If you're feeling earthquake like vibes this afternoon in the East Exchange, it appears they're trying to vibrate the steel panels/wall braces (not sure what they are) that were pounded into the ground this spring along Amy and James and pull them out 5 feet or so. This does not seem good if they have to do them all.
They are finished with the piles and are now digging quite deep as you can see on the right. That lines up with what some were suggesting early on about how deep the site will be.
In regard to my last post, these steel things are what they're trying to vibrate and pull up.
We are bouncing around here at my office. They had to shut down the sheet pile removal and are setting up vibration monitors to confirm that they aren't damaging the buildings.
We are bouncing around here at my office. They had to shut down the sheet pile removal and are setting up vibration monitors to confirm that they aren't damaging the buildings.
It's INTENSE vibration.
I'm next door at 132 James and we are shaking around! Can even see my pictures on the brick walls shaking.
The building inspection department reached out to someone in my building to advise the builders are reassessing how to remove the panels and likely wont be using the same process that was rocking the area yesterday.
Can someone shed some light on this process? Is it normal for these panels/braces to be removed?
Those are steel sheet piles. They are used mostly for shoring or retaining walls. They are likely more expensive than timber and lagging and are typically removed in shoring scenarios. For retaining walls, they're permanent of course.
The sheets are either vibrated into place or pounded in like a pile. To remove them, they are typically vibrated out while being pulled by a crane. This is what was felt this week.
They're going to cut them off. No other option unless they want to maybe wait until summer and try again. Insurance claim will likely have to pay for the cost of the sheets. The owner won't want to pay and the contractor won't want to lose their sheets.
Yeah, I can't imagine they will try again. The vibration measured in our office was at the level for where damages were possible in historic masonry buildings.
The sheet piles must be worth some serious $$ though. The mobilization of the crane, generator and removal tool must have cost close to 5-figures just to get them out.
The sheets are engineered pieces. They're like beams essentially. Placed in a zig zag type pattern. On their own, not much value. But when they're connected together in a line like that, they are strong.
They're not cheap and will be re-used over and over.
Typically pulled out. For the stuff that is left in place, the timber lagging is the preferred method it seems. Likely cheapest. Lined with timber instead of steel.
Some examples of sheet piled retaining walls are along the transitway. Stradbrook station has a sheet pile wall covered with that faux brick. Exposed sheet pile along Tache at the new Belevedere thing. Sheet piles covered in concrete are installed in the underpass at Pembina and Jubilee.
That's just it though. Why spend all the $$ to mobilize to take them out then?
Either they were using this as some sort of training exercise, or the value of the sheet piling is more than I think it should be.
The vibratory head that they use to loosen the sheets is about the worst thing you can use in terms of impact for surrounding buildings, which is also a head scratcher considering the age of said surrounding buildings, as well as their proximity.
The article also contains some details on the Masonic Temple redevelopment. Nothing too interesting, sounds like they're struggling to find a tenant. Unfortunate but also given the type of building it is, it kind of makes sense.
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not surprised as it was BAD!!!!
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