Understanding the Element of Temporary Support During Building Demolitions
There comes a time when you need to get rid of a structure for several reasons. You may want to pave the way for a better building or alter the land's purpose and take on a new project. Either way, demolitions remain a delicate undertaking that you must handle with lots of care. The safety hazards in this undertaking could affect your workers, adjacent property and the human traffic around the property. How do you handle these apparent dangers? Your best bet is adopting some of the proven methods used by demolition specialists over the years. Temporary support of the structure you are demolishing is an excellent example. Read on to learn more about this:
Breaking Down Temporary Support
Just as the name suggests, temporary support refers to intermediary reinforcement for structures that you are demolishing. It holds them so that they do not come tumbling down when you least expect it. Typically, you need temporary support for a section or whole structure if there is excess loading resulting from the demolition activities you are executing. The excess loading can also come from the accumulation of debris or movement of the machinery used to carry out the demolition. Secondly, temporary support is necessary when any section of the structure you are demolishing cannot support itself.
Cantilevered Structures
A cantilevered structure is a rigid element extending horizontally with only one supported end. Usually, such structures extend from flat, vertical surfaces like walls. Cantilevered structures comprise structural elements such as beams, slabs, trusses and beams. During demolition, you need temporary support for all cantilevered structures to keep them in position until you are ready to demolish the cantilever element itself. Additionally, you must protect the area underneath the cantilever elements if it overhangs an area where it can harm the adjacent property or the people nearby.
Design Requirements for Temporary Supports
Certain requirements underlie temporary supports, creating a design framework that guides the establishment of the temporary reinforcements. First, you must make sure that the temporary supports sit on an adequate foundation or flooring. Floors and foundations that do not meet this bare minimum must undergo shoring. Shoring carries down the load to the subsequent lower floors until optimal support surface is achieved. The shoring done on the lower floor levels must be aligned to create a continuous support line from the load's initial point. It is worth noting that the design elements also require an analysis of the load capacity of each floor to ensure that they can stand up adequately to the load in question.
Contact demolition contractors to learn more.