Project Summary
The Sunset Theatre in Wells, BC, sustained a roof collapse in 2008. Huston Grant Adjusters engaged Scouten Engineering to evaluate the cause of the roof collapse and develop repair procedures.
Project Description
The theatre is a two-storey building constructed of timber framing, including a series of timber trusses spanning the width of the building supported by the load-bearing exterior walls. Scouten Engineering visited the site, reviewed the existing structure, and determined that the existing roof structure could not shed snow appropriately, which resulted in an increased snow load on the roof. The increased loading splayed out the top of the walls of the building, causing the roof to collapse.
Upon determining the cause of the collapse, Scouten developed a series of jacking procedures, including using scaffolding, jacking beams, come-alongs, and jack stands to lift the roof back into the proper position. Following the roof jacking, a series timber whalers were installed on the exterior of the building attached to come-alongs to pull the tops of the walls back into their original position.
In addition to the jacking and realigning procedures, Scouten developed several strengthening and repair procedures to resist future snow loads. Repair procedures included the doubling up of the existing wood trusses, the installation of hurricane straps and the upgrading and reinstatement of existing tie rods that span the width of the building at the top of the walls.