ight man-months of skilled labor in the formwork paid off for the contractor. His own satisfaction of accomplishment was heightened by enthusiastic approval from the owner and architect. THE CHALLENGE: A spiral staircase in architectural c o n c re t e, with a broad, curved landing three steps up and a larger boat-shaped landing half way to the second floor. Monolithic sidewalls supporting a polished brass handrail end in scrolling curves with a 1-foot radius. With a skylight above and overhanging cast-
in-place planter boxes at the upper landing level, the stairway is planned as the dramatic focal point of a new public library. The builder has signed a fixed-price agreement based on estimates which, he realizes all too late, didnt allow adequately for the complexity of the stairway work. What to do? THE RESPONSE: Do the best possible work regardless of unusual costs. The contractor wisely recognized that the stairway would be the center of attention. To build it properly would require the finest craftsmanship, and no effort could be spared. Anything less might have prejudiced acceptance of the whole job. This article details some of the five months of forming and placing operations required for successful completion of the stairs.
A. After drawing a fullscale plan of the stairs on the concrete slab, carpenters erected a metal column which would provide center support for formwork. Steel plates were welded to the post in line with the face of each tread.
C. Soffit form for the stairs was made of two layers of plywood supported on 2x10s. This view of the inside of the form shows outside wall sheathing in place. Three thin layers of plywood were used to permit bending to the design curve.
B. Wood studs were set up at the outside of the 27-foot circle. Then 2x10s set below the location of each stair tread were supported on the studs and on the steel plates attached to the center metal post. Edges of the 2x10s were planed carefully to define the contour of the helical soffit.
Structural support for the stairs is provided by 30-inch round caissons, which extend 20 feet below the ground floor to rock. The first landing, up three steps, is supported directly on one of these caissons. A second landing, half way to the second floor, is carried by curving columns about 8 feet high, resting on two other caissons.
D. Forms for the two inner faces of stairway sidewalls were suspended from these wood Ts made of two 2x10s. Fortysix job-built curved panels needed to make the inner form had to be held above the soffit form to permit monolithic casting of walls and soffit.
Difficult details
A continuous recess running the length of the inside wall form was needed to accommodate the brass handrail. This recess was formed with blockouts made of six layers of hardboard, hand sculpted to the curved contour, smoothed with gypsum plaster, and coated with shellac. The blockouts were mounted on the curved inside wall form panels. In effect, this reduced the wall
thickness from 8 to 5 1/2 inches at the top, adding to the difficulty of placing concrete. Even greater problems faced the form builders at the bottom of the stairs where the wall ended in a curve with 12-inch radius, which could not be formed like the rest of the wall (Photo F). Expanded metal lath, coated with gypsum plaster provided part of the solution, where the handrail recess assumed a more complex shape. The carpenter foreman had to work within narrow confines to caulk joints where this piece joined with the other forms. Here it was impossible to use form ties, and heavy external bracing was required to resist the concrete pressure.
G. Stair steps were placed in a second lift on top of the 12inch soffit slab poured monolithically with sidewalls. Dowels anchored this lift to the walls. Steel troweled treads were later covered with carpeting.
F. Stairway railings ended in a curve with 1-foot radius, requiring unorthodox forming. This view, looking down into the form, shows external bracing required becasue ties could not be installed here.
p re vent honeycombing that would disfigure the architectural surfaces. Fortunately, the ready mix plant was just across the street so delivery could be carefully controlled. The 8-inch walls, which narrowed to only 512 inches at the level of the handrail, had #8 bars near the top. To help improve access for placing the concrete below, those final bars were not set into place until the form had been filled to that level. After the wall forms had been stripped, a second concrete placement was made to complete the stair steps (Photo G). The tread surfaces were steel troweled for later installation of carpeting. Planter boxes at the upper landing were cast seve ra l weeks after the rest of the stairway work, bringing the final total of concrete to about 49 cubic yards. Careful detailing and sealing of joints left forms so tight that the builder says less than a quart of cement paste leaked during the entire pour.
Acknowledgment: Thanks to Gordon Gates of Gates and Sons, Denver, and to Steve Chmelar of Carroll Distributing and Construction Supply in Ottumwa, Iowa for alerting CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION to this story. Credits: Architects: Brown Healey Bock P.C. and McConnell Steveley Anderson P.C., Cedal Rapids, Iowa Engineers: Shive-Hattery and Associates, Cedar Rapids, Iowa General Contractor: Knutson Construction Company, Minneapolis; Superintendent: Arthur J. Rinderknecht; Carpenter Foreman: Jon A. Rinderknecht Owner: Cedar Rapids Public Library, Cedar Rapids, lowa
PUBLICATION #C850191
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