Canam Canada delivers massive steel joist to Alphonse-Desjardins sports complex

Canam Canada recently completed three 253-foot steel joists, the longest ever manufactured by the company. The company relied on a police escort to deliver the first of the three joists to the job site this week.

ST. GEDEON DE BEAUCE, QC

The roof joists spanning 77.1 meters (253 feet) are the longest joists ever fabricated at Canam’s St. Gedeon de Beauce plant since it was founded in 1960. These complex components will be used in the construction of the future Alphonse-Desjardins sports complex for the Chemin-du-Roy school board in Trois Rivieres, Quebec.

Canam Canada’s previous record for joist length was 51.2 meters (168 feet).

The new building, 108 meters (355 feet) long by 77.1 meters (253 feet) wide by 16 meters (53 feet) high, will cover a total surface area of 10,030 square meters (108,000 square feet). Each of the 39 longspan bowstring joists constituting the roof is 5.2 meters (17 feet) deep at midpoint and 4 meters (13 feet) deep at each end. Each joist was fabricated in three sections to be assembled and bolted on site prior to its installation.

The customer is Quirion Metal Inc. of Beauceville. The joist posed major fabrication, engineering and logistics challenges because of the dimensions and special shape of the components.

The convoy of three tractor-trailers, nine escort vehicles and two Surete du Quebec patrol cars left the St. Gedeon de Beauce plant. Each trailer is 28 meters (93 feet) long, and 12 more shipments of this kind will take place over the next three weeks. The roof of the new sports complex will be in place by mid-July. The project will consist of more than 1,100 tons of Canam joists and related products.

Architect Francois Beauchesne designed the building, and the consortium Pluritec — IMS Experts Conseils assumed the engineering work.

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