ajk1: plain and simple, it's exactly as dik says: skill. It is much more difficult to lay bricks (or cut stone) straight, level, and plumb with tight joints. Yes, there are old buildings with fat-ish joints, but there are far more with 1/4" joints than >3/8". The joints weather less, are...
Environment Canada has historical weather data for a zillion weather stations on a website; I don't know if there is a comparable US site but I would expect so.
The seismic zone is what's relevant, not just the date. In many places in Canada today there are no requirements for seismic holddowns, so we could hardly comment on whether or not there should be in your case. I would certainly not expect to see any in a house in any area where I practice.
I think you guys are all missing what's missing. There was a partition under that truss and the block you see was simply filling in the triangular gap beyond it. Whether or not intended, the partition carried the truss.
The end stud of the partition is still there, the top plate was cut off and...
I have always thought that these were amazing roofs, structurally and aesthetically. I haven't repaired any, but I've repaired other light glulam arch, built-up lumber, and similar wood structures. I think you have to investigate each failed member and see if it was a flaw in the member that...
I'm self-employed in Niagara, and I used to know a couple of guys who worked at Trow, but that was a long time ago. My father and grandfather were contractors, I've never worked for long anywhere other than in the family business, but these days I'm a one-man-band, doing consulting only.
The...
In my experience (mostly cisterns, but a few pools) closely spaced small bars are desirable for crack control (10M @ 8" for example) and they almost inevitably exceed what you need for strength. Just remember, a very strong and solid sieve is not much use as a pool.
For some reason, ridge boards, ridge beams, their function, and and the reasonableness of the absence of them, is a subject completely baffling to 99% of the general population and 100% of building department staff.
Despite the fact that the OBC and NBCC (and I would guess American codes too)...
I don't know where you are, but I'm in Canada and frost was a big part of the problem with the house I referred to above. Poor maintenance, water gets into the wall and freezes, and nothing good happens after that. The day the wall fell was a sudden thaw after a deep freeze, so really not...
I'm guessing this thing is 3 tall storeys high and impressively narrow in plan. Are there front and rear masonry walls bracing those party walls? Are they in good condition? How big are the doors and windows? How deep is the house front-to-back? I would guess 600mm thick is stone, but you...
Stop and think about what those rebar anchors are doing. If you're looking for lateral restraint in the line of the beam, they will simply pull the bricks off the wall in front of them, the shear strength of the mortar joint below where they stop governs. If you want uplift, or some sort of...
The joists are 8" deep and 10" deep just as indicated in JAE's catalogue, and the concrete slab is about 2" thick between the joists, less than 1 1/2" at the joists; essentially cement plaster trowelled onto expanded metal lath. You might think this thin slab can't possibly work and the floor...
If the anodizing remains intact, there should be no issue. Mill finished aluminum would absolutely be a problem. You have to decide how confident you are in the finish and the absence of damage to it. I was much more sure of these things 35 years ago than I am now, and I've seen enough of my...
atrizzy: I assume you're in BC if you're asking about seismic; I'm in Ontario and I do almost no seismic design, but I do work with SIPs a fair bit because of a couple of architects that I deal with. The the company that I know well manufactures in Fort Erie, ON, and their engineer is...
Thanks JAE, I think you've got it, your 1929 catalogue date is perfect for this project and the 22 & 23 are probably spacings. 8" & 10" are more logical depths for joists with these spans; funny that 82 & 103 mean 8"-#2 and 10"-#3 if you know what you're looking at. Like Ron247, I too have...
Can anyone tell me what 82@23 / slab - 1" or 103@22 / slab - 1" might mean? They appear to indicate joists but I have not been able to open up the ceiling yet to see what's there. It's a residence at a private school, built in 1931, and the school is doing some interior alterations. I will...
I'm not sure why this showed up as a new post today when I looked, the last post is from March, but holy freakin' crap, I skimmed through the 47 zillion posts and I shake my head at you guys. Give your heads a shake. I deal with building departments every day who object to decks supported on...
