Points West Living – Wetaskiwin, Alberta
The building has close to 80,000 sqft of floor area and is comprised of non-combustible steel stud framed walls and composite concrete floors, offering superior fire rating and strength. PWL Wetaskiwin is dedicated to the Eden Alternative model of care, which promotes maximum independence, choice and dignity for each resident and encourages the involvement of family, neighbours and friends. Residents bring their belongings including some furnishing, and may keep their small pets in their suites.
The Challenges Presented With This Project Were
1. LBS Structural Inc. was required to coordinate the complete engineering design of the structure.
2. As the building was being completed structurally LBS was also completing the interior framing and drywall.
3. Local off-site wall panel manufacturing was required.
4. An architectural structural steel front entrance canopy is a main feature of the building
How Light-weight Building Systems Inc. Met the Challenges
LBS Structural Inc. coordinated the engineering of the foundation, concrete block cores, structural slab on grade, LBS walls and suspended composite concrete floors. LBS was chosen to not only build the super structure of this building but was chosen to complete the interior framing and drywall package as well. This offered its own set of challenges and coordination with the other trades. The medical enhancements and features of this building were carefully designed and coordinated. One example would be the many patient lift devices that were designed into the floor system and seamlessly incorporated into the suite finishes.
The Solutions We Created
Due to the site conditions of the project, LBS was not able to set up a wall panel manufacturing plant on site. LBS came up with a solution and rented a near by vacant lot in order to manufacture the structural components and LBS wall panels for the project. Once fabricated we then shipped the steel load bearing wall sections locally to the site ready to be installed. Extra coordination and care was taken when sequencing the fabrication of the load bearing walls and deliveries to meet the overall site schedule. LBS was presented the challenge of designing, fabricating and installing the detailed front entrance canopy out of structural steel. Through planning and using our 3D model design, LBS was able to fabricate the structural steel components with great accuracy and all the pieces fit seamlessly together, especially when the canopy structure was connecting to the block walls and the LBS wall system at the same time.
Results, Return on Investment and Future Plans
As a result of careful planning and hard work LBS was able to deliver this non-combustible structure on schedule. Adding the drywall package to our overall scope of work helped with the overall coordination of the site. Fabrication off site in our mobile panel plant, but still locally, kept the cost of shipping wall panels to a minimum. Our engineering and detailing experience using 3D models helped to make the installations seamless. We look forward to bringing our experience forward to future clients.