Download PDF version (1848.9k) Log In or Register to view the full article as a PDF document.

Launch Slideshow

Rebuilding on the Gulf Coast

Play Slideshow >>

Rebuilding on the Gulf Coast

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/377007851_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_00a_tcm96-1160581.jpg

    600

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/1440281388_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_00b_tcm96-1160593.jpg

    600

    The Trinity Episcopal Church in Pass Christian, Miss., once stood on piers about 4 feet above grade and 14 feet above sea level. In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina's 26-foot storm surge washed away the walls but left the church's laminated-arch frame virtually intact. During reconstruction the church was raised another 10 feet to assure it would withstand future storms.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/430946357_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_01a_tcm96-1160604.jpg

    600

    The shoring crew first disconnected the floor framing from the foundation by cutting the steel bolts embedded in the short concrete piers.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/72651646_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_01b_tcm96-1160613.jpg

    600

    The crew installed cribbing and hydraulic jacks for lifting the building.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/297613109_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_01c_tcm96-1160621.jpg

    600

    Each jack was connected to a hydraulic manifold powered by a diesel engine.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/1129002363_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_01d_tcm96-1160629.jpg

    600

    The jacks were able to lift the 3,000-square-foot structure more than 10 feet with less than 3/8-inch difference in elevation between any of the 10 lifting points.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/1960391617_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_02a_tcm96-1160637.jpg

    600

    The rebar for new grade beams and pier extensions was epoxied to the original piers.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/1182940869_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_02b_tcm96-1160645.jpg

    600

    Formwork for the pier extensions stopped a foot shy of the raised building to allow for setting the anchor bolt-studded cap plates and pumping the concrete.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/1782445840_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_02c_tcm96-1160653.jpg

    600

    Diagonal steel rods provide lateral bracing for the exposed portions of the piers; note the cold joint at the base of each pier between the old pier and the pier extensions.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/1124482700_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_02d_tcm96-1160661.jpg

    600

    Steel brackets welded to the cap plates anchor the transept framing to the foundation.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/1962962887_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_03a_tcm96-1160669.jpg

    600

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/534471819_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_03b_tcm96-1160677.jpg

    600

    Cantilevered steel plates (left) welded to the cap plates and existing steel framing brackets in the original floor system provide support for the glulam rim joists (right) that support the new SIP walls.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/1904504718_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_03c_tcm96-1160685.jpg

    600

    With the glulam rims secured to the original structure and the new transept floor framing completed, the building is ready for wall A and roof panels.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/813203675_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_04a_tcm96-1160691.jpg

    600

    The floor was 14 feet above grade, so man lifts were essential for safe handling of the large panels.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/1105949284_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_04b_tcm96-1160701.jpg

    600

    The wall panels are lifted into place with man lifts.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/560382819_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_04c_tcm96-1160709.jpg

    600

    Panel edges were relieved at the bottom to fit over the glulam rim joist, and at the sides and top for the 2-by connecting splines.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/583890662_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_04d_tcm96-1160717.jpg

    600

    The wall panels were first glued and nailed to the glulam band and splines, then fastened to each other and to existing framing with structural screws.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/106276456_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_05a_tcm96-1160725.jpg

    600

    The stiffeners were bolted to the glulam and recessed into the wall panels.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/1087583981_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_05b_tcm96-1160733.jpg

    600

    To prevent wind deflection, the tall window walls were reinforced with full-length flitch beam stiffeners.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/1829916290_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_06a_tcm96-1160741.jpg

    600

    Preinstalled 2-by walk boards reinforced the connection between the lifting hooks and the OSB skins of the roof panels.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/2047786820_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_06b_tcm96-1160749.jpg

    600

    View of roof panel emplacement.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/949562957_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_06c_tcm96-1160757.jpg

    600

    Placing the hooks slightly off-center eliminated camber in the panel, making it easier to slide the edge over the spline of the previous panel.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/898195721_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_07a_tcm96-1160765.jpg

    600

    The second-story floor system in the transept addition hangs between the top of the first-floor wall panels.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/1647618963_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_07b_tcm96-1160773.jpg

    600

    The second-floor structure of the transcept addition is supported by 6x16 glulam beams that span the openings of the arches of the original church frame.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/1132483161_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_07c_tcm96-1160781.jpg

    600

    The 32-foot-long structural ridge beam fit into reinforced pockets in the gable SIPs.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/617347359_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_08a_tcm96-1160789.jpg

    600

    The nonstructural skirt wall and lowered entry deck make the church appear lower to the ground than it actually is.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/1008475890_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_08b_tcm96-1160797.jpg

    600

    There's elevator access from the finished slab underneath the building.

  • http://www.jlconline.com/Images/650349292_1010_JLC_Rebuild%20on%20Gulf_08c_tcm96-1160805.jpg

    600

    With the arches and finish ceiling intact — and the original stained-glass window back in place — the interior looks almost unchanged.

Roof

Most of the roof panels were 8-foot by 24-foot SIPs weighing 900 pounds each. Since they were set on top of an existing roof deck, we couldn’t have attachment points for the lifting straps. Instead, we used what we called hay-hooks: four iron hooks (provided by the SIP manufacturer) driven through the top skin of the panels (see slideshow). Since we needed walk boards on the panels anyway, we placed them so that they would reinforce the OSB where it was penetrated by the hay-hooks.

We quickly found that installing the hooks somewhat off-center — so that the heavy panels hung from the crane at a slight angle — helped take the crown out. This allowed the tongue-side to slide into the groove side much more easily.

We glued and nailed the roof panels together at the joints, and screwed the panels together at the ridge. With doubled plates at the eaves and gable ends, we had plenty of wood to make the connection between the roof panels and wall panels with glue and 5/16-inch-diameter by 13-inch-long Trufast SIP screws. Later, after the crane was off-site, we returned to fasten down the panels to the three existing intermediate 6x12 purlins under the 3x6 T&G roof decking, also with 13-inch screws. All told, we used more than 8,000 of these heavy-duty screws to hold the wall and roof panels in place.

Transepts

The transept wings on each side of the main sanctuary were essentially new construction and went together smoothly. After framing and sheathing the first floor on top of the piers, we glued and screwed doubled 2x6s around the perimeter and slipped the wall panels into place.     

We hung the second-floor I-joists from the tops of the first-floor wall panels with top-mount joist hangers. Where the transepts intersect the main sanctuary, the joists hang from recessed 6x16 glulam beams that carry the floor loads and stiffen the main walls. Then we sheathed the floor, and repeated the process with the second-story wall panels. At the gables, panels were notched and reinforced to receive the 32-foot-long structural ridge beams that support the roof panels.