Quebec Prime Minister Philippe Couillard on Economic Mission in Chicago to promote the Quebec Maritime Strategy
Mrs. Elisabeth Reid, Executive Vice President of SIMCO Technologies, was part of the Quebec delegation in Prime Minister Philippe Couillard’s Economic Mission in Chicago, to promote the Quebec Maritime Strategy, from October 28th to 30th, 2015.
“The Midwest of the United States, and more specifically the city of Chicago, is a logistics platform for Quebec companies and a key hub for the maritime and rail transport networks in North America, making it a natural partner for the deployment of the first Maritime Strategy in the history of Quebec. We want to increase our trade in this sector with our American partners. This mission represents a unique opportunity to create sustainable partnerships for new investment projects that will have an positive economic impact on Quebec and its regions”, the Prime Minister said.
Several meetings took place with some of the industry’s key players during the visit to the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor, and the Illinois International Port District (AC) as well as during the reception held by the Port of Montreal in Chicago. The objective of these meetings was to establish new business relationships that would facilitate the export of their products and services as well as to develop strategic alliances and partnerships.
The delegation included the port authorities of Montreal, Quebec, Saguenay, Trois-Rivières, the Port of Valleyfield Corporation, Armateurs du St-Laurent, CargoM, CN CLD Vaudreuil-Soulanges, the Federal Marine Terminals, GMR Safety, l’Institut international de logistique de Montréal, Groupe Océan, of MtlLink, SIMCO Technologies, Techsol Marine and Valport Maritime Services.
SIMCO is actively participating in the initiative launched by the Quebec government in the implementation of the new Maritime Strategy.
The successful implementation of Quebec’s Maritime Strategy must be based on reliable and current data of existing marine structures, data that are unfortunately incomplete or unavailable. It is therefore crucial that the current condition of these structures be adequately evaluated in order to more accurately predict their future performance and anticipate the real costs of repair and maintenance interventions.
A good strategy requires a good asset management plan to ensure the safety and sustainability of maritime infrastructure. Over the years, SIMCO has developed an expertise in the management of concrete infrastructure that has been applied in Canada, the United States, and in Europe. SIMCO helps owners and managers in assessing the current condition of marine structures, in prioritizing interventions and in optimizing the management of an entire portfolio of assets.
Contact us for more information about SIMCO’s solutions to help preserve maritime infrastructure.
Mr. Jacques Marchand, President of SIMCO Technologies, was part of the Minister Jean D’Amour’s Quebec delegation to promote the Quebec Maritime Strategy that took place in the Netherlands and Belgium from September 20th to 27th, 2015.
The main objective of this commercial mission was to promote the Quebec Maritime Strategy with European Port Authorities and partners as well as to promote our businesses and research institutions related to the maritime sector. “This mission will be the perfect opportunity to strengthen relationships with our European partners within the commercial, economic and scientific sectors. In the context of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the European Union (CETA) which promotes increased trade with Europe, our government intends to seize this opportunity in order to develop the full maritime potential of Quebec”, said Minister D’Amour.
Mr. Marchand was able to benefit from several business meetings with different Port Authorities, such as, the Port of Rotterdam, Antwerp, Zeebrugge, Ghent, Liege and Marseille, as well as with many other organizations from the maritime sector. “With a great concern for the preservation of infrastructure in Europe, SIMCO will be able to position its unique expertise in building sustainable structures and in the efficient preservation of existing infrastructure,” says Mr. Marchand.
About the Quebec Maritime Strategy
The Quebec Maritime Strategy is an ambitious and visionary plan that highlights the immense maritime potential of Quebec. The objective of the Maritime Strategy is to stimulate Quebec’s maritime economy in order to ensure sustainable growth and promote job creation in all regions of Quebec. By 2030, the Maritime Strategy will generate billions in investments and will create over 30,000 new jobs. Tourism, fishing, logistics, research and maritime transport are some of the sectors that will generate employment.
For more information about the Quebec Maritime Strategy, www.strategiemaritime.gouv.qc.ca/english
Contact us to know more about SIMCO’s solutions to preserve maritime infrastructure.
This conference focused on proactive ways to prevent deterioration in concrete structures and on the most recent research and technologies for the repair and service-life extension of concrete structures
Dr. Eric Samson, Eng., Ph.D. and Director of Research and Development from SIMCO presented “Optimizing the service life of existing concrete structures exposed to chloride-laden environments using advanced modeling and field data”.
The presentation focused on a complete methodology that allows for the selection of optimized solutions for the extension of the service life of concrete structures exposed to chloride-laden environments. The methodology combines the use of field data and advanced modeling in a comprehensive approach. The first step of the method consists in collecting data on the structures using a combination of techniques and measurements on cores. Information collected using selected non-destructive techniques can complement data from cores. In the second step, the data are used as input parameters in an advanced model called STADIUM to evaluate realistic exposure scenarios and assess the current chloride contamination level in concrete elements. Finally, the model is used to predict future performances. In this third step, different remediation scenarios can be modeled such as concrete repairs, sealer applications, and cathodic protection, and compared to a no-action scenario. The cost of each remediation scenario can be compared to its benefit, which allows selecting optimized solutions. The presentation also provided a detailed description of each step and different case studies were then presented to illustrate the use of the methodology for different concrete structural elements.
For service-life solutions we can help, contact us.
Mr. Dennis Burns, Eng., M.Sc., from SIMCO Technologies presented Concrete Durability – A Business Opportunity at Future Concrete 2015 in Lebanon, a conference & exhibition organized by Advanced Construction Technology Services (ACTS).
This conference which was co-sponsored by ACI, ASTM, and FIB was focused on:
- Smart Construction
- Emerging Trends & Innovations in Building Material
- Recent Advances in Concrete Technology & Sustainable Concrete
- ACI Art of Concrete Student Competition
Contact us to learn more about SIMCO’s infrastructure durability and service-life solutions
The conference focused on corrosion issues and particular challenges many industries are continuously faced with in the Middle East
Different technical solutions from leading corrosion professionals from around the world were presented.
Mr. Jorge Costa, Vice President from Structural Technologies and expert in corrosion, Mr. Brent Anderson, Moisture Control Engineering Team Leader from Structural Technologies and Mr. Dennis Burns, Director of Business Development and Infrastructure Durability Engineering Specialist for SIMCO Technologies presented “Corrosion of Below-grade RC Structures in the Arabian Peninsula: Analysis, Evaluation and Management”.
Contact us to learn how we can help with corrosion
SIMCO Technologies is pleased to have greeted Mr. Sam Hamad, Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity and Minister responsible for the Capitale-Nationale region, and Deputy Minister Alain Kirouac at SIMCO’s head office in Quebec City, on Friday, April 17th.
The Minister and Deputy Minister met with company executives from the Quebec Metro High Tech Park to discuss issues faced today by small and medium technology businesses and how the government can help these companies better succeed with the different governmental programs available. The Minister stated that “…we need to help small and medium companies like yours to succeed as you will be among the first to create jobs in the very short term”.
Company representatives present for this meeting included: Jacques Marchand and Elisabeth Reid from SIMCO Technologies, Natalie Quirion and Jacques Brosseau from Quebec Metro High Tech Park, Kemal Trtak from Doric Lenses, John McCormick from Eddyfi, Patrice Allibert from GenePOC, Hugo St-Laurent from SiliCycle, Pierre Paquet from Icentia, Harold Vachon from Explora Technologies, and Richard Grenier from Thales Research & Technology Canada.
SIMCO Technologies and Structural Group are proud to announce their strategic alliance to provide turnkey durability design solutions, for the construction, maintenance, repair and preservation of infrastructure to its different markets around the globe.
Structural Group, headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, has secured an equity position in SIMCO which provides SIMCO with additional capital to expand its markets and services worldwide.
The primary objective of this strategic partnership is to focus on Structural Group’s growing customer base in the Middle East, which has a need for durability assessment and modeling due to the unique exposure conditions and harsh environment that exist within this market. Structural Group’s investment in SIMCO and access to key engineers, contractors, and owners in the Middle East will give SIMCO and Structural Group the capability to meet this growing market’s opportunities.
In North America, SIMCO will continue to offer its durability consulting services to owners, managers, and engineers to help them optimize new concrete durability designs and to predict durability of existing concrete structures when repaired and protected. Like any highly specialized sub-consultant, SIMCO’s services are complementary add-on services and SIMCO is frequently hired by the engineering team or by a design-build team to provide its specialty services under the direction of the design team.
“For Structural Group, SIMCO’s sophisticated durability services are an important addition to its existing engineered products and construction services. The addition of SIMCO’s services are another step in Structural Group’s ongoing commitment to its mission to make new and existing structures stronger and last longer” says Peter Emmons, President of Structural Group.
“We are very excited about this new strategic relationship,” says Jacques Marchand, President of SIMCO, “by combining our capabilities, we will be able to position our companies as lead innovators in durability design to ensure the safety and sustainability of new and existing infrastructure in the Middle East market.”
About Structural
With member companies dating back to 1902, Structural Group is firmly committed to its ongoing mission of making new and existing structures stronger and last longer. As a recognized leader in the specialty construction industry, Structural Group delivers turnkey solutions that integrate technology, engineering, and construction. Structural Group provides specialty contracting services through its construction companies, and state-of-the-art proprietary products and engineering support services through Structural Technologies.
Structural Group member companies meet the needs of owners and managers of infrastructure, as well as designers and general contractors, by providing innovative and value-added solutions to the infrastructure challenges these customers face in the marketplace. Markets served include, Commercial, Public, Industrial, and Power markets.
To know more: www.structuralgroup.com
About SIMCO
SIMCO’s experts have been called on across the globe to understand infrastructure durability issues that go beyond the scope of routine engineering works. For over 25 years, SIMCO has been assisting owners and managers in analyzing, designing, and maintaining civil engineering structures while supporting sound asset management practices. By combining sophisticated materials analysis techniques and leading-edge service-life predictive technologies, SIMCO’s unique and flexible approach leads to better business decisions for the effective management of infrastructure assets.
A pioneer in the development of innovative tools for the construction industry, SIMCO has developed the STADIUM® software, which is the only service-life prediction tool recognized and specified by the U.S. Department of Defense for the design and construction of new maritime works for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and NASA. SIMCO’s STADIUM® software is also referenced for use by the U.S. Department of state and a new customized version called the KMS was developed in partnership with the Port of Rotterdam for the proactive management of its marine structures.
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Dr. Richard Cantin presented at the Strategic Development Council Technology Forum #37 at the Westin St. Louis, Missouri, this past February 26th 2015
SDC Technology Forum #37 featured two main subject areas – Concrete Repair, and the Impact of High-Rise Timber on the Concrete Industry.
Peter Emmons, a world-renowned concrete expert brought together some of the world’s leading experts in concrete repair to help infrastructure owners evaluate corrosion prevention and mitigation strategies for their structures.
Dr. Richard Cantin, Associate Director of Engineering, SIMCO Technologies, presented the ISO 16311 Maintenance and Repair of Concrete Structures.
Dr. Richard Cantin has a unique expertise in managing large-scale infrastructure projects, as well as in conducting inspections, condition assessments, characterization of damaged concrete infrastructure and service-life evaluations. He can effectively identify the possible causes of concrete degradation and proposes cost-optimal repair and rehabilitation solutions to extend the useful life of concrete structures.
Dr. Eric Samson, Director of R&D and Special Projects of SIMCO Technologies presented Service Life Modeling – Demystifying STADIUM:
Comprehensive durability modeling for concrete structures is essential in waterfront asset management. STADIUM’s proven analytical methods enable owners to optimize performance, reduce risk and control costs.
Contact one of our experts to know more or click here to learn more about STADIUM
Dr. Jacques Marchand, President of SIMCO and highly-recognized concrete expert worldwide, was part of the trade mission to Brussels with Quebec Mayor, Régis Labeaume
SIMCO Technologies is one of the few North American companies to be entirely dedicated to the durability of concrete infrastructure. SIMCO is already partnering with the Port of Rotterdam, the largest port in Europe, in the management of their marine structures. The company was also consulted to assist in the 100-year service-life specification of the new Panama Canal and is currently working on different infrastructure durability projects in Dubai, Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands.
Dr. Marchand says “In Europe, there is a very strong infrastructure preservation philosophy, and why our interest in developing business initiatives in this market.” “SIMCO benefitted from the Quebec delegation in Brussels to hold meetings with potential clients. It’s was a great opportunity,” he said, adding that “SIMCO is preparing to open an office in Dubai.”