The client
The National Assembly of Quebec, the parliamentary institution of the Quebec state, housed in the Parliament Building, a designated National Historic Site.
Customer success | Parliamentary institution and heritage building
How Assek dried the National Assembly of Quebec after flooding across four floors, without compromising the integrity of this heritage building
Overview
The customer success story at a glance
The challenge
A sprinkler pipe break caused by freezing temperatures flooded four floors and 33 rooms, including 20 with massive construction. The building's heritage value ruled out demolition.
The results
Complete drying without demolition, preserving the building's architectural and historical integrity and enabling institutional operations to resume quickly.
The organization
Preserving a landmark of the Quebec state
The National Assembly of Quebec is the parliamentary institution of the Quebec state. It sits in the Parliament Building, built between 1877 and 1886 and recognized as a National Historic Site since 1985. It is among Quebec’s most historic and visible buildings.
A building with this heritage value cannot be treated like an ordinary property after a loss. Thick walls, period materials and its historic status ruled out invasive drying methods. The intervention had to preserve the building while moving quickly.
The challenges
A major loss in an institutional building: a heritage challenge
Flooding across four floors
In 2017, a sprinkler pipe break caused by freezing temperatures flooded four floors of the Parliament Building. A total of 33 rooms were affected, including 13 with gypsum construction and 20 with massive construction, such as masonry or stone. In an ordinary building, drying often requires removing gypsum, baseboards and finishes to reach moisture trapped in walls. That approach was incompatible with a National Historic Site.
A structural challenge
The 20 rooms with massive construction presented a distinct challenge: their walls could not be opened. The structure had to be dried in depth across four floors, without opening the walls and within the tight timelines required to maintain institutional operations.
The solution
How to respond without compromising the building
An emergency response without demolition
Assek Technologies responded urgently with its non-destructive drying method, supported by Secur-Air technology. Rather than removing affected materials, the rapid drying strategy was adapted to the building’s structural requirements: thick walls, period materials and heritage constraints.
“This major incident was caused by a sprinkler pipe break due to freezing temperatures, resulting in the flooding of four floors of the building. Assek’s intervention enabled us to dry all affected rooms without demolition, a major consideration for a building like ours.”
Assistant Director
National Assembly of Quebec
Services and technologies used
Water damage response
Emergency response adapted to the situation.
Detailed assessment and estimate
Assessment and estimate tailored to the heritage context.
Non-destructive drying
A non-destructive drying method supported by Secur-Air technology.
Expert assessment and drying report
Documentation of the intervention and drying follow-up.
Key results
rooms dried
Across four floors.
demolition required
Despite the scale of the loss.
The building's architectural and historical integrity was maintained.
Institutional activities resumed quickly.
Do you manage a heritage or institutional building that needs protection from water damage?
Let's talk.