Project Summary

Client
FortisBC

Budget
Values

Services
Project Management

Market
Utility

Project Description

Every year, FortisBC has countless natural gas pipelines that need to be constructed, maintained, or replaced in the Lower Mainland. As part of the ongoing project management that is required to enable successful outcomes of these projects, RAM was brought in to act as Project Managers for a group of projects in the Lower Mainland ranging from approximately $40,000 to $1,300,000. The projects varied in nature – examples below:

Project Name Value Description
Creative Energy 323DP Main Upgrade $ 1,300,000.00 Creative Energy constructed a new building at 720 Beatty Street with Westbank and Bjarke Ingels Group. As part of the project, several boilers remained in the new building, and new boilers were added to BC Place, which overall provided steam energy to much of downtown Vancouver. A new and upgraded gas line was required to service the new boilers at BC Place, as well as connect to the new proposed building. However, the route is along a busy corridor (Abbott Street and Expo Boulevard), requiring extensive permitting and community engagement.

 
Portside/Blundell Road Improvements Project $    500,000.00 Port Metro Vancouver proposed to build an overpass at Blundell Road and Portside Road in Richmond, BC, to allow for trains to pass underneath the overpass, without disruption to traffic. Blundell Road was widened toward the south at No 8 Rd and train tracks were expanded southward to 7 tracks.

As part of this project, Fortis was requested to relocate approximately 970m x 219 distribution pressure pipe within a narrow utility corridor being shared with several utilities making clearances very tight.

 
SI 1500m x 168 DPPE on 56 Ave and 58 Ave $    950,000.00 Due to anticipated development located near 56 Ave and 58 Ave in Abbotsford, BC, a 1500m long distribution pressure pipeline was required to improve the overall capacity and efficiency of the pipeline system.

 
Vye Road Overpass Transmission Pipeline Crossing $    700,000.00 The City of Abbotsford built an overpass so traffic along Vye Road could cross the train tracks without disruption. The west ramp of the overpass was on top of a FortisBC ROW that contains two transmission pressure pipelines – 1,066mm and 762mm in diameter. The transmission lines needed to be relocated and replaced to accommodate the overpass.

 
CDSU – 870m x 168PE Minoru Blvd $    585,000.00 Due to immense developments occurring near CF Richmond Centre in Richmond, BC, the existing 2″ and 4″ gas main were upgraded to 6″ PE. Approximately 870.0m of pipe distribution pressure pipe was constructed. The pipeline was located in a busy corridor – Minoru Blvd – and crossed a Rainbow/Pride Crosswalk that required community sensitivity in completing this project.

 
7 Ave & Cedar Stn – Rem Heater $    40,000.00 A BS&B line heater along an intermediate pressure (300 PSI or less) line required inspection to remain operable; however, the heater was no longer effective for the line. The line heater was removed via the installation of a bypass spool and the removal of the line heater from the system.

 
LIVPAT457 kP28.153 pipe replace $    40,000.00 An integrity dig revealed a section of pipe that had a visible dent. A section of the ~700 PSI transmission line was replaced with an in-kind pipe segment.

 
LIVPAT457 kP7.709 pipe replace $    50,000.00 An inline inspection run determined that there was metal loss weld features a joint of a ~700 PSI transmission line. A subsequent integrity dig determined that the weld failed radiography tests. Approximately 6 meters of pipe was replaced.

 

RAM’s Role

RAM provided overall project management services to FortisBC for these projects. Specific roles and responsibilities included but were not limited to:

  • Providing overall project oversight and leadership to manage FortisBC internal departments to achieve project success, including: Community Relations, Regulatory, Engineering, Procurement, Fabrication, Environmental, Property Services, Operations, and Construction;
  • Conducting kickoff meetings with all involved parties (engineering, community relations, BC OGC compliance, sales);
  • Ordering special project materials as specified by engineering, verifying non-inventory materials were ordered correctly;
  • Providing accurate cost and schedule estimates for projects;
  • Chairing and leading internal and external project meetings with project stakeholders;
  • Providing technical input to projects where applicable and approving drafted drawings to complete IFC drawings;
  • Coordinating pre-survey walkthrough with construction supervisor to identify if further field validation (hydrovac, GPR) is warranted
  • Hiring contractors through tender or sole-source process. Reviewing work procedures with operations and construction supervisor; and
  • Reviewing and modifying cost estimates, reviewing budget, monitoring and controlling costs