[smallspy]

Oops, I meant post construction.

When a building is built, they do not bring out giant fans to test to see if it can survive 100 km/hr winds, nor is occupancy delayed until a hurricane (or tropical depression) comes to prove it can withstand the design forces. I don't see all the snow gathered up from hockey arenas to confirm that buildings can withstand snow loads. A bridge does not have test trucks drive over it before it is opened to the public.

Of course not. That's what FEA testing is for. And if you think that any residential or commercial building doesn't have its internal systems - elevators, HVAC, security, fire suppression, etc. - tested for a good period of time prior to opening, well, I may have some land in Florida for you to buy....

And that is the problem. They can figure out how the structure of a building will react in all sorts of situations. But it is much, much harder to figure out how various discrete systems come together and interface with each other.

Any other piece of infrastructure that had 9 months of testing would not be accepted by the pubilc. Since this is underground, the public would not know. If a highway sat empty for 9 months of testing I am sure it would be viewed as a boondogle.

Don't be so naive. A highway doesn't need to sit empty for 9 months, because it doesn't have nearly as many systems built into it as something as complex as an office building. But it does need to be tested prior to being opened. You think that they completed the 410 extension on Thursday and opened it on the Friday? Of course not.

Does median LRT (i.e. Sheppard) need similar testing?

It will, but nothing nearly so comprehensive. To use St. Clair as an example - because it is a pretty good one in this case - the work was virtually complete a couple of weeks prior to opening.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[TJ O'Pootertoot]

Is it fair to expect that, with traffic to York U staying on the train, that the current Downsview station will see a fairly significant drop in ridership when the line opens? (Best way to counteract that, IMHO, is bridging that gap on Sheppard between there and Yonge...)

 

[Dan416]

I just wish this extension would finish so they could get to the business of renaming Downsview -> Sheppard West and Sheppard West -> Downsview Park.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

From the Star:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/ttc...padina-line-delayed-by-accident-investigation

AoD

 

[Swarley]

From the Star:

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/ttc...padina-line-delayed-by-accident-investigation

AoD

The Star seems to be pretty behind with that news... the delay's been talked about in this thread for a few months now.

In either case they didn't seem to have any schedule float in the project before the accident happened so there's no chance now of the 2015 opening. The York station contract still hasn't been awarded... presumably because of the accident too.

 

[W. K. Lis]

The Star seems to be pretty behind with that news... the delay's been talked about in this thread for a few months now.

In either case they didn't seem to have any schedule float in the project before the accident happened so there's no chance now of the 2015 opening. The York station contract still hasn't been awarded... presumably because of the accident too.

Four months is a long time for work stoppage. I think they tried to do a catch up, but four months would have eaten up a lot of the buffering.

Of course, in China there would have been no stoppage in constuction work.

 

[smallspy]

The Star seems to be pretty behind with that news... the delay's been talked about in this thread for a few months now.

In either case they didn't seem to have any schedule float in the project before the accident happened so there's no chance now of the 2015 opening. The York station contract still hasn't been awarded... presumably because of the accident too.

The really interesting thing is that as recently as 2 months ago they were still officially projecting that the line would open on time. I wonder if they are having issues with the compensation grouting as well.

Dan
Toronto, Ont.

 

[nfitz]

The really interesting thing is that as recently as 2 months ago they were still officially projecting that the line would open on time. I wonder if they are having issues with the compensation grouting as well.

The TTC CEO's report has been reporting for several months that the northern tunnels and Highway 407 station contract are "seriously behind schedule on all sites" and noted that "Work is now progressing well with the exception of the tunnelling operation which is held up at York University on account of late set‐up of compensation grouting". So they may have been projecting that it would open on time, but they likely had their fingers crossed behind their backs.

 

[MetroMan]

Weren't one of the major scheduling goals associated with the PanAm games? How are we going to ferry spectators to the venues for the popular athletic events at YorkU?

Would it be possible to divert resources to completing the Downsview and York U stations as well as the track/tunnelling/signals between the two to allow for a soft opening of the line for the games and then complete the remaining stations after?

 

[M II A II R II K]

Maybe just them fly them in back and forth to their venues.

 

[BurlOak]

Four months is a long time for work stoppage. I think they tried to do a catch up, but four months would have eaten up a lot of the buffering.

Of course, in China there would have been no stoppage in constuction work.

The collapse at the Algo Mall in Elliot Lake involved investigation by OPP and MOL. This was completed in 5 weeks (http://www.thesudburystar.com/2012/08/04/elliot-lake-mall-back-to-owner).

Four months seems like quite a long time. Are northerns more skilled at investigations, or are the lives of northerners not as important as those in the City.

I guess maybe MOL was sending a message to this and future transit construction.

 

[Transportfan]

Are northerns more skilled at investigations, or are the lives of northerners not as important as those in the City?

Whatever happened has happened. Conducting an investigation that takes four months instead of one isn't going to bring the dead worker back.

 

[nfitz]

Weren't one of the major scheduling goals associated with the PanAm games?

No, I've never hard that. The opening date has always been after the games.

Would it be possible to divert resources to completing the Downsview and York U stations as well as the track/tunnelling/signals between the two to allow for a soft opening of the line for the games and then complete the remaining stations after?

Probably ... but wouldn't that increase costs? The signalling contract for example would have to be done in 2 goes, rather than 1. The track contract too. And other contracts would have to be adjusted. This would all cost money.

If they were going to be ready on time, I can see that a soft opening should have been possible for one or two stations, as they would have had test trains running by the Pan Am games anyway. But if the stories are true that it's going to be late, then I don't see how it's possible without unnecessarily increasing the cost.

Now if the Pan Am games wants to provide the money to escalate work, that's different.

Maybe just them fly them in back and forth to their venues.

Fly who back and forth? The spectators? The athletes have already been promised their own bus transportation system, just like is done for Olympic games. Athletes in London aren't taking the tube - even though it goes directly from Stratford station to some of the other venues.

 

[JPG]

Station Box Construction - August 18, 2012

Hi,

Here are a few pics from a cycling trip along the Spadina extension last Saturday the 18th.

Downsview Park Station:

Finch West Station:

Steeles West Station:

Highway 407 Station:

Vaughan Centre Station:

Cheers!

 

[someMidTowner]

Great update on a project we dont get to see too much of. Thanks for the photos JPG!