The soils on the project site consisted of a shallow layer of fill to depths of 2-3 meters, underlain by soft compressible clay soils to depths of approximately 9 meters, a 2-3 meter thick, dense layer of sandy soils, and finally more clay soils to depths of 30 meters or more.

Before the ground improvement works, the site was stripped of topsoil, asphalt, and existing building foundations, and a granular work platform was established.

Menard Canada proposed using Controlled Modulus Columns (CMC), anchored in the dense sand layer to support the loads of the new building. The CMC system allows for the control of both total and differential settlement and ensures bearing capacity for the footings and slab-on-grade structure. In total, over 200 CMCs were installed to support the building. The CMC’s performance was verified using Static Load Testing.