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The Fleet Maintenance Facility (FMF) Cape Breton Shop Consolidation Project
BG-03.038 - July 3, 2003
Introduction
In 1977, National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ) approved a Base Development Plan (BDP) for Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt. The plan established the need to update the facilities in the newly designated Ship Repair Zone (SRZ) in the dockyard. By the early 1990s, two of the three major construction projects associated with that component of the BDP had been delivered: the replacement of the dockyard's maintenance jetty, known as "C" jetty; and the construction of two new industrial buildings to house selected ship maintenance shops. The third project in this large renewal initiative is now known as the FMF Cape Breton Shop Consolidation Project.
The FMF Cape Breton Shop Consolidation Project was approved for development and definition in 1995. It is a $91.8 million investment in Canada's West Coast navy and was designed to rearrange the industrial buildings and upgrade the site to create the most efficient Ship Repair Zone possible. The new SRZ will allow CF members and civilian employees to operate more effectively and efficiently than they did before.
FMF Cape Breton
The role of FMF Breton is to provide second-line maintenance facilities for ship and ship-related equipment to the Commander Maritime Forces Pacific, and to provide ship refit, third-line repair and engineering services for DND's ADM (Material) Ottawa. The more than 770 military and civilian staff of this CF unit fulfill a strategic function, using the maintenance jetty, dry dock and industrial facilities at CFB Esquimalt's Dockyard to ensure the routine technical readiness of the $4.6 billion in assets assigned to Canada's Pacific Naval Fleet. FMF Cape Breton is, in effect, the Pacific Fleet's indispensable "corner garage."
FMF Cape Breton functions out of more than 60 buildings at CFB Esquimalt, the majority of which are antiquated by modern industrial workplace standards. Approximately two-thirds of these facilities predate 1964, and more than 55 per cent of the available floor space is currently situated outside of the SRZ, hampering the flow of the repair, overhaul and fabrication functions.
The FMF Cape Breton Shop Consolidation Project
The first phase of the project included construction of a replacement facility for the Pacific Regional Calibration Centre. The role of the facility is to calibrate sensitive mechanical and electronic equipment belonging to numerous CF units. The new $2.1-million calibration centre was constructed by JCR Construction Limited of Victoria, BC, and was completed in 1998.
Phase two of the project involved the upgrading of CFB Esquimalt's electrical supply and distribution infrastructure in conjunction with BC Hydro. The base "chopped" to the upgraded, $5.4-million electrical system in March 2000.
In preparation for the third phase of the contract, DND engaged the engineering consultant firm Whitman Benn Limited of Halifax, NS, to produce the technical statement of requirement and design concept. Once this extensive study to "re-engineer" FMF Cape Breton's industrial facilities was completed, a contract was awarded to Reid Crowther Partners Limited of Victoria, BC, (now Earth Tech (Canada) Inc.) to complete the design and prepare construction tender documentation. In 2002, a contract was awarded to Ralmax Contractors of Victoria for the site preparation work. The contract removed several WWII-vintage buildings, re-routed services and excavated the site.
This phase of the project will see four areas developed within a three-storey, 17,000-square-metre extension to an existing building (Building D250), which will accommodate light, medium and heavy industrial activities and some office areas, when all phases of the construction program are completed. This expanded structure will ultimately be home to the mechanical, electronic and fabrication work centers and five trade service centres, as well as the executive, support and engineering office areas.
An additional aspect to the project will be renovations to the existing facilities in Building D250. This renovation will not involve changing the function of the existing space, but instead will serve to re-allocate space for different activities in order to optimize the overall industrial process and office layouts. The D250 renovations will be implemented in phases once the D250 extension is constructed. Finally, significant upgrades to utility and municipal services are being performed within the SRZ.
Conclusion
The contract to construct the third phase of the FMF Cape Breton Shop Consolidation Project has now been awarded. With the construction program for the consolidation of FMF Cape Breton's shops begun, the industrial processes will become more streamlined, transforming it into a modern and efficient facility as work progresses. The project will benefit both the customer ships and the employees of this large and important CF unit, as well as the BC construction industry during the period of construction.
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