Manchester Square – Incredible Detail

Posted on by rochelle

circular concrete fountain

Complicated, crenelated grade beams!

We have completed our last project as Jutras Construction, and have helped to bring about the soon-to-be beautiful Manchester Square building located on 107 ave in Edmonton. The amount of detail in the concrete work is incredible, and we nailed it!!!

The intricate grade beams that support the building were designed not just for structural steel, but also to carry the detailed brick facade on an aesthetic exposed concrete base. Without question, these were the most detailed grade beams we have ever seen.

The final piece is a large circular fountain on a sloped base. (Most fountain bases will drain towards a central point: This one slopes 3 1/2″ towards a side drain. –Try standing a vertical circle on a slope.)

This is some of the highest-quality concrete formwork you will see in and around Edmonton. We are very proud of the job we have done. A big thank you to Garth at Apex Contracting for making this possible. 

 

60′-Wide “Wow” Staircase

Posted on by tundrafoundations

Mui Kwok Temple

Feature concrete staircase spans the entire building

The new Mui Kwok Temple in Edmonton is an impressive building, and features an amazing cast-in-place front staircase that is over 60′ long and 14 risers high! We completed our last pour in November when the structure was under tarps, but recently had opportunity to take some pictures.

Most formwork contractors can pour a few stair risers, but only a few can do this staircase. The formwork was constructed with precision to align the stair risers perfectly across the entire run –no scalloping, no deflection and no unsightly pour joins.

Staircase formwork showing multiple suspended stringers and flared radius sides.

Did we have any issues? Of course! The hardest problem to deal with was rebar coverage at the “throat” in one corner of the stairs where the underlying slope wasn’t as expected. Another decision made early on was not to construct the risers for removal during the pour, which meant minor touch-ups after strip-out and (possible) sacking to fill voids/air bubbles. Overall, however, the project was a resounding success!

We’re extremely proud of this one! A special thanks to our superintendent Darrel @ K-Rite Construction and to our finishers at Axiom Concrete for making this possible.