Robie Street Reservoir
National Historic Civil Engineering Site
Robie Street Reservoir
The 48 m diameter x 7.5 m deep concrete reservoir was originally build in 1913. It was one of the few structures in the area to survive the Halifax Explosion in 1917, less than 1 km away. Deterioration to the walls and roof required extensive rehabilitation in 1946. The roof was replaced using a prestressed concrete ring beam and gunite construction, and the walls were extensively repaired. At the time, the roof replacement was the largest prestressed dome in the world. The creative design-build engineering solution was one of the earliest uses of prestressed concrete in Canada involving specialized construction techniques and materials. The reservoir was designated a landmark by the American Water Works Association in 1983.
The prestressed dome roof was replaced in 1999 by a lightweight aluminum geodesic dome.
Canadian Society for Civil Engineering 2014