For more than 50 years the Ontario Science Centre has delighted and inspired millions of visitors to love science, technology and innovation. The iconic brutalist building complex was designed by renowned Canadian architect Raymond Moriyama and built down the side of a wooded ravine on a 90-acre site. Periodic refurbishment has been essential for the upkeep of this complex structure.

The 2018 caulking restoration project was a conundrum. How to access these challenging exposures, safely and effectively? This was not work for the faint of heart. In 2018, general contractor Basekämp Construction Corporation engaged with Beverly Caulking to solve the access dilemma and establish a restoration plan.

Executed 2018 through 2019, this has been one of the most complex restoration projects on which Beverly Caulking has had the privilege of collaborating.

Here’s an overview of the work performed:

  • Develop and implement an access plan.
  • Remove and replace existing wall panel joints (control joint repair).
  • Repair damaged precast.
  • Remove and replace sealant around windows, doors, louvers, and

The Challenges

Beverly faced three challenging access issues at the Ontario Science Centre:

  • Access from building interiors was extremely limited.
  • The topography presented difficult elevation problems.
  • Forest, stairs, and narrow walkways tightly encompassed the building complex.

Beverly’s roof access: anchor (in red) attached to scaffolding (in yellow)

Beverly Solutions

Undaunted, we tapped into Beverly’s wellspring of ingenuity and devised our own winch system to pull a 10,000-pound Spider Man Lift up stairs and around the building complex. The nimble and versatile Spider moves on tank-like rubber tracks and has articulated arms that fold in to allow it to maneuver through tight spaces. At the Ontario Science Centre, we winched the Spider into the best locations, extended its arms (as seen below) to stably hold the platform in place, allowing the Beverly team to work safely, comfortably and efficiently.

Winching the Spider Man Lift up staircase

Anchor supporting 10,000 lb Spider

Spider Man Lift stabilized & ready

Spider taking Beverly to tight heights

Other Beverly deliverables at the Ontario Science Centre were equally complex: zoom booms, swing stages and bosun chairs, all which were firmly anchored to provide the stability required. Setting up equipment required for caulking at heights was a thoughtful and time-consuming process, but these innovations enabled us to do the work at the highest of standards.

Contact

A premier caulking and fire stopping contractor in the residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial markets, Beverly Caulking loves a good challenge. Want to learn more about Beverly’s problem solving for your next project?

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