Ernst Hansch Construction Ltd. was awarded the Canadian Pacific Railway contract for the demolition of an existing 70,000 sq. ft. roundhouse building and the design and construction of a new locomotive repair and maintenance shop in an active rail yard. Demolition, design and construction of the new facility was all completed in 9 months.

Ernst Hansch Construction Ltd. designed the new building while demolishing the existing building to meet the client’s schedule requirements while maintaining yard operations throughout construction. The project was completed one month ahead of schedule.

With a sustainable design and construction, this fast-tracked design build project provided $500,000 in savings to CPR through value engineering. The green design included utilizing recycled steel for the structure, reused foundation and floors, recycling of steel and brick as well as the salvage and reuse of timbers for CPR’s sustainable strawbale house project.

Increasing productivity for CPR was realized through the new systems and features included in this project, including the extension of the service pit, a central oil and water distribution system, a compressed air system, exhaust hose reel systems, a soap/pressure washer system, and an under-slung overhead crane with wireless remote fall arrest system with an electric winch system.