Toronto Macdonald Block Reconstruction | ?m | ?s | Infrastructure ON | WZMH

Can anyone explain to someone who doesn't have a background in the industry at all, why they have to cover so much of the building with scaffolding? Will it eventually be the entire building? An entire side?
 
March 29, 2020

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Regigate said:
Can anyone explain to someone who doesn't have a background in the industry at all, why they have to cover so much of the building with scaffolding? Will it eventually be the entire building? An entire side?
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There are really three choices.

1. Scaffolding
2. A cherry-picker
3. A swing stage

Though scaffolding is expensive to put up and take down (and rent), it gives the best place to work from if one is doing work all over a building and people can work on multiple sections. If they were just replacing one section of bricks or windows I assume they would use a cherry-picker (if low enough) or a swing-stage if higher up.
 
DSC said:
There are really three choices.

1. Scaffolding
2. A cherry-picker
3. A swing stage

Though scaffolding is expensive to put up and take down (and rent), it gives the best place to work from if one is doing work all over a building and people can work on multiple sections. If they were just replacing one section of bricks or windows I assume they would use a cherry-picker (if low enough) or a swing-stage if higher up.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the response! That does make sense.

And again, sorry for the simple questions, but does this mean that for whatever reconstruction they are doing, they are able to do it all from the scaffolding? Does it stay up for the duration of the project, or is there a deconstruction period; scaffolding comes down (while interior work happens?); and scaffolding goes back up for a reconstruction period?

As you can probably tell, I'm really not clear on how construction progresses when reconstructing a structure like this.
 
Regigate said:
Thanks for the response! That does make sense.

And again, sorry for the simple questions, but does this mean that for whatever reconstruction they are doing, they are able to do it all from the scaffolding? Does it stay up for the duration of the project, or is there a deconstruction period; scaffolding comes down (while interior work happens?); and scaffolding goes back up for a reconstruction period?

As you can probably tell, I'm really not clear on how construction progresses when reconstructing a structure like this.
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I am certainly not an expert either but I assume that the scaffolding will stay up as long as it's needed. Once they finish external work it will come down ASAP ((it is expensive to rent) and if there is interior work going on that will not interfere with it.
 
Do we assume that they'll do the tallest tower first, then disassemble the scaffold only to next use the scaffolding to create scaffolds around the other buildings onsite?

42
 
interchange42 said:
Do we assume that they'll do the tallest tower first, then disassemble the scaffold only to next use the scaffolding to create scaffolds around the other buildings onsite?

42
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Assuming other buildings need major external work, I would assume that is so, unless they have the $$ and the manpower to work on more than one tower at a time. Scaffold rental is not cheap so it is generally only erected just before it's needed and removed as soon as it's not.
 
Macdonald Block to undergo $1.5 billion reconstruction

Ian Harvey April 27, 2020

While the project is referred to as the Macdonald Block, in reality, it’s a complex of five buildings: the four office towers called Hearst, Hepburn, Mowat and Ferguson, ranging from 10 to 24-storeys, connected by a two-storey podium, and the Macdonald Block itself, with two floors of underground parking.

The winning bidders were developers Fengate Asset Management and PCL Investments Canada Inc., with PCL Contractors as the design-builder, WZMH Architects as the design architects and Johnson Controls Canada was the facilities manager.

----------------
At the same time the Whitney Block, linked to the Macdonald Block by a tunnel, is also undergoing refurbishing and upgrades. It’s a more architecturally significant Modern Gothic-Art Deco structure built in 1926 by architect F. R. Heakes. The tower was added in 1932 complete with a hand cranked elevator.

Similarly, its systems are being replaced with energy efficient windows, updating the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. The facade is natural limestone from Queenston Quarry weighing up to 2,000 pounds and will be repaired and replaced as needed. It is slated to be completed by next year.

The interior removal work and reconstruction is underway now through 2023 with it expected to be fully open in 2024. The government says operating costs for the Macdonald complex will be cut more than $20 million a year over the next 50 years, to $121 million annually from $141 million. That $400 million in savings will also grow when 586,000 square feet of third-party leases across the downtown Toronto core are terminated and the employees move back into the complex. In total there will be 1.7 million square feet of office space when completed.

canada.constructconnect.com

Macdonald Block to undergo $1.5 billion reconstruction - constructconnect.com - Daily Commercial News

The heart of the Ontario government civil service’s office is undergoing a massive $1.5 billion deconstruction and reconstruction. While the project is referred to as the Macdonald Block, in reality, it’s a complex of five buildings: the four office towe
canada.constructconnect.com canada.constructconnect.com
 
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