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Builders’ DigestBuilders’ DigestToronto Construction Association’s Quarterly PerspectiveToronto Construction Association’s Quarterly Perspective Vol. 2 No.2 Summer/Fall 2008

PM#

4078

7580

RBC CentreToronto’s most

environmentally friendly office tower

SCRaping The Sky: The new Bay adelaide CenTRe

a new eRa in STeel STRuCTuReS

puBliC-pRivaTe paRTneRShipSpiCk up Speed

RBC CentreToronto’s most

environmentally friendly office tower

SCRaping The Sky: The new Bay adelaide CenTRe

a new eRa in STeel STRuCTuReS

puBliC-pRivaTe paRTneRShipSpiCk up Speed

photo by John Leperre, Ellis-Don

Walters Group1318 Rymal Road EastHamilton, Ontario, Canada L8W 3N1Tel: 905-388-7111 www.waltersinc.com

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� | Builders' Digest Summer/Fall 2008

contents

DEPARTMENTS

6 President’sMessageBy John Mollenhauer

25 UpcomingEvents

26 Advertisers'Index

FEATuRES

9 Settinga'gold'exampleWiththenewRBCCentre,Torontoissettowelcomethecity’smostenvironmentallyfriendlyofficetowertodate By Liz Katynski

16 P3spickupspeedAlookatpublic-privatepartnershipsandtheincreasinglyimportantroletheyplayintheGTA By Liz Katynski

17 ScrapingtheskyTheBayAdelaideCentrerepresentsthefirsttowerskyscrapertobebuiltinCanadainmorethantwodecades By Kelly Parker

FEATuRES

21 SteelingforchangeModerntechnologydrivesawholenewerainthedesignandconstructionofsteelstructures By Kelly Parker

page 17

page 9

page 21

Builders' Digest Summer/Fall 2008 | 5

TCA Builders’ Digest is published for the Toronto Construction Association

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PRESiDENT'S MESSAgE

John G. Mollenhauer, PresidentToronto Construction Association

ToronTo ConsTruCTion AssoCiATion

Builders’ DigestBuilders’Toronto Construction Association’s Quarterly PerspectiveToronto Construction Association’s Quarterly Perspective

AS liTTlE AS 10 yEARS Ago, i woulD NoT have characterized the construction industry as "dynamic."

By that i mean that methodologies and technologies related to how we designed and constructed buildings had been rela-tively unchanged since the turn of the cen-tury. Admittedly, we had the advent of the personal computer in the early ’80s and global communications with the intro-duction of the internet in the early ’90s, both of which had considerable impact. But realistically, the notion of becoming sophisticated and embracing these new technologies was clearly not our highest priority. Part of that was pure economics. Computer aided design (CAD), for exam-

ple, took years to become commonplace. But times have changed. And we have without question become a

dynamic industry. These days, conversations prefaced by “remember when” are usually referring to the way things were just three or four years ago … not three or four decades ago.

The “modern constructor” has morphed into a construction science professional preoccupied by such things as structured financing, quanti-fied risk mitigation, labour productivity indicies, sustainability, building information modelling, occupational health and safety protocols and “footprint” reductions.

Good God! it’s no wonder we have so many disputes. We’ve all had to learn a foreign language and every time we get it halfway figured out, it changes again.

From a builder’s perspective, managing a construction company used to be all about bricks and mortar. As a result, the average Joe with the wherewithal to arrange a little bonding could hang a shingle and open for business. not so anymore. on the contrary, the modern constructor needs a plethora of new management skills to survive profitably … and the tools to apply that knowledge effectively.

Before we talk about new technologies, let’s deal with the new face of an old problem: cash flow. As north American contractors, we are used to doing the work first and being paid later. i say north American because in some parts of the world, the cash flow shoe is on the owner’s foot. in any event, the cash flow related challenge for the modern con-structor isn’t simply coping with the added layers of scrutiny that push average payment terms out past 45 days. That, theoretically, is surmount-able if contractors have the wherewithal to increase their lines of credit, interest rates stay affordable, lien acts adjust timelines, and all parties to a contract manage to keep their paperwork current.

The modern constructor

� | Builders' Digest Summer/Fall 2008

Yes i know, that’s a lot of "ifs." However, in terms of complex-ity, this pales when compared to understanding the financing/cash flow nuances for contractors who choose to bid AFP work. infrastructure ontario’s DBFM model, for example, requires that successful consortia members be accountable for maintain-ing an asset for upwards to 30 years in addition to the deferred cash flows associated with their build-finance model.

As a result, the modern constructor who plays the private-public partnership game has to be able to talk the talk, put real numbers to mitigating risk and find creative ways to securitize enormous bonding increases. The alternative is opting not to do AFP work of course, but we are talking about billions of dollars worth of new construction.

Another old problem with a challenging new twist for the con-structor is labour. in fact, despite the fact that employment in the trades has grown at nearly double the aggregate provincial total labour rate since 2001, we have still managed to exhaust the entire available skilled labour pool in ontario.

Add the fact that many trades are targeting higher levels of certification and it becomes clear that successful contractors will need to plan their labour requirements months in advance. Failing to plan will jeopardize labour quality at a minimum and put contractors at risk of increased skilled labour-related legal liability and/or occupational health and safety infractions, both of which are expensive.

Finding qualified office staff will be equally difficult. As a result, our industry will inevitably continue to rob Peter to pay Paul in key project management roles. The alternative is dealing with an unknown and there is far too much at risk for that.

Enough about things we can relate to like money and people. Who amongst the old school practitioners understands electronic plans rooms, BiM, sustainability, green rating systems and the notion of a zero footprint, to name a few of the newer technologies/methodologies?

The answer is simple. unless we are committed to continu-ing professional development and/or relying on kids just out of school to act as technology mentors, we can’t possibly keep up with the changing demands of an industry that is changing so rapidly.

The good news is that our industry is never intimidated and always manages to adapt, so i like our chances. We have proven time and again that we can pull through.

But fasten your seat belts, folks. The ride is just beginning to get interesting. |BD

Respectfully,

John G. Mollenhauer, President Toronto Construction Association

PRESiDENT'S MESSAgE


iT MAy BE oNE oF THE FiRST HigH-RiSE oFFiCE buildings to be built in downtown Toronto since the building boom of the '80s, but the $300-million rBC Centre marks a far more important "first." it is in fact one of the most environmentally friendly office towers going up in the country.

Located at the southwest corner of Wellington and simcoe streets, the 43-storey, 1.2-million-square-foot building was completely designed to LEED nC Gold standards, which stipulate the industry’s toughest measures to ensure sustainability. Everything from heating and lighting all the way to waste management was planned and devised with an eye on the environment.

PCL Constructors Ltd., the general contractors for the project, left “nothing to chance,” explains Darius Zaccak, the company’s construction manager for the Centre. To ensure that all coordinators and project managers were aware of LEED guidelines, PCL appointed a LEED coordi-nator responsible for all related documen-tation for certification. “Quality control to meet the criteria is very well defined from the start,” says Zaccak.

one of the most important environ-mental steps being taken is the recycling of 99 per cent of construction waste, with PCL ensuring that nothing slips through the cracks. “PCL uses reputable recyclers and we check to ensure they comply. We’ve taken that extra step to ensure account-ability,” says Zaccak. “We are seeing more of this trend in the industry, especially on the large and sophisticated projects.”

under LEED requirements, the site control plan includes sediment control to prevent environmental contamination. it covers the transportation of soils with sedi-ment and construction waste recycling. Any water pumped from the excavation was double filtered in sedimentation tanks and tested before being released into the city sewer. Waste from the job site was sorted

With the new RBC Centre, Toronto is set to welcome the city’s most environmentally friendly office tower to date

ENViRoNMENT

SETTiNg A ‘golD’ ExAMPlESETTiNg A ‘golD’ ExAMPlE

By liz KATyNSKi

A rendering of the new RBC Centre, a building designed to lEED NC gold standards


into metals and general waste, with metals sent to a recycling depot and general waste to a separation depot.

The green-friendly building will feature windows that open for fresh air on the lower 10 floors, as well as increased air exchange throughout the entire structure. The overall feel will be airy and open, with walls made of glass. “This is a wide open design with full-height glass walls, encouraging private offices and meeting rooms on the inside,” says Greg Andrushko, director, Project Management for The Cadillac Fairview Corporation Ltd., developers of the Centre.

iNNoVATiVE ligHTiNgone of the most novel introductions is a computer-controlled lighting and shelf system — the first such system installed in Canada. Within this system, automated blinds adjust to the position of the sun to allow maximum natural light without glare. The so-called light shelf is made of a two-foot piece of polycarbonate on a hinge that adjusts up or down to reduce glare and let daylight in.

Altogether there are four individual systems for lighting: two that provide natural light and two that provide electric light. From the exterior wall inwards there are three zones. As natural light increases, the electric lights in each zone turn on or off. occupancy sensors ensure there is light when people are present and that it follows them as required in the building.

on the exterior wall, a roller blind system shields occupants from glare and its light shelf moves up and down to reduce glare in summer and provide the most natural light in winter. The lighting systems are driven by sun sensors on the roof and a computer system with software designed by a German company. indirect light fixtures offer 70 per cent directed upward and 30 per cent directed downward light, for increased reflected light and reduced glare. Thanks to the quality of the concrete surface, lighting is more uniform throughout.

“it’s pretty slick,” says neal Barkhurst, partner, Bregman + Hamann Architects, the architects of record for the project, who worked together with design architects KPF Architects of new York. Barkhurst describes the structure itself as “a normal building turned upside down.” Built with flat slab concrete columns and no ceiling suspended in the base, heating, cooling and electrical is supplied beneath the raised access floor. sprinkler pipes and light fixtures are located on the underside of the floor above.

To cool the building, there are no chillers. instead, the Deep Lake Water Cooling provides cooling to the building by delivering chilled water to floor by floor compartmental VAV air handling units that serve the under floor plenum. in colder months, the building is heated off Enwave — the city of Toronto’s district hot water and steam supplier for down-town office building mechanical systems. it heats the water

ENViRoNMENT

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10 | Builders' Digest Summer/Fall 2008

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sent through the pipes around the perimeter of each floor.

While the common dark roof provides a heat island effect that retains heat in the building, this one’s white roof reflects it. it’s topped with reflective material, white precast pavers. “The quality and reflectivity of the pavers was important,” says Barkhurst.

City regulations normally require a specific controlled flow of storm water, typically done on the roof. However LEED requirements involve retaining the reclaimed water for irrigation and for flushing toilets and urinals on the first six floors. All rainwater from the rBC Centre’s roof is collected in two large cisterns in the basement for this use, and plumbing is water efficient throughout.

“This is a whole different thinking on how to deliver a building,” says Cadillac Fairview’s Andrushko. “Building to LEED certification is smarter, not more difficult. You think about the building differently. There are requirements, but what more you spend on construction is made up in operating savings within a few years. it pays for itself.”

Full PowER BACK uPThe rBC Centre is also the first building in the city to include 100 per cent emergency power backup. With four generators located on the roof, three will continue to run the building at full capacity in the event of power failure. The fourth acts as a backup for the backups. The generators are bi-fuel, running on half diesel and half natural gas, and they store enough fuel to run full service for three days. They can also be topped up to run even longer.

The interior of the rBC and the rBC

ENViRoNMENT

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[email protected]

The RBC Centre will collect rainwater into two large cisterns, to be used for irrigation and the flushing of toilets on the first six floors


Dexia investor services Group portion of the building is being designed by GovanBrown, construction managers for LEED Gold Ci (commercial interior) Certification. This includes about 620,000 square feet of space over the podium and office tower of the building, with a conference centre, rooftop patio and 6,000-square-foot retail branch on the ground floor.

“GovanBrown is proud to be the construction manager on not only one of the largest interiors project in Canada but one of the largest LEED Ci Gold projects,” says Jon Taylor, partner at GovanBrown, a company that has actively participated in sustainable building practices over the past three years.

Like many construction projects, work on the new high-rise, which began in August 2007 and should be completed in september 2009, has faced its fair share of challenges. These included material-handling logistics, primarily because

ENViRoNMENT

Group EffortAdditional companies involved in the construction of the RBC Centre include:

Halcrow Yolles, structural engineer; TMP, mechanical engineers; Mulvey and Banani international inc., electrical engineers; Enermodal, LEED consultant; Anpro Environmental Group, excavation; Deep Foundation Contractors inc., shoring and casings; Allnue structures inc.. framework; Gilbert steel Ltd., rebar supply; CMB, concrete supply; Modern niagara Toronto inc., mechanical; Plan Group, electrical; Antamex international, windows; and ThyssenKruff Elevator inc. rBC and Dexia are the prime tenants.

the project shared a loading dock with the simultaneous construction of the neighbouring ritz Carlton Hotel and another office building. As well, the schedule has been tight, with the first two floors – future home to rBC – set to open next June, and monthly turnovers to follow on other floors.

Then there was the 2007 labour strike and last year’s harsh winter. “We had an inordinate amount of snow,” says PCL’s Zaccak. “We have a certain expectation of winter. When it is more severe, we suffer. But with the co-opera-tion of the trades, our delays were mitigated.”

Thanks to the hard work of all involved however, every-thing is still on schedule. Come next spring, the city can proudly welcome a spectacular new green-friendly building to its imposing skyline. |BD

RBC Centre

481 University Ave, Suite 300, Toronto, Canada M5G 2H4www.bharchitects.com

Bregman + Hamann Architectswith KPF Architects


THEy’RE HERE AND THEy’RE STARTiNg To ATTRACT more interest from construction compa-nies in the Toronto area. We’re talking about public-private partnerships, or P3s as they’re known in the trade.

These partnerships are just what their name implies: the public and private sector working together on a project. in these arrangements, the public sector attracts a private partner who brings financial certainty, tight controls on construction costs and scheduling, and possibly reinvestment in a project to keep it in a great state of repair for 20 or 30 years.

For the contractor, P3s can be quite lucrative, so long as they are managed properly. However for those contrac-tors failing to meet their commitment to ensure the project is up and running as per the terms of the agreement, they can turn into a costly venture.

“Agreements are highly incentivized,” says Jean Peatch, executive director, The Canadian Council for Public-Private

CANADiAN CouNCil FoR PuBliC-PRiVATE PARTNERSHiPS


Partnerships. “There are payments and penalties, incentives to get a job done on time. sloppy management is costly.”

“it’s not for every company,” continues Peatch. “Everyone on the building side of the team takes on some risk, and they have to demonstrate a willingness to assume some responsibility. Each party has a piece of the puzzle and has to accept contractual responsibility.”

What’s important, says Peatch, is for companies to go in with “their eyes wide open.” P3s are not for everyone, especially not at a time when there is no shortage of conventional work around. For compa-nies willing to assume the risks, however, P3s can prove an excellent opportunity.

MoRE ACTiViTy iN oNTARioone of the more recent new develop-ments in the area of P3s has been the increased interest shown by the Govern-ment of ontario in partnering with the private sector on its large-scale projects.

A look at public-private partnerships and the increasingly important role they play in the GTA

This includes, most famously, the massive Brampton Civic Hospital.

Coined Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP), these partnerships provide the provincial government with one very important benefit. “This brings a certainty to government that they never had before,” says Peatch. “There is a huge amount of transparency on these large scale projects of great public interest.”

in 2005, the ontario government formed infrastructure ontario, an agency tasked with assigning AFPs. To date it has assigned 35 projects, 18 of which are currently under construction. This represents $6 billion in capital construc-tion in the ontario market, with 100,000 jobs to be created through 2010.

Bondfield Construction Company Ltd. is one of the companies currently working on an AFP project – the runnymede Healthcare Centre located in the west end of Toronto. so far progress has been good and the partnership has been an

By liz KATyNSKi

An addition to the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto represents one example of a public-private partnership

An addition to the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto represents one example of a public-private partnership

1� | Builders' Digest Summer/Fall 2008


effective one, according to John Aquino, vice-president, Bondfield Construction Company Ltd. Whatever challenges do exist, he says, they are well worth it.

“There are more risks but we are very happy to do this type of work,” says Aquino. “We are in business to build, and if this is the way of the future for government projects, we want to be a part of it. it seems the government will be doing more of these in the future, so it is important to us to be able to do it.”

P3S iN THE gTAin the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), there are currently about 10 AFP projects underway. These include the following major projects:

DuRHAM CoNSoliDATED CouRTHouSEThe $334-million Durham Consolidated Courthouse is the first design build main-tenance project with the private sector covering architecture, design, construction and building maintenance for 30 years. one of the largest green buildings in ontario, it is being built to strict environmental stand-ards, conforming to the Canada Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) stand-ards. it will also be certified under the Building owners and Managers Association (BoMA) Go Green Plus program every three years.

The Durham Courthouse project is a new building, created on reclaimed land – the former General Motors site in downtown oshawa. it’s expected to open in fall 2009, consolidating superior Court and ontario Court justice services from eight locations in the Durham region. The building will include 33 courtrooms, three motions rooms, conference/settlement rooms and other justice services.

The Courthouse features a green roof and reduced water and energy use for a minimal environmental footprint. General contrac-tors on this job are PCL Constructors Ltd. According to Ernst and Young orenda Corp.’s Value for Money assessment (VFM), there is an estimated $49 million savings in completing this project through AFP rather than traditional construction process.

SuNNyBRooK HEAlTH SCiENCES CENTREsunnybrook Health sciences Centre’s $142-million M-Wing shell and Perinatal and Gynaecology Project started in May 2007, and is expected to be completed in 2010.

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The project will add four floors above the centre’s clin-ical services wing. Two will be home to the Perinatal and Gynaecology Program, welcoming and caring for the most high-risk pregnancies and critical newborns with a state-of-the-art neonatal intensive Care unit. These programs are to be relocated here from Women’s College Hospital.

There will be 68 beds and 48 bassinets to accommodate about 4,250 births per year. About 25 per cent of these are high-risk pregnancies and the neo-natal intensive Care unit will care for those one-in-five babies weighing less than three pounds.

General contractors are Vanbots. VFM, according to Price-waterhouseCoopers LLP, is an estimated $14.1 million.

RuNNyMEDE HEAlTHCARE CENTREThe $63-million runnymede Healthcare Centre Project was started in november 2007 and is expected to be completed in summer 2010. it is a larger new facility that will replace the old runnymede Healthcare Centre. it is

being constructed next door to the original facility, and once completed the old hospital – originally a public school built in 1908 and converted to a hospital in 1945 – will be demolished.

This new facility will more than double the number of beds from 95 to 200 and provide enhanced space for services, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, communication and swal-lowing therapy, audiology services, respiratory therapy, custom-ized dietary programs, recreation therapy and social services.

Bondfield Construction Company Ltd. will build and finance the project with financing by the ontario Teachers’ Pension Fund. They will be paid only when construction is completed.

According to KPMG LLP’s VFM, this method is saving an esti-mated $10.91 million compared to construction under a tradi-tional model.

TRilliuM HEAlTH CENTREThe $104.1-million Trillium Health Centre Project was started in June 2007 and includes the Mississauga and West Toronto sites.

The Mississauga site will house a new cardiac catheterization lab, an operating room for cardiac surgery, additional cardio-vascular intensive care beds, additional coronary care beds, an increase of up to 135 in-patient beds, and additional diagnostic and support services.

The West Toronto project includes expansion of ambulatory surgical care facilities, redevelopment and expansion of the urgent care centre, creation of a cancer detection and treatment facility, creation of healing gardens, and expansion of a new south entrance.

overall, new construction will add 196,004 square feet, with an additional 86,156 square feet of renovations for a total of 282,160 square feet of total redevelopment space.

EllisDon is building and financing the project. The VFM by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP estimates a savings of $12.9 million. |BD

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CoNSTRuCTioN

SCRAPiNg THE SKySCRAPiNg THE SKyThe Bay

Adelaide Centre

represents the first tower

skyscraper to be built in

Canada in more than two

decades

By KElly PARKER

Photo credit: Walters Group 2008.


wiTH THE CoNSTRuCTioN BooM THAT HAS BEEN underway in Canada’s major cities — particularly Toronto — over the past couple of decades, it’s incredible that Brookfield Properties’ Bay Adelaide Centre (BAC) would include the first tower skyscraper to be built in Canada in over 20 years.

Yet it does. set for completion next July, the 50-storey, 1.1-million-square-foot West Tower is the first of a three-phase develop-ment of the site.

This is the site’s second recent develop-ment, after an aborted attempt almost 20 years ago to erect a 57-storey office tower at the Bay and Adelaide corner at a cost of almost a billion dollars. The economic down-turn of the early ’90s halted the project after the completion of the underground parking garage and several storeys of a massive concrete service shaft that would become known as “The stump.”

it is fitting then that a structure that served as a reminder of Toronto’s economic diffi-culties is now being replaced with a tower that will mark the city’s resurgence, even as one of BAC’s most striking visual features calls to mind Toronto’s early days.

“Back in the early part of last century this part of Bay street was really the downtown, and there were a number of buildings on both sides of the street that were about that same height – about 12 to 14 storeys,” says robert sampson of WZMH Architects.

They were known collectively as the Bay street Canyon. The city wanted to preserve a notion of that and designated an existing building on the site as an historic structure.

CoNSTRuCTioN347 Bay Street Site Visit Report 12 - Photographs March 5, 2007

A new delivery of stones has been cleaned

and is ready for repair work to begin.

Stones for the mock-up are waiting to be

returned to Clifford’s main yard.

A repair mortar patch has been cut out and

is being redone.

Larger stones can be repaired on their skids.

Smaller stones must be unpacked and spread

about the shop to enable repair work.

Photo credit: © William Conway/Progress Photography.

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Modern Niagara

T O R O N T O I N C .Mechanical contractors and engineers

Proud to have been the Mechanical Contractor on the prestigious

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12 Penn Drive, Weston, Ontario M9L 2A9Tel: (416) 749-6031 Fax: (416) 749-4673

www.modernniagara.com

The Bay Adelaide Centre is the first

tower skyscraper to be built in Canada in more than 20 years


CoNSTRuCTioNA compromise was reached to retain that façade “so that one could appre-ciate what that canyon feeling was like,” says sampson.

RESToRATioNBecause the façade was damaged, building around it wasn’t an option; the decision was to restore it, requiring an attention to detail akin to how a team of archaeologists approaches a dig. “We ended up creating a cataloguing system that involved a full measuring of the façade; sketching it out stone by stone and brick by brick,” explains sam Trigila of Clifford Masonry.

After disassembly, the numbered pieces were completely restored, with new pieces crafted where necessary, before reassembly began with every-thing going back into its original location. “That numbering and cata-loguing process would have normally been a 10-week process of drafting and measuring before we touched the first piece,” says Trigila. “But we jammed it into eight weeks because of sched-uling constraints.”

scheduling also demanded the resto-ration happen simultaneously with the construction above, necessitating protective measures.

This overlapping of different construc-tion phases is a unique challenge of erecting a tall tower. “The higher you are the more trades are working below you,”

347 Bay Street Site Visit Report 12 - Photographs March 5, 2007

A new delivery of stones has been cleaned

and is ready for repair work to begin.

Stones for the mock-up are waiting to be

returned to Clifford’s main yard.

A repair mortar patch has been cut out and

is being redone.

Larger stones can be repaired on their skids.

Smaller stones must be unpacked and spread

about the shop to enable repair work.

says Walter Koppelaar of Walters inc., which supplied the structural steel for the project. “By the time we’re erecting steel at the top of Bay Adelaide, there are probably people putting trim and hard-ware on the doors of the bottom floors. it dramatically complicates the building site because it becomes very much a vertical site, which is a safety challenge.”

on the subject of safety, the 9-11 attacks signalled a new era in building design and construction, and the blast event containment technology that

has been incorporated into the BAC includes two complete and separate standpipes on each floor and a glass curtain wall designed for blast resist-ance in the lower 10 floors. There is also increased bite on the glazing to hold the glass in place, with curtain wall anchors designed to transfer the load of that blast to the structure.

“The ground floor lobby is designed structurally for load reversal,” explains sampson. “in other words, if there is a blast event on the ground floor, the

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loading on the second floor slab is upward and not downward, so it is struc-turally designed to withstand that. We’ve also got an alternate load path design, meaning that the building can withstand the loss of a column without collapsing.”

incorporating the historic façade and security measures added to the challenge of fulfilling Brookfield’s requirement to have the tower meet the standards to be LEED Gold certi-fied. “With this project, Brookfield Properties is helping lead the way for high-performing, socially conscious developments that will benefit our tenants, employees, communities and the environment,” ric Clark, president and CEo of Brookfield Properties Corporation, announced last fall.

gERMAN TECHNologyThat aside, there is still the matter of getting the building up, and BAC is rising at a rate of one floor every three days, thanks to a German-designed self-raising forming system. Called the PEri Automatic Climbing system, it

jacks itself up the building. Michael FitzGibbon, of the general contractor EllisDon, says that BAC represents the largest application they’ve ever used this apparatus for and the first time it’s been used in Toronto. “The system is a combination of tracks, rails and shoes that climbs hydraulically,” FitzGibbon explains. “We don’t have to use the tower crane to climb the forms like a conventional formwork system.”

structform international Ltd./Hardrock Forming Co. is the sub-contractor for the forms. EllisDon’s Michael Brodigan, who is overseeing that process, points out they’re using high-strength concrete designed specifically to meet the needs of the BAC project by Canada Building Materials (CBM). “The fast cure/high early yield… lets us climb these forms after eight hours,” says Brodigan.

There was also the challenge of building within the tight confines of Toronto’s financial district. “it requires a high degree of coordination from a logistics standpoint because there is no

CoNSTRuCTioNsite lay-down area,” emphasizes Koppe-laar. “You’re taking steel from the truck up into the air, so you’d better have the right piece there at the right time.”

Koppelaar notes the most significant challenge was building the support apparatus for the tower crane – a contraption that climbs up the interior of the elevator core, essentially walking its way up the building.

“it’s a style of apparatus that hadn’t been used in some 20 years, so there was not a lot of expertise available,” says Koppelaar. “We did find one person who had worked on one decades ago, and from that, designed and built our own custom-made, hydraulically oper-ated climbing basket.”

That innovation underscores a level of talent within the Toronto construc-tion community that will come in handy as the redevelopment of Bay street progresses. “i think in years to come the notion of the Bay street Canyon is going to take on a different meaning,” says sampson. “it’s going to be 50 storeys instead of 12.” |BD

Proud to be part of the teamCongratulations

275 Comstock Road Scarborough, Ontario

M1L 2H2

Tel: 416-751-7844 Fax: 416-751-8460 Email: [email protected]


AMoNg THE HEADliNES CoMiNg ouT oF BEiJiNg prior to the olympics was coverage of a structure that deserved more attention than it got: the Bird’s nest stadium. The impressive building is a visual chaos of seemingly random steel “twigs” inter-twined to create a stadium.

in the modern olympic era – and beginning with Montreal’s saucer-like venue – the stadium-as-art piece that the host city concocts is really its calling card. The Beijing national stadium certainly fit the bill.

The stadium might also be the best example of the influence of modern technology on the design and construc-tion of steel structures. it shows that the most innovative development in steel fabrication isn’t a bender or hydraulic sheer. it’s the computer. Technology is giving designers and fabricators unprecedented versatility.

For example, M&G steel is gaining notice for its use of robotic technology, including a five-axis articulated arm developed for the auto industry, which has now been modified for steel fabri-cation. its single head takes care of multiple tasks like thermal cutting of beams and the drilling of holes, elimi-nating the need for torch cutting.

STEEliNg FoR CHANgESTEEl

Modern technology drives a whole new era in the design and construction of steel structures

The steel 'pods' inside the leslie Dan Pharmacy Building at the university of

Toronto are hanging classrooms containing small lecture halls

The steel 'pods' inside the leslie Dan Pharmacy Building at the university of

Toronto are hanging classrooms containing small lecture halls

By KElly PARKER


Gerdau Ameristeel

ArcelorMittal International

Evraz Oregon Steel Mills

C & A STEEL

CENTRAL WELDING & IRON WORKS GROUP

Bolair

Dowco Consultants

Dymin Steel Inc.

J & M Sandblasting & Painting

Moore Brothers Transport

Terraprobe Testing Ltd.

AZIMUTH THREE ENTERPRISES

CANAM CANADAAmercoat Canada

Draft-Tech Inc.

Pure Metal Galvanizing

PARADISE STEEL

QUAD STEEL INC.

“We see a lot more automation coming very rapidly into our industry,” says John Mark of M&G. “instead of the technology that has been around for 20 or 30 years in terms of drilling and punching systems, we’re now into plasma cutting. That tech-nology has just started to take off over about the last year in our industry.”

Automation is also making its way into the drafting department. Digital modelling, and the use of sDs/2 or Xsteel-style drafting and detailing programs that show an idea in three-dimensional space, are allowing for the execution of more complex design ideas than ever.

“if the drawings are right,” says Mike Gilmor, president of the Canadian institute of steel Construction (CisC), “fabricators are able to put the thing together like a breeze. once you get the model right, and everyone is happy with it, things can flow rather well. These kinds of software are being used to convert the line drawings into solid models that can be used to see how these things fit together.”

MoRE CoNTRolThe key is that the geometry has become much more controllable, which has allowed build-ings to take on more complex shapes while retaining cost and schedule predictability.

“i’ve had people say to me that the royal ontario Museum couldn’t have been built without computers,” says Walter Koppelaar of Walters inc. “i don’t think that’s true. You probably could have built it in the 1600s when you look at some of the cathedrals that were built. But it may have taken two life-times and cost much more. so, i think that technology has allowed architects a bit more freedom in terms of describing the shapes they want the buildings to be in.”

one of Koppelaar’s favourite recent projects was the “pods” inside the Leslie Dan Pharmacy Building at the university of Toronto. Koppelaar calls them “potato-shaped” hanging classrooms, inside of which are small lecture halls. The top surfaces were flattened with one turning into the student lounge and the other a faculty lounge, both hanging in an atrium.

“Computers allow all of that geometry to be resolved relatively efficiently,” says Koppelaar. “That’s the single biggest change, because the rest of the technology hasn’t changed that much. We’re erecting the steel pretty much as before.”

sometimes, it comes right down to a great concept executed the old-fashioned way: with big machines, brute strength and sweat. steven Benson of Benson steel cites rogers

STEEl

The most innovative development in steel fabrication isn’t a bender or

hydraulic sheer. It’s the computer. Technology is giving designers and

fabricators unprecedented versatility

Today's high-tech computer software programs facilitate the design and creation of impressive steel structures

Computers allowed the geometry of the steel pods at the university of Toronto to be resolved relatively efficiently

Computers allowed the geometry of the steel pods at the university of Toronto to be resolved relatively efficiently


sportsnet’s isabella Tower as one of his favourite recent projects. renovation designers wanted to take a concrete column out but it was supporting a major portion of the tower. They ended up using two trusses and lacing – about 68 tons worth of steel – to support the 14-storey tower.

Benson explains that, “they removed the exterior window framing, tied them into the existing structure, and then they were able to saw-cut that concrete column out to give them the clear span below that they wanted. That’s got to be one of the most unique jobs we’ve ever done.” it also won them the CisC engi-neering award for the year.

While computer software, robotics and other machinery aid in the execu-tion of increasingly complex designs, there is still room – and need – for the human element. in fact, says Gilmor, it is key to the whole thing. “You still have to have human input in there to make sure everything is right,” he says.

“That garbage in-garbage out message is still true, but you’re seeing much more complexity in the structures and detailing. Architects are no longer bound by the traditional rectilinear forms. They are prepared to jump out of the box and sculpt these structures in whichever way they think works.” |BD

STEEl Other Recent CISC Award WinnersARCHiTECTuRAl AwARD & gREEN BuilDiNgS AwARD AwARD oF ExCEllENCE Fire & Emergency Services Training Institute CISC FABRICATOR & DETAILER: Benson Steel Limited

steel was chosen as the dominant architectural element for this project because it was the only material that would give the design a light and articulated coun-terpoint to the building’s exposed, monolithic concrete core slabs and poured concrete elements. steel was considered integral to the design.

The institute is also the Greater Toronto Airports Authority’s first LEED silver project and steel played a major role in this application. it contributes to the building’s energy savings, reduces the building’s reliance on virgin construc-tion materials and reduces the project’s material transportation requirements because of the steel industry’s local recycling and manufacturing presence.

Perforated steel cladding on the south elevation has been designed to form a solar air heating plenum, which can preheat incoming air by up to 17 degrees Celsius above outdoor temperatures. This reduces the building’s energy use, which is more than 30 per cent less than a building built to the Model national Energy Code.

ENgiNEERiNg AwARD AwARD oF MERiT Royal Ontario Museum Renaissance Expansion Project CISC FABRICATOR, DETAILER & ERECTOR: Walters Inc.

The intersecting gallery building superstructure is essentially five intersecting volumes constructed of structural steel frames. The inter-sections create two internal atria as key elements. The sloped walls of each structure provide vertical support for the floors and extend to form roof elements. The cladding system is a composite panel system that ranges in translucence from opaque to clear.

Source: CISC’s Advantage Steel (Issue No. 30 Winter 2007)

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uPCoMiNg EVENTS

Toronto Construction AssociationTCA Annual Membership Campaign Oct. 20 to 24, 2008

Construct Canada 2008 Dec. 3 to 5, 2008Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building

TCA Christmas Lunch Dec. 5, 2008 Tickets now on sale Book Now before this event is Sold Out

For further information, please contact: Mary McBride,Toronto Construction Association, 70 Leek Cres., Richmond Hill, ON L4B 1H1 Telephone:416-499-4000 ext. 104 • Fax 416-499-8752 • Email: [email protected]

Young Construction Executives ClubTCA's YCEC Swaminarayan Tour(Includes a guided tour of the complex and admittance to the museum)

Nov. 18, 2008Time: 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.TCA Members: $5.00 (Not open to non-members)BAPS Swaminarayan Complex, 61 Claireville Drive, Toronto, M9W 5Z7Registration Deadline: Nov. 14, 2008

YCEC Lunch Bag Sizzler - GPS Tracking for Fleet Owners

Nov. 5, 2008Toronto Construction AssociationGuest Spaker: John Biondo, Sales Manager Eastern Region Trimble Construction ServicesTime: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

YCEC Food Drive Nov. 19, 2008 to Dec. 19, 2008

For further information, please contact: Lenore Villeneuve at 416-499-4000 ext 113 or email at [email protected] • www.tcaconnect.com

The Construction Institute of CanadaCourse: Help with Green Building Rating Systems

Sept. 15 to Nov. 3, 2008Mondays 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Course: Risk Management Jan. 12, 2009 to March 16, 2009 Mondays 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.

Course: Blueprint Reading and Estimating Course (Level I)

Sept. 16, 2008 to Nov. 18, 2008Tuesdays, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Course: Construction Law Sept. 24, 2008 to Nov. 26, 2008 Wednesdays 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Course: Planning & Scheduling for Contractors

Sept. 25, 2008 to Nov. 27, 2008 Thursdays 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Seminar: LEED for Construction Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2008 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Seminar: Construction Liens and Trusts Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008Registration: 8:30 a.m. Seminar: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Workshop: Bidding and Tendering Workshop Monday, Sept. 22, 29 and Oct. 6, 20088:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

For further information, please contact: Roxanne Drisdelle • Tel: 416-499-4000, Ext. 116Email: [email protected] • tcic.ca


ADVERTiSERS' iNDEx

Active Excavating Contracting (1985) Ltd. ..........................12 www.activexcavating.com

Belmont Rose Granite Corp ......................16 www.belmontrose.com

Bregman & Hamman Architects ...............13 www.bharchitects.com

Cadillac Fairview Corporation ....................8 www.cadillacfairview.com

Canadian Institute of Steel Construction ..................................22 www.cisc-icca.a

Canwell Insurance & Financial Services ................................24 www.canwell.com

Dean Chandler Roofing ............................20 www.deanchandlerroofing.com

Govan Brown ............................................10 www.govanbrown.com

The Graff Company .....................................4 www.graffconcrete.com

Graham Construction and Engineering Inc. ................................7 www.graham.ca

The Guarantee Company of North America ....................................15 www.gcna.com

Harris Rebar ..............................................19 www.harrisrebar.com

Hilti North America ...................................11 www.ushilti.com

HKMB Hub International ............................4 www.hkmb.com

M & G Steel Ltd. .......................................24 www.mgsteel.ca

Modern Niagara Toronto Inc. ...................18 www.modernniagara.com

MultiVista ......................... Inside Back cover www.multivista.com

Murray Demolition ...................................13 www.quantummurray.com

Ontario Construction Secretariat ...............3 www.iciconstruction.com

Peri Formwork Systems Inc. ....................26 www.peri.ca

Priestly Demolition Inc. .............................4 www.priestly.ca

Walters Group ................. Inside Front Cover www.waltersinc.com

Weirfoulds LLP ..............Outside Back Cover www.weirfoulds.com

WZMH Architects ......................................20 www.wzmharchitects.com


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