Building through winter: site challenges and paths to innovation

This week, winter arrived abruptly. Boots, hats, and mittens had to come out; cars had to be cleared of snow; entrances and porches had to be shoveled. Each year, our daily lives are somewhat disrupted by its arrival. Now imagine this reality on a construction site. Winter site conditions are an integral part of our industry—but their recurrence does not make them any less challenging to endure.

From a worker safety perspective, snow, ice, and cold make job sites particularly hazardous. After each snowfall, snow removal is required to ensure all areas remain accessible and safe. Ice accumulating on the ground or forming as icicles must be broken and removed to prevent accidents. Machinery, much like cars, must be cleared of snow and defrosted, while circulation routes must be properly marked. Tire pressure, battery condition, and fluid levels require more frequent monitoring to ensure proper operation. Meanwhile, workers must carry out complex tasks every day—tasks that demand strength, focus, and agility—often in extreme conditions.

Added to this is the complexity imposed by cold temperatures on the installation of certain materials. Work that is normally carried out outdoors with ease—such as masonry or concrete pouring—must instead be done under tarps and within heated enclosures. Adhesives lose their bonding strength, some materials shift from ductile to brittle, and metals contract—just a few examples of winter’s impact on construction.

Working on a construction site in winter therefore brings a significant set of constraints, often affecting both costs and schedules. Certain construction methods, such as modular prefabrication, can help mitigate many of these challenges. While storms rage outside, workers can install cladding, windows, and roofing indoors, in a warm and safe environment, firmly on solid ground. This approach also supports a higher level of quality, as workers can focus fully on the task at hand rather than on frozen hands, ice-blocked safety harnesses, or fogged protective eyewear.

Unfortunately, unlike winter and snow, prefabrication has not yet become part of our construction culture and remains marginal compared to traditional building methods. However, labour shortages, increasingly tight schedules, and technological advances are likely to make prefabrication a much more common construction approach in the coming years. Even though workers are accustomed to the harsh conditions of our winters, many would undoubtedly welcome the opportunity to practise their trades in less demanding environments. In the meantime, we take advantage of this first snowfall to wish them a gentle winter.