Removal of Ice Booms at Lavaltrie, Lanoraie and Yamachiche and Related Work

 NOTE: Solicitation number is FP802-180307, (not FP802-190307)

INTRODUCTION:

Three (3) ice retention booms are deployed each year on the St. Lawrence River. These booms have been placed at strategic locations on the river in order to create an ice cover early in the winter season and hold it in place all winter. This way, formation of new ice upstream is minimized. This prevents ice accumulation in the navigation channel, reducing the risk of ice jams and flooding. The three booms are located between Montréal and Trois‑Rivières. A first boom is located upstream of Lavaltrie near Île Mousseau, the second at Lanoraie near Île Saint­-Ours, and the third on the north shore of Lac Saint-Pierre, between artificial islet 4 and Pointe de Yamachiche. 

At Lavaltrie, the boom consists of eight (8) sections of 11 steel beams. At Lanoraie, the boom consists of 11 sections of 11 steel beams. The Yamachiche boom consists of 20 sections of 11 steel beams. All the beams are connected with chains to steel cables 51 mm in diameter by 152 m long. These boom sections are in turn connected by cable to anchors buried at the bottom of the St. Lawrence River. The anchors and their cables are left in place over the summer; a yellow plastic buoy (SB-40) marks the location of each anchor.

Each year, the ice booms are removed in spring and stored for the summer season. This procedure is required to maintain the structures and their components as well as to ensure free passage of pleasure craft in these sectors during the summer. Maintenance of parts is usually done during the summer by Canadian Coast Guard personnel at the Sorel Base. In the fall of each year, the booms are redeployed between mid‑October and mid‑November at the latest.

These specifications describe the removal, transport and unloading of booms at Sorel in spring.

Background:

The work to be performed under these specifications consists in supplying all installations, supervision, labour, equipment and material as well as performing all work necessary to remove, disassemble, transport and unload the Lavaltrie, Lanoraie and Yamachiche booms at the CCG base at Sorel. Unloading at Sorel will be done in collaboration with the Sorel Base, which will provide some of the lifting equipment and personnel required on the dock. The Contractor shall arrange for the rental of a crane with operator and two qualified employees, and shall cover the costs for unloading on the dock. The Contractor shall provide assurance to the Department's representative of the availability of personnel and equipment at the Sorel Base for unloading.

In the event that the Contractor uses two barges for the works, CCG considers that only one unloading is expected for Yamachiche boom parts and only one other for unloading Lavaltrie and Lanoraie ice booms. In other words, the Contractor shall provide a crane with its operator and two qualified workers on the dock, and cover the costs of any additional unloading on the Sorel wharf.

In accordance with the drawings and specifications as well as with the terms and conditions of the contract documents, the work shall be performed as described in the following sections.