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SEPTEMBER 2026

Data centre challenges Infrastructure surveillance for resilience Canada’s next great steel project?

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DIGITAL HANDBOOK

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TACKLING DATA CENTRE CHALLENGES WITH FIBREGLASS CONDUIT ELBOWS Data centre projects depend on conduit systems that streamline cable pulling and installation and provide long-term serviceability. As these facilities expand, medium-voltage infrastructure, telecom pathways and transformer duct banks must be installed with materials that help contractors work efficiently while protecting critical cable runs.

Challenges Conduit materials can introduce the following challenges.

Heavy material handling Conduit materials like steel and PVC-coated steel, which are significantly heavier than fibreglass, can increase labour demands, equipment needs and handling complexity across large-scale installations.

melt or weld to the inside of PVC or steel conduit. Replacing the cable replacement can become difficult and may instead call for conduit repair or replacement.

duce pulling difficulty, help cable move more smoothly and improve installation through bends and elbows.

Complex underground installations

Practical solutions

Data centres often require extensive underground duct banks. In trench environments, heavy conduit materials can make installation more difficult and may require additional manpower or equipment.

Champion Fiberglass elbows help address these challenges to speed installation and provide a reliable cable pathway design.

Fibreglass will not melt or weld cable to the inside of the conduit under fault conditions, as can happen with PVC or steel. Faulted cable can be pulled through and replaced without damaging the conduit.

Cable fault resistance

Light weight for easier installation

PVC elbows in underground conduit systems can experience burn-through during high-tension cable pulls, which can compromise the system and require repair or replacement.

Fibreglass elbows are lighter and easier to handle than galvanized rigid steel and PVC-coated steel. In trenches, duct banks and large-scale electrical infrastructure, lighter elbows can help simplify positioning, reduce equipment needs and streamline installation.

Long cable pulls

No burn-through during cable pulls

Data centres’ electrical systems can involve long cable runs across large campuses and high-density infrastructure. Excessive friction at bends can increase pulling difficulty, add time to installation and create greater risk for damage.

Fibreglass conduit is excellent for avoiding burn-through during cable installation. This is especially important in data centres, where long cable pulls and directional changes can place added stress on elbows.

Cable fault concerns

Champion Duct® fibreglass conduit offers a low co-efficient of friction, which can re-

Elbow burn-through

Flexible elbow configurations Champion Fiberglass elbows are available in multiple bends and radii, allowing engineers to select ideal configurations for data centre duct bank layouts, transformer feeds and underground cable pathways.

Low co-efficient of friction Under certain fault conditions, cable can 4

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September 2026

PHOTO: C H A M PION F I B E RG L A S S

Case study In Virginia’s ‘Data Center Alley,’ Rosendin Electric opted for Champion Fiberglass conduit and elbows for an extensive installation of telecom and transformer duct banks. The project benefited from the lightweight structure of the conduit, reducing equipment needs and enhancing safety in the trench. Get the full details of this case study here: https://championfiberglass.com/ projects/data-center-alley/

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BIM/REVIT

SURVEILLANCE

Weathering risk Surveillance technologies can support climate resilience for infrastructure. By Sophie Laplante

Higher exposure and stakes Canada is subject to a wide range of extreme weather events, varying significantly by region. Spring brings wildfires, flooding and even tornadoes. Summer is marked by heat waves, wildfires and hailstorms. Fall sees hurricanes and 6

windstorms, while winter brings heavy snow, ice and extreme cold. Climate shift demands new thinking. Wildfires can damage power lines and reduce air quality. Floods can overwhelm waterways and urban areas. Snow and ice storms can immobilize roads and disrupt communities. Traditional tools like inspections and weather forecasts are no longer enough. Real-time awareness is essential. Responding to seasonal threats Today’s surveillance tools are built for unpredictable environments and can operate with minimal oversight, providing a year-round resource for infrastructure.

Spring Wildfires can start quickly, but thermal cameras can detect changes in heat early, even before smoke is visible. They can also help detect

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flare-ups and track the movement of fire when paired with visual cameras. Rugged outdoor cameras can stay operational through wind and shifting temperatures. Edge storage keeps recording going if the power or connection cuts out. Flooding is a concern snowmelt and heavy rain. Cameras with builtin analytics can track rising water or blocked roads and send alerts when conditions become dangerous. In low visibility, thermal imaging can help spot issues that standard video might miss. Multi-sensor cameras can cover large areas, like railyards and road networks. When integrated with centralized systems, alerts and footage can be shared quickly to support emergency response. Storms can cause widespread damage. Pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras are helpful in these cases. They can scan large areas and zoom in on debris or blocked access points after a storm passes. September 2026

I M AG E S COU RT E SY A X I S COM M U N ICAT IONS.

xtreme weather events are happening more frequently all over the world. Canada’s diverse geographical landscape makes it especially vulnerable to climate-related disruptions, which can put lives at risk. These events demand a focus on preparation, mitigation and rapid response, particularly for infrastructure, where the priority is to maintain or quickly restore functionality, safety and access for critical services. Roads must be passable, communication lines operational, power quickly restored and water systems protected. Surveillance technology can issue real-time alerts, trigger automated warnings and provide insights to provide a clearer operational picture and enable faster, better-informed decision-making. In an era of escalating climate volatility, embedding smart monitoring into infrastructure is a strategic imperative.

Summer Heat waves are getting stronger and longer, putting pressure on electrical and mechanical systems. Thermal cameras can detect overheating in substations and pump stations before a breakdown. Radar-based detection is proving valuable in privacy-sensitive environments like outdoor public pools and splash pads. As it does not rely on lighting or line of sight, it offers resilient performance in unpredictable conditions. When paired with network audio systems, it can detect motion without a camera, preserving privacy while ensuring safety, e.g. by issuing alerts when restricted zones are entered. Summer also brings hail, which can damage equipment, but rugged cameras with weatherproof housings are built to withstand it. With builtin analytics, they can detect debris or unusual traffic flow and send alerts, so crews can respond quickly. Fall In hurricane-prone Atlantic Canada, cameras with impact-resistant and weatherproof housings help ccemag.com

maintain visibility during high winds and rain. Thermal imaging is useful when visibility is reduced by storm conditions. Corrosion-resistant housings protect against salt, moisture and long-term wear. Winter Winter weather brings extreme cold, ice and poor visibility. Cameras designed for sub-zero temperatures use built-in heaters and sealed housings to stay operational. These are key for monitoring bridges, overpasses and high-traffic roads. They can be mounted in highrisk locations, including bridge pylons, tunnels and embankments. Video analytics can flag unusual vehicle movement that may indicate black ice or other hazardous conditions. In low light or blowing snow, thermal and infrared-capable (IR-capable) cameras can detect stalled vehicles or people in distress. The goal isn’t just to see what’s happening, but to create a live feedback loop that provides important information to engineers, emergency services and transportation agencies.

Surveillance technologies can support early flood detection.

Smarter monitoring Surveillance becomes more useful when devices work together through a centralized platform. Enterprise video management systems (VMSs) allow feeds from various sites to be accessed and analyzed in one place. Operators can zoom in, map activity and receive automated alerts based on preset conditions. This level of integration is especially valuable in large-scale emergencies. Consider bridges during a major flood: real-time monitoring can help determine which access points remain passable, which have been compromised and where to direct emergency vehicles and other traffic. In wildfire-prone areas, thermal cameras can track fire spread near transportation corridors, helping determine safe evacuation routes. By turning passive infrastructure into an active intelligence system, municipalities and engineering teams are better equipped to co-ordinate emergency response and protect both assets and people. Resilience from the ground up Surveillance has traditionally been implemented after construction, as an operational add-on rather than an integral part of design. That is now changing. Today’s engineers are designing bridges with camera mounts, adding power and data lines for sensors during roadwork and including smart systems in climate-readiness plans. Older infrastructure can be retrofitted with compact cameras and wireless connectivity. By planning for real-time monitoring capabilities upfront, infrastructure becomes more responsive, flexible and able to handle the unpredictable nature of climate-related events. Sophie Laplante is Axis Communications’ public safety business development manager for Canada. For more information, visit www.axis.com.

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OP-ED

Alto is Canada s next great steel project By Keanin Loomis

challenging global trade environment that has caused the federal government to push the building of big projects and change our approach to public procurement in favour of domestic steel presents an opportunity for Canada to be its own best customer. One initative that could achieve both objectives is the proposed Alto high-speed rail line between Quebec City and Toronto, a project that Canada’s steel industry stands ready to build. Reliable, fast rail service will reshape how people move across the nation’s busiest corridor. It will make business travel more efficient, expand tourism, support students and families and turn long drives into convenient trips. It will unlock new opportunities for communities along the route and strengthen the economic ties between our largest cities. The primary appeal for Canada’s steel industry would be 50,000 new construction jobs and hundreds of thousands of tonnes of steel required to build the ancillary structures and hundreds of new bridges for this new rail corridor. Canadian mills can supply a good portion of the required primary steel; and 100% of the 8

engineering, fabrication and construction of this infrastructure can be done by Canadian firms and workers. Overall, the project would generate economic benefits estimated at approximately $24.5 billion in gross domestic product (GDP). The Canadian structural steel industry has been navigating significant challenges over the past 18 months as trade barriers and reduced access to the U.S. market continue to affect manufacturers and fabricators across the country. Declining U.S. demand has freed up the capacity needed to build this and other federally supported infrastructure projects. Over the past few decades,

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governments at every level have been driven by a philosophy of awarding contracts to the lowest bidder. While seemingly cost-effective, the lowest bid often relies on overseas materials and labour. Taxpayers end up paying more to co-ordinate complex import logistics and fix construction flaws. If projects were evaluated on not the initial bid, but rather ‘total installed cost,’ Canadian firms would be able to go headto-head with global competitors. And if we accounted for the dollars recirculated in our local economies, there would be no doubt choosing domestic would deliver the best bang for our taxpayer buck. A project of this magnitude

and an insistence on contracting Canadian companies will strengthen the supply chains we will need to rely on for decades. Alto has promised to put Buy Canadian policies at the heart of the project, ensuring Canadian companies have the opportunity to compete and the communities in which they are located receive the full economic benefits. Major infrastructure projects create confidence and encourage investment, while reinforcing supply chains and providing support to industries that reach far beyond transportation. The economic impact endures long after the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Canada used to be defined by ambitious projects, from the railways that first connected our country to the infrastructure that enabled our growth to the industries that built our prosperity. Highspeed rail in Canada’s most populous region can be the next chapter in this story. If we get this right, the Alto high-speed rail project won’t simply become one of Canada’s greatest infrastructure achievements. It will stand as proof that when Canada invests in Canadian workers, industry and steel, we build more than infrastructure; we build a stronger Canada. Keanin Loomis, president and CEO of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC), took a leave of absence on Aug. 1, 2026, to seek candidacy as mayor of Hamilton.

September 2026

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