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By Rachel Mercado
The Canadian pulp & paper sector and the mining sector are two important components of the Canadian economy, and the operations for related companies are situated largely in Northern Ontario and Quebec. For this reason, Bestech Engineering decided to build the Calabrian S02 Clean Production Facility in Timmins, ON in the Porcupine neighbourhood. The purpose of this facility is to house the production of liquid sulphur dioxide (S02), a chemical compound used in both industries, where it is forecasted to produce 35,000 tonnes of S02 annually.
This project was awarded to Secord Construction, located in Timmins, ON, through a hard bid process, and the company’s scope of work included all earthworks, concrete works, as well as the supply and installation of two steel buildings for this facility.
The schedule for completion was extremely fast-paced. Secord submitted its proposal in mid-December 2015, began construction by June 2016 and completed the project in November 2016. Due to the aggressive schedule of the project, pre-engineered metal buildings were the buildings of choice. In addition to this, the design time was significantly reduced with the assistance of Robertson’s engineering team. The engineers were able to quickly tailor the building’s designs in order to meet the client’s needs and, with respect to the tight deadline, were able to accelerate the building/fabrication process.
For both buildings, Secord used 22-gauge Double-Lok® standing seam roof panels, 8-in. Robertson Thermal System (RTS) clips and hat sections, and 26-gauge PBR liner panels. The wall systems, which include two layers of 4-in. thick mineral wool to provide a one-hour fire rated wall, contain two layers of 4-in. thick mineral batt insulation, held in place with 8-in. stick pins. In addition, due to the proximity of the buildings to each other, two-hour rated fire wall assemblies were required on the sidewalls of the buildings.
One of the biggest challenges while working on this project was the installation of wall insulation and interior wall liner panels, due to the fact that numerous large processing equipment had to be in place prior to the closing of the roof and walls of the structure. This made the installation of the final interior components extremely challenging; therefore, special tube and clamp scaffolds had to be installed to complete this work in a safe and timely manner.
A second challenge was ensuring the final design of the roof assembly could reduce thermal conductivity to control snow melt and ice-build up, as the process of creating S02 releases intense amounts of heat up to 40°C (104°F). To achieve this, Secord applied R40 x 2 lbs per square foot close cell spray foam on the Process Building Roof. This foam provided an air tight and gap free barrier, which is resistant to moisture and mold.
According to John Gelms, District Manager of North & Eastern Ontario, “The Calabrian Facility is an incredible example of what Secord Construction is capable of. They were able to tackle all challenges and issues with an incredible result.”
Gelms continues, “The complexity of the buildings and the ambitious deadline were challenges in themselves, and the talented staff at Secord was able to deliver an outstanding facility that will give customers the benefit of sourcing the material within the region, thus reducing transportation complexity.”
Secord Construction has been an Authorized Robertson Builder for 15 years. As a design-build construction company, Secord is present throughout the entire construction process, from design through completion. They were recognized as Top Robertson Builder of the North & Eastern Ontario District for 2016.
