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Robb Engineering was a metals manufacturer that was located in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada in the early 1900s.^[1] Originally started as a tinsmithy, the factory eventually expanded to the manufacture of boilers, electric engines and small generator plants.^[2] Some evidence exists that attempts were also made by the company to design and manufacture locomotive engines^[3] as well as a small venture into shipwork.^[4]

In 1964 Robb Engineering was acquired by the Dominion Bridge Company. Its assets were merged into Dominion's Canada Car and Foundry 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 joists. Poor welds weakened the joists. In some cases the roof joists have experienced catastrophic failure, resulting in at least 1 roof collapse.^[5] With the collapse of 3 joists in 3 separate buildings confirmed, an inspection of all governmental structures was conducted in eastern Canada surveying how many of Robb Engineering's joists were being used.^[6] Inspections costing into the millions of dollars, found that several thousand government buildings, in several provinces across eastern Canada, were involved.^[7]^[8] An unknown number of private buildings could also be involved, however no statistical information was recorded reflecting this data.

References

^ Forbes, Ernest R. (January 1993). The Atlantic Provinces in Confederation. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 9780802068170. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
^ Forbes, Ernest R. (1979). The Maritime Rights Movement, 1919-1927. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. p. 62. ISBN 9780773503212. Retrieved 2008-04-04. Robb Engineering Amherst.
^ "Other Geared Steam Locomotives - Page OPQR".
^ "Marine Museum of the Great Lakes". Archived from the original on 2008-04-10. Retrieved 2008-04-13.
^ "Roof cave-ins blamed on joists, Atlantic Canada". CBC News. 2000-12-19. Archived from the original on July 7, 2007. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
^ "News Release from Government of Newfoundland and Labrador". Retrieved 2008-04-04.
^ "News Release from Government of Newfoundland and Labrador". Retrieved 2008-04-04.
^ "Province to Conduct Remediation Program Over Christmas". Retrieved 2008-04-04.

CBC coverage (references)

External links

Open Web Steel Joist Information Package from Province of Nova Scotia Archived 2009-04-02 at the Wayback Machine
THE OWSJ TASK REVIEW BOARD Warning Archived 2011-07-06 at the Wayback Machine
Historical essay Archived 2008-05-13 at the Wayback Machine company profile (circa 1967)

[1] Forbes, Ernest R. (January 1993). The Atlantic Provinces in Confederation. University of Toronto Press. ISBN 9780802068170. Retrieved 2008-04-04.

[2] Forbes, Ernest R. (1979). The Maritime Rights Movement, 1919-1927. McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP. p. 62. ISBN 9780773503212. Retrieved 2008-04-04. Robb Engineering Amherst.

[3] "Other Geared Steam Locomotives - Page OPQR".

[4] "Marine Museum of the Great Lakes". Archived from the original on 2008-04-10. Retrieved 2008-04-13.

[5] "Roof cave-ins blamed on joists, Atlantic Canada". CBC News. 2000-12-19. Archived from the original on July 7, 2007. Retrieved 2008-04-04.

[6] "News Release from Government of Newfoundland and Labrador". Retrieved 2008-04-04.

[7] "News Release from Government of Newfoundland and Labrador". Retrieved 2008-04-04.

[8] "Province to Conduct Remediation Program Over Christmas". Retrieved 2008-04-04.

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-'''Robb Engineering''' was a metals manufacturer that was located in [[Amherst, Nova Scotia]], Canada in the early 1900s.<ref>{{cite book | last = Forbes | first = Ernest R. | title = The Atlantic Provinces in Confederation | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xImeCJxlR6kC&q=%22Robb+Engineering%22+Amherst&pg=PA173 | accessdate = 2008-04-04 | isbn = 9780802068170 | date = January 1993 }}</ref> Originally started as a tinsmithy, the factory eventually expanded to the manufacture of [[boiler]]s, electric engines and small [[Electrical generator|generator]] plants.<ref>{{cite book | last = Forbes | first = Ernest R. | title = The Maritime Rights Movement, 1919-1927 | year = 1979 | publisher = McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP | url= https://archive.org/details/maritimerightsmo0000forb | url-access = registration | page = [https://archive.org/details/maritimerightsmo0000forb/page/62 62] | isbn = 9780773503212 | quote = Robb Engineering Amherst. | accessdate = 2008-04-04 }}</ref> Some evidence exists that attempts were also made by the company to design and manufacture [[locomotive engine]]s<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gearedsteam.com/other/other_opqr.htm|title = Other Geared Steam Locomotives - Page OPQR}}</ref> as well as a small venture into shipwork.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.marmuseum.ca/MillsUpdateSept04.html |title=Marine Museum of the Great Lakes |accessdate=2008-04-13 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410114735/http://www.marmuseum.ca/MillsUpdateSept04.html |archivedate=2008-04-10 }}</ref>
+'''Robb Engineering''' was a metals manufacturer that was located in [[Amherst, Nova Scotia]], Canada in the early 1900s.<ref>{{cite book | last = Forbes | first = Ernest R. | title = The Atlantic Provinces in Confederation | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=xImeCJxlR6kC&q=%22Robb+Engineering%22+Amherst&pg=PA173 | accessdate = 2008-04-04 | isbn = 9780802068170 | date = January 1993 | publisher = University of Toronto Press }}</ref> Originally started as a tinsmithy, the factory eventually expanded to the manufacture of [[boiler]]s, electric engines and small [[Electrical generator|generator]] plants.<ref>{{cite book | last = Forbes | first = Ernest R. | title = The Maritime Rights Movement, 1919-1927 | year = 1979 | publisher = McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP | url= https://archive.org/details/maritimerightsmo0000forb | url-access = registration | page = [https://archive.org/details/maritimerightsmo0000forb/page/62 62] | isbn = 9780773503212 | quote = Robb Engineering Amherst. | accessdate = 2008-04-04 }}</ref> Some evidence exists that attempts were also made by the company to design and manufacture [[locomotive engine]]s<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gearedsteam.com/other/other_opqr.htm|title = Other Geared Steam Locomotives - Page OPQR}}</ref> as well as a small venture into shipwork.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.marmuseum.ca/MillsUpdateSept04.html |title=Marine Museum of the Great Lakes |accessdate=2008-04-13 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410114735/http://www.marmuseum.ca/MillsUpdateSept04.html |archivedate=2008-04-10 }}</ref>
 In 1964 Robb Engineering was acquired by the [[Dominion Bridge Company]].  Its assets were merged into Dominion's [[Canada Car and Foundry]] 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]]s. Poor welds weakened the joists. In some cases the roof joists have experienced catastrophic failure, resulting in at least 1 roof collapse.<ref>{{cite news | title = Roof cave-ins blamed on joists, Atlantic Canada | url= http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2000/12/15/mall_collapse001215.html | accessdate = 2008-04-04 | work=CBC News | date=2000-12-19}}</ref> With the collapse of 3 joists in 3 separate buildings confirmed, an inspection of all governmental structures was conducted in [[eastern Canada]] surveying how many of Robb Engineering's joists were being used.<ref>{{cite web | title = News Release from Government of Newfoundland and Labrador | url= http://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/1997/wst/0310n02.htm | accessdate = 2008-04-04 }}</ref> Inspections costing into the millions of dollars, found that several thousand government buildings, in several provinces across eastern Canada, were involved.<ref>{{cite web | title = News Release from Government of Newfoundland and Labrador| url= http://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/1997/wst/0219n03.htm | accessdate = 2008-04-04 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Province to Conduct Remediation Program Over Christmas | url= http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20001221005 | accessdate = 2008-04-04 }}</ref> An unknown number of private buildings could also be involved, however no statistical information was recorded reflecting this data.
+Robb Engineering gained notoriety during the 1990s after being blamed as the maker of faulty [[open web steel joist]]s. Poor welds weakened the joists. In some cases the roof joists have experienced catastrophic failure, resulting in at least 1 roof collapse.<ref>{{cite news | title = Roof cave-ins blamed on joists, Atlantic Canada | url= https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/roof-cave-ins-blamed-on-joists-atlantic-canada-1.217035 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070707163615/http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2000/12/15/mall_collapse001215.html | url-status= live | archive-date= July 7, 2007 | access-date = 2008-04-04 | work=CBC News | date=2000-12-19}}</ref> With the collapse of 3 joists in 3 separate buildings confirmed, an inspection of all governmental structures was conducted in [[eastern Canada]] surveying how many of Robb Engineering's joists were being used.<ref>{{cite web | title = News Release from Government of Newfoundland and Labrador | url= http://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/1997/wst/0310n02.htm | accessdate = 2008-04-04 }}</ref> Inspections costing into the millions of dollars, found that several thousand government buildings, in several provinces across eastern Canada, were involved.<ref>{{cite web | title = News Release from Government of Newfoundland and Labrador| url= http://www.releases.gov.nl.ca/releases/1997/wst/0219n03.htm | accessdate = 2008-04-04 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Province to Conduct Remediation Program Over Christmas | url= http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20001221005 | accessdate = 2008-04-04 }}</ref> An unknown number of private buildings could also be involved, however no statistical information was recorded reflecting this data.
 ==References==
@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 ===CBC coverage (references)===
 *[http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/health/robbjoists/index.html CBC News story]
-*[http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2000/12/27/ns_joists001227.html Dozens of schools under repair]
+*[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/dozens-of-schools-under-repair-1.220019 Dozens of schools under repair]
-*[http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2001/01/12/robbjoists010112.html PEI Government finishes building inspections]
+*[https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.264512 PEI Government finishes building inspections]
 ==External links==
-*[http://www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/muns/code/steel/ows-toc.stm Open Web Steel Joist Information Package from Province of Nova Scotia]
+*[http://www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/muns/code/steel/ows-toc.stm Open Web Steel Joist Information Package from Province of Nova Scotia] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090402155328/http://www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/muns/code/steel/ows-toc.stm |date=2009-04-02 }}
-*[http://www.pegnl.ca/documents/document_104.pdf THE OWSJ TASK REVIEW BOARD Warning]
+*[http://www.pegnl.ca/documents/document_104.pdf THE OWSJ TASK REVIEW BOARD Warning] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706192917/http://www.pegnl.ca/documents/document_104.pdf |date=2011-07-06 }}
-*[http://www.lib.uwo.ca/business/ccc-robb.htm Historical essay] company profile (circa 1967)
+*[http://www.lib.uwo.ca/business/ccc-robb.htm Historical essay] {{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)
 [[Category:Companies based in Nova Scotia]]