Somerset re-opens to car traffic

July 29, 2010

On July 29 Somerset street was reopened to vehicular traffic again.

Scaffolding is still up around the Royal Arch for the use of the Chinese artisans who will soon start applying the seventeen coats of paint to the concrete work.

Sidewalks are open again too, with new concrete and inlaid bricks. The lions and dragons at the base of the columns are temporarily covered with wooden crating to protect them from damage during the remaining construction period.

Other Arches - London, England

Red River of cement

July 23, 2010, a truckload of red cement.

The square area around each the lamp post foundation is filled in with red cement.

A wood block with chinese characters is pressed into place.

Members of the BIA and fundraising community leave handprints.

The blocks have four wishes: Longevity, Prosperity, Luck, and Happiness.

Nothing like getting your hands dirty ...

Gathered fundraisers and members of the BIA.

Grace Xin, Exec.Dir. of the Somerset/Chinatown BIA photographing the group.

Sidewalks restored

Work crews have laid the curbs for the restoration of Somerset Street under the arch. The picture shows some of the sidewalk paving being installed. The granite pavers right at the foot of the arch are visible at the base of the columns, which have been crated and wrapped to protect them from construction damage.

On each side of the arch will be pedestrian-scaled light fixtures. They will be the first of the new ones that will eventually be installed throughout Chinatown. In 2011, the section from Preston up to Booth will get the new sidewalks, landscaping, and light fixtures.

The Lions and Dragons Arrive

The stone lion and dragons are installed at the base of the supporting pillars.

Preparing to install the stone paving around the base of the pillars.

Close up of lion and carved base. It is very hot and heavy work installing so much stone and concrete in plus 30 C weather.

Polished stone pavers cemented into place. With the final polishing of the pavers, the work of the Chinese artisans is almost finished. They return to China on Monday, before heading off to New Zealand for the next arch project.

Later, another cast of artisans arrive to apply 17 coats of paint to the exposed concrete parts of the arch. This will include paint with real gold in it.

Base of the arch

The four pieces of stone put in place around the pillar. Liquid cement was then injected between the stone and the concrete column to firmly affix the stone base to the columns and support it at the base.

The next step is to install stone curbs around the base of the pillar. Shown to the immediate left is the pedestal for the stone lions.

The construction project is nearing completion for the Chinese artisans. They leave in a few days for their next project, an arch in Wellington NZ.

Decorative arts painters will soon arrive from China to start applying the 17 coats of paint, including gold leaf, to the Arch.

Base of the arch

The carved stone bases for the pillars of the Arch are now being installed. Shown here is half of one base. Double click to enlarge to see the carving details.

Removing column forms

The 130 ton arch is supported by two concrete columns. During the week of July 5th, the steel forms were removed, revealing the cement inside.

The pieces of steel forms are stacked on site and then sent off to be used on another job.

Filigree panels installed

In the centre of the picture is an ornate pre-cast cement piece that is light as lace. Thinner than the surrounding concrete supports, it lets light through the arch and contributes to the ethereal thinness of the 130 ton arch.

Here is the big piece, along with several smaller sections,when they were cast two months ago on 5 May 2010.

Tile roofs installed

July 5, 2010

The first view of the arch with some of the roof tiles installed.

Chinese artisan preparing a corner of roof to receive tiles.

The complexity of the underside of the roofs is now revealled. Double click to enlarge photo.

These artisans were working on the shaded side of the arch during some of the hottest days in the year, with temperatures +30 C.

Detail of the tiles installed on the roofs.

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Other Arches - Chicago, USA

The saga of the Littlest Roof

Shown above is the littlest roof section being lifted into place a week ago.

The little roof section is located just to the left of the crane. While put in place in this picture, it did not fit well, and was later tried on the similar location to the right of the crane. It did not fit well there either. It is a tiny bit too wide.

Closer view of the littlest roof section.

The littlest roof sections replaced onto the road. The choices: to make new roof sections ... but the forms have been taken apart. Or to make them smaller: the rebars were removed and the cement sides were cut slightly smaller. But it still did not fit.

The final decision: each of these little roof sections will be cut into four, and inserted carefully from the outside, positioned perfectly, and then glued together with grout, and cemented into place.

Proud work crews

After the highest roof is put in place on June 23rd on the centre peak of the Arch, workers pause for celebratory photographs.

Awesome job

 The crane operator lifting the topmost roof sections onto the arch, pauses to take his own pictures of the ottawa chinatown royal arch.

Earth Trembles in Awe of New Royal Arch

June 23, 2010

Just after one o'clock in the afternoon, as the top-most roof of the royal arch is being installed, the earth trembled in awe of the majesty and beauty of the royal arch being installed on Somerset Street.

Artisans install temporary word shoring that holds the roof sections steady until rebars are linked together and additional cement can be poured in place to lock all the pieces together.

The true height of the arch complex is now apparent to all. It is about 16' to the bottom of the arch, and 33' to the top of the arch. It weighs 130 tons.

This is a view into the foundation hole, taken some weeks ago. It shows the four corner locations where holes and anchors were drilled 28' deep into the bedrock to anchor the structure against earthquakes. Evidently, they work well.

First roof sections installed on the arch

June 18, 2010

A crane positions a roof section atop the beam.

Worker uses a saw to cut off some rebar hanging down from the roof.

North roof section in place, south one being positioned.

Under the scaffolding, bottom of the arch

This is a sidewalk view of the underside of the scaffolding holding up the arch during construction. Note the two short wooden sections in the centre, between the reddish colour long steel beams.

These decorative finials were precast on the Cambridge site, with rebars sticking out of their flat end. These rebars were then inserted up into the future concrete column in the centre of the arch, wired into place, and then the column was filled with cement from the top.

The decorative finials are shown in gold in this photoshop rendering of the arch. Double click to enlarge.

Tomorrow, the lowest six roof sections will be placed on the beam, and their rebars tied into the last bits of beam forms that haven't yet been filled with concrete. The result will be a beam and precast roof sections all locked together with rebar and poured concrete.