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MTE Consultants Acquires RIZZ Engineering, Strengthening Expertise in Structural Design and Precast Concrete

Distribution Warehouse, St. Thomas YXU-1

Distribution Warehouse, St. Thomas YXU-1

Project overview

Located at 11884 Sunset Drive in St. Thomas, Ontario, this new Robotics Sortation Centre spans approximately 2,800,000 ft² across four storeys. It includes a ground floor of roughly 700,000 ft² and about 120,000 ft² of mezzanine space.

Amazon St. Thomas YXU-1 is equipped as a complete robotics fulfilment center where employees pick, pack and ship customer orders alongside their robotic technology. The warehouse features long conveyors through a “routing system” to a packing station on the main floor. The packaged product rides another conveyor to the shipping dock and is loaded on a truck for transport to a delivery center, or another carrier. 

MTE's Involvement

MTE was proud to provide a range of services including civil, structural, geotechnical, environmental, and surveying services.

Our work has also extended to warehouse facilities in prominent cities such as Toronto, Mississauga, and Cambridge. Each project has enhanced our deep understanding of the logistical and operational demands essential for efficient warehouse design and construction.

MTE’s survey team conducted various surveys of the site to establish construction and hydro layouts, including an overall drone topographical surveying of the development lands, a boundary survey, and a reference plan for the entire site. 

MTE completed a Geotechnical Investigation which included excess soil sampling analysis and onsite materials testing of soil, concrete and asphalt. This included soil samples at 0.75 to 1.5 m depth intervals with SPT and pocket penetrometer testing, as well as geotechnical laboratory testing including moisture content testing on all samples and eight particle size distribution analyses. 

In addition, we ensured adherence to environmental regulations by completing an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) to ensure a thorough understanding of the natural environment, while also protecting sensitive features and functions of the natural area. 

MTE’s role in the project as the civil consultant included site grading, servicing, and stormwater management design, including On-site wastewater treatment, external watermain upgrades, stormwater pumping station, and CN Rail line monitoring during the watermain construction. 

Specifically, MTE also designed and obtained approval for the on-site wastewater treatment system in accordance with the Ontario Water Resources Act. The design flow, discharge location, discharge criteria (effluent water quality), and treatment system were established, and a membrane bioreactor (MBR) system was chosen as the desired solution.  

MTE prepared Request for Proposal documents to pre-qualify and select a reputable MBR technology supplier and further assisted the client with selecting the system supplier based on life cycle costs, constructability and the ability to meet the “dry-ditch” criteria requirements.  

Our structural team oversaw the integration of Cold Formed Seel (CFS) into the design of the warehouse’s shop drawings.  

Collectively, MTE delivered multi-disciplinary services to ensure a unified consulting and project experience for our client.