See how massive buildings are moved in one piece, including an 850-ton Chicago apartment and a 35-room Florida hotel

OSTN Staff

119 year old Belleview Biltmore Hotel in Belleair, FL just to the west of Tampa.
  • Moving an entire building from one place to another can cost upwards of $1 million. 
  • Historic or valuable buildings are often relocated when faced with demolition or flood risks.
  • See how a 35-room Florida hotel, 850-ton Chicago apartment, and an entire homes are moved.
The Vautravers Building in Chicago was built in 1894, preceding the city’s metro system (visible to the right of the apartment).

The Vautravers Building was built in Chicago in 1894

Source: Wolfe House & Building Movers

In August, the Chicago Transit Authority decided to move the three-story brick apartment building in order to “straighten and expand” the nearby train tracks.

The Vautravers Building was built in Chicago in 1894
The historic structure weighed 840 tons and required “several layers of steel beams, unified jacking machines, X/Y skates, and push-pull rams” to slide it 30 feet west and 4 feet south, according to the moving company.

The Vautravers Building was built in Chicago in 1894

Source: Wolfe House Building & Movers

Moving entire buildings like this one is a process known as “structure relocation.” It can cost upwards of $1 million depending on the building’s size and weight, the distance of the move, and any obstacles along the move route.

house relocation
While there are many reasons property owners choose to relocate buildings, Mike Brovont of Wolfe House Movers told Insider that “moving away from a busy road and/or saving it from demolition” are two of the most common reasons he hears from clients.

house relocation
This shelter house at Orchard Beach State Park was moved away from its perch on Lake Michigan due to the eroding shoreline.

house relocation
The historic landmark was moved 1500 feet on 27 Buckingham Dollies with “its two fireplaces, concession side room, restrooms, and concrete slab floor” intact, Wolfe House Movers said.

house relocation
Hurricane and flood risks have caused a surge in house-lifting projects this year, construction companies previously told Insider.

house relocation

Source: Insider

The 35-room Belleview Biltmore Hotel near Tampa, Florida, was “one of the heaviest frame buildings ever moved,” weighing in at 1750 tons.

house relocation

Source: Wolfe House & Building Movers

The 119-year-old structure included eight multi-story fireplaces. Wolfe House Movers rotated the hotel 50 degrees and moved it 350 feet.

house relocation
Most building relocations — both large and small — use the “self-propelled Buckingham Power Dolly System,” Brovont told Insider. The dollies are remote-controlled and can move forward, backward, and jack the structure upward.

house relocation
While some buildings just need to be moved or rotated on-site, other clients want their homes moved miles down the road.

Florida, Mabel, State Road Route 50, with oversized pre-fab house on truck
When this happens, the relocation company must coordinate with state or local police to shut down the roads.

An oversized pre-fab house on truck with police escort along state road route 50 in Florida.
An oversized pre-fab house on truck with police escort along state road route 50 in Florida.

Below, you can watch the Pollocksville Depot in North Carolina move a quarter-mile down the street after it was flooded by Hurricane Florence in 2018.
For all moves, a “Cargo or Riggers” insurance policy is needed to specifically cover the house during relocation, Brovont told Insider.

dollies

Do you have a story to share about moving a large structure in one piece? Email the reporter at htowey@insider.com

Read the original article on Business Insider

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