Dessau (engineering)
Encyclopedia
Dessau is one of Canada
's largest engineering
-construction
firms and is based in Montreal
, Canada
. Active in both national and international markets, Dessau is ranked among the top 100 engineering firms in the world by Engineering News Record. The company traces its origins to 1957, when Jean-Claude Desjardins and Paul-Aimé Sauriol
founded an engineering consulting firm by the name of Desjardins & Sauriol. The firm, which now sports a shortened moniker that fuses both founders' names, currently employs nearly 5,000 people across Quebec
and Ontario
as well as North Africa
, Central America
, South America
and the Caribbean
. In 2009, the company's total revenue amounted to C$600 million.
, who ran a small engineering consultancy in Île Jésus, Quebec
, after a mutual friend suggested they explore the possibility of working together. By the end of that year, the two men founded Desjardins & Sauriol, ingénieurs-conseils.
In Quebec
, the following years marked the onset of the Quiet Revolution
, a heady period of rapid change for both the province as well as Desjardins & Sauriol, whose business had grown to 30 employees by 1961. The province was brimming with engineering-construction megaprojects and the firm landed numerous transportation and municipal engineering contracts, expanding its business to include geotechnical, structural
, electrical
and mechanical
departments.
The James Bay hydroelectric project
, dubbed by then-premier Robert Bourassa
as Quebec’s “Project of the Century”, would earn the company national recognition and set the stage for the Dessau’s international expansion. With a generating capacity of 16,000 MW and spanning an area the size of New York State, James Bay featured one of the largest hydroelectric systems in the world. Headquartered in Matagami, Dessau’s team oversaw soil studies, layout verification, logistics and the building of a strategic road through forests and other unforgiving landscape elements. A multidisciplinary team of engineers, geologists, surveyors, loggers, bush pilots, laborers, truckers and technicians was mobilized and they managed to complete the project a full year ahead of schedule.
In 1975, Dessau was mandated to build a new national highway in Zaire
and three years later Dessau International was born.
The 1980s saw Dessau’s international experience expand but also witnessed the company’s first tangible steps in the field of environmental sustainability and energy efficiency
. Since the early 1980s, Dessau has espoused a “green dream”, from restoring waterways in the greater Montreal area to more recent conservation plans that now play a key role in Quebec’s energy strategy.
The 1990s were marked by a series of strategic mergers and acquisitions.
While Dessau continues to take on an increasing number of major international projects, such as the East-West Highway in Algeria
, SIEPAC
Central American electric grid interconnection project or the Guajimia Canal in the Dominican Republic
, the firm’s leadership, spearheaded by Jean-Pierre Sauriol, maintains a high premium on retaining the company’s position as a key player in the Quebec engineering market.
Geotechnical Engineering, Materials and Environment
As a member of the Dessau Group, LVM is one of Canada’s largest soil and materials engineering groups. LVM carries out reports on geotechnical and environmental matters and provides services in road management, materials engineering (concrete, aggregates, asphalt, weatherproofing), manufacturing supervision and non-destructive testing. The team also performs preventive maintenance management on buildings and civil engineering structures.
Project Management and Construction
Through Verreault, its project management and construction subsidiary, Dessau offers project management services, from design to financing, construction and commissioning. The firm’s services include estimates, procurement and control (costs, scheduling, documentation and jobsites).
Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture
Plania is Dessau’s urban planning and landscape architecture subsidiary. Their services include regional and strategic planning, urban development plans, detailed planning, zoning by-laws, urban design, transportation planning, physical planning, commercial and downtown revitalization planning, real-estate development, renovation and restoration programs, municipal management planning, shoreline development, construction supervision and studies (transport, architectural integration and implementation, tourism and recreation, heritage sites, management of tourist facilities).
Operations
Through its subsidiaries, Dessau manages infrastructure as well as operates and maintains:
Water Systems
Dessau’s venture into water systems began with the construction of drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, but evolved, through the acquisition of Simo, to include collection, filtration, conservation, distribution, treatment and recycling services over the years. Some of the firm’s major projects in this field include the MAO Drinking Water Treatment Plant in Algeria
and the current upgrade of the City of Montreal’s drinking water plants.
Public and Adapted Transit
Founded in 1990, Société Gestrans Inc., a Dessau subsidiary, is a leading Quebec-based company entirely dedicated to this industry. Société Gestrans enables public transit organizations to manage urban and long-distance networks, adapted transit, school transportation or ticket administration. The company offers day-to-day as well as long-term services, in addition to specialized training sessions.
Tourism, Recreation and Leisure Facilities
Founded in 1996, Sogep (Société de gestion et d'équipements publics), a Dessau subsidiary, manages equipment and infrastructure in the recreation, tourism and leisure sectors, namely to municipalities. Sogep’s areas of activity include the management and supervision of parks, arenas, sports complexes, community centres, security and emergency services, equipment rentals and snack bars.
2010: 1,200-km East-West Highway – Algeria
2010: Guajimia Canal Sewage Treatment – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
2010: Montreal Metro
Fixed Equipment and Systems Modernization – Montreal, Canada
2008: Trinidad Rapid Rail
Project – Trinidad and Tobago
2008: SIEPAC
Central American Electrical Interconnection System – San José, Costa Rica
2006: Redevelopment of the LeBreton Flats
– Ottawa, Canada
2005: Construction and Expansion of Campanario Thermoelectric Power Plant – Chile
2004: Acadie Traffic Circle Reconstruction – Montreal, Canada
2002: Montreal Palais des Congrès Convention Centre
– Montreal, Canada
2000: Rural Electrification Project Supervision – Peru
1990: Canadian Museum of Civilization
– Gatineau, Canada
1975: James Bay Hydroelectric Project
– Quebec, Canada
, Quebec
, Dessau has over 60 offices throughout Eastern Canada
, North Africa
, Central America
, South America
and the Caribbean
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's largest engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
-construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
firms and is based in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Active in both national and international markets, Dessau is ranked among the top 100 engineering firms in the world by Engineering News Record. The company traces its origins to 1957, when Jean-Claude Desjardins and Paul-Aimé Sauriol
Paul-Aimé Sauriol
Paul-Aimé Sauriol was born on September 3, 1931, in Laval, Quebec. The son of a farmer, Sauriol graduated with a degree in civil engineering from the École Polytechnique de Montréal in 1955. Two years later, he founded the engineering firm Desjardins + Sauriol, which now goes by the name Dessau,...
founded an engineering consulting firm by the name of Desjardins & Sauriol. The firm, which now sports a shortened moniker that fuses both founders' names, currently employs nearly 5,000 people across Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
as well as North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. In 2009, the company's total revenue amounted to C$600 million.
History
In September 1957, provincial highway engineer Jean-Claude Desjardins met with Paul-Aimé SauriolPaul-Aimé Sauriol
Paul-Aimé Sauriol was born on September 3, 1931, in Laval, Quebec. The son of a farmer, Sauriol graduated with a degree in civil engineering from the École Polytechnique de Montréal in 1955. Two years later, he founded the engineering firm Desjardins + Sauriol, which now goes by the name Dessau,...
, who ran a small engineering consultancy in Île Jésus, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, after a mutual friend suggested they explore the possibility of working together. By the end of that year, the two men founded Desjardins & Sauriol, ingénieurs-conseils.
In Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, the following years marked the onset of the Quiet Revolution
Quiet Revolution
The Quiet Revolution was the 1960s period of intense change in Quebec, Canada, characterized by the rapid and effective secularization of society, the creation of a welfare state and a re-alignment of politics into federalist and separatist factions...
, a heady period of rapid change for both the province as well as Desjardins & Sauriol, whose business had grown to 30 employees by 1961. The province was brimming with engineering-construction megaprojects and the firm landed numerous transportation and municipal engineering contracts, expanding its business to include geotechnical, structural
Structural engineering
Structural engineering is a field of engineering dealing with the analysis and design of structures that support or resist loads. Structural engineering is usually considered a specialty within civil engineering, but it can also be studied in its own right....
, electrical
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
and mechanical
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
departments.
The James Bay hydroelectric project
James Bay Project
The James Bay Project is a series of hydroelectric development with a combined installed capacity of over 16,000 megawatts built since 1974 for Hydro-Québec by the on the La Grande and other rivers of Northern Quebec....
, dubbed by then-premier Robert Bourassa
Robert Bourassa
Jean-Robert Bourassa, was a politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 22nd Premier of Quebec in two different mandates, first from May 12, 1970, to November 25, 1976, and then from December 12, 1985, to January 11, 1994, serving a total of just under 15 years as Provincial Premier.-Early...
as Quebec’s “Project of the Century”, would earn the company national recognition and set the stage for the Dessau’s international expansion. With a generating capacity of 16,000 MW and spanning an area the size of New York State, James Bay featured one of the largest hydroelectric systems in the world. Headquartered in Matagami, Dessau’s team oversaw soil studies, layout verification, logistics and the building of a strategic road through forests and other unforgiving landscape elements. A multidisciplinary team of engineers, geologists, surveyors, loggers, bush pilots, laborers, truckers and technicians was mobilized and they managed to complete the project a full year ahead of schedule.
In 1975, Dessau was mandated to build a new national highway in Zaire
Zaire
The Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
and three years later Dessau International was born.
The 1980s saw Dessau’s international experience expand but also witnessed the company’s first tangible steps in the field of environmental sustainability and energy efficiency
Efficient energy use
Efficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
. Since the early 1980s, Dessau has espoused a “green dream”, from restoring waterways in the greater Montreal area to more recent conservation plans that now play a key role in Quebec’s energy strategy.
The 1990s were marked by a series of strategic mergers and acquisitions.
While Dessau continues to take on an increasing number of major international projects, such as the East-West Highway in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, SIEPAC
SIEPAC
SIEPAC is a planned interconnection of the power grids of six Central American nations...
Central American electric grid interconnection project or the Guajimia Canal in the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, the firm’s leadership, spearheaded by Jean-Pierre Sauriol, maintains a high premium on retaining the company’s position as a key player in the Quebec engineering market.
Areas of operation
Engineering- Buildings: building mechanics and electricity, foundation and structure, site security and protection, energy efficiencyEfficient energy useEfficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
, energy management.
- Urban Development: design of municipal infrastructure (streets, sidewalks, curbs, underground conduits, parks, bicycle paths and walking trails, noise abatement embankments and structures, mass transit corridors and parking), hydrological and hydraulic studies, topographical surveys.
- Environment: environmental assessment and management, social and economic studies as well as water, air, soil and waste management programs and analyses.
- Energy: layout of hydroelectric power stations, lines, transmission and distribution substations (alternating and direct current), aerial and underground distribution systems, modernization and retrofitting of stations and substations, electric power and load management systems, energy production, design and rehabilitation of distribution networks.
- Telecommunications and Security: ground and wireless network infrastructure and transmission, switching, external networks, structured networks, telecommunications infrastructure, site preparation, network-based applications, network operations, telecommunications strategies, policies and regulations, data-voice networks on IP platforms, closed-circuit surveillance, development of safety procedures for technological infrastructure, control engineering, automation and process optimization, systems migration, production information processing.
- Transportation and Systems: traffic engineering, transport infrastructure engineering (roadways, railways, bridges and structures, airports, ports), roads and bridges asset management and maintenance programs, railway engineering and guided transport systems (subways, streetcars, light rail).
Geotechnical Engineering, Materials and Environment
As a member of the Dessau Group, LVM is one of Canada’s largest soil and materials engineering groups. LVM carries out reports on geotechnical and environmental matters and provides services in road management, materials engineering (concrete, aggregates, asphalt, weatherproofing), manufacturing supervision and non-destructive testing. The team also performs preventive maintenance management on buildings and civil engineering structures.
Project Management and Construction
Through Verreault, its project management and construction subsidiary, Dessau offers project management services, from design to financing, construction and commissioning. The firm’s services include estimates, procurement and control (costs, scheduling, documentation and jobsites).
Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture
Plania is Dessau’s urban planning and landscape architecture subsidiary. Their services include regional and strategic planning, urban development plans, detailed planning, zoning by-laws, urban design, transportation planning, physical planning, commercial and downtown revitalization planning, real-estate development, renovation and restoration programs, municipal management planning, shoreline development, construction supervision and studies (transport, architectural integration and implementation, tourism and recreation, heritage sites, management of tourist facilities).
Operations
Through its subsidiaries, Dessau manages infrastructure as well as operates and maintains:
Water Systems
Dessau’s venture into water systems began with the construction of drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, but evolved, through the acquisition of Simo, to include collection, filtration, conservation, distribution, treatment and recycling services over the years. Some of the firm’s major projects in this field include the MAO Drinking Water Treatment Plant in Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
and the current upgrade of the City of Montreal’s drinking water plants.
Public and Adapted Transit
Founded in 1990, Société Gestrans Inc., a Dessau subsidiary, is a leading Quebec-based company entirely dedicated to this industry. Société Gestrans enables public transit organizations to manage urban and long-distance networks, adapted transit, school transportation or ticket administration. The company offers day-to-day as well as long-term services, in addition to specialized training sessions.
Tourism, Recreation and Leisure Facilities
Founded in 1996, Sogep (Société de gestion et d'équipements publics), a Dessau subsidiary, manages equipment and infrastructure in the recreation, tourism and leisure sectors, namely to municipalities. Sogep’s areas of activity include the management and supervision of parks, arenas, sports complexes, community centres, security and emergency services, equipment rentals and snack bars.
Major projects
2013: Great Mosque of Algiers – Algeria2010: 1,200-km East-West Highway – Algeria
2010: Guajimia Canal Sewage Treatment – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
2010: Montreal Metro
Montreal Metro
The Montreal Metro is a rubber-tired metro system, and the main form of public transportation underground in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada....
Fixed Equipment and Systems Modernization – Montreal, Canada
2008: Trinidad Rapid Rail
Trinidad Rapid Railway
The Trinidad Rapid Railway was a proposed passenger railway system in Trinidad and Tobago.-Project:On April 11 2008 the TriniTrain consortium of Alstom Transport SA, Alstom T&T Ltd, Bouygues Construction and RATP Développement announced it had been selected by the government to plan and build two...
Project – Trinidad and Tobago
2008: SIEPAC
SIEPAC
SIEPAC is a planned interconnection of the power grids of six Central American nations...
Central American Electrical Interconnection System – San José, Costa Rica
2006: Redevelopment of the LeBreton Flats
Lebreton Flats
LeBreton Flats is a neighbourhood in Ottawa, Canada. It lies to the west of Centretown neighbourhood, and to the north of Centretown West with "Nanny Goat Hill" as the dividing line...
– Ottawa, Canada
2005: Construction and Expansion of Campanario Thermoelectric Power Plant – Chile
2004: Acadie Traffic Circle Reconstruction – Montreal, Canada
2002: Montreal Palais des Congrès Convention Centre
Palais des congrès de Montréal
The Palais des congrès de Montréal is a convention center located in the Quartier international de Montréal at the north end of Old Montreal in Montreal's borough of Ville-Marie....
– Montreal, Canada
2000: Rural Electrification Project Supervision – Peru
1990: Canadian Museum of Civilization
Canadian Museum of Civilization
The Canadian Museum of Civilization is Canada's national museum of human history and the most popular and most-visited museum in Canada....
– Gatineau, Canada
1975: James Bay Hydroelectric Project
James Bay Project
The James Bay Project is a series of hydroelectric development with a combined installed capacity of over 16,000 megawatts built since 1974 for Hydro-Québec by the on the La Grande and other rivers of Northern Quebec....
– Quebec, Canada
Offices
Headquartered in MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Dessau has over 60 offices throughout Eastern Canada
Eastern Canada
Eastern Canada is generally considered to be the region of Canada east of Manitoba, consisting of the following provinces:* New Brunswick* Newfoundland and Labrador* Nova Scotia* Ontario* Prince Edward Island* Quebec...
, North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
.
Subsidiaries
The following table presents Dessau's subsidiaries, both in Canada and internationally:| Dessau Subsidiaries | |
| Name | Field |
|---|---|
| Dessau Maghreb | Engineering (Algeria) |
| Dessau Ingentra | Engineering (Chile) |
| LVM | Geotechnical Engineering, Materials and Quality |
| Verreault | Construction |
| Plania | Urban Planning, Landscape Architecture and Transportation Planning |
| Simo | Management – Water and Wastewater Facilities |
| Sogep | Recreation and Tourism |
| Société Gestrans | Public and Adapted Transportation |
| Elytra | IT Security |
| Géophase | Environment – Soil Rehabilitation |
| Dessau-Progest | Project Management, Engineering Consulting and Construction Management |