Our Role

We were engaged to fabricate, install, and execute a large scale building shoring system including hydraulic jacking to take up high-rise building loads in order to facilitate the safe repair of heavily deteriorated building columns. 

 

Project Background

The project centered on the urgent rehabilitation of critically deteriorated reinforced concrete columns in an 18-story apartment building, which remained occupied throughout the operation. These structural elements had suffered extensive damage over time, with the severity of the decay manifesting in large sheets of concrete, up to 4 inches thick, detaching along the full height of the columns.  The risk posed by this level of deterioration was extreme and the repairs would require a rapidly planned and executed repair strategy.

 

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Project Description

Our specific contribution to the repair project was to aid in the design and complete the fabrication and installation of three levels of heavy steel shoring frames and brackets - a critical component in stabilizing the building during the repair process. These frames were engineered to support the entire weight of the structure above.  The installation process was particularly challenging at the bottommost level, where the frames were strategically placed over the building's strip footing. These frames were designed to receive hydraulic cylinders which would be used to slowly transfer the load from the deteriorated concrete columns to the newly installed steel support system. This approach allowed us to effectively redistribute the building's weight, creating a safe environment for the subsequent concrete repair works.

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Our team also designed and built a custom data acquisition system tailored specifically for this project which was used to monitor stress distribution through the new frames during the loading/unloading process. The real-time data collected by this system not only provided invaluable insights into the effectiveness of our strategy but also offered a means to dynamically adjust in response to live load distribution data, guaranteeing the safety and stability of the building throughout the process.

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With the successful installation and loading of these steel frames, we handed over a safely shored structure to Conterra Restoration's skilled crews, who could then proceed with the intricate concrete repair tasks with confidence, knowing the building was securely supported.