Dessau (engineering)

Engineering consulting firm company

Dessau

Industry| Engineering-Construction Services
Founded| 1957
Headquarters| Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Key people

| Marc Verreault, President & CEO (Interim)
Revenue|  C$750 million (2012)
Owner| Stantec Inc.

Number of employees

| 4,800 (as of March 8, 2012)
Website| dessau.com

Dessau was an engineering consulting firm. It was the fifth-largest[1] engineering-construction firm in Canada and was ranked 57th in the world.[2] The company traced its origins to 1957, when Jean-Claude Desjardins and Paul-Aimé Sauriol founded an engineering consulting firm by the name of Desjardins & Sauriol. Active in both national and international markets, the firm employed 4,800 people and posted annual revenues of $750 million [year needed]. The company had offices in North Africa, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. Dessau was one of "Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies."

## History

[edit]

Jean-Claude Desjardins and Paul-Aimé Sauriol, 1964–1966. Paul-Aimé Sauriol, Founder

In September 1957, provincial highway engineer Jean-Claude Desjardins met with Paul-Aimé Sauriol, 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[3]", 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.[4] 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,[5] SIEPAC Central American electric grid interconnection project[6] or the Guajimia Canal in the Dominican Republic, the firm's leadership maintains a high premium on retaining the company's position as a key player in the Quebec engineering market.

In 2013, Rosaire Sauriol, Vice President of Dessau Engineering, left the company, just days after his testimony at the Charbonneau Commission. He confessed that Dessau had participated in a system of collusion in Montreal between 2000 and 2010 in which he helped organize $2 million of false billings to help finance political parties.[7]

## Major Projects

[edit]

SIEPAC CR-CHUM East-West Highway, Algeria Montreal Palais des Congrès Convention Centre

2012: Bridge design for a structure spanning the Magdalena River – Colombia

2011: Quality control during the construction of a 4.2 km runway at Calgary International Airport – Calgary, Canada

2010: Construction of the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal – Research Centre (CR-CHUM) – Montreal, Canada

2010: 1,200-km East-West Highway – Algeria

2010: Guajimia Canal sewage treatment[8] – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

2010: Montreal metro fixed equipment and systems upgrades – Montreal, Canada

2008: Trinidad rapid rail project[9] – Trinidad and Tobago

2008: SIEPAC Central American Electrical Interconnection System – San José, Costa Rica

2007: Great Mosque of Algiers – Algeria

2006: Redevelopment of the LeBreton Flats – Ottawa, Canada

2005: Construction and expansion of Campanario thermoelectric power plant – Chile

2004: Acadie Circle reconstruction – Montreal, Canada

2002: Palais des congrès de Montréal Convention Centre – Montreal, Canada

2000: Rural electrification project supervision – Peru

1990: Canadian Museum of Civilization – Gatineau, Canada

1975: James Bay hydroelectric project – Quebec, Canada

## Offices

[edit]

Dessau operates nearly 80 offices in Canada, Algeria, the Caribbean and Latin America (Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago).

## Areas of Expertise

[edit]

Services  | Markets/Sectors

|

1.Engineering | 1.Buildings
2.Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture | 2.Water
3.Geotechnical, Materials and Environmental  | 3.Energy
4.Management and Construction | 4.Environment and Sustainable Development
5.Operations | 5.Health and Education
| 6.Industry
| 7.Telecommunications and Security
| 8.Transportation
| 9.Municipalities

## Subsidiaries

[edit]

Name  | Fields

|

LVM[permanent dead link] | Geotechnical, Materials and Environmental Engineering
Verreault | Management and Construction
Plania | Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture
Simo | Facilities Management – Water and Wastewater Treatment Plants
Société Gestrans | Public and Adapted Transportation
Sogep | Recreational Facility Management

## Projects

[edit]

### Projects from 1957 to 1969

[edit]

Projects  | Year

|

1.Master plan for roads, sewers and water mains, Saint-Martin Parish, Île Jésus, Laval, Canada  | 1957
2.Road, sewer, water supply and drainage plans for the cities of Fabreville, Pont-Viau, Sainte-Dorothée and Chomedey, Canada  | 1957-1968
3.Section of the Trans-Canada Highway (A-20), Saint-Hyacinthe, Canada  | 1961
4.Chomedey water treatment plant, Île Jésus, Laval, Canada  | 1961
5.Extension of the Laurentian Highway (A-15), Saint-Jérôme, Canada  | 1961-1962
6.Materials testing for highways 10, 40 and 15, Montréal, Canada  | 1961-1964
7.Materials testing, geotechnical services, dams, dykes and water intake for the Outardes hydroelectric project, James Bay, Canada  | 1961-1970
8.Antoine-Labelle School, Sainte-Rose, Canada  | 1962
9.Various highway sections in Quebec (A-20, A-40, A-540, A-520 and A-10), Canada  | 1962-1966
10.Ville-Marie Expressway, Fullum-Saint-Léonard section, Montreal, Canada  | 1963
11.Reconstruction of Pie-IX Bridge, Île Jésus, Montreal, Canada  | 1963-1965
12.Turcot Interchange (A-20), Montreal, Canada  | 1963-1965
13.Sainte-Thérèse water treatment plant, Canada  | 1964-1965
14.Vaudreuil-Dorion Interchange, Montreal, Canada  | 1964-1966
15.Road network study, Île Jésus, Canada  | 1964-1967
16.Sûreté du Québec building, Montreal, Canada  | 1965-1968
17.Saint-Eustache arena, Canada  | 1965
18.Champlain Bridge resurfacing, Ottawa, Canada  | 1969-1970
19.James Bay access road study, Quebec, Canada  | 1969-1970
20.Soil analysis and materials testing for numerous Hydro-Québec hydroelectric projects (Manic-Outardes, La Grande, Caniapiscau reservoir, Romaine and Grande-Baleine rivers, etc.), Canada  | 1961-1980

### Projects from 1970 to 1979

[edit]

Projects  | Year

|

1.Elimination of level crossings, various railroads, Dorion, Canada  | 1969-1972
2.Science building, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada  | 1970-1971
3.Sections of highways 19, 13 and 440, Laval, Canada  | 1970-1977
4.James Bay access road, including 720 kilometres of highway and 11 major bridges, Quebec, Canada  | 1971-1976
5.Materials testing, Olympic complex and stadium, Montreal, Canada  | 1971-1980
6.Matagami Airport, James Bay, Quebec, Canada  | 1972-1974
7.Mechanical and electrical systems, Collège Montmorency, Laval, Canada  | 1973-1975
8.Mechanical and electrical systems, Cité de la Santé Hospital, Laval, Canada  | 1973-1977
9.Zaire National Highway, 750 kilometres of highway and 16 bridges, Democratic Republic of Congo, Africa  | 1973-1979
10.Twinning of Lachapelle Bridge connecting Laval and Montreal, Canada  | 1973-1976
11.Dykes and dams, Caniapiscau reservoir, Quebec, Canada  | 1974-1983
12.Materials testing, Manic 3 power station, Quebec, Canada  | 1975
13.Materials testing, LG2 power station, Quebec, Canada  | 1975
14.Head office, Dessau I building, Laval, Canada  | 1975-1977
15.Power transmission lines for the James Bay project, 7000 km, 6 lines, Quebec, Canada  | 1975-1980
16.Dorion bypass, Highway 20, Quebec, Canada  | 1977-1981
17.Highway117, 13 km, Grand-Remous, Canada  | 1977
18.Quality control, Marine Industries turbine upgrades  | 1977
19.Access road for the Grande-Baleine hydroelectric complex, 300 km of road and 11 bridges, Quebec, Canada  | 1979-1981
20.Design and construction of the Tennis 13 recreational centre, Laval, Canada  | 1979

### Projects from 1980 to 1989

[edit]

Projects  | Year

|

1.Resurfacing of Highway 40 West, Montreal, Canada  | 1980
2.Redesign of Saint-Martin Boulevard West, Laval, Canada  | 1981
3.Rural electrification of 400 villages, Côte d'Ivoire, Africa  | 1981-1986
4.Dessau II building, Laval, Canada  | 1981-1982
5.Fabreville water treatment plant, Laval, Canada  | 1982-1986
6.Upgrades to 78 Hydro-Québec sub-stations, Quebec, Canada  | 1982-1990
7.Geotechnical engineering and materials testing, LG2 power station and Caniapiscau dam, James Bay, Canada  | 1983-1987
8.Saint-Gabriel de Brandon arena, Canada  | 1983-1984
9.Marigot intercepting sewer, 15 kilometres underground, Laval, Canada  | 1984-1985
10.Utility upgrades, Place Montréal Trust, Centre Eaton and Promenades de la Cathédrale, Montreal, Canada  | 1984-1989
11.Electrical and telecom systems, Canadian Museum of Civilization, Gatineau, Canada  | 1984-1990
12.Design of Place Saint-Roch, Quebec City, Canada  | 1984-1985
13.Expansion and repair of Viau Bridge, Laval-Montreal, Canada  | 1985-1988
14.Radisson-Nicolet-Des-Cantons power transmission line (6th line), 450 kV, James Bay, Quebec, Canada  | 1985-1989
15.Five railway bridges – Douala Yaounde Line, Cameroon  | 1984-1985
16.Materials testing, Bell Canada buildings, Montreal, Canada  | 1986
17.Mechanical-electrical systems, Hydro-Québec administrative centre, Laval, Canada  | 1986-1989
18.Resurfacing of Beauharnois Suspension Bridge, Canada  | 1986-1989
19.Widening of a section of the Décarie Expressway, Montreal, Canada  | 1989-1990
20.Lake Robertson power station, Côte-Nord, Canada  | 1984-1995

### Projects from 1990 to 1999

[edit]

Projects  | Year

|

1.Reconstruction of the Beauharnois power station, Canada  | Depuis 1990
2.Reconstruction of the El-Azab power station, Egypt  | 1990
3.Road repair, Nord-Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo  | 1990-1996
4.Public transportation plan for the Société de transport de Laval, Canada  | 1990-1991
5.Integrated waste management, Cotonou, Benin  | 1991-2000
6.Expansion of the Chomedey water treatment plant, Laval, Canada  | 1991
7.Grain storage program, Bangladesh  | 1993
8.Structural assessment of 200 bridges, Malaysia  | 1993-1995
9.East Lake wastewater treatment, Hubei, China  | 1993-1995
10.Cosmodôme de Laval structure, Canada  | 1993-1994
11.500 kV power transmission, Ertan, China  | 1993-1999
12.Environmental survey of contaminated sites, Quebec, Canada  | 1994-1995
13.Redevelopment of Henri-Bourassa Boulevard (between Albert-Hudon and Marien streets), Montreal, Canada  | 1995-1998
14.Repairs to Highway 1, Vietnam  | 1995-1996
15.Construction of the Rabat-Fès Highway, Morocco  | 1995-1996
16.Power transmission line rehabilitation, Peru  | 1996
17.National energy-efficient buildings program, China  | 1996-2000
18.Water purification program, Dominica  | 1987-2004
19.Revitalization of the Sine and Ferlo fossil valleys, Senegal  | 1997
20.Reconstruction of Hydro-Québec's energy transmission grid following the 1998 ice storm, Quebec, Canada  | 1998-2000
21.Expansion of Montreal's Palais des congrès, Canada  | 1999-2002
22.Highway 2000 project, Jamaica  | 1999-2002

### Projects from 2000 to 2009

[edit]

Projects  | Year

|

1.Rolls-Royce Trent Atwater test cell, Montreal, Canada  | 2000-2002
2.Repair and replacement of station equipment in the Montreal metro, Canada  | 2000-2011
3.Bridge rehabilitation program, Grenada  | 2001
4.LeBreton Flats development plan, Ottawa, Canada  | 2001-2006
5.Hydro-electric mini-stations, Dominican Republic  | 2001-2007
6.National Circus School, Montreal, Canada  | 2002-2003
7.Inspection and CAD for 25 major bridges, Algeria  | 2002-2003
8.Acadie Circle redesign, Montreal, Canada  | 2002-2003
9.Water purification system rehabilitation, Venezuela  | 2002-2006
10.Preliminary and final designs, second Algiers beltway, Algeria  | 2003-2005
11.Underwater fibre-optic telecommunications cable, Gaspé Peninsula-Magdalen Islands, Canada  | 2003-2004
12.Asset management for the City of Longueuil, Canada  | 2003-2006
13.Honoré-Mercier Hospital renovation and expansion, Quebec, Canada  | 2003-2005
14.Decontamination and rehabilitation of Fort-Georges Island  | 2003-2006
15.Water quality improvement works in the Guajimia Canal, Dominican Republic  | 2003-2008
16.Quartier DIX-30 shopping centre, Brossard, Canada  | 2004-2006
17.Repair and widening of Highway 175, Quebec, Canada  | 2003-2008
18.Outremont Community Centre, including telecommunications systems, Montreal, Canada  | 2004-2006
19.Electro-mechanical systems at the Toulnustouc power station, Quebec, Canada  | 2001-2005
20.Preliminary design for the Princes Town-Mayaro Highway, Trinidad and Tobago  | 2005-2006
21.Project management assistance for the East-West Highway, Algeria  | 2006-2010
22.SIEPAC Electrical interconnection project, Central America  | 2006-2009
23.Project management assistance for the Great Mosque of Algiers, Algeria  | 2007-2013

### Projects from 2010 to 2015

[edit]

Projects  | Year

|

1.Design and construction studies for an electrified double railway track, Algeria  | 2010-
2.Construction of the Université de Montréal Hospital Centre Research Centre (CR-CHUM), Canada  | 2010-
3.Construction du McGill University Hospital Centre (MUHC), Montreal, Canada  | 2010-
4.Quality control during the construction of a 4.2 km runway at Calgary International Airport, Canada  | 2011-
5.Design of a new bridge spanning the Magdalena River, Colombia  | 2012-

## Stantec

[edit]

On 24 September 2014, Stantec announced that they would acquire the engineering assets of Dessau.[10] The acquisition was completed in January 2015.[11]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Page 8 | Rankings | FP500 | News | Financial Post". financialpost.com. Archived from the original on 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
2. ^ "The 2015 Top 225 International Design Firms 1-100". enr.construction.com. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
3. ^ "Hydro-Quebec Project". jamesbayroad.com. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
4. ^ Marsh, James H. "James Bay Project". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
5. ^ "Algeria Claims Largest Public Works Project | Story ID: 9328". Construction Equipment Guide. Retrieved 2011-11-25.
6. ^ www.arweb.com. "SIEPAC, transmision regional, electricidad por Empresa Propietaria de la Red Costa Rica". Eprsiepac.com. Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2011-11-25.
7. ^ The Canadian Press (25 March 2013). "Dessau VP Rosaire Sauriol quits following Charbonneau testimony". montreal.ctvnews.ca/. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
8. ^ "Government distributes second stage of Guajimia project". diariolibre.com (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2017-12-09.
9. ^ UK, DVV Media. "Trinidad rapid rail consortium confirmed". Railway Gazette. Archived from the original on 2012-08-06. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
10. ^ "Stantec to acquire engineering assets of Dessau - Stantec". stantec.com. Retrieved 2017-12-09.
11. ^ "Stantec completes acquisition of Dessau's engineering assets - Stantec". stantec.com. Retrieved 2017-12-09.