Award

July 2020

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J U LY 2 0 2 0 | 19 Structural Steel P H OTO G R A P H Y BY RO B ERTA GA L / P U B L I C S ERV I C E S A N D P RO CU R EM EN T C A N A DA Structural steel is winning in the face of adversity by ROBIN BRUNET Continued Resilience U ndeniably, Canada's structural steel industry has been through the wringer with regards to trade relations with the U.S., and in January the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) echoed the sentiments of its members when anti-dumping duties were imposed on Canadian fabricated structural steel. Ed Whalen, president and CEO of the CISC, stated, "This is clearly a move to prevent Canada from par- ticipating in the American market rather than illegal trade." He added that the duty calculations were unlawful, and that his organization would "pursue all avenues and provisions under NAFTA [North American Free Trade Agreement] and the W TO [World Trade Organization] to ensure fairness in trade is preserved." The steel industry has also suffered a degree of humiliation closer to home. Late last year Ottawa said it would grant full duty remissions on illegally dumped fabricated steel from China to supply two liquid natural gas projects in B.C., stating that "trade barriers would not be permitted to stand in the way of these historic private sector investments." Whalen remarked, "To call their own fair trade process a trade barrier is dumbfounding." The CISC noted that the maximum duty on steel from China would have been $275 million: the same amount Ottawa provided in taxpayer money to LNG Canada. Meanwhile, the CISC continues to advocate on behalf of the industry, especially in light of two fed- eral government initiatives that could potentially affect steel suppliers: carbon taxes and changes to the National Building Code that include a "net-zero energy ready" model (the latter expected to oblige building developers to work with materials that have the lowest GWP, or global warming potential). The CISC maintains that steel has low GWP, as good as or better than other traditional materi- als when assessed through a cradle to grave lens. The Institute cites a recent study, Quantifying Environmental Impacts of Structural Material Choices Using Life Cycle Assessment: A Case Study by Magnusson Klemencic Associates, which even places steel ahead of wood in a cradle to grave anal- ysis (because of many missing factors in wood's current data and assumptions). The advocacy is timely, given that many in the structural steel sector are achieving new heights of success – and are busy with a host of projects. In November, Walter Koppelaar Sr. (founder of Walters Group) and Walter Koppelaar Jr. (its chairman) were given History of Strength awards from the CISC, and three of its projects received honours: the Toronto Eaton Centre pedestrian bridge (the Award of Excellence for Projects Converted or Innovated Using Steel Category); First Canadian Place Powerhouse (Award of Merit for Projects Converted or Innovated Using Steel Category); and the West Block rehabilitation project (Award of Merit for the Architectural Category). Ironworkers assemble the ceiling beam structure on the West Block rehabilitation project. 12:07 PM

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