Ausenco performed the assessment and the detailed design for the seismic assessment and seismic upgrade for the GVWD Central Park drinking water reservoir located in Central Park in Burnaby.
An array of 16 viscous dampers was distributed around the edges of the reservoir roof to reduce the seismically induced displacements under the design level earthquake by a factor of 3.
The dampers also provide a highly predictable method for dissipating energy, which virtually eliminates any damage to the original concrete structure compared to localised damage expected using conventional retrofit methods.
The buried perimeter walls were reinforced with a layer of reinforced shotcrete applied from the inside of the reservoir. This “hybrid” method combining traditional and new technology retrofit methods was shown to be the most cost effective and best performing option.
The retrofit was designed to result in minimal disruption to both the service of the reservoir and to the public access of the recreational facilities located on the reservoir roof.
This project represents the first use in Canada of viscous dampers for a seismic retrofit project.