Toronto’s SickKids Hospital is undergoing a transformation.
Via Project Horizon, the pediatric care centre will see three main phases of redevelopment, which are designed to transform how SickKids delivers patient care and research.
The first phase of the redevelopment is the construction of a Patient Support Centre (PSC), a new 22-story educational, training and administrative tower.
The PSC will serve as a collaboration hub and a new home for staff that are currently located in leased spaces in the city.
As well, the centre will include new simulation and training spaces for its staff to ensure they stay on the leading edge of pediatric care.
The second phase of Project Horizon will see the construction of the Peter Gilgan Family Patient Tower, a new acute care hospital that will add 144 beds, for a total of 430 beds. This includes about 120 more critical care beds built as single patient rooms to improve infection prevention and patient privacy.
As well, the tower will include a new blood and marrow transplant unit, three new operating suites and a new, emergency department featuring 51 treatment spaces — 12 more than SickKids currently operates.
The final phase of the SickKids redevelopment will see renovations to the remaining hospital to support new and renovated outpatient clinics.
The first step in the SickKids transformation
However, before construction could begin on the Project Horizon vision, the 8-storey Elizabeth McMaster building, at the corner of Elm and Elizabeth streets, needed to be demolished.
Priestly Demolition was hired to take down the Elizabeth McMaster building. To complete the task, Priestly purchased a Mantovanibenne MBI CC65R combi crusher from Creighton Rock Drill.
The combi crusher was installed on Priestly’s Volvo EC700 high reach excavator.
“We saw it while we were at bauma, and it looked like it was a good size for the 70 tonne Volvo,” said Ryan Priestly, president of Priestly Demolition. “It opens nice and wide and it’s got a nice set of shear blades on it for cutting rebar, which is what we’re looking for.”
The demolition had to happen in a confined space of Toronto’s downtown core and the site had to be demolished quickly.
“The big thing we were looking for was something that closes. When it closes it just keeps going until it’s all the way closed,” Priestly said. “Some of these attachments, they close, and don’t go through the concrete. Then they open and close a little more, and then you open one more time and then they close all the way. This one seems to close all the way every time.”
Precise positioning
Designed for 60 to 70 tonne excavators, the 6,650 kg combi crusher features a 360-degree hydraulic rotation, which enables precise positioning during at-height demolition, while the double-row thrust bearing ensures high strength and increased safety.
With a height of 3 metres, the jaw opens 1.5 metres wide and delivers oil flow of 500 to 600 litres per minute.
“It’s fast and has a lot of power,” Priestly said. “It doesn’t seem to be as heavy as some of the other tools in that size class.”
As well, the CC65R combines powerful cylinders and a twin pin system to generate sizable breaking and cutting force, while the Speed-Valve reduces opening and closing time to boost productivity.
The unique design of jaws incorporates shaped shear blades, which, together with the cutting guide, gives to the combi crusher more power. Furthermore, the attachment features interchangeable teeth and blades to make maintenance easy and to keep the tool at full efficiency.
The CC65R is the first of its kind sold by Creighton Rock Drill. However, Priestly’s arsenal of attachments includes MBI’s CC45 combi crusher, as well as grapples, shears and a concrete processor from the company.
The above grade demolition of the McMaster building was expected to wrap up in October, while the first phase of Project Horizon will be completed by 2022.
