Thursday, June 18, 2009

Re: Unreinforced Adobe Brick in California? Really?

Bill
On a more serious note we are just about finished with the rebuild of a burned out restaurant at the La Quinta Hotel. The hotel and most of the Bungalows are Adobe. The widths very from 9" up to 24" depending upon location and if it is a major shear wall.......what a concept for a 1925 structure. Rebar is a no no, since it will rust because the Adobe does absorb water vapor. The has very little out of plane resistance so you add more weight or wall mass. Our new structure, wood studs (because the insurance company nixed the steel structure we designed) had to laterally support the existing Adobe and provide shear resistance.  We were able to replace one old fire damaged adobe wall since it was not visible to the general public. Most damage to the Adobe was due to the water from the fire hoses.
 
 
On a side note all of the California Missions are of varying widths of Adobe.
 
Joe Venuti
Johnson & Nielsen Associates
Palm Springs, CA
 
In a message dated 6/18/2009 8:07:28 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, t.w.allen@cox.net writes:

It is still standing.

 

 

T. William (Bill) Allen, S.E.

ALLEN DESIGNS

Consulting Structural Engineers
 V (949) 248-8588 • F(949) 209-2509

-----Original Message-----
From: erik_g@cox.net [mailto:erik_g@cox.net]
Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 8:49 PM
To: seaint@seaint.org
Subject: RE: Unreinforced Adobe Brick in California? Really?

 

Do you know if the house is currently intact, or did it get demolished?

 

 

  -----Original Message-----
From: Jnapd@aol.com [mailto:Jnapd@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 3:27 PM
To: seaint@seaint.org
Subject: Re: Unreinforced Adobe Brick in California? Really?

Bill

 

The key statement "located in a remote section of Riverside County" says it all.

Maybe the house was for the inlaws........

 

Joe Venuti
Johnson & Nielsen Associates
Palm Springs, CA

 

In a message dated 6/17/2009 2:46:41 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, t.w.allen@cox.net writes:

I saw a set of plans today which depict a single family structure apparently constructed from adobe brick. The drawings indicate a full basement and the walls consisting of 4" H x 12" L x 16" W adobe brick. There is horizontal steel (2-#2) at "Every Four Courses", but no vertical steel. The date of the drawings is 1977 and they are signed by a S.E.

 

Is this possible? I mean, I know it's possible that I saw the drawings, but is it possible that this type of construction was permissible in the 1970's? The structure is located in a remote section of Riverside County, so code enforcement could have been "less than optimum".

 

I'm just wondering what I'm missing.

 

Thanks,

 

 

T. William (Bill) Allen, S.E.

ALLEN DESIGNS

Consulting Structural Engineers
 V (949) 248-8588 • F(949) 209-2509

 
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