June 2006 ISSUE
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KEYSER FILE
Justice May be Blind —
But She’s Also Big and Strong
BY TOM KEYSER
Freelance Columnist
Most Albertans regard their criminal justice system as a tower of strength.
And by the end of next summer, Calgary judges, lawyers, clerks and administrative
staff will have a new workplace to match.
In fact the $300 million Calgary Courts Centre, rapidly taking shape in the heart
of the city, may be the sturdiest modern building in the country.
Or so suspects Pang Ng, P.Eng., project principal for Stantec. His company is in charge of structural and civil engineering for what The Calgary Herald has praised as a “supercourthouse.”
“We’re looking at a facility that will last,” understates Mr. Ng, who heads up a 12-member Stantec team for this project.
Yet the use of Stantec’s enhanced and heavily reinforced model added only about one or two per cent to overall structural construction costs. It’s no surprise that Mr. Ng regards the project as one of the highlights of a distinguished career.
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TIED BY ATRIUM |
“It pushes your sense of personal satisfaction almost to a high point,” he says with a nod and a humble smile. “How many times do you have the chance to work on a building of this calibre?
“Part of the satisfaction is that you can sleep at night, knowing that in the event of some misfortune, this building is extremely safe.”
A 9/11 Connection
Stantec’s original bid to the client, Alberta Infrastructure, incorporated
fundamental strengthening measures originally proposed by the U.S. government’s
General Services Administration, in the wake of terrorist attacks on New York
and Washington on Sept. 11, 2001.
“The courthouse complex is engineered to be resistant to disaster,” Mr. Ng elaborates. “In the event of a catastrophe, the chance of the total collapse of the building is very low. It’s all about protecting human life.”
Stantec’s design guidelines on the courthouse exceed the minimum standards set down by provincial and federal building codes. The new courthouse is reinforced with stronger beams and columns, making the overall structure much stouter than a standard building similar in size. The design calls for stringent reinforcement details and placement tolerance during construction throughout the entire structure.
It will be big as well as sturdy.
At a little more than one million square feet — all packed into a relatively modest space, about half a city block — this will be the largest courthouse in North America, consolidating every function of both the provincial courts and the Court of Queen’s Bench.
Two concrete towers, 24 and 20 storeys, are joined by a massive see-through atrium with ribs of steel, 27 storeys high and 18 metres wide.
Tricky Job
“That’s been a bit challenging,” says Fabrizio Carinelli, P.
Eng., project manager for CANA Construction. “You’ve got two concrete
structures. You’re trying to tie them together with steel, when there are
issues with the concrete, which tends to shrink,” he continues.
“A lot of it had to settle and shrink before we could make the final connections, using steel pedestrian bridges up the entire height of the atrium. Most of the work must be done under controlled conditions. The entire atrium will have to be enclosed before we can complete our final welding connections. From an engineering standpoint, this design is unique,” says Mr. Carinelli.
Towers of Strength
Structurally speaking, the complex is designed to withstand earthquakes, extremely
high winds or, heaven forbid, explosive discharges, with both concrete towers
moving elastically in tandem, joined by the tie of the atrium bridges.
Meanwhile, a triangulated truss system on the east and west facades of the atrium will support the weight of clear glazing, allowing an unobstructed view on both sides and symbolizing transparent justice.
“Our design structure incorporates sufficient strength and flexibility that when the towers do move in high winds, we won’t have to worry about shattered glass,” says Mr. Ng.
In terms of environmental friendliness, the Calgary Courts Centre will also be top of the line, constructed to the high standards of sustainability set by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
With completion a year away, Mr. Ng and Mr. Carinelli stand somewhat in awe of the functional beauty of the design from prime consultant Kasian Architecture, as well as the engineering challenges their teams have worked so hard to overcome.
“For me personally, it’s been something special to be part of this,” confirms Mr. Carinelli, who admits he’ll miss his comfortable CANA site office in the exquisite old Court of Appeals building across the street from the new complex.
“You don’t run across too many opportunities in a lifetime to work on something of this magnitude.”