Structural Repairs and Erections
Westhampton Beach Beam replacEment
Our client contacted us regarding a critical structural issue at his Westhampton Beach, NY, waterfront home. The two supporting posts at the rear of the house had suffered severe rust damage, with sections deteriorating across approximately 80 inches on both beams. This posed a significant risk to the home's structural integrity.
Given that this is a three-story waterfront property exposed to the Atlantic Ocean, the harsh salt air had gradually corroded the metal from the inside out due to insufficient protective measures taken by the original builders. The compromised posts were located between the third floor and the roof, directly supporting key structural headers.
Several challenges complicated the replacement process. The affected beams were enclosed by wood siding and sealed at both the top and bottom, making a complete replacement impractical without tearing open the roof and deck—an option the client wished to avoid. Additionally, the workspace was minimal. The floor below was a wooden deck, elevated 12-14 feet above ground level and spanning 30 feet in width and 60 feet in length, preventing the use of heavy equipment for structural support during the repair. The ledge where the beams were located was just three feet wide, with a 12-foot drop on one side and a wall of 23-foot-high windows on the other, providing minimal safe working space.
Further complicating the project, the ledge was partially a structural component housing the second-story header, meaning additional weight could not be applied to unsupported areas without risking failure. Other specialists had proposed a temporary fix—filling each hole with weld material and grinding it flush. However, this approach would not address the root issue, as the surrounding rusted sections would continue deteriorating.
After carefully assessing the challenges, we decided replacing the 80-inch rusted section was the best approach. To achieve this, we designed a custom jig that would attach to the unaffected top and bottom portions of the beam, redistributing the weight outward and back down to the beams below.
Using the original beam’s diameter and thickness as specified by the architect, we determined that our jig needed to support a minimum of 15 tons, as we would be replacing one beam at a time. After running multiple simulations, we finalized a lightweight design for easy maneuverability and structurally capable of withstanding 18.6 tons before buckling. Additionally, the design remained cost-effective without compromising safety.
We covered all bases, from safely transporting the heavy-weight beams using a manual gantry to ensuring the client’s beautiful windows were sealed shut with fire-resistant tarps to protect from cutting/grinding sparks and weld spatter. Working one beam at a time, our jig worked EXACTLY as designed and achieved no sag apart from the .06 inch of sinkage required to load the jig with weight, which was accounted for and expected before starting.
After welding in the new beam sections, we ground down the weld to seamlessly match the original remaining sections, priming and sealing each beam with black oil paint for a clean but durable finish. Our client couldn’t be happier. Not only did we save him the headache of opening up the roof and deck to completely replace the beams, which would have been expensive in terms of money, but more importantly, time. We expeditiously restored his home's structural integrity for many decades without compromising his schedule.
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