Parks Canada requested the complete reconstruction of the Chambly federal pier. This place of cultural interest is located along a large lock near the Fort Chambly National Historic Site. The jetty was built in the 19th century. Given its state of obsolescence and after a spring flooding event, it was condemned and rendered inaccessible to the public in 2011 for safety reasons. Because the site is a very popular resort area in the summer – with a marina and up to 450,000 boaters and visitors on average annually – it was urgent to return access to the public.

The pier is situated in an environmentally sensitive zone due to its proximity to the spawning ground of an endangered fish species – the copper redhorse. Consequently, the project involved several environmental, hydric, structural and heritage constraints, to name but a few.

Given the client’s wish to restore the prestige of a structure highly popular with the public after many years of inactivity, reinforced concrete seemed the perfect choice for the project. The reconstruction of this structure was complex given the many preliminary studies that were carried out prior to selecting the concept. We determined that from a structural point of view, the use of sheet piles with strutting and tie beams was the most optimal solution. With respect to durability and aesthetics, the selected concrete was the most appropriate in terms of freeze-thaw and flood resistance, for an estimated service life of 50 years.

The project was a success. Despite the pandemic, lockdown measures and floods, the budget and schedule were met, to the great satisfaction of Parks Canada and the City of Chambly.