Experimental study of the loading of one structure and the cutting of one column of an eight storey building

Abstract

The change of use of an eight storey building required the elimination of one of the first floor concrete columns. This involved to build an auxiliart steel structure consisting of two parallel lattice girders located on the third floor and supporting columns attached to the building. The first floor ceiling slab over the column to be removed was hung from the lattice girders by means of steel ties. Loading was implemented with hydraulic jacks situated between the steel columns and gierders, in order to remove the load from the column prior to cutting it and this to minimise sudden redistribution of forces on the bulding's concrete structure. A preliminary study was made and instrumentation fitted to the auxiliar y steel structure and two of the building's concrete columns, in order to monitor de column cutting and loading operations.