RC104 JanFeb2023 - Magazine - Page 18
TOP100 PROJECTS
To achieve the goal of preserving
documents for 500 years—a new piece of
paper stored in 2022 should still be readable
in 2522—a state-of-the-art automated storage
system was required.
Each of the six 90-foot-tall vaults is
equipped with an automated storage and
retrieval system, supplied by Dematic. This
system consists of a lift and a crane, and it
ensures that the archival containers being
removed or returned are safe, secure, and
accessible.
“There were a number of technical
challenges, such as the unique
environmental tolerances required for the
storage of the archived materials and the
need for highly limited noise and vibration
levels,” says Marion.
Prior to construction, PCL conducted indepth research into robotic automatic storage
and retrieval systems (ASRS) and reviewed
case studies from around the world for
various forms of archival storage facilities to
familiarize themselves with best practices in
their design and construction.
“The research we conducted allowed us
to partner with Dematic, the subcontractor
18 RENEW CANADA — JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023
for the system. The two protective
enclosures surrounding the archival
storage spaces were a requirement of the
contract and prescribed by LAC,” explains
Marion. “Strict temperature and humidity
controls were designed to maximize
the collection’s storage life. These set
points were achieved using dedicated
systems that had more than enough
backup capacity to maintain the archival
environment in case of equipment failure
or temporary power outage.”
Some key benefits of the ASRS system
included significantly reduced risk of
material damage, improved tracking and
decreased energy consumption using the
highly advanced technology.
“In optimizing our storage space,
the ASRS supports our commitment to
providing the best preservation conditions
for Canada’s documentary heritage, while
embracing the challenge of being energy
efficient, resilient and sustainable,” said
Leslie Weir, Librarian and Archivist of
Canada.
When complete, the archival facility will
boast a storage capacity of 21,500 cubic
metres—almost nine Olympic swimming
pools—and provide the facility with the
highest level of protection possible. Six
ASRS robots will move archival collections
between the storage area and the user area,
handling them with minimal disruption to
the vault’s environment.
That workplace environment during
construction was also very challenging,
points out Marion.
To mitigate the amount of time workers
had to spend working at high levels in
constrained space—the vaults measured
90-feet tall and only 30-feet wide—PCL used
prefabrication.
“We erected temporary buildings and a
roller system that allowed us to assemble
the steel rack components and the majority
of the sprinkler system in a more productive
and safe manner. Then we would transport
them to the vaults, roll them in, and flip
them up into place.”
Together with LAC’s Preservation Centre,
the new Preservation Storage Facility
will help to effectively preserve Canada’s
significant documents for current and future
generations.
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