Structural design meets Moriyama Teshima Architects and Acton Ostry Architects Inc.‘ architectural vision at George Brown College‘s Limberlost Place. Fast + Epp and the design team developed a solution to replace beams, reduce total deck width, thus offering a wide, opened space: timber-concrete composite CLT slab bands. Each composite panel requires preinstalled kerf plates, which are shear flow connectors, and more than 150 shear reinforcing screws embedded in the CLT. 

It is the first time in history that a project is built with timber concrete composite CLT slab bands, made with kerf plates. The assembly and fabrication of the panels took place at a facility near the site to make delivery easier, and started 4 months prior to the first glulam column installation. 

Once columns are installed, the slab bands are dropped and rest on top of 2 columns. CLT infill panels are then installed perpendicular to the slab bands, bearing at each end on the composite panels. The HSS assembly embedded on top of the columns helps position the slab bands at their exact location, and ensures a quick installation of the next floor columns.

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