SECTION 5.
INSTALLATION IN EXISTING BUILDINGS
1.
SOIL-STRUCTURE INTERACTION. The primary soil-structure interaction
concern for a hyperbaric facility installed in an existing building, is
essentially the same as for a completely new facility, as outlined in Section
3. The same six settlement parameters discussed in Section 3 are applicable
but the degree to which each is of concern varies from that of a completely
new facility as outlined below.
a.
Initial Settlement. The initial foundation settlement, which
occurs early in the construction phase of a facility, will for all practical
purposes have taken place prior to the installation of a hyperbaric chamber
in an existing building. The only consideration necessary in regard to
initial settlements will be the necessity to compensate for any differential
settlement in establishing the bearing elevations of the various chamber
components.
b.
Primary Settlement. When a hyperbaric chamber facility is
installed in an existing building, the primary settlement may or may not be
critical depending upon several factors as follows:
(1) The most significant factor will be the primary settlement
characteristics of the bearing material upon which the existing building
foundations are founded and the age of the structure. A relatively new
structure may still be undergoing primary settlement while an older structure
will probably have sustained all or nearly all of its primary settlement.
(2) The relative magnitudes of the existing building loads and the
anticipated new loads from the hyperbaric chamber will also have an affect
upon the primary settlement. Significant increases in the total foundation
loading, as a result of the hyperbaric chamber installation, will more than
likely induce some additional primary settlements in even relatively old
structures in which the primary settlement has stabilized under present
usage.
(3) The type or types of foundations upon which the existing
building rests will be significant with respect to the primary settlement and
its effects upon the hyperbaric chamber and its components as discussed in
Section 3.
c.
The other parameters outlined in Section 3, namely, Secondary
Settlement, Cyclic Loading Settlement, Vibration Settlement, and Water
Affected Settlement will be essentially the same for either a hyperbaric
chamber installed in an existing building or for a completely new facility.
2.
FOUNDATION TYPES. When a hyperbaric chamber is installed in an existing
building and the existing foundation structure is to be used to support the
chamber, then essentially two factors must be evaluated as follows.
a.
The strength or bearing capacity of the foundations, regardless of
type, must be adequate for the existing structure dead load and the
additional
load from the hyperbaric chamber and its support equipment.
b.
The settlement characteristics of the existing footings must be
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