Centre Block Underground Services (CBUS)
Buried 12 m (39 ft. 4 in.) underground, at the northwest corner of the
Centre Block, there is now a two-storey, 4,000 m2 (13,123 ft2) facility.
CBUS houses new high-voltage electrical transformers and emergency power
generators, provides space for advanced computer and communications facilities,
and provides much-needed storage space and delivery reception facilities.
The first challenge of the CBUS project was to dig the rock out. A combination
of hoe-ramming and monitored and controlled blasting did the trick. In
all, eight tons of explosives were used during the excavation process,
which was carried out 24 hours a day, from May to September 1997.
![Centre Block Underground Services](/web/20061210162749im_/http://www.collineduparlement.gc.ca/images/explorecbus_02.jpg)
Photo: McElligott Photography Ltd.
Approximately 30,000 m3 (98,425 ft3) of rock was removed
from the site. It took 3,000 double-axle dump trucks, working 24 hours
a day from May to September 1997, to remove the rock.
![Centre Block Underground Services](/web/20061210162749im_/http://www.collineduparlement.gc.ca/images/explorecbus_03.jpg)
Once the rock was removed, the way was paved to build the concrete structure,
which took 570 truckloads of concrete.
![Centre Block Underground Services](/web/20061210162749im_/http://www.collineduparlement.gc.ca/images/explorecbus_04.jpg)
Photo: Roy Grogan
The entire construction process was closely monitored by the National
Research Council and the Federal Heritage Building Review Office to protect
the heritage characteristics of all buildings.
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