BC Ferry Services – Tsawwassen Berth 3
Fraser River Pile and Dredge was contracted by BC Ferries to perform life extension repairs and upgrades to Tsawwassen Berth 3. The catwalks to the South Breakwater required replacement as they had reached the end of their service life and the Berth 3 dolphins, ramps and aprons required repairs or upgrades to extend their life for an additional 10 years.
From November to December 2019, FRPD conducted marine and land repairs that included demolition of 60 timber piles, replacing timber fender panels, installing new catwalk sections, reinstalling apron sections and updating the lower ramp.
FRPD Assists with Fire Response at Westminster Pier Park
Fraser River Pile & Dredge (FRPD) was called to assist the New Westminster Fire & Rescue Services to help put out the blaze that destroyed a large portion of Westminster Pier Park.
The fire broke out on September 13 at the pier, closing the park and surrounding area. The century-old wooden pier was built on creosote-soaked pilings, which will take several more days to fully extinguish.
FRPD supported the response team by providing barge and crane operations that removed parts of the pier to clear debris and provide fire service access to areas of the site that were otherwise difficult to reach. The operations also facilitated fire fighting from the water side of the pier.
A particularly challenging and heartbreaking operation was removing the WOW Westminster sculpture. All efforts were made to save the public art installation, but unfortunately the structure that supported the sculpture and its connections to the pier were significantly compromised, making it unsafe to dismantle and preserve. The pier that the sculpture stood on was unsafe to access by foot, so FRPD was called in to remove the sculpture by a barge and crane on the water.
FRPD is deeply saddened by the damage to the pier and its impact on the residents of New Westminster. Opened in 2012, Westminster Pier Park was designed as a space for families living in the downtown core to access nature and park land in the city. The WOW Westminster art installation on the park’s waterfront was a city landmark. Made of four shipping containers arranged in the shape of a W, the structure reflected the history of shipping, trade and transportation along the Fraser River.
FRPD applauds the fire service for working around the clock to put out the hot spots on the pier. The fire service was able to get the fire under control much sooner than originally expected, with the fire anticipated to be completely put out by the end of the week. Fortunately, a large portion of the park was spared from damage, with several pathways, a festival lawn area, concession and playgrounds to eventually re-open.
For updates on the park’s status visit: https://www.newwestcity.ca/parks-and-recreation/parks/community-parks/articles/5429.php
Esquimalt Graving Dock South Jetty Reconstruction
Fraser River Pile & Dredge and SPAL General Constructors Corporation were contracted to reconstruct the South Jetty Dock at the Esquimalt Graving Dock located in Esquimalt, BC. From July 2018 to January 2020 approximately 10,000 m2 of dock area was rebuilt and the ship berthing area was updated with a new concrete structure supported on steel pipe piles. Fraser River Pile & Dredge (FRPD) and SPAL General Contractors Corporation (SPAL) formed a joint venture to undertake the project, qualifying as an Aboriginal Business.
The project successfully overcame several challenges. Construction took place while the facility remained fully operational during construction. Construction was performed in a manner that did not adversely impact the environmental remediation that was completed at the facility in previous projects. The team also coordinated marine equipment moves within the active Esquimalt Harbour with the various tenants and other ongoing construction projects.
BC Ferry Services – Tsawwassen Berth 5
Fraser River Pile and Dredge was contracted by BC Ferries to perform repairs and replacements to the dolphins on the North Breakwater at Tsawwassen Berth 5 from April to May 2020. The existing dolphins and marine structures required replacements and improvements to protect the vessels during landings.
The existing fender system was upgraded by removing several fender panels and new ones were reinstalled. Each new fender panel weighed 76,000 lbs and was 9.5 m long x 4 m wide. New chains, shackles and tensioners were installed onto the fender system.
Pacific Coast Terminals – Berm Construction & Dredging
This project aided in decreasing the amount of marine traffic in the Burrard Inlet to Pacific Coast Terminals by making room for larger carriers. The purpose of the project was to enlarge the turning basin for these larger carriers. To achieve this, a rock berm was placed in the harbour to contain the material removed from the current turning basin. The material was dredged utilizing both hydraulic and mechanical methods and placed behind the berm.
FRPD acquired the services of an engineering team to collaborate on the design based on the preliminary containment berm concepts provided by Pacific Coast Terminals. The scope of work included:
- Design of berm
- Supply of 160,000 tonnes of berm core, and slope protection material
- In water transport of the core and slope protection material
- 152,000 tonnes of Core material (6” minus) placement
- 8,000 tonnes of Slope material (3” x 30”) placement
- Hydrographic Survey
- PAH impacted dredging
- 400,000 m3 of Dredging
- In water transport of dredge material to berm
This project involved tight tolerance placement and dredging, which took advantage of FRPD’s state of the art survey software systems.
Vancouver Centerm Expansion Project Awarded to FRPD’s Joint Venture Partnership, CXP
Photo Credit: www.portvancouver.com
Vancouver Container Terminal Expansion Design and Construction Awarded to FRPD’s Joint Venture Partnership, Centennial Expansion Partners (CXP)
Centennial Expansion Partners (CXP) is pleased to announce it has been awarded the design and construction of the expansion of the Centerm container terminal for the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority in Vancouver, British Columbia
The expansion of this terminal – expected to be substantially complete late-2021 – will expand the terminals design capacity to 1.5 million TEUs per year, an increase of two-thirds of its current capacity. The project also includes the remodelling of the accesses to the terminal. The terminal is operated by DP World, one of the largest container terminal operators in the world with 78 terminals in 40 countries.
For More Information on the Project:
About CXP
CXP is a Joint Venture (JV) between Dragados Canada, Jacob Brothers Construction and Fraser River Pile & Dredge (GP) Inc. (FRPD).
Dragados Canada, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dragados, was established in 2008 and opened its first corporate office in Toronto. Since then, Dragados Canada has grown steadily, successfully performing a variety of transportation, mass transit, dams, and tunnel projects. Building on this success, Dragados’ market share and financial position has consistently strengthened and grown over time. https://www.dragados-canada.com
Jacob Bros is a mid-sized, multi-discipline general contractor based in Surrey, BC. A privately held firm focused on heavy civil and building construction, Jacob Bros has emerged as one of Western Canada’s pre-eminent builders of public and private infrastructure. With a large fleet of modern equipment and a dedicated staff, Jacob Bros has successfully delivered a wide range of projects while focusing on long term relationships with select clients. http://www.jacobbros.ca
FRPD is Canada’s largest marine, land Foundations and dredging contractor and has worked on many of the port expansion projects in British Columbia including the recently finished expansion of the Fairview Terminal in Prince Rupert. FRPD has the fleet and expertise to complete all sizes of marine construction and restoration projects. https://frpd.com
FRPD Wins 2018 VRCA Silver Award of Excellence
Fraser River Pile & Dredge (FRPD) and its joint venture partner, BEL Contracting, were recently awarded for their work on the Fairview Container Terminal – Phase 2 North Expansion project in Prince Rupert, B.C. The two companies won silver in the over $50 million category of the Vancouver Regional Construction Association’s (VRCA) 30th Annual Awards of Excellence. “This year, we received a record-setting 205 nominations with a total construction value of more than $2 billion dollars.” said Tony Everett, chairman of VRCA’s Awards of Excellence Committee. “As judges, we were impressed by how companies overcame a range of challenges, from engineering and design firsts to building in difficult weather conditions.”
The project scope, undertaken in 2015, included the development of a new berth expansion, upgrades to the existing caisson wharf, new mooring dolphin, new empty container stacking yard, and new container storage yards. Despite challenging ground conditions and ongoing operations at the terminal, the project was completed on time and on budget. No small accomplishment, as noted by the VRCA award judges in their remarks and recognized by Maksim Mihic, general manager of DP World (Canada) Inc. which operates the terminal. “We have successfully completed expansion projects with this team in the past.” said Mihic. “They are all premier companies in their category — and not surprisingly, they delivered a quality product this time too.”
“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.”
For more information on the VRCA Annual Awards of Excellence:
- VRCA Press Release: VRCA Announces 2018 Awards of Excellence -Silver Award Winners
For more information on the Fairview Container Terminal – Phase 2 North Expansion:
- Port of Prince Rupert News Release: Port of Prince Rupert Completes Fairview Terminal Expansion
For additional media coverage:
- Journal of Commerce: Fairview terminal north expansion an award winner beyond the work site
- The Northern View: Prince Rupert port expansion project receives construction award
Maintenance Dredging and Sand Management
The lower reaches of the Fraser River are surrounded by the greater metropolitan area of Vancouver with the waterways and foreshore area forming an integral part of Port Metro Vancouver and British Columbia s economy. Every year the river dumps 20 million tons of sediment into the ocean with the majority of the deposition occurring during the Spring freshet. As the flow rate subsides the suspended sediments settle in the river system including the 34km long deep sea navigation channel. In order to maintain the depth required for the deep sea vessels to navigate the channel safely the settled material needs to be dredged.
Since the contract was awarded to FRPD, FRPD has met the challenges in annually maintaining channel grade in a dynamic river system as well as selling a large portion of the sand to the local construction industry. Each year both FRPD and the Port Authority have worked close together to ensure that dredging is carried out in the priority areas as well as staying within the Port Authority s operational budgets.
FRPD Wins Gold Award of Excellence
On October 25, 2017, Fraser River Pile & Dredge GP (FRPD) was recognized for being a standout in B.C.’s construction industry as one of only 15 Gold Award winners at the Vancouver Regional Construction Association’s (VRCA) 29th Annual Awards of Excellence held in Vancouver, B.C. “VRCA’s Awards of Excellence showcase the best of the best,“ said Fiona Famulak, President of the VRCA. “BC’s construction industry is the most progressive in the country and the Awards allow us to recognize the collaboration, innovation and professionalism that our members bring to their projects – the complex, state-of-the-art infrastructure that we use every day,” she continued.
Sarah Clark, Mike Bevan-Pritchard, Brent Bevan-Pritchard, and Mike Scott, on behalf of FRPD, alongside Harald Kullman, Kim Stegman-Lowe, Robert Crompton, and Karen Denis were on hand to accept the Gold Award in the category of “General Contractors – $20 to $45 Million” for the recently completed Squamish Terminals – Berth 1 Reconstruction project.
As Canada’s largest Marine & Infrastructure, Land Foundations and Dredging contractor, FRPD was thrilled to have been contracted for the project by Squamish Terminals in 2015, after fire had destroyed their Berth 1 dock. The project scope included demolition, construction & densification, and installation of steel and concrete replacements and was successfully completed in August, 2016.
Kim Stegeman-Lowe, President, Squamish Terminals had this to say about the project, “Thank you to our marine contractor Fraser River Pile & Dredge (FRPD), and our marine engineer and project manager Advisian – WorleyParsons Group for ensuring this complex dock rebuild was on-time and on budget. The great cooperation between FRPD and Advisian, as well as the support and patience of our employees, customers, partners, and community was the key to completing the dock and opening it back up to operation in 10 months.”
For more information on the VRCA Annual Awards of Excellence:
- VRCA Press Release: VRCA Announces 2017 Gold Awards of Excellence Winners
For more information on the Squamish Terminals – Berth 1 Reconstruction Project:
- Squamish Terminals Press Release: Squamish Terminals Opens Newly Constructed East Dock
- Project Description
DP World opens the expanded Fairview Terminal
FPRD in partnership with Bel Contracting and Kingston Construction completed the $200 million expansion on time in July 2017. The Joint Venture was awarded the contract in 2015 to build the expansion designed for a capacity increase from 850,000 TEUs to 1.35M TEUs per year. FRPD also successfully completed the first phase of this terminal. Congratulations to the Port of Prince Rupert, DP World and CN Rail for their commitment to seeing the vison for this facility through.