The Bay Adelaide Centre: Twenty-Five Years of Structural Innovation

Abstract

Conceptualized in the late 1980s, the Bay Adelaide Centre is located in downtown Toronto and will eventually be home to 3.2-million square feet of commercial office space in three towers, with heights of 51, 45 and 33 storeys. Arriving at this milestone required: the use of innovative structural materials – this development features the world’s first high-rise constructed using 485 MPa (70 ksi) steel, North America’s first high-rise designed using 450 MPa (65 ksi) steel, and Toronto’s first high-rise constructed using 85 MPa (12 ksi) concrete in the core; teamwork – as with any multi-phase development, a number of development, design and construction professionals have touched this project; and patience – the project has been in design and construction for more than 25 years. Breaking new ground in the world of structural design takes more than shovels and hard hats. From this presentation, attendees hoping to bring structural innovations to their projects will learn what questions structural engineers should ask material producers; what questions they will have to answer for the owner, fellow designers and the construction team; and what other tools they should equip themselves with in order to enter smoothly into new territory. They will also get an idea of the efficiency that high-strength structural materials can bring to projects of varying sizes, as well as an understanding of the add-on effects of these savings – from logistics and fabrication, to cost.