45 Queen Street – Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Owner/Client: Charlottetown Area Development Corporation (CADC)
Consulting Engineering Services by J.W. Cowie Engineering Limited
The Kays Bros. Building is a four storey wood framed building having clay brick masonry exterior walls. The building was constructed in the late 1860's with clay brick from Scotland.
The purpose of the Cowie Engineering investigation was to establish the structural integrity of the exterior load bearing clay brick masonry walls including reporting on the quality of the clay bricks and to address all wall areas having spalled brick faces. In addition, Cowie Engineering was to advise on the extent of the historical masonry restoration required for all exterior masonry walls. Site investigation and reporting was completed by December 2011. James W. Cowie, M.Eng., P.Eng. provided all the structural engineer-ing services on behalf of Cowie Engineering. W.S. Langley Concrete & Materials Technology Inc. (Langley) acted as a Sub Consultant to Cowie Engineering. Through wall core samples were taken and ultrasonic tests were conducted by Langley.
After the completion of the report by Cowie Engineering, the Charlottetown Area Development Corporation sold the building to a local developer. The local developer has restored the interior and exterior of the building.
01. East (front) and North elevation of Kays Bros. Building. Viewing Southwest from Queen Street, Charlottetown.
02. East (front) elevation of Kays Bros. Building.
03. Example of good condition face brickwork on the East elevation. Shows a through wall metal strap for anchorage of the brickwork to the timber floor framing.
04. Interior face of South exterior wall of ground (main) floor. Shows core holes.
05. Close-up of the interior face of the South exterior wall at a core hole shown in photograph no. 4.
06. Masonry core sample from South exterior wall of ground (main) floor.
07. Example of insitu ultrasound testing of clay brick, inner wythe, South exterior wall.
08. Example of deteriorated brick faces of interior wythe of brick masonry exterior wall.
09. Example of deteriorated brick faces of interior wythe of brick masonry wall. Shows fire charred wood lintel over bricked in window opening. (Refer to photograph no. 10).
10. Fire charred timber lintel over bricked in window opening shown in photograph no. 9.
11. Distorted alignment of parapet along top of East (front) brick masonry exterior wall. Viewing South.