Subject: Converted concrete bunkers

From: Andy Dingley <[email-masked]>
Date: 29 May 1995 01:54:17 +0100

A friend and I have found an intriguing possibility for a residence. It's a
large pre-stressed concrete drum (imagine an oil storage tank, but concrete)
which used to be part of a coal mine. At present it's 1-2 storeys high of
solid concrete, with a further open storey above that, suitable for a glazed
curtain wall around an open plan living space. The roof is a shallow concrete
dome, with a large (but easily glazable) central skylight. The lower floor is
supported on a number of pilotis.

It looks like an excellent basis for a house conversion, but there would be a
fair bit of structural engineering work required; a small number of windows &
doors to be cut, and one or two intermediate floors to be constructed. Where
on earth do we start ?! Obviously a civil engineer & architect would be
required for a job of this size, but before we start spending cash, I'd like
to get *some* idea of the costs and feasibility involved.

Has anyone any experience of this sort of work ? Any guidance on developing
some order-of-magnitude costings ? How can I (mathematically literate, and
not afraid of structural mechanics or finite element analysis) start
assessing the strength of the existing structure, how much we can cut, and
how on earth we fit a cantilevered floor to it ?

I reckon we have 5 years to get it finished - it would be a *wicked* site for
the millenium party  8-)

--
Andy Dingley                             [email-masked]

If in doubt, just ask yourself what Biggles would do.
It won't help, but it may make life more amusing.