Publications

23 Mar 2023
Power and Renewables

Noise exposure in the workplace: Changes coming soon in Québec

Workers who are exposed to high noise levels for long periods of time will suffer irreversible hearing damage (tinnitus, deafness). Although noise exposure limits exist, Québec’s Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) estimates that hearing disorders related to working conditions are constantly increasing, which represents 86% of occupational diseases in 2021,1 compared to 70% in 2019. It’s crucial for all employers to inform their employees of the harmful, long-term effects of noise, to focus on prevention and to implement the necessary mechanisms to comply with the noise standards set out in the Regulation respecting occupational health and safety. But what target values must we apply? When and how must we assess the noise levels workers are exposed to? And is there a tracking record of previous assessments?
Romuald Véros, Sr. Tech.

Environmental Technician - Acoustics and Vibration
08 Nov 2021
Biofuels, Oil and Gas

From crude oil refineries to biorefineries – From existing to new business models using hybrid approaches
- Joe Nava, P.Eng.
  
  Global Director, Advanced Fuels and Chemicals
03 Nov 2021
Power and Renewables

Structural concrete condition assessment and repair methodologies
27 Oct 2021
Other industries

How an MES can bring instant value to your business
25 Oct 2021
Power and Renewables

The importance of preliminary interconnection studies
20 Oct 2021
Mining and Metals

Designing structures to support suspended vibrating screens

Some industrial projects involve a plant process that uses vibrating screens. In mining, for example, such apparatuses, also called sieves or sifters, are used to separate solid or crushed ore and are appropriate for wet or dry applications. They are designed to separate materials by allowing some particles to pass through the screen according to their size using a combination of movements caused by a vibrating motor. The movements or vibrations are transmitted to the structural supports, which could be a foundation or steel structure.
30 Sept 2021
Other industries

What influences mine effluent toxicity?
21 Sept 2021
Power and Renewables

How the Lean Six Sigma approach helps guide digital transformation
- Jean-Pierre Vera P.Eng., MBA
  
  Operational Excellence & Digital Transformation Expert
16 Sept 2021
Mining and Metals

9 questions to ensure the success of your artificial intelligence projects
16 Sept 2021
Other industries

Migrating a distributed control system (DCS): upgrading the operational infrastructure
14 Sept 2021
Power and Renewables

Successfully manage your project using solid communication with stakeholders

What is it that makes a project truly successful? Why would you call one project a success when it is significantly over budget, or another a failure when the primary indicators seem excellent?
Marie Chiasson, P.Eng.

Practice Leader, Engineering Management
14 Sept 2021
Power and Renewables

Do you have an incident response plan for your industrial control systems?
11 Aug 2021
Power and Renewables

Project compliance with environmental laws: why the initial approach is important
- Jean-Sébastien Bernier
  
  Biologist and Project Director
11 Aug 2021
Power and Renewables

Reuse, Refurbish or Replace? How to select the right option for your plant expansion
- Catherine Pelletier, P. Eng.
  
  Engineer, Metallurgist
10 Aug 2021
Power and Renewables

How to avoid production losses in the event of voltage sags on a distribution system?
05 Aug 2021
Power and Renewables

Industry 4.0: augment your reality, regardless the size of your plant!

In the wake of the fourth industrial revolution, businesses want to perform their digital transformation under optimal conditions.
Alexis Lallemand Desmarais

Programmer Analyst
05 Aug 2021
Power and Renewables

Industry 4.0: the design you expect, thanks to virtual reality
- Alexis Lallemand Desmarais
  
  Programmer Analyst
22 Jun 2021
Mining and Metals

Optimize alarm system performance
- Marc Tardif
  
  Technologist, Optimization and Advanced Control Expert
21 Jun 2021
Power and Renewables

Cloud computing for industrial performance
11 Jun 2021
Mining and Metals

How to effectively establish static head while sizing centrifugal pumps in mining applications
- Roman Dorfman, P.Eng.
  
  Mechanical / Piping Engineer
27 May 2021
Power and Renewables

Earth observation boosted by artificial intelligence

Earth observation is performed using images captured by satellites that are equipped with optical or radar sensors and serves a variety of purposes. In the last decade, there has been a significant increase in the number of satellites that monitor the Earth’s surface. Today, nearly 2,600 satellites are orbiting the Earth, of which more than 400 are capturing images of the Earth’s surface. An astronomical quantity of data is produced daily, because many of them have a high number of sensors and a short revisit frequency. This massive data availability makes it possible to carry out studies on the temporal evolution of land use and coverage. The massive quantity of satellite images, however, makes analysis by photo interpretation very laborious, if not impossible. Various techniques have been developed in recent years to try to automate these analysis tasks. One of the leading techniques relies on artificial intelligence (AI).
Guillaume Leclerc, P.Eng., MSc

Geomatics Specialist
26 May 2021
Power and Renewables

Power system voltage levels: making the right choices
- Stéphan Landry, P.Eng.
  
  Senior Engineer - Electrical - Power Generation and Apparatus
24 May 2021
Mining and Metals

Underground shaft excavation using the inverse (drop) raise method
- Félix Roy-Demers P.Eng.
  
  Engineer
28 Apr 2021
Power and Renewables

The future of electrifying mines in BC
- Amanda Fitch, P.Eng.
  
  Engineer - Mining
21 Apr 2021
Mining and Metals

Metallurgical lab designed to meet your needs
- David Dobney, M.Eng., P.Eng., PMP
  
  Engineer
20 Apr 2021
Power and Renewables

Data science serving business

In an increasingly connected world, managing massive amounts of data, or big data, is a major driving force of the economy. Today, it is easier to access thanks to several technologies that have made it possible to extract, organize and centralize the data to make it quickly accessible throughout the organization. For most businesses, the real challenge today is to clearly outline the actions that need to be taken based on the collected data and making the right decisions as a result.
13 Apr 2021
Mining and Metals

Fire and gas detection: avoid the traps!
- Sébastien Grégoire, P.Eng.
  
  Engineer
06 Apr 2021
Power and Renewables

Fluid-filled transformer refurbishment: points to monitor
- Sean Barker, C.Eng.
  
  Expert, Power Transformers
30 Mar 2021
Mining and Metals

Rehabilitating an iron pellet indurating furnace
- Eric Moisan, P.Eng.
  
  Department Manager - Industrial and Hydro
23 Mar 2021
Mining and Metals

How to reduce plant noise levels
- Nicholas Allen, P.Eng.
  
  Engineer - Energy and Air Quality
22 Mar 2021
Mining and Metals

Risks associated with mining dam failure

In a previous blog article, we discussed the mining dam safety review. This article focuses on assessing and categorizing the risks of dam failure. Remember that mining dams are classified according to their potential consequences of failure, whether downstream or upstream of the structure. The term “consequences” refers to the damage above and beyond that which would have occurred in the same event or conditions had the dam not failed. The consequence of failure of a mining dam that contains liquefiable solids can be greater than those for the same dam containing only water. Although tailings and liquefiable solids may travel a shorter distance than water, the material can act as a viscous fluid with a high specific gravity that can cause more physical and environmental damage than water alone. Removal of released solids and clean-up could be costly, impractical and impossible in some cases, for example in densely forested areas or water bodies.