Assessing Existing Theater Structures and Rigging Infrastructure for Large Production Demands

摘要

The ever increasing load demands placed on existing theaters by modern live entertainment pose unique challenges for the structural engineer. One of the more difficult aspects for the engineer is the fact that many of the older theaters have limited, or no, design/construction documentation in existence. In the absence of drawings, investigations must be based solely on surveys of the existing conditions of the stage supporting structures and the grid-iron and fly systems. Typically, one finds that structural modifications have been made over the years for various shows without the benefit of engineering reviews. The Hammerstein Ballroom Theater (circa 1906) and the Howard Gilman Opera House at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (circa 1908) are two particularly interesting examples of old theaters requiring structural reviews for recent productions of new shows whose loads would impose a high demand on the existing structures.