Are you interested in knowing what's behind the plywood fence that covers up that new condo in Toronto that's still being built? Did you know that vacuum trucks are involved in every step of this process, servicing the portable toilets needed by the construction crew? We'll take you through the bare bones of the condo construction process and give you a run down of the other types of equipment you're likely to see on site during each phase of construction.
Step 1: Foundations
Excavators, such as backhoes, dump trucks, and enormous earth movers are the first pieces of equipment onto the site once the surveyors have finished their work. High rise condominium buildings such as King West Condos in Toronto need to have extremely deep foundations - usually at least twenty feet - in order to properly support the weight of such an enormous building. During this stage of construction, many tons of earth are removed and thousands of cubic meters of concrete poured.
Step 2: Support
The first and most important components of the actual condo buildings are the support beams, huge metal I-beams or steel-reinforced concrete. By the time these go in, real estate brokers are usually already starting to sell units in the unfinished building. Support beams stand straight up, forming the many "spines" of the building, and the ends are sunk deep into the ground. Cement mixers, cranes, and welding torches are some commonly seen equipment on site during this time.
Step 3: Framing
Onto the support beams are welded or riveted the many thousands of beams that will support the floors and walls of the condo building when it is finished. Generally these are I-beams, made of steel, and are lifted into place by cranes and attached by workers with rivet guns and welding torches. Sometimes upwards of half a dozen cranes of various sizes will be working simultaneously on site when the Oakville, Ontario real estate agent comes to check on the progress of the project.
Step 4: Finishing
Once the full support structure is completed, the building looks rather like a cage or a skeleton and is now ready to be fitted with walls, windows, and floors. Cranes are still used during the early stages but as the building is finished, smaller tools such as nail guns and power drills are needed and the building's elevators come into use to ferry equipment. Once this stage is complete, the building is ready for the guelph real estate agent to create a show space.
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