TIME: A FORMIDABLE CHALLENGE!

What can a developer do when he wants a 2,000-car garage but has only months in which to carry out the project?

Opt for the solution favoured by Cadillac Fairview and rely on the expertise of a CPCI precast concrete manufacturer!

Cadillac Fairview, owner of the Carrefour Laval shopping centre, found itself with a sizeable problem on its hands in the early days of 2001. Determined to increase the number of parking spaces available at the shopping centre as early as the following fall, they had the blueprints for a multi-storey parking garage that would meet their needs. Problem was, they didn't have the time needed to build it!

We learned from Antonio Perinayegon, engineer and Operations Director at Schokbeton that: "Initially, the parking structure was to be poured on site, but since the facility had to be delivered at the end of October, this solution was unrealistic. That's when professionals in our Technical Services Department proposed building the garage from precast concrete elements, the only economical way to accelerate construction and deliver the facility in the fall."

Synergy up against the clock

Schokbeton went back to the drawing board in February 2001, its engineers coming up with new plans based on the use of precast concrete elements.

"We worked closely with the contractor and the professionals," recalled the engineer.

"While we respected the building code, we didn't shy away from innovating, in an effort to design elements that would maximize speed of implementation on the work site. We succeeded in eliminating many of the restrictions normally encountered when you don't work this closely with the architect."

"In fact, I believe that, for a project using precast elements, we chose the ideal solution," continued Mr. Perinayegon: The proof is that we moved the equipment onto the job site in early August and completed construction in September...in other words, in record time!"

Parking under the seal of high performance

Schokbeton spared no effort to give Cadillac Fairview a high-performance structure. The beams and slabs of Carrefour Laval's new three-storey, 1.800-space parking garage were produced from high-performance silica-fume concrete (HSF). The columns, on the other hand, were produced from concrete containing type 30 cement.

It should be noted that all elements containing prestressing strands were produced with a corrosion-inhibiting admixture to ensure the long-term durability and service life of the structure. All columns, beams and spandrel panels were manufactured in the Schokbeton plant. Only the shear walls, designed by the manufacturer, were poured on site.

More than a fine structure, this parking garage emerges as a sound investment for the owner, since it is expected to last for decades.

"We are all quite proud of what we've accomplished," concluded Mr. Perinayegon. "This project is the result of solid teamwork involving the contractor, the professionals and Schokbeton. To a large extent, it is thanks to these dynamics that we succeeded in delivering a structure of irreproachable quality that reflected the architect's vision, in just a few short months.

Owner: Cadillac Fairview
Architect: Le Groupe Archifin
Design/Engineering: Schokbeton
Precast Concrete Contractor: Schokbeton
Contractor: Les Constructions C.A.L.
Formwork Subcontractor: Coffrages Alliance
Design of stairs and one of the access ramps: Saia Deslauriers

Story courtesy of: INFORBLOCK - a publication of St. Lawrence Cement

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