TORONTO, ON
Bay Adelaide East Tower
At 44 storeys plus an eight-storey podium, Toronto’s Bay Adelaide Centre, East Tower is a LEED Platinum project that demanded significant structural innovation to bring to fruition.
The tower core was built using an ATR self-climbing system – so-called because it climbs on rails up the building by means of hydraulic jacks – allowing construction to proceed without the use of a tower crane.
To mitigate noise and vibration from an adjacent subway line, crews constructed the ground floor of the podium so that its core floats 100 millimetres above the existing B1 level. It was supported on existing columns and foundation walls using isolation pads.
Crews partly demolished existing parking slabs within the tower’s footprint to build the tower’s core and concrete columns.
Adjacent to its sister building, Bay Adelaide West, the east tower was built above an existing four-storey, below-grade parkade.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS
CLIENT
Brookfield Properties
ARCHITECT
KPMB;
Adamson Associates Limited
OUR ROLE(S)
Structural Engineering Consultant;
Building Envelope Consultant
SIZE
Tower: 980,000 ft²;
Podium: 100,000 ft²
BUDGET
$275 M
MARKET (OFFICE)
TORONTO
KEY CONSIDERATIONS
Challenge One
The existing parkade, tenant space, and adjacent underground pedestrian tunnel all had to remain operational during construction.
Solution One
We prevented disruption to tenants, cars, and PATH users by locating tower columns so the structure could clear span the main areas. Where necessary, built-up structural columns were “needled” through small openings in the existing slab so column erection could occur during short off-peak periods of time for parkade and tenant use.
GALLERY
