[Halifax] Nova Centre | 65-58-58 m | 16-15-14 fl | Completed

[ns_kid]

Originally Posted by pblaauw

Am I the only one who saw something in the video about it being connected to other buildings in the area?

Nope, I caught that too. Seems a bit premature, given that HRM now seems to be balking at the cost. Perhaps the city should be looking to the hotels that will benefit directly from the link to help defray the expense. The hotels on the south side, the Residence Inn and the Cambridge, should also be seeking extension of the link.

[bluenoser]

They seem to be starting on the ballroom structure. I suppose this should take shape relatively quickly.

http://www.novascotiawebcams.com/en/webcams/nova-centre/

[Ziobrop]

Photo From http://novacenter.builthalifax.ca/
the steel work is being done in the evening, right now to prevent crane conflicts. Once they pour the rest of the Argyle tower slab, they can anchor the crane and jack it, then the conflict goes away.

[fenwick16]

There is a new Argyle Street view of the Nova Centre on the Nova Scotia Webcams website - http://www.novascotiawebcams.com/en/webcams/argyle-street/

[Jonovision]

The crane on Sackville and Argyle is getting ready to grow. All the pieces are on site and the anchor has been attached to the structure.

[Jstaleness]

Originally Posted by Jonovision

The crane on Sackville and Argyle is getting ready to grow. All the pieces are on site and the anchor has been attached to the structure.

If there was a "like" button on this forum I would have just clicked it.

[someone123]

The Argyle St view really gives a sense of the scale of the project. Each of the lower Nova Centre floors is much taller than the floors of the older buildings. The roof of the Carleton looks not much taller than the third floor of the Nova Centre.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by Ziobrop

Photo From http://novacenter.builthalifax.ca/
the steel work is being done in the evening, right now to prevent crane conflicts. Once they pour the rest of the Argyle tower slab, they can anchor the crane and jack it, then the conflict goes away.

http://41.media.tumblr.com/de8a4fcbf934737e0cc762df97a94052/tumblr_nphcx9crUe1sjmgsso1_1280.jpg

It looks like there is only one more crane section to go. Hopefully we will see some significant progress on the steel work now.

In order for the Convention Centre to open in September 2016 I imagine the Centre will need to be watertight (exterior almost finished) by the time the snow comes so there will be time to finish the exterior in 2016.

(source: http://www.novascotiawebcams.com/en/webcams/nova-centre/ )

[musicman]

2016 will never happen... Not a chance. There is still no electrical drawings to be had, and from what i hear none in sight.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by musicman

2016 will never happen... Not a chance. There is still no electrical drawings to be had, and from what i hear none in sight.

Ziobrop has posted numerous pictures showing electrical equipment and also conduits passing through the concrete floors for the convention centre portion of the Nova Centre. Here are a few examples: (all from Ziobrop's tumblr webpage - http://novacenter.builthalifax.ca/):

The plastic lines running through the reinforcing steel are conduits for electrical cables.
http://40.media.tumblr.com/4cfd061af958c0c1bb3505f35faaa07b/tumblr_nn45aweGGr1sjmgsso1_1280.jpg
http://41.media.tumblr.com/a8d4c1b7c54a46e3827726c0a837591e/tumblr_nn45f3mmbL1sjmgsso1_1280.jpg
http://40.media.tumblr.com/c34d5c36c2d8fa4556191eec46a55ae4/tumblr_nmk7hdikIr1sjmgsso1_1280.jpg
http://40.media.tumblr.com/2ea8473be23c95a8612c2e6cdd01f472/tumblr_nmhwjp77xY1sjmgsso1_1280.jpg
http://41.media.tumblr.com/7d39f1e8b5c7a48f131d751e984c353d/tumblr_nlvomfQXcF1sjmgsso1_1280.jpg

Ziobrop has labeled this picture as "electrical gear" and that is what it looks like:
http://40.media.tumblr.com/13ad3d08a2ad69506e2016d9b6104971/tumblr_nia7s8586k1sjmgsso1_1280.jpg

However, it is most likely that there are no electrical wiring diagrams for office tower floors. This is because the office floors would be left unfinished until tenants sign a lease, and then tenants would be responsible for providing drawings of their office layout and even hiring a general contractor to do the office interior construction. This is almost always the case for new office construction and even new industrial warehouse construction.

[beyeas]

I had a meeting with people from TCL about a month ago, discussing possibly bringing a neuroimaging/surgery conference here. My memory, but don't quote me, is that they said they are planning a soft open in late 2016 with first conferences already booked in 2017.

[musicman]

Yes there is some base building done including parkade but a very large percentage of the buildings have no plans as of yet. And yes you can run conduit from floor to floor and from electrical room to electrical room, however this is the very basic stuff.

[musicman]

From the pics that i see there you have the main service entrance in the "electrical gear" photo and you have a bunch of conduit in slab covering all the bases. The info that i have heard is accurate to 7 days ago...

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by musicman

From the pics that i see there you have the main service entrance in the "electrical gear" photo and you have a bunch of conduit in slab covering all the bases. The info that i have heard is accurate to 7 days ago...

I have some knowledge of wiring methods. For office buildings, much of the HVAC and electrical would be in the ceiling plenum, however, for the column-free Exhibition Hall A it would be most feasible to run the electrical through the floor and then use floor boxes, such as these - https://www.google.ca/search?q=floor+box...aq03M-SxgIVgkKSCh2aPgD7&biw=1920&bih=947.

Ziobrop has numerous pictures showing that the electrical conduits running through the floor of the Exhibition floor are in place. Here are some pictures from April 2014 (as a side note, Ziobrop has a great archive feature so pictures can be found by the month and year). Since the conduits are in place and electrical junction boxes can be seen, I will believe my own eyes and accept that the wiring plans have been completed for the convention centre portion of the Nova Centre. As I mentioned previously, if you are referring to the wiring plans for the office tower then you are probably right since that will be the office tower tenants' responsibility. For the convention centre, there are floor plans online and I feel confident that it has been planned and laid out in drawings.

(source: http://novacenter.builthalifax.ca/archive )

[fenwick16]

I have a question regarding the picture below. It looks like they are using precast slabs for the floor on the Ballroom (top of the steel work). Is this correct? The picture isn't very high resolution so it is hard to see.

Also, the boom on the crawler crane seems very low today in the picture.

(source: http://www.novascotiawebcams.com/en/webcams/nova-centre/ )

[Ziobrop]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

I have a question regarding the picture below. It looks like they are using precast slabs for the floor on the Ballroom (top of the steel work). Is this correct? The picture isn't very high resolution so it is hard to see.

Also, the boom on the crawler crane seems very low today in the picture.

(source: http://www.novascotiawebcams.com/en/webcams/nova-centre/ )

It's not precast. What you see stacked is a metal panel they weld to the steel, then pour the slab on. They used the same material over the box girders

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by Ziobrop

It's not precast. What you see stacked is a metal panel they weld to the steel, then pour the slab on. They used the same material over the box girders

Thanks for the information. I am familiar with this construction material, which is often referred to as steel decking, but couldn't make it out in the Nova Scotia Webcams picture. They should be able to install this very quickly.

For anyone who hasn't seen steel decking up close it is similar to what is shown in the drawing below (the concrete is poured over it). There are a few different corrugated decking sheet shapes; I imagine we will see close-up pictures on Ziobrop's tumblr webpage in the future


(source of drawing: http://www.canam-construction.com/en/products/steel-deck/ )

[Jonovision]

Forgot to post this the other day but girders have now gone up over top of Market Street.

[Keith P.]

Looks like there is a bit of a dust-up regarding a tunnel to connect this to the existing tunnel/pedway system:

http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/metro/1...ntion-centre-hotels-could-cost-taxpayers

Taxpayers could be on the hook for a multimillion-dollar underground tunnel to help delegates of the new Halifax Convention Centre avoid inclement weather when walking to downtown hotels.

Scott Ferguson, president and CEO of Trade Centre Ltd., said the tunnel would connect the new convention centre to the lobby of the current World Trade and Convention Centre and four hotels: the Prince George, Barrington Halifax, Delta Barrington and Halifax Marriott Harbourfront.

The new convention centre is part of the half-billion dollar Nova Centre development, which also includes a new luxury hotel.

“The goal is to link the new convention centre with the hotel network,” Ferguson said Thursday. “That’s really been a long-term practice in Halifax because it goes right back to how we compete as a city.”
...

An information report updating council on the progress of the new Halifax convention centre said the tunnel could cost up to $10 million.

“Concept design for the tunnel connection along Grafton Street between the existing enclosed pedestrian system and the new convention centre is expensive” $7 million to $10 million, the staff report said.

“While HRM staff do not agree that a tunnel is a necessary feature, we do acknowledge that the concept of a convenient, weather-protected pedestrian connection at street level is a desirable outcome.”

The report said staff is working on “practical and effective alternatives to create weather-protected access without the expense and disruption of tunnel.”

However, if council moved forward with the tunnel, the report said it could likely be cost-shared with the province.

A few points: first, it is difficult to understand how this was not included in the original concept/design for the place. It seems a given that it would need such a connection.

Secondly, I am not sure why the province would consider cost-sharing on this. It is not like they are flush with cash compared to Daddy Warbucks HRM.

Maybe Ferguson should call it a "bike lane". I'm sure that then, HRM would gladly throw money at it.

[JET]

A $10,000,000 bike lane, I'd like to see that.