Three companies that helped build Fairview Terminal’s Phase 2 expansion have been recognized for their work.
On Oct. 23, Fraser River Pile & Dredge Inc. (FRPD), BEL Contracting and Houle Electric Ltd. were awarded silver at the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VCRA) Awards of Excellence. The companies were honoured for the quality of their work, and their ability to complete their portions of the project on time and on budget.
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While none of the companies claimed their prize at the event, receiving recognition for their roles in the port expansion was still an honour.
“FRPD and our partners at BEL Contracting and Kingston Construction are very proud of winning the silver award and of our involvement in the Fairview expansion project,” said FRPD CEO Sarah Clark in an emailed statement. “This project was a success due to the collaboration with DP World and the Prince Rupert Port Authority, the tremendous support from the community and the commitment from our suppliers and subcontractors. We look forward to working in Prince Rupert again.”
Each year the VCRA honours contractors for their work in industrial, commercial and institutional projects in the province.
FRPD and BEL Contracting received their silver prize as a joint venture in the general contractors over $50 million category. Houle Electric Ltd. was awarded the silver in the electrical contractors $2-5 million category.
Fairview Terminal’s expansion, which was completed over a two-year period from 2015 to 2018, increased its container capacity from 750,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) to 1.35 million.
FRPD and BEL Contracting worked on their portions of the project, with FRPD managing the marine scope and BEL Contracting handling dryland development.
The design of the expansion included increasing the physical reach of the port by 400 metres and constructing a new suspended wharf.
The scope of the project was complicated by a tight construction deadline and the tight confines within which crews had to work.
“The largest challenge by far was the time period agreed to at the time the project was awarded. We have completed projects in the Prince Rupert area, but this had a very aggressive schedule from the start,” said FRPD’s senior project manager, Kristien Seabloom in an interview with Black Press in summer of 2017. “So many interfaces on such a small footprint required extremely detailed planning and constant communication among the workforce in order to ensure the safety of everyone involved in the project.”
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Both companies also hired locally for their work, employing between 35 and 45 per cent of the labour force from the region.
Houle Electric installed new electrical systems, completed infrastructure upgrades for new cranes and installed mast-lighting at the facility.
On June 19, the Port of Prince Rupert and DP World announced the next phase of Fairview Terminal’s expansion, Phase 2B. Once complete, Phase 2B will increase the annual capacity of the terminal to 1.8 million TEUs
newsroom@thenorthernview.com
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