The 9th Avenue Parkade and Innovation centre project involves the construction of a new above-grade parking structure that will comprise of seven levels to accommodate 508 parking stalls (and plenty of bike parking), and a 50,000 sq. ft. innovation centre dubbed “Platform” that will be operated by Calgary Technologies Inc. and will serve as a multi-use space for learning, projects, makers, and community. The facility will also include a ground floor café and an outdoor sport court.

The main structural features are the three and four-storey super trusses which span the LRT tunnel below grade. As the tunnel that runs beneath the side could not be altered or relocated, large cluster piles had to be installed on either side of the tunnel’s right-of-way to support these supertrusses which support the structure.

The mechanical and electrical servicing for the site will be entirely new, including civil infrastructure work to bring power, gas, water, sanitary and storm to the site. There is an extensive amount of below-grade piping for these services, along with two large cisterns below grade to handle the stormwater drainage from the parking levels.

EllisDon also self-performed the concrete and formwork portion of the job as part of a separate contract. The structure consists of varying concrete mix designs. Steel trusses and concrete are an integrated design that have the bottom and top chords of the trusses cast in slab with reinforcing steel couplers and pass throughs. Steel trusses are encased in concrete for fire rating purposes. There are two concrete cores with two elevators each serving the seven floors.

Features

The project features:

• a mesh cladding exterior to serve as the pedestrian guard for the parkade floors;
• two elevators;
• a ramp which begins at grade and brings you up to the third level (this is the parking portion of the structure, aside from some parking areas on grade).