Relocated Existing Barn,
Vancouver, WA
A contractor, and client of Ogren Engineering, wanted
to relocate an existing two story barn and renovate it to use as his
business' shop. He also wanted the second floor of the barn
to become a recreation area to contain things such as a golf simulator, a
humidor and a pool table.
When
he approached the county with his plan of moving and preserving this barn,
he was told if he wanted to move this structure it needed to comply with the
current structural codes when he was finished with the relocation. For
many structures, that is equivalent to being told to demolish the existing
building and build a new one at the new location. With creative and
innovative design solutions, Ogren Engineering was able to provide a
detailed analysis of the existing structure. Along with some selective
structural upgrades the building was able to be salvaged and used as the
owner wanted.
The
existing condition of this building had two main areas of structural
concern. One of the largest structural deficiencies was the existing
roof truss configuration, member size and connections. Ogren
Engineering provided a detailed analysis of these trusses and provided
details to upgrade the roof structure. Without this critical analysis,
the building likely would have been demolished. Instead by placing a
few member and connection upgrades, we were able to
prove this building is capable of withstanding the code-prescribed loads.
This project afforded us an
opportunity to show our commitment to sustainable construction practices.
Rather than
send
all of the wood that comprised the original building to the land fill and
then require
the owner to purchase all new
building materials, Ogren Engineering was able to show that an existing
building could be reused - saving the natural resources that would have been
used in rebuilding this structure.
