Project Summary

Client
FTG Constructors

Budget
$20 Million

Services
Construction Management

Market
Transportation

Project Description

A wall solution was required in North Delta to facilitate Highway 17 construction.

Shotcrete was chosen for its top-down construction, which allowed for Pioneer Road work and excavation to happen concurrently. 6000 m2 of architectural cast-in-place finishing was utilized in order to create an aesthetically-pleasing stretch of highway.

Our Role
RAM was retained by the joint venture FTG Constructors, comprised of Ledcor, Dragados, BellPacific and Vancouver Pile Driving.  This $700 Million P-3 project consisted of design, build, operate, finance and maintain.

Our team provided services in the following ways:

  • Project management services for construction and technical design review in two disciplines: earthworks and walls;
  • We were integrated into the joint venture team, directly managing four different shoring and excavation subcontractors for the North Delta area.

Project Highlights

Due to the limited right-of-way on the road, there was a maximum height the shotcrete walls could reach before encroaching into private property.

Considerable cost savings were found during the design of the soil nail walls for the project. These walls were initially designed with 150mm cased holes and solid bar nails, but the local market only possessed limited equipment for this type of drilling; therefore, the design was changed to 100mm self-drilling, hollow-bar nails. This adjustment allowed for smaller drilling equipment (air-tracks), which is readily available in the local market; is more cost-effective; and is simply faster to drill.

The shotcrete finish method saved four months of construction compared to traditional cast-in-place methods. Additionally, the faux-stone finish was completed by carving, stamping and colouring the shotcrete.

This accomplishment marked the first time that this type of finish was implemented on a B.C. highway, and on any B.C. project of this magnitude.