Located 34 km north of Quesnel BC is the Ahbau Quarry owned by CN Rail. In December 2020, Broda was contracted to manufacture 80,000 m3 of rip rap for slope stabilization along the Fraser River north of Prince George BC. Since the quarry was inactive for several years, our attention was focused on site cleanup until our drilling program could commence. With an onslaught of mild temperatures and excess snow, our challenges were mostly weather related. Fortunately, our crew were familiar with these conditions and able to push through to produce quality rip rap to meet the desired quantities for the client.
The Swansea Quarry has been producing various grades of ballast material specific to Western Canada Railroad for over 40 years. This operation also has the ability to produce road surfacing aggregates, high-quality rip-rap and armor stone.
The quarry is equipped with drilling and blasting equipment, crushing systems capable of handling various products, and conveyor systems that help increase our safety, productivity, and efficiency.
The McAbee Quarry has been producing various grades of ballast material specific to Western Canada Railroad for over 40 years. This operation also has the ability to produce road surfacing aggregates, high-quality rip-rap and armor stone.
The quarry is equipped with drilling and blasting equipment, crushing systems capable of handling various products, and conveyor systems that help increase our safety, productivity, and efficiency.
In 2019, Cando Rail contracted us to develop the Sturgeon Rail Terminal in Fort Saskatchewan. Throughout the course of the project, we were able to complete the grading of the railyard covering 302 acres of land; install 11,000 meters of drainage pipe; place 190,000 tonnes of sub ballast; install a concrete control structure; install a gabion drop structure all the while completing two tie ins to active CN Rail tracks. Overall, the project was a great illustration of the teamwork between the owner, project consultants and our team as many solutions were provided to be able to deliver the project on time and under budget.
The Walhachin Quarry has been producing various grades of ballast material specific to Western Canada Railroad for over 40 years. This operation also has the ability to produce road surfacing aggregates, high-quality rip-rap and armor stone.
The quarry is equipped with drilling and blasting equipment, crushing systems capable of handling various products, and conveyor systems that help increase our safety, productivity, and efficiency.
In 2018 we were contracted to perform the earthworks for the Highway 40 project located 75 kms south of Grande Prairie Alberta. The intent of construction was the overall improvement of highway networks to ensure the safe and efficient movement of vehicles through a high traffic region.
Or works consisted of mulching, road widening, erosion control, and traffic accommodation.
Project Highlights
– 700,000 m3 of earth moved
– 36 km of road constructed
– Interaction with over 10,000 vehicles per day
Rimrock Feeders is a feedlot that will hold 40,000 head of cattle and employ approximately 40 persons year round. We were awarded the earth construction in September 2019 to regrade the former site and upgrade earth for placement of compacted material for concrete and guardrails. During construction, we moved approximately 400,000 m3 of material staying well ahead of the concrete and underground contractors. A huge feat with only 19 persons on staff.
In January 2019, we had a small group of personnel head to McClean Lake to start receiving bentonite supply for work on the Tailings Management Facility (TMF). Along with the deliveries of product, we started mobilizing to site and prepping for the year ahead. Our primary goal was to build a test pad at the end of May which allowed us to start creating bentonite liner by June. Both of these goals were able to be met.
Our season was dependent on the creating the liner as well as the aggregate operations. Along with these operations, we needed to maintain the TMF ground conditions in order to keep the product coming in. With a significant amount of rainfall that season, our abilities were tested. Fortunately enough, our execution strategy along with past experience afforded us the opportunity to handle these works without delay allowing us to meet our project deadline.
PROJECT HIGHLIGTS
– Placement of 42,093 m3 of soil bentonite liner
– Placement of 17,386 m3 of rip rap
The Western Potash Pilot Project (Phase 1) is a new solution potash mine development that includes an on-surface process plant and infrastructure facilities. Once the plant is in full operation its expected capacity is 146,000 tons per year of fine potash. The Phase 1 portion is a test operation that is expected to last 12 years. If this proves successful, there are plans to expand into phase 2 construction that is estimated to be ten times the size of Phase 1.
In the summer of 2018, Broda Group was approached to bid on the construction of a 10 km access road as well as the Greenfield works at the facility. Upon award we were able to start the construction of both the road and the site works on October 16. Although not much time was left in the season, our strategic planning and execution satisfied the owners needs and our commitment to perform making the short turn and end of the year a success for us and our client. In the 50 working days we were able to move 130,000 m3 of earth, 40,000 m3 of granular and install 260m of culverts. A very tough task with the time of the year we were allotted.
The success of our 2018 works lead us into a nice carry over for 2019. We were awarded the excavation of the Crystallization Pond as well as other site works that kept us busy at the site into the summer months.
The Caswell Crossing Project on Eagle Creek was started at the beginning of February 2019 in -40 temperatures which proved to be a challenge with crew mulching the new right of way, removing existing fence lines, and especially for the aqua-dam installation and dewatering process. During the dewatering process, over 200 fish were relocated downstream by biologists onsite. Once this process was complete, crews removed the existing weir, prepped the creek bed and installed the engineered riffle. The riffle was designed to facilitate fish spawn in the spring which was later verified via underwater cameras. The crew also completed the bank stabilization and armoring of the original crossing at the same time as the riffle installation prior to the aqua-dam being removed. Once this was completed the crew was responsible for the construction of the MSE walls and the new RM road alignment on both sides off the newly constructed bridge, followed by the reclamation of the original RM road grade.
There were a lot of tedious work scoped associated with this project. Our crews completed the Bio D block installation, along with the installation of all the erosion and sediment controls required. Hand placement of the rock armoring required under the bridge deck at the abutments, as well as the placement and transplant of 3200 willows and shrubs. To complete the project, guardrail was installed at the bridge ends.
CN took on over 10 track twinning projects for 2018 and Broda successfully completed 2 of them. The Spruce Grove Project was the most technically challenging out of all CN’s projects that year – it was the longest twinning, traversed sections of extreme terrain, and went through the middle of two cities and a very influential county.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
– 20 km of tree clearing and mulching
– Over 300,000 m3 of material moved
– Over 100,000 tons of granular material installed
– 210 meters of MSE wall completed
– Over 300 lock blocks installed to stabilize backslopes
– Over 20 meters of culver extensions installed
– Over 300 meters of underground storm pipe installed
– 20-30 trains per day on the active track traveling up to 75 mph
– 45-60 trains per day on the twinned tracks
The Regina Bypass was the largest transportation project in Saskatchewan’s history. Broda was responsible for over 100 km of highway construction, fine grading, and aggregate placement, as well as 30 bridge abutments. We also completed just over 10 km of culvert installations, as well as multiple temporary road detours. Challenging aspects of this project included working alongside public roads and infrastructure, existing utilities and utilities being installed, and working in unison with multiple sub-contractors and large numbers of workers. In total, Broda moved nearly 9 million cubic meters of earth borrow and embankment.
Being such an important public infrastructure project, the Regina Bypass had a very stringent schedule and cost requirements. Broda was able to not only contribute to these successes, but was also able to be partnered in the design and planning phases of the project to help ensure its success from an earthworks standpoint.
The Dyment Quarry has been producing various grades of ballast material specific to Western Canada Railroad for over 40 years. This operation also has the ability to produce road surfacing aggregates, high-quality rip-rap and armor stone.
The quarry is equipped with drilling and blasting equipment, crushing systems capable of handling various products, and conveyor systems that help increase our safety, productivity, and efficiency.
The Hwy 263 at Christopher Lake Project consisted of a grade pave from the village of Christopher Lake to the hamlet of Tweedsmuir totaling a distance of 13 kilometers through the resort area of Emma and Christopher Lake.
The project began in the winter of 2015 where we performed logging and clearing of the ROW. Grading followed and began in the spring of 2015 and continued late into November of that season. Additional tree clearing due to design changes, wetland through grade pipes, and a pit-run subgrade modification were also completed in the winter of 2016 in preparation for the summer season.
Broda moved more than 500,000 m3 of material and cleared over 50 hectares of trees with a large portion of the project interacting with the existing roadway and active traffic. Although presented with many challenges that included wildfire smoke, wet fall, and the seasonal traffic from tourists and lakegoers, the project was completed on budget and on time.