Metal monsters

When metal structures become monstrosities, there’s usually a Dr. Frankenstein somewhere nearby

by Tom Hammel

Okay, we’re not talking Boris Karloff in a tin suit, but some awful things can happen to metal structures, especially when subcontractors and owners get into materials and techniques that are over their heads.

Steel erectors uniformly agree that if a structure is built according to plan, used according to plan and maintained on a regular schedule, it should provide decades of reliable service.

So why do things sometimes go horribly wrong? Usually because of people who can’t leave well enough alone, the experts report.

Torching it
“I’ve seen numerous instances where a column or rafter interfered with a run and the subcontractor just pulled out a torch, cut it off and put the run through it — I kid you not,” says Bill Jellison, project manager for Castle Steel of Phoenix, Arizona. “The top of a column might be 36" wide, but if it is in the way of a subcontractor, he’ll just take 16" off so he can stuff in whatever he wants to run through there. It happens more often than you might think.”

What a load
Dan Barnett, president of Arizona Corporate Builders LLC of Tempe, has seen it all and then some.

“We have seen many cases of owners adding loads to a building that it was never designed to handle,” Barnett says. “They’ll think, ‘Hey, we’re only adding a three-ton crane.’ But they don’t think about the fact that their building maybe has not been designed for any of that. So they put the crane under extreme load and overstress the building.”

Sometimes owners just don’t like the way a support column “clutters” up their nice open layout.

“I’ve seen situations where end-use clients removed interior columns and then wondered why the building fell down,” Jellison says and laughs.

Mezzanines from hell
“Or they add mezzanines and attach them directly to components of the building that have not been designed for that additional load,” Barnett adds. “We see that fairly often.” Barnett has even seen instances where owners simply bolted mezzanines into block buildings with no regard for whether the block was designed to accept it.

The result? You guessed it.

Sooner or later, even in brand new structures, owners decide they need more storage. They look up and say, “Hey, that’s a fairly substantial beam, why don’t we just weld a couple support beams to that thing and it will become the corner of the mezzanine?” But they forget about the additional load into the column that supports that beam or the footing underneath it.

“It’s one thing to add light storage but I can’t tell you how many times, especially in tire garages, they will throw 5,000 lbs. of tires up there,” Barnett says. “You know they never thought about the IBC codes when they did it.”

The owner’s manual
Barnett stresses that new building owners should compile “an owner’s manual” of all the mechanical equipment, manuals, warranties and the names and contact information of the contractors who supplied it. “Owners need to use that information and learn what their building can and can’t do for them,” he says.

“Almost always, a new building owner is left with a set of as-built drawings. Those drawings also seem to be the first thing the owner loses, usually within a year. But those documents should be considered almost like a holy grail, especially if they want to add onto the structure at a later date.”

These schematics can also help avoid many, if not most, potential headaches. For example, a set of plans can quickly tell the owner which circuits can be safely extended and which can’t. With no clear record of what the building contains, owners end up guessing — usually wrong.

Barnett emphasizes the need for regular building inspections and maintenance that can keep small problems from becoming major ones.

“No one ever seems to check their roof penetrations until there’s a leak,” he summarizes. “The building is basically your largest piece of machinery. Just like you would with a lathe or a drill press, you need to maintain your building, too.”

Breaking code
Recent building code changes are also tripping up building owners. Even if an owner planned for future expansions from the beginning and made the necessary investments in structural and footing reinforcements to allow it, he may still be out of luck. A building put up just 10 years ago, built to code with the required reinforcements for future expansion, may not meet today’s code requirements.

“It used to be that the Uniform Building Code was modified maybe every six of eight years,” Barnett says. “But since we’ve had the International Building Codes (IBC) in place, we’ve had changes in 2000, 2001, 2003 and now we’re on the IBC 2006 code changes. That’s been rather frustrating, especially for an owner who built only 10 years ago and paid the extra money for the expansion frame but now can’t take advantage of it because of code changes.”

Taking action
Today, when owners consider building expansions Barnett advises two key actions. First, determine which codes applied when the building initially went up. Second, determine what upgrades your municipality is going to require you to bring its systems up to today’s code. You must do both before you begin to plan your expansion.

“There are many additional costs beyond just the direct expansion of the building,” he observes. “Your municipality is going to reach back into your existing building and make sure you meet all the current electrical, mechanical, Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and IBC requirements.

“I’ve seen expansion projects fall through not because owners couldn’t afford the expansion work, but because the city came along and required an additional $150,000 in outside improvements that had nothing to do with the expansion. In many of those situations, the jobs never get done, or worse, the owners push the envelope and get the jobs done ‘somehow.’”

That “somehow” is usually ill advised and illegal to boot, which creates a monster of a problem.

Published in the May/June 2008 issue of Contractor Tools and Supplies magazine.

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