Fairview Cove Container Terminal is a deep-water container terminal that can accommodate Post-Panamax vessels. The pier consists of a series of reinforced cement concrete (RCC) cribs, RCC copewall and an RCC beam supporting a crane rail. The original construction was completed in the late 1970s and the terminal was expanded in the 1980s.

Halifax Port Authority (HPA), as the owner of the terminal, is responsible for its maintenance and upkeep. Inspections carried out by HPA revealed signs of expansion of key RCC components induced by Alkali-Aggregate Reactivity (AAR). Laboratory testing of sample cores extracted from the copewall confirmed the existence of AAR activity in concrete.

HPA engaged the services of SHM Canada to design and install a Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system to measure the effects of AAR-associated expansion of copewall concrete. Sensors based on vibrating wire technology were installed at key locations and gathered expansion and temperature data at regular intervals. Structural Health Monitoring was completed in December 2016 and a report was submitted to the client.