At the Western North York Community Centre, ground improvement was part of a broader low-carbon construction strategy shaped by the Toronto Green Standard.
Delivered for the City of Toronto with Pomerleau, MJMA Architecture & Design, Menard Canada, and project partners, the project shows how early coordination can help align geotechnical design, material use, constructability, and carbon reduction objectives.
In the full interview below, project stakeholders Jeanne Ng, Jean Lamirande, and Simon Bunieski discuss how the team approached the project, responded to Toronto Green Standard requirements, and coordinated design and construction decisions from the early stages.
Watch the full stakeholder interview below
Ground Improvement and Carbon Performance
Under the Toronto Green Standard, project teams must consider more than traditional cost, schedule, and performance requirements. For this project, carbon-related objectives influenced foundation design, material selection, supplier coordination, and construction planning.
Menard Canada implemented two ground improvement techniques:
- Controlled Modulus Columns to optimize load transfer between the structure and the improved ground, read more about CMCs.
- Wick Drains to accelerate consolidation and improve soil behavior – discover the Wick Drains in action.
Together, these techniques supported an optimized foundation strategy, helping reduce reliance on more material-intensive solutions while maintaining constructability and performance.
This positioned ground improvement not only as a geotechnical solution, but also as part of the project’s broader material efficiency and carbon reduction strategy.
Early Coordination From Design to Site Execution
One of the key lessons from the project was the importance of early stakeholder alignment.
Ground improvement design had to be coordinated with structural requirements, low-carbon concrete specifications, material availability, construction sequencing, and site execution. This early collaboration helped the team maintain consistency between sustainability objectives and practical construction requirements.
A Model for Future Public-Sector Projects
The Western North York Community Centre reflects a shift in how ground improvement can contribute to sustainable construction.
By involving geotechnical specialists early, project teams can evaluate ground improvement not only for bearing capacity and settlement control, but also for material optimization, constructability, and carbon performance.
Menard Canada continues to work with partners across the industry to support efficient, lower-carbon ground improvement solutions for complex urban and public-sector projects. We are optimizing foundation systems, reducing reliance on more material-intensive solutions, improving constructability, and helping project teams align geotechnical design with carbon reduction objectives.
