KING “CAULK”

 

Expo ’86 was a significant celebration in British Columbia when the world was invited to come to Canada, at Vancouver, to visit and witness a significant urban renewal project at its most ambitious extent: the clean-up of a water front area that was outdated and was a essentially a “back yard” of Vancouver and needed to become the “front yard, the waterfront.”

Verigin Industries Ltd was one of the many “Open Shop” Building Contractors that were invited to participate in the construction of this intriguing project with a Conceptual Design by a Trail born Architect Bruno Freschi. This is a very interesting story of the manner in which a partnership was created of Verigin Industries Ltd with Rempel Bros Concrete Ltd (I will leave that for another time) and Marbella Pacific Construction Ltd (MPCL) was the result.

Some good fortune, ingenuity and good competitive tendering resulted in an award to MPCL of all twenty-nine (29) International Pavilions at Expo ’86. We had not been aware that there was a pre-tender meeting where a “mock” erection procedure suggested a method of construction for Contractors considering to tender this complex construction system that would have prefabricated wall panels manufactured in Penticton, roof panels and steel framework in Richmond from two (2) Suppliers and prebuilt concrete grade beams manufactured in Chilliwack, all to be delivered to the Expo site and then erected into the intriguing designs by Boge-Babicki, Structural Engineers.

So I asked my brother Russel Verigin if he would be interested to be the Superintendent of this biggest challenge of our mutual careers. It would mean at least two (2) years residence in Vancouver and working in an environment totally unfamiliar to both of us. It would mean leaving our beloved Kootenays and the way things were done there.

I was pleased with his agreement to join me with his wife Tillie. An apartment was rented and mobilization of the project got started in the fall of 1984.

The Expo scene was polarized with the unionized workers claiming jurisdiction over what they considered their traditional Commercial construction of governmental funded projects on one side and the “Open Shop” sector, who employed two thirds (2/3) of the construction Tradesmen on the other. Of course, all eyes were on these International Pavilions and this new Superintendent from the Kootenays was to be tried and tested, to be sure.

Project Manager, Superintendent and Erection Sub Contractor decided to use an “Operations Research” method of determining the most logical and economic method of bringing all the prefabricated materials to the site and erecting same over all areas of the Expo area while other construction would be underway.

After all ideas, were duly considered, the assembly of the roof steel sections on the ground followed by a complete erection using two or more cranes was the result with a low lift erection machine to fit the posts under this assembly.

The China Pavilion was first and after all the systems were perfected, the balance of the pavilions followed.

There were many trying incidents that followed with wall panels being delivered from Penticton on over five hundred (500) flat deck loads. Russel found that unloading one truck was a feat but an ultimate capacity was eight (8) truck loads a day. Yes, the man from the Kootenays rose to the occasion.

The roof panels came from Richmond and were delivered by barge along with the steel and that became a challenge as well. The decking over piles had a low bearing capacity that needed careful planning in the barge unloading and storage of materials.

Once the roof panels were erected, the joints needed to be sealed by a Roofing Contractor and with about ten (1)) acres of total roof area, there was bound to be some leaks and so now we get to the subject of this story.

It was decided to purchase a large caulking gun and an air compressor capable of providing the pressure necessary for a long hose and a two (2) foot caulking gun with a very viscous caulking material chosen for its quality and performance. The man for this job was no other that Russel Verigin.

Over the next few months, Russel would be seen patrolling the 29 roofs, responding to the various signs of leakage as the roof panels “settled in” and adjusted to the sun and weather. So the nickname “King Caulk” became Russel’s new title.

The radio from the business office cackled “calling King Caulk, King Caulk, come in please!” The response was “King Caulk here!”

Yes Russel Verigin rose to the occasion and the pavilions were complete ahead of schedule and all passed inspection by the Expo ’86 Inspectors and the concerns expressed by some at the award to a “House Builder from the Kootenays” were indeed unfounded after all.

There is much more to this story but “King Caulk” was our focal point here and has retired into infamy now.

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