Strong, Sleek Steel Awning Support
This past week, we looked at a projecting steel support that held up a structural load of multiple levels of a building at the corner where a portion of the lower building was removed. Today, we are looking at something that is very different from a structural load perspective, but similar in the way that steel members are cantilevered from the inside of a building to the exterior of a building to support a structural load.
The difference here today is that the load is relatively light by comparison and there is not a masonry portion of the building imposed upon the structure of the existing building. However, the existing building is built with masonry and the cantilevered support or connecting steel elements start by using that masonry structural load path as the principal bearing point.
In the picture below, you can tell that the original building is built with masonry, even though the individual brick structure is covered with a relatively flush and smooth stucco finish. One of the elements that makes this obvious is the window depth. The windows are set somewhere near the middle of the throat or rough opening of the masonry, and you can see, even from a distance, that they are set well within the exterior face or facade surface of the building. We estimate that these window and door openings are set roughly 3.5 in into the facade structure.
This particular steel frame, unlike the other ones that we looked at recently, instead of being built with structural angle iron or i-beams, is built with a steel truss system. This steel truss system is a little bit different than the average or more typical type truss because instead of being welded, it is built with bolts and or riveted chord and web elements. The intermediary web supports weave up and down at diagonal angles like a zigzag. Interestingly, yet counterintuitive, the intermediary web supports of the trusses generally alternate from states compression and tension.
It’s essentially through that alternating division of force that trusses have an ability to support loads greater than the sum of the individual components of the truss. Dimensional lumber pieces were installed vertically attached to the vertical face of the truss system to provide a backing for installing the sheathing at the exterior face of the projecting awning. In the picture below you can see a larger piece of one of these wooden elements and you can see the bottoms of several others in a series to the left where they slightly peek out behind a portion of the remaining plywood sheathing.
This particular building happens to be a commercial retail type space and the awning, in this case, is used so people such as customers or the public in general can walk on the sidewalk down the city street and be covered from the typical rain and precipitation.
It also allows a built construct for the installation of lighting so the lights can be installed overhead of the sidewalk that people walk down. Additionally, awnings like this also offer a place for decorations and advertisements for retails and businesses. In total, there’s a lot of reasons why some businesses would choose to install awnings at their facades. The awning can offer some coverage from the elements, lighting locations, and locations for mounting of signage.
In the next picture below you can see a little bit of a closer view that shows some of the elements of the plywood sheathing and wood stud backing and framing attached to the steel projected awning, more closely. It looks like the awning itself is in the process of remodeling and rebuilding, at least in the stages of demolition, but much of the deterioration at this location is actually originated from leakage at the roof of the awning. Issues and problems of roof leakage are a specialty of our company, including repair and rebuilding of low slope and a variety of alternative types of roof systems.
We can Help
Our company focuses on historic restoration more than modern building upkeep, maintenance, and construction, but our company understands both types of construction very well and a full picture well-rounded approach is needed in any niche in the construction industry. Although we focus on historic restoration, repointing, tuckpointing and historic brick repair, our company also has technical knowledge and competencies in the areas of modern and contemporary construction as well as we become one of the leaders in that area of the market today. Understanding both historic and modern or contemporary construction is useful because both aspects help understand the challenges and potential solutions for challenges in building science and construction.
We can help with a variety of historic masonry restoration needs and upkeep, from modest tuckpointing and or repointing to complicated and extensive historic masonry restoration. Infinity Design Solutions is a historic restoration specialist contractor specializing in both historic masonry restoration such as tuckpointing our repointing, and brick repair. If you have questions about the architectural details or facade of your historic building in Washington DC, reach out and say hello and if we can help we’ll be glad to assist you. You can email us or call us on the telephone at the following link: contact us here.
