Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge | 21.3 m | U/C

[lrt's friend]

Were any of these pictures actually taken after the work resumed?

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Were any of these pictures actually taken after the work resumed?

Yes, I'd say so. And I updated the image posting above to add the dates of the photos.

[rocketphish]

And now it may have stopped again...

More questions surface over bridge work

Published on February 12, 2013
Courtney Symons

Strandherd-Armstrong contractors still engaged in legal fights. Several subcontractors say more problems are emerging in a $48-million bridge construction project already marred by controversy and delays.

Sources say work on the Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge, which will connect the communities of Barrhaven and Riverside South, ground to a halt late last month and that several steelworkers were laid off. Others say the cold weather has created challenges with the bridge’s welding and threatens to place the project even further behind schedule.

Ironworkers Local 765, the Ottawa branch of a metal workers union represented by Don Melvin, has about 20 to 25 employees working on the job. Many non-union workers at the Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge were laid off in late January, Mr. Melvin said.

“There’s some stuff going on down there,” he said. When asked to elaborate, he declined and ended the interview.

Patrick Rochette, superintendent of bridge erector Montacier International Inc., told OBJ he couldn’t comment on the project but said construction had halted when he spoke to OBJ late last month.

“From my perspective, we’re pretty much at a standstill,” he said in an interview.

On Feb. 6, however, workers could be seen at the bridge’s construction site.

Separately, a former Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge contractor with ties to workers still on the job site said he’s heard reports of problems with the welding, requiring significant portions to be redone.

“Anyone familiar with the code would know that it’s virtually impossible to do (welding) outside in the wintertime,” said DCM Erectors general superintendent Gary Counsell. “You need to have no wind and no cold.”

To keep out the elements, much of the welding is being done beneath tarps elevated next to the bridge’s framework.

The claims could not be verified because industry and municipal officials refused to speak to OBJ about the project.

TROUBLED WATERS

The contract to construct the Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge was awarded to ConCreate USL in July 2010. At the time, officials said work would be completed by spring 2012.

Last March, ConCreate entered receivership, leading to a flurry of liens and lawsuits among a handful of subcontractors.

Work resumed under a new contractor, Horseshoe Hill Construction. That company appears to be headed by former ConCreate employees, a practice a local construction industry representative previously called “concerning” and “not good” for the industry.

DCM Erectors is one subcontractor caught up in the mess. It was hired by ConCreate to erect the bridge, but was replaced by Quebec-based Montacier after Horseshoe Hill took over the job.

Mr. Counsell is still waiting for the outcome of his legal proceedings against the city, which he alleges confiscated some of his equipment used on the project. His construction lien against Horseshoe Hill also has yet to be resolved.

QUIET CROSSING

OBJ made multiple requests to several Horseshoe Hill officials to discuss the company’s corporate structure. All were turned down.

City councillor Steve Desroches, a vocal proponent of the bridge who maintains a section on his website to provide updates on the project, did not respond to several interview requests.

Similarly, city officials did not respond to specific questions about faulty welding or work stoppages. Instead, the city’s media relations department provided a one-paragraph statement that said the bridge would be “substantially completed” by Aug. 31, and that further updates would be provided in the coming weeks.

“Construction on the Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge is progressing and all safety specifications are being met, including with respect to the welding. The financing of the project is stable and this project has a performance bond to guarantee project completion and to protect taxpayers from financial exposure to cost overruns,” the statement said.

SIDEBAR: BRIDGE BACKGROUND

The Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge will link the communities of Barrhaven and Riverside South across the Rideau River.

The completed bridge will span 143 metres and accommodate eight traffic lanes, two bike paths and two pedestrian sidewalks.

from: http://www.obj.ca/Real%20Estate/Cons...-bridge-work/1

[rocketphish]

Councillor confirms Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge welding issues

Mark Brownlee, March 22, 2013

Welding problems on a major bridge under construction in south Ottawa have city officials revisiting the expected completion date for the project, which is already more than a year behind schedule, the area councillor said Friday.

Steve Desroches, who represents Gloucester South-Nepean, declined to say directly whether the completion of the Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge - originally scheduled to be completed by spring 2012 - will be delayed. However he said "likely it is not a matter of weeks" when discussing the revised schedule for the project.

City engineers are currently working with the project’s contractor, Horseshoe Hill, to look at the project’s timelines. Mr. Desroches said he will have a more "fulsome" update sometime in April.

As OBJ first reported in early February, the cold winter weather created problems with the welding during the past few months.

The $48-million project, which is designed to link the communities of Barrhaven and Riverside South, is supposed to be finished in August of this year but has already been delayed several times.

Mr. Desroches did not go into too many details about what was wrong with the welding, other than to say it is "very complex" and he did not want there to be any safety issues when the bridge opens.

"I would like to see this project completed as quickly as possible to the highest safety standards," said Mr. Desroches. "No one wants to compromise the safety for the sake of a ribbon cutting."

Workers on the project told OBJ in late January that construction on the project had ground to a halt.

Mr. Desroches denied this claim. Construction never stopped during the winter months, he said.

The project was originally supposed to be completed in spring 2012. That was delayed when the firm that won the contract, ConCreate USL, entered receivership last March.

from: http://www.obj.ca/Real%20Estate/Cons...lding-issues/1

[rocketphish]

$48M Strandherd-Armstrong bridge likely to be delayed ‘months’, says councillor

By Neco Cockburn, Ottawa Citizen March 22, 2013

OTTAWA - The Strandherd-Armstrong bridge project likely faces a delay of months after welding did not meet city specifications, says a city official.

The $48-million project was expected to be finished by Aug. 31, but Gloucester-South Nepean Councillor Steve Desroches indicated last month that timelines were being assessed after testing determined that additional welding work was required.

On Friday, Desroches said a new completion date still hadn’t been determined, but "I do believe that we will be looking at a delay.

"I don’t think it will be weeks. It will likely be months, and this is what’s being confirmed at the present time," he said.

The bridge over the Rideau River between Strandherd Drive and Earl Armstrong Road was supposed to be finished by late last year, but work stalled last March when the original contractor went into receivership. The new deadline at the end of August was set when the project resumed.

Staff are now seeing if time can be made up in other parts of the project, and construction work continues, said Desroches. A full update is expected in mid-April, he said.

"We don’t want to compromise the safety for the sake of a ribbon-cutting. I hope to have more information in the coming weeks with more clarity on the deadline, but clearly the welding is taking some considerable time," said Desroches.

"There are very high standards that have to be met because of the weight, and I think as someone whose family is going to travel on this bridge, I want to ensure that the bridge is safe."

Desroches said in February that some of the welding on the bridge’s arches didn’t meet city specifications.

"It is a complex welding process," he said on Friday, with "very sophisticated testing that is part of the quality control."

Each of the three bridge arches is composed of 10 pieces that must be welded together, according to information posted to the councillor’s website.

The bridge was originally expected to open to traffic in early 2012. That timeline was stretched before contractor ConCreate USL of Bolton, Ont., went into receivership in March.

The city held a $23-million performance bond on the project, and its bonding company - The Guarantee Company of North America - chose Horseshoe Hill Construction, composed of employees of ConCreate USL, as the builder to complete the project.

There’s a $5,000-a-day penalty if the project isn’t completed by the end of August, Desroches said, and "this would fall under the responsibility of the bonding company."

Welding is being completed by a subcontractor, Montacier, according to Desroches. Staff at that company and at Horseshoe Hill referred questions to the city.

Desroches said in mid-February that more than 70 per cent of the project had been completed.

"I’m disappointed that the welding is taking some considerable time, but we are putting tremendous pressure on the contractor and on the bonding company," he said on Friday.

City engineers have told him that the welding that needs additional work is "not a question of poor workmanship," Desroches said.

"The welding testing is very sophisticated and very sensitive, and it is a normal part of the process that you test your welds and do additional welding based on the tests that come in," he said.


© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Strandh...#ixzz2OPd7Wfav

[waterloowarrior]

NR: Update on the Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge project
http://ottawa.ca/cgi-bin/pressco.pl?...=18382&lang=en

Ottawa – The City of Ottawa has received an updated completion date for the Strandherd Armstrong Bridge project, submitted by the bonding company, The Guarantee Company of North America, which delays the delivery date of completion to September 2014.

There are several issues which have contributed to the delay in the construction work. These issues include the delayed delivery of the arches and the complex nature of the welding work and preparatory work for the Rideau River launch of the bridge. Collectively these factors have resulted in a setback in the construction schedule.

“I am disappointed by the news that further delays are impacting the completion date for the Strandherd-Armstrong Bridge and the inconvenience this is causing to the residents of Ottawa,” said Gloucester South Nepean Councillor Steve Desroches. “This bridge will bring countless benefits to the residents in my community once complete.”

Work on the bridge is over 70% complete and measures remain in place to ensure its completion. The major portion of the welding work is now complete and the next major construction milestone will be to launch the bridge across the Rideau River this summer. Following this launch, the concrete for the bridge deck will be poured in spring 2014 with the final works to follow. The bridge is now scheduled to be open to traffic in September 2014.

The safety of the City’s infrastructure is a top priority and the City is diligently overseeing this project. A performance bond is in place which ensures that this bridge will be delivered at no additional cost to Ottawa taxpayers because of the delay. The contractor will be charged liquidated damages effective September 1, 2013, the original contractual date of completion.