Recent additions to the Brantford General Hospital expansion included construction of a new hospital wing, involving excavations of up to 11 metres (36 feet) depth, in loose to compact sand adjacent to an existing eight-storey hospital structure. The tendered contract called for interlocking caisson walls. An alternative, proposed by HC Matcon Ltd., was to use tied-back shotcrete shoring as the method of  temporary excavation support. Due to a lack of familiarity with this method in the area, the uncertainty of attaining near-zero movements, and the proximity of adjacent ‘lifeline’ structures, the design-build team of HC Matcon and Isherwood Associates implemented a comprehensive program of quality control assurance.