Alberta Construction Best Practices 101

Every industry has its own set of best practices to serve as a guideline towards successful results for all involved. While there are general practices that apply to an industry as a whole, a truly effective guide is one that is further customized for a given region. This is especially the case for construction in Alberta. Today we take a look at the top five best practices in Alberta construction and what you need to know as a commercial, industrial, or municipal interest preparing for a build.

Top 5 Best Practices of Commercial, Industrial, and Municipal Construction in Alberta

1. Safety First

Building a culture of safety is important on the construction sites in our province. This culture includes the philosophies, practices, tools and materials that all contribute to the safe performance for construction company owners, contractors/sub-contractors and labour. Items unique to the region include (but are not exclusive to) abiding by local Construction Safety Training Systems (CSTS), the Canadian Model for Providing a Safe Workplace and mitigating the potential for hazards brought on by Alberta’s harsh winter climate. If your enterprise is entering the Alberta market, you can gain the peace of mind in knowing that safety is priority number one. If you follow these tips on how to choose a general contractor in Alberta you’ll have found a construction company that you can trust to put this (safety) best practice first.

2. Labour Specialization

Integrating the right mix of individuals working on a construction project is essential to its success. This mix matches specialized skills to the respective portions of a build, at the right time and at the right price. Specialization not only applies to labour, but to all partners involved in the build, which includes subcontractors. This integration of labour can also involve the efficient use of apprentices to further grow skilled labour in Alberta and keep overall labour costs down. A reputable construction company will apply numerous methods when developing their project team, including absenteeism management, apprentice mentoring, skill assessment and skill development. Understanding, developing, and applying the labour and subcontractor mix to a project is an essential best practice in Alberta construction.

3. Risk Management

Construction risk management is an all-inclusive and structured concept that identifies, analyzes and responds to risks involved in achieving a commercial, industrial, or municipal build’s objectives. The best practices of local risk management understand Alberta’s geography, landscape, workforce, municipal and federal mandates, client expectations, and all other nuances unique to a region. It encompasses liability risk, environmental liability, construction cost overruns, and brand exposure. Learn more on this best practice here.

4. Benchmarking

When a construction company applies the benchmarking best practice it begins by creating a historical database that measures the productivity of past projects and develops an on-going measurement system accordingly. This historical data is used to identify correlations between project variables and productivity, extrapolating best practices from the data and applying a customized approach to each construction project that comes across its path. The result is a logic based method that measures and compares a company’s performance against industry standards, makes targeted improvements, and applies the strategy to all future builds.

5. Sustainability

Green-building is a top trend in commercial building, in industrial construction, and is essential for any municipal project that abides by provincial and federal mandates. The methodology dictates eco-friendly on-site waste management and the minimal consumption of natural resources and energy both during the building phase and throughout the life of the establishment. In Alberta, enterprises actively seek a positive LEED rating and thus secure the services of construction companies that consider environmental sustainability a “best practice”.

Ensure that the above best practices are applied to your Central Alberta construction project. Contact Apple Building Systems Inc today.