Toronto's Sky-High Savings: How Alterra Slashed Costs and Minimized Delays using EXACT Concrete Monitoring

Name of Project: Celeste Condominiums - 125 George St E Condos by Alterra

Address: 125 George St E, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (South-East corner of Richmond Street East and George Street)

PROJECT TYPE: High-Rise Residential Condo Development. 

DEVELOPERS: Alterra Group of Companies, Diamond Corp.

ARCHITECT: Sweeny & Co Architects.

EXACT SCOPE: Strength and temperature monitoring for critical cast-in-place concrete elements across all 39 floors to optimize formwork cycling, accelerate construction timelines, and ensure adherence to the ambitious project schedule.

Highlights: Toronto’s 125 George Street Condos, an upcoming 39-floor high-rise, is a contemporary mixed-use development designed by DiamondCorp and Alterra, offering 516 residential units. To efficiently manage the demanding construction schedule of this significant project, Alterra is successfully using Flex Loggers and probes from our EXACT Monitor lineup, for their cast-in-place concrete elements. The primary objective was to precisely track concrete strength gain and internal temperatures, ensuring concrete reached specified maturity targets for timely formwork stripping and subsequent construction activities.

According to Rob Jennings, the Project Superintendent for 125 George St E, the transition from traditional, unreliable methods like field cured cylinder breaks to the EXACT system was a game-changer for a project of this scale. "Switching from old-school methods like cylinder breaks to using EXACT is a complete no-brainer for us," Jennings stated. "The data is highly reliable, and the ability to check on what's happening on site from my phone, remotely, is incredibly convenient. I trust this data far more than traditional methods, which is critical when you're pouring floors on a tight schedule."

The implementation of EXACT yielded significant operational efficiencies and crucial cost savings for Alterra. By precisely understanding when concrete reached the required strength for each floor, they minimized curing times and optimized formwork stripping and cycling. This direct insight into concrete maturity prevented delayed formwork removal, reducing risks and potential rework, and eliminated over-curing, which often leads to unnecessary delays in high-rise construction. A notable financial benefit highlighted by Rob Jennings was the to the ability to shut down the heating once strengths were reached. This was achieved by utilizing the EXACT app to check strengths as frequently as needed.

They were also able to reduce their hard costs by $6,000, but the real value came from the peace of mind our equipment provided. By allowing them to monitor the project in real time, they avoided tens of thousands of dollars in overtime and other unplanned expenses, and could plan their subcontractors' schedules with greater accuracy.

"When there are delays, it affects the whole team; it's like a snowball effect that can cascade through all 39 floors," Jennings explained. "Using the EXACT monitors minimizes delays that could extend us 5-6 months on the schedule. It's saved us significant costs in terms of labour and overall project duration, making our operations much cheaper in the long run." This proactive approach to concrete monitoring directly contributed to Alterra's ability to maintain their demanding construction schedule and avoid costly disruptions that ripple across subcontractors and trades involved in a multi-storey building.

Exact System Offerings Adopted by Alterra:

• EXACT Monitor Flex Loggers: Multiple Flex Loggers were strategically placed within the various cast-in-place concrete elements. These devices continuously record real-time strength and temperature data, providing crucial insights into the concrete's strength and maturity. 
• EXACT Probes: Paired with the monitors, these specialized probes were embedded directly into the wet concrete. They are meticulously designed to accurately measure internal concrete temperature and provide the necessary input for the maturity calculations, which correlate precisely to concrete strength gain. This direct measurement eliminates guesswork.

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xMonitor: Y 

xMatch: N 

xCure: N 

xTrack: N 

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What’s Next for Alterra?

Alterra is so impressed with the results of their initial implementation of the EXACT Flex Loggers that they are already looking to expand its use. For the upcoming winter season, they are planning to implement heater control from Stephenson’s Rentals, integrating the EXACT system with their curing processes. This will allow them to automatically manage and optimize heating based on real-time temperature data, further enhancing energy efficiency, ensuring consistent concrete quality, and providing their team with the ultimate peace of mind that their schedule and operations will remain on track, even in the harsh Canadian winter.

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