Crumbling concrete at Place du Portage

Nets have been installed to catch falling debris from a major Federal Government complex in Gatineau.

Public Service and Procurement Canada says deteriorating concrete was discovered during a routine inspection of Place du Portage in 2017. It will take another two years to repair the concrete on the buildings.

Now, black fiberglass netting has been set up to prevent concrete chunks from falling off more than 60 locations on the three buildings that make-up the complex.

In a statement to CTV News, Pierre-Alain Bujold of Public Service and Procurement Canada says “the age of the buildings and their construction methods explain the erosion of the concrete. Small movements between the prefabricated panels as well as corrosion of the mental supports cause a natural deterioration of the concrete, which, combined with water infiltration, explain the current condition of the concrete of phases I, II, III of the Portage complex.

There are more than 6,500 workers at Place Du Portage, which was built in the mid-70s.

It cost just over $500,000 to install the black fiberglass netting.

With files from CTV News Michael O'Byrne