In 1994 we were approached by PCL Construction Ltd to design build all of the major buildings for the BHP Diamond Mine project in the Northwest Territories.

Supreme Steel Ltd was awarded the design, fabrication and supply of all the structural steel, cladding, doors and windows for the Process plant which was the largest structure on site. We were also awarded the fabrication of the Utilidors complete with mechanical, electrical and cladding. These projects were awarded during September of 1996 and November of 1996 respectively. At a later date we were also awarded all the interior steel for the Process plant.

During each stage of our involvement on the project, the schedule was of paramount importance. It was made very clear to us that strict adherence to the schedule was a priority and that all of the Utilidors, 20 in total, had to be transported to the site along the ice road during the winter of 1996-97. Due to size constraints, loading these Utilidors onto a Hercules aircraft was not an option. All of the steel for the process plant (6000+ tons) had to be transported via the ice road or be flown in by Hercules. When Supreme Steel Ltd was awarded the interior package in the late fall of 1996 we made a firm commitment to deliver the large bins for the Process building via the winter road, because the pieces were too large to fit into the Hercules aircraft.

As a result, the pressure was on to design, detail, approve, coordinate, fabricate, paint, clad, and ship all of the above components before the ice road closed. If any of these major portions were not completed in time for transportation via the ice road, the success of the whole project would be in serious jeopardy.

The preliminary design for the Process plant was issued with our tender and was modified slightly by H.A. Simons. John Leder of Supreme Steel Ltd was responsible for all of the design concepts and Sven Hage of Jacobson Hage Engineering was responsible for the design analysis. Before the final analysis was complete, 90 percent of the structural steel had been ordered and in many cases lighter sections could have been used. Fabrication had to proceed with the already purchased material. Some splices, column sizes, and orientations had to change to suit the available material. Some of the steel required was notch tough and we had to configure columns and other members to suit the available material.

In consideration of the harsh road and site conditions, and in order to provide the client with a more durable product, we chose to galvanize all of the steel rather than to use a two coat paint system. We also felt that painting the steel would have had a negative impact on the delivery schedule.

Concerning the “bolted truss” design, our original proposal stated that we would ship all pieces loose and assemble on site. The client, however, requested that we pre-assemble all large columns into modules as large as practical, and despite the fact that a freight premium would be charged, pre-assemble the trusses. All of the pieces were galvanized and assembled at Daam Galvanizing of Edmonton. This alternative significantly reduced our time on site, as well as the accommodation costs and travel expenses for the additional labour that would have been required had the pieces been assembled on site.

While we were designing the steel we also had to design the exterior cladding which was purchased from Engineered Metal Company based in California and Aluma Shield based in Florida. We required more than 50 loads of cladding material to be shipped by truck from Florida and transferred to other trailers in Edmonton. In total we shipped over 170 truckloads over the ice road in a short period of time.

At the same time as fabricating the Process plant building we also fabricated 20 elevated Utilidors, each weighing approximately 22 tonnes. These Utilidors supply the power, water and heat, and in addition perform the function of a heated corridor to enable personnel to move from one building to another without venturing outside in the extreme Arctic environment. Each module was loaded with the appropriate mechanical and electrical equipment, drip pans and decked walkway, ready for concrete to be poured on site.

The most unique aspect of our involvement in the project was in accommodating the schedule. The schedule drove our portion of the work. There is an implied trust that is given when three large portions of the work are awarded to a single fabricator. Many crucial decisions were made before the full approval was given, and even as steel was being fabricated and modules were being assembled, a number of changes were made, and design continued. Piping and electrical changes to suit the client’s wishes were accommodated as the work proceeded, without seriously affecting the schedule. We believe that without the good co-operation between H.A. Simons Mining Group and Supreme Steel Ltd these portions of the project could not have been delivered on time.