Building our Future
Honouring our Past

Dunwald & Fleming is the firm hired to complete the complicated civil works on the new BTA Administration Building. No local contractors, except for one firm, have the equipment required to complete this complicated work and that one firm did not respond to the RFP. D & F has 11 workers currently working on site. The D&F Project Manager, Nathan, is indigenous (from Muscowpetung from Saskatchewan, his brother and sister are members of the Blood Tribe) and as of tomorrow D & F will have the below 4 locals working for them (45 % indigenous workforce).

D&F is also talking to two other local candidates to shadow and learn how to drive the rock trucks (there are two trucks with 2nd seats to observe and learn) so they can take over driving those two rock trucks to free up the current staff to support D&F projects on other projects in Calgary. We will contact BTEST to see if they have any candidates in case the current two do not work out, but if there are others, please let us know.

D&F plans to use local gravel trucks to help spread the topsoil during the remediation of the borrow site once all required materials have been taken. Ideally, this will be directly after the fill completion date of November 18th (Rapid Impact Compaction (RIC) to start on November 19th) if weather permits. This will likely use 4-5 tandem gravel trucks for 2-3 weeks to place materials for the bulldozer to spread over the borrow site.

D&F are also looking to truckers to source local materials/aggregates where possible for the following scopes of work related to their contract:

• 20 mm crushed gravel

• 40 mm washed gravel

• 25 mm road base

• 75 mm road base

• Sand

• On-highway tractor trucks for potential off-site disposal of unsuitable material

With respect to the hauling of soil from the current borrow pit, D&F is using articulated rock trucks as opposed to using gravel trucks. There are many considerations for this in including timelines, safety, and quality. Outlined below are the considerations:

• Timing: November 18 is a critical completion date to move the 36,000 cubic metres of fill to allow Rapid Impact Compaction to start on November 19th. We are working against the weather as some of this compaction work is dependent on temperature. The Rapid Impact Compaction crew is scheduled for this specific date to ensure they have sufficient time and weather to complete the ~2+ weeks of rapid compaction before the frost sets in. It is critical to start on November 19th and be completed as soon as possible to make sure the site is ready to complete the concrete foundations though the winter season so the slab and superstructure can be completed in Spring 2026. This requires a daily target of roughly 1,700–1,900 m³ per day to hit the November 18th completion date and this requires the use of the rock trucks.

  • Rock trucks can complete a haul cycle roughly 25–30% faster than truck-and-pups due to shorter dump and turnaround times, faster loading rates, and higher operating speeds in open areas of the site. In contrast, a 50/50 mix of rock trucks and gravel trucks would bottleneck the haul cycle, as the on-highway units cannot keep pace with the articulated rock trucks.

• Costs: Using gravel trucks-and-pups would also come at an added cost and extend the schedule. The slower loading and dumping cycles, combined with speed limitations, reduces overall production and increase the time required to move the full 36,000 m³ by several days/weeks, depending on weather and haul conditions. We do not have the time given that Rapid Impaction needs to start November 18. Supplementing the fleet with a few gravel trucks would reduce efficiency and add supervision, fueling, and coordination costs. D&F is preparing a cost and schedule impact for comparison to outline these impacts, and I will share with you.

• Safety: The existing haul road is not suited for on-highway tractor trailers (Gravel Trucks). Once freeze–thaw or snow occurs, these units would struggle to maintain traction and likely punch through or cut up the surface. Articulated rock trucks are purpose-built for these conditions and can maintain productivity with minimal road maintenance. There are also serious safety concerns with mixed use of gravel and rock trucks. Rock trucks move faster and brake differently than highway units, which would require reduced speed limits across the haul route. Rock trucks are considerably heavier and more stable on uneven ground, while gravel trucks have higher rollover and traction risks. Operating both types together increases the likelihood of incidents during passing, dumping, and loading. 95% of rock truck loads will be dumped and the truck driving off the end of the area being filled (they can drive off rough surfaces/slopes), where gravel trucks must back up and dump all their loads which will be drastically slower comparatively.

• Timing: Lowering speeds for all trucks to maintain these safety concerns would further impact haul times and costs.

Rapid Impact Compaction (RIC) is a ground improvement technique used to densify loose granular soils by delivering high-energy impacts to the ground surface. It involves dropping a heavy weight repeatedly from a controlled height using a hydraulic hammer mounted on a rig, which transmits energy into the soil to increase its density and bearing capacity. RIC is particularly effective for preparing sites for construction, reducing settlement, and improving stability without the need for deep excavation or extensive soil replacement.