A hurricane-resistant roof has been manufactured by UK steel construction company REIDsteel for the renovation of Dominica’s Lady of Fair Haven Cathedral in Roseau.
The Roman Catholic Community, under the leadership of Gabriel Malzaire, Bishop of Roseau, is spearheading the scheme to restore the iconic building for worshippers and the community.
REIDsteel carried out the structural design, drawing work and fabrication of the roof’s 60 tonne steel frame, purlins and ceiling supports – all at its site in Christchurch, Dorset (England).
It then arranged for shipment to Roseau, the capital of Dominica.
Family-owned REIDsteel has the capability to design, manufacture, ship and erect entire steel buildings including their cladding and or glazing requirements anywhere in the world.
This includes disaster resilient buildings designed to withstand hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and tsunamis.
Project engineer Richard Hanson said: “The placement of the steelwork for the new roof was a landmark moment in the long-running renovation of the cathedral. It was an unusual project as our structure is fixed on top of the reconstructed reinforced concrete columns and arches of the original Cathedral. The accurate survey work provided by the Diocesan Engineer, Mr Bernard Lauwyck, helped us overcome the tolerance differences between a steel frame and a traditional masonry/concrete construction. Because of its complexity, we manufactured all of the steelwork in Dorset. The new roof will be hurricane resilient and will help the community reclaim their much-cherished cathedral. It is pleasing to see how structural steel exported from Dorset can make a difference to people more than 4,000 miles away in the Caribbean.”
The new roof frame includes 44 tonnes of galvanised structural steel and 15 tonnes of steel purlins and ceiling supports.
Roof covering work started earlier this year and the entire renovation project – expected to cost about $12.4m East Caribbean Dollars in total – is due for completion in 2018 after 15 years of preparation, fundraising and work.
Kings Worldwide Ltd, Caribbean Distributor for REIDsteel, purchased and supplied the project.
REIDsteel has worked on a total of 17 buildings in Dominica in recent years, including three churches, a supermarket and several commercial properties.
Recent churches elsewhere have included an auditorium for Church Team Ministries International in Mauritius, St John’s Pentecostal Church in Antigua and Tabora Cathedral in Tanzania.
The cathedral should be converted to an educational edifice where the populace will be enlightened on the atrocities committed by the Roman Catholic Church against humanity.Teachihg of African history and history of other oppressed peoples of the world should also be taught.
It is better to know than to believe.
Some people thunk things come easy and that getting things done is easy and simple as typing words on a computer. Kudos to the people who are funding, designing and rebuilding this church with Dominican money!
Thank heavens the house of the pedophile religion is being preserved!
I think $12.4m East Caribbean Dollars in total that’s a new building wow
great news! Though I no longer reside in Dominica, this is where I got my religious start.
O.K. fine, a free plug for Reid, who supplied the skeleton. What I want to know when that skeleton will receive its skin, the actual roof covering. Surely being exposed to the elements for so long with sun, rain and wind having free access can not be very good for the structural health of the cathedral.
Are you volunteering time on the project… since you’re so interested in its completion as a catholic?!
This is fabulous news. God is great ????
Can someone tell me how many years this roof has been under reconstruction?. will they continue to collect millions and millions of Dollars, or will it take some millions from C.B.I money?. how about a 18 million in the hands of a foreign company, it would be completed of time, according to hobbie t.
Separation of church, and state ? one million was given to the church [bishop] by skerro for that roof.
Congratulations bishop and parishioners!
Great effort. May it survive for over another 200 years.!
That roof will never finish. the Vatican is the richest organisation in the world, yet government have to be giving large donation for it to finish, and years after it still cannot finish. Must be heaven we buying to put in the rafters. Any God bless you all.
Let the Lord be glorified. May our arms stay strong in His service. Amen
It doesn’t matter what roof we put on when mother nature is ready to judge us and expose our nakedness, hurricane-resistant roof and all will be gone as long as our spiritual leaders continue to uphold gross unrighteousness and evil. Not too long we had timely reminders when catholic churches in both Portsmouth and Vielle-case were flattened by minor earthquakes that destroyed nothing else on island but those two churches. With the manner the Christian Churches have joined themselves with the evils of Skerrit I would not be surprised to hear more churches are destroyed.