CIMA+ Nominated in Six Categories for the 2019 CISC Awards

The four projects submitted by the CIMA+ Buildings Group for the 2019 CISC-Quebec Awards of Excellence in steel construction are shortlisted in six categories. A total of 40 finalists in 11 categories were selected among 111 candidates. CIMA+ is very proud to be part of this elite group! The winners will be announced during the annual gala marking the 21st edition of the contest, on November 11, 2019, at the Windsor Ballrooms in Montreal.

The following projects were submitted by CIMA+:

  • Industrial Building and Ingenuity categories: Construction of a new “Power House” technical building, McGill University
  • Institutional Building category: Construction of the Mackay – Philip E. Layton Centre in Montreal and reconstruction of the F1 Grand Prix du Canada infrastructure assets
  • Residential Building category: Résidence Veilleux-Champagne, Sainte-Angèle-de-Prémont
  • Young Engineer category: Jonathan Binette – Reconstruction of the F1 Grand Prix du Canada infrastructure assets

Construction of a new “Power House” technical building, McGill University

McGill University’s thermal power plant, as well as the Wong, Rutherford, Administration and Leacock Buildings were powered by a single emergency generator located in the Ferrier Building close to the boiler room. This configuration is considered risky, and mitigation measures to control risks are a priority for the University. Furthermore, the University has expressed the need to increase the number of generating units to support its technical facilities. In order to address these two issues, it was decided to build a new “Power House” technical building. Feasibility studies carried out by DFS, CIMA+ and SNC-Lavalin led to selecting the site of the old greenhouse that had been transformed into a parking lot. Building the new facility on this site was a major challenge, due to very limited space and uneven ground, as well as the number of buried suspended conduits and foundations. The selected solution is a metal framework glass building built on a concrete pad covered with limestone.

Construction of the Mackay – Philip E. Layton Centre in Montreal

The new Mackay – Philip E. Layton Centre is a two-storey 9,700 m2 building. It houses two renowned institutions offering support services to students with special needs, and can accommodate 170 children every year. The building is supported by a steel framework over a traditional foundation. The second storey rests on a slab over a steel deck supported by a system of steel beams, girders and columns. The roof is mainly made of a steel framework with a small portion built with glulaminated timber beams resting on steel beams. The building houses 33 classrooms, specialized rooms, a large multifunctional room with a radiant floor heating system, a double-sized gymnasium and an indoor therapy pool. A large ramp and four elevators providing access to the second floor were integrated in order to meet the clientele’s specific needs. Patient lifts were added to help move students with disabilities from one room to the other and between the changing room and the therapy pool.

Reconstruction of the F1 Grand Prix du Canada infrastructure assets

The new Gilles-Villeneuve speedway paddocks house garages for the various F1 racing teams, control tower, staff rooms, corporate lounges, media rooms, as well as the podium. The three-storey 21,500 m2 is comprised of a structural slab on augured piles on the ground floor, steel framework mainly covered with composite concrete on the 2nd and 3rd floors, and a glulaminated timber roof. Click here for more information.

Résidence Veilleux-Champagne, Sainte-Angèle-de-Prémont

The Résidence Veilleux-Champagne is mainly comprised of open living areas, and was built on the remains of an old stone mill dating back to the 19th century. The old mill was located near a tributary of the Petite-Rivière-du-Loup in Sainte-Angèle-de-Prémont in the Quebec Mauricie region. The design team had to contend with major challenges due to the presence of steep slopes on the site and the fact that over half of the building’s footprint was directly above the remains of the old mill. The building’s structure was mainly designed to meet the architectural constraints of the project and is comprised of a steel framework over a traditional concrete foundation. The hybrid structure of the roof and ground floor is comprised of steel and timber beams. Wooden planking was used in the mezzanine structure. A large concrete balcony extending over two of the four facades offers remarkable vistas. One of the owners’ wishes was to integrate a maximum number of openings in the building’s facades. The steel structure allowed for meeting this requirement.

Jonathan Binette

Sponsored by Alexandre Poulin, Eng. and Associate Partner, Jonathan Binette, Eng. acted as structural designer in addition to ensuring work supervision for the reconstruction of the F1 Grand Prix du Canada infrastructure assets. Very specific constructability challenges needed to be accounted for during the design phase, such as unconditional compliance with the project schedule in order to limit impacts on event-related activities, limited work space located between the Olympic swimming pool and the speedway, as well as structural works mainly being performed during the winter. Mr. Binette opted for a steel structure, which allowed the team to tackle the technical challenges and meet the very tight deadlines. This also provided the Société du Parc Jean-Drapeau with a more cost-efficient solution compared with other construction materials.

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