Walking a construction site can be hazardous to your health if you don't watch where you are going. Many years ago while working on the restoration of Grand Central Terminal, I took a nice bump to the head. Since then, I always wear a hard hat and safety glasses while walking a job site. And thank goodness for that, since I'm still banging my head on something or another.
One advantage to taking a few hits to the noggin is that eventually it knocks some sense into you. And believe me, after repeated dents to my trusty hardhat, I eventually figured out the culprits; hangers, kickers and the occasional gusset plate. In some cases, these "head bangers of construction" are accompanied by their knee-level partners; column splice plates, base plates and oh, did I already mention gusset plates. Steel plates notwithstanding, what these components have in common is that they are all found in spec section 055000, and categorized as miscellaneous steel.
A column base plate will increase the size of a column enclosure if not anticipated during design.
Miscellaneous steel is a critical, but often overlooked building component; one that can impact the placement of partitions resulting in modifications to the architectural layout. Adjustments such as these potentially impact zero tolerance issues such as furniture layouts, egress widths, and Attorney General Filings for condominiums, to name just a few.
Grand Central taught me that when walking a construction site, be aware of what's happening around you at all times. But most importantly, keep an eye on the floor so as not to trip, or worse fall. This constant focus of always looking down has kept me safe since. But what keeps you safe in the field may actually be a hazard while developing a set of drawings.
Not surprisingly, architects working in the office have a similar blind spot to the metal hanging in zip code 055000.
Note the hanger support for the mid-landing of a stair. This is often missed on architectural floor plans since it never touches the floor.
No one can deny that architects excel at laying out floor plans. Just give us the building footprint, shaft openings and column configuration and we'll figure it out. About the only thing we do better than designing floor plans, is staring at them. As one who has experienced this phenomenon, it truly defies explanation as to why I would burn through an entire role of trace paper just to lay out a bathroom.
One consequence of this downward focus on perfecting floor plans is that we sometimes forget to look up. Before the advent of BIM, architects could be excused for not seeing hangers, kickers, and seismic restraints simply because they're not on the floor plan. BIM can solve this problem if these components are loaded into the model; an unlikely scenario since most of this steel falls under miscellaneous metals and is not generally drawn by structural engineers (One Exception: Structural Engineers often show lintel schedules and details in their drawings). The flip side of this occurs when the structural engineer includes structural assemblies in their scope, but for one reason or another, the architect is unaware of the impact on the architectural design.
A column splice plate bolts two columns together. Consult your structural engineer for their locations in order to avoid unexpected problems with column enclosures.
One answer to this problem is to identify and anticipate miscellaneous steel during the design development and construction document phases. Knowing how to do this is simply a matter of understanding two key concepts:
1. Everything in a building needs to be supported, not just floor and roof decks.
2. The structural drawings reveal that even the structural members doing the supporting have their own support assemblies.
Items such as stair mid-landings, façade systems, and tall interior partitions require dead load and/or lateral support. And more often than not, these miscellaneous assemblies are supported from above. The point is that these components never appear on floor plans simply because they don't touch the floor. Hence, they're overlooked. Need proof: Look how often architects perform a design revision in the field to accommodate an unforeseen kicker or steel hanger.
Spray-applied fireproofing over a column with a splice plate and a brace frame with gusset plates. Note how the splice and bolts telegraph through the fireproofing and yes, I did trip over the bottom gusset plate.
Even more nuanced are structural steel assemblies built up from splice plates, gusset plates, and large bolts. For example, a steel column shown on the architectural floor plans is harmless enough. From the architect's perspective, the column enclosure consists of fireproofing, 2 ½"studs and a layer of 5/8" sheet rock. Simple when focused just on the architectural plan. But when viewed from the engineer's lens, the same steel column (in a multi-level building) actually contains a thick splice plate located 3 to 4 feet above the floor slab that bolts together one column stacked atop another. Similarly, the same engineer might mount this particular column to a floor slab using a large steel base plate. Either way, these plates will increase the size of the sheet rock column enclosure beyond what was originally anticipated.
In the same way, brace frames, both vertical as well as horizontal, contain large gussets and bolts that can wreak havoc on MEP installations if not properly accounted during design. And if structural engineers omit these in their BIM models, architects must target them during the QA review process in order to avoid issues during construction.
A horizontal floor brace cutting through a mechanical shaft. Note how much room the gusset plates take up within the shaft opening.
Identifying miscellaneous steel in a building is easier said than done. Sometimes these items are listed in the specifications, other times they are shown on the structural drawings. In some cases, they appear in both. Frankly, it's neither possible, nor even desirable for architects to keep track of every piece of miscellaneous steel in a building. And attempting to do this misses the point. The objective is to be aware of everything above you, so you can anticipate what will happen below.
If not, look out for the head bangers.
One advantage to taking a few hits to the noggin is that eventually it knocks some sense into you. And believe me, after repeated dents to my trusty hardhat, I eventually figured out the culprits; hangers, kickers and the occasional gusset plate. In some cases, these "head bangers of construction" are accompanied by their knee-level partners; column splice plates, base plates and oh, did I already mention gusset plates. Steel plates notwithstanding, what these components have in common is that they are all found in spec section 055000, and categorized as miscellaneous steel.
A column base plate will increase the size of a column enclosure if not anticipated during design.Miscellaneous steel is a critical, but often overlooked building component; one that can impact the placement of partitions resulting in modifications to the architectural layout. Adjustments such as these potentially impact zero tolerance issues such as furniture layouts, egress widths, and Attorney General Filings for condominiums, to name just a few.
Grand Central taught me that when walking a construction site, be aware of what's happening around you at all times. But most importantly, keep an eye on the floor so as not to trip, or worse fall. This constant focus of always looking down has kept me safe since. But what keeps you safe in the field may actually be a hazard while developing a set of drawings.
Not surprisingly, architects working in the office have a similar blind spot to the metal hanging in zip code 055000.
Note the hanger support for the mid-landing of a stair. This is often missed on architectural floor plans since it never touches the floor.No one can deny that architects excel at laying out floor plans. Just give us the building footprint, shaft openings and column configuration and we'll figure it out. About the only thing we do better than designing floor plans, is staring at them. As one who has experienced this phenomenon, it truly defies explanation as to why I would burn through an entire role of trace paper just to lay out a bathroom.
One consequence of this downward focus on perfecting floor plans is that we sometimes forget to look up. Before the advent of BIM, architects could be excused for not seeing hangers, kickers, and seismic restraints simply because they're not on the floor plan. BIM can solve this problem if these components are loaded into the model; an unlikely scenario since most of this steel falls under miscellaneous metals and is not generally drawn by structural engineers (One Exception: Structural Engineers often show lintel schedules and details in their drawings). The flip side of this occurs when the structural engineer includes structural assemblies in their scope, but for one reason or another, the architect is unaware of the impact on the architectural design.
A column splice plate bolts two columns together. Consult your structural engineer for their locations in order to avoid unexpected problems with column enclosures.One answer to this problem is to identify and anticipate miscellaneous steel during the design development and construction document phases. Knowing how to do this is simply a matter of understanding two key concepts:
1. Everything in a building needs to be supported, not just floor and roof decks.
2. The structural drawings reveal that even the structural members doing the supporting have their own support assemblies.
Items such as stair mid-landings, façade systems, and tall interior partitions require dead load and/or lateral support. And more often than not, these miscellaneous assemblies are supported from above. The point is that these components never appear on floor plans simply because they don't touch the floor. Hence, they're overlooked. Need proof: Look how often architects perform a design revision in the field to accommodate an unforeseen kicker or steel hanger.
Spray-applied fireproofing over a column with a splice plate and a brace frame with gusset plates. Note how the splice and bolts telegraph through the fireproofing and yes, I did trip over the bottom gusset plate.Even more nuanced are structural steel assemblies built up from splice plates, gusset plates, and large bolts. For example, a steel column shown on the architectural floor plans is harmless enough. From the architect's perspective, the column enclosure consists of fireproofing, 2 ½"studs and a layer of 5/8" sheet rock. Simple when focused just on the architectural plan. But when viewed from the engineer's lens, the same steel column (in a multi-level building) actually contains a thick splice plate located 3 to 4 feet above the floor slab that bolts together one column stacked atop another. Similarly, the same engineer might mount this particular column to a floor slab using a large steel base plate. Either way, these plates will increase the size of the sheet rock column enclosure beyond what was originally anticipated.
In the same way, brace frames, both vertical as well as horizontal, contain large gussets and bolts that can wreak havoc on MEP installations if not properly accounted during design. And if structural engineers omit these in their BIM models, architects must target them during the QA review process in order to avoid issues during construction.
A horizontal floor brace cutting through a mechanical shaft. Note how much room the gusset plates take up within the shaft opening.Identifying miscellaneous steel in a building is easier said than done. Sometimes these items are listed in the specifications, other times they are shown on the structural drawings. In some cases, they appear in both. Frankly, it's neither possible, nor even desirable for architects to keep track of every piece of miscellaneous steel in a building. And attempting to do this misses the point. The objective is to be aware of everything above you, so you can anticipate what will happen below.
If not, look out for the head bangers.