King Street underpass at the transit hub

[Owen]

You're welcome!

The critical pour is the deck on top, which is a staggering two metres thick. The temperature must be at 10C for at least a week for the concrete to properly set.

Frankly I'm glad they're doing this - temperatures at night could dip below 10C well into May/June - if this thing doesn't set properly the bridge might someday collapse when a train passes over - and then hear everyone howl "how could this happen!?!? What kind of morons built this thing!?!?" At least this way we know temperatures are regulated and structure is safe and sound for years to come.

[KevinL]

The Weber overpass is only for the train tracks themselves, which is why steel spans could be used. The King crossing will also have station platforms and must be rated for public access, so the more complex and time-consuming concrete structure is needed.

[kps]

MultiUnderpass!

   

[Canard]

The trench there in front of School of Pharmacy is simply massive. I wonder how much of that will be filled in? Obviously, the grading there is going to drop down, but I'm still having a bit of a hard time exactly visualizing how the retaining walls will look and all that.

It's going to be deep, that's for sure - current track level, minus 2 metres of deck, then ~4.5 m of clearance under the bridge! Essentially, two stories lower than what it was before.

[kps]

The trench there in front of School of Pharmacy is simply massive.  I wonder how much of that will be filled in?  Obviously, the grading there is going to drop down, but I'm still having a bit of a hard time exactly visualizing how the retaining walls will look and all that.

The current trench seems to be level (the lane on the pharmacy side lines up with the water on the deeper side), which makes me think it's pre-work for utilities or something like that, rather than the actual approach.

   

[BrianT]

They have removed a lot of dirt from King Street.

[Canard]

Of all the places along the line that will have a transformation of atmosphere, I think this one is going to be the most dramatic.

[kps]

…

Ah, I see a pipe up the slope in your photo — I bet they're draining groundwater.

[Canard]

Just spotted this while flipping through the maps again:  Here's the side profile of the grade coming from Waterloo on the left, to Kitchener on the right:

   

(Note that this view is compressed 5:1 horizontally; the scales are different vertically and horizontally.)

[jamincan]

That's not too bad south of the rail line; the north side, though, that's a huge change.

[isUsername]

Just spotted this while flipping through the maps again:  Here's the side profile of the grade coming from Waterloo on the left, to Kitchener on the right:



(Note that this view is compressed 5:1 horizontally; the scales are different vertically and horizontally.)

"Fixed" it.

[chutten]

Not only will the road and track need to be sunk two stories: they've removed the current storm sewer and will have to sink a new one sufficiently below where the new surface will lie.

That might account for the hole being (or becoming) deeper than expected.

[GtwoK]

I'm not sure if it's like this every night, or just specifically tonight because they're prepping for the big pour tomorrow night, but the dome looks wonderful when illuminated!

[KevinL]

Regional Councillor Tom Galloway got to go under the dome yesterday to see the prep work. He's posted some great pictures on his Twitter feed.

[kps]

   

Note to construction voyeurs: the above vantage point is a publicly accessible (weekday business hours) window at the end of the washroom hallway beside BDO.