1900's building-structural steel strength

[ick2]

I have a building in Manhattan from the early 1900's. It is steel construction with flat arch floors. What could be the structural steel members ultimate capacity?

 

[JAE]

There were numerous types of steel in use in the early 1900's - per AISC, the governing specification would be ASTM A9 - which had:

Rivet Steel - Fy=25-30 ksi
Fu=50-60 ksi

Medium Steel - Fy=30-35 ksi
Fu=60-70 ksi

These above values are for dates up to about 1908.

For dates up to 1931:
Structural Steel - Fy = 27.5 to 32.5 ksi
Fu = 55 to 65 ksi

Rivet Steel - Fy = 23 to 28 ksi
Fu = 46 to 56 ksi

Source: AISC Rehabilitation and Retrofit Guide, (Steel Design Guide Series No. 15), Feb 2002.

You would be wise to get sample coupons from steel in the building and have them tested. Use the above values for preliminary work only.

 

[ick2]

thanks JAE.
what do you mean by rivet steel?

 

[JAE]

The steel used in the making of rivets (prior to the advent of bolts)