Company to replace support beams used in building $1.4-billion Windsor parkway

TORONTO – The contractor responsible for the construction of the $1.4-billion Windsor parkway says it will replace support beams after a report found that most of them were made against federal code.

Parkway Infrastructure Constructors says it will replace the 935 concrete girders made by Freyssinet Canada Inc. at no cost to the province.

But it says their decision is “unrelated” to the use of tack welding in the assembly of the girders, which is against federal code.

An expert panel probing the construction of one of Canada’s largest infrastructure projects also revealed today that another 54 support beams used in the project don’t meet federal code.

The panel says tack welding was used, which increases the risk of corrosion.

It had earlier cast doubt on 500 of the 935 girders made by Freyssinet.

But its second report says there are problems with 54 girders made by another company, Prestressed Systems Inc., that were installed in a bridge and tunnel.

The report says Infrastructure Ontario was aware that there was a problem with the girders last December, months after the company in charge of the project knew that they were made using tack welding.

It says the Windsor Essex Mobility Group, whose engineers warned against tack welding, approved the use of tack welding for the Prestressed girders.

The report says Windsor Essex Mobility Group didn’t tell the government or the expert panel about it until the end of August.