Steel for Moment Frame

Part of the new Wind Loading requirements for Cape Code get us into providing moment frames around large spans of glass where there is inadequate sheathing panel to resist wind loads in exposed areas. Full speed ahead during the Christmas-New Years break.

Christmas Card Frame

Every year we have our Christmas card decked out with our latest project.
So as the frame is going up and steel plates waiting to be welded on Monday, Alison and Amy took some pictures for the card today.
Plywood sheathing on the first floor and continuation of the second floor walls was on the schedule for the rest of the week.

2md floor decking

Yesterday and today the first floor walls second floor deck went on.
Metal strapping at all window openings is also part of the framing connections that are required by the 7th Edition of the MA Building Code.
Tomorrow the steel columns for the moment frame will go up on the gable end facing the water. A moment frame was required to meet wind loading requirements due to the amount of glass and openings on the exposed side.
All of this added structural design is a big reason why the cost went up from 250K to 280K.

Framing 1st floor deck

Lumber jacks on site!!
I decided to go with conventional framing on this job. The span of the floor joists didn't justify the extra cost of engineered lumber. 19'2" span we used Hem Fir structural select lumber (2 x 12's) for the floor joists and 3/4" Advantech subflooring. Blocking will help stabilize the floor system as well as the modulus of elasticity on Hem Fir (1600psi) vs. SPF (1400psi).
The weather is still mild for this time of year but the coming days will feel more like a New England winter.

Concrete Walls

Chan-Kal Foundations poured the walls on Tuesday and we are rocking.
Inbetween the weather, which is particularly warm for this time of year even on the Cape.
34 cubic yards of concrete and it's a wrap.