Location: 3900 Wildlife Way, Cleveland, Ohio 44109

Completed: July, 2020

Type: Specialty

 

Scope:

With limited project bidding opportunities in late 2019 we came across this unusual project in the public arena.  As a component part of the Cleveland Metroparks System, the zoo project had a large group of internal personnel that had regular involvement in addition to the Metroparks personnel who oversaw the construction itself.  The project was the second phase of a new Exhibit for the male or Bull Rhinoceros at the zoo.  It is located in the longstanding spot where Monkey Island stood for over 60 years. 

 

A site contractor had previously been engaged to perform demolition, excavation & grading and underground utilities.  It was our work scope to construct structures, pavements, landscape, lighting, information technology, exhibit patron controls (fences, rails, barriers), and the animal control gating system.  With some very unusual material requirements and coupled with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, sourcing some of the specialty lumber and timber proved a bit difficult.  The animal control gating involved the installation of log post “chute” walls, revisions to existing post walls where the new and existing exhibit abut and the introduction of several custom designed pneumatically controlled sliding steel gates.  With the knowledge that a 5,000 lb animal had to be kept both safe and contained, it was understood from the outset that the design-build gates could only be obtained from one or two vendors that specialize in these installations.

 

Several challenges arose throughout the project with the first being start of masonry.  A special exposed block had been selected and pre-ordered by the zoo.  As start of work approached in the end of December, only a partial order of the units arrived.  With a finished exposed product, special installation measures had to be taken and maintenance of color uniformity in the exposed mortar was also paramount.  A bout of cold weather also settled in and the decision to avoid using too many chemical additives to the mortar compelled the fitful progress of the masonry as weather allowed. It ended up being March of 2020 before the masonry was able to be completed thereby allowing installation of the roof trusses and roof system to proceed and get the building closed in.

 

The second challenge arose in sourcing the timbers and special wood materials needed for viewing rails, barn siding, and a timber shade structure to protect the Bull on the worst days of summer.  Foundations were placed as soon as weather permitted but it was another six weeks of waiting until the logs were able to be cut and shipped from western Canada.  Once onsite, the specialized tools and equipment needed were an interesting bit of work for a team of carpenters that were all approaching their first exposed timber construction effort.

 

Lastly was the control gate system.  With minimal initial structural design, the gate fabricator and the structural engineer had to work closely together with the architect to adjust loads, clearances, and alignments so that the gates had adequate space to operate and were properly founded without disturbance to the new building nor to the existing exhibit walls.  Because of the time frame, cost options and lead time for acquisition of components and materials, the design and installation of the foundations took place as a phased operation as each area came up.  Most foundations were also integrally linked with the new timber chute walls and foundations for both had to be placed in very specific sequences and sometimes simultaneously.

 

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on zoo operations afforded the project an additional (and badly needed) month extension to complete work.  All trades continued to work cooperatively through the pandemic until this spectacular one-of-a-kind exhibit was completed and opened to the public in July, 2020.