Sometimes, even carefully planned restoration projects need a PlanB! Designed in 1901 by Carrère & Hastings, Schwarzman Hall at Yale University underwent a significant renovation under the guidance of RAMSA | Robert A.M. Stern Architects, aimed at upgrading the classical building with modern student life.

During excavations, a 40-ton solid limestone column, part of the building’s iconic portico, began to settle and shift alarmingly out of plumb. Our investigation uncovered a forgotten 1920s-era steam pipe that had been cut through the foundation, disconnecting the column from its neighbors, compromising its stability, and halting all nearby construction over concern of further damage.

With time as our primary constraint, we engineered a solution that stabilized the column mainly using self-hoisting and scaffolding equipment, minimizing fabrication needs and allowing a work crew familiar with the equipment to quickly erect a full-height bracing “splint” around the column. After hydraulic jacks lifted the weight of the portico roof off the column, a series of hand-turned repositioning collars were used to gently push the column back to position. Once properly vertical again, the column was floated on needle beams to replace the old foundation. Finally, hydraulic jacks lifted the column vertically to undo the original settlement that started the movement, leaving a final condition indistinguishable from before. While no trace of the work remains today, we are proud of its result in silently saving a piece of history for the next generation.