Scaf-Tech leads with Ingenuity, Layher Materials to Realize Toronto’s New Mixed-Use Space

The approximately 2,000-glass-panel canopy covering the galleria spans multiple buildings to provide shelter, light, and ventilation to the space below.

Its construction posed a significant challenge because surrounding buildings provided limited space for assembly and disassembly of scaffolding and, once completed, the canopy itself would render overhead space inaccessible with large equipment.

“It was like taking a ship out of a bottle,” said David Hannah, co-founder of Scaf-Tech who began planning in early 2019 alongside co-owner Rick Henderson and Uzzo Calderaro, CEO and cofounder.

Additionally, the scaffold needed to provide accessibility to multiple trades performing work to building facades. “We had the forming teams talking about the buildings, the electrical team, the steel team, everyone talked about what they needed,” said Hannah.

Because multiple trades used the platform to complete their portion of the work, flexibility and communication were crucial.

The team went through five design iterations throughout the process.

“The Allround allowed us to be making modifications to allow additional access or remove portions to fly equipment in and out,” said Hannah. “It was a measure of flexibility that other solutions didn’t provide.”

This was additionally advantages because custom parts quickly eat into project costs, and bringing in special equipment inevitably requires additional time to exit the job site. The Allround provided cost and time savings by eliminating the need for custom parts and simplifying dismantle.

To meet project needs, Scaf-Tech employed a cast and crew of 30 workers working full time over the course of 18 months. Disassembly was done by hand, with workers forming a chain to pass material from the top down.

“Although it was labor intensive, we were able to make it very repeatable,” said Hannah. With the current labor market, we knew we were going to be dealing with a lot of new scaffolders, but the Layher product is easy to handle and figure out.”

Ryan Freedman, Sales Manager at Layher Scaffolding, facilitated the arrival of scaffolding components over the course of the project, coordinating shipments as needed. “Logistics is key,” said Freedman. “A lot of coordination happens around worksites, what can go to the site when, and how much.”

Scaf-Tech utilized Allround Scaffolding and the System Stair Tower by Layher.

The Layher Allround
The Layher Allround is the industry standard for modular scaffolding, offering unbeatable adaptability with superior quality and unparalleled assembly speed. The Allround features eight connections at various angles with lightweight construction that helps transport the system effortlessly. The powerful tensile steel construction ensures unmatched reliability and safety thanks to the AutoLock function.

Allround Stairway Tower 200
Layher’s most utilized stringer access stair, constructed using standard Layher Allround® components. With the Allround® stairtower 200, 10-standard, each stairway is assembled from 2 separate O-stair stringers 200, with standard decks used as steps. The high proportions of standardized material in addition to the low weight/volume of the individual parts permits a lot of variants in the stairway width while keeping the additional costs low.

Scaf-Tech was established in 2008 in the Greater Toronto Area and specializes in scaffolding services, scaffold equipment, and labor for industrial, institutional, and commercial applications. David Hannah and Uzzo Calderaro are cofounders with Uzzo serving as CEO; Rick Henderson is co-owner.

Layher Scaffolding is a leading scaffolding manufacturer worldwide, offering superior industrial and commercial scaffolding systems and solutions. Ryan Freedman is the Layher Branch Manager of Eastern Canada operating from the Greater Toronto Area.

Layher and Scaf-Tech have worked together on multiple projects since 2009.

Other key players included Joseph Gartner, of the Permasteel Group, who manufactured and designed the canopy and shipped it from Germany.
Bass Installation assembled the canopy upon arrival and installed the retractable glass walls of the marketplace below.

Deltera was responsible for the commercial builds, and Ellis Don for the office building.

Scaf-Tech’s scaffolding portion of The Well was completed in September of 2022.