June 22, 2015

Towers & PENETRON Technology Transform Calgary

Just finishing the last two of the four University City towers, PENETRON Specialty Products Canada worked with Knightsbridge Homes and ITC Construction to ensure faultless flooring throughout the residential towers. PRIMER STX 100 primer and LEVELINE 15 self-levelling underlayment were used to meet the floor finishing specifications.

Going up: Aerial view of the four new residential towers from the University City development that now define Calgary’s rising skyline.

Going up: Aerial view of the four new residential towers from the University City development that now define Calgary’s rising skyline.

While not the storied “ivory towers” many associate with college life, the new University Towers adjacent to the University of Calgary are transforming the city into an attractive, high-rise urban environment. Located in the Brentwood neighborhood and comprising four prominent towers, this development is a walkable, mixed-use development focused on access to public transportation; it’s the first transportation-oriented development (TOD) site in Calgary.

The four University City towers are each 11 stories high, with 132 units per tower for a total of 528 new homes. Construction on Towers C & D is now complete; work on Towers A & B was finished a year ago. The development also includes an expansive ground level retail area, the Foothills Hospital, the new Alberta Children’s Hospital, University Research Park, and the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, or SAIT Polytechnic.

“The project developer and construction managers needed an absolutely smooth, flat and hard surface that was ready to accept the new flooring covering that complies with flooring manufacturer product warranties,” noted Frank McGuinness, President of PSP Canada.

The PSP team initially saw that a conventional grinding and spot filling to prep the sub floor preparation would result in cost overruns and create undue construction schedule delays, which happened during the initial phase of construction with Towers A& B. The team opted for a new approach, with a mechanical profile of the slab provided by the forming contractor: Step 1 had the sub floor surface thoroughly cleaned; Step 2 applied PRIMER STX 100; Step 3 saw the installation of LEVELINE 15 self-levelling underlayment to ensure that all client sub floor specifications were met for the warranty validation of the final flooring, an engineered laminate ceramic tile.

“Using the right flooring product for the job can make a big difference,” adds Frank McGuinness. “The contractor, Geoff Berry, and his flooring crew got things right; the quality of the finished sub floors was impeccable and met the client expectations – great teamwork and a job well done!”

Related Projects

University City Towers

Back to Press