The rise above ground level marks yet another significant development in the ongoing construction of the $500-million Trump International Hotel & Tower, located at 325 Bay Street.
Work for the 75-person crew remains on schedule despite the technical challenges posed by the unique post-tension construction method employed. Post-tensioning — which strengthens a building’s structure by running high-strength steel cables and iron reinforcing bars through the slabs of concrete — allows for less support columns. More importantly for residents, fewer support beams create more open floor plans and eliminate the inconvenience of oddly placed columns found in many other residential condominiums.
“As proud as we are of the developments and transformations the Tower has undergone in the past year and a half, we are even more excited about the next phases of our project,” says Alex Shnaider, Chairman of Talon International Development Inc., the building’s developer. “With so many real estate developments around the globe being put on hold, we remain encouraged as our building takes its place along the city’s skyline.”
Construction of the five-star, 60-storey, Trump International Hotel & Tower officially began on November 12, 2007. The crew is currently finishing up the sixth floor and mechanical work in the basement, including plumbing. In addition to the post-tension construction approach, the team is using a “corkscrew cycle” for the first seven floors, which enables one crew to complete a section of the parking level while another crew prepares for the next section.
Says Val Levitan, President and CEO of Talon, “It is exciting to observe the synergies of the construction process, in which all of the elements come together in harmony – and on schedule – to create this legendary building. The Automatic Climbing System (ACS), which allows crews to work without relying on cranes, makes the process faster and safer than other methods,”
The ACS benefits the crews by allowing them to move up and down the interior forms via hydraulic lifts. Another important construction element, the Rail Climbing System (RCS), will be put in place to protect the team from strong winds and bad weather as they complete the upper floors.
Progress is expected to speed up during the warmer months of spring and summer, during which time the construction crew will begin work on the sixth to 10th floors, while also completing the underground parking garage.
Says Levitan, “As the Tower’s construction reaches skyward, the future owners, developers, investors and passersby are beginning to see this iconic structure become the luxurious reality it was envisioned to be.”
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