Structural Renovation of Fallingwater
Spring 2004 Arch 631
By: Kayvan Madani Nejad
Instructor: Dr. Anne Nichols
Background:
• It was designed by Frank
Lloyd Wright.
• It is one the best-known
works of architecture
nationally and
internationally.
• Voted “Best work ever
produced by an American
architect” by AIA 1991.
• Commissioned by Edgar
Kaufmann, Sr. , a wealthy
businessman in Pittsburg.
Background (continued):
• Structural design and
calculations by Mendel
Glickman & William
Peters.
• Signature feature is
terraces cantilevered over
the Bear Run Stream.
• The cracks and sagging in
terraces were a big
concern to the owner from
the start.
Gravity Loads:
• Transferred through
masonry walls and 3
concrete bolsters.
• Dead Load+Live Load+
Snow
• Loads Decrease in higher
levels.
• The aim was to balance
the weight of the
cantilever by stacking
levels on the north side.
Dynamic & Impact Loads:
• A force is applied
suddenly or changes
rapidly
• During storms rocks in
river hit the building.
• Steel columns of the
staircase to the stream
buckled due to impact
loads.
• Water levels rise and
increase the force applied
to the building
Foundation: Series of four bolsters built into the natural
sandstone ledge comprise the main foundation
Stone bearing walls
Natural Boulders
Concrete Bolsters
Main Terrace: Each bolster supports supports a
horizontal reinforced concrete beam that extends 15 feet
beyond the bolster. The beams are connected to one another
by concrete joists, each 4 inches wide. Together the beams
and joists create a rectilinear grid.
Master Bedroom Terrace:The master bedroom terrace
extends an extra 6 feet beyond the first floor terrace. Beside the concrete
floor joists and the structural parapets, it is supported by 4 steel window
mullions embedded in the first floor parapet.
Third Floor: Kaufmann Jr.’s Study and later
sleeping area
Roof:
Structural Problems:
• Analysis shows Deflections • When wood framework was
still growing removed, 1st floor concrete
• Engineers increased the # of terrace sagged 45 mils
1” steel bars from 8 to 16 instantly and grown up to 8”
• Wright angered, claimed the in 70 years.
extra load of the added steel • These cantilevered beams
was the problem also carry forces from the
• Later analysis showed that if 2nd floor terrace
they hadn’t doubled the • Some say it is due to the
steel, beams would have flaw in construction. They
certainly failed should have sloped the
terrace upward so that it
would sag into the horizontal
position after settlement
“oh my god, I forgot the negative
reinforcement!”
• Glickman, Fallingwater’s • Any beam made of
Structural engineer forgot reinforced concrete, the
the negative reinforcement concrete resists the
compression on the beam
• He was referring to the and the steel bars resist the
reinforcement for negative tension
bending moment, which • after workers removed the
causes compression in the framework from the
lower part of each concrete of the master
cantilever beam and bedroom terrace, two
tension in the upper part major cracks appeared in
the terraces parapet
Solutions:
• Leaving the shoring in place which looked ugly
• Providing supplemental steel framing
• Augmenting the steel by using bonded steel
plating, which would have eventually interfered
with the floor height.
• Fiber reinforcing at the top surface, which could
not provide sufficient added capacity
• Using high-strength post-tensioning. This was
chosen
Steel Shoring:
Post-tensioning:
• For safety the house was
first shored
• It doesn’t change the
outside appearance
• Steel cable was passed
thru drilled joists &
attached to a concrete
block at the end.
• Anchored at north end &
post tensioned at the south
end with a hydraulic jack
to create the needed
positive moment
Structural calculation:
• Existing concrete strength of 5000 psi
• Yield strength of existing steel 41,000 psi.
• The stress in the reinforcing bars of the terrace’s
parapet are 1,195 megapascals, or more than four
times the steel’s yield strength.
• Stresses of 288 megapascals in the steel of the
main cantilever beam and 30 megapascals in the
concrete. These stresses are at critical level and
they are just about the yield strengths of the
material
References:
• Silman, R. The plan to save Fallingwater. Scientific American N.3 V.283 : 71-77
September 2000
• Loper, J. & Hughes, J. Post-Tensioned Retrofitting Maintains Landmarks Aesthetics.
Concrete International p. 59-64 April 2003
• Taher, R. Structural Repairs and Preservation of Fallingwater New Jersey School of
architecture, New Jersey Institute of Technology.
• Schokker, A. Fallingwater-Saving the Masterpiece: Field Monitoring and Analysis
During the Rehabilitation of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Signature House
www.engr.psu.edu/ce/devisions/structure/research/FLW_research.htm
• Dean, L. Analyzing and Characterizing the Steel Used at Frank Lloyd Wright’s
Fallingwater. JOM march 2003
• www.tms.org/pubs/journals/JOM/0303/Dean-0303.html
• Kaufmann, E jr. “Fallingwater: A Frank Lloyd Wright Country House” Cross River
Press 1986
• Schodek, D.L “Structures” Prentice-Hall, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 2001
fourth edition.
• Ballast, D.K. “Architecture Exam Review” Professional Publications, Inc Belmont CA
• 1999
* All the contents of this “course project” (including photos) have been obtained from the
above references. I have not added anything to the body of knowledge. This is merely an
exercise to understand Fallingwater through what I learned in Arch631.
