Sessions

Using Short-Term Scheduling to Enhance Project Performance

Proper planning results in the optimization of operations and reduction of project costs. The level of detail associated with a plan is a function of the target timeframe. Most projects have and execute a daily plan and projects typically have CPM schedules which reflect a plan for the entire job duration. What many projects lack is a quality short term schedule which can be used to shorten activity durations, make better use of resources and lower costs. This session will illustrate how short-term scheduling will enhance project performance.

Topics include:

• Distinctions between CPM and short-term schedules
• Limitations of CPM schedules
• Objectives of short- term schedules
• Short- term scheduling techniques
• Improving resource management
• Short-term scheduling tips, tricks and pitfalls
• Ancilary benefits of short-term schedules
• Short-term scheduling software

Mr. Bryon L. Willoughby, P.E., now retired and working part-time, has dedicated more than 45 years to the construction industry. The first 18 years of his career were spent with two major contracting companies, primarily in field operations and project management roles. During this period, he gained extensive experience managing earthwork, highway, bridge, airfield, dam, and site development projects. Much of his work involved serving as a Project Manager or Operations Manager, where he was responsible for the day-to-day planning, coordination, and execution of large, self-performed construction work. The second phase of Mr. Willoughby’s career began in 2000 with the formation of Willoughby 2000 LLC, now known as Willoughby Robinson Associates, LLC. Since then, Mr. Willoughby and his team have provided a broad range of consulting services to the construction industry, including CPM scheduling, delay and disruption analyses, time extension requests, construction claims development, and requests for equitable adjustment.

Mr. Willoughby has been accepted as an expert witness in dozens of legal and dispute resolution proceedings, including jury trials, bench trials, and arbitrations. His expert testimony has addressed a wide range of construction-related issues, including the interpretation of technical specifications, construction operations, means and methods, cost quantification, and schedule delay analysis. A licensed Professional Engineer in multiple states, Mr. Willoughby is a former member of both the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and AACE International (formerly the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering). He also served on AACE International’s National Board of Directors. Mr. Willoughby earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from The Ohio State University in 1982.

Haithem Soliman, an associate professor of engineering, is examining how different asphalt mixtures could improve durability. We’ll be looking at what happens if we build roads at a colder temperature and how this affects the performance. Using specialized testing facilities that can mimic the freeze-thaw cycles, Soliman and his research team will study how different asphalt mixes perform. By developing asphalt that can be laid and compacted in colder temperatures, the construction season could be extended — leading to longer-lasting roads with fewer cracks and potholes.

If you start with good quality construction, you’ll have a good quality road. You’re reducing the chance of damage to the whole surface. While this type of research isn’t new, it’s the first time it’s being tested for Saskatchewan-specific conditions. The research is still in the early stages. The goal is to first prove the concept in a lab, before eventually testing it on a small section of Saskatoon roadway. We’ll select a few hundred metres within the city and try this new product, or new technology, or whatever the outcome that will come from this research.

In this presentation you will learn about oscillatory compaction and how it compares to conventional vibratory compaction. We will explain how oscillatory rollers help improve productivity and create a smoother finish on challenging mixes. The presentation will flow from oscillation basics to real-world applications and finally to expected results. Oscillation basics will explain in simple terms how it works by using eccentric shafts to move the drum back and forth compared to conventional downward force. Applications will discuss how to use the technology during jobs that prohibit vibration like bridge decks, historical structures, residential communities, etc…as well as addressing application benefits on different mix designs with varying lift thickness. Finally, we’ll talk about the results to include constructing safer roadways with better density and IRI results.

What changes when one person can move several pieces of work forward at once?

Business gives executives a practical view of how AI agents are changing the way work is assigned, carried out and reviewed. Through client demonstrations across finance, operations and supply chain, the session follows the progression from chat-based assistance to agents, coordinated work and ongoing responsibilities.

Live Demonstrations of AI in Business

See how AI fits into everyday business processes, with attention to the task, the source information, the finished
output and the review it needs. Demonstrations explore:

• Using business records to prepare analysis and decision support
• Carrying out multi-step tasks with connected tools and information
• Moving several assignments forward while people direct and review the work

What Executives Will Gain

• A practical understanding of how companies use AI in everyday work
• Clarity on the progression from chat assistance to agents and subagents
• A view of how orchestration connects several workstreams for review
• An understanding of how roles, delegation and accountability are changing
• A perspective on persistent agents and the oversight they would require

Avoiding and Managing Problem Projects

Many projects fail financially for a multitude of reasons. The profitability of a construction contracting entity is far too often severely impacted by projects or even a single project which lose money. Avoiding and mitigating these problematic projects can significantly improve a company’s financial performance. This session will provide strategies for avoiding and managing problem projects.

Topics include:

• Identifying root causes of project financial failures
• Proactive actions during the bidding process to reduce risks
• Identification of known risks and uncertainties
• Common causes of financial failures
• Evaluation of preconstruction methodologies
• Early project monitoring and adjustments to mitigate impacts
• Evaluation of ongoing projects
• Addressing financial impacts
• Recovery methodologies
• The power of change order requests

Mr. Bryon L. Willoughby, P.E., now retired and working part-time, has dedicated more than 45 years to the construction industry. The first 18 years of his career were spent with two major contracting companies, primarily in field operations and project management roles. During this period, he gained extensive experience managing earthwork, highway, bridge, airfield, dam, and site development projects. Much of his work involved serving as a Project Manager or Operations Manager, where he was responsible for the day-to-day planning, coordination, and execution of large, self-performed construction work. The second phase of Mr. Willoughby’s career began in 2000 with the formation of Willoughby 2000 LLC, now known as Willoughby Robinson Associates, LLC. Since then, Mr. Willoughby and his team have provided a broad range of consulting services to the construction industry, including CPM scheduling, delay and disruption analyses, time extension requests, construction claims development, and requests for equitable adjustment.

Mr. Willoughby has been accepted as an expert witness in dozens of legal and dispute resolution proceedings, including jury trials, bench trials, and arbitrations. His expert testimony has addressed a wide range of construction-related issues, including the interpretation of technical specifications, construction operations, means and methods, cost quantification, and schedule delay analysis. A licensed Professional Engineer in multiple states, Mr. Willoughby is a former member of both the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and AACE International (formerly the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering). He also served on AACE International’s National Board of Directors. Mr. Willoughby earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from The Ohio State University in 1982.

Understanding the Crushing Process and the Production of Road-Building Aggregates. To provide a practical, introductory understanding of how raw pit or quarry material is transformed into finished aggregate products used in infrastructure. Following the material through the complete process—from the geological source and initial excavation through crushing, screening, product selection, quality control, and final application. The presentation will help contractors and other industry stakeholders better understand why different aggregate products are produced, how they are produced, and what determines whether an aggregate is suitable for a particular construction application at a high level.

Federal, provincial, and municipal agencies across North America are increasingly incorporating embodied carbon requirements into procurement processes, accelerating demand for lower-carbon construction materials and changing how infrastructure projects are designed, specified, and delivered. Policies such as the Government of Canada’s Standard on Embodied Carbon in Construction, along with similar initiatives across Canada and the United States, are shifting the industry from voluntary environmental reporting toward performance-based carbon management and procurement practices.

This session will provide a practical overview of the sustainability concepts shaping today’s construction market, including embodied carbon, Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), Global Warming Potential (GWP), lifecycle assessment, and lifecycle cost considerations. Participants will gain an understanding of how evolving procurement requirements are influencing material selection, project specifications, and infrastructure delivery across Canada. The presentation will also explore how cementitious materials and concrete mixtures are evolving in response to carbon reduction objectives, material availability, research advancements, environmental considerations, and cost pressures. Attendees will learn about common low-carbon materials and how these changes can influence concrete performance characteristics, along with strategies that owners, engineers, contractors, and suppliers can use to successfully deliver low-carbon concrete projects.

Finally, the session will examine ongoing challenges facing the infrastructure sector, including prescriptive specifications, regional material variability, inconsistent procurement approaches, and limited information sharing between owner groups. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of how construction practices are adapting to support lower-carbon outcomes while maintaining performance, durability, cost effectiveness, and project delivery expectations.

Shane Mulligan, P.Eng., LEED Green Associate is the Manager of Market Solutions and Development at Heidelberg Materials, where he is responsible for business development, early project engagement, and all aspects of commercial sustainability and technical marketing for Heidelberg Materials in Canada. This includes working with architects, engineers, and designers towards lower carbon, sustainable solutions in the built environment. He has over 20 years of experience in a variety of civil engineering sectors including the technical promotion of cement and concrete products, structural design of underground infrastructure, waste diversion planning, and stormwater management. His previous experience includes roles with the Cement Association of Canada and Lafarge Canada Inc.

The Mackenzie Valley Highway (MVH) project is a transformative strategic initiative that will establish a critical transportation corridor into Canada’s arctic. This project will mitigate the existing impacts of climate change on increasingly isolated communities in the Mackenzie Valley, open the region to mineral exploration and tourism and support Canada’s arctic sovereignty and security. The Mckenzie Valley Highway project presents a multi-billion-dollar opportunity for contractors, consultants, suppliers, and skilled workers. As about 800-kilometre all season highway expanding from Wrigley to Inuvik, the companies may like to prioritize local capacity building, Northern procurement, and joint ventures with Indigenous and local entities.

Binay Yadav, the Director of Tranposrtation for the Government of the Northwest Territories Department of Infrastructure will outline the McKenzie Vally Highway project and David Smith, Associate Vice President of AECOM Canada Transportation will highlight their 2 newly announced projects the Smith Creek Bridge Design and the Construction Administration and Tendering of the Great Bear River Bridge.

Water intrusion is a major factor in early pavement failures. Hydrated lime and amine based liquid anti strips were traditionally used to help mitigate stripping. Through chemical bonding, organosilane based technologies can provide solutions to these challenges in an environmentally friendly manner.

Bryan Atkins is the business development manager for Zydex industries and has been with Zydex since 2021. Bryan has been in the asphalt industry since 2008 and is a member of CTAA and AAPT. Bryan graduated from James Madison university in Harrisonburg Virginia in 2003 and resides in Mechanicsville, Virginia with his wife (Jenn) and 2 kids (Nathan and Lucy) plus 2 dogs (Titus and Jolene).