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Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support
2

Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

(OP)
Not sure I'd stand under three floors of framing with these boys (studs) holding it up.

 

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

Great example of the Euler slender column!

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

Was this photoshopped?  bigsmile

I guess this is proof that the sheetrock that was removed was literally preventing the wall studs from buckling.  

Looks like a few of the bridging members are missing too.   

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

(OP)
Yep - sheathing is important to wood studs.  I just was amazed about how the pairs of studs buckled into one another and thus, created a brace point of sorts.

Shoring is coming in the morning.

 

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

JAE...my thought as well on the buckling into each other.

It's always amazing how many of our structures remain standing despite poor design and construction.

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

Nah, it just looks like they buy lumber at the same place I do.  That's how it looks at the store.

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

JStephen-
I literally was laughing out loud reading your post.
Nothing like going to the local Home Depot and picking through 850 studs to 40 decent ones, eh?

M^2-
you know the heating, electrical, and plumbing contractors knocked that bridging out 3 days after it was initially installed.  

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

The photo still looks odd to me.
You'd expect to see a lot more sag in the floor and the duct work doesn't look bent really at all.  

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

Note the curvature, and how it's concentrated in one area of each stud's length.

Are the studs behind the duct, or under it?

I can't eliminate the possibility that the studs are precracked, jammed in place to hold the ductwork while it's being secured by other means.

I.e., one ductwork installer working alone, scrounges a few studs from another trade's stock, drives his truck over them to make them a little easier to compress axially by hand, and uses them as temporary support.

Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

Was this meant to be a load bearing wall?  Are the joists continuous to the far wall?  If it's like my place some rotting of the joist ends at the exterior walls may have caused them to transfer load to this wall.

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

(OP)
Floor joists overhead are spliced on this stud wall.  Two floors and a roof area supported by the studs - currently no sheathing but 1 1/2" thick lightweight concrete on the two floors above.

 

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

So much for "lightweight" concrete...

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

sometimes a little cross bracing is more important than you think!  

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

Nice studs.  Last week, I was driving past a house undergoing a garage rebuild, and the builder removed the garage door end, the sheathing, and about 8 feet of 2x4 studs on each side, then used a pair of 2x6s to hold the end of the roof up - I was expecting to drive past again and see it buckled, but they stripped and removed the roof shortly after.  I'm still not sure how the guys removed the roof without buckling the 2x6s.

I had a project where the drawings showed 3/4" gypcrete, but they installed 1-1/2" of normalweight.  Nevermind that the floor system was designed for plywood-and-carpet residential but also had a commercial kitchen on it.

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

JAE...where do find these?!  Title alone is worth LPS!

Is this one for which you're doing remediation consulting?

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

Very brave/foolhardy photographer.  Or long lens through window?

Wonder why it didn't collapse.  Sheeting still in place on walls of floors above makes them act like deep beams?

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

Something is wrong with that picture.  Why isn't the other studded wall behind the buckled members not showing similar behavior?  May have to agree with msquared48 about Photshop.  

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

chicopee....the studs in the background are furring on a masonry wall....essentially no compressive stress.

JAE's statements imply that he saw this.  If so, not photoshopped.  If not, could be; however, look at the other evidence....

This wall is perpendicular to the joist span.  There is significant water damage above, thus increasing deflection of the joists.  Joists appear to have been spliced or partially "sistered".....all consistent with increased load on a wall attached to the underside of the joists.

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

(OP)
This is not photoshopped - it is a project we are working on.  

Apartment bldg with a fire at one end - smoke damage everywhere - flat roof,etc.  Gutted the entire building (all gypsum board sheathing) to prep for reconstruction.

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

I initially thought that it was furring but upon my second look at the picture I did not think so.

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

Jest yer ordinary an' typical "furrin" construction job?    

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

So that's what they mean by "lean-on" columns.

EIT

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

Quick, somebody grab some more 2x4s and drywall before the structural engineer gets here!

 

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

I'm looking at this photo while eating my #12 McDonalds meal and noticing that the studs look like french fries.  Probably have the same compressive strength as a french fry.

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

The floor is being held up by the pairs of studs that crippled towards each other.  An interesting structure, actually.  The other studs are window dressing but those curved with mid-span bracing are really quite strong.

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

Looks like an architect's "artistic vision" to me.
 

There are days when I wake up feeling like the dumbest man on the planet, then there are days when I confirm it.  

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

Those studs look rather limp.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

RE: Structural equivalent of two drunks leaning on each other for support

You may have gone too far there Mike. I mean I liked it, but...

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