Just under two weeks ago, Concert Properties' 88 Scott broke ground in dramatic fashion when a deep drilling auger chewed into the earth and kicked off the shoring and excavation stage of the 58-storey, Page + Steele / IBI Group Architects-designed condominium tower. On the day of the groundbreaking, a 60-foot long steel I-beam was on display sporting a fresh coat of "Concert Green" paint, as well as the developer's and project's brands. We stopped by the site yesterday to watch the I-beam, with another 10 feet now welded on to the end of it, being lowered into place as the building's ceremonial first pile. The process from start to finish is actually pretty fascinating.  

88 Scott construction site, image by Jack Landau

The first step in this process involves a large hollow casing being driven into the ground. This casing prevents the bore hole from caving in during the drilling process, and is removed from the ground once the hole is filled with a pile and concrete.

Steel casing for excavation at the 88 Scott construction site, image by Jack Landau

Once the casing is driven into place, crews can begin drilling and removing earth from the bore hole, deep enough for the 21-metre long (68.9ft) pile to rest in.

Caisson being drilled at 88 Scott, image by Jack Landau

To reach a depth of almost 70 feet, the drilling rig has a telescoping arm, allowing it to extend well beyond the range an average passerby would expect.

Telescoping arm on drilling rig, image by Jack Landau


Once the drilling of a hole is completed, the depth is measured and crews then pour in a small a amount of concrete to act as a footing for the pile.

Concrete being poured into a freshly drilled hole, image by Jack Landau

With the casing ready for its steel, the large I-beam was hoisted up by a portable crane and carefully guided over to the site of the bore hole.

Ceremonial green pile with unpainted 10 foot extension being hoisted, image by Jack Landau

Steel I-beam being guided by crews, image by Jack Landau

After some careful positioning, the branded I-beam was on its way into the ground.

Ceremonial I-beam being lowered into the ground, image by Jack Landau

As the lowering continued, we switched over from stills to video to record the final few feet of the I-beam's descent.

With the I-beam in place, crews then detached the line from connecting the beam to the portable crane and then double-checked the positioning.

Crews inspect the just-lowered pile, image by Jack Landau

After some measurements and inspection, it is time for the hole to be filled with concrete. This is the last step in the process before the casing is removed from the ground and a new bore hole is started.

Concrete filling in the hole and surrounding the I-beam, image by Jack Landau

Once piles surround the site and a full caisson has been completed, excavation can begin for the 525-unit condominium project at the corner of Scott and Wellington.

Looking for additional information? A comprehensive collection of renderings and building facts can be found in our dataBase file, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum threads, or voice your opinion in the comments section provided at the bottom of this page.

Related Companies:  EQ Building Performance Inc., Kramer Design Associates Limited, U31