Repairing Cast Iron Columns

[Revs1972]

I was asked for my advice on some cracks that have appeared in the support columns on a building . These support a double A frame roof.
As you can see from the photo it is quite a sizable crack. They are around 150 years old, and there is no obvious reason why it has cracked. There is a smaller crack in the column next to it.
How would you go about repairing something like that ? From what i have looked at online you can gouge it out a bit and weld it back up, or there is a cold repair where you drill lots of holes and use connectors across the crack, backed up by drilling and tapping holes directly " in the crack" and screwing studs in then flushing everything off. Interesting process but can you do it on a curved surface ?
I think he is best off getting a Structural engineer in to check it and see why its happened. No good just patching it up if the root cause is not sorted out.
There are 7 of these in total (that you can see internally)

 

[awemawson]

I suspect any form of welding that will potentially only make it worse. If it were mine I'd be reinforcing it with steel bands around the circumference, tightly bolted so that the band is in tension.

But as you say, a structural engineer should be consulted to cover your back.

 

[Feet 'n Inches]

Are they tubular or solid? If tubular, what's on the inside, could that have had a bearing on why the columns cracked? Definitely call in a structural engineer, IMO, before even thinking of tackling that job.

 

[Revs1972]

Are they tubular or solid? If tubular, what's on the inside, could that have had a bearing on why the columns cracked? Definitely call in a structural engineer, IMO, before even thinking of tackling that job.

Tubular , tapering at the top. I am assuming they are hollow all the way (ive tapped them at the bottom and sound it).
Its not something i'm going anywhere near workwise, he just asked my opinion as he knows I work in steel construction.
We did something similar years ago when i worked for another company, but just replaced the column with steel , and made it look like the original by dressing it with various features.
These are approx 7 metres long so a lot larger than those.
Its a listed building too, with these columns specifically noted as they were produced in a local foundry

 

[mtt.tr]

The only way to know is get a company who can complete the proper ndt tests the an engineer can advice

 

[Snowy90]

In my humble opinion, they have had it! I would be putting in some temporary support pronto whilst waiting for the engineer.

 

[Feet 'n Inches]

Its not something i'm going anywhere near workwise, he just asked my opinion as he knows I work in steel construction.
We did something similar years ago when i worked for another company, but just replaced the column with steel , and made it look like the original by dressing it with various features.

I don't blame you, nor would I. Steel replacements would be the logical approach but as the building is listed and the columns specifically mentioned . . . it could end up a very costly job.

 

[8ob]

Have they possibly had frozen water in them?

Bob

 

[Dcal]

You could get them wrapped with carbon fibre or Kevlar.
You would need approval from a structural engineer but it's a proven way to upgrade columns.

https://www.uk.weber/webertec-force-carbon-sheet

 

[Seadog]

If that's the only crack I think that banding it would be the answer since it's listed. The crack is only likely to propagate further in the same direction so a couple of well placed holes should halt any growth.

 

[TechnicAl]

A tapered column in cast iron isnt a great shape....if its hollow it has to be cast with a collapsable core...getting that core absolutely concentric is nigh on impossible so one side will be thicker than the other.....odds are its the thin side thats cracked.....

 

[Nick DV]

Are they tubular or solid? If tubular, what's on the inside, could that have had a bearing on why the columns cracked? Definitely call in a structural engineer, IMO, before even thinking of tackling that job.

Yep, I think I'd like to know why this happened before I did anything!

 

[Munkul]

I'd be asking these lot

https://www.metalockengineering.com/en/metalock-engineering-uk-limited/repairs/cast-iron-repairs/

They aren't cheap, but they've done some really nice key stitching repairs on some of our old castings before

 

[Revs1972]

Those metalocks were what i was trying to describe in my first post. Didnt know how they would work on a tighter radius though

 

[Brad93]

The excessive temperature swings during the summer could be the cause.

Get the experts in, Lock & Stitch

 

[awemawson]

If hollow, which almost certainly they are, just possibly they could be taken down one by one, a substantial steel tube inserted to take the actual compressive load, and re-erected. Then a cosmetic repair to the crack would be all that was needed.

 

[frank horton]

very scary...have nowt to do with it......
with cracks that bad, no repair will be good over time.....
how much weight above.....?
replace with steel is the answer from me....
no good being a listed building if it fails...mind, it could be a listed heap of rubble.....
that'd be a change...

 

[Brad93]

very scary...have nowt to do with it......
with cracks that bad, no repair will be good over time.....
how much weight above.....?
replace with steel is the answer from me....
no good being a listed building if it fails...mind, it could be a listed heap of rubble.....
that'd be a change...

Metalock guarantee their work. The repairs to the columns of Hammersmith bridge haven’t fallen down yet. The rest of it is however haha

 

[Welderpaul]

The jobs that make you the most money are the one's you don't do.

 

[tom2207]

Knowing when to walk away is the trick , having to ask means it would be best left to those who know.

Take a look at the two houses in London as a great example of how fast things can go wrong , and what it might cost and that thankfully was without anyone having been hurt.