November 27, 2008

High-tech sensors installed at the Donlands project work site ensure that residents have optimum air quality throughout the construction phase.

Technology tracks air quality at West Don construction site

IAN HARVEY

correspondent

The West Don project is a massive undertaking which seeks to turn industrial wasteland and flood plains into a new sustainable community in downtown Toronto.

But any time construction crews, heavy machinery, demolition and excavation converge on a 92-acre site in the heart of mixed commercial and residential neighbourhoods, there is bound to be a flood of complaints over noise, trucks and, most often, dust.

It’s not an issue which comes up as much on greenfield developments in the suburbs, but its front and centre at inner city locations like the West Don, at Front Street East and Cherry Street.

The project itself is a $230-million showcase development on the original 1793 Town of York site which will revitalize existing brownfield lands.

It will make the flood plain areas safe for construction, making way for the building projects of childcare centres and 6000 new residential units — literally, the birth of a new town overnight.

It involves demolition of buildings, cleaning of contaminated soil, the construction of parks and community buildings and a light transit line along Cherry Street.

With all that happening in the midst of a residential area, some extraordinary measures were needed.

As part of a community outreach program, project owner Ontario Realty Corp. and contractor Elite Construction have turned to some new technology to deal with hot-button issues during the initial flood-berm installation phase.

Safetech Environmental Limited has installed a series of 14 sensors around the site perimeter to monitor dust levels on a 24/7 basis, checking every second or so to take a reading.

If the reading falls outside acceptable parameters, the system triggers a cell phone call to a technician who comes to the site to investigate the problem.

“It could be a wind shift, more trucks,” says Winston Lew, Safetech environmental operator.

The contractor then has the option to send a water truck around to spray to keep dust down or change the work-flow process until conditions improve.

Lew says the important thing is that the community is also being constantly updated as to what is happening and what is done about it.

“They can sign up to get the reports sent to them, so they can see what’s being done to keep the dust down,” says Lew.

The system is a collection of standard TSI monitors, and the software is written by Safetech to trigger phone call alerts.

Utilizing the dust-warning system is part of an ongoing effort by ORC to keep the neighbourhood informed about the project and to address any issues which flare up. It started long before the project began and is likely to be a best practices process used in future urban area developments.

“Because of the location, we made a commitment to outreach along every step of the way,” says Karen Mortfield of ORC, noting the community was anxious to see something developed in what had been a bit of an eyesore.

She says a construction liaison committee also works with the community and includes representatives of ORC and the companies involved.

The combination of outreach and proactive monitoring seems to be paying off.

“We’re not aware of any community dust complaints and that’s because of the work being done to ensure community concerns are addressed,” she says.

“Every truck on the site is actively monitored and every truck is washed down before it leaves the site. Cherry Street is also periodically washed and swept as necessary.”

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