The flat jack prior to installation and inflation with epoxy grout The grout cylinder setup where the epoxy grout is
to keep up with a vehicle fleet that had grown considerably in
the decades since the facility was built.
In July 2017, PCL Constructors of Canada was selected
to become the design-builder for the Winnipeg Transit Bus
Maintenance Garage Expansion Project. Located next to the
recently constructed Brandon Avenue Storage garage, this
72,000 square foot expansion project was finished in June
2019; greatly increasing the facility’s floor space from 113,000
to 185,000 square feet, while also improving upon the already
impressive capabilities of the existing facilities.
“The Fort Rouge Garage has the ability to take a bus all
the way down to the frame and then re-build it from scratch,
but now with additional space to do so,” said Kyle Park, project
coordinator at PCL Constructors Canada Inc. “You can
accomplish pretty much anything you can think of at this
facility, from upholstery and sheet metal, to diesel engine
maintenance to electronics; just name it and they can make
it happen. And their cafeteria is pretty good too.”
The new expansion is essentially a large open space
comparable to a warehouse-style building, with just a few columns
running down the middle of the building. The project
included the construction of a number of new service bays,
featuring in-ground hoists for mechanics similar to what
you might find at a regular mechanic’s garage, but built to a
GREAT CANADIAN PROJECTS
placed prior to being injected into the flat jack
larger scale that allows for servicing the different models of
buses used by Winnipeg Transit. The expansion also included
additional shops area (including welding facilities) and a
paint shop with preparation and paint booths large enough
to accommodate full-sized transit buses.
As building codes have evolved over time, the requirements
for snow loading also increase. That meant PCL needed
to provide underpinning piles to help support the existing
building’s foundation, as well as accommodate the new roof
loads that were imposed on that existing facility’s structure.
“Fortunately, however, mostly everything related to the
underpinning was pretty standard for a building project of
this type,” said Park. “The piling trades here in Winnipeg are
really good at working in close proximity to existing buildings
and the piling contractor we had on site, Preset Piling Inc.,
did an amazing job.”
One of the more unique aspects of this project – particularly
for PCL – was in the use of flat jacks that were supplied
by WB Equipment Service Corp., based out of New Jersey.
For 41 years, WB Equipment has been in the business of
designing and providing equipment for all types of jacking
operations. Their flat jacks have found use on projects of all
sizes throughout the U.S. and Canada, such as the stadiums
of the NFL’s New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens, the
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