Building 250, Paint Booth Addition and Battery Area Modifications Design-Bid-Build Project

Project Overview

This project involved substantial additions to an existing space under a separate contract. As part of CFB Esquimalt’s Fleet Maintenance Facility (FMF) consolidation, this area is to serve as work areas for submarine maintenance. The exterior shell was partially completed under a seperate contract. The history behind this project is complicated as budgeting restraints changed the original consolidation plan from a single contract to being phased into multiple stages, each with numerous work packages. Through Caspian’s determined effort and access to subtrades across the nation, we were able to provide on-site design influence and ideas to expedite the process. Design issues aside, the physical work involved with this project was complex and had very little room, if any, for error. The structural steel was erected inside the building with millimeters to spare. After the steel was erected and the walls systems completed, work on the intumescent paint had to begin. The paint is actually a coating that expands as a reaction to heat thus, protecting the steel from melting. The environmental conditions for its application had to be precise and this was made a challenge by the incomplete nature of the building shell which allowed cold, ocean air to flow into the building. Caspian set up elaborate heating and hoarding schemes to ensure the application was a success. The paint booth element of the project was a result of the input of high quality subcontractors that were able to channel their know-how into the design scheme and make it possible. To compound the complexity of this project, the implementation of a submarine battery charger was a result of teamwork between Caspian coordination, complex electrical equipment and acid resistant plumbing. Overall, this project was a phenomenal success with all stakeholders thoroughly satisfied.

Back