Having looked at a simple balcony of sheet flow and traffic topping in Part 1, let’s look at a balcony which uses a center drain. The immediate difference is that the geometry of the balcony is constrained by several factors. Most traffic topping manufacturers recommend a minimum slope of 1% to achieve positive drainage on …
Author: Chip Daniels
BEST PRACTICES FOR BALCONY CONSTRUCTION- PART 1
Balconies are one of the most problematic ,elements of construction, and one of the leading causes of defect litigation and complaints. In this post I will discuss and illustrate best practices for the construction of balconies, with focus on the most common types used in multifamily wood construction. Traditional balcony design had the outside surface …
The Crisis In The Architectural Profession
The profession of architecture and building design is in a slow moving crisis, manifested by the rise in the pre-construction phase and modularization. A few decades ago it was assumed that the day the contractor walked out of the building department with a stamped set of plans, they could immediately start digging and fabricating the …
Multifamily Design in the BIM Era- A New Approach
Multifamily design has not kept pace with the evolution of design technology. Most multifamily projects are designed the way they always have been. The Architect creates a simple 2D layout of the building and units. Then, the engineers are brought in to work out the structure, HVAC plumbing and electrical. Still later, sometimes during construction, …