A Question about "Pushing a Building"

[OGEZEN]

Hi everyone
I am working in mall construction in Turkey. We want to push a building, that was constructed earlier. It doesn't seem to be imposibble but i am not sure if this kind of application has ever done before?

Is this posible? And how can it be done?

Any suggestions are very welcome ...

 

[BigH]

Please explain in a bit more detail??? If I was there, I could stand next to it and push, but doubt this is what you mean!

 

[olynyk]

I'm not qualified to comment on the structural feasibility of your idea, but my gut tells me that walls of typical malls are not built to withstand the bending load that pushing the thing over rough ground would create. Also, is it sitting on piles? Those won't move when you push it.

 

[Qshake]

Sure it can be done....there have been lots of in-situ full scale tests done on constructed facilities.

Many bridges have been pushed and pulled.

I was involved in such a testing for a bridge substructure frame. However, instead of pushing it, the frame was pulled since this required much less effort. For example to push something you need a frame to push against. Those can get rather big.

You should do a search on full scale structural testing and definitely check out structural journals such as ASCE's journal of structural engineering on line.



Regards,
Qshake

Eng-Tips Forums:Real Solutions for Real Problems Really Quick.

 

[dicksewerrat]

Jack it up. place a few beams under it and add wheels. It is called 'House moving' around here. If it is a slab on grade bldg., you will have to tunnel, trench from one side to the other. May have to put a fair amount of blocking inside to hold up the roof.

 

[OGEZEN]

Hi everyone...

For BigH: here are some more details about the job we'd like to do. 3 story building stand on 50cm high approximately 600m² full concrete base. Actually there are some problems with goverment guys. They say that we built it in wrong area and we need to push or pull like 10 meters.

For Qshake: It may differs when compared a bridge with a building. Could you help me about the articles. Is it posibble to search ASCE's journal of structure engineering on line.

Dicksewerrat do you have any suggestions for searching "house moving" on line? Where are you from? If there are some web sites or articles for this job could you let me now?

olynyk: you are right columns are not designed for bending forces but if we need to push this building we shouldn't do it towards the columns. Intersection points of columns and slabs are seem to be the right place to push. also the load should be acted uniformly i guess. And there are no piles so that there won't be a problem i guess for the base.

Thank you folks.

=GEZEN=

 

[francesca]

http://www.google.com/search?q=house+moving

 

[OGEZEN]

http://www.google.com/search?q=house+moving

is cool thanx..
but my thing a bit different. I know i couldn't actually explain the problem. may be i can send you a drawing to explain it clearly... but i am not sure wether or not i can attach it here

=GEZEN=

 

[Qshake]

I'm afraid that I won't be able to help as I clearly see that you're trying to move the actual building...my experience is with testing but not moving.

Sorry.

Regards,
Qshake

Eng-Tips Forums:Real Solutions for Real Problems Really Quick.

 

[OGEZEN]

Another explanation;

Since it is an actual building it is a real problem. It is an actual some 3000 tonned reinforced-concrete building. 1200 m³ of concrete and 120 tonnes of reinforce steel.

We are engineers folks there should be a practical solution for this problem.

Thanx...

=GEZEN=

 

[yogibear1]

I was involved in a large power plant project and we moved the main transformer from the railroad car to the pad using Hillman (Trade name) rollers set on steel box beams with the transfomer on top of the rollers. It did not take much lateral/horizontal force at all since we were moving it dead level. We then used hydraulic jacks and cribbing to lower it into position.
The building should not be big deal at all - if you can get access to the underside to raise it up just a bit.You may have to dig/tunnel to make access points and lay steel beams for it to ride on. You do want to assess the floor strength and if necessary add framework underneath to hold the floor level so as not to cause a bending moment which would lead to floor failure and then total building collapse. Don't push/pull on the building walls, but pull on the frame underneath.

 

[BigH]

Good to see that you meant that the building has to be physically moved to a different location. This, I am sure, is done quite often. There was a very large move of a building in Vancouver a number of years ago. There was also a big move of a lighthouse I remember reading about. There are specialish contractors who do this all the time - don't know the names, and maybe not in Turkey - but in Europe, US and Canada, I am sure. You might have to get them on board to really develop (1) if it is feasible and (2) if so, how best to go about it. Just like I would bring in a rock mechanic specialist if I had a very tricky rock slope stability problem, you will need to say that this is out of your scope and bring in the professionals.

 

[Qshake]

I did work at a company that studied some additional bracing requirements for moving a aircraft hanger. I wasn't involved, but I know it was done.



Regards,
Qshake

Eng-Tips Forums:Real Solutions for Real Problems Really Quick.

 

[jdonville]

OGEZEN,

Your building could set a new world record!

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=50127

The engineer who designed the moving system also moved the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse!!!

The guy's name is Peter Friesen. He is over 80 years old, and lives near Seattle, WA.

Hope this helps,

Jeff


Jeffrey T. Donville, PE
TTL Associates, Inc.

http://www.ttlassoc.com

 

[dicksewerrat]

Maybe the people that made the machinery to move the shuttle rockets could help. The frame that you put under the bldg. will have to support the bldg. with out much deflection. Bracing should go all through the bldg to carry the loads down to the frame. the actual moving will have to be on a very smooth surface. The Engr. that did the lighthouse had a contractor that he worked wih. Get ahold of them.

 

[Dust19]

About 10yrs ago in Wellington, New Zealand the Kiwis moved
a large 5 story hotel by using railway track and supports attached to the piers. Maybe this is helpful:

http://www.museumhotel.co.nz/history/index.html

JMTENG
Santa Rosa, CA