Talbot Street

Talbot Street

HCM completed the design-build shoring for the Azure condominium project in downtown London. Due to the soil conditions encountered during initial drilling, a full depth caisson wall was installed for the construction of a two storey underground parking structure.

A combination of tiebacks and internal struts were used to support the 12.0m deep excavation. After piling was complete tieback encroachment became no longer possible along the west wall and had to be converted to a double rakered system. As the foundation structure was entirely precast this presented unique challenges when using rakers. RWH worked together with HCM and the Developer to make the internal bracing system work around the precast panels and designed the system to allow for removals to help facilitate the constriction process.

The shoring was constructed next to an existing church sensitive to movements. Excavation procedures were modified and extra considerations were taken in both the design and construction to reduce any movements and vibrations. Further, RWH completed target, inclinometer and vibration monitoring to verify the shoring performance throughout construction and ensure minimal impact to the church structure.

Client: The Tricar Group

Location: London, Ontario

Aligning with the HCM group’s core value of sustainability, the Azure project became the first LEEDS condominium project in London’s history.

Upper House Condominiums

Upper House Condominiums - Caisson Wall Piles and Lagging

Upper House Condominiums

HCM completed the shoring for the eight storey Upper House Condominium project which required a 12m deep excavation for two levels of underground parking. A tied-back shoring system comprised of piles and lagging with caisson wall adjacent to an existing residence was installed. 

Typical to developments in Toronto, there were encroachment restrictions on the south side of the site which only allowed for the tiebacks to extend a maximum of 6.2m to the neighbouring property line. To work within the limited space restrictions, RWH Engineering Inc. designed a system utilizing an upper row of double splayed anchors. Post-grouted strand anchors were installed to achieve the required load capacity in the soils. HCM with the supervision of RWH completed a load testing program to determine the optimal number of post-grout cycles required to meet the anchor design. Reducing the post-grout cycles resulted in schedule savings to the project.

Further, the shoring design was finite element modelled to allow for comparison against the monitoring results and ensure the shoring performed adequately throughout the construction. 

HCM and RWH worked together to produce a design-build shoring re-design which was tailored to the specific requirements of the project and resulted in cost and schedule savings.

Location: Toronto, ON 

Customer: SKYGRiD Construction Inc.

 

Upper House Condominiums - Caisson Wall Piles and Lagging
Upper House Condominiums - Caisson Wall Piles and Lagging

Twinning Tunnels

Twinning Tunnels

The installation of a deep trunk sanitary sewer system in the bedrock beneath Erin Mills Parkway in Mississauga required an innovative approach for shoring manholes. For this project, HCM was contracted to install nine caisson wall compression rings at various locations. RWH Engineering Inc. (RWH), an HC Group company, provided an economical design for the shafts which had diameters of up to 11 meters and depths up to 50 meters.

RWH overcame several design challenges on this project including the consideration of the compression rings to withstand large uneven surcharges due to a close embankment as well as significant crane loads. To ensure the integrity of the shoring system, RWH provided the precision monitoring services.

This project required the installation of the compression rings into the bedrock to support the overburden. HCM successfully implemented RWH’s innovative design which did not include a bench at the top of the bedrock, as commonly seen in compression ring design. This resulted in a reduced diameter of the compression rings, significantly reducing the amount of bulk excavation required as well as installation time.

The project exemplifies HCM’s ability to find effective solutions to complex projects to minimize construction time.

Location: Mississauga, Ontario

Customer: McNally Construction Inc.

Oshawa Mall

Oshawa Mall

The Oshawa Mall expansion was a large project that required several foundation and shoring services. HCM met the needs of the contractor by providing both tied back and cantilevered lagging shoring systems, shotcrete underpinning, and installation of caissons.

Client: Ledcor Construction Ltd.

Location: Oshawa, Ontario

RWH Engineering Inc. (RWH) completed the shoring designs and provided layout, as well as precision and vibration monitoring services. Taking on this additional scope, HCM/RWH were able to provide significant project cost-savings and minimize communication issues. On this project, the shotcrete underpinning design was superior to the conventional underpinning method and resulted in both schedule and cost savings due to the efficient construction process.

The HCM/RWH team provided services across multiple scopes of work, helping the contractor complete the project on time and within budget.

Weston Road

Weston Road

The Metrolinx Weston Tunnel project will serve as a below grade rail corridor for the GO Georgetown line linking the airport to downtown Toronto. HCM was subcontracted by KO Constructors to design, supply, and install several shoring systems as well as deep foundations.  

The project scope consisted of two shoring walls spanning a total distance of 2.6 km, ranging from 4.5 to 14 meters in depth. The shoring walls consisted of both bypass shotcrete and caisson wall to provide railway protection and allow for continuous GO train service. Precise coordination between all parties was required when drilling as close as 100 mm to the operational tracks.

HCM worked closely with the general contractor and owner to meet strict scheduling goals. HCM employed up to 5 large diameter drill rigs at one time, performed night work, and readily adapted to changes in the shoring scope to allow for early excavation and structure installation. RWH Engineering Inc. (RWH), an HC Group company, performed the precision monitoring on the project and was also involved in the design process, enabling accelerated design changes.

The Weston Tunnel project is an example of the service HCM and RWH can provide to a large scale project where schedule goals are important.  The HC Group is able to develop solutions and adapt to any changes in conditions allowing the project to progress without delays.

Client: KO Constructors

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Herald Block

Herald Block

HCM was chosen to provide a comprehensive design-build shoring solution for Phase 1 of Brookfield Place development, which will become the tallest building in Western Canada. The excavation spanned a city block and extended 22 meters deep. The shoring system, designed by RWH Engineering Inc. (RWH), was comprised of an 11 meter deep perched caisson wall above shotcrete, which continued into the rock for the remaining depth of the excavation. 

The challenges faced on this project included old foundations encountered during drilling, surrounding tightly clustered utilities, vulnerable neighbouring structures, and the adjacent light rail transit (LRT) system. HCM met these challenges with close attention to detail and meticulous planning to prevent any utility conflicts and structural damage. RWH completed the precision monitoring of the shoring and adjacent structures providing weekly reports to all stakeholders for the duration of the project. 

Client: EllisDon Corporation

Location: Calgary, Alberta

HCM was able to use their experience on past projects to design and construct a shoring solution that worked with the varying soil conditions at depth. This solution resulted in a more sustainable project as the perched wall required less material than a traditional full depth caisson wall, and provided project cost and schedule savings. Brookfield Place is an example of the ability of the HC Group to work together and overcome challenges in complex projects.

Twinning of the West Trunk Sanitary Sewer

HC Matcon - Twinning of the West Trunk Sanitary Sewer

Twinning Of The West Trunk Sanitary Sewer

This project includes the installation of a deep trunk sanitary sewer within bedrock under Erin Mills Parkway in Mississauga. HCM together with RWH Engineering proposed an innovative and economical design and construction process for shoring the manholes and access shafts using caisson compression rings. Challenges that had to be dealt with included designing the compression ring to withstand large uneven surcharges caused by a close embankment in addition to large surface loading by a crane. To ensure the safety of the shoring system RWH Engineering is providing precession monitoring utilizing inclinometers.

Client: McNally Construction

Location: Mississauga, Ontario

 

Twinning of the West Trunk Sanitary Sewer - Caissons

Alloa Feedermain

Alloa Feedermain

This project involved installation of 3 watertight caisson wall shafts. Two rectangular secant pile wall shaft approx 12m deep and one 6m diameter compression ring shaft approx 7m deep. In order to achieve the tight tolerance needed to ensure the shafts were in fact watertight the use of a guide wall was implemented. The guide wall was installed using Styrofoam form and concrete to allow drill casing to be perfectly centered over the drilled holes.

Client: McNally Construction
Location: Brampton, Ontario

Medicine Hat Regional Hospital – New Tower Expansion

Medicine Hat Regional Hospital – New Tower Expansion

Medicine Hat Regional Hospital – New Tower Expansion

The Government of Alberta and Alberta Health Services (AHS) have broken ground on this project, which will renovate and expand the hospital to improve patient services and reduce wait times. When complete, the $200-million redevelopment will expand available ambulatory care space and will allow more space for the emergency department, surgical suite, maternal/child care, and include a rooftop helipad.

HCM Contractors Inc. was successful with its’ proposal that included 100 Belled Caissons at depths up to 100 feet, 7000 ft2 of caisson wall, and the underpinning of 7 major columns to support the additional load imposed by the new structure. The underpinning is particularly challenging because much of the work is to be completed inside of an operational hospital with limited access and noise and vibration concerns. HCM employed a unique method of transferring the load from the column footings to the micro piles that ensured a good bond and efficient design.

This project comes on the heels of the newly constructed MHRH Energy Centre, another successfully completed project by HCM in the fall of 2012.

Client: Stuart Olson Dominion Ltd.
Location: Medicine Hat, Alberta

The Fuse at Evolution

The Fuse at Evolution

The Fuse at Evolution

Following years of planning by the City of Calgary, construction on the anticipated East Village Development has started. The proud owners of the first land deal in EV in over a decade have committed to building about 700,000 sq. ft. of mixed-use residential property starting with The Fuse at Evolution.

HCM Contractors Inc. proposed an alternative design-build excavation shoring system that resulted in significant schedule and cost savings. With its’ local geotechnical knowledge and utilizing its two new Bauer BG24 drill rigs and segmental casing system, HCM showcased its ability to design, execute and bring a quality product to its’ client, Embassy Development Ltd.

HCM has also secured contracts on the next two East Village developments that include the long anticipated National Music Centre and First Condominiums. HCM is proud to be a part of this landmark development which is considered to be a turning point in East Village history and a transformative moment for EV.

Client: Embassy Bosa Inc
Location: Calgary, Alberta

Cobourg Railway Station

Cobourg Railway Station

On this project, HCM, in conjunction with its in-house engineering company, RWH Engineering Inc. (RWH), was able to offer the owner one source for the design, supply, and installation of a complete temporary shoring system and precision monitoring services. 

RWH produced an efficient design that conformed to AREMA railway standards and resulted in savings to the owner, in comparison to the original tendered drawings. The RWH design included a double pile and lagging system with 17.5 meter long tiebacks, required due to the soft soils. In addition, HCM installed 275 mm diameter permanent micropiles at the base of the shoring. The micropiles extended through 12 meters of soil and were founded 5 meters into bedrock to provide the required capacity. 

The general contractor benefited from working with a single source that could take responsibility for all aspects of the shoring and deep foundations work – guaranteeing quality and reducing costs.

Client: Via Rail Canada Inc.

Location: Cobourg, Ontario

Maxwell Bates

Maxwell Bates

This project, located on Fourth Street in the downtown core of Calgary, consisted of a tied-back continuous caisson wall.  The caisson wall provided zero ground loss and minimal water infiltration, an important feature in the high density area of downtown.  HCM was able to call upon experience from similar successful past projects, such as the installation of a tied-back continuous caisson wall for the new Mustard Seed Building on Tenth Avenue and Centre Street S.E., to ensure a successful project.

The system was designed for a maximum excavation of approximately 8.5 meters below grade at the north portion of the site and 10 meters below grade at the south portion of the site.  This resulted in an approximate total area of 13,100 square feet of shoring required.

This project is another example of HCM’s ability to work with a General Contractor to execute a successful shoring project with a tight schedule and budget.

Client: Ledcor Construction Ltd.

Location: Calgary, Alberta