FAQ

Thanks to the synergy between our different lines of business, our teams can provide you with expert consulting solutions and project management for environment, soil and materials, building sciences and landscape architecture services.

This blog post does a great job of summarizing why we’re the ideal partner if you have a project that requires environmental solution experts!

Nvira has several areas of expertise, which fall into four main lines of business.

Our Environment experts specialize in:

• Environmental assessment, characterization and rehabilitation
• Characterization of natural environments
• Landscape architecture

Our Soil and materials teams are experts in:

• Geotechnical engineering
• Materials engineering

Our Building sciences experts support you in any project that surrounds the building environment. Our team ensure the comfort of occupants, the durability of buildings and the optimization of operating costs.

Finally, our Landscape architecture experts can help you create spaces that have a positive impact on communities.

With so many complementary areas of expertise, our teams of experts can advise you throughout your project’s lifespan, no matter what your needs are.

It’s so easy! Follow this link to discover one of the many ways you can get in touch with our experts.

Send us an email or instant message, or give us a call. We’re here to answer any questions you may have.

Email

• General information: info@nvira.com
• Administration and finances: payables@nvira.com and recevables@nvira.com
• Quote and service offers : soumissions@nvira.com

Phone

Toll-free number: 1-877-809-5478

We have an instant messaging tool that can be found in the bottom-right corner of any page on our website

Founded in 2009, Groupe Petrosol is a petroleum industry expert and an environmental leader in Quebec. In 2018, Groupe Petrosol created Tecsol, its environmental services subsidiary, which also offers geotechnical and materials engineering expertise.

In 2019, Groupe Petrosol acquired Airmax Environnement, Habitair and Laboratoire Verdict in order to break into the hygiene, health and safety market.

Now, in 2020, the company has four distinct areas of expertise marketed under three different brands. Groupe Petrosol has announced that it will streamline its services under a single banner. Nvira is born.

Nvira Environment, formerly Tecsol, is supported by the same dedicated team of managers, engineers, professionals and technicians. The name change reflects the merging of Groupe Petrosol’s companies, which allow us to provide a more integrated service experience by bringing our diverse expertise under one roof.

In September 2020, Nvira was proud to announce the acquisition of the firm Terralpha, experts in landscape architecture! Since then, we can offer a new expertise to our clients: Landscaping architecture.

Hygiene, health and safety business line was created from the merger of Airmax Environnement, Habitair and Laboratoire Verdict with other Groupe Petrosol companies. Our clients can enjoy integrated service that draws on a range of expertise, according to the requirements of their project. Our managers, work teams and quality of work remain the same.

Nvira Energy is taking over Petrosol’s business segment within Groupe Petrosol. The new name reflects the merging of the group’s services. However, you will continue to be served by the same teams and leadership, who are able to provide improved service thanks to our new range of turnkey services that make even better use of our breadth of expertise.

A Phase I assessment is a documentary and visual review of a site, with no drilling or sampling. It identifies potential contamination risks.

Phase II confirms or refutes these risks through soil and groundwater sampling analyzed in a laboratory.

Phase III involves the actual remediation work: decontamination, excavation, soil treatment, followed by a closure report. Each phase leads to the next.

In Quebec, a Phase I assessment is required in several situations: during the acquisition of commercial or industrial property, before obtaining real estate financing, when applying for a construction permit on a potentially contaminated site, or as part of a transaction involving an insurer or institutional lender. It is conducted according to BNQ Z769 and ASTM E1527 standards.

Remediation aims to restore a site where soil or groundwater exceeds regulatory limits under Quebec’s Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Rehabilitation Policy. The process includes contaminant characterization, development of a remediation plan, excavation or in situ treatment, and post-remediation monitoring. A closure report confirms compliance with regulatory criteria.

Sometimes, soil contamination is so extensive that a site cannot be decontaminated with excavation.

In these cases, an in situ treatment is necessary, which involves decontaminating soil and groundwater without first excavating the material to be treated.

Our Environment teams can support you with all your in situ decontamination needs.

At Nvira, our watchword for environmental disasters is responsiveness.

By being highly responsive and working with environmental solution experts, we are able to mitigate costs and the effects on the environment.

With our 24/7 emergency service, responsive measures and collaborative mindset, we are able to quickly implement proper protocols so that necessary contamination efforts can get underway.

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) analyzes the potential effects of a project on the natural and human environment. In Quebec, it is required for large-scale projects subject to the Environment Quality Act, including major industrial developments, infrastructure projects, and certain activities in sensitive environments. In some cases, it must be submitted to the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE).

Since January 1, 2023, all contaminated soils transported off the original site must be tracked through the government system Traces Québec, in accordance with the Regulation respecting the traceability of excavated contaminated soils (RCTSCE). This requirement applies to soil owners, project owners, and receiving sites, and fees are charged per metric ton.

Nvira supports you throughout the entire process, including soil characterization, excavation-based remediation, and brokerage services for the disposal of contaminated soils at authorized receiving facilities.

Two provincial regulations apply when service stations cease operations. The first of these governs the removal of petroleum equipment licensed by the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ). The second regulation, part of the Environment Quality Act, stipulates that a site characterization study must be submitted to the Ministère de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques (MELCC) within six months of the closure. Our experts can walk you through all the legal requirements that apply under these regulations.

It is important to test soil quality before you buy land to make sure that it is not contaminated and that it is suitable for the construction work you plan to do. The combined expertise of our business lines allows us to coordinate the studies required by financial institutions for loan securitization. Our accredited experts are also able to offer a second opinion on studies conducted by third parties.

A geotechnical study assesses soil mechanical properties to guide foundation and structural design. It is essential before any construction, major renovation, backfilling, or work near watercourses. Conducted early in the planning phase, it helps anticipate risks (settlement, slope failure, poor bearing capacity) and optimize construction costs.

Slope stability analysis evaluates the risk of landslides or collapse of slopes, embankments, or riverbanks. It is critical during design for projects near slopes, excavations, or watercourses. In Quebec, it may be required by municipalities or the provincial government in identified landslide risk zones.

Geotechnical monitoring ensures that soil conditions encountered during construction match design assumptions and that construction methods follow geotechnical recommendations (excavation control, compaction, foundations). Environmental supervision ensures that construction activities do not cause unexpected environmental impacts, such as issues with surface water quality, handling of excavated soils, dust, or noise.

It’s very important to ensure that the soil on your build site is suitable for your project. Our teams can advise you on the types and quantities of materials to use. We can perform the following soil analyses for your project:

• Soil bearing capacity
• Clay shear strength
• Water level on site
• Frost line
• Seismic site class
• Reuse of excavation materials
• Rock swelling potential
• Pavement structure to be implemented

An independent laboratory ensures unbiased results and compliance with specifications and standards (concrete, asphalt, aggregates, steel). In Quebec, building codes and many public clients require material testing to be carried out by an accredited firm separate from the contractor, protecting project owners against defects and ensuring professional accountability.

This includes compaction tests (Proctor, field density), grain size distribution, fines analysis, moisture content, and bearing capacity. These tests ensure that backfill and base layers meet specifications, guaranteeing the durability of infrastructure such as roads, parking areas, and buildings.

Concrete quality control involves verifying that the concrete used on a construction site meets design requirements and applicable standards. This process typically includes sampling fresh concrete, performing compressive strength tests, verifying slump, air content, and temperature, and monitoring placement and curing methods. These quality control measures help ensure that the concrete achieves the expected levels of strength, durability, and structural performance. They also make it possible to identify non-conformities early, prevent premature deterioration or failures, and reduce costs associated with repairs, delays, or disputes. Nvira provides concrete quality control services through on-site inspections, field testing, laboratory analysis, and technical support to help ensure your project meets applicable standards and performance requirements.

In Quebec, regulations require asbestos identification before any work likely to disturb materials in buildings constructed before 1990. The inspection must be conducted by a qualified professional and documented in a report before demolition or renovation begins.

An indoor air quality assessment typically includes a visual inspection of ventilation systems and risk areas, air sampling for laboratory analysis (mold, VOCs, particles, CO₂, asbestos fibers depending on context), and a report interpreting results based on Health Canada and MSSS guidelines. Recommendations address building corrections and occupant practices.

Hazardous materials include asbestos, lead, crystalline silica, PCBs, and other contaminants. In Quebec, employers must identify these materials before work, inform workers, implement appropriate control measures, and assign work to certified contractors when required (e.g., for friable asbestos). CNESST may impose fines for non-compliance.

Yes, in many cases. In Quebec, building owners or property managers are required to identify hazardous materials present in their buildings, particularly asbestos. The location and condition of these materials must be documented and kept up to date in accordance with the Regulation respecting Occupational Health and Safety (ROHS). This register must be accessible to workers and contractors before any work that could disturb the materials takes place. Nvira’s industrial hygiene experts can identify hazardous materials, prepare an inventory, and develop a register that complies with your regulatory obligations.

Buildings constructed before the 1990s may contain lead-based paint, which can become hazardous when sanded, heated, or stripped during renovation work. Prior to any renovation, testing through sample collection can confirm the presence of lead and assess potential risks to occupants and workers. Nvira performs sampling, laboratory analysis, and provides recommendations for the appropriate control measures needed before work begins.

Mold develops in the presence of moisture and can negatively affect indoor air quality and occupant health. A professional assessment can identify the source of the problem, such as water infiltration, condensation, or inadequate ventilation, determine its extent, and recommend corrective actions.

Nvira’s experts conduct inspections, air and surface sampling, and develop remediation plans tailored to your building.

In industrial settings, workers may be exposed to dust, vapors, gases, noise, or chemical contaminants whose concentrations must comply with the standards established under the Regulation respecting Occupational Health and Safety (ROHS).

Exposure assessments through sampling, including air, noise, and specific substances, make it possible to compare measured levels against occupational exposure limits and identify required corrective actions.

Nvira’s industrial hygienists carry out these evaluations and help organizations achieve compliance while protecting their workforce.

Visual inspections have their limits, and a thorough air quality and industrial hygiene test can verify whether the indoor environment complies with the standards and requirements that apply to workplaces. Being proactive can help you prevent problems that impact the building or its occupants.

In addition, though the use of asbestos has declined significantly in Canada in the last few decades, it is still present in many office buildings. Materials that contain asbestos may pose a danger in the workplace, as anyone who inhales the fibres is at risk of developing serious health conditions. Our professionals can detect asbestos and guide you through the asbestos removal process.

A cleanroom is a controlled environment where airborne particle concentrations are maintained below specified thresholds according to a defined cleanliness classification (ISO 14644 standard). Compliance depends on controlling air quality, pressure, temperature, and humidity through regular testing and monitoring.

Nvira can support your organization by evaluating air quality and environmental parameters within these critical environments.

Nvira supports clients at every stage of a landscaping project, from initial planning to final delivery. During the design phase, the team translates functional, environmental, and aesthetic needs into complete plans and specifications, including stormwater management, plant selection, surface materials, and site furnishings. During construction, Nvira provides site supervision to ensure compliance with contractual documents.

Construction supervision helps ensure that site developments are carried out in accordance with the plans, specifications, and design requirements. It helps maintain the quality of the work, verify that specified materials are being used, and quickly identify any deviations that could affect the project’s durability. Supervision also promotes better coordination among stakeholders and reduces the risk of costly corrective work after construction.

Development projects often must comply with multiple regulations related to zoning, tree protection, stormwater management, parking lot design, and the preservation of natural environments. Conducting a regulatory review during the early stages of a project can help minimize delays and streamline the approval process.

Nvira supports clients by preparing permit applications, coordinating with regulatory authorities, and integrating municipal requirements into the design process from the outset.

The increase in impervious surfaces and the growing frequency of intense rainfall events are placing additional pressure on municipal infrastructure. Regulations increasingly require the integration of retention, detention, or infiltration measures to limit runoff and reduce the risks of flooding and erosion.

Nvira designs sustainable stormwater management solutions tailored to regulatory requirements and the unique conditions of each site.

The design of high-performing public spaces must take into account universal accessibility, safety, user experience, biodiversity, stormwater management, and long-term maintenance costs. A successful design strikes a balance between community needs and site constraints.

Nvira supports municipalities, institutions, and developers in creating sustainable, inclusive public spaces that are adapted to their environment.

Schoolyards are evolving into greener, more inclusive spaces designed to promote student well-being. Current approaches emphasize site naturalization, outdoor classrooms, shaded areas, play environments that encourage unstructured play, and the integration of sustainable stormwater management solutions.

Nvira helps transform school environments by creating stimulating spaces that foster learning, physical activity, and connection with nature.

Green roofs help retain a portion of rainwater, reduce surface temperatures, and improve building energy efficiency. When combined with high-albedo materials and increased vegetation cover, they are recognized as effective tools for mitigating urban heat island effects.

In addition to their environmental benefits, these installations can increase a property’s value by improving its appeal, energy performance, and resilience to climate change. They can also help extend the lifespan of certain building components and support the achievement of environmental certifications.

Nvira integrates these sustainable design strategies into its projects to improve climate resilience, enhance real estate asset value, and create higher-quality living environments.