Location: Sherwood Park, Alberta

Delivery Model: Consulting Services Cost

Team/Service: IST—Insurance Building Costs Consultants

Scope: Insurance Claim Assessments—Building Repair Costs Consultants/Program Management

Project Highlights

EllisDon’s Insurance Assessment team was called to assist with a total commercial mall-fire loss, which was deemed an arson case fire. Investigations with the local fire department and local authorities were undertaken to investigate the loss, prior to the demolition of the structure. EllisDon assisted with the mobilization of the consulting team to assess the loss, the scope of the building architecture, and the surrounding secondary damages to adjoining buildings. The team provided:

• Value-based project management and guidance for immediate mitigation requirements to the damaged buildings of the claim.
• Damage assessment and interpretation of the immediate objective requirements of the claim.
• Recommendations and problem-solving for the situation, environmental issues, hazardous materials, and site safety issues, due to chemical leach and toxicity infiltration into the soil.
• Formulation of the scope of work to return the adjoining structures to pre-loss state, with minimum business interruption and the demolition of the total loss structures using section 34 of the demolition with hazardous materials legislation act.
• Communication with the market, insurance adjusters, and clients on the current status.

The Insurance Assessment team evaluated conditions and confirmed the total demolition and remediation of the job site. Additionally, they conducted ongoing discussions with the market, clients, and insurance company regarding time schedules, and logistical issues, based on the structural integrity, site safety, and hazardous materials for the site. Environmental contamination due to chemical leaching was detected and full remediation protocols were implemented on the site.

Contractors were secured and demolition of the structure was secured under tender, by implementing section 34 of the Edmonton bylaw (removal of debris from a location in which hazardous materials can’t be separated or remediated manually prior to demolition). EllisDon was required to validate the cost of the original structure (pre-loss) to determine the ACV value and cost consult based on the newly-designed structure overages

Collaboration, frequent and transparent communication between the market, insurance adjuster, contractors, and EllisDon were key in completing the project within the deadline.