INDUSTRY SECTOR

GEOTECHNICAL

Torrent specializes in novel shoring and structural wall combination work, providing top-down finished walls constructed below grade.

The Exchange - Vancouver

Innovative planning and execution were necessary when underpinning rights could not be obtained for the west wall of this ambitious project. The goal was to avoid using heavy retention systems that would reduce the structural footprint. To prevent this type of encroachment, conventional steel piles were placed in an innovative way, 12 inches back from the final finished face of the wall. Waterproofing and reinforcing followed after excavation was done in 5 - 7 ft lifts. Torrent then built construction bulkheads for the ends and the bottom of shoots to ensure no contamination and a good structural bond. Steel plates were then welded to the piles to support the rebar prior to shooting. This steel plate and pile combination performed double duty, also serving to fully support the structural shotcrete. Structural shotcrete was then applied top-down from ground level to the final 9th level of the parkade creating the final finished walls. 

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  • Top-Down Construction

    Top Down Second Lift of a 9-story parkade

  • Adjacent to Existing Walls

    Keyway's cut in for suspended slab ramp of structure.

  • Heavy-Duty Bracing

    Shoring design for top-down construction to retain massive forces.

  • 9 Floors Deep

    9 storey parkade wall finished before footings.

Sturgeon Refinery

The Sturgeon Refinery, a massive diesel processing plant northeast of Edmonton, is the single biggest project that Torrent has been a part of to date. Torrent was called upon to help install sump retaining ponds within an extremely challenging existing environment. Because intricate underground mechanical infrastructure was already in place, conventional excavation techniques were not possible. Torrent worked with Double-Star Drilling to devise a build plan that involved excavating straight down in a step-by-step manner, shoring as we went, all the way to the bottom.  From there, Torrent installed single-sided forms in space-limited confines and shot the walls back up to the top. This innovative execution eliminated all the issues that would have been encountered with conventional gradual slope excavation and two-sided form wall construction and ensured that none of the intricate existing mechanical infrastructure was impacted. 

Hover over each photo to reveal more job details!

  • Significant Scope

    The massive Sturgeon Refinery is located 49 kilometers northeast of Edmonton.

  • Team Planning

    The Torrent and Double Star Drilling team assess one of the two sump sites to plan their excavation approach.

  • Tight Quarters

    Here you can see the proximity of the excavation site to the surrounding infrastructure, most of which lies underground.

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