I find myself working on a commercial framing assignment with some problems.
The plans called for two bathrooms spaced 5′ apart (for wheelchair clearance) to be built adjacent to the existing (plaster over brick) wall. Our problem originates from the architect’s call for new walls extending 8′ 3 1/2″ from the existing wall to the outside finish of the new adjacent wall. This adjacent wall rests on a 4 1/2″ concrete curb for a wheelchair ramp, so it cannot be relocated. It is 12′ in height. What I am unable to show with my sophisticated CAD program is that the existing wall has 2 “pillars” that extend out 6″ and the plumbing located within that 6″ at 8 different locations all along the wall…
The layout:
____________________________________________ (E) wall (plaster on brick)
I I
(N) wall I I (N) wall
(8′ 0″) I I (8′ 0″)
I I
================== =============(N) adj. wall on curb
(8′ 3 1/2″) RAMP
______________
The discovery:
Checking through the plan set, we discovered that the minimum inside dimensions of each bathroom MUST be 8′ 0″ x 8′ 0″. The architect overlooked the necessity of wallboard!!! So now we seem to have to keep our furring wall within the 6″ space between the existing wall and the front of the existing pillars.
The questions:
How much can we hack up the furring wall to fit around the plumbing and still accomodate a building inspector? Can we set studs face out instead of edge out where vent pipes traverse across the wall? Or should the vent pipes be cut and the traverse relocated out of the way (ie. above the bathroom ceiling height @ 8′ 0″)?
thanx,
brian
Replies
"Checking through the plan set we discovered that the minimum inside dimensions of each bathroom MUST be 8ft X 8ft......."
Brian, I suspect that the architect WANTS those dimensions ( 8X8). Depending upon fixture placement, handicap accessible bathrooms CAN BE SMALLER than 8X8...this is a fact, not an assumption.
Since you seem to be saying the architecht screwed up, then call him/her up and ask them to give you a solution. If architect is unwilling to comply, contact your BI and ask the BI what will muster approval from their end. I suspect that whatever solution BI comes up with, architect will almost certainly "rubber stamp" it if solution is not too radical a change from original design/intent.
Time to get on the phone and begin co-ordinating.
LOL.
Davo
Thanks, Davo.
That's what I've been thinking. The toilet location is set in stone, well concrete anyway, in the corner opposite a 36" door and the rim of the toilet is 5' away. This is okay, so the furring wall between the existing wall and the toilet could conceivably be moved away from the existing wall as far as the toilet drain placement will allow, as long as the new sink location doesn't encroach on the free space required for the wheelchairs...
I'm personally stuck because my boss is on vacation and my company owner has been shown the dilemna but has insisted from the beginning that we build it to spec in the meantime. This is causing us to halt progress on the project until someone (owner, boss, arch, or BI) authorizes a change. It's not within my realm to contact the outside authorities.
In the meantime, placing the furring wall inside the 6" space at the existing wall would meet the requirements of the architect.
The real question here is just how much can one hack up normal framing and get by with the inspector? We can run ceiling joists parallel with the furring wall and not place any fasteners into it to keep any weight off it.
(ps. this is metal construction)
brian