Posts

Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Train Project

Dufferin Concrete LRT

The Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (LRT) project is one of many ongoing Metrolinx projects aimed at connecting Toronto area communities and enhancing mobility in the region. This project was awarded to Crosslinx Transit Solutions for $8.5 billion. Dufferin Concrete provided 300,000 cubic metres representing approximately $50 million of the contract value. Including 25 stations, […]

A specialized mix and a strict pour schedule for the TTC

Working alongside Buttcon, Dufferin Concrete completed a job for the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) on the Patten Building, providing not only innovative products, but ensuring quality service and technical support.

Having worked with the TTC on numerous occasions, our team is familiar with their requirements on schedule dates, health and safety, security controls and of course quality products and services. During construction, the building remained completely functional with the exception of the ground parking level, where the new concrete reinforcement was added. Due to the reduced working area and limited space to delimit a construction zone, all concrete pours were scheduled for Saturdays, leaving no room for error.

Our team worked to design a completely new Self Consolidated Concrete (SCC) mix that would meet the TTC’s strict specifications. The concrete was pumped from an offsite location across from the job site and had to flow through the forms between two layers of rebar and stir-ups. The complex formwork needed to remain completely water tight and valves and ports were installed to release air and eliminate air pockets. As an extra measure of care, camera ports were added to confirm that all voids were filled. There were three scheduled days to complete the six phases of the pour in a designed sequence in order to reduce the stress of the structure and possibility of voids. The largest of these phases was 50+/-m3. Two testing companies, comprising of 35 testers and monitors, were on site to perform several tests on each load of SCC going into the pour. The compressive strength was achieved on average three to five days after pouring. TTC and Buttcon were pleased with the technical support as well as the excellent quality of the concrete, workability, uniformity and performance of the SCC mix supplied by Dufferin Concrete and have indicated that this would be a preferred mix for future similar TTC projects.

Mid-Halton Wastewater Treatment Plant

To meet increased demand and continue to protect the water of Lake Ontario, the Regional Municipality of Halton had to address the need to increase capacity at the Mid-Halton Wastewater Treatment Plant in Oakville Ontario from 75 million litres per day to 125 million litres per day. The project will not only provide environmental benefits to Lake Ontario, but will also improve the safe handling and management of wastewater as our communities continue to grow.

The project, valued at $79 million began in 2014 when Strabag Inc., the construction contractor was awarded the job and began production. For this project, a 3.6m diameter Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) was required to excavate through layers of shale and limestone starting from the QEW under Third Line in Oakville into the lake. The project includes a 6.3Km underground pipe in two stretches; The onshore stretch spanning 4.2 km from the wastewater treatment plant on North Service Road to Lake Ontario, 60m below the roads surface, and an additional 2.1km offshore stretch ranging from 15 m to 50 m beneath the bedrock of Lake Ontario for a total length of 6.3km.

Dufferin Concrete designed a specialty concrete mix to endure a four hour lifespan and be delivered by rail inside the tunnel. Our team also used wet Shotcrete to secure and shape the tunnel’s rounded profile. Dufferin Concrete provided approximately 25,000m3 meters of concrete used in the project.

Pemberton Group U Condo

Located in downtown Toronto in the heart of Canada’s financial district, the Pemberton Group’s U Condo project consisted of two condominium buildings, 45 and 55 stories, encompassed by 28 townhomes. Though there are hundreds of similar condominium projects across the city, this one presented some unique challenges that the Dufferin Concrete (DC) team was eager to tackle.

“For starters, with a location in the heart of the city surrounded by residential and commercial buildings, a major university and various other schools, churches and a surplus of one-way streets, the site was a logistical dilemma. We had to work closely with the developer and the city to ensure we could get the job done safely and efficiently,” said Karl Rammler, District Manager, Dufferin Concrete.

One Day, One Pour
Beyond the complexities of the development’s location, the project required a very strict pour schedule and concrete mix. The strict time frame due to traffic closures and the technical requirements of the slab meant the 2200 cubic meters of concrete for the foundation of the first building had to be poured in one day. The design included a mass “raft” or foundation slab, requiring a very strict pouring timeline to control the temperature of the concrete core.

“Dufferin Concrete was chosen because of the level of expertise they bring to the table. This was a challenging project logistically on a busy street in downtown Toronto with a tight time constraint and very specific concrete mix. We knew we could count on Dufferin to get the job done right, doing it in a professional manner and ensuring minimal disruption to the local community,” said Eliot Muzzo, President, The Pemberton Group.

A Memorable Project
On a chilly spring Saturday in Toronto, Dufferin Concrete crews across the city were in action before dawn for the pour. With road closure permits in place, police on site to direct traffic and keep the public safe, and over 120 DC employees scheduled to work, the team was ready to deliver a flawless pour.

Concrete was provided from three separate mixing plants in the city to ensure a continuous supply with a fourth plant on standby in case any unforeseen circumstances halted production at any of the primary plants.

“The energy on site was really great. The drivers were excited to be a part of such a memorable project, and the team came together to ensure that safety was top of mind for everyone and the job was being done right. I’m incredibly proud of everyone for their hard work,” said Peter Moylan, General Manager, Dufferin Concrete.

A few months later, it happened all over again when the foundation for the second building was poured, this time requiring 2700 cubic meters of concrete, once again in a memorable one-day pour.