The Great Canadian Casino Resort, formerly Woodbine Casino, recently underwent a major expansion which included a new performance venue, dining areas, two hotels, a pool, and retail spaces. Walters Group was awarded the supply, fabrication, and installation of 3,300 tons of structural steel, 177,500 square feet of metal decking, and steel components. Our team also coordinated the connection designs along with partner Meyer Borgman Johnson (MBJ).
Strong-As-Steel Partnerships
The complexity of the project required close coordination between trades, particularly where Walters Group’s work intersected with other trades. Effective planning and collaboration were essential to ensure all components were aligned properly. By sharing the design models early on and by carefully sequencing the erection schedule, all components of the expansion fit together seamlessly and maintained structural stability throughout construction.
Walters Group divided the connection design process into specialized areas, with team members focusing on aspects such as cladding, raker seating, and the main structural system. This approach allowed each team to concentrate on one of the many complex portions of the project, which increased efficiency in addressing the building’s intricate sloped and skewed façade.
Precision in Connection Design Through In-House Engineering
The Great Canadian Casino Resort expansion involved complex connection design challenges. Walters Group tackled these by developing an innovative approach to integrating structural steel with the external insulated metal panels (IMPs), which featured complex geometry.
Typically, an element such as an angle is used between the façade and the girt. However, in this case, the IMPs were directly connected to the girt. The connection design had to be tailored to accommodate the façade’s complex geometry, ensuring the IMPs were both functional and visually consistent with the theatre’s unique exterior. To achieve this, Walters Group ensured that the connections were engineered to lay flush with the grits, providing a seamless surface for fastening the IMPs.
Innovative Construction Solutions With Walters Field Services
Due to simultaneous construction at other parts of the casino expansion, the theatre required creative solutions for crane placement. With limited space outside the building, Walters Field Services (WFS) positioned smaller 80-ton crawler cranes on the already poured suspended slab of the theatre floor. This required temporary shoring underneath the slab in the existing underground parking garage to support the crane loads.
The supports were placed at closer intervals to handle the crane loads and maintain the stability of the garage ceiling and theatre floor. This allowed construction to continue above the garage without disrupting other trades.
An alternative would have been to use larger crawler cranes with luffing booms outside the building footprint, but it would have been a challenge to stay below the Toronto Pearson Airport ceiling height due to the project’s proximity to the airport. However, by using smaller cranes inside the structure, WFS was able to address the height restrictions and optimize space utilization, facilitating more efficient operations at a lower cost.
The Great Canadian Casino Resort expansion highlights Walters Group’s capabilities in tackling complex construction challenges through effective teamwork, careful planning, and innovative solutions. This unique approach ensured that the project met design requirements and addressed logistical constraints within a tight timeline.
Special thanks to our valued partners on this project:
- Great Canadian Entertainment
- CGL Architects
- RJC Engineers
- Meyer Borgman Johnson (MBJ)
- Ironworkers 721
- Modern Crane
- Bercon Rentals
Learn more about our role: www.waltersgroupinc.com/project/woodbine-casino-theatre/
