tomated project delivery processes, and advanced docu-
ment management capabilities.

There are different software packages that do some,
but not all, of the tasks the university is seeking – but the
solution is not to force everything into a single piece of
software, but rather to integrate the different tools and
software resources appropriate to the different stages in
the design, construction and operation cycle.

He said the university had 206 active users in its e-
management system in 2016; by 2018, the active users
had increased to 660. “Most are consultants,” he said.

As more capital projects have been managed by the sys-
tem, he said the number of automated processes in-
creased from nine in 2016 to 27 in 2018. There’ll be
more changes including managing capital expenditures
and operations, moving from a manual to automated de-
ferred maintenance program, better BIM integrations,
more robust and consistent laser scanning of existing
conditions, and the introduction of virtual reality to pre-
sent projects to senior leadership.

“Our value proposition is not to build faster and
quicker,” he said. “It is to get students into classroom
seats and researchers into labs so they can spend their
NIH (National Institute of Health) grants.”
Meanwhile architect Jan Leenknegt of BIG hinted at
how working as an architect for Google on a massive
new million plus sq. ft. office complex in Sunnyvale is
challenging traditional design practices with new techno-
logical resources. (I may be able to see the site first-hand
this fall when the search-engine giant invites me to the
northern California community for its annual Google
Product Experts summit/meet-up. Leenknegt could only
This graph shows the incredible and sudden decline in
newspaper advertising revenue correlated with
Google and Facebook’s rise.

https://charman-anderson.com/2016/09/28/us-newspapers-lost-advertising-revenue-found/ allude to the building’s design challenge because he, like
most contractors and others with some direct access to
Google staff, including me, are required to sign non-dis-
closure agreements.)
However, speaking generally, he explained how collab-
oration is pushing “interoperability across contractural
boundaries” as the number of design tools is declining
through consolidation, and documentation is becoming
increasingly automated. He also said BIM is becoming
increasingly important, and is vital for complex architec-
tural designs.

However, technology doesn’t replace the human ele-
ment. Owners, designers and contractors need to “bring
(software) tools to the teams and empower intelligent
humans,” he said. “The tools are not the same for every
project.” There needs to be training, standards and tem-
plates, annual BIM model audits, and feedback.

Can we draw any take-action conclusions from these
observations? The answer, I think, is we need to be
aware of the technology adaptation drivers/disruptors –
namely forward-thinking owners and disruptive technol-
ogy service/building companies, and develop our own
awareness on how to integrate and implement the new
tools in a more collaborative environment. Otherwise, we
might be caught in the newspaper industry trap, through
which only a few nimble, creative and technologically as-
tute businesses are surviving.

Mark Buckshon is the president of the
Construction News and Report Group of Companies,
which publishes Canadian Design and Construction
Report and several other publications. See his blog
at www.constructionmarketingideas.com.

See this video re digital
take up by industry
10 – Spring 2018 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report



Federal government stops Chinese takeover of Aecon:
CCA applauds decision
Canadian Design and Construction Report staff writer
The federal cabinet has blocked the proposed $1.5 bil-
lion takeover of Toronto-based Aecon by a Chinese-gov-
ernment owned company, citing national security
threats. The decision follows extensive lobbying by other busi-
nesses in the Canadian construction industry, repre-
sented in part by the Canadian Construction Association
(CCA), which asserted that the state ownership of the
business would create unfair advantages to the foreign
business. The decision against the takeover by China Communi-
cations Construction Co. Ltd. follows a national security
review that the Globe and Mail reports determined was
not in Canada's national security interest.

The newspaper reported: “Intelligence agencies in
both Canada and the United States have warned that
companies owned or partly owned by the Chinese gov-
ernment are not merely profit-seeking operations; they
are also prone to passing on information or technology
to Beijing and making business decisions that could con-
flict with Canadian interests but serve the agenda of the
authoritarian Communist Party of China.”
"Our government is open to international investment
that creates jobs and increases prosperity, but not at the
expense of national security,” innovation minister
Navdeep Bains said in a statement.

Aecon reported to investors that it is reviewing the de-
cision and will have a “more detailed response in due
course.” “While we are disappointed with the government’s
decision, Aecon is and will continue to be a leading
player in the Canadian construction and infrastructure
market,” Aecon chief executive officer John Beck said in
a statement.

“While we have been prevented from pursuing the
transaction, we are moving forward from a position of
strength.” Ward Elcock, a former CSIS director who had urged
for the deal to be rejected, welcomed Ottawa’s decision,
the Globe and Mail reported.

“A state-owned company will always do the bidding of
China,” Elcock said in an interview with the newspaper.

“At the end of the day, China is not an ally of Canada. It is
a trading partner – and a crucial one. … But having said
that, the interests of China are not always going to be
the interests of Canada.”
He said the problem with allowing Aecon to be pur-
chased by a Chinese state firm is that the Canadian com-
pany plays a significant role in major infrastructure
projects, from the refurbishment of nuclear facilities to
British Columbia’s massive Site C hydro-electric dam. Mr.

Elcock said he thinks the difficulty facing federal deci-
sion-makers was that they couldn’t fashion a workable
constraint on Aecon’s future activities under Chinese
state ownership.

“The problem, I suspect, is there is really no way to
put in a restriction that prevents a company that simply
pours concrete one day from undertaking a major infras-
tructure project on another day,” he said.

The Chinese embassy in Ottawa said the decision will
hurt Canada’s economy. “There is no doubt that the deci-
sion made by Canadian government is by no means
good news for the investment co-operation between
China and Canada,” the embassy said in a statement.

“This will seriously undermine the confidence of Chi-
nese investors.”
In a statement, the Canadian Construction Association
(CCA) said it is pleased with the decision.

“CCA wishes to express its satisfaction with the gov-
ernment’s confidence in the Canadian construction in-
dustry,” said CCA president Mary Van Buren. “We are
happy that the government recognizes the fact that gov-
ernment-owned or controlled entities have no place to
compete against private and publicly-traded companies
in the Canadian construction industry.”
CCA said has always advocated for the establishment
and maintenance of a free-flowing international system
of trade, both in terms of goods as well as services. CCA
supports international free trade agreements, including
provisions respecting government procurement.

The Canadian construction industry is highly complex,
using sophisticated, technology-forward and innovative
techniques. From drones to IoT on bridges to 3D mod-
elling, Canadian know-how is exceptional, and CCA wel-
comes the government’s commitment to encouraging
entrepreneurialism. The Government of Canada is engaging in a massive
infrastructure program, investing more than $180 billion
of Canadian taxpayers’ money. CCA members are proud
that the government is trusting the close to 1.4 million
Canadians making their living in construction to build a
better Canada.

The Canadian Design and Construction Report — Spring 2018 – 11