Open Web Steel Joist Info Campaign

The Department of Housing and Municipal Affairs has initiated a public information campaign to identify and inform building owners about possible structural problems associated with open web steel joists supplied by Robb Engineering.

The joists in question were used in the construction of primarily commercial and industrial buildings throughout the province from 1963 until 1985.

The department has been advised of possible welding defects in joists fabricated by Robb Engineering and used in construction during this period. As a precautionary measure, Housing and Municipal Affairs is asking private building owners to have their facilities inspected by a qualified engineer to rule out potential structural problems.

"We want to reassure Nova Scotians that the department does not believe any buildings in this province are at risk," said Ted Ross, the department's building code co-ordinator. "Nor are we aware of any serious incidents involving these joists in Nova Scotia. However, we do urge private building owners to contact us to obtain more information about this issue."

The Government of Nova Scotia was informed of this issue by the Government of Newfoundland in 1996 and made it a priority. Provincial departments immediately set to work to find a solution. The Department of Transportation and Public Works is responsible for the investigation of open web steel joists in provincially owned buildings, while the role of providing information to private building owners rests with the Department of Housing and Municipal Affairs.

Open web steel joists look like a series of Ws joined together in a horizontal row by steel bars on the top and bottom. The joists are used to support both floors and roofs and can be found, primarily, in steel-framed structures.

From the outset, Housing and Municipal Affairs initiated an extensive search to determine which buildings contained the potentially defective joists. Various means were used to identify owners that may have been supplied steel products by Robb Engineering, including assistance from regional assessment offices and the Registry of Joint Stock Companies. Researching and identifying contacts for privately owned buildings throughout the province proved to be a labour-intensive and time-consuming task.

The department obtained a list of contact numbers and information related to buildings supplied with steel products between 1970 and 1985. Subsequent investigations in Newfoundland, however, revealed that the potentially defective joists were produced as early as 1963.

To date, hundreds of private buildings throughout the province have been identified and detailed information packages distributed to owners. At this point, however, all avenues of identifying the affected buildings have been exhausted and the Department of Housing and Municipal Affairs is enlisting the assistance of building owners themselves through a public information campaign.

The department has compiled a comprehensive information package that includes a description and illustration of open web steel joists and a list of defects potentially associated with these joists. This information is available by calling 1-800-884-1172 and leaving a recorded message including your name, mailing address, building street address, and, if possible, the property assessment number.

NOTE TO EDITORS: For background material, please e-mail <rossng@gov.ns.ca.>