Yellowknife (July 16/04) - Concrete is the name of the game for PCL workers on site of the new federal building.

The first floor of the building's west wing is in place, and now workers are tackling the second floor.

Dave Chursinoff works from a ladder while Corry Pickkers (background, left) pounds from the ground. The two were building a wooden form for the concrete stairwell of the building. - Daniel T'seleie/NNSL photo

"Every level is all concrete," said Kevin Bilesky, project co-ordinator.

A system of supports hold a layer of plywood forms that the concrete is poured over.

The supports must stay in place until the concrete has cured enough to support its own weight.

Once a floor is completed, the supports are slid out the side and work on the next floor can begin.

"What we're trying to achieve is a week between (pouring) cycles," Bilesky said.

This schedule is subject to change. There is a learning curve on every job, says Bilesky, and by the time the crew gets a handle on this job, they will almost be done pouring the building's four floors.

They hope to have the floors up in a month.

Burning in the basement

There is still some foundation work to complete in the basement area of the building before the floor can be poured, and workers are battling the heat.

The sand reaches temperatures of 40C on hot days, says Allan Shortt, site superintendent.

Nevertheless, workers managed to pour 48 cubic feet of concrete a day for one of the basements walls.

The wooden forms for the concrete are reused as much as possible.

"You should get at least 12 pours out of them," Shortt said. The wood for the forms was salvaged from other PCL projects.

So far, the site has only sent one load of wood to the dump.