Building and Construction - tilt-up concrete wall panels "generally"

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tilt-up concrete wall panels "generally" - can I cut a doorway WIDER?

dave

2007-06-23, 1:25 pm

I'm considering purchasing a 20 x 60 building, built with ribbed, solid
concrete walls, and inner roof trusses of steel, shaped like VVVVVVVV.
bar joists, I think they're called. I assume the uppermost roof is
concrete as well. haven't yet driven out to see the building - it's an
hour away. it's been explained to me by the seller as being "2 panels
across by 3 panels long", or ten foot wide panels. I've seen no images
of it, either. unknown maker of the panels, too.

the building has only 'walk-through' man doors, and I need at -least-
one door five feet wide, but prefer wider, like six to eight feet. he
says the widest existing door is just over three feet wide.

I'm assuming most (if not all) comm'l buildings with concrete walls
(tilt-up, or cast in place) have some sort of reinforcing inside them,
like rebar, or pre-stretched steel cables, steel studs, or 'some
combination of these'.

so, guys, is there -any- kind of way I can 'alter' a panel to have a
wider opening? like using a diamond wetsaw? without entirely ruining
whatever strength the panel has now? or would I need to remove and
replace a panel entirely? some-dang-how or another...

if the roof is also concrete, does removing a concrete wall panel
neccessitate first lifting the roof somewhat? compared to 'conventional'
block or stud-walls construction, this seems like it might end up being
an *extraordinarily* expensive modification...do I have that right?

thanks for any and all suggestions and/or insights into this,

toolie

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DanG

2007-06-23, 5:25 pm

Yes, you can make larger holes in concrete buildings.

Concrete buildings are easier than masonry as they most often
don't need lintels. That being said, it sounds as if you might be
better served to use a structural engineer.

Tilt ups tend to be +/- 7" thick with no ribs. They tend to have
a single mat of steel. We cut another 10 x 16 overhead door into
ours this past year.

Twin tee's are prestressed. This sounds a bit more like what you
have, they have large integral ribs cast in them. The end view
looks a bit like <TT>, hence the term twin tee's. If they form
the roof, it would be quite important NOT to cut one of legs. In
a veridical wall application, you can do most anything you want,
AGAIN - consult a structural engineer. The local twin tee
manufacturer may or may not allow their engineer to advise you.

It would be quite unusual to need to do anything about the roof
structure.

--
______________________________
Keep the whole world singing . . . .
DanG (remove the sevens)
dgriff237@7cox.net

"dave" <tool_box@weirdstuffcox.net> wrote in message
news:Mhdfi.184393$nh4.57833@newsfe20.lga...
> I'm considering purchasing a 20 x 60 building, built with
> ribbed, solid concrete walls, and inner roof trusses of steel,
> shaped like VVVVVVVV. bar joists, I think they're called. I
> assume the uppermost roof is concrete as well. haven't yet
> driven out to see the building - it's an hour away. it's been
> explained to me by the seller as being "2 panels across by 3
> panels long", or ten foot wide panels. I've seen no images of
> it, either. unknown maker of the panels, too.
>
> the building has only 'walk-through' man doors, and I need
> at -least- one door five feet wide, but prefer wider, like six
> to eight feet. he says the widest existing door is just over
> three feet wide.
>
> I'm assuming most (if not all) comm'l buildings with concrete
> walls (tilt-up, or cast in place) have some sort of reinforcing
> inside them, like rebar, or pre-stretched steel cables, steel
> studs, or 'some combination of these'.
>
> so, guys, is there -any- kind of way I can 'alter' a panel to
> have a wider opening? like using a diamond wetsaw? without
> entirely ruining whatever strength the panel has now? or would I
> need to remove and replace a panel entirely? some-dang-how or
> another...
>
> if the roof is also concrete, does removing a concrete wall
> panel neccessitate first lifting the roof somewhat? compared to
> 'conventional' block or stud-walls construction, this seems like
> it might end up being an *extraordinarily* expensive
> modification...do I have that right?
>
> thanks for any and all suggestions and/or insights into this,
>
> toolie
>
> - -
> replies by e-mail, if any, please remove the weirdstuff from my
> address before you click 'send' - thanks :-)
> - -

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