Stars + Steel: OCAD

Fabrication - Transportation Issues

Transporting the steel from the fabrication plant in Hamilton and into the dense core of downtown Toronto was not easy. The 27 metre legs offered some challenges in turning the street corners. The trusses also had to be designed with clearance under overpasses in mind.

Images: Walters Inc.

Two legs were loaded at a time. In order to be able to turn corners, a separate set of wheels was attached to the back end of the truck.

Of additional concern in handling was the pre-finished nature of the material. It was easier to apply the intumescent fire protection at the shop, so great care in handling was required as not to damage the coating.

 

The long chords of the truss were also difficult to transport although less problematic to handle as they were not AESS. Again an articulating trailer was used.

 

The site was extremely tight. Not only was the turning radius onto the side street tight, but the staging area very limited as well. A driving lane had to be maintained.

 

A view looking down onto the street illustrates how narrow the access was for the trucks.