Library Stack Load - ya - right. 1

[JAE]

I saw this photo and thought about our typical 150 psf library stack load used in the US.
I don't think they had this in mind.

 

[dhengr]

JAE:
So? Every one of those stack levels should be treated as a floor level at 150lbs./sq.ft., and impart its load into some sort of an appropriate structural load path. A structural tree, maybe columns with short cantilevered floors on both sides, every 7 or 8' high, by 4 or 5 levels. And besides that, that’s the ‘light reading’ section.

 

[Ron]

JAE...you sure that shouldn't be "tsf" instead of "psf"?

 

[SlideRuleEra]

Fascinating, I know that this was not meant to be a serious subject... but, did some looking around: The type of book stacks shown in the photo JAE provided were designed by a celebrated 19th century Harvard University educated engineer: Bernard R. Green. He had an outstanding reputation for heading construction of the Washington Monument and several other notable structures, including certain buildings at the Library of Congress. He designed this style book stack specifically for the Library of Congress; the book stacks have a dedicated foundation - not supported by a building's floor. One company, "The Snead & Company Iron Works" specialized in these structures and over several decades provided this type for numerous other libraries, examples are the New York Public Library and the ASCE Library.

There are Snead Iron Works books, from 1908 and 1915, on the web (free) that describe their products in fairly specific technical details. Here is a link:

http://archive.org/search.php?query=creator:"Snead+&+Co.+Iron+Works"

http://www.SlideRuleEra.net

http://www.VacuumTubeEra.net

 

[BAretired]

Also, seismic loading could be a determining factor. Collapse of one stack could start a domino effect on the others.

BA

 

[Archie264]

It doesn't even look like a very efficient design in terms of book storage. The stacks at walking level are fairly close together but the tall ones have a lot of wasted space between them.

 

[fegenbush]

Archie,

I suspect that the design of the elevated stacks may have more to do with efficient use of light than space.

Reference: Equitable Building in New York City.

 

[cliff234]

That type of stack framing was common in old libraries. The stacks were designed as load bearing elements. The floors framed to the stacks. I think I recall seeing drawings from one old library where the stacks also supported the roof framing. That is an awesome old photo. I have never seen this sort of stack framing with cantilevered balcony-type aisles. Usually there was a solid floor between adjacent stacks. Little kids must have enjoyed flying paper airplanes off those balconies. And by the way....check the slenderness of those columns. And also note the height of the handrail. Quite a bit lower than 3'-6"!

 

[msquared48]

I think that is an old Architectural library.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[charliealphabravo]

How is it not efficient? You have basically doubled the stack capacity of the room without adding a mezzanine. Plus the coolness factor is tops.
I agree the railing height give me the shivers tho.

 

[Archie264]

Well true, I suppose, if you had a 45' tall room with nothing to use if for. If it was purpose-built for those stacks then I would have thought that three separate storage floors would have been more efficient. But I'll leave all that up to the architects, librarians, and archivists.

 

[charliealphabravo]

Oh I see your point. I guess I've seen lot's of libraries with 20+ foot high ceilings and only 5 foot high stacks.

 

[Archie264]

Well, true that. I guess grand magnificent buildings and/or rooms aren't necessarily efficient. But they are grand and magnificent. I guess if you want purely efficient that's what warehouses out where land is cheap are for. Depending on the circumstances there's probably a place for both.

 

[TomDOT]

If you don't have floors, you don't have to run HVAC, lighting, (or beams, flooring...) etc for each floor...

From a standpoint of minimizing materials use, it kinda makes sense