Background

Concentric was initially retained to provide forensic analysis and stabilization assistance for the partial collapse of a 30 year old arena facility in rural Saskatchewan. The collapse occurred shortly after a periodic of higher than normal snowfall in the region. Upon completion of our reporting, Concentric was further retained to design and administer the reconstruction of the facility.

Approach & Methodology

With any forensic analysis, information gathering is a key component in determining the failure mechanism and causality. This can be somewhat problematic if a significant amount of time passes between the collapse and the consultant’s involvement. If this particular case, we had completed our site assessment within a week of the event which allowed a better assessment of the existing conditions at the time of collapse. Concentric also provided direction to the restoration contractor on how to stabilize the structure such that it was not a hazard to the general public or contractors accessing the site.
In our Prime Consultant role on the reconstruction we were tasked with the structural and architectural design of the facility and co-coordinating the various disciplines involved in the process.

Key Challenges

As with any existing facility, the inherent challenges include integration of new elements with older systems and at the same time minimizing the impact on construction cost. We were also required to keep portions of the facility operational. As an engineering consultant, it is invaluable to be involved in projects where the causality of a building failure needs to be determined. These types of projects are valuable when assessing other buildings of a similar nature to readily identify potential areas of concern before failure occurs.

Key Personnel

Project Director: Allan Murray, P.Eng.
Project Engineer: Andrew Ross, P.Eng
Construction Admin.: Al Brenner, EIT
Drafting: Marie Burford