SPG Solves Calciner Tower Maintenance Challenge with Transformable Platform

MONTREAL (Sept. 26, 2018) – The maintenance process for the 260 ft (80 m) tapered calciner tower at the Lafarge Canada Inc., Exshaw, Alberta cement plant requires a costly shutdown every year. Layers of thick scale build up on the tower walls during the cement-making process. The scale can grow inches thick, and pieces as large as cars, weighing up to 150 lbs (68 kg), can loosen and fall from great heights. Proper maintenance and descaling of the tower walls must occur before safe entry from below is possible.

“The buildup on the calciner tower can become really dangerous so proper maintenance is crucial for safety. The large pieces can create a cascading effect when they fall, and that could be fatal for workers performing the maintenance,” said Andrew Fossheim, Production Coordinator, Lafarge.

“We always used a bosun chair to descale the tower every year, but it would take three people suspended from the chair on a cable typically working 168 hours to complete the job,” said Fossheim. “We had to shut the plant down for over two weeks in order for the work to take place. That method just wasn’t cost effective or time efficient.”

Having worked with AGF Access Group on previous projects, Lafarge was familiar with their skill at solving tough access challenges. The engineers at AGF Access Group’s project consulting division, the Special Projects Group (SPG), recognized that the project needed a high capacity suspended platform that provided workers access to descale the interior of the tapering tower.

SPG met with the Exshaw plant team in Calgary to understand the project and create a platform to fit their needs. In three months time, SPG in collaboration with the Company’s Winsafe division, designed and delivered a suspended platform that had a transformable shape during usage: one that was square at the narrower top of the tower and could be altered modularly in mid-air to form a circular platform to meet the walls of the widening tower on the way down.

The custom-designed Winsafe suspended platform was a 9 ft (2.74 m) square with a 4,000 lb capacity, and can be adjusted into a 14-16 ft (4.27 m – 4.88 m) circle with a 3,000 lb capacity that provides access to the different sections of the calciner tower. The platform’s motor moves it 35 ft per minute to travel the 260 ft length of the tower. The platform was designed to be eight inches from the tower wall at all times, while holding eight workers, their materials and their tools.

“Our transformable Winsafe platforms provide access to areas that are unusual shapes, such as square or circular silos, industrial vessels, power plants, etc., that often have significant height requirements. They can also be designed for a diameter of up to 50 ft (15 m),” said Stephan Loiselle, Business Development Manager, SPG.

“The Winsafe suspended platform has given us a new, faster way to descale. It cut the time for the job down by 66%,” said Fossheim. “We can get this same work done now in only four days; it’s a huge improvement. The SPG team has been incredibly helpful – even down to the last-minute design changes. They were always available for us.”

“ SPG specializes in working closely with our customers to innovate access solutions to meet their unique needs,” said Alex Di Domenico, General Manager, SPG. “We have a saying at SPG: ‘Everything can be solved.’”

“The design they came up with was exactly what we needed. Our options seemed endless,” said Fossheim. “They literally opened our eyes to how platforms can reach hard to access places.”

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About SPG

SPG, a division of AGF Access Group Inc., is uniquely positioned to offer the most complete range of access solutions under one roof. While providing cutting-edge technology, proven product excellence & personalized customer care, SPG combines innovation and ingenuity to meet and exceed project requirements. Find out more on www.agfspg.com

About Winsafe
WINSAFE, a division of AGF Access Group Inc., is an innovative manufacturer and supplier of temporary and permanently installed aluminum suspended access platforms, travelling gantry systems and large-area engineered aluminum platforms. Find out more on winsafe.com

ABOUT LAFARGE CANADA INC.
Lafarge is Canada’s largest provider of diversified construction materials and a member of the global group, LafargeHolcim. With 6,000 employees and 400 sites across Canada, our mission is to provide construction solutions that build better cities and communities. The cities where Canadians live, work, and raise their families along with the community’s infrastructure benefit from the solutions provided by Lafarge consisting of aggregates, asphalt and paving, cement, precast concrete, ready-mix concrete and road construction.

Through LafargeHolcim’s 2030 Plan, Lafarge is committed to providing solutions using sustainable manufacturing practices and improving the environment in and around its operations. The company has a sixty year history in Canada and works continually to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, restore wetlands for native plants and animals, and identify waste materials that can be recycled and used in our operations.

AGF Access Group Selected for Sam Houston Ship Channel Bridge

MONTREAL (June 10, 2019) – Montreal-based AGF Access Group, Inc., has been selected by Ship Channel Constructors (SCC) to provide access equipment for the construction of the massive, new twin span stay-cable Sam Houston Ship Channel Bridge in Harris County, Texas. AGF Access Group’s Major Projects team, along with its Hydro Mobile and Winsafe manufacturing divisions, developed a variety of standard and customized access solutions to be used during the next six years of the bridge’s construction and demolition.

Hydro Rents Inc., a company of AGF Access Group, will supply a 1000 ft of stairs to access both main pylons and road deck at different locations, two Raxtar temporary elevators 525 feet high for pylon and form work access, four 90-foot custom designed Hydro Mobile traveling gantries for under bridge deck operations including stay cable installation and finishing works, and eight specially adapted Winsafe suspended platforms for pylon construction activities and stay cable installation. The access equipment will improve the efficiency and safety of all workers during the construction of the bridge.

The current Ship Channel Bridge will be replaced by two one-way bridges of four lanes each. The new Sam Houston bridge will be 500 ft high, 1300 ft long, and have a total of 128 stay cables, making the bridge the sixth-longest main span in the nation and the second-longest in Texas.

“Given our track record, and most recently with the execution of several high-profile bridge projects including the new Champlain Bridge in Montreal and the Tappan Zee Bridge in New York, we were in a competitive position to offer these solutions under a single roof,” said Alex Di Domenico, Vice President Major Projects, AGF Access Group. “The ability to supply access solutions from one source is both economical and efficient for the customer’s overall project management.”

“We are proud to fulfill the access needs for the Sam Houston replacement bridge project,” said Rick Harland, Regional Manager, Hydro Rents. “We have provided equipment to major projects in Texas before and fulfilled their needs with the same focus on safety and on time execution true to the Hydro Rents reputation.”

Hydro Rents provides a wide variety of equipment brands such as Hydro Mobile. There are seven branches of Hydro Rents located throughout North America, including two new locations in Charlotte, N.C. and Seattle, Wash. Each location offers a variety of construction equipment for rent at competitive prices. Hydro Rents is known for creating hazard-free work environments while increasing worker safety, security, longevity and productivity.

AGF Access Group’s deliveries are scheduled for July 2019 through February 2020. The bridge will take six years to be completed, with the southbound bridge set for completion in 2021 and the northbound bridge in 2024.

For more information about the project, please visit: https://www.shipchannelbridge.org/  


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About AGF Access Group
Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, AGF Access Group provides full access-at-heights solutions for construction projects across North America. The Company is made up of two manufacturing arms:Hydro Mobile for mast climbing work platforms (MCWP) and Winsafe for swing stages. It also has a rental store division (Hydro Rents, AGF Access and IEQ), and a rental and installation of construction and material elevators division (Jamco).  AGF Access Group focuses on the design, engineering, manufacturing, sales, rental, service, installation, dismantling and training of standard and innovative access solutions. The company specializes in power plants, nuclear facilities, hydroelectric generating stations and dams, bridges and more.

About Hydro Rents

AGF Access Group’s rental division operates through the AGF Access, IEQ and Hydro Rents brands and is focused on the rental, sales and service of access and scaffolding equipment, including Hydro Mobile and Winsafe. The rental stores provide access products ranging from scaffolding, mast climbers, scissors lifts, boom lifts and swing stages.  By grouping different kind of products, they can provide customers with the best solution to meet their access challenges.

About Hydro Mobile
Hydro Mobile, a division of AGF Access Group Inc., designs and manufactures mast climbing work & transport platforms that contribute to creating hazard-free work environments offering increased worker safety and security. Find out more on www.hydro-mobile.com

About Winsafe
WINSAFE, a division of AGF Access Group Inc., is an innovative manufacturer and supplier of temporary and permanently installed aluminum suspended access platforms, travelling gantry systems and large-area engineered aluminum platforms. Find out more on winsafe.com

AGF Access Group Awarded Nuclear Contract by Aecon

Winsafe to Fabricate Customized Platforms for Bruce Power Major Component Replacement Project

MONTREAL (Dec 10, 2019) – Montreal-based AGF Access Group, Inc. (AAG) announced today it was awarded a sub-contract by Aecon to fabricate two customized Winsafe upper feeder platforms for the Bruce Power’s Major Component Replacement (MCR),
a project that involves the refurbishment of six nuclear reactor units.  The two suspended platforms, based on a modular concept, will be used to provide access inside the reactor vaults.

The MCR Project begins in January and is part of Bruce Power’s Life Extension Program, which started in 2016 and will enable the electricity supplier to operate safely through to 2064. The Winsafe work platforms will be used during the refurbishment of the Primary Heat Transport Systems located in the reactor.

“We are becoming well known for our access ingenuity and experience within the nuclear industry,” said Alex Di Domenico, Vice President, Major Projects, AAG. “Our relationship with Bruce Power, Hatch and Aecon has evolved over the years, and we have successfully expanded our contract to be an even more experienced fabricator for the nuclear application.”

The two platforms, suspended from existing structures, will provide support for the replacement of the upper feeder tubes and associated components within the space-limited reactor core.

Measuring roughly 60 feet in length and 30 feet wide, each platform has the capacity to support multiple workers and their tools while they maneuver and fit up the tight and exacting tolerances for work with the heavy feeder tubes.

“Our unique approach for the nuclear industry is to provide a design concept that allows workers to quickly put together the feeder platforms without struggling with nuts and bolts while wearing their protective gear,” said Emmanuel Piec, General Manager, Winsafe. “By making the platform modular and almost tool-free, they can quickly assemble it into place in a constricted space both safely and accurately.”

Bruce Power produces 30% of Ontario’s electricity at 30% less than the average cost to generate residential power. The company’s Life-Extension Program will add approximately 30 to 35 years of operational life to each of the units while creating 22,000 direct and indirect jobs annually.

Delivery of the Winsafe platforms is scheduled for the end of February 2020. 


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About AGF Access Group
Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, AGF Access Group provides full access-at-heights solutions for construction projects across North America. The Company is made up of two manufacturing arms:Hydro Mobile for mast climbing work platforms (MCWP) and Winsafe for suspended platforms. It also has a rental store division (Hydro Rents, AGF Access and IEQ), and a rental and installation of construction and material elevators division (Jamco).  AGF Access Group focuses on the design, engineering, manufacturing, sales, rental, service, installation, dismantling and training of standard and innovative access solutions. The company specializes in power plants, nuclear facilities, hydroelectric generating stations and dams, bridges and more. Find out more by visiting https://agfaccessgroup.com/

About Winsafe
WINSAFE, a division of AGF Access Group Inc., is an innovative manufacturer and supplier of temporary and permanently installed aluminum suspended access platforms, travelling gantry systems and large-area engineered aluminum platforms.Find out more on winsafe.com

About Aecon
As a Canadian leader in construction and infrastructure development with global expertise, Aecon Group Inc. (TSX: ARE) strives to be the number one Canadian infrastructure company. Aecon safely, profitably and sustainably delivers integrated solutions to private and public-sector clients through its Construction segment in the Civil, Urban Transportation, Nuclear, Utility and Conventional Industrial sectors, and provides project development, financing, investment and management services through its Concessions segment. Join our online community on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram @AeconGroup.

AGF Access Group Selected by Groupe LAR for Site C Hydro Dam

MONTREAL (Oct 29, 2019) – Montreal-based AGF Access Group, Inc., (AAG) has been selected by subcontractor Groupe Lar to provide an access solution to aid in the construction of the Site C Hydro Dam. AAG’s scaffolding division Winsafe will custom-build an engineered, suspended platform to operate within the penstocks of the new $9b Canadian megaproject located on the Peace River in northeast B.C., Canada.

The large steel penstock pipes, each measuring 10 m in diameter and approximately 85 m in length, will regulate the flow of the dam’s water. During the construction phase, the temporary Winsafe system will provide critical and safe access within the penstocks. One of the Winsafe platform’s unique features is that it can travel on an incline up to 45 degrees while adjusting to the curved geometric travel of the penstocks.  

“Safety is extremely important for this project,” said Stephan Loiselle, Business Development Manager, AAG. “Groupe LAR needed a way to have quick and safe access within the penstocks, but even more importantly, to have quick access out in case of an emergency. We are able to engineer a solution that makes this possible.”

“We are excited to be working on the Site C megaproject,” said Alex Di Domenico, Vice President Major Projects, AAG. “Our recent hydro dam experience with Canmec at Muskrat Falls has given us substantial expertise for developing customized solutions for unique and challenging access applications.”

AAG will deliver the suspended engineered platform by the end of 2019.

There are three hydro dams under construction in Canada currently, with Site C being the largest. According to the Site C website, Site C will be a source of clean and renewable electricity for more than 100 years, providing enough energy to power the equivalent of about 450,000 homes per year in B.C. Construction of Site C started in summer 2015 and will be completed in 2024. Read more about Site C here: https://www.sitecproject.com/

About AGF Access Group
Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, AGF Access Group provides full access-at-heights solutions for construction projects across North America. The Company is made up of two manufacturing arms:Hydro Mobile for mast climbing work platforms (MCWP) and Winsafe for swing stages. It also has a rental store division (Hydro Rents, AGF Access and IEQ), and a rental and installation of construction and material elevators division (Jamco).  AGF Access Group focuses on the design, engineering, manufacturing, sales, rental, service, installation, dismantling and training of standard and innovative access solutions. The company specializes in power plants, nuclear facilities, hydroelectric generating stations and dams, bridges and more.

About Winsafe
WINSAFE, a division of AGF Access Group Inc., is an innovative manufacturer and supplier of temporary and permanently installed aluminum suspended access platforms, travelling gantry systems and large-area engineered aluminum platforms.Find out more on winsafe.com

AGF Access Group Contributes to Darlington Nuclear Refurbishment

New, Innovative Winsafe Access Concept Meets Challenging Space,
Time Constraints

MONTREAL (Sept 4, 2019) – Montreal-based AGF Access Group, Inc. has been selected to provide a modular access solution manufactured under its Winsafe brand for Canada’s largest clean energy project: the Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) Darlington Nuclear Generating Station in Southern Ontario, a joint venture refurbishment project led by SNC-Lavalin Group, Inc. and Aecon Group, Inc. 

Part of the Darlington Station refurbishment requires the removal and replacement of 960 feeder tubes within each of the reactors’ cores, with each tube weighing up to 600 pounds. In order to reach and replace the upper feeder tubes, the workers need safety and efficiency.

Winsafe engineers created a new platform concept to meet the challenge of the constricted space and time constraints of the reactor core. They fabricated an extruded aluminum, lightweight, modular platform system that could quickly and easily be assembled by workers.

Alex Di Domenico, Vice President, Major Projects said: “We never say no to projects, but when we first looked at the details of the Darlington refurbishment, it was a challenging request. Although the access portion was just a small piece of the overall puzzle, the project had unusual needs and traditional access equipment was not going to be the answer.”

Historically for accessing this type of work, workers would weld steel platforms together while inside the reactor vault to make access feasible, and then later cut them out, but that approach was problematic in this environment with limited space and access. Within the reactor vault, the extremely constrained space left little room for workers in bulky protective equipment to efficiently build and remove a high-capacity work platform to access the four-sided matrix of feeder tubes.

“Keeping the workers safe was our primary consideration. We also needed to be sure to minimize exposure to the radiation dose as much as possible,” said Emmanuel Piec, General Manager, Winsafe. “We needed a design that would allow them to quickly put together the feeder platform without struggling with nuts and bolts in their protective gloves. By making the platform modular and almost completely tool-free, they could get it into place in the tight space quickly and safely.”

The two platforms, each consisting of two independent rectangular halves measuring roughly 30 feet in length and 20 feet wide, provide access to the faces of the two-sided reactor. Each platform has a weight capacity of 5,000 lbs to support multiple workers and their tools while they maneuver and fit –up the tight and exacting tolerances for work with the heavy feeder tubes.

The platform main structure, suspended from a series of fixed and relocatable steel rod hangers, needed to fit into an area that was only nine inches deep, including peak deflection at maximum load. The spans between platform hangers needed to be maximized, in order to minimize impeding movement of the long feeder tubes across the platform working surface. From the platform, the workers could remove and replace each of the tubes, using existing station mezzanines to get on and off the platform, and temporary step-up platforms as needed to reach the higher tubes. Feeder tubes and other materials were brought to the working area through a hoistway located between the two corresponding platform halves.

“The space constraints surrounding this job were extremely challenging, but we came up with a solution which worked, and worked well,” said Di Domenico. “Given our experience in the nuclear industry, and our reputation for engineering ingenuity, we are a good fit for the project’s small but crucial access challenge.”

The feeder tubes in the first reactor were successfully removed on time, on budget, and most importantly, safely. Additionally, the design of the feeder platform was such that it could be easily dismantled and reassembled at the next reactor to do the same job.

OPG’s Darlington Refurbishment project, which began in October 2016 and involves the refurbishing of all four units, is scheduled for completion in 2026. Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) Darlington Nuclear Generating Station is one of the most the best-performing nuclear stations in the world. According to the Conference Board of Canada, the nuclear power station’s continued operation to 2055 will take the equivalent of two million cars off the road and will generate a total of $89.9 billion in economic benefits.


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About AGF Access Group

Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, AGF Access Group provides full access-at-heights solutions for construction projects across North America. The Company is made up of two manufacturing arms:Hydro Mobile for mast climbing work platforms (MCWP) and Winsafe for suspended platforms. It also has a rental store division (Hydro Rents, AGF Access and IEQ), and a rental and installation of construction and material elevators division (Jamco).  AGF Access Group focuses on the design, engineering, manufacturing, sales, rental, service, installation, dismantling and training of standard and innovative access solutions. The company specializes in power plants, nuclear facilities, hydroelectric generating stations and dams, bridges and more. Learn more by visiting https://agfaccessgroup.com

About Winsafe
WINSAFE, a division of AGF Access Group Inc., is an innovative manufacturer and supplier of temporary and permanently installed aluminum suspended access platforms, travelling gantry systems and large-area engineered aluminum platforms.Find out more on winsafe.com

About SNC-Lavalin
Founded in 1911, SNC-Lavalin is a global fully integrated professional services and project management company and a major player in the ownership of infrastructure. From offices around the world, SNC-Lavalin’s employees think beyond engineering. Our teams provide comprehensive end-to-end project solutions – including capital investment, consulting, design, engineering, construction management, sustaining capital and operations and maintenance – to clients across the EDPM (engineering, design and project management), Infrastructure, Nuclear, Clean Power, and Resources businesses. www.snclavalin.com

About Aecon
Aecon Group Inc. is one of Canada’s largest and most diverse construction and infrastructure development companies.  Aecon and its subsidiaries provide services to private and public sector clients throughout Canada and on a selected basis internationally.  Aecon is pleased to be recognized as one of the Best Employers in Canada.Find out more on www.aecon.com