Infrastructure Bill Two Years On A Progress Report The Evolution of Safety MNABC Concrete Efficiency for Concrete Results REIMAR FORMING AND CONSTRUCTION apeiron-construction.com | DECEMBER 2023We create boundless opportunity With a wealth of experience in reporting, content creation and publishing, Apeiron Media, Inc – publisher of Apeiron Construction – was set up with a clear vision to shine a light on pioneering organizations and professionals throughout the construction industry. We take a nuanced approach to storytelling and our clients benefit from a comprehensive integrated marketing opportunity through our detailed suite of online media. Apeiron Construction delivers stories from across the industry to offer high-end, thought provoking content to our readers. Conducting fascinating in-depth interviews with industry leading Executives, Managers, Presidents and CEOs allows us to gain insight and perspective while having the privilege of telling impactful stories. Our unique approach to content creation allows us to gain expert commentary on an ever-changing industry, from the people that know it best. As a media platform, we believe that our world is boundless. We want to share this world with our clients. W elcome to the December edition of Apeiron Construction. As the year draws to a close, it is important that we assess, appraise and rest. Winter is a time for consolidation in all its forms. Communities celebrate and share in the suc- cesses, both individually and collectively. It is the season for looking back over the months that have come before it and celebrate the wins that have been achieved along the way. The construction industry is no different in this regard. Jobsites are an exciting and innovative place to be right now. Projects are kicking off and work is commencing all across North America. For communities, it is a time for assessment and rest, but our industry doesn’t pause. Instead, it carries on, full speed ahead. In this issue, we share some of the groundbreaking and innovative projects happening across the industry. We hear from industry leaders on the problems facing individual companies and we shine a light on the companies themselves, bringing innovation and invention to an industry that is always developing. We look at the forward-thinking ways that the industry is meeting the needs of communities, both local and global through technology, innovation and hard work. We look across the construction world and bring some of the stories you may not have heard about, the successes, small and big, that happen 365 days a year, regardless of the season. As always, we are delighted to bring you these stories! Thanks for reading. | 3 APEIRON CONSTRUCTION A note from our Chief Editor APEIRON-CONSTRUCTION.COM APEIRONMEDIAINC.COM CHIEF EDITOR SENIOR CONTENT DEVELOPERS CONTENT DEVELOPERS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DIRECTOR OF SALES CREATIVE DIRECTOR DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER DAVID O’NEILL COLIN O’NEILL | PETER SWALE | MARK PETERS DARAGH KIERNAN | MARCO GUANNUE | PRINCE ANTHONY BARBARA GOMES | AARON HORGAN MANUELA ARMINI | MEGHAN BARTON | FIONA SHERIDAN ERIC O’CALLAGHAN | AOIFE CHANEY | GARRETH OWEN RAQUEL FARRINGTON | EMMA KILCAWLEY HEMANI KAYLA BROWN LINDSAY BAILEY ALEX MULVEYCountless opinion pieces and articles have discussed the state of U.S. infrastructure. From rail and road networks to energy grids, bridges, and telecom systems, the country is facing significant challenges. In many instances, these individual systems and networks that guide and assist modern living would be considered standalone industries. However, as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, they fall under a common umbrella. 20 Infrastructure Bill Two Years On - A Progress Report6 3 Positive News Stories 7 Industry Events 8 Concrete Efficiency for Concrete Results REIMAR FORMING AND CONSTRUCTION 24 The Evolution of Safety MNABC 28 Building a Safer Tomorrow, One Project at a Time R.J. ZAVORAL AND SONS INC. 32 Tech-Built Homes – Technology Serves its Local Community 36 Technology-Led Design: Buildings for the Future CS ERICKSON 42 Lighting the Way RELIABLE RELAMPING 46 Construction in Federal Spaces & Beyond PINNACLE CONSTRUCTION & DEVELOPMENT GROUP 52 Building Modular, Tackling Homelessness 56 Committed to Quality POWERHOUSE MANAGEMENT GROUP INC. 62 Building Relationships for a More Sustainable Future ECORA 66 A Home Away From Home IRL GROUP 70 Growth with a Strategic Outlook STR ALASKA 74 Solar Roadways 14 Leading from the Front DEFALCO CONSTRUCTION | 5 APEIRON CONSTRUCTION 5 | APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONWith all that is happening around us, it can be easy to miss some of the advancements that are being made in the construction industry. Let’s shine a light on some good news stories that are making our world a little better. Adaptive Reuse The modern economy, in its many facets and elements, is very much a global one. Digital nomads, home offices and international agreements mean that anything we need, or want, can be delivered to our door at the touch of a button. The same can also be said for the places that these items are manufactured and produced. A global economy now and its technological advances mean that industries are capable of offshoring, international reach, and unique production meth- ods. While this can be seen as a net positive, it has produced huge numbers of empty building spaces, manufacturing plants and warehouses. Métamorphose de l'insectarium, Montréal -Lacaton & Vassal, Frédéric Druot architectes associés à FABG Photo credit: © Lacaton & Vassal - Druot However, these structures do not have to remain as sculp- tures of bygone eras. Remodeled, reused and adaptive think- ing is leading to interesting things in the field with many of these structures now being adapted as low-carbon alterna- tives to new builds. Pritzker Prize winning architectural firm, Lacaton & Vassal, utilizes these spaces to create visionary and innovative solutions. Anne Lacaton described the stu- dio’s creative process in an interview as “starting from the richness [of existing buildings],” emphasizing that “we are never in the situation of making a tabula rasa.” lacatonvassal.com | 6 DECEMBER 2023Light-Emitting Cement As countries and regions attempt to strike a balance between infrastructure and energy consumption, difficult choices need to be made. Sustainable energy sources are not always read- ily available and the cost of running and maintaining road, rail and cycle networks can be greater than renewables can cover. So, what benefit could be harnessed by infrastructure that generated its own light, thus negating the need to spend even more valuable energy resources? Light-emitting cement is a green construction material that may revolutionize paths, highways and other road networks. Without the need for electricity, this material can light up roads and paths in a novel and staggering way. The cement absorbs solar energy throughout the daytime and, incredi- bly, radiates light at night. It was created by Dr. Jose Carlos Rubio at Michoacan University of Saint Nicholas of Hidalgo in Mexico and is a combination of sand, alkali, silica, industrial waste, and water. During the manufacturing process, certain additives are added to convert the material to a phosphores- cent material which can give off light for up to 12 hours. sanghicement.com/light-emitting-cement- for-smart-construction Zero Energy Homes When it comes to building homes, there is no easy fix with regards to carbon emissions. Construction is an ener- gy-heavy environment, and the effects of this energy usage needs to be addressed. Many avenues are being explored, each with varied rates of success and potential. Embodied carbon, sustainable materials, solar panels, each have their place in the construction eco-system. However, in order to reach net-zero, the solutions need to go beyond potential and exploration. A zero-energy home is not simply a house with solar pan- els and sustainable materials. It goes significantly further than that. Zero energy homes combine advanced design and superior building systems with energy efficiency, solar power and the most environmentally sound techniques. The result is a home that is so well insulated, air-tight and energy efficient that it can produce as much renewable energy as it consumes over the course of a year. “Zero energy homes are better, more durable, homes from the ground floor up to the roof. Thicker more air-tight walls, fresh filtered air, and advanced window technologies, among many other features, ensure that our zero-energy home is better protected and more durable than the average home.” zeroenergyproject.com/buy/zero-energy-homes Canadian Concrete Expo FEB 14-15, 2024 | MISSISSAUGA, ON canadianconcreteexpo.com World of Concrete MARCH 25-27 NASHVILLE, TN worldofasphalt.com | 7 APEIRON CONSTRUCTION| 8 DECEMBER 2023WRITTEN BY MANUELA ARMINI F rom skilled carpenters to rebar installers and cement fin- ishers, formwork requires the expertise and coordination of many trades. In Ontario, Reimar Forming and Construc- tion has earned a solid reputation for handling unique design challenges in custom-engineered formwork for award-winning projects across various sectors. The company’s success is rooted in its founders’ expertise and commitment to excel- lence. Driven by a shared vision and years of experience in the construction industry, Carlos Reis and Mike Martins founded Reimar in 2003. However, the foundation of the company goes back much further. Reis started working in construction in his native Portugal at just 14 years of age. His professional journey brought him to France, the southern United States, and Canada, where he eventually settled and made a name for himself. Mar- tins’ career started in 1992 in Hamilton, where he trained as a carpenter apprentice under Reis. Martins began overseeing his first projects at the age of twenty-four – after completing his apprenticeship in just over three years. After years of working together, Reis and Martins decided to start Reimar Forming and Construction. “It was always a dream of mine to start a com- pany by the time I was 30 years old,” says Martins. “It seemed like the stars aligned, and it actually did happen.” Next >