Projects

The Wedge

Civil Construction
Excavation & Shoring

The Wedge, an award-winning building located on Vancouver Street, was developed by Cox Developments and completed in 2022. This project, which won the Golden Nugget Grand Award, provides much-needed rental properties to the community. Western Grater Contracting, in collaboration with Coastal Force Construction, M.R. Cranes, and Ryzuk Geotechnical Engineering, played a pivotal role in the construction of The Wedge, focusing on shotcrete shoring, structural shotcrete, and urban blasting.

Key Project Information

  • Project Type:
  • Budget:
    $1.7M
  • Timeline:
    2020 - 2022
  • Client:
    Blackcrete Builders
  • Location:
    Victoria, BC

Scope of Work

WGC’s involvement in The Wedge project spanned multiple scopes of work, including excavation, shoring, and structural shotcrete. The excavation process, which began in 2020 and lasted approximately 12 months, required urban blasting to manage the site’s challenging conditions, such as excessive groundwater and soft marine blue clay. H piles were used in the shoring system to achieve the necessary excavation depth and maximize underground parking. Following the completion of the shoring process, WGC transitioned to structural shotcrete, utilizing this innovative method for walls and columns, which was a departure from traditional forming methods. Notably, WGC is the only NorLand business unit specializing in structural shotcrete, showcasing its unique expertise in this field.

Challenges & Solutions

With the Wedge Building being located in the heart of Victoria, there are many logistical challenges to overcome, one of which is often the lack of site access. Due to the excavation depth, no site entrance road was available, requiring all materials to be craned in and out of the site. Fortunately, M.R. Cranes provided excellent assistance in this challenge. Another challenge involved in the downtown setting is safe blasting procedures, WGC excels at our guarding and covering procedures to always ensure public and worker safety. A continuing challenge in the downtown Victoria region is the presence of soft marine clay, due to the proximity to the ocean and depth of excavation much of this material and groundwater was encountered, creating less than ideal working conditions but as usual, the workers endured and completed this project on time once again.