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OCTOBER 2015 | 73 Canalta Centre RENDERING COURTESY ARCHITECTURE49 INC. To further expedite the construc- tion process, precast concrete panels were utilized to form the basement and perimeter walls for the first lift of the structure. "The panels are composed of 150 millimetre thick bead insulation," says Kitty Leung, lead structural engi- neer on the project at WSP. "Designed to act as structural composite sections, they are sandwiched between two 75 millimetre precast concrete wythes, for a total thickness of 300 millimetres." The precast panels were designed, fabricated and inst alled by Eagle Builders LP in Blackfalds. The structure has been designed to resist both earthquakes and high winds, despite being located in a low seismicity zone geographically. Steel raker frames are used as lateral load resisting elements in the radial direction, while the perime- ters of the structure feature steel braced frames. These not only provide uninter- rupted spaces, they also get transferred outward on all sides from the roof. "Extreme care was taken during the co-ordination between structural steel and precast panel interface," explains Leung. "They need to transfer gravity loads at column and beam connections, as well as lateral loads from braced frames, and get distributed across mul- tiple panels." Additionally, in order to eliminate a layer of joist framing, the 114 milli- metre deep long-span roof decks were designed to span 5.6 metres between long-span open-web steel joists. "The joist profiles were carefully detailed geometrically," explains Leung. "This allows for service catwalks and large mechanical ducts of diameters of up to 1.2 metres to fit between the webs of the joists, hence achieving the highest possible clearance from the ice surface." The long-awaited Canalta Centre is replacing the Medicine Hat Arena built in 1970. The facility served the com- munity for 45 years and though it still maintains a full house for hockey games, it is reaching the end of its lifespan. "The Medicine Hat Arena is lacking the mod- ern amenities that are now standard in most WHL venues and are expected by touring entertainers," explains MacKay. "In comparison, the Canalta Centre sees a vast improvement to spectator ameni- ties with larger seats, more washrooms and concession points of sale, ample circulation space on the concourse and premium seating alternatives that sim- ply did not exist in the old arena." Spect ator capacit y is 6,100 for hockey games, with the ability to host 7,100 visitors for concerts, including 350 club seats, 22 suites, eight boxes, two community suites for public rental and a lounge. The modern and spacious $74.9-million facility is the new home of the Medicine Hat Tigers, having opened their regular season schedule on September 26, with various concerts booked between game nights. A LOCATION 2802 Box Springs Way NW, Medicine Hat, Alberta OWNER/DEVELOPER City of Medicine Hat FACILITY OPERATOR SMG Canada PROJECT MANAGER MHPM Project Managers Inc. ARCHITECT Architecture49 Inc. GENERAL CONTRACTOR PCL Construction Management Inc. STRUCTURAL/MECHANICAL/ ELECTRICAL CONSULTANT WSP LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT Alvin Reinhard Fritz Architect Inc. TOTAL SIZE 198,000 square feet TOTAL COST $74.9 million "SPS panels provided many advantages on this project. Installation was easy and took a fraction of the time required for concrete. They eliminated winter heating requirements, risk of freezing damage to finished surfaces and waste materials. Thinner panels gave more headroom (40mm vs. 150mm for concrete). I would highly recommend SPS and Intelligent Engineering." Robert S Holmes, Senior Superintendent, University of Alberta ICE Project, EllisDon Floors ® Contact us at +1 613 569 3111 ext 5000 or email us at enquiries@ie-sps.com www.ie-sps.com SPS Floors a better way to build Innovation Centre for Engineering, University of Alberta A S U S E D 9:43 AM

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