Carbon Fiber Train Tunnel CMU Wall Strengthening – Vancouver, British Columbia

In November 2022, Canada Line SkyTrain identified cracking and deterioration in a CMU partition wall within the Waterfront Station tunnels in Vancouver, British Columbia. Ensuring passenger safety and maintaining uninterrupted transit operations required an immediate and reliable strengthening solution.

Retro Specialty Contractors partnered with Structural Reinforcement Solutions to develop a reinforcement plan using SRS-600UNI Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP). The upper two feet of the wall were confined horizontally with 6-inch wide SRS-600UNI to reinforce regions affected by cracking. Additional vertical straps were installed at 3-foot centers on both sides of the wall to increase flexural strength and prevent future failures.

The collaborative approach of SRS and Retro Specialty Contractors resulted in a safe, efficient strengthening system that met both the immediate needs and long-term performance goals of the Canada Line SkyTrain. The CFRP installation improved structural capacity, enhanced tunnel reliability, and achieved the work with zero operational downtime.