With just 6 months to complete construction
of a 4000 seat arena (“The Stable”) for the
Rough Riders hockey team plus a second rink
for public skating, the contractor knew that
the key to finishing on time and within budget
was to form the concrete columns, penalty
boxes and seating area with as few surprises
as possible. The $12.5 million project was
privately funded, and there was no room for
unexpected costs.
The contractor contacted their nearby Symons
representative to explain their concerns, especially
the limited access that they would have.
With just one construction entrance in the enclosed
area, equipment storage and placement
would impact maneuvering room for the crane.
Working closely with the contractor, a plan
was devised to form the risers and raker beams
monolithically. Using shoring frames under
the raker beams and Symons Soldier components
with lumber form faces to create the
stepped seating area, the contractor was able
to use the same equipment 20 times, adjusting
when necessary, which minimized the amount
of materials they needed to have on site.
The contractor remarked that workers were
amazed at how fast the assembly could be
set up in each location and how few problems
they encountered. They report that without
the thorough planning and detailed drawings
they would never have come close to completing
the project on time and on budget.