< Previous| 40 FEBRUARY 2024WRITTEN BY EMMA KILCAWLEY HEMANI T ri-Kon Precast is a family-owned business that is currently in its third generation. Founded in 1972, the company has three owners – Chris Kostiuk and his two brothers, Todd, and Tyler. Serving throughout British Columbia and Alberta, the company is now located in East Kootenay City, Cranbrook. Over the past 40 years it has grown to become the number one manufacturer and supplier of precast concrete products in the city. | 41 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONIts long and rich history goes back three generations of the Kostiuk family. It was originally founded by Chris’ grandfather in 1972 who, at the time, had been working in construction on underground products. As Chris explains, these formative experiences led to the natural progression of the business. “He started building his own septic products and manholes to install them himself and then it just grew from there”. In fact, according to Chris, one of the reasons for its longevity and ongoing success is down to the fact that the company is family-owned. As it is a family business, he says, “everything is riding on it” – the success of the company is paramount, even more so in some regards than it would be if it wasn’t family-owned. “You’ve got to do it to survive,” he adds. However, in the tumultuous landscape of the construction industry, heritage can only take you so far. With this in mind, Tri-Kon Precast is constantly adapting its product range and diversifying its offerings to the market. Alongside many others, the team manufactures a large variety of products including catch basins, concrete barriers, box culverts, con- crete vaults and structures, headwalls, manholes, bridge products and lamp bases. This diversity, according to Chris, is an invaluable tool in navigating the ever-challenging market conditions. He explained: “We do precast concrete products ranging in different products from underground products to highway products, to basically anything that a customer requires.” As a result of this innovation and flexibility, Tri-Kon Precast has experienced steady growth throughout its four decades of business. In addition to diversifying into a widening range of products, however, the company can also point to a cou- ple of other attributing factors. For instance, being certified by a range of companies has ensured that Tri-Kon Precast has become an established name throughout the industry. Chris explained, “It helps us going forward - a lot of contracts, you’ve got to be certified and we have our own aggregate pit which helps with this. I think the growing market of the precast is helping as well.” Another element, and one which Chris is quick to point to, is its membership of the Canadian Concrete Pipe & Precast Association. Tri-Kon Precast has been a member of the CCPPA for a number of years and according to Chris and the team, this relationship has had multiple benefits in terms of developing partnerships and improving its own knowledge base. Speaking about being a part of the CCPPA, he said, “It's good to be a part of the association. It helps us build a better product because they have high standards, and our custom- ers appreciate that.” Having said that, growth can all too easily become a dou- ble-edged sword. While success and increased profitability is largely a positive thing, it can lead to diminishing quality and standards. However, Tri-Kon Precast has not fallen into this trap and it retains an unyielding commitment to customer satisfaction. This priority ensures that its “small town family value” system remains an integral aspect of the service it provides. Similarly, this value system covers the whole Tri- Kon family. As with any other family, safety and wellbeing are of huge importance. The need for safety is an omni-present feature of its work. While this can a challenge that can grow steadily more difficult as the company experiences ongoing success, it is not something the company is willing to sac- rifice. According to Chris, customer and employee safety comes first, with his team priding themselves on its commit- ment to safety in the workplace. High standards and a commitment to excellence have led to Tri-Kon building an enviable portfolio of successful projects in its time. Of note, the team replaced a culvert in Boom Creek for Parks Canada to allow for a river crossing. The project consisted of a box culvert measuring 4.2 meters wide by 3.0 meters tall, with the team also building all the wing walls. In another project for Parks Canada, Tri-Kon Precast built an animal underpass at Lake Louise, to allow moose and elk to walk through. This project measured 3.6 meters by 2.44 | 42 FEBRUARY 2024meters. Meanwhile, in a project for Teck Coal, the company put a box culvert on top of a conveyor system. As Chris explained, this intricate design allowed the company to build a road over the structure which enabled it to convey coal “from certain places in the pit back to the processing plant,” He added that this was an innovative element that is set to further expand. “This is the start of many, many bridges they are going to put in across their conveyor belts.” In 2023, the company had a “great” year. Growth, successful projects, and happy customers all attributing to this outlook. While the industry is perhaps on the cusp of a downturn, Chris is anticipating a slight slowing of the market. However, this cautious outlook is buoyed by the company’s ability to adapt to the variances of the industry at a moment’s notice. He said: “The outlook for 2024 - not sure yet. 2023 was great, so I'm assuming 2024 won't be as good just with the econ- omy starting to slow down. But we're diversifying into every different product, so we can survive. We might do a lot more Rainwater Management is 100% Canadian Owned & Operated Proudly serving Western Canada and Ontario. Contact us for your Stormwater Pollu�on Control needs, Stainless Steel Slide Gate and Custom Product requirements. www.rainwatermanagement.ca 604-944-9265 info@rainwatermanagement.ca bridge work this coming year coming, or highway work and highway barriers, perhaps. Whatever we need to do, we will. We can find the work to get it done.” While external factors may be outside the company’s control, Tri-Kon has exciting plans to expand its footprint further. The company is looking forward to maintaining its upward tra- jectory with a plant expansion on the books next. Chris said: “We're going to just keep the growth going and keep as many people employed as possible. That is hugely important to this company; keeping local people working with a good wage.” The new plant is currently being approved and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. With this additional space allowing the company to “handle bigger products such as large bridge products,” it seems that the future is bright for Tri-Kon. With heritage and experience coupled with expertise and a customer focused outlook, it would be no surprise for the company to stick around for another forty years or more. “Tri-Kon Precast is constantly adapting its product range and diversifying its offerings to the market.” | 43 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONWRITTEN BY DAVID O’NEILL T he race for net-zero is one that brings up many questions for stakeholders. In the near future, every sector will be grappling with considerations and challenges on how it can lower, or eliminate, its carbon emissions. That is, of course, if it isn’t already. The built environment is one section of society that is well accustomed to these kinds of concerns. From fuel and energy to materials and transportation, construction and the built environment have been working on innovative and sustainable techniques for a number of years. However, it is a two-sided coin. As new buildings are being designed with more sustainable materials and considerably lower energy needs, the lens is now being trained on the building processes them- selves. While these new structures may offer state-of-the-art sustainability credentials, the very fact that they are being built at all means that solutions need to be found. We are being left with a choice, new builds which take enormous amounts of energy to produce, or historical structures which are woefully equipped to handle modern requirements. | 44 FEBRUARY 2024The situation is made even more complex due to the flexibility of the modern economy. With its many facets and elements, it is now very much a global mechanism. 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 where these items are manufactured and produced. A global econ- omy and its technological advances mean that industries are now capable of offshoring, international reach, and unique production methods. While this can be seen as a net positive, it has produced huge numbers of empty building spaces, manufacturing plants and warehouses. As we encounter the challenge of sustainable buildings, this adds another level of concern for the industry. Additionally, a recent study has shown that the effects of these disused buildings on a local economy can cause further damage than ecological. “Overall, abandoned buildings are generally regarded as failed, stalled projects, degenerative processes, or the decay of the built | 45 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONenvironment, and are considered “pathological”, which has sparked discussions and reflections on how to treat and uti- lize these resources. In 2000, abandoned buildings became a major focus of the global academic community and a key issue to be addressed in the development of shrinking cities.” There is, however, cause for optimism. In some ways, it has arisen as a by-product of the cultural reset that took place in tandem with the COVID pandemic. With necessity being the mother of invention, like many things, the collective struggle in recent years has led to bright, innovative thinking. For some, these structures do not have to remain as sculptures of bygone eras. Remodeled, reused and adaptive thinking is leading to interesting things in the field with many of these structures now being adapted as low-carbon alternatives to new builds. Pritzker Prize winning architectural firm, Lacaton & Vassal, utilizes these spaces to create visionary and inno- vative solutions. The architects have a rich history of reimag- ining disused spaces and consider the process of demolition to be an “act of violence.” Anne Lacaton described the studio’s creative process in an interview as “starting from the rich- ness [of existing buildings],” emphasizing that “we are never in the situation of making a tabula rasa.” Lacaton & Vassal use these views to prioritize renovation over demolition and have a long list of social housing projects in France. The judg- ing team at the Pritzker Prize, the duo have revolutionized the way buildings can be viewed. “Not only have they defined an architectural approach that renews the legacy of modernism, but they have also proposed an adjusted definition of the very profession of architecture." This move towards adaptive reuse of buildings is not con- fined to European markets though. The concept has received considerable support in North America. According to a recent U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report, building-re- lated construction and demolition debris account for 26% of all non-industrial waste generated in the United States. In addition to that, the report found that 90% of this debris is produced through the demolition of existing buildings. Furthermore, Gensler, one of the largest architecture and design companies in the world, has identified Adaptive Reuse as a key driver of positive change in reaching net zero goals. “By renovating existing buildings and repurposing spaces and materials, developers can decrease the amount of car- bon associated with new materials, and they can reduce the amount of debris and waste going into landfills. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, deconstruc- tion rather than demolition of a building can save 90% of a building’s materials.” In addition to the environmental benefit of adopting this approach, the firm also cites another, and rather persuasive reason why project managers may start to target existing buildings. “Adaptive reuse strategies are also more cost-effective. Not only is adaptive reuse much cheaper than demolition and new construction, but property owners can also enjoy municipal incentives for converting their prop- erties, some of which may have historic value. Additionally, reuse might speed local approval processes and minimize impacts on neighbors.” | 46 FEBRUARY 2024While it may seem as though the benefits to adaptive reuse are too niche to be considered a viable alternative to new builds, it is worth noting that research conducted recently by Deloitte concluded that within the next ten years, ninety per- cent of real estate development will involve adaptive reuse of existing buildings instead of constructing new structures. The firm’s research shows that the method can produce ben- efits across a multitude of strands. “In an adaptive reuse, you take an existing building and repurpose it for a different use, while maintaining the original structure, but doing the neces- sary retrofits. There are multiple benefits that can accrue to the entire real estate ecosystem, be it to the Commercial Real Estate owners, developers, investors, or society as a whole. In terms of economic benefits, studies suggest that compared with a new construction, adaptive reuse and restoration can be 16 percent cheaper in terms of construction costs and take 18 percent less execution time. Also, if repurposing is done with smart and sustainable features in mind, it can help improve building performance and valuation. Socially, reuse of vacant structures could also give a new lease on life to the neighborhood while supporting the local economy and enable people to stay close to their workplaces—all the while helping preserve the social and cultural heritage of a region.” Urban sprawl, historical considerations, cost, carbon emis- sions; it seems as though the choice to consider adaptive reuse is one that will only gain more traction as the industry continues its fight towards achieving net-zero. “If repurposing is done with smart and sustainable features in mind, it can help improve building performance and valuation.” | 47 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONWRITTEN BY EMMA KILCAWLEY HEMANI I n construction, a structure is only as strong as the ground it is built on. Foundational work, therefore, is of huge importance to us all. Menard Canada is a leading geotechnical contractor in the region that specializes in ground improvement. Its primary purpose is to assist clients from municipalities and the industrial, private, and public sectors in finding the most cost-effective way of creating the right foundation for their structure. Hubert Scache, President at Menard Canada, explained that Menard works to advance solutions beyond the industry norm. “Most people think that they have to do piles, which is commonly known, and what we are proposing is some- thing in between to improve the ground or to reinforce the ground in order to avoid having a structure which is too complex on the top of piles.” The company’s history dates all the way back to 1971. Originally called Geopac, it was founded in Montreal where its head office is still located. In 1983, Geopac’s owner expanded, opening a second branch in British Columbia. | 48 FEBRUARY 2024| 49 APEIRON CONSTRUCTIONNext >