Raising the Roof
Originally published in Stanford White’s FYI Letter, a memo to clients.
In the design and construction industry, project challenges that require creative solutions are generally time consuming and costly. Occasionally, a creative solution will actually save time and money. The following is a brief description of one such solution.
When The Cheesecake Factory chose to locate its second North Carolina restaurant at Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh, all parties involved recognized the benefit of placing it front and center in order to attract customers to both the restaurant and the mall. A suitable space on the second floor was selected with the understanding that additional clearance over the main dining area would be provided for ornate column treatments and ceilings as well as specialized mechanical equipment. Providing this extra clearance would ultimately mean creating a higher roof.
The process of demolishing the old roof and building a new higher roof was not viable because of the need to limit loads on the existing floor and adjacent parking deck framing. Also, the occupied tenant space on the floor below would be at great risk for rainwater damage. As an alternative method, the project architect proposed raising the existing roof framing system intact. Stanford White was asked to research this proposal to determine if it was feasible. Our research led us to Liftplate International, Inc., a firm that had successfully raised numerous roof structures nationwide using a crib post system designed and patented by its founder. We contacted Liftplate and discussed our project challenges. Using their methods as a guide, we developed a construction sequence for raising, anchoring and bracing 8,100 square feet of existing roof framing at an elevation 5’-0” higher than its original height. It took the contractor and Liftplate’s team less than a week to prepare for raising the roof. The actual raising was performed in approximately eight hours. In contrast, conventional methods to remove and replace the roof would have taken several weeks. The project ultimately finished on time and within budget.
Complicated design and construction projects often elicit outstanding performances from members of our industry. To the design team and the contractor, the sweetness of the success of this creative solution was underscored by the time and cost benefits realized by the client.