As part of the continued upgrade of the TransCanada Highway through Banff National Park in Alberta, AIL was contracted to design and supply MSE Retaining Wall Systems for:
- Four large downslope retaining walls;
- Three bridge abutments, and;
- Two large headwalls for an arch.
- Design-build project had many challenges
AIL has an impressive pedigree on some of Canada’s largest and most challenging design-build projects. This one was made even more challenging by steep mountainous terrain with limited room for staging or detours. These factors resulted in some of the project being designed as a “work-in-progress,” creating some unforeseen design and schedule implications.
AIL is known for its on-going support throughout the entire project cycle. In this case, our team worked very closely with the contractor, Aecon-Ruskin Joint Venture (ARJV), and the consultants to provide quick responses on design reworks and also used on-site material, whenever possible, to reduce schedule delays. This kept the project moving forward with minimal cost or supply implications.
Precast coping saves time and money
Another factor that contributed to the success of the overall project schedule was the use of AIL’s very quick and cost-effective precast coping.
“AIL’s precast coping was economically a great alternative to traditional cast-in-place coping and the ease of install really accelerated our MSE wall completion schedule.”
– John Lessard, Construction Manager, ARJV
