A building construction and method of constructing a building including at least a lower level and a roof permits elevation of the roof of the original building as a unitary structure to a sufficient additional height to enable an additional level to be constructed intermediate the lower level and the raised roof. Vertically extendable stabilizing members are installed in the original building structure and are later used to support the roof structure after raising it so that an additional floor level can be built over the original level without destruction of the original roof or building of a new roof. Hydraulic ram devices may be used to raise the roof.
Apparatus and method for raising a roof including at least two lifting beams which are generally parallel to the peak or highest point of the roof and at least two pairs of lifting towers which are arranged about the building. Each pair of lifting towers has one tower disposed along one face of the building and the other tower disposed along the opposite face of the building. The lifting beams are interconnected with the roof portion and the lifting towers; the selected roof portion is then severed from the building and lifting means raises the lifting beams and the attached selected portion of the roof. After installing walls under the raised portion of the roof, the roof is lowered and attached to the newly constructed walls to form the additional expanded space of the building.
An apparatus and method for a modular structural support and elevating system for constructing temporary support structures. The system includes providing a plurality of generally identical building elements or cribs. The cribs are generally box shaped, and a first crib may be mated to a second crib for forming elongate support structures. The cribs also have an opening on each non-mating side able to receive various mounting components. The cribs further include connecting hardware for releasably connecting the cribs to one another. A hydraulic jacking system may be used with the cribs for progressively elevating or lowering a structure.
The present invention provides a plurality of block-like building elements which may be bolted to each other to form a variety of support structures without the use of heavy hoisting equipment. Some of the building elements have a generally U-shaped appearance when viewed in plan, i.e., the building elements are open or slotted on one side so that a hydraulic cylinder or other lifting device may be inserted into the interior of the building element, or into a post formed from a stack of connected building elements. The lifting device may be used to preload the support structure. Advantageously, the lifting device may be used to progressively lift a load to a higher elevation by elevating the load a sufficient distance to enable the addition of an additional building element. The lifting device may then be repositioned within the structure for further elevating the load.
