Robb Engineering was a metals manufacturer that was located in
Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada in the early 1900s. Originally started as a tinsmithy, the factory eventually expanded to the manufacture of
boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, centr ...
s, electric engines and small
generator plants. Some evidence exists that attempts were also made by the company to design and manufacture
locomotive engine
A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, motor coach, railcar or power car; the us ...
s as well as a small venture into shipwork.
In 1964 Robb Engineering was acquired by the
Dominion Bridge Company
Dominion Bridge Company Limited was a Canadian steel bridge constructor originally based in Lachine, Quebec. From the core business of steel bridge component fabrication, the company diversified into related areas such as the fabrication of holdin ...
. Its assets were merged into Dominion's
Canada Car and Foundry
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by total ...
subsidiary. These corporate changes saw the workforce at Dominion Bridge Company's operations in Amherst undergo major changes following the dissolution of Robb Engineering.
Robb Engineering gained notoriety during the 1990s after being blamed as the maker of faulty
open web steel joist
In structural engineering, the open web steel joist (OWSJ) is a lightweight steel truss consisting, in the standard form, of parallel chords and a triangulated web system, proportioned to span between bearing points.
The main function of an OWS ...
s. Poor welds weakened the joists. In some cases the roof joists have experienced catastrophic failure, resulting in at least 1 roof collapse. With the collapse of 3 joists in 3 separate buildings confirmed, an inspection of all governmental structures was conducted in
eastern Canada
Eastern Canada (also the Eastern provinces or the East) is generally considered to be the region of Canada south of the Hudson Bay/ Strait and east of Manitoba, consisting of the following provinces (from east to west): Newfoundland and Labrado ...
surveying how many of Robb Engineering's joists were being used. Inspections costing into the millions of dollars, found that several thousand government buildings, in several provinces across eastern Canada, were involved.
An unknown number of private buildings could also be involved, however no statistical information was recorded reflecting this data.
References
CBC coverage (references)
CBC News story
External links
Open Web Steel Joist Information Package from Province of Nova Scotia
THE OWSJ TASK REVIEW BOARD Warning
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513032252/http://www.lib.uwo.ca/business/ccc-robb.htm , date=2008-05-13 company profile (circa 1967)
Companies based in Nova Scotia
Foundries in Canada
Amherst, Nova Scotia
Roofs
Construction and civil engineering companies of Canada
Engineering failures
Construction and civil engineering companies established in 1903
Canadian companies established in 1903