Roof Lifting Structural Integrity: LIFTEX Foundation & System Details
Introduction.
For over 50 years, roof lifting has been an innovative, if underused, strategy for commercial property enhancement and continues to attract the attention of savvy property owners, managers, and businesses.
And throughout these years, one company has been by your side, developing systems, enhancing safety, and ensuring that entrepreneurs and property owners reach new heights: LIFTEX. Discover how decades of experience have turned into success stories and how you can become the next owner of a more prosperous enterprise.
Roof Lifting: The Origin Story.
From the 1960s to the 1980s, commercial and industrial buildings in the USA were designed with shorter heights on average, typically ranging from 14 to 24 feet, primarily for manufacturing purposes. As the manufacturing landscape shifted overseas, a significant demand emerged for warehousing space, but the existing buildings were not suited to these new uses.
LIFTEX responded to this challenge by developing their roof lifting system that effectively transforms these properties into highly marketable spaces, successfully reducing costs and minimizing downtime compared to traditional building expansion.
Structural engineers are often the first to inquire how this “too good to be true” building solution is possible without building integrity and tenant safety being jeopardized. Rest assured: LIFTEX has a 100% success rate throughout its entire history of roof lifting thanks to continuously refined methodologies that ensure structural safety, compliance with building codes, and seamless integration with existing building systems.
Foundation Attachment & the LIFTEX Difference.
Something that is often questioned, and makes LIFTEX different from a temporary rigging contractor, is that our system is continuously attached to the building’s foundations rather than floating on the slab. Except for at the perimeter, where columns rest on slab but are welded to the existing perimeter column as described previously, all interior column connections are structurally connected to the footings. LIFTEX accomplishes this uniquely above the finished floor, avoiding costly base plate exposure. There are two methods utilized to accomplish this.
The first method is when columns are “wrapped”, or “sleeved” as LIFTEX likes to say. The existing columns are pre-punched with bolt holes in the flanges. Once a shoring column is installed adjacent (one at a time), the column is cut above a remnant apx. 1’ off the ground. Then the column is sleeved, with the bottom of the sleeve bolted to the remnant flanges, creating a secure connection between sleeve and column that is already anchored to the footing, and trapping the cut column above from moving anywhere but up.
The second method can be used for either sleeving or replacing, which LIFTEX has coined as a “transition plate”. A two piece plate, precision cut to the shape of the existing steel column and beveled at those edges, is installed at the existing column base and welded. After a shoring column is installed, the column is cut out just above the top of these transition plates, and the surface is ground smooth. The replacement column or sleeves are then sat on top of the transition plates, with their bases welded out all around. The result is a structural load path from lifting column to transition plate, transition plate to stub, stub to footing.
Safety is ensured by using a shoring column at each point during the cutting and sleeving/swapping process, and by doing work on only 1-2 at a time. Being that “the table has many legs”, temporary condition requirements are easily met during this prep phase. The process sets the building up to be connected to the foundations during the raise and throughout the permanent re-support process. Sufficient temporary erection cabling is installed for the duration between fully lifted and fully braced.
The Strengths of the System.
So, what has ensured this longevity and consistent success? The answer lies in technical excellence and an uncompromising devotion to engineering integrity.
The proprietary LIFTEX Roof Lifting system deploys a double-cylinder, double-valve, and double-pin protection system integrated into each lift point.
By employing duality throughout the system, LIFTEX ensures a robust check-and-balance mechanism that significantly reduces the risk of lift failure at each point. Instead of relying on a central manifold, LIFTEX uses an individualized approach, isolating potential failures to a single lift point, eliminating the possibility of a central catastrophic failure.
Using multiple valves prevents accidental weight release from the hydraulics, while two ASTM F1554 Gr 105 steel pins at each lift point limit any possible downward movement to less than six inches. Additionally, the dual hydraulic cylinders, strong enough to operate individually, far exceed the actual roof load requirements during the lift.
Each hydraulic cylinder is rated for up to 50 kips, giving each lift point a total capacity of 100 kips. With typical roof dead loads ranging between 10 and 50 kips per column, the system is designed to ensure that a single cylinder can support the load if its counterpart fails.
Working with the Best.
It’s clear that success and efficiency come from working with those who truly understand the field. This is where LIFTEX shines, with years of refinement and expertise dedicated to making businesses thrive.
If your property has the potential for this productivity boost, don’t hesitate to contact us! Our team is ready to help you reach new heights — literally.
Let’s Start the Conversation.
LIFTEX specializes in providing state-of-the-art roof-lifting solutions that transform retail properties into thriving industrial and multi-use spaces. Contact us today to learn how roof lifting can repurpose your vacant property and elevate its value for the future.
