3 million KentHomes head office

- CONTRIBUTED BY RON BUCHANAN & TAMMY LEGACY

away. When the components areerected on the foundations and thefinal carpentry is completed by theretailer, the finished result becomesa beautifully finished home for thecustomer and their family.

For their new head office inBuctouche, NB, FCC is assistingKent Homes to demonstrate that a“modular” wood frame constructionhas useful and economical applica-tions in the area of commercialoffice construction. FCC’s designteam is also breaking new groundby engineering fire separations thatwill allow the wood frame construc-tion to be connected to a majormanufacturing facility.

The mass excavation and con-struction of the foundation startedin late September. As these taskswere being completed, the 18 woodframed modules were being pre-fabricated inside the Kent Homesplant. These modules were pre-fit-ted with electrical conduit, interiorpartitions, insulation, and 80% ofthe drywall. Within five days afterstarting erection of the modules,FCC had a fully framed structureready for roofing, exterior masonry,and wall finishes.

FCC Electrical division will alsohave a significant subcontract forthe project. In conjunction with thenew office construction, they will beupgrading the entire electrical serv-ice entrance for the plant. OSCORebar supplied rebar to the project.

The new facility will include 3floors and will consolidate all of themanagement and support person-nel in one location. The old officebuilding will be converted to alunchroom and locker area forplant workers. Full occupancy isanticipated by early January of2004.

- CONTRIBUTED BY PAT BAGLEY

FCC Electrical Supervisor RichardHouser and his 11-man electri-cal team were given the

responsibility of wiring a new 106 lineat J. D. Irving’s Tissue Plant inDieppe. The state of the art machineimported from Italy, required an

intense two week 24 hour per dayinstallation schedule in order to meetthe scheduled start up date. Onceoperational, this new 106 line willconvert tissue paper to: private label,Majesta, and Royale bathroom tissue.

FCC has been providing electricalmaintenance services at Irving Tissue,Dieppe for the past five years.

FCC Electrical wires new tissue linefor Irving Tissue - Dieppe

See “Team Effort” article on pg.20

Is it, or isn’t it?You may never look at a brick building the same again...Strescon’s new thin-brick veneer process makesmasonry a fast & affordable alternative- CONTRIBUTED BY TAMMY LEGACY & GRANT MAXWELL

“There isn’t a proposeddevelopment in Bostonthat will change a neigh-borhood moredramatically than BeaconCapital’s four-blockmultiuse (ChannelCenter) plan for theformer industrial areaalong A Street inSouth Boston”Boston Globe, May 28-02

It seems to be one of the mosttalked-about development inBoston - the $400 million

Channel Center. The plan involvesreviving about twenty BostonWharf buildings, demolishingthree, and adding two new circu-lar glass office buildings. Thename “Channel Center” was cho-sen due to the development’sproximity to the historic Fort PointChannel.

Long an areainhabited by artists,the developers havevowed not to pricethem out of thearea. In an interest-ing twist, Beaconhas agreed toreserve 130 of the455 planned resi-dential spaces forartist’s live-workspaces. Accordingto RM Bradley &Co., the firm mar-keting the condos,the plan is to createa “neighborhood”.

Once complete,the project willinclude approx600,000 sq.ft. ofresidential use,

840,000 sq.ft. of office space and110,000 sq.ft. of retail space, aswell as parking and green space.

The development has beensplit into eleven parcels. Parcel 6,with an address of 25 ChannelCenter, is the building Strescon iscurrently working on. It will con-sist of a new, 12-story structure ofbrick, concrete, steel and glass.the upscale building will house 76luxurious condos starting at$500,000 - up to $1.9 million.Forty-eight condos will feature twolevels of living space - many with17ft atriums and skylights. Parcel6 is scheduled for completion inAugust-04.

The finished product looks like tradi-tional brick and mortar, but withoutthe time or cost... Although the

thin-brick veneer process has beenaround for a number of years, it has onlyrecently been gaining entry into the NewEngland market. Judging by the many

advantages to using it, it’s no surprisethat it’s said to be the fastest growingsection of the precast panel industry.

ADVANTAGES:Saves money on the cost of masonsand time delays

Saves time: Because the brick is castoff-site and installed as structural pan-

els, the brick veneer is complete assoon as the structure is erected.

Avoids moisture problems:Because the brick is cast inhard-rock concrete instead ofmortar, water does not travelthrough the brick and mortarsystem the way it does in con-ventional masonry. Thiseliminates the efflorescenceand periodic acid washingrequired, as well as needinglintel angles, building paper,flashing or weeps to channel

water back to the exterioras with conventionalmasonry.

Reduced maintenance dueto the lack of moisture,means periodic pressurewashing, brick sealing andtuck pointing are notrequired.

Improved job safety: due toreduced materials handling

Reduced weather delays: Precast canbe placed in rain, wind, heat or otherweather extremes that might stop theinstallation of conventional masonry,which typically requires dry weatherand 40 degrees Fahrenheit and above.

Channel Center

THE PROJECT FILE:

OWNER: Beacon Capital Partners

GENERAL CONTRACTOR: A.J. Martini, Inc.

ARCHITECTS: Bruner/Cott & Associates

Childs Bertman Tseckares Inc.

ENGINEER: LeMessurier Consultants, Inc.

STRESCON SUPPLIED: 175+ architectural pieces,

consisting of column covers with brick

returns, spandrels and flat panels

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The Process

The Project

W H A T W E D O W H A T W E D O• Strescon Precast

The Product

The amount of thin-brick precast panelsthat can be erected in ONE DAY, wouldtake approx 33 DAYS for traditionalmasons to build with full bricks.

Strescon will cast 92,000individual thin bricks into the face of precast panels for 25 Channel Center.

above: an ad which appearedin “Boston Homes” in July-03

The thin-bricks are waxed on the face; cut where necessary; andset into a plastic form liner. Rebar is inserted, and self-levelling

concrete is poured into the form to panel thickness. When the panels are lift-ed the next day, the liner is peeled off, and panels are pressure washed and

readied for shipment to the jobsite where they can be erected immediately.

Rendering compliments of the Architects: Childs Bertman Tseckares Inc. , Boston, MA

- CONTRIBUTED BY TAMMY LEGACY

Strescon Saint John recentlycompleted erecting 6” archi-tectural wall panels on CAA

maritimes new state-of-the-artheadquarters located in SaintJohn, NB.

A federation of 11 CAA auto-mobile clubs across Canada, CAAserves over four million membersthrough 130 offices and affilia-

tions in 95 countries. They providea wide range of Member servicesand works to improve travelingand motoring conditions. SaintJohn has been the Head Office forCAA Maritimes since its inceptionin 1947. They will be welcomingtheir 100,000th Member in 2003.

Prominently located at the topof Westmorland Road, the attrac-tive precast and glass structurestands out like a jewel in the pre-

dominantly retail area of thecity. According to MalcolmBoyd of Murdoch & BoydArchitects, choosing precastwasn’t a difficult decision:

“We designed the building toallow options for the exteriorwall assembly. We presentedthe rendering to the CAA as anexample of how it "could" look.Precast, EIFS, masonry andmetal siding were all examinedand value engineered by the

CAA and the Design-Build Team.Precast was the hands-down choicefor this design, based on it's aesthet-ics, durability, and erection time. TheCAA believed the small premium inthe cost differential was well spent.We, the design architects, are verypleased with the final result.”

The new building will replacetwo existing CAA Maritimes prem-ises on Rothesay Avenue in SaintJohn.

CAA Maritimes

THE PROJECT FILE:

OWNER: Canadian Automobile Association

GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Cardinal Construction Inc.

ARCHITECT: Murdock & Boyd Architects, Inc.

ENGINEER: Lawrence Engineering

STRESCON SUPPLIED: 32 - 6” Architectural Wall Panels

STRESCON READY-MIX SUPPLIED: Ready-Mix concrete

OSCO REBAR SUPPLIED: 18 tons of rebar

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A Hydroelectric Dam Takes Shape - St. George Pulp & Paper THAT’S ONE BIG JOB...As of Oct.1st, 2003, three-quarters of thetotal volume of concrete had been poured -that’s 8200 cubic metres

- the equivalent of 322 full found-ations for a typical new bungalow!!

The Storm Behind theCalm

- CONTRIBUTED BY TAMMY LEGACY

Behind the idyllic NewBrunswick landmark of theold Saint George mill, lies a

flurry of construction and activitywhich would boggle the mind of theaverage tourist.

Founded in 1786, St. George islocated 100km West of Saint John,nestled on the banks and aroundthe estuary of the MagaguadavicRiver. Located directly behind thepicturesque mill is the St. GeorgePulp & Paper Power Plant, which iscurrently undergoing a completeredevelopment to realize a multi-tude of benefits both to the Pulp &Paper mill, and to the town, includ-ing:

Construction of a new U/G power-house with 2 7.5 MW turbines -Improved energy production andefficiency

Construction of a new dam &spillway - Improved flood controlwith additional spillage capacity.

New (improved) downstream fishpassage - With new intake screensand fish bypass

No changes to range of water lev-els in headpond - Maintains waterlevels in Lake Utopia and portionsof the Magaguadavic River for recre-ational uses.

Demolition of old wood room andadjacent dam - Improved propertyappearance.

Construction began in May,2002, with the demolition of build-ings on the planned excavation sitefor the new powerhouse.

Aesthetics, Durability & SpeedDrive CAA to Select Precast

• Strescon Precast• Strescon Ready-Mix

• Ocean Steel• York Steel• OSCO Rebar• FCC Electrical• Marque

Mechanical

“Precast was the hands-down choice for this design...”Malcolm Boyd, Murdoch & Boyd Architects

St. George Pulp & PaperUndertakes Massive Projectto Rebuild Hydro-ElectricStation

FCC ELECTRICAL has been awarded thecontract to provide electrical services during construc-tion of the new St. George Hydro Generating Station.The new plant will house Two New G.E Generators pro-viding a total station output of 15 megawatts.

FCC Electrical supervisor Morel Ouellette and histeam of electricians have been given the task of wiringthe new generators and associated equipment, newcontrol room, Programmable Logic Control systemwiring (PLC), as well as base building electrical.

The crew assembled by Morel will have its handsfull with this project. The tight schedule laid out by J.D. Irving will require the estimated 6500 man-hours ofwork be completed in less than 8 weeks.

FCC Electrical personnel Morel Ouellette and JariWilczak have been on site at St. George for the last 12months providing temporary construction power andgrounding services as construction has progressed.

This project is scheduled for completion in early2004.

Site of New Powerhouse Excavation - July 02 Excavation - November 02 Tunnels & Floor - May 03 Powerhouse - Oct 03

View from East side of building

continued next page...

It was in 1996 that Stresconbuilt one of only a handful ofconcrete papermills in North

America for Stora Enso.Utilizing both the NB and NSprecast plants, Strescon wasable to meet the demandingschedule for the 6400 requiredpieces only 7 months fromcontract signing.

Over the past few months,Strescon has again beenworking at Stora - this timeon the building that willhouse the new thermome-chanical (TMP) pulp line.

Project Facts:Owner: Stora EnsoConstruction Manager: Tessag, KSH Ltd.Engineer: Bloco (Stockholm, Sweden)

Strescon supplied: 69 columns, 18 roofgirders, 51 ledger beams, 18 roofbeams, 109 tie beams, 146 doubletees, 162 floor/roof slabs, 16 roofcurbs, 13 trench beams, 20 insulat-ed wall panels & 18 stair panelsOcean Steel supplied: structural steelbracing, crane girders, crane railsand stairs - complete with landingsand rails.

St. George Hydro

THE PROJECT FILE:

OWNER: St. George Pulp & Paper

GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Gulf Operators

ENGINEER: Kleinschmidt USA

YORK STEEL SUPPLIED: PLATEWORK:170 tons of steel

fabricated into 2 transitions, 2 vents and 10 pen-

stocks (Project Mgr: Brad MacPhee)

OCEAN STEEL SUPPLIED: STRUCTURAL STEEL FOR

POWERHOUSE: 80 tons. (Project Mgr: Jeff Keith)

OSCO REBAR SUPPLIED & PLACED: 600+ tons of rebar

FCC SUPPLIED: Power Distribution

MARQUE supplied: Process Piping

W H A T W E D OW H A T W E D O

A better way to build: DORMITORIES

TheConcretePaperMill

C O N N E C T I O N S • F a l l 2 0 0 310

As excavation progressed, rock dowelswere drilled and placed in the rock face forsupport, and by March 2003, the 500ft tun-nel had been fully excavated.

October 2003 saw the completion of thetwo new penstocks manufactured by YorkSteel for the new Hydro Plant. These 3.75-metre diameter pipes take water down to theturbines in the Powerhouse.

The schedule for Oct-Dec’03 includesfocusing on the powerhouse structural steelfabricated by Ocean Steel, and the start ofthe electrical work by FCC Engineering. Theproject is expected to be completed byFebruary, 2004, and commissioned inMarch.

...St. George Hydro - continued from previous page

Strescore plank is manufacturedin a climate controlled CSA/PCIcertified plant under the highest

quality control standards. It hasbecome the product of choice of

Architects, Engineers and Owners asthe most efficient system for office,residential, institutional and industri-al buildings for several reasons -shallow depth, durability, sound and

fire characteristics and fast, all-weath-er, cost effective installation.

Strescon has recently suppliedStrescore for dorms at both WorcesterState College and Springfield College.

When two Massachusetts colleges decided to build new dormitories,they chose Strescore plank... HERE’S WHY.

Fire preventionStudies indicate that a large num-ber of fires spread quickly due tocombustible floor systems. AStrescore floor will contain a fire forhours and will likely be usable aftera file. Many insurance companiesrecognize this and many offer lowerinsurance premiums as a result.

Low sound transmissionStrescore plank floors provide excel-lent sound insulation between thefloors of a building. Quality of life isenhanced when activities in onepart of the building do not interferewith those above or below the floor.

Long spansClear spans of 30-40’ are easilyachieved through use of 8” and 10”deep slabs depending on loadingconditions. The unobstructed spans

provide for versatile use of the spacebelow.

Ready made ductsContinuous voids are formedthrough each unit to reduce weightand improve structural perform-ance.These voids can be used as chan-nels for heating and ventilatingducts, electrical raceways, plumbingruns and exhaust fan vent outlets toa building’s exterior. Planks can alsobe easily core drilled for plumbingchases.

Reduced building heightBy using Strescore plank you canreduce your total building height by15% over other construction materi-als... saving you money on theexterior building envelope.

Finished ceilings - ready for spray plasterStrescore planks have a smoothsteel form bottom finish. a texturedspray finish directly on the under-side eliminates the need for anyadditional ceiling finishes.

Fast installationStrescore plank is easily and quicklyinstalled, 12 months a year, in anyweather - saving time and money.Once installed, it provides a safeworking platform for other trades tobegin their work.

Design freedomStrescore planks are adaptable tomany structuralsystems - precastconcrete, structur-al steel, masonry,ICF and wood.

Proj

ect D

etai

ls:

Key ADVANTAGES to using STRESCORE

Worcester State College DormLOCATION: Worcester, MaCUSTOMER: Suffolk ConstructionARCHITECT: ADD Inc.ENGINEER: McNamara/Salvia IncSTRESCON SUPPLIED: 1126 pieces of Strescore plank

(97,900 sq. feet)& 43 precast lintel beams (360 linear feet)

Springfield College Residence HallLOCATION: Springfield, MaCUSTOMER: Fontaine Bros. Inc.ARCHITECT: Tessier AssociatesENGINEER: Girard and CompanySTRESCON SUPPLIED: 676 pieces of Strescore plank

(55,500 sq. feet) & 8 solid slabs (500 sq. feet)

Pictured: Worcester StateCollege Dorm (Oct-03)

C O N N E C T I O N S • F a l l 2 0 0 3 11

Stora Enso - Port Hawkesbury calls on Strescononce again - this time for an expansion

• Strescon Precast• Ocean Steel

• Strescon Precast

In Brief...

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FCC Electrical- CONTRIBUTED BY PAT BAGLEY

St. Joseph’s HospitalFCC Electrical has recently been

awarded the Electrical & EssentialService Renovations for the 7th, 8th& 9th Floors of the St. Joseph'sHospital in Saint John, NB. Thisproject offers some unique chal-lenges to the team of six electricians,including the installation of: newNurse Call Systems; PatientWandering Systems; Fire AlarmSystems; Card Access Systems; &Wiring of Patient Care Areas. Workwill continue on this project for thenext nine months.Project Manager: Pat BagleySuperintendent: Adam Sarchfield

Irving Personnel Care (IPC) FCC Electrical has recently been

awarded the first phase of the IPCMoncton project. The first phaseinvolves the placement of a ground-

ing system for the new 150,000square foot manufacturing plantcurrently being constructed inMoncton by Acadian Constructionfor J. D. Irving.

FCC Electrical andCommunication Cabling Divisionsare presently consulting with theIPC Projects team on the schedulesand design of the upcoming phases.

Irving Oil Petroleum FCC Electrical is working with FCC

Civil to complete a number ofPetroleum Upgrade Projects at vari-ous Irving locations in NB. Five siteshave been completed to date with fivemore sites to go. The site conditionsoffer many challenges.

FCC Electrical personnel DelbertNoble, Mike Long, Rick Hetherington,Jim Johnson, Mike Cosman, andSteve Dryden have all worked dili-gently to ensure completion of theseprojects. Feedback received from theowners and operators of these siteshas been extremely positive.

How much wood can a sawmill saw?

- CONTRIBUTED BY BERT HANSON

JDIhead office inMoncton is cur-rently undergoing

an office restructuring and acabling upgrade at the same time.The first phase of the project wasdone on the first floor of the Bwing at 100 Midland drive. The

project was com-pleted over a fourday period andincluded the coor-dination of effortsbetween theUniversalProperties group(Duane Olsen), JDIrving InformationTechnologyDivision (ToddPrime), Aliant(Dave Brown) andFCC Engineering(Jim Johnston).The project includ-ed the relocation

and set-up of approximately 100workstations and offices. The sec-ond upgrade and move wascompleted over a 7 day periodand included the rewiring ofapproximately 140 work areas.These moves leave the 100 mid-land drive office cablingapproximately 50% upgraded,

with plans to be 100% upgradedover the next year or two.

The IT division recognized thismove as an opportunity toupgrade their network cabling tothe category 6 enhanced stan-dards. This will allow themgigabit Ethernet to the desk topand the bandwidth capacity forall applications in the foreseeablefuture. The category 6 enhancedcabling is still the most techno-logically advanced cabling on themarket today and has been sinceit was first introduced as a stan-dard for the OSCO ConstructionGroup head office nearly fouryears ago.

Faster than aspeeding bullet,able to upgradelong cables in a single bound...FCC Communication CablingUpgrades JDI Moncton Head Office.

FCC Civil Division manages 25,000 sf expansion for JDI’s Veneer Sawmill

The smooth coordination betweenthe affiliate companies and the keypersonnel that led each of thesegroups, brought these projectstogether without a hitch under whatseemed to be impossible time lines.

OSCO Rebar - CONTRIBUTED BY GREG TIMS

A very busy summer for rebar...Following are some of the high-lights...

With FCC Eng:- Warehouse rework Project at IPI - 86 Tons - Reel & Winder at IPI - 49 Tons- PM1 Substation expansion at IPI - 30 Tons- Kent Homes Administration Expansion,

Buctouche, NB - 8 Tons- Veneer Sawmill expansion, Veneer, NB

- 30 Tons

New Brunswick: - 2 RCR maint. and transport. Facility, CFB

Gagetown - 112 Tons- IPC 2003 Diaper Plant, Dieppe - 98 Tons- Superstore, Rothesay - 38 Tons- K73 Addition, CFB Gagetown - 52 Tons- Building B, Emmerson Technology Park,

Moncton - 14 Tons- Flex Space Building, Moncton - 47 Tons- School, Perth-Andover - 76 Tons- Toyota expansion, Moncton - 28 Tons- Toyota expansion, Fredericton - 22 Tons- Honda expansion, Fredericton - 6 Tons- Vision Ford expansion, Campbellton - 9 Tons- Kent Building Supplies, Rothesay - 22 Tons- Detroit Diesel (tilt-up), Moncton - 29 Tons- CAA Building, Saint John - 18 Tons- Coleson Cove FGD Building Superstructure,

Coleson Cove - 416 Tons- Bridge, Hwy 1, Waweig - 48 Tons- Canadian Tire, St. Stephen - 15 Tons- Superstore ren & additions, Moncton -15 Tons - Master Packaging warehouse, Dieppe

-123 Tons

Prince Edward Island: - Four different contracts for Arenas/Aquatics

Facilities, Charlottetown - 60+ Tons- High School Addition, Bluefield - 13 Tons - Folding Carton Project, Master Packaging,

Borden - 119 Tons- Police Station addition, Summerside - 9 Tons

Nova Scotia:-Truro Junior High School, Truro, NS - 39 Tons-New WalMart, Amherst, NS - 30 Tons-New Superstore, Amherst, NS - 26 Tons- PM1 Upgrade, Stora Forest Products,

Port Hawkesbury, NS - 164 Tons

Ready-Mix Update- CONTRIBUTED BY DAVE DUNNETT

Strescon’s Ready-Mix Divisionhas completed the following jobsin addition to their regular resi-dential customers:CAA BUILDING - CardinalEMPIRE THEATRES - Meridian

KENT BUILDING (ROTHESAY) - MeridianOUR LADY OF P.H. CHURCH - FloodsVARIOUS PORT JOBS:

DECK REHAB - FloodsSHOTCRETE - Atlantic Underground

ServicesPILE REPAIR - Clayco Construction

SUPERSTORE (ROTHESAY) - APMWATERTANK (ROTHESAY) - Gulf Operators

READY, SET AND GO- CONTRIBUTED BY MOLLY KNORR

FCC has been working in conjunc-tion with Irving Oil on numerousprojects across Atlantic Canada,

including petroleum upgrades, bayconversions and new installations. Wecurrently have approximately 20 activeprojects varying in size, scope anddetail, to be completed by years end.

Our team continues to grow andprojects continue to flow - through it

all, we are committed to maintainingthe critical balance between productand cost.

We are currently discussing excit-ing new projects for 2004, including anew Big Stop Travel Center.

We look forward to increased com-munication and streamlining ouroperation to solidify the entire design,tender and construction process.

We have a challenging scheduleahead of us for this season, but we areconfident in both our, and our client’sabilities to achieve our mutual goals.

We are not in any way interested inreducing costs and improving pro-ductivity at the expense of safety! Asemployees with spouses and chil-dren to look after and to share ourlives with, we all understand whythis core value can never be compro-mised. We will continue to investheavily in health and safety initia-tives and to measure our progresstowards zero lost time incident/acci-dent rates.

More Customer Benefits representthe extras in service we try to bringinto our relationships with both ourcustomers and our suppliers. We

strive to be a “low maintenance” sub-contractor; one that our customerscan rely on to perform and that won’tconsume a lot of their energy to lookafter. At the same time, we try tooffer more value-engineering whenev-er we can, to help customers obtainmore work and to succeed with theprojects they undertake. We try to bereasonable and fair in requestingextra compensation and to be flexiblein responding to our customer’srevised schedules. We continue tooffer total solution packages with ourstructural steel/precast concretecomponents, and other group servic-es, to make co-ordination easier and

less costly. Our success formula for Project

Awards is easy to understand regard-less of how complex the worldaround us may become. It involveseveryone in the OSCO Group andeach of us can make a substantialdifference: no matter what sector ordepartment we work in. Again, Iwould like to take this opportunity tothank all of you for your continuedenergy and enthusiasm that youhave shown in contributing to ourformula for success. I am very confi-dent that the OSCO Group willcontinue to distinguish itself in allthe markets in which it competes.

...Message from the President - continued from page 1

JDI’s Veneer Sawmill,located in NorthernNB, is presently

undergoing an expansion that willincrease their capacity by over 25%,from 25 million board feet per year,to 33 million board feet per year.

FCC’s Civil Division, under the

Project Management of StevenScott, is handling the project at thehardwood sawmill, which willinclude a new building, as well asthe installation of a new “automateddrop-sorter” and “resaw” (whichautomatically turns the log to thebest side before cutting to utilize

the best grain).Other Group members involved

in the project include Ocean Steelfor the structural steel, OSCORebar, and FCC Electrical.

Work on this team effort startedon Sept.22-03 and is scheduled forcompletion on Jan.15-04.

- CONTRIBUTED BY TAMMY LEGACY

This past spring saw an evolutionof our internal communications,as the weekly email newsletter,

Keeping in Touch, was retired.Originally conceived as a vehicle forkeeping each of our companies awareof what the others were doing, KiThad grown into an effective medium

for conveying awide array ofnews andannouncements.The last issuewent out on May30th and ush-ered in a newlevel of commu-nications for theGroup; theOSCO infonet.

Much more than just a vehicle forannouncements, the infonet is a trueresource for all manner of marketingmaterials, human resources events, IThelp and operations data.

Utilizing a program calledSharepoint, the infonet is easy to nav-igate and easy to contribute to.Employees have access to bookresources or add their own announce-

ments with the clickof a button. It istruly “self-serve”communications.

The possibili-ties of this system areunlimited, and it con-tinues to grow andevolve on a dailybasis. Unlike theinternet, the infonetis intended for ouremployees, and isonly available overour internal net-work. With futureplans to installkiosks in the shopsfor full access, ourinternal communi-cations will only getbetter.

Winning the Bid... Profitably- CONTRIBUTED BY TAMMY LEGACY

Anyone can underbid to get ajob, but will they still be inbusiness to complete it? No

matter how well a plant fabricates orerects steel, they're doomed to failwithout accurate estimates. Inferiorestimating systems can result in bidsthat are too low and lose money forthe company; bids that are too highto warrant consideration; or bids thatare too slow in preparing and nevereven make it into the running.Successful companies don’t just winthe bid... they make a profit on thejob.

In our effort to remain competi-tive in an increasingly tight market,the OSCO Construction Group con-tinues to invest heavily ininformation technology. As part ofthis process, we are presently makingthe transition to a new estimatingsystem for our steel division.

As with any complete overhaul ofa system, a solid foundation is criti-cal. When our first estimators wentonline with the new system at thebeginning of 2003, it was only madepossible after two and a half years ofresearch, planning, and hard work.

The project began with the pur-chase of Fabtrol software - a steelindustry-specific estimating solution.From the basic shell this softwareoffered us, Process Analyst BrianMcLaughlin spent countless hourscustomizing and perfecting the sys-tem with input from retired OceanSteel General Manager, Fritz Klohn.In addition, several time studies wereperformed by Industrial Engineeringco-op student, Mark Chaisson in thefall of 2002.

Although our old system hadserved us well for many years,reviews by our Estimators on the newsoftware has been very positive.Fabtrol has provided quicker,more accurate quotes, allin a much more user-friendly package thatgenerates less paperand enables quick andpainless revisions. Onceentered into the system,data can now be filteredand allocated in a multi-tude of ways. The resultinginformation is also easilytransferred into our corpo-rate ERP software: OneWorld.

Of course the state-of-the-artworkstations are also a bonus... largemonitors on moveable arms,equipped with cordless keyboardsand mice, enable the Estimators toquickly and accurately input informa-tion from drawings with comfort andease.

For Estimating Manager JoeVautour, the key advantages are: itsaccuracy with respect to shop hours,as well as the organization of thefinal material reports - everythingcompiles into a simple, easy-to-readformat.

Joe expects all Steel Estimatorsto be online with the

new system by theend of 2003.

Steel Division invests in new estimating software

OSCO Construction Group launches“OSCO infonet” full speed ahead

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The Precast Concrete softwareConsortium (the PCSC) is agroup of leading North

American prestressed/precastconcrete producer companies thatbanded together to further thedevelopment of advanced softwarefor the industry. They recognizedthat the precast industry couldsignificantly reduce both costs andlead-times by applying advanced3D modeling and data integrationtechnologies.

In a relatively short period oftime, the PCSC selected GeorgiaTech as technical advisor and pro-gram manager, developed adetailed technical specification,laid out a project plan, conductedan open RFP process and selectedTekla’s Xengineer platform as thebest choice for future develop-ment.

Why Tekla Xengineer?The most significant requirementidentified by the PCSC, was thatthe precast engineering softwaremust enable full 3D modeling ofbuildings. In addition, the modelmust be parametric. This meansthat if a change is made to themodel, the model must respond tothat change and maintain its cor-rectness. For example, if a column

is moved, all of the beams framinginto it, with all of their connec-tions, and all of the floor piecesresting on the beams, etc. mustautomatically adapt themselves tothe new situation.

Tekla’s Xengineer is specifical-ly designed to support parametric3D modeling of buildings, whethersteel, cast-in-place or precast con-crete. When a designer “connects”any two (or more) pieces, the con-nection is configured and sized tosuit the pieces and the loads to betransferred (in fact, one can pre-set rules for applying connections,and then have the software insertand detail all of the building’s con-nections...). But this is not all -when changes are made to thepieces, whether in resizing or mov-ing them, all of the geometry ofthe pieces and connectionsdependent on it are automaticallycorrected to match.

Buildings are complex assem-blies, with tens of thousands ofindividual parts. As a result, sys-tem performance must be a majorfactor in evaluating building mod-eling software. In the benchmarktests conducted by the GeorgiaInstitute of Technology for thePCSC, only Tekla Xengineer wasable to model large buildingassemblies without seriously

degraded performance. Not coinci-dentally, Tekla Xengineer wasdesigned from its inception specifi-cally for modeling buildings.

The PCSC required that thesolution be specifically suited tothe needs of the North Americanprecast industry. The PCSC is cur-rently working with Tekla toenhance Xengineer with the pre-cast pieces, connection and jointdetails, finishes, reinforcing, pre-stressing patterns, embeddedhardware, drawing and BOM for-mats, and other features specificto the practices of the PCSC mem-ber companies.

Economic Benefits of Top-down Parametric 3DPrecast-Engineering Design

Studies carried out by GeorgiaTech, suggest that users canexpect to eliminate errors costingaround half a percent of total proj-ect cost. Savings due toproductivity enhancements - thedesign automation and automateddrawing production appear to bein the region of 5% to 10% of totalproject costs. These figures do notinclude savings resulting fromimproved BOM, shorter sales time,and other intangibles.

Note: Strescon is not only a member ofthe PCSC, but our Vice President, Hans O.Klohn serves as Chairman for theConsortium.

Can’t find the software you need? Build some!Precast Concrete Software Consortium hiresTekla to do just that...

Steel Estimator Randy Gallant demonstratingFabtrol on the new cordless system.

Taking the “self-serve”approach to internal communications

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- CONTRIBUTED BY GRAHAM SMITH

Over the coming months OceanSteel &Construction Ltd.

will be updating its quali-ty management systemto meet the revisedrequirements of theAISC Certification

Program for Structural SteelFabricators. In preparation for thistask three employees will be attend-ing a seminar covering the changesto and the new requirements of theAISC quality program.

The changes to the AISC qualityprogram alignit with the ISO9001:2000quality stan-dard. Thisalignment willenhance the ability to establish asingle quality management systemapplicable to both our Ocean Steel &Construction Ltd. and our York SteelInc. facilities.

This year we hadseveral jobs thatrequired us to gobeyond our normalday to day qualityplan. To comply wedeveloped qualityplans specific tothe work and forthat of our subcon-tractors. Inaddition one proj-ect also required usto perform auditsat our subcontrac-

tors‘ facilities and specified that thecustomer would be auditing us aswell as our subcontractors.

A major task at York Steel Inc.this year was the upgrading of itsquality management system to theISO 9001:2000 standard by its own

staff without using consultants. InSeptember this task culminated withthe company passing the upgraderegistration assessment performedby BSI Management SystemsCompany.

We continue to update computerprograms and computer equipmentin the offices and plants to enablethe work to be performed in a moreeffective and efficient manner.

Our commitment to meet therequirements of these quality stan-dards goes hand in hand with ourability to meet our MissionStatement: - “To provide our cus-tomers with valued constructionsolutions using our expertise in thedesign, manufacture & installationof building components”.

- CONTRIBUTED BY PAT BAGLEY

For the Past Five Years, FCCElectrical has been a proudsupporter of the New

Brunswick Youth ApprenticeshipProgram. This program, in part-nership with employers like FCC,provide high school students withthe opportunity, over the summermonths, to experience the “worldof work” and expand their knowl-edge of essential employabilityskills.

Our most recent youthapprentice student was AdamHoddinott. Adam has recentlygraduated from KennebecasisHigh School as well as the YouthApprenticeship Program and is

currently attending the Universityof New Brunswick in Frederictonpursing a degree in Engineering.

Over the past two summers,Adam has been involved innumerous electrical projects as anelectricians helper. He assisted inthe electrical estimating depart-ment, and has gained a great dealexperience and knowledge whileworking with the CommunicationsCabling Division.

Adam attributes his decisionto pursue an engineering degree inlarge part to the exposure he hasgained while working for FCC andthe skills he has acquired whilebeing a youth apprentice. We wishAdam all the best in his pursuit ofan Engineering Degree.

Some Past Students from

School Districts 6 and 8 whoexpressed interest in pursuing apost secondary education in theelectrical or engineering fields andwho FCC has supported by pro-viding employment through theYouth Apprenticeship Programinclude:

Jamie McNiel - Currently Pursuing a Technical Degreeat UNB Fredericton

Joseph Cannon (Son of Anna Cannon - OSCO GroupServices) - ElectricalApprentice

Trever Crilley - Journeymen Electrician

Sean McGrath - Currently Pursuing a Computer ScienceDegree at UNB Fredericton

FCC Electrical Celebrates it’s 5th Year Participation in the New BrunswickYouth Apprenticeship Program

Welcome to the “world of work”Strescon NB515 Years!Paul McDermott . . .30James Anderson . . 25Hugo Bursich . . . . .20 William Bennett . . .15Norman Hazelwood .15Dwaine Spicer . . . .15William McInniss . .15Mike Hazlewood . . .15Francis Hebert . . . .10Gary Cairns . . . . . .10Donald Dorey . . . . .10Glen Urquhart . . . .10John Marks . . . . . .10Vernon Mullin . . . . .10Gerald Godin . . . . .10Malcolm Belding . .10Anthony Watson . . .10Doug Murphy . . . . .10Anthony Jennings . .10Jody Hunter . . . . . .10Richard Gavel . . . . .10Michel Roy . . . . . . .10

Thom Cormier . . . .10Leo Henry . . . . . . .10David Kierstead . . .10Owen Paisley . . . . . .5George Paisley . . . . .5Fred Ward . . . . . . . .5Lorenzo Savoie . . . . .5Gerald LeBlanc . . . . .5Charles Marks . . . . .5John Jones . . . . . . . .5David McSheffrey . . .5Gary LeBlanc . . . . . .5Chris Fisher . . . . . . .5Joe Hector . . . . . . . .5Tom Hinam . . . . . . . .5Terry Garland . . . . . .5Ronald Basque . . . . .5Alvin Belyea . . . . . . .5Alyre Malley . . . . . . .5Darren Rhyno . . . . . .5Roland Froude . . . . .5William Haines . . . . .5George Logue . . . . . .5John Mott . . . . . . . . .5Dallas McKinney . . . .5

Robert Gogan . . . . . .5Ronald Basque Jr. . . .5Raymond Drisdelle . .5Robert Magee . . . . . .5Jamie Rodgers . . . . .5Philip Thompson . . . .5Gerald Hebert . . . . . .5Melvin Perry . . . . . . .5David Schedler . . . . .5Brad Miller . . . . . . . .5Mark Cole . . . . . . . .5Frank Godsoe . . . . . .5Brent Marshall . . . . .5Stephen Taylor . . . . .5Glen Wright . . . . . . .5Laurie Lebouthillier .5Wayne Bennett . . . . .5

York Steel335 Years!Andrew Jordan . . . .35Stephen Handrahan 35Marven Jordan . . . .30Art Wooden . . . . . .30Paul Lawson . . . . . .30

Robert White . . . . .25Brian Underwood . .25Robbie Roden . . . . .20Wayne Morgan . . . .15John Sparks . . . . . .15Willard LaFrance . .15Lawrence Doiron . .10Ron Arseneault . . . . .5Greg Carrier . . . . . . .5Scott Coughlan . . . . .5Andrew MacKenzie . .5Joseph Hodgins . . . .5Vergil Varlin . . . . . . .5Hollis Golden . . . . . .5William Humble . . . .5Ron Jordan . . . . . . . .5Fernand Duguay . . . .5

Ocean Steel 230 Years!Henry Myers . . . . . .30George Chapman . .25Tim Latter . . . . . . .15Roderick Macintosh 15John Hamm . . . . . .15Luke Gallant . . . . . .10Gerald Martin . . . . .10Joseph Cassie . . . . .10Donat Richard . . . .10David Oliver . . . . . .10JP Gionet . . . . . . . .10Donald Daigle . . . . .10Tom Adams . . . . . . .5

Jack Lingley . . . . . . .5Raymond Goguen . . .5Tim Ganong . . . . . . .5Vincent Gautreau . . .5Carmen Kelly . . . . . .5William O’Hearon . . .5David Irvine . . . . . . .5Gary Cyr . . . . . . . . . .5Fred Brown . . . . . . .5George Grass . . . . . .5James Hachey . . . . .5

Strescon - NS165 Years!John Hilchey . . . . . .20Bruce Boyde . . . . . .15Greg Currie . . . . . .15Chris Stevens . . . . .15Martin Gora . . . . . .10Doug Renfrew . . . . .10George Lawson . . . .10Lorne MacMillan . .10Dave Webb . . . . . . .10Ralph Apesteguy . . . .5John Grouchy . . . . . .5John Yeo . . . . . . . . .5Keith Burke . . . . . . .5Jim Lawless . . . . . . .5Peter Rosvall . . . . . .5Mark Chamberlain . .5Paul Benoit . . . . . . .5John Miller . . . . . . . .5Trevor Ricketts . . . . .5

Individual SafetyAwards presented toGroup employees- CONTRIBUTED BY STEVE HANRAHAN

Presentations of individual safe-ty awards were handed outthis past summer to our man-ufacturing employees atOcean Steel, York Steel, andboth of Strescon’s facilities(Saint John, New Brunswick& Bedford, Nova Scotia).

The awardsreceivedand eligibil-ity forconsidera-tion were asfollows:

Safety Lapel PinsEmployees were presented with a5 or 10 year lapel pin to recognizein 5 year increments, havingworked without a lost time acci-dent or medical aid for consecutiveyears up to 10 years.

Safety Plaques Employees were presented with aplaque and safety lapel pin to rec-ognize the number of consecutiveyears they worked without a losttime accident or medical aid for 15years and beyond.

Strescon Saint John led the waywith 515 years, York Steel tallied335, Ocean Steel had 230, andStrescon Bedford counted 165years! That’s a grand total of1245 years!!!

1245 Years Accident Free!!SteelQualityNews A major task at York Steel Inc. this year was the upgrading

of its quality management system to the ISO 9001:2000standard by its own staff without using consultants

Pictured: Strescon-NBemployeesshow off theirsafety awards

Congratulations toStrescon-NS pipesales associate,

John Mack, whose Deniso Lebelproject was chosen by the Americanconcrete Pipe Association as a“Success Story” on the uses of con-crete pipe. John was asked to give apresentation on the project at theFall Short coursein Las Vegas onNovember 5th.The ACPA cov-ered John’sregistration($396 US), plusawarded him a$100 gift cer-tificate.

It was a while in the making, butFCC Engineering’s Civil Divisionfinally has a flashy new presenta-

tion folder as part of their marketingrepertoire.

The outside showcases a widerange of the division’s recent workand customers, in a range of sectors:commercial; heavy industrial; retail;and light industrial. A custom-cutpocket in the shape of our corporateoffice inside the folder can be usedto insert additional materials.

The folder was designed in-house and printed by sistercompany, Unipress.

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- CONTRIBUTED BY ROB FELTUS

The OSCO Construction Grouphas recently taken major stepsin improving the use of fall

arrest equipment. Whether we use fallarrest equipment daily or just on rareoccasions, it is very important that weare properly trained, complying withthe regulations, and using appropri-ate equipment that is in goodcondition.

The first challenge was legisla-tion. Although NS has made changesto accommodate current technology,the other three Atlantic provinces stilldo not permit a potential free-fallexceeding four feet (1.2 m). Althoughlong distance potential free-falls arecertainly not encouraged, the realityis that the four foot limit is notalways possible. NB has drafted aproposed amendment to its fall pro-tection regulations and, takingadvantage of this intended change in

direction, we have applied for andreceived a “deviation” from the cur-rent legislation. The deviation allowsus to have a potential free-fall exceed-ing four feet, provided that the fallarrest system limits the shock to thebody to less than 1800 lbs. (8 kN).Considering that most “shock-absorb-ing” lanyards deploy at half that force,this deviation provides us with morethan adequate latitude to providerealistic, safe fall protection withinthe confines of the law. This deviationapplies to all OSCO ConstructionGroup Companies. It can also beapplied to our subcontractors pendingnotification to the WHSCC.

One of the conditions of the devi-ation states that “the shock absorbermust be rated by the manufacturerfor the free-fall distance to which itcould be subjected”. The maximumpotential free-fall distance in someapplications, such as steel erection,could be as much as ten feet (3 m).The challenge here was to find a suit-able lanyard. CSA certified shockabsorbing lanyards deploy at 900 lbs,but are only rated for a six foot fall.The OSHA compliant “Force2” typelanyards are rated for a 12 ft. fall, butdeploy at 1800 lbs. Although theForce2” lanyards comply with our NBdeviation, they are not legal in NS.After extensive searching, we finallyfound a manufacturer that had thetechnology we were looking for. Wehave recently purchased an order of

lanyards that were “custom-made forOSCO”. These NORTH 6 ft., shockabsorbing, double lanyards are CSAcertified but are rated by the manu-factured for up to a 10 ft. free-fall.Also available in 5 ft. and 4 ft.lengths, these are very versatile lan-yards that resolve problemsassociated with many different fallarrest situations. In addition to theselanyards, we are currently reviewingother fall protection products, withthe objective of standardizing ourequipment.

Manufacturer specifications andCSA standards require regularinspections by a “trained and compe-tent” person. We have recentlydeveloped inspection procedures forfall arrest equipment which includestandards, schedules, forms, identifi-cation, and records. We have twopeople qualified to inspect fall arrestequipment.

Training is becoming an increas-ingly important activity, especially forusers of fall arrest equipment. One ofthe conditions of our “deviation” isthat users must be trained in the useof the equipment. We have two “in-house” trainers qualified to instructthe NB Construction SafetyAssociation fall protection course andwe will be incorporating instructionregarding our new specialty lanyardsinto this training.

- CONTRIBUTED BY STEVE HANRAHAN

Congratulations to the StresconSaint John plant employeeswho, as a group, worked with-

out a lost time accident for 12consecutive months (August 122002 to August 12 2003)! In achiev-ing this milestone, the employeeshave established a breakthrough forthe Saint John facility, as thismarks the first time the plant hasoperated for such a period of timewithout a lost-time accident!

Doug Murphy, who is theplant’s Safety Co-ordinator, hasbeen working at Strescon for 20years and has been the Safety Co-ordinator for the past 4 years. Hesaid, “This accomplishment is theresult of a coordinated effort by allemployees at this facility, bothUnion and Management.” Dougcredits the commitment from all lev-els as being instrumental inbringing about a renewed focus inthe development of a healthy “safetyculture”.

The results have been dramatic.The Saint John facility had beenaveraging 10 lost-time accidents peryear until 2002, when it recordedonly 1 and is headed for 0 in 2003.General Manager, Don Isnor, statedthat the move to bring Doug alongas the Plant Safety Coordinator isproof of our commitment and creditsDoug’s ability to work towards moti-vating and leading the way as key inachieving the Company’s safety tar-gets.

Ocean Steel Erection Crew Safety Milestone: 75,000 Hours Accident Free! Strescon-NB Achieves 0 Lost Time

Accidents for 12 Consecutive Months!

Keeping ourerectioncrews safe...

C O N N E C T I O N S • F a l l 2 0 0 3 19

As of this past October, the erection crewat Ocean Steel has worked 75,000 hoursand over 36 months accident free - AND COUNTING!!!

See ourbackcover...

Custom-made lanyardsprotect workersagainst free-falls

Strescon PipeJob chosen as “Success Story”by ACPA

Weight Watchers- CONTRIBUTED BY MELISSA CONDLY

The OSCO Group understandsthe importance of promotinghealthy lifestyles for our

employees, and has been very sup-portive by offering assistance tostaff by helping pay a portion oftheir gym membership fees. Thisprogram has been in place for manyyears, and we are pleased to com-municate that, in September, theCompany introduced a new initia-tive to enhance this FitnessReimbursement Program. WeightWatchers is providing an At-WorkProgram to enable employees toparticipate in Weight Watchersmeetings right at work!

In addition to providing anoption for payroll deductions tolessen the financial burden toemployees in paying the programfees, the Company provides a 50%re-imbursement of the program feesfor those employees who meet theirgoal weight by the end of the 12-week session as part of the FitnessReimbursement Program. This newinitiative is proving to be very suc-cessful. There are currentlythirteen employees participating inthe first 12-week session, and afteronly four weeks they have achieveda collective weight loss of nearly105 pounds! Way to go everyone,keep up the good work!

FCC Civil develops newpresentation folder

PAT STONE of Ocean Steel shows off the newlanyard. At 70, Pat still works the high steel.His positive attitude makes him a favoriteon-site.

W H O W E A R E

- CONTRIBUTEDBY MELISSA CONDLY

Our first EmployeeRecognition Dinner washeld at the Delta

Brunswick Hotel on June 19thwith nearly two hundred employ-ees in attendance. Bernie Blakelydid a fantastic job as our Masterof Ceremonies - a job we can allagree should be his for years tocome!

Mr. Hans O. Klohn began thepresentations for the evening witha keynote address which outlined

the high-level goals of ourorganization in an effortto continue to educateus on where the Groupis heading. Employees

who met significantyears of service

milestoneswere recog-

nizedwith

ServiceAward Pins and our

managers did a fine job ofsharing with us the considerableachievements of the employeeswho retired in 2002. Safetyawards were also presented to themanager of the plant and fieldwith the best safety results.

A peer-nomination/peer-vot-ing process was created torecognize employees from each ofour four sectors; Concrete,Construction, Steel, andCorporate for displaying extraordi-nary performance in the followingcategories:

• Customer Focus• Leadership• Corporate Citizen• Health & Wellness

We had forty-five individualsnominated in the various cate-gories - a great response for ourfirst-ever Recognition Dinner. Welook forward to having even moreemployees nominated for nextyear‘s dinner. Congratulations toeach of our winners - and thankyou and our other nominees forworking so hard to set a goodexample for others to follow.Planning for next year’s event willbegin early in the New Year, sostart thinking about who youthink deserves to be recognizedthis year!

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2003 CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD WINNERS (l-r): Carrie Watson (corpo-rate); Angela Teehan (concrete); Terry Arseneau (steel); & Dan Fox(construction)

2003 CORPORATE CITIZEN AWARD WINNERS (l-r): Lisa Brideau (construc-tion); Chelsea McGuire (corporate); George Paisley (concrete); & TerryArseneau (steel)

2003 HEALTH & WELLNESS AWARD WINNERS (l-r): Peter Adams(concrete); Lisa Brideau (construction); Francisca Belding (steel);& Steve Adams (corporate)

2003 LEADERSHIP AWARD WINNERS (l-r): Marven Jordan (steel);Chelsea McGuire (corporate); Heather Fox (construction); & BruceKing (concrete)

2002 RETIREES AND MANAGEMENT (front row l-r): Hans W. Klohn; Norman Oliver (retiree: 44 yrs); Don Eisner (retiree: 40 yrs); Alan Lock(retiree: 7 yrs); James McKenna (retiree: 32 yrs); Ken Underhill (retiree: 30 yrs); Jack Irving(back row l-r): Carl Blanchard; Harrison Wilson; James Isnor; Don Isnor Jr.; Hans O. Klohn; John Irving

Bernie Blakely captivating thecrowd.

- CONTRIBUTED BY MELISSA CONDLY

We are pleased to announcethat the Overall GroupSurvey Results have

shown improvement in virtually allareas being measured. Employeescommunicated a considerable jumpin satisfaction when rating theLEADERSHIP of our managementteam, and have indicated anincrease in their level of MOTIVA-TION. The lower COMMUNICATIONscore is partly attributed to theincrease in the number offield/shop employees who were sur-veyed this year. We will need tofocus more effort on finding addi-tional communication methods that

work for our site employees.Information Sessions to com-

municate the Department Resultsto employees are underway andshould be complete by Mid-December. Each department is atvarying levels of success in compar-ison to the Group Results;therefore, your individual managerswill be focusing their time toaddress specific issues communi-cated in the Department Results.

Overall, the results were veryencouraging, and we want to thankeveryone who participated. It iswith your honesty and candid com-ments that we are able tocontinually improve the work envi-ronment for all of our employees.

Opinion Survey ResultsOSCO Group Employee Opinion Surveys showimprovements in almost every area!

- CONTRIBUTED BY BRIDGET MURPHY

This past October 6th,Strescon-NB hosted 57 visi-tors for National Precast

Day. For the morning sessionthere were 35 students andinstructors from NBCC-Monctonas well as two architects from DFSArchitects. During the afternoonsession, we had 20 students and

professors from UNB-Fredericton.Refreshments and lunch were

provided, while literature, key-chains and magazines werehanded out to the participants.After lunch, visitors watched edu-cational videos on precastproducts, then went on tours ofthe precast shop and the new pipeplant. By all accounts, the daywas a great success.

Strescon-NB hosts visitors for National Precast Day

- CONTRIBUTED BY STEVE HANRAHAN& TROY HAWKES

Abarbecue (Ocean) and pizza party(York) was held this past summer

to recognize the extra efforts of theplant employees in keeping the sched-ule moving forward for NB Power, atColeson Cove, despite delays unrelatedto our production capabilities.

The following is a timeline of events:Ocean Steel was awarded the project

in December 2002. The Flue GasDesulphurization (FGD) building areas S1to S4 was initially scheduled to be sub-stantially complete by July 11, 2003. Themilestone provided NB Power three weeksto install the 120 ton overhead crane andturn it over to Babcock & Wilcox forinstallation of the Absorber Towers.

Design delays caused approved-for-construction drawings to be received threeweeks later than expected. This was thenfollowed by ongoing design changes whichcontinued until the middle of June. Theweight of the FGD structure was identifiedas 2,800 tons which was then splitbetween Ocean Steel and York Steel.

NB Power asked us if we could keepthe project on schedule despite the latedelivery of contract drawings. In order tomake this happen, Ocean Steel and YorkSteel worked weekends to ensure continu-ous erection. OSCO and York delivered,and a new substantial completion date ofJuly 18th was negotiated with NB Power.

Through the efforts of all employeesin support of the team, the FGD structurewas substantially complete leaving 2weeks for NB Power to outfit the overheadcrane for Babcock & Wilcox.

The result of the extra efforts resultedin another satisfied customer!

TEAM EFFORT keepsColeson Cove project onschedule despite delays

2002-2003 OSCO Construction Group Survey Results

2002Completelyagree

Motivation Alignment Communication

2003 2002 2003 2002 2003 2002 2003

Leadership

Mostlyagree

Mostlydisagree

Completelydisagree

Don’tknow

See “A Breath of Fresh Air” article on pg.3

W H O W E A R EW H O W E A R E

FRESH FACESOcean Steel & Construction

AMY AMES-SLIPP (STRESCON-NB)married Scott Slipp on Oct.4-03.

KARLA (BONNELL) O’DONNELL(GROUP SERVICES) marriedRaymond O’Donnell on Sept.30-03

KEVIN GOOD (MARQUE/FCC) mar-ried Laura Trecartin on Sept.30-03

CHRIS MARSHALL (GROUP SER-VICES) and Stephanie Stewart weremarried on Aug.16-03.

KRISTY (MILLER) CROWE (OCEANSTEEL) married Brian Crowe onSept.6-03.

Anniversar ies BILL BENETT (STRESCON-NB) andhis wife Marilyn (Leland) celebratedtheir 25th wedding anniversary onNov.18-03.

Applause IAN LAWLOR’S (STRESCON-NS)daughter Sara participated in theWorld Canoeing Championships inGainsville, Georgia on Sept. 10-14,representing NS. Sara won 4medals - 3 silver and one bronze.

C O N N E C T I O N S • F a l l 2 0 0 322 C O N N E C T I O N S • F a l l 2 0 0 3 23

OSCO Group Picnic: New & Improved!- CONTRIBUTED BY STEVE HANRAHAN

Our Group picnic was heldentirely in the field at OakPoint Park this year and

what a day it was! With rain allaround the surrounding area, OakPoint Park was the place to be onAugust 9, 2003. The threat of raindid not dampen the resolve of over650 employees and their familieswho dared to make the trek. In fact,while it was raining in Saint John,the sun actually made an appear-ance and shone on the “new look”picnic.

The children were enthralledwith the numerous activities suchas the races—Three-Legged, PotatoSack, Wheel Barrow and the

Egg/Spoon Relay Race. Theyburned endless energy jumping upand down in the huge inflatablebouncers; playing on the fire truck,supplied by the GreenwichVolunteer Fire Department; andhaving their face painted. The finalewas the ever popular egg toss. Over120 people participated this year,which resulted in many with “egg ontheir face”!

Music filled the air for the entireevent as over 60 volunteers from allof the companies gave their time tomake this years picnic a huge suc-cess. I would like to thank everyonewho assisted this year and, asalways, a special thank you to Mr.George Paisley of Strescon; our“leader of the pack”!!

- CONTRIBUTED BY STEVE HANRAHAN

Congratulations to GeorgeGray on his suggestion thata remote control be added

to a crane in the plant’sMiscellaneous Bay. By doing this,the transfer buggy can be loadedmore safely and the Tee straight-ener can be used in a safer andmore productive manner. Georgewas presented with a plaque and acheque for $100.00 for his contri-

bution. Ocean Steel’s SuggestionPolicy has been in place for anumber of years, and is based onthe idea that employees perform-ing the work are most likely tonotice bottlenecks, and are in agood position to suggest improve-ments. Employees are encouragedto make their suggestions in writ-ing for evaluation by management.

Do YOU have a good idea forimproving work processes? Let usknow!!!

JASON PRESLEY - DetailerBRUCE BECKETT - Estimator

Internal Transfer from DetailingDAVID GRANDY - Project Scheduler/

CoordinatorInternal Transfer from Detailing

PETER DOUGAY - EstimatorInternal Transfer from FCC

JEFF KEITH - Project ManagerMARK KENNEDY - Industrial

Engineering Co-op Student

MELANIE BESHARA - Admin. AssistantInternal Transfer from Ocean

BRIDGET MURPHY - Precast Sales TraineeSHANNON MACDOUGALL - Admin.AssistantTYRONE O’TOOLE - Shipper/ReceiverANIMESH DAS - Design EngineerSAJJADUL HAQUE - Design EngineerCHRISTINE SCOTT - Quality Control ANNETTE BOWMAN - Quality Control CHRIS FORBES- Quality Control AARON DELANY - Quality Control LES VANDERBECK - Estimating

Internal Transfer from Quality ControlEILEEN REDMOND - Design Engineering

Co-op StudentSTEVE MACDONALD - Production

Co-ordinator-Internal Transfer from LabLORNE MACMILLAN - Yard/Steel Shop

Supervisor - From Production Co-ordinator/Steel Shop Supervisor

DAN GRIFFIN - Site SupervisorKEVIN ROY - Site SupervisorMOLLY KNORR - Project ManagerTIM O’REILLY - Project ManagerBORIS KOSANIC - EstimatorBRIAN HUGHES - Estimator

Internal Transfer from WarehouseSUSAN DORT - Administrative AssistantMIKE MARTIN - Site Supervisor

PAT CRAIG - ReceptionistHired as Staff

RYAN MACPHERSON - Accounting Co-op Student

AUDREY PERRY - Accounting Co-op Student

JOHN GALLICHAN - HR Co-op StudentJASON LONG - IT Co-op Student

FCC Eng ineer ing

Strescon

- CONTRIBUTED BY MELISSA CONDLY

On September 6th, 120 Groupemployees once again tied uptheir golf shoes, shined up

their clubs and headed to HamptonGolf Course for a fun-filled dayhackin’ their way through 18-holesof golf. While the level of skillranged from the nearly professional,to those who were heard asking “..aPitching WHAT?”; and the level ofcompetitiveness ranged from thosebarely keeping score, to thosestacking their team for next year; itis fair to say that fun was had by all.

Bill Hanley of Group Serviceswalked away with this year’s“Closest to the Pin” prize, while Scott

Graham of Ocean Steel captured the“Longest Drive”. The “Lowest TeamScore” went to a group from OceanSteel comprised of: Brad MacPhee,John Taylor, Robert Sheehan, andJeff Keith. It was FCC Engineeringhowever, that once again walkedaway with the “Overall Company”prize, based on the score averagesfor all employees from eachCompany.

There was no shortage of greatdoor prizes - everyone went homewith something... (although, GroupService’s Teresa Stewart will alwaysbe remembered as the most excitedperson ever to win a BBQ!!!)

Our thanks go to everyone whoparticipated, and to all the volun-teers who helped organize,fundraise, and make the day run assmoothly as it did - without you, theOSCO Group Golf Challenge wouldnot have been the success it was.

2003 OSCO GroupGolf Challenge

How about adding a remotecontrol to that plant crane?Ocean Steel implements & rewards suggestion ofshop employee, George Gray

Fami ly Addit ionsMARTIN GORA (STRESCON-NS)became a proud first-time grandfa-ther on June 3-03 with the birth ofgranddaughter Cassidy Taylor.

JEFF WILCOX (STRESCON-NS) andRobin Gibbons welcomedAlexander Curtis Wilcox on June30-03.

SANDRA MacDOUGALL (GROUPSERVICES) and husband Dana wel-comed second son in 19 months,Logan Arthur, on Aug.21-03.

COLIN GRIFFITHS (YORK) andJohanna welcomed their first child,daughter Ellaina Kathryn on Sept. 8-03.

Weddings JEFF HYNES (STRESCON-NS) andAlesia Hann were married July 12-03 in Port Aux Basque, NF.

PAT BAGLEY (FCC) and MonicaGoodwin were married on May 9-03.

SHERRI (LINTON) MACKIE (MAR-QUE) married Bruce Mackie onSept. 27-03.

OSCO Group Serv ices

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Because of a need to increase theiroperations, Deniso Lebel planned to build anew steam-powered kiln to dry their woodproducts. The new kiln would beapproximately 288 feet away from theexisting one and would require a tunnel inwhich to run the steam lines.

According to Glenn MacAuly, ConstructionSupervisor for the project, “We investigatedusing several types of conduits; PVC was tocostly and brittle, and CMP would likelycorrode with all the moisture. Concreteseemed to be the only option.” Glenndecided to contact Strescon. A well knownprovider of large pipe products, Strescon

had the added benefit of using the new TyloxSuperseal Gaskets. In addition to providinga superior watertight seal, the new gasket isprelubricated for less labour duringinstallation. The deal was cinched.

The installation of the pipe was a very simpleaffair. With no lubrication or equalizationrequired, the gaskets went on smoothly. Infact, there was virtually no learning curve toworking with the new gasket at all. Thecontractor doing the work for Deniso Lebel,Blain MacLean Construction summed it upbest: “That’s slick”. Each length of pipe waslaid in the trench using a small utility cranefrom Partners Cranes. The pipe were thenjointed together with little effort.

��� ������� �����������������������������When Deniso Lebel Sawmill located in Scotsburn, NS, in PictouCounty needed a solution for a large steam tunnel, they choseconcrete pipe and Strescon to deliver.

“We investigatedusing several typesof conduits; PVC wasto costly and brittle,and CMP wouldlikely corrode withall the moisture.Concrete seemed tobe the only option.”

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