COLE ISLAND HERITAGE SITE
Location: Colwood, BC
Project Type: Buildings
About This Project
Subconsultant, Engineer of Record
The Esquimalt Naval Sites is a historic district owned by the Province of British Columbia that incorporates four important naval station sites forming a ring around Esquimalt Harbour, is a former seasonal site of importance to the First Nations, as well as an important recreational site. On Cole Island, the construction materials and techniques are typical of buildings and structures of the 1890s.
ISL Engineering and Land Services (ISL) reviewed the five standing buildings to find areas of structural concern. ISL then established the scope of work required for the repairs, including the structural design of the heavy timber and masonry components. Some feature elements included the design of the timber balcony members and the crane traveler beams. ISL designed structural connections from the restored heavy timber trusses, balconies and traveler beams to the existing brick masonry buildings and their internal timber structure and reviewed the structural performance and repair of the brick masonry.
ISL reviewed the buildings and archive documents to determine how the buildings were originally constructed and then worked to maintain the historic fabric and traditional construction methods and materials, where possible.