Structural characterisation of Eastern Canada’s old industrial masonry buildings via typological analysis: part II – building database analysis

Abstract

The typological analysis conducted in the companion paper is further expanded within this work through the critical analysis of a new extensive building database specifically conceived for old industrial masonry buildings in Eastern Canada. The identification of recurrent unreinforced masonry (URM) building archetypes in this low-to-moderate seismic region is essential to decrease uncertainties currently prevalent in the analysis of local old URM structures, often targeted for adaptive reuse. The database assembled herein comprises various heritage designated buildings across Eastern Canada and was compiled harmonising existing repositories at the federal, provincial and municipal level with an unprecedented focus on structural features. The characteristics of these resources are quantitatively analysed and applied to a case study of the city of Montréal, one of the most important industrial centres in nineteenth and twentieth century Canada. Outcomes from this study will guide practitioners and researchers involved in the structural and seismic assessment and retrofit of old industrial URM constructions, enable more and less invasive rational retrofit designs and inform the new Existing Structures provisions to be included in the 2030 National Building Code of Canada.