NRC Publications Archive Archives des publications du CNRC Designing a test blasting program for an underground building on Parliament Hill Subercaseaux, M. I.; Pernica, G.; Van Bers, M. V. This publication could be one of several versions: author’s original, accepted manuscript or the publisher’s version. / La version de cette publication peut être l’une des suivantes : la version prépublication de l’auteur, la version acceptée du manuscrit ou la version de l’éditeur. 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For more information visit http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/showtdm/cs/C-42 Les renseignements dans ce document sont protégés par la Loi sur le droit d'auteur, par les lois, les politiques et les règlements du Canada et des accords internationaux. Ces dispositions permettent d'identifier la source de l'information et, dans certains cas, d'interdire la copie de documents sans permission écrite. Pour obtenir de plus amples renseignements : http://lois.justice.gc.ca/fr/showtdm/cs/C-42 Designing a Test Blasting Program for an Underground Building on Parliament Hill MARiA INES SUBERCASEAUX, GERRY PERNICA, and MARCUS V. VAN BERS The need for a service building in Canada's Parliamentary Precinct. requiring removal of rock adjacent to existing structures, prompted the development of a program to characterize the dynamic response of Parliament Hill to blasting. Fig. 2. A nineteenth-century view of the existing library lIeft! and the old Centre Block building, which was deS1royed by fire in February 1916. Courtesy of National Archives of Canada. Introduction mons and Senate), was constructed between 1916 and 1927. It replaced the The Parliament Buildings of Canada original structure, which was destroyed sit on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. An by fire in February 1916. The Parlia­ escarpment that overlooks the Ottawa mentary Library, which adjoins the River, the hill is located in the down­ Centre Block, was saved by the iron town core of the city just to the west of doors that still separate the two the northern terminus of the 150-km­ buildings (Fig. 2). long Rideau Canal (Fig. 1). When The rebuilt Centre Block was de­ Ottawa was designated the capital of signed to respect the stylistic character the United Canadas in 1858, the hill of the original High Gothic Revival was purchased from the ordnance de­ building. The rebuilt structure is, how­ partment for the site of the Parliament ever, an original building, whose plan, Buildings. The buildings were con­ structural design, and architectural structed from 1859 to 1868 and called decoration belong to the twentieth East Block, Centre Block, the Parliamen­ century. The conceptual clarity of the Fig. 1. Overview of Parliament Hill from Hull, tary Library, and West Block. The exist­ building plan has its roots in the Ecole Quebec. Openings In the cliffs are ventilation ing Centre Block, which contains both shafts from the new CBUS building. Photo­ des Beaux-Arts in Paris. In the Centre chambers of Parliament (House of Com- graph by Jean-Pierre Jerome Block the architects combined Gothic 67 68 APT BULLETIN Revival and Beaux-Arts classicism into a about 25,000 m' of horizontally bedded Objectives and Initial Considerations single modern building and created 45 limestone rock, some situated within 3m Controlled bbstl11g was considered the spel'ially designed rooms, each with of the Centre Block foundation wall. only practical method to remove the unique architectural features and era fts­ The volume of rock required that blast­ majority of the estimated 25,000 m' of manship. lI1g be used, since only a ten-week pe­ bedrock from the CBUS site due to the The Senate occupies the east half of riod during the Parliament's summer very restrictive ten-week excavation the building and the House of Com­ recess was allotted for the entire excava­ window I]uly-August) permitted by the mons the west half. The two sectors are tion. Speaker of the House of Commons. A separated by primary public areas, the In early 1996 the Parliamentary test blast program was initiated to estab­ Hall of Honour and Confederation Precinct Directorate (PPD) of Public lish safe blasting criteria and procedures Hall, both situated on the central axis. Works and Government Service Canada for the excavation of CBUS during the These areas lead to the Parliamentary (PWGSC) asked the Heritage Conserva­ summer of 1997; ro evaluate the response Library, also located on the central axis tion Program (HCP), an architectural of all heritage structures on Parliament at the north end of the building. Centre and engineering conservation group Hill affected by the CBUS blasts; and to Block has been designated a National within PWGSC, to participate in a test determine attenuation characteristics of Historic Site and Classified, the highest blast program with Golder VME Ltd. blast-induced ground vibrations on designation under the Federal Heritage (GVME), a member of the CBUS con­ Parliament Hill. The program was con­ Review policy. sultant team, and the National Research ducted during August 1996. After nearly eighty years, space and Council Canada (NRC), a government The followmg preliminary steps were services within Centre Block became research and development organization, undertaken to implement the test blast inadequate for an expanded Parliament. ro characterize the dynamic response of program while respecting the heritage In the late 1980s, a Centre Block Under­ Parliament Hill to blasting. The pro­ designation of Parliament Hill. These ground Services (CBUS) facility was gram was designed to obtain this vital included proposed to mitigate pressure on service information whilst protecting Parlia­ space within the building. Construction ment Hill from the effects of the test • a literature survey ro retrieve informa­ of this two-story building at the rear of blasts. tion (expenence and standards) on Centre Block required the removal of blasting adjacent ro heritage structures • discussions with architectural and engineering consultants to ascertain the extent, depth, and location of the .'- excavation • a survey of the buildings with the maintenance and operational staff to establish the overall state and condi· tion of building components and acceptable procedures for monitoring both the interior and exterior of the buildings review of historical and modern documents on the structural and architectural makeup of the various buildings on Parliament Hill and on the condition of the escarpment • tour of the Parliamentary Library and Centre Block with a House of Commons curator to examine the most historically, politically, and architecturally sensitive areas within the Library and along the perimeter ---lCSlJS ｲｏｻＩｬｊ＾ｾｉＱＧＬＧｔ c=J HOARDfNG ｏｌｉｔｾｉｎｾ of the Centre Block adjacent to the C:J OCI"""rrON ｓｦｔＨｾ CBUS site. Selection of blast sites. Two sites, each ..... .__.__...｟ｾｾｾｾｾＭＭｬ about ＸＰｭｾＬ were selected within the Flg.3 Plan shOWing CBUS test-blast locations Courtesy of Golder VME limited. DESIGNING A TEST BLAST PROGRAM 69 CBUS footptint for the test blasts. Site Monitoring Program locations were chosen so that the ｲ･ｾ sponse to blasting of portions of Parlia­ The monitoring program was designed ment Hill adjacent to the excavation to minimize the likelihood of blast­ could be suitably captured and charac­ induced building damage during the test terized (Fig. 3). In addition, each site blast program, to characterize the re­ was positioned within the footprint to sponse of the ground, buildings, and ensure that pedestrian paths along the building components and contents on perimeter of the escarpment were not Parliament Hill to technicaUy feasible levels of blasting, and to establish safe obstructed, access to the House of Com­ mons loading dock on the north side of blasting levels (velocity criteria) for the Centre Block was maintained, and buildings on Parliament Hill during the emergency vehicles had access to the excavation of bedrock for CBUS. Centre Block building. All statues were removed to sites outside the areas Instrumentation. A comprehensive hoarded for the tesiS, and underground monitoring network was designed, services sustained only minimal disrup­ assembled, and installed by GVME and tions.