Ardene moved their head office from Montreal to Laval into a new 630,000 square feet facility composed of two large warehouse blocks and a three-story primary block for merchandise packaging, offices, retail, and parking. To respect the tight delivery dates and maneuver around challenges imposed by global supply issues, the project was executed as a fast-track design-build mandate in collaboration with Acier Select whom manufactured and installed the structural steel.
The two warehouse areas were constructed with a conventional steel structure allowing for a 39’-6’’ clear height above storage areas and no interior bracing, thus maximizing racking and workflow. Perimeter bracing was carefully positioned to harmonize with loading dock doors. A series of suspended racking above the loading dock doors were conceived to carry empty pallets. The slab on grade was optimized in close collaboration with the fiber reinforcement supplier to resist the complex pattern of racking loads.
The three-story office block is composed of a ductile eccentrically braced bracing system allowing for a cost-effective solution with minimal interior bracing. A large 125,000 storage floor was designed for heavy storage loading and vehicular traffic with strict floor vibration limits.
The project was completed in 2023.