Shelter in Mont Assiniboine, or the mountain challenge of Klimas Wkręt-met
This was one of the most challenging projects of recent months. The construction of a mountain shelter at the foot of Canada’s Mont Assiniboine mountain (3618 m AMSL) proved to be a challenge for the entire team and required the selection of the most durable materials. For sites such as this one, located at an altitude of 2,200 meters above sea level, our construction screws, coated with SQ Ceramic’s lamellar layer, were developed.
The project in the “Canadian Matterhorn” included the construction of a chalet, which will be the catering facility of the campground. The building lies on a mountain trail, 26 km from the nearest road. Each morning, the construction crew would travel two kilometers to get from their encampment to the work site at the foot of the mountain located on the border of the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. Deliveries of needed equipment and food could only be provided by helicopter, which made a total of as many as 25 runs. The result of the Polish company’s cooperation with contractors and excellent specialists from the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) is an impressive building, made of wooden logs that blend exceptionally well with the surrounding monumental nature.
– The whole project was exciting for us,” says Sławomir Iwanicki, Export Manager at Klimas Wkręt-met. – However, we knew that the supplied products had to meet the highest standards of resilience, if only because of the harshness of the landscape and the region’s long, sulfurous winters. We had no doubt, however, that our construction screws could handle such conditions.
Among other things, our SQ Ceramic lamellar coating was developed for such extreme conditions, providing extremely effective corrosion protection despite its relatively thin layer – which is why the technology is readily used in the automotive and aerospace industries. The SQ Ceramic coating consists of a mixture of zinc and aluminum flakes and bonding resins, and thanks to its unique composition, developed in the Klimas Wkręt-met laboratory, it provides 10 times higher protection against corrosion compared to galvanizing and 2 times higher protection compared to hot-dip galvanizing, reaching corrosion resistance class C4.
Such unusual, often difficult realizations become the best practical experience, and sometimes the basis for certain improvements. But they are always a reason for satisfaction, especially if the contractors are also satisfied with the quality of the products and working with them.
– We have received very positive feedback,” says Slawomir Iwanicki. – Even though some of the logs were more than 45 cm in diameter, our screws coped flawlessly. We also already know that with such extreme challenges and repeated repacking, we need to strengthen the boxes a bit to make the team’s work easier, and this is very valuable knowledge, he adds.
More than 800 different types of Klimas Wkręt-met construction fasteners were used during the construction of the shelter at the foot of Mont Assiniboine.
