EXL Engineering Inc. provides servies for public works projects, the Ministry of Trainsportation and Infrastructure, Parks Canada, BC Hydro, and more.
The company has a laboratory in Golden that tests construction materials like concrete, soils, aggregate, and asphalt for compaction, density, strength, and more.
“There’s tons of different testing that we do,” explains EXL Engineering Inc.’s Kootenay Region operations manager Nathan Kosmala. “Pretty much everything has a test for quality and to know what it’s made from.”
Kosmala works with three technicians in Golden, who work closely with contractors to ensure they are implementing compaction and watering techniques properly. They follow the Canadian Standards Association to ensure final products meet industry standards, and provide inspection, evaluation, and investigation during in-services phases, which can include problem resolution.
In Golden, the team works closely with highway projects, Parks Canada, and BC Hydro to ensure these construction standards are met, and act as a third-party to make sure projects are being completed according to industry standards.
Kosmala expects the Golden division will be quite busy with all of the upcoming highway projects, as they have worked in the past on Phase 3 of the Kicking Horse Canyon and the Donald Bridge and Approaches in the past.
The company covers a wide area, working anywhere in between Banff to Revelstoke, and south to Invermere. Sometimes, they travel as far as Fernie or Jasper for projects.
Once they collect samples, they bring it all to the lab in Golden, where they put it under pressure, checking density and air content of concrete, and performing strength testing by crushing it down.
EXL Engineering Inc. keeps Kosmala busy. He says he loves his job, and gets to a have a little fun with it. As operations manager, he does a lot of office work, bidding on work, and working on projects mostly in town. The technicians are the ones who get to travel the most, working on multiple projects at a time.
To become a technician, employees must go through certifications for testing, and some have experience in civil engineering.
“It helps to have a little bit of construction knowledge,” Kosmala said. “You have to be aware and know how to be around machinery.”
To find out more about what EXL Engineering Inc. does, check out www.exlengineering.com or call 250-939-9539.
