11-17-2016, 01:47 PM
(11-17-2016, 10:25 AM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: Canard, we are the same type of engineer working in the exact same industry. Does it always work? No. Have I looked in great detail at that structure? No. Have I done exactly what I'm describing in similar situations? Yes. Does that mean it will or will not work here? I can't say for sure. The railing is the only clearly non-reversible element in the structure. The landings are both C-shaped, the stair segments don't have any directionality (to clockwise/counter-clockwise), and you could potentially shift the middle flight to the other side, while shifting the landings to that side as well. It is probably welded, meaning you would need to grind through a lot of weld (painful). The support column would need to be moved. Depending on how standardized a replacement could be, it might sadly be cheaper than repurposing. But please, Canard, be a little slower to whip to such judgements.
Sorry, Viewfromthe42,
In my experience, it would be far easier from an:
- Engineering
- Documentation
- Certification
- Logistics
...standpoint to simply demolish the existing staircase, and rebuild a new one at a clean "interface point" - in this example, cutting off at the door up above, and cutting flush with the roadway below. In the last 30 years, standards could have also significantly changed which would make reworking an existing structure far more complicated than simply building a new one from scratch.
Think, for example, of what happens when you hire a contractor to cut this apart and rework it. Who's certifying that his or her welds are safe? How do you even handle that?
I'm an engineer in industrial automation, though, so I have to defer to your judgement if you work in construction/"people structures" and do think it's very workable or worthwhile. I'd just hate to be the person responsible for managing that - because I can just imagine how horrible a can of worms that would be. Way easier to just start over. Material costs higher, sure, but labour hours for engineering & paperwork go way down.