November 29, 2011

CHRIS COPELAND

A Sikorsky SK-61 helicopter lifts equipment weighing thousands of pounds during a project at 145 King Street West in Toronto, Ont. Bering Mechanical Ltd. worked on this project under contract with Ehvert Engineering exclusively for the helicopter lift. Ehvert is building a Data Centre for Cogeco Data Services LP. Bering Mechanical worked with National Helicopters Inc. (from Kleinburg) and as a joint venture with Matcom Installations (from Concord) on this very complicated hoist.

Bering Mechanical conducts two helicopter lifts in one weekend on Toronto construction projects

TORONTO

One helicopter lift is a challenge, but two in the same weekend is almost unheard of.

Bering Mechanical Ltd. worked with a Sikorsky SK-61 helicopter on a project on 145 King Street West and on the Yorkdale Mall food court relocation project the next day, during mid-November.

“I’ve done several helicopter lifts throughout Toronto over the years, but I’ve never done two in the same weekend for two different projects. I don’t know if it’s ever been done, especially with that sized helicopter,” said Chris Copeland, projects manager at Bering Mechanical.

CHRIS COPELAND

With the help of a Sikorsky SK-61 helicopter, workers carefully place equipment weighing thousands of pounds on top of 145 King Street West as they prepare to put it back together 30 storeys above ground.

Bering Mechanical worked on the project under contract with Ehvert Engineering exclusively for the helicopter lift. Ehvert is building a data centre for Cogeco Data Services LP (formerly Toronto Hydro Telecom) in the 145 King St. tower. Bering Mechanical worked with National Helicopters Inc. and also as a joint venture with Matcom Installations on the hoist of two 750-KW, 938-KVA backup Toromont generators in pieces. The teams rebuilt the generators on the roof of the 30-storey building. They also hoisted three air-cooled chillers at approximately 6,000 pounds, two dry coolers at over 7,000 pounds and miscellaneous switchgear and transformers.

Copeland said it was one of the most challenging lifts he’s ever been involved in.

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The helicopter, which is one size down from the Skycrane, used to build the CN Tower, was brought in from the United States specifically for these two projects.

The following day, the helicopter was used in the Yorkdale Mall food court relocation where Bering Mechanical is under contract with Carillion Canada. Work includes the installation of three large make-up air units, exhaust fans and roof mounted ecology units, which will provide services for the new food court, located in the middle of the mall. As the air-handling units were too large to hoist as one piece, they opted to hoist them in pieces via helicopter and averaged less than four minutes per lift.

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