An almost-eight-metre-tall mass of rebar and cables fell on its side at a University of Victoria construction site on Sunday afternoon, briefly closing traffic on Ring Road until the scene could be cleared.
The tangled mess, on the site of the future High Bay Research and Structures Lab, was cordoned behind red tape on Monday as crews continued to work on the multi-million dollar expansion of UVic’s engineering department.
Even on its side, parts of the structure still towered above passing semi-trucks on Ring Road.
The university posted a notice on its website Sunday shortly before 4 p.m. saying a section of the main campus road was “unexpectedly closed due to construction.”
It later said that the road reopened around 6 p.m.
A university spokesperson said no one was injured in the incident, which occurred just after 2 p.m. when the lab’s structural rebar and tensioning cables collapsed, affecting construction fencing.
The university spokesperson said Bird Construction is in touch with WorkSafeBC and a formal investigation will begin soon, adding it’s too early to tell whether the collapse will cause delays in the construction process for the lab.
Ring Road has been down to one lane near the construction area since work on the project started.
The two-storey High Bay Research and Structures Lab is part of a $89.6-million project to expand UVic’s engineering and computer science departments.
The lab is designed to have a 12-metre high ceiling and features two 10-tonne gantry cranes and a seismic research “shake table” for research and prototyping related to civil engineering and building science.
The project also includes a new six-storey mass timber wing for the Engineering and Computer Science Building that will be able to accommodate an additional 500 students, according to UVic.
Originally announced with a 2024 completion date, the project is now expected to be finished in 2026.
The incident comes days after UVic engineering and computer science dean Mina Hoorfar and civil engineering department chair Thomas Froese were at the construction site for a beam-signing ceremony, along with representatives from Bird Construction, the construction manager for the project.
Bird Construction could not be immediately reached for comment Monday.
