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

Coleson Cove Wraps Up • Point Tupper Marine Terminal • Concrete Pipe Makes Maine’s“Airline Route” Safer for Traffic • Strescon Wins ACI Awards • Profile on GroupMaintenance Departments • 25 Year Club • Employee News & MORE...

SPRI

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Echoes of Yesteryear FCC Renovates Heritage PropertyAL S O I N T H I S IS S U E:

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

M E S S A G E F R O M H A N S K L O H N

our core value to "CONDUCT BUSINESSWITH INTEGRITY AND FAIRNESS".

Our business development and esti-mating skills are being honed to "open theopportunity doors"with new and exist-ing customers &suppliers, whileour sales group isworking hard tolearn the finerskills of "closingthe opportunitydoors" with theseparties; hopefullywith us in theroom! In additionto the marketing,

sales and estimating departments, we areall intimately involved in building theserelationships. Our project managers andconstruction supervisors represent our

presence to theindustry after weare awarded aproject. Ouraccounting andadministrationgroup have fre-quent contact withour suppliers toensure prompt pay-ment and ourcustomers toensure a reason-able collection

period. Our telephone answering skillswill often provide a new customer or sup-plier with the first impression of who weare. Sometimes the way we ask will deter-mine how we are answered.

This is why one of our vision destina-tions is to BE CONNECTED. We want todevelop our organization with the bestparticipation skills in the industry andwith the ability to build strong relation-ships with all the stakeholders on aconstruction team. Without both of theseskill sets our Be Connected vision will notbe complete.

Please keep the importance of rela-tionship building in mind as you conductbusiness on our behalf while we continueto enhance your skills to participate.

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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 Construction, Ocean Steel Corporation & Schurman ConcreteCONNECTIONS 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, c/o OSCO Construction Group400 Chesley Drive, Saint John, NB, CANADA • E2K 5L6 Fax: 506-632-7689 • e-mail: legacy.tammy@oceansteel.com

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

Message from Hans Klohn .2-3Heritage Place . . . . . . . . .4-5Coleson Cove . . . . . . . . . . . .5Beverly Hospital Parking . . .6Point Tupper . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Maine’s “Airline Route” . .7-8Villa du Repose . . . . . . . . . .8IOR Conference Center . . . . . .9Irving Paper . . . . . . . . . . . .10Strescon Wins ACI Awards .11OSCO Mid-Atlantic Work . . .12United Oddfellow & Rebekah12

Hamden Middle School . . . .13York Custom Jobs . . . . . . . .13FCC Halifax Update . . . . . .13Job Briefs . . . . . . . . . . .14-15

Kent Stores; Irving Oil; Archway;Ready-Mix; IOR Refinery; Great Wolf;the Paramount; OSCO Reba

Technology Update . . . .16-17One-World Upgrade; FabtrolUpgrade; Terminal ServerUpgrade; FCC/MQ Site Technology;Group Network Connections

WHAT WE DO Group Safety Report . . .18-19NBCSA H&S Training Award;Strescon-NS: 24 Months Lost-Time Accident Free; StresconReceives WHSCC Rebate

Big Beam Contest . . . . . . .19Employee Survey Results . .19

Group Maintenance Depts .20-2125 Year Club . . . . . . . . . .21Community . . . . . . . . . . .22Fresh Faces . . . . . . . . . . .23Family Additions . . . . . . .23

Engagements . . . . . . . . . .23Weddings . . . . . . . . . . . .23Achievements . . . . . . . . .2350-Year Anniversary . . . . .23Meet the Ready Mix Team 24

HOW WE DO IT

M E S S A G E F R O M H A N S K L O H N

WHO WE ARE

As the business climate and the con-struction market continue to evolveso does our construction group. The

construction industry is one of the mostinformation intensive business sectors ofthe economy. For each project a group oftrade contractors and consultants areassembled; often for the first time. In thisenvironment, assuming you have a com-petitive bid proposal, the decision to inviteyour company to join the constructionteam is often determined by what skillsyou bring to the team and what kind ofrelationship you have developed with theother participants.

With respect to the participationskills, there are several industry initiativesunderway to improve information flowsbetween parties on a construction project.Interoperability is the ability to manageand communicate digital data betweencollaborating parties. It allows for theexchange and management of informa-tion through data protocols enablingindividual companies to identify, access

and integrate information across multiplesystems. The technology employed toachieve interoperability is centered around3D object-based CAD modeling systemsand other software systems, such as designand manufacturingprograms, usingthese data-sharingprotocols. Ourcontinued invest-ment in softwaresystems, such asthe Tekla 3D CADmodeling systemfor precast con-crete and theFabtrol manufac-turing system forstructural steel,positions our con-struction group tobe able to partici-pate as theindustry moves inthe coming years

from a "paper-based" towards a "digital-based" flow of information.

To date, much of our efforts toimprove our participation skills havefocused on technology and processes,

leaving out one criti-cal element, theparticipants on con-struction teams. Fora company to betruly successful, itmust also focus oncreating strong rela-tionships with itscustomers, its sup-pliers and betweenits employees. Thisis no different thanestablishing rela-tionships in ourdaily lives with ourfamily, friends andcommunity. Strongrelationships arebuilt on a founda-

tion of mutual respectand trust, which we

emphasize in

“We want to developour organization withthe best participationskills in the industryand with the ability tobuild strong relation-ships with all thestakeholders on aconstruction team.”

“For a company to betruly successful, itmust also focus oncreating strong rela-tionships with itscustomers, its suppli-ers and between itsemployees. This is nodifferent than estab-lishing relationshipsin our daily lives withour family, friendsand community.”

Our MissionTo provide our customers

with valued construction

solutions using our

expertise in the design,

manufacture & installation

of building components.

Our Vision

Be FastThe quickest response time

in the industry

Be GlobalA diversified, multi-nationalcustomer and supplier base

Be ConnectedTotal collaborationwithin OSCO Group

and with the marketplace.

Our Core Values• Conduct business with integrity

and fairness

• Focus on our customers’ needs

• Continuously train our employeesand improve our processes

• Provide quality products andservices

• Reward employees on merit andpromote teamwork

• Maintain safe and healthyworking environments

Building RelationshipsThe Importance of Every Point of Customer Contact

Coleson CoveGenerating Station:Back in BusinessOcean Steel capped off the end of the Coleson Cove mega-proj-

ect this past fall, when on November 30, 2004, the GeneratingStation commenced operating at full-load producing 1050 MW.

“The Coleson Cove Generating Station now has state-of-the-artenvironmental control equipment in place to meet current andemerging environmental standards,” said Darrell Bishop, Vice-President - Generation for New Brunswick Power GenerationCorporation. “A refurbished Station will help NB Power fulfill ourcommitment to provide reliable, clean and affordable electricity to allNew Brunswickers.”

NB Power built the Coleson Cove Generating Station in the1970's with environmental protection equipment appropriate for thatperiod. Production beyond 2005 required investment to meet morestringent environmental standards. Refurbishment saw advanced con-trol equipment installed to significantly reduce emission rates andimprove environmental performance. It included the followingimprovements:• Flue gas desulphurization equipment or scrubber to reduce SO2

emission rates by 77%• Boiler modifications to reduce NOx emission rates by 70%• Wet flue gas precipitator to reduce particulate release rates by

75%Project construction began two years ago and employed more

than 1,600 workers at peak. During construction the station contin-ued to operate, as each of the three units was refurbishedseparately, ensuring reliable power generation for the people of NB.

“The successful completion of the Coleson Cove RefurbishmentProject on time and on budget is a testament to the combined effortsof the engineering, contracting, construction, operations and com-missioning teams," said Mr. Bishop. "We share this accomplishmentwith our partners including the unions, the Community Environmental

Liaison Committee and the many highly-skilled NewBrunswick construction trades people who

worked on-site.” The Coleson Cove GeneratingStation is the largest generating

station in the NB Powersystem and is currentlyfuelled by heavy fuel oil. Itprovides one-third of theenergy requirements forthe Province of NB duringthe winter months.

Ocean Steel suppliedover 6000 tons of steel

to the project.

Ocean Steel capped off the end of the Coleson Cove mega-proj-ect this past fall, when on November 30, 2004, the GeneratingStation commenced operating at full-load producing 1050 MW.

“The Coleson Cove Generating Station now has state-of-the-artenvironmental control equipment in place to meet current andemerging environmental standards,” said Darrell Bishop, Vice-President - Generation for New Brunswick Power GenerationCorporation. “A refurbished Station will help NB Power fulfill ourcommitment to provide reliable, clean and affordable electricity to allNew Brunswickers.”

NB Power built the Coleson Cove Generating Station in the1970's with environmental protection equipment appropriate for thatperiod. Production beyond 2005 required investment to meet morestringent environmental standards. Refurbishment saw advanced con-trol equipment installed to significantly reduce emission rates andimprove environmental performance. It included the followingimprovements:• Flue gas desulphurization equipment or scrubber to reduce SO2

emission rates by 77%• Boiler modifications to reduce NOx emission rates by 70%• Wet flue gas precipitator to reduce particulate release rates by

75%Project construction began two years ago and employed more

than 1,600 workers at peak. During construction the station contin-ued to operate, as each of the three units was refurbishedseparately, ensuring reliable power generation for the people of NB.

“The successful completion of the Coleson Cove RefurbishmentProject on time and on budget is a testament to the combined effortsof the engineering, contracting, construction, operations and com-missioning teams," said Mr. Bishop. "We share this accomplishmentwith our partners including the unions, the Community Environmental

Liaison Committee and the many highly-skilled NewBrunswick construction trades people who

worked on-site.” The Coleson Cove GeneratingStation is the largest generating

station in the NB Powersystem and is currentlyfuelled by heavy fuel oil. Itprovides one-third of theenergy requirements forthe Province of NB duringthe winter months.

Ocean Steel suppliedover 6000 tons of steel

to the project.

“The success of a MEGAproject like this totallydepends on so manygood people being therewhen we need them.YOU WERE THERE!THANK YOU ALL.”

Gaetan Thomas,VP Distribution & CustomerService, PB Power

Work continues with the main Lobby,slated for turnover in early May, 2005. TheLobby entrance on King Street is accentuatedwith period mahogany entrance doors, gran-ite wash course and floor tile. Entering theLobby corridor, visitors will find refurbishedbrick walls with ornate ceilings highlightedby stained wood beams, tin cornices, and tincraft ceiling tile. The corridor leads visitorsto the main Lobby, where the grand entranceto Centerbeam Place houses a new elevator,and large glass entrances to adjoining busi-nesses. The Lobby architecture is consistentwith the corridor, but on a grander scale;with raised ceilings, large timber structure,sandstone surrounds, and a decorativeplanter.

The exterior wall of the Lobby facing the

Courtyard has been completely rebuilt withnew foundations, conventional steel and con-crete block, with brick veneer. Periodwindows highlighted by sandstone sills andcopper cornice accents, create a prominentvisual centerpiece, consistent with the his-toric nature of the building andsurroundings. Completion of the exteriorwall and Courtyard (illustrated in the archi-tect’s rendering below) is scheduled forSummer, 2005.

Project Manager: Ron BuchananSuperintendent: Dan Fox

As the Project’s Construction Manager, FCC’s Civil Division has been engaged in a laborof love for the past nine months, bringing back to life a local architectural treasurewhich has stood virtually vacant for years. The task of integrating new technologies and

systems into century old structures is no simple feat and introduces a new dynamic comparedto typical new construction.

Centerbeam, the first new tenants, moved into the second level Prince William Block inearly December of 2004. A technical support call center based out of San Jose, the companyannounced an expansion soon afterwards which will see them occupying the entire third level aswell. Construction of this third phase is underway and scheduled for completion April 29, 2005.

The new offices feature original brick walls, open rough timber ceilings, and period win-dows; creating a uniquely warm and rustic setting.

Centerbeam Place

THE PROJECT FILE:

OWNER: Commercial Properties

CONSTRUCTION MANAGER: FCC Engineering - Civil

ARCHITECT: Tom Johnson Architect

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5

• FCC Civil• FCC Communication Cabling• FCC Electrical

Centerbeam Place - Electrical ContractAs mentioned in the Fall issue of Connections, FCC Electrical

was awarded the Electrical contract for the Heritage BlockRestoration Project. Phase 1 and 2 portions of this ongoing projectare now complete. FCC Electrical Supervisor Adam Sarchfield andhis crew of electricians are now diligently progressing on the thirdphase renovation project, which involves the third floor forCenterbeam. This third phase is to be ready for occupancy by the endof April, 2005

FCC Electrical and Data Divisions have also been given theinterior renovations contract for the new Kane Travel office located at18 King Street, Saint John. This is the first of many planned tenant fit-up contracts for the various street level shops along King Street. RonRathje and his crew of electricians are tasked with the job of reno-vating approx. 1000 sq ft of office space. This space is to be ready foroccupancy by the end of April 2005.

The Restoration ofa Saint John, NBHeritage Property - CONTRIBUTED BY PETER SENTELL

Echoes of Yesteryear

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

“(our new shipping terminal) will allow us to accesslower sulphur coal from almost anywhere in theworld. This investment will earn a rapid paybackfor the company and benefit the community. Wehave already had inquiries from major shippersand port operators in Europe to discuss thepotential for this facility in a post-Kyoto world.”

David Mann, former President and ChiefExecutive Officer of Emera, Inc

Founded in 1888, Beverly Hospital is a full service, community hospitalproviding quality, patient-centered care to North Shore residents.Located in Beverly, MA, hospital services include maternity, pediatrics,

surgical, cardiology, as well as other specialties. The hospital boasts a med-ical staff of more than 600 physicians and its service area includes some13 communities. In 2003, the Solucient Institute named Beverly Hospitalone of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals for the third consecutive year.Beverly Hospital is an affiliate of Northeast Health System, Inc.

William Berry & Sons is currently building a new four-story parkinggarage for the Beverly Hospital. The facility is expected to be in operationby June of 2005.

Beverly Hospital Park Garage

THE PROJECT FILE:

OWNER: Northeast Health System

GENERAL CONTRACTOR: William Berry & Sons

ENGINEERS: Simon Design Engineering

ARCHITECT: Simon Design Engineering

STRESCON IS SUPPLYING: 143 Double Tees & 27 Spandrel

Panels (PM: Bruce King)

YORK STEEL IS SUPPLYING: 328 tons of steel & 47 squares

of deck (PM: Brad MacPhee)

When Nova Scotia Power needed toupgrade their coal unloading oper-ations in the Strait of Canso, they

opted for a marine terminal adjacent theirthermal generating station in Point Tupper.

In order to suit the demanding proj-ect schedule and budget requirements, adesign build contract was implemented.The terminal is located in 18m of waterand is designed primarily to handle77,000 DWT Panamax class vessels, withthe ability to accommodate 160,000 DWTCape-size vessels. Coal will be unloadedwith a state-of-the-art high portal rail-mounted gantry crane supplied byE-Crane International.

The 134 m long main wharf is com-prised of three concrete caissons 32mlong x 22m high, which are connected by19m spans supported on prestressedgirders. Two mooring dolphins are alsoconstructed with concrete cribs, and theconveyor to the shore is carried on a 428m long steel pipe pile approach structure.

The loading from the gantry crane

was so extreme that three bridge girdershad to be connected using cast-in-placeshear keys in order to support the railsystem over the 19m span. Two rows ofthree girder supports were used, plus acenter girder to help support the bridgedeck. Precast deck slabs were also used,preventing the need for costly and dan-gerous formwork that would have beenrequired to pour the bridge deck. Oncethe slabs were in place, they had a safeworking platform to set up bulkheads forthe cast-in-place deck slab pour. The topsurface of the deck slabs were raked tocreate a composite bond with the cast-in-place bridge deck, reducing the overallslab thickness required.

Strescon-NS supplied 14 – 1800mmNew England bridge girders (approximately933ft total) plus 32 - 7” solid deck slabs(approximately 3650 square feet) on thisproject. OSCO Rebar supplied 219 tons ofrebar to the on-shore facilities.

Point Tupper Marine Terminal

THE PROJECT FILE:

OWNER: Nova Scotia Power Inc.

an Emera Company

GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Beaver Marine Limited

ENGINEERS: CBCL Limited

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6

W H A T W E D O• Strescon Pipe - NB• Ocean Steel

• Strescon

C O N N E C T I O N S • S p r i n g 2 0 0 5 7

• Strescon-NS• OSCO Rebar

Beverly Hospital Parking GarageSteel and Concrete Sectors Team up with William Berry & Sons

PointTupperMarine

Terminal

What does “Critical Path” Mean to You?

To many in the construction indus-try, “critical path” is a means ofscheduling and managing a proj-

ect successfully. But to those who residein eastern Maine and Atlantic Canada,U.S. Route 9 (“The Airline” as it isreferred to by many), is a critical pathfor travel.

The people and industries servedby this major roadway were subject todangerous and costly circumstances lastAugust, when a pothole was discoveredon the shoulder of the westbound lanenear the Eddington and Brewer townlines. What is the big deal about a pot-hole? This particular pothole was inthe range of six to ten feet deep!

On August 17 at about noon, MaineDepartment of Transportation (MDOT)called Strescon. They needed 120’ of48” Reinforced Concrete Pipe (RCP)right away. The team went to work. Thepipe was in stock, and wheels were inmotion. Strescon sales rep DarrenBriggs immediately headed to the siteto prepare for the pipes’ arrival by mak-ing sure Strescon had an area and thenecessary equipment and crew neededto handle the four-ton sections.Strescon’s pipe was on site the nextmorning at 7 a.m.. The pipe was suc-cessfully replaced, stream flow wasrestored and traveling the airlinebecame a lot safer.

The Project was managed by JoeVernotte of the MDOT along with sup-porting engineers including DennisLovely and Janis Piper. The MDOT

installing crew was led by AldenMcLaughlin assisted by David Twistand others.

How did it happen?Several years ago a corrugated

metal pipe (cmp), 48” in diameter, wasinstalled across the road to carry stormwater from the foothills, under the busyroad and down an embankment, whereit flowed into the Penobscot. As timepassed, this metal pipe degraded untilthe ultimate failure occurred.

Several factors contributed to thefailure of the pipe. First, because thepipe was metal, it was subject to corro-sion. Ground movement also played arole. Because the pipe is relatively lightin weight, the pipe was being moved byMother Nature during the freeze/thawcycles and ground settling and shifting.This sacrificed the joints and weakenedthe strength of the pipe. As holes devel-oped in the pipe, storm water was ableto leak out and wash away the bed-ding/backfill materials that supportedthe pipe, allowing the ground movementto have an even more significant impacton the pipe moving.

The Solution: By specifying the

installation of RCP, the engineer, con-tractor, municipality, state, or projectowner is selecting a product that has averifiable history of long-term success.The service life of RCP is 75+ years,conservatively speaking. No other prod-uct even comes close.

- CONTRIBUTED BY

BRUCE HIGGINS, CBCL

- CONTRIBUTED BY DARREN BRIGGS

continued on next page...

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What the???caisson: The concrete caisson/crib is the main sup-port for the wharf and the abutment for our girders. Thereare three caissons and two 19m spans that make up thiswharf. Once the caissons were in place plus our girders anddeck slabs, they poured the deck of the wharf.

mooring dolphin: The mooring dolphin is acaisson/crib separated from the main wharf & connected bya steel catwalk (refer to the aerial picture) They use thismooring dolphin for larger boats, giving the end of the boatan anchorage point.This saved money on the overall projectby reducing one caisson and one span - in essence reducingthe overall length of the wharf.

FCC Electrical has been awarded theelectrical contract for the new$20.8M Villa du Repos 126 Bed

Long-Term Care Facility in Moncton. Thiscontract represents the largest singlecommercial electrical contract awardedto FCC Electrical Division. This project isalso the first time that FCC will be work-ing with EllisDon as the GeneralContractor.

EllisDon is one of North America’slargest construction services company

and is best known for mega projects likethe Skydome in Toronto, the AthletesVillage for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta,and more recently, the new 68-story$250M Trump Tower in downtownToronto.

The new Villa du Repos will replacea 45-year-old facility which was originallydesigned as a college, and converted intoa nursing home in 1973. The new nurs-ing home will be able to providebilingual services to the population in theMoncton area, and will be designed toprovide specialized services such as

developing a proper Alzheimer'sunit. NB Premier Bernard Lord wason-hand for the sod-turning inOctober, 2004. “Nursing homes arean important part of our plan toprovide care for senior citizens inNew Brunswick,” Premier Lordsaid. “Aging nursing home infra-structure had to be addressed inthe province, and we are takingan important step toward thatobjective.”

The FCC Electrical team of supervi-sor Jim Johnson, Foreman JaysonBrown and John Arnold, along with therest of the crew, will be faced with manyinteresting challenges during construc-tion of this new one and two story, fourwing facility. Jim and his crew, which atits peak will be approximately 15 men,have estimated to spend close to 17,000manhours between now and the fall of2005. This project involves the installa-tion of a new Nurse Call, Fire AlarmSystem, Card Access system, patient wan-dering system, stand-by diesel generator,lighting and power distribution system.

Although nearly double in size whencompared to similar projects completedat St. Joseph’s Hospital and St. ThomasUniversity, the FCC team is well preparedfor this latest project with its tight timeframe and various systems. Pat Bagley,Electrical Manager for FCC, is confidentthat FCC’s experienced Supervisors andcrew will once again successfully com-plete the scope, on time and underbudget.

Stay tuned for future updates.

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• FCC Electrical• OSCO Rebar

W H A T W E D O• FCC Civil

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FCC Engineering has been engaged byIrving Oil Refinery as ProjectManager for the complete

Engineering, Procurement, Construction(EPC) of the new Conference Centerlocated in the Central Control Building.

This new 2500 sq. ft. facilityincludes a lecture theater, training room,common congregation lobby (calledCrush Area), public washrooms, andstorage space.

The lecture theater, with a three-tierfloor for maximum sight lines, and seat-ing for 25 participants and 10 spectators,will facilitate formal training and presen-tations.

The training room, with seating for50 participants and 10 spectators, will

facilitate more interactive and less formalinstruction.

The crush area provides space forparticipants to congregate and interactprior to and after sessions. Space is pro-vided for public access phones, breakaway meetings, and refreshments.

In addition, the training room hasincorporated a demountable wall systembetween it and the crush area which,when removed, provides ideal space fortown hall meetings and larger functions.

The entire facility will be furnishedwith select state of the art furniture byKrueger, Steelcase & Egan. Technologyincludes high quality ceiling mount LCDProjectors, motorized screens, data andpower to participants, lecterns, and pro-vision for future video conferencing.

An Acoustician was engaged to

ensure that the sound/noise quality with-in the area was maximized throughapplication of acoustic materials andminimizing building system noise such asventilation and equipment.

Senior Estimator Abbey Duguay,has dusted off his hardhat, and agreedto take on the duties of ConstructionManager for this venture. The designteam includes: Interior Designers - Toss SolutionsElectrical Engineers - Tek ConsultantsMechanical Engineers - Peake DesignStructural Engineer - Mayberry

Engineering. Presently the team has completed

the tender documents and budgets havebeen prepared. Final approval is expect-ed late April 2005.

Today’s highways are more importantthan ever and each time we repair them,it is imperative that we use only to bestproduct available. Corrugated metal pipeis no cheaper than RCP and lasts only afraction of the time. High density polyeth-ylene (HDPE) is minimally cheaper in thesmaller diameters (12”-30”) and caneven be more expensive in the sizes larger(> 30”). The rates of failure are signifi-cant and the integrity of the project is

sacrificed by using such a pipe. Whenconsidering the major factors of any con-struction project it is imperative to look atthe total cost of the project, not just a par-ticular items cost. How much to repair?How much to troubleshoot? What is thecost to the project? What is the cost to thepublic? What are the safety considera-tions? What is the value to the owner?

All pipe products are subject to fail-ures. It is our contention that the rate of

failures will be greater with the cmp andhdpe alternatives. Also, pipe is applicationspecific and CMP and HDPE may beappropriate products for light duty andless critical applications. For maximum performance andvalue, RCP is the only choiceand Strescon is an organizationcommitted to providing the bestquality products with superiorcustomer service.

...continued from previous page

Villa du Repose

THE PROJECT FILE:

LOCATION: Moncton, NB

OWNER: Villa du Repos Inc.

GENERAL CONTRACTOR: EllisDon

ARCHITECT: Architects Four Limited

ENGINEER: R.E. Leblanc Inc.

FCC IS SUPPLYING: Estimated 17,000 manhours of

electrical work

OSCO REBAR SUPPLIED: 160 tons of rebar & 90,700

square feet of mesh

- CONTRIBUTED BY PAT BAGLEY

- CONTRIBUTED BY PETER SENTELL

FCC Leads Team to Build NewConference Center at Refinery

Villa du Repos Nursing Home

Garden Crest Developments, andthe Great Bras d’Or Bridge DeckReplacement Project, join an

impressive list of past winners fromAtlantic Canada, that have been recog-nized through the ACI Atlantic ChapterConcrete Awards Competition.

The purpose of this competition isto formally offer recognition to projectteams in the Atlantic Provinces whosedesign and construction represent thebest in concept, originality and applica-tion of concrete; including precast andcast-in-place, concrete masonry, orother concrete products.

Entries were requested in the cate-gories of Architectural Merit, StructuralInnovation, and Material Development &Innovation. The criteria by which theentries were judged include:• Innovative use of concrete as the prin-

cipal construction element.• New construction in Atlantic Canada,

within 36 months of submission clos-ing date (Dec. 17-04).

• Creativity and innovation in the use orapplication of concrete technology.

• Projects must have been completed byfirms with offices or individuals resi-dent in Atlantic Canada.

Judging for the competition tookplace on January 6th, 2005.

In recognition of the successfulprojects, an Awards Banquet was heldon February 3rd, 2005 at the DeltaHotel in Fredericton. The evening wasan exciting event, with awards beingpresented to each member of the win-ning project team including the owner,architect, engineer, general contractor,and manufacturer/supplier of concreteproducts.

Irving Paper Broke& Kraft Tank:

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W H A T W E D O• Strescon - NS• Marque Industrial• FCC Civil

Strescon ProjectsWin ACI Awards

“Architectural Merit” GARDEN CRESTOwner: Westwood Developments Ltd.Project Team: Paul Skerry Associates

Limited, Campbell ComeauEngineering Limited, BarberEngineering Consultants Ltd.,Donald T. Matheson EngineeringLtd., Jacques Whitford,STRESCON Limited, SackvilleConcrete Limited

Combining cast-in-place concrete and aprecast-concrete panel system helped tosatisfy design requirements for aResidential Complex that includedreconstruction of an ArchitecturalHeritage Site.

Following the recent upgrade to the ReelWinder section of Paper Machine No. 1,Irving Paper Limited is currently under-

way with one of the most aggressive andchallenging upgrades they have ever undertak-en. Paper Machine No. 1 will have a new stateof the art Calender installed to make IrvingPaper Limited a leader in technology and highquality paper. Super Calender “A” grade paper(SCA Grade), used for sales flyers and maga-zines, will enable Irving Paper to be morecompetitive with more value added to theirprocess.

To facilitate the successful completion ofthis program, the project will be completed inseveral smaller phases culminating with thescheduled mill shut down in early 2006.

FCC Engineering is providing ProjectManagement services for Phase 1 of the civilworks. This involves construction of partial

Calender foundations which includes selectiveconcrete demolition, 12” diameter steel pipepiles and installation of 2 meter thick pile capfoundation and shear walls. The major chal-lenges to this phase include restricted access,venting of construction equipment exhaust,stabilization of existing foundations, and exca-vations... all done safely in an operating millenvironment.

The size and complexity of this projectrequires collaboration and input from manyconstruction and design professionals. FCCEngineering has been working with IrvingPaper for several months, providing adviceand information on schedules, budgeting, andmost importantly, identifying areas of opportu-nity to reduce the total shut down duration.

In addition, FCC is also involved in vari-ous projects within the mill, such as thedemolition of a large concrete Broke StorageTank, the expansion of the PM1 ElectricalSubstation, and construction of the new PressHydraulic Building. Completion of these proj-ects will allow installation and commissioningof new equipment well in advance of the mainmill shut down in 2006.

Project Manager - Abbey DuguaySuperintendent - Jim Cosman

On the Move Once AgainFCC Civil ManagesAnother ChallengingUpgrade at IrvingPaper Limited

- CONTRIBUTED BY ABBEY DUGUAY

Garden Crest Condos and Great Brad D’OrBridge Replacement Project take two out ofthree 2005 ACI Awards

“Structural Innovation” GREAT BRAS d’OR BRIDGE REPLACEMENTOwner: Nova Scotia Department of Trasportation & Public WorksProject Team: CBCL Limited, AllSteel Coatings Ltd., STRESCON Limited Replacement of an existing cast-in-place concrete deck, used an innovative conceptbased on the post-tensioning of precast (prestressed) concrete decks and reinforce-ment of the supporting steel structure to achieve a lighter deck, smoother ride, and minimal disruption to traffic.

Marque’s Mechanical Division recent-ly supplied 7072 manhours toinstall piping for the new Broke &

Kraft tanks at Irving Paper. Piping was installed near the tops of

the tanks to supply each with stock. Pipingwas also installed at the tanks’ bases to tiethem into the process piping, enablingstock to be supplied independently to eachof two paper machines. Overflow piping onthe tanks was also installed at this time.The project wrapped up in March, 2005.

Pictured (l-r): Gordon Leeman - JacquesWhitford; Mounir Haddad - WestwoodDevelopments Ltd.; Paul Skerry - Paul SkerryAssociates Limited; Wesley Campbell -Campbell Comeau Engineering Limited;David Bancroft - Sackville Concrete Limited; Andrew LeVatte - Strescon Limited

Pictured (l-r): Andrew LeVatte - Strescon; AllanPerry, CBCL Limited; Mark Pertus, NS Dept ofTransportation & Public Works; Robbie Fraser,CBCL Limited; Mark Cooper - AllSteel CoatingsLtd.; John MacDonald - CBCL Limited

C O N N E C T I O N S • S p r i n g 2 0 0 5 11

since its construction in the 1950’s, thetime had come to replace the structure inits entirety. The new state-of-the-art 213-bedlong-term care facility will provide a greaterquality of life to its occupants, with privacyfor every resident and “an enhanced degreeof dignity, independence and safety.”

Ocean Steel Corporation is supply-ing 969 tons of structural steel & 1400squares of deck. Erection is expected towrap up by July or August of 2005, foroccupation in 2006.Owner: US Department of Housing and

Urban DevelopmentGeneral Contractor: Bovis Lend LeaseArchitect: The Geddis PartnershipEngineer: Severud AssociatesSteel Project Manager: Theresa LeBlanc

OSCO Helps BuildFirst “GreenBuilding” School inConnecticutHamden Middle School

When the town of Hamden discov-ered that their current middleschool sat on contaminated land,

they sprang into action. The result will bea new $54 million, innovatively designedfacility to accommodate its 1,165 students.

As the first public school in the stateto meet “Green Building” environmentalstandards, the design takes into accountenvironmentally friendly lighting and othermechanisms. The school will consist offive wings that will accommodate the edu-cational philosophy of “team teaching”.The seventh and eighth grade students willbe divided into five teams in order to givethe school a “small school feel”.

Ocean Steel Corporation is sup-plying 668 tons of steel to the project.Steel erection began in March and isscheduled to wrap up in June.

Owner: Town of HamdenGeneral Contractor:

Konover Construction Corp., Inc.Architect: TAI SOO KIM PartnersEngineer: Spiegel Zamecnik & Shah, Inc.Steel Project Manager: Michael H. Zilnik

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• Ocean Steel

In the late 1960’s Ocean Steel &Construction began to outgrow itshome market and looked South to

grow into the New England region of theUnited States. In 1972 Ocean completeda job at Boston University and in doingso, entered the New England market tobegin what would soon become manyyears of successful projects throughoutNew England. Since that time Ocean hasbuilt excellent working relationshipswith several top tier General Contractorsas well as safe and quality erectors. Indoing so the name of Ocean Steel hasbecome synonymous in New Englandwith quality workmanship, performance,and integrity.

The acquisition of our latest plantin Conklin, NY has presented the excit-ing opportunity to re-trace these earlysteps in the Mid Atlantic Market, whichhas a population of 40.2 million com-pared with that of New England at 14.2million.

Over the past several months OceanSteel Corporation has been successfullypenetrating this new market by develop-ing similar relationships withcontractors throughout New York, NewJersey, and Pennsylvania, and imple-menting the same systems and businesspractices that have gained us success inNew England. The map above shows thatwe have our feet firmly planted in theMid Atlantic and are ready to grow foran exciting future.

Ocean Steel nibblesat the Big Apple...United Oddfellow & Rebekah Home

Ocean Steel Corporation hasrecently secured their first project inthe 5 boroughs of New York City. As

their second project with GeneralContractor, Bovis Lend Lease, the $45.4million expansion in Bronx, NY will be asix-story, 2-wing residence surrounding apark-like garden.

The United Oddfellow and RebekahHome has served its community for overone hundred years; most recently as asenior’s home. Although the current facilityhad been through multiple renovations

- CONTRIBUTED BY BERNIE BLAKELY

In the last Connections issue wewere in the process of finalizingdesign and budgets for two Irving

Convenience Store projects in theHalifax area. Our Halifax team of RonBuchanan (Project Manager), KevinRoy, and Jennifer Welsh are now inthe final stages of successfully complet-ing both of these projects and turningthem over to Irving Oil on schedule andwithin budget.

The project on Lacewood Driveis a three acre site with three buildings;the Irving Convenience, a CIBC Bank,and a Starbucks Coffee Shop. The IrvingOil Convenience Store and complete

petroleum installation is presentlyscheduled for opening on April 11/05.

The Lower Sackville project isone building containing a Rogers Video,Irving Convenience Store, and a futuretenant.

The new petroleum installation,Convenience Store, and base buildingwork in the tenant spaces, are sched-uled for completion on April 30/05.After Irving Oil moves into the newbuilding, FCC will require three weeksto remove the temp convenience store,demolish the old canopy and pumps,and then complete the landscapingcurbs, and asphalt.

- CONTRIBUTED BY RON BUCHANAN

GE Chemistry and Engineering Bldg Expansion

Great Wolf Lodge

Tioga County DSS Bldg Expansion

West New York PS #4

United Oddfellows & Rebekah Home

Commerce University Bank

Atlantic City ExpresswayCaesars Pedestrian Walkway & Facade

State Renaissance Court

Hamden Middle School

Based out of Fredericton, NB, York’sCustom Jobs Division are experts in

custom metal fabrication. York special-izes in the complete or partialfabrication of any size custom proj-ects, includingplatework, structur-al and miscellaneousitems thatrequire a quickturn-around.Typical projectsinclude: hoppers, con-veyors, bins, tanks, cones, pipehangers, frames & troughs.

York’s highly skilled and knowl-edgeable professionals pridethemselves in finding the perfect cus-tomized solution for every customer.Quality is a cornerstone to their suc-

cess, and this com-mitment to maintainingsuch stringent standardshas been formally recog-nized with their ISO 9001:2000

registration.York’s

Custom JobsDivision benefits

from an on-sitemetals service

centre that buysmill direct, allowing

them to obtain materials quickly andeasily to meet all custom fabricationneeds.

In business for almost 50 years,York Steel has been a proud memberof the OSCO Construction Group since1995.

OSCO MakesMark in theMid-Atlantic

Halifax Projects Update: FCC Civil

Project: The Paramount (luxury apartments)

Location: Halifax, NSCompany Involved: Strescon - NS

FCC Communication Cabling Update:

Kent Building SuppliesFCC Communication Cabling

Division completed two new KentBuilding Supplies stores in Grand Fallsand Bathurst over the last 6 months and iscurrently completing renovations on twomore stores in Bouctouche N.B. andLower Sackville N.S.

Other current projects with KBSinclude cabling installations for new giftcard machines being installed in storesthroughout the Maritimes; and providingwired services in the garden centers forthis upcoming gardening season.

It has been FCC Engineering’s pleas-ure to provide cabling and technicaltroubleshooting services for KBS duringtheir recent implementation of their newcustomer credit programs. We look for-ward to any new challenges the KBS teampresent to us in the future.

FCC Electrical Update:

New Irving OilConvenience Store

FCC Electrical has been awardedthe electrical contract for the constructionof a new I.O.L convenience store inLacewood, Nova Scotia.

Under the direction of electricalsupervisor/project manager RickHetherington, Delbert Noble and hison-site crew will be responsible for theinstallation of the interior fit-up, exteriorsite lighting, signage, electrical compo-nents for the underground fuel tanks, fueldispensers, fuel monitoring system anddispenser intercoms. Work is currentlyunderway and is scheduled for comple-tion by mid April, 2005.

New Irving Oil BigStop Restaurant &Convenience Store

FCC Electrical has been awarded theelectrical contract for a new I.O.L BigStop Restaurant and convenience store inGrand Falls N.B.

Under the direction of electricalsupervisor/project manager Rick

Hetherington, Dave Brewer’s on-sitecrew will be responsible for the installa-tion of the interior fit-up of both therestaurant and the convenience store,exterior site lighting signage, electricalcomponents for the new undergroundfuel tanks for both the retail and I24 fuelsystems, fuel dispensers, fuel monitoringsystem and dispenser intercoms. Work iscurrently underway and is scheduled forcompletion by Mid June, 2005.

Champlain Heights &Sussex Fours CornersConvenience Stores

FCC Electrical has been awardedthe electrical contracts for the interior andexterior revamping of the existing IOL con-venience store located at ChamplainHeights in Saint John and the Four CornersIrving located in Sussex.

Under the direction of electricalsupervisor Morel Ouellette, the crew ofelectricians will be responsible for theinstallation of the interior fit-up of conven-ience store, exterior building lighting. Oncecompleted, this new building design will berolled out for all future renovation and newbuild projects. Work on both sites is cur-rently underway and is scheduled forcompletion by the end of April, 2005.

Archway GeneratorInstallation

FCC Electrical has been awardedthe contract to supply and install a new300kW 600volt stand-by diesel generatorsystem for Archway Marketing Services attheir recently renovated customer contactcenter in Saint John, N.B.

The new weather-proof generator isto be installed on the roof of the 3rd floormezzanine level, between BrunswickSquare shopping center and BrunswickOffice Tower. Archway's offices are on the10th and 11th floors of Brunswick Tower.A seven-story vertical elevation differenceis offering unique challenges for the teamof Supervisor Adam Sarchfield andelectricians Mike Cosman and GaryCummins. Start-up and commissioning istentatively set for the end of April 2005.

Strescon-SJ Ready MixUpdate: Recent ProjectsBoston Pizza - Fowler ConstructionNew Mazda Dealer, Rothesay Ave -

Meridian ConstructionIrving Paper Expansion-Rideau

Construction & F.C.C.EngineeringIrving Oil Refinery - Gulf OperatorsI.P.P. Lime Kiln Upgrade - Gulf

OperatorsRothesay Ave Plaza Expansion -

Simpson Building Systems

Irving Oil Refinery: HRU -Hydrogen Recovery Unit

Marque Industrial(Electrical/InstrumentationDivision), under the supervisionof George Foote & Troy Hoar,are currently supplying approx14,000 manhours on the electri-cal & instrumentation work forthe offiste battery limits for theHydrogen Recovery Unit. Thisprocess includes the installationof cable tray, lighting, heat trac-ing, substation, communicationscabling and 35 KV system to sub-station. Marque also did theinstallation of the electrical in theactual building.

Irving Oil Refinery:Cogeneration Station

Marque Industrial(Mechanical Division), underthe Project Management of HarryDempster, supplied manpower and QAto install pipe for the main gas supplyfrom the main rack to compressorpads, as well as all the piping forpumps, exchangers and filters for thesupply of gas to compressor units A &B. Marque also did the commissioningstart-up and the start-up of various pip-ing systems. The facility opened in MidDecember of 2004.

Project: Irving Oil Convenience; CIBC & StarbucksLocation: Halifax, NSCompany Involved: FCC Civil

Project: The Paramount (Luxury Apartments)Location: Halifax, Nova ScotiaCompany Involved: Strescon - NS

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14

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Project: Great Wolf LodgeLocation: Scotrun, Pennsylvania, USACompany Involved: Ocean Steel - NY

Project: Great Wolf LodgeLocation: Scotrun, Pennsylvania, USA

Company Involved: Ocean Steel - NY

OSCO RebarOSCO Rebar

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- CONTRIBUTED BY GREG TIMS- CONTRIBUTED BY GREG TIMS

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IndustrialWood ChipperFoundation, Stora EnsoPort Hawkesbury, NS • AllSteel Coatings • 31.7 Tons ofrebar, 5200 SF of mesh

Miscellaneous Upgrades,Irving Oil RefinerySaint John, NB • GulfOperators Ltd. • 119.4 Tons ofrebar

Wharves &Bridges Chance Harbour Phase 2Chance Harbour, NB • FundyContractors Ltd • 59.3 Tons ofrebar

North Head WharfWhitehead Island, CharlotteCounty • Cureggio Const.13 Tons of rebar

Furlong BridgeSpringhill, NS • Leslie & BennPiledriving • 26.2 Tons ofrebar

ResidentialManship ResidencePoint de Chene, NB • AcadianConst Ltd • 22 Tons of rebar

Institutional Holland College StudentResidenceCharlottetown, PEI • SchurmanConst • 51.2 Tons of rebar

Villa du ReposMoncton, NB • EllisDon 160.2 Tons of rebar, 90700 SFof mesh

Government of CanadaBuildingSt. George, NB • LynGorDevelopments Ltd • 32 Tons ofrebar, 20800 SF of mesh

Stan Cassidy Centre,Phase 3Fredericton, NB • MariconManagement Inc • 31 Tons ofrebar, 120000 SF of mesh

Transport Canada AircraftHangerMoncton, NB • HervePomerleau Ltd. • 43 Tons ofrebar, 47900 SF of mesh

CommercialKent Building Supplies •Bathurst, NBMaxim 2000/Vernon Pitre21.7 Tons of rebar, 49100 SFof mesh

Boston PizzaSaint John, NB • Fowler Const.18.3 Tons of rebar

Racino ComplexFoundationCharlottetown, PEI • Fitzgerald& Snow • 27 Tons of rebar

Heartland InvestmentsWarehouseFredericton, NB• ProspectContractors Ltd • 13 Tons ofrebar

Home HardwareGrand Falls, NB • ProspectContractors LTd • 33.1 Tons ofrebar

Wal MartBathurst, NB • Rideau ConstInc • 37 Tons of rebar, 13000SF of mesh

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In keeping with the Group Vision to “BeConnected”, FCC & Marque are pleased to reportthat all major project sites are now tied in electron-

ically to our head office at 400 Chesley Drive. Sitesupport staff have been trained to input data directlyinto One World at the site. The ability to input at thesource increases the speed and accuracy of the infor-mation that is now available to the ConstructionManagers and Superintendents when reviewing jobcosts.

Presently there are a total of seven sites connected;four in Saint John, one in Grand Falls and two in theHalifax area. In Saint John, the sites includeCenterbeam Place, represented by Paula Titus; IrvingPulp & Paper, represented by new employee TabathaSmith; Irving Paper represented by Heather Wilen,Pam McAllister and Dave Henderson; and the

Irving Oil Refinery site, which is presently beingsupported by Sue Dort who has moved over

from the Irving Oil Refinery, CogenProject.

A special thank-you for all thehead office support we received fromthe Operations, Accounting and ITDepartments with this transition.

As a company we have theability to offer great services; and as

a team, we will continue to grow anddevelop good relations with present

and future customers.

Without the estimation process, we could not win con-tracts and operate as a Group. With this in mind, thesteel sector recently challenged the I.T. department to

assist them in improving their estimation software.

The Situation:The steel sector uses an application called Fabtrol to man-

age all aspects of steel fabrication; ranging from drawing andmaterial management; to production and shipping. The first stepof the estimation process requires importing large amounts ofdata from Fabtrol into an Excel spreadsheet. The spreadsheetthen uses this information to perform hundreds of calculationsin order to break down the cost of an estimate into categories(e.g.: labor cost, material cost, and shipping). This system wasworking well, but there was room for improvement.

Currently, the I.T. department is in the process of developinga database-driven program which will replace the spreadsheetand bring many improvements to the existing process.

The Improvements:1) The new program will be able to manage the data

more easily. Instead of having hundreds (or thousands) ofdifferent Excel documents storing the estimates, we will havea single database. This will give the estimators the conven-ience of “one stop shopping” when looking for informationabout a particular estimate.

2) The new program will automatically synchronizeitself with Fabtrol unlike the spreadsheet which onlyimports data when the import button is pressed. At firstglance, this may not seem like a big improvement, but thisseemingly small feature will ensure the estimators are work-ing with current inventory levels and prices that willguarantee the estimate is as accurate as possible. This couldmean the difference between winning and loosing a bid!

3) The new database will provide estimators with the

OneWorld’s “new look” hasarrived on many of the desktopsat Corporate Office. The IT

Department has been rolling out thenewer menu version of OneWorld as apreparatory step to the upgrade of theentire package in the near future.

The move from the “Explorer” tothe “Solution Explorer”(SE) menu has broughtabout greater flexibilityfor the user when usingOneWorld. Enhancedfeatures now include aninternet browser forconvenient access toinformation on the web;slimmer, more con-densed menu tree; &the introduction of theFavorites menu. That’sright! You can nowbuild your own menusthat include only the applications youlike to use everyday. No long tree ofrarely used applications to filter throughto get to your task at hand.

This recent migration to SE involvesthe IT dept creating a design of themenus & applications you now use, fordisplay in the new version. These per-sonal views of the menus are called“Roles”. Just like switching hats to per-

form many jobs during the day, userswill also switch their Role in OneWorldto get the menus needed for them.

The rollout to many users at 400Chesley Drive has proven to be painless,with little effect to their OneWorld inter-action. We will now all be betterprepared for the upcoming upgrade ofOneWorld, in which SE is mandatory forall users.

Fabtrol Server UpgradeFabtrol now has a new server with more than twicethe processing power and memory capacity. Thenew server will be more than capable of supportingour Fabtrol System as we continue to add moreusers(companies) to the system.

Schurman’s Joins NetworkOur three new ready-mix plants are now online.Each plant has a small network consisting of a fewPC’s, an Alkon PC (specialized for the concreteindustry), and network printers. These networksare then connected to the network at head officevia a special switch.

Terminal Server UpgradeWith the exception of a couple “specialty” servers,the Windows 2003 upgrade to our Terminal Serversis now complete. The greatest advantage Windows2003 has to offer the OSCO Group, is faster andmore reliable connections for our remote sites.

- CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER FOX

- CONTRIBUTED BY RON MARGESON

Transforming the “World” (One Menu at a Time)

FCC & MarqueProject Sites are“Connected”

- CONTRIBUTED BY MIKE COHOON

ability to gather data across estimateswhich is not possible with the current spread-sheet. This type of “data mining” will illustratethe company’s strengths and weaknesses. Withthis kind on valuable information, the companycan design new processes to improve in prob-lem areas and promote the areas of strength.

Once this new database application is com-plete, the steel sector will have a powerful tool thatwill make it easier for estimators to manage formerestimates and create new ones. The database willbring with it a wealth of new information that canbe used to help the company grow and excel in thefuture!

Improving the SteelEstimation Process

UPDATE CORNER- CONTRIBUTED BY NICK HATT

Each year the Precast Prestressed ConcreteInstitute sponsors the EngineeringStudent Design competition through the

PCI Student Education Committee. With the

help of local producer members, studentsdesign, construct and test a 16ft span Precastinverted Tee Beam. This year, Strescon-NS hassponsored Mark Bouter, a third year CivilEngineering Student from Dalhousie University.

Mark designed his beam last fall. Thebeam was then built in December and has justcompleted testing this March.

Good luck in the competition, Mark!

Employee Survey Results: 2003-2004

The OSCO Construction Group is committed tocreating a work environment for our employeesthat is both stimulating and rewarding. One of

the tools we use to determine how successful weare in this endeavor is the Employee Opinion Survey.

The first anonymous Employee Opinion Surveywas conducted in 2001. Since that time, we have

seen improvement in every area.We will continue our efforts to make positive

changes throughout our Group to ensure retentionof our top performers. We very much appreciate thecandor of our employees when judging how well theCompany is doing – this honest feedback will assistus in building an organization that is recognized asthe Employer of Choice in our industry.

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OSCO GroupReceivesNBCSA H&STrainingAwardThe OSCO ConstructionGroup was recognizedon March 23, 2005,at the annual meet-ing of the NewBrunswick

Construction SafetyAssociation, for its training activities during

2004. The Health and Safety Training Awardfor a Member Employer was presented byChairman Michael Waddell to Rob Feltus,Group Safety Manager. This award recog-nizes the “Member with the highest numberof training certificates issued by NBCSA dur-ing the 2004 training year”.

In keeping with one of our core valuesto “continuously train our employees &improve our processes”, the OSCOConstruction Group conducted a significantamount of occupational health & safety train-ing during 2004. The recent requirement bymany of our customers for standardizedNBCSA training presented a challenge, whichwas met by conducting much of this trainingon an “in-house” basis. This initiative pro-vided us with the flexibility to providetraining on very short notice as well as theability to supplement the training with infor-mation and procedures unique to ourequipment and operations.

The major concentration during 2004was in conducting “fall protection” training,with over 250 workers trained. NBCSA

training was also conducted for first aid andconfined space. Although New Brunswickconducted the majority of training during2004, training was also received through theNova Scotia and Newfoundland & LabradorConstruction Safety Associations.

In addition to the NBCSA training, sig-nificant numbers of workers were trained inManlift theory and operation, crane opera-tion, forklift operation, respirator use, and“health & safety committee” responsibilities.Supervisors participated in “due diligence”and safety program training.

Strescon BedfordCelebrates 24 MonthsLost Time Accident FreePresentations were awarded March 11, 2005to the employees at the Strescon BedfordPrecast Plant in recognition of working twoyears without experiencing any lost timeaccidents. This accomplishment representsover 725 days and 350,000 hours worked.

The Bedford plant has been rec-ognized five times since 1999 forworking 12 consecutive months with-out a lost time accident. This is the

second time they have been LTA-free for over24 consecutive months. The previous recordwas set during 1999-2001 at 937 days.

Strescon Nova Scotia was the first OSCOConstruction Group operation to establish acomprehensive safety program. This pro-gram and the associated Certificate ofRecognition from the Nova ScotiaConstruction Safety Association (NSCSA) wasimplemented in 1996. The dramatic reduc-tion in accidents since then has proven thevalue of the program.

Congratulations to the employees at theStrescon Bedford plant for achieving thissignificant milestone!

Strescon Saint JohnReceives $24,443Rebate from WHSCCAs a result of a health and safety audit con-ducted in 2004, Strescon Saint John hasqualified for a financial rebate from theWHSCC. On March 21, 2005, a cheque inthe amount of $24,443.40 was presented byauditor Roger Burt of the WHSCC to DonIsnor, General Manager of Strescon Limited.

In 1997, Strescon Saint John enrolledin the Risk Management Services (RMS)program offered by the WHSCC. The RMSaudit consists of an in-depth analysis of thehealth & safety activities within a frameworkof 19 elements plus an assessment of physi-cal conditions. In the five audits since then,the scores have progressively improved from

27% to 83% onthe most recentaudit.

- CONTRIBUTED BY ROB FELTUS

Strescon Sponsors Studentin Big Beam Contest

Group Safety Report

Don Isnor (left),being presented acheque by RogerBurt of WHSCC.

- CONTRIBUTED BY ANDREW LEVATTE

- CONTRIBUTED BY MELISSA CONDLY

2003-2004 OSCO Construction Group Survey Results

2003Completelyagree

Motivation Alignment Communication

2004 2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004

Leadership

Mostlyagree

Mostlydisagree

Completelydisagree

Don’tknow

2%9%

20%

42%

27%

1%7%

19%

43%

30%

2%5%

14%

48%

31%

1%5%

12%

50%

33%

2%8%

20%

44%

26%

1%6%

20%

42%

30%

4%5%

12%

42%

38%

3%6%

11%

45%

35%

The OSCO Construction Group wel-comes new members into our 25year club each year by hosting a

dinner at the Delta Brunswick Hotel intheir honor. The 25 year club dinner is acelebration of the dedication and contri-bution that its long term employeeshave made to the OSCOConstruction Group. This pastNovember 26th, four newinductees were warmly wel-comed into the 25 yearclub.

Terry Hoar - MarqueConstructionClarence Savoie - Ocean SteelHarold Cavanaugh - Ocean SteelDon Isnor - Strescon Limited

Retirees and current employeesgathered together and listened to themusic of the “Perry Craft Fiddlers”, whilea slideshow presented OSCOConstruction Group’s numerous projectswhich had been built by the dedicationand hard work of the club members.

The evening began with GeorgePaisley’s yearly blessing of the meal,

and offering of a moment of silence forall members who were no longer with us.

Following the meal, the inductionsbegan with Tom Coughlan welcomingTerry Hoar of Marque Construction, andoutlined his many years as an experi-enced electrical foreman. HarrisonWilson followed, by introducing Harold

Cavanaugh, a long timeOcean Steel shop employ-ee and machine operator.

Lastly, Hans O. Klohn wel-comed Strescon’s General

Manager, Don Isnor into the 25year club. Clarence Savoie ofthe Ocean Steel shop was unable

to attend the dinner. All three menin attendance accepted their com-

memorative gifts of either a watch or aclock from Birks Jewelry. Their nameswere also added to the 25 year clubplaques.

A special thank you goes out toCarrie Watson for all her hard workcoordinating the event. Also a specialthank you to all the members of the 25year club for their dedication to ourorganization - we look forward to seeingall of you next year!

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A Quarter Centuryand Beyond

- CONTRIBUTED BY VANESSA BASTOW

Maintenance is one of the most impor-tant jobs within our organization.The maintenance department is

responsible for making sure that all of themany buildings, machines & equipmentthroughout our various companies are keptin the best condition possible. Maintenancefor the OSCO Construction Group is dividedby product sector and then by facility.

Construction Sector Individuals from our Construction sec-

tor, including both FCC and MarqueConstruction, are responsible for the build-ing maintenance of the OSCO head office,Ocean Steel plant, and Marque/FCC’sWarehouse and Pipe Fabrication Shop.Warehouse Manager JoeMcDevitt is responsible forbuilding maintenance in thewarehouse, as well as capitalequipment maintenance andtool maintenance for the outsideconstruction crews. JeanRichard and Ken Cooper per-form various maintenanceduties for the warehouse facilityas well as assisting with the OSCO HeadOffice Building Maintenance.

A prime example of the complexitiesinvolved with building maintenance is theenvironmental control system at OSCO’s headoffice, for which Brian Hughes (BuildingMaintenance Coordinator & Civil Estimator)is responsible. The OSCO head office is cli-

mate controlled by use of a TraneSummit Building Maintenance

Software System that maintainsthe temperature, pressureand air quality for the com-

fort of the employees withinthe building. The Summit

System consists of a series of sensorsthroughout the building, which the main pro-cessing unit uses to manipulate the buildingsenvironment through direct digital control ofthe building heating, ventilation and air con-

ditioning system. Thesoftware is linked to an alphanumeric pagerwhich allows Brian to quickly identify prob-lem areas, and allow a quick resolution toany problems that arise.

Steel & Concrete SectorsAlthough the Steel and Concrete sectors

rely on the Construction sector for theirbuilding maintenance, both groups havetheir own employees to maintain themachines and equipment involved in theirvarious manufacturing processes.Maintenance personnel are required to

understand the needs of every machine inthe shop, so training is crucial. Preventativemaintenance is key... a damaged machinecan grind production to a halt. The mainte-nance departments monitor and upkeep all

equipment to prevent thisoccurence. In many cases,employees are on call 24hours a day.

There are hundreds oflarge pieces of equipment

throughout the OSCO Group;from mechanical items likefork lifts, to computerizedindustrial machinery like the

ready mix batching system, or the MBKmachine.

Maintenance duties have evolved in allsectors over the years, as more computerizedmachines have been introduced into the vari-ous shop processes. For example; at theStrescon Pipe Plant, the steel cages used toreinforce pipe were previously weldedtogether by hand as a machine spun it. Thisprocess has since been replaced with anMBK machine that automatically welds androlls cages of various sizes. The new processis controlled by a computer system requiringa single operator. When the MBK was added,

the maintenance department at Strescon wasrequired to know everything about both thecomputer system that runs the MBK, as wellas the mechanical components that make themachine function. A representative from themanufacturer spent days training all themaintenance personnel about the upkeepand repairs of the machine.

The maintenance departments have hadto master numerous new equipment addi-tions over the years. Throughout OSCO

Construction Group’s 50year history, the maintenancedepartment has always con-tinued to adapt and expandtheir knowledge to accom-modate our technologicalgrowth. Without theseemployees, the wheels couldnot continue to turn - aheartfelt thank you goes outto each of them:

Steel Sector Gordon MacQuarrieGordon Haines

Darryl KingstonTrevis KingstonMatt Love

Concrete SectorMaurice Devost (NB)Mark Cole (NB)Jim Lawless (NS)Roger Allain (NB)Ted Mazerolle (NB)

Construction SectorJoe McDevit Jean RichardKen CooperBrian Hughes

- CONTRIBUTED BY VANESSA BASTOW

A look at the OSCO Group Maintenance DepartmentsKeeping the Wheels Turning

Front Row (l-r): Harold Cavanaugh,Don Isnor, & Terry Hoar. Back Row (l-r): Jack Irving, John Irving, Hans O. Klohn, Hans W. Klohn Front Row (l-r): Harold Cavanaugh,Don Isnor, & Terry Hoar. Back Row (l-r): Jack Irving, John Irving, Hans O. Klohn, Hans W. Klohn

Concrete Sector (l-r): Roger Allain; Maurice Devost; Mark Cole; TedMazerolle and George Bourgois.

Steel Sector (l-r): Gordon MacQuarrie,Gordon Haines and Matt Love. Steel Sector (l-r): electricians Darryl

Kingston and Trevis Kingston.

Construction Sector (l-r): Ken Cooper,Jean Richard and Joe McDevitt.

Than

k Yo

u!!

25year club

Fami ly Addit ionsPETER ADAMS (STRESCON-SJ) and hiswife Heather welcomed Lauren Oliviainto the world on Jan.27th, 2005.

PETER HORWOOD (STRESCON-SJ) andhis wife Gina had a new member borninto their family on Oct.21st, 2004.Baby boy Matthew weighed 8lbs,1oz.

STEVE DYER (SCHURMAN-SUMMER-SIDE) and his family happily welcomed8lb baby girl, Madison Grace into theworld on Feb.21st, 2005.

Engagements STEPHANE BELANGER (OSCO REBAR)is engaged to marry Kathy Peters onMay 21st, 2005.

ROBIN HULL (OSCO GROUP SER-VICES) is engaged to marry DanaVautour on June 25th, 2005.

Weddings STEVEN SCOTT (FCC) married JennyBrown on April 18, 2005, in Cuba.

KERRI SCOTT (GOLDSWORTHY) (OSCOGROUP SERVICES) married Colin Scotton Aug.21st, 2004.

ROBIN YOUNG (JOHNSON) (FCC)married Craig Young on May 22nd,2004.

Achievements AARON DELANEY and BORIS SIMIC(STRESCON-SJ) received their ACI FieldTesting Technician Grade I - the highestlevel possible!!

ANIMESH DAS (STRESCON-SJ) recentlyreceived his P.Eng registration in bothNew Brunswick and Ontario.

STEVE ADAMS (OSCO GROUPSERVICES) recently received his“Certified Credit Executive” designa-tion from the National Association ofCredit Managers.

OWEN VLUG (OSCO GROUPSERVICES) e-mailed to tell us he wasrecently elected “King of the World”.We had no idea we had royalty in ourmidst...

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

FRESH FACESOcean Steel & Construction

C O N N E C T I O N S • S p r i n g 2 0 0 522 C O N N E C T I O N S • S p r i n g 2 0 0 5 23

FCC Eng ineer ing

Strescon

OSCO Group Serv ices

Ocean Steel Corporation

York Steel

Schurman Concrete

MELANIE MELANSON - Inventory Specialist (transfer from Strescon)

PAMELA KEATING - Document PrinterLI LAN POOK - Contract ManagerTODD MCDONALD - CNC ProgrammerJOHN IRVING - Document RunnerJAYNA PRESLEY - Steel Detailing Office

(transfer from Printroom)LEN ANDREWS - Document Control

(transfer from Printroom)

RON MUNN - InspectorJAY FLETCHER - Manufacturing ManagerNANCY JONES - Administrative AssistantMIKE MACKENZIE - Store KeeperALLAN MCTAGGART - Shipper/ReceiverBRENT BOYLES - Office Administrator - MonctonJEAN BOURQUE - Plant Manager - Moncton

JENNIFER WELSH - Project AdministrationMICHELLE DERY - Site AdministrationPAM MCALLISTER - Site AdministrationTABATHA SMITH - Site AdministrationLORI ANN LOGUE - Qual. Assurance Coordinator

MIKE COHOON - IT Programmer/AnalystJEFF SHEA - IT Programmer/AnalystRON MARGESON- IT Programmer/AnalystSUSAN MARSHALL - Receptionist (Temporary)TAMMI LITTLE - HR Administrative Assistant

(transfer from Strescon)ROBIN HULL - Data Integrity SpecialistAUDREY PERRY - Specialist - Accounting

KEN JONES - Shop Inspector

BILL DAVIS - General ManagerPAUL BIGGAR - Plant Manager - SummersideFRED HORRELT - Plant Manager - CharlottetownGERARD MELANSON - Office Manager -

CharlottetownSAM WEDGE - Office Manager - Summerside

DAVID LANG - Project Manager - Custom Jobs (Transfer from plant foreman)

Harbour Lights Bake SaleEach Christmas, CBC Radio launch-

es their Harbour Lights Campaign,whose proceeds go to Saint John areafood banks. Local busi-nesses and citizenshost fundraisers tolight up theChristmas tree onPugsley Wharf foranother year. OSCOConstruction Group’soffice employeesraised $452 for the cam-paign.

Habitat forHumanity

OSCOGroup compa-nies such asStrescon andOSCO Rebarare very

proud to contribute towardsHabitat for Humanity programs. withdonations of such items as rebar andready-mixed concrete.“On behalf of Habitat for Humanity SaintJohn Region Inc., I want to thank yourcompany most sincerely for the dona-tion... It is through donations such asyours that we are able to carry out thework that we do.” Janet Reid- Exec. Director, Habitat for Humanity

Supporting the Arts The OSCO Construction

Group is a long time sup-porter of the arts in thecommunity, and once againsupported the Saint JohnTheatre Company in theircurrent season.

Medical AidThe OSCO Construction Grouphas always realized the impor-

tance of public healthcare,which is why we supplydonations each year to vari-

ous institutions such asCanadian Cancer

Foundation, the IWK Hospital,the St Joseph’s Hospital and the Rallyof Hope.

Last year in the Rally of Hope theOSCO Groupies exceeded their $5000goal by raising $7100 dollars for theRegional Hospital. This year theGroupies have set a goal at $8000,and have already raised $3000through 50/50 draws, pizza days, andraffles. GOOD LUCK GROUPIES!

Supporting Sporting EventsOSCO Construction Group puts

thousands of dollars every year into sup-porting sporting events for ouremployees and their children. OSCO iscommitted to helping people in ourcommunity stay active and healthy bysupporting every kind of sport imagina-ble; from hockey, to dressage, to golf, totae kwon doe the OSCO Construction

Group supports numer-ous local teams and

events such as:

• Kids of Steel• Dressage NB• Marathon By

The Sea

• Saint John “AA” Flames• Sussex Sonics Volleyball• OSCO Group Teams• Group Golf Tournaments• Saint John Pee Wee C Flames• Irving Paper Golf Tournament• Molson Canadian

Co-ed SlowPitch

• KVHS LadyCrusaders

• Orenda CanoeClub

• SJ Midget AAA• SJ Skating Club

Supporting Education Our Group supports education by

offering a bursary award of $500 eachto two of our employees’ childrenattending college or university. This yearthe award went to Mike Lewis’ (OSCOGROUP SERVICES) son Aaron, and JayGuiles’ (OSCO CORP.) son David.

OSCO ConstructionGroup also helps to sup-port education by donatingmoney to local universitiesand high schools eachyear. The Group supportsco-op programs at theUniversity of NewBrunswick-SaintJohn; NewBrunswickCommunityCollege; andDaltechUniversity;by hostingco-op stu-dents in avariety ofpositionseachyear.

- CONTRIBUTED BY VANESSA BASTOW

OSCO Group

BallsWrecking

Comingthis fall:

Charlottetown

Summerside

are pouring it onStrescon & Schurman

with 4 plants in NB & PEI

Give us a call for YOUR next ready-mix job!

Ready-Mix Concrete

Saint John, NB Charlottetown, PEISummerside, PEIMoncton, NB

STRESCON

S t r e s c o n a n d S c h u r m a n a r e p r o u d m e m b e r s 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

1212 Berry Mills Road,Moncton, NB • E1E 4R8

Jean Bourque506-858-7110

Fax: 506-856-5897email: bourque.jean@strescon.com

Serving: Greater Moncton, NBServing: Southern NB Serving: Western PEI Serving: Eastern PEI

STRESCON

PO Box 1416 • 240 MacEwen Rd.Summerside, PEI • C1N 4K2

Paul Biggar902-888-4331

Fax: 902-888-2959email: biggar.paul@strescon.com

412 Mount Edward RoadCharlottetown, PEI • C1A 7L3

Fred Horrelt902-628-0127

Fax: 902-566-1169email: Horrelt.fred@strescon.com

101 Ashburn Road,Saint John, NB • E2L 3W2

Dave Dunnett506-633-8877

Fax: 506-632-7576email: dunnett.dave@strescon.com

Saint John

Moncton

• Able to provide up to 5 different types of cement for different applications and supply up to 5 different aggregates simultaneously.• Full time quality control lab• Professional engineers on staff• Computerized wet batched concrete• Emergency backup plant on premises

• Quality concrete• Sand & gravel• Stone slingers• Conveyor belts for placing concrete• Computerized batch plants• Concrete pumping services• Radio equipped trucks

• Quality ready-mix concrete to residential,commercial and industrial sectors• Concrete pumping services• Computerized batch plant• Also offering concrete pipe products

• Quality concrete• Sand & gravel• Stone slingers• Conveyor belts for placing concrete• Computerized batch plants• Concrete pumping services• Radio equipped trucks