tapered concrete pillars

[salty]

The famous Rolls Royce grill is another example.

[aemeijers]

Snort! I like it.

I think you are right, they look precast, and maybe were for another application. I dunno- maybe bridge rail columns designed to drop into precast pockets on something. Any RR yards around there? Maybe they were liberated from some roadbed repair stock- those almost look like what I see along side the rails at a siding switch.

-- aem sends...

[DanG]

These are not gently tapered concrete columns. This is form work that was underdesigned. The liquid head putting pressure at the bottom of the form is huge. I am almost surprised that the forms didn't blow open during the pour, but then we can't see the original form work.

Nothing fancy, not deliberate - just lucky.

[Jules]

I don't know - I just did a check with straight-edge and ruler, and the lower tapers start 16" above the floor. The upper tapers start 16" below the top. They taper by the same amount and at the same point on both pillars that I looked at. The amount of tapering is even on both sides (and only in one axis, of course).

Like you say, we've no idea what the original form was like; I can see how that could explain the tapering in only one axis if the sides were strong but the front/back not so.

I don't know enough about concrete to say if a weak form like that would yield exactly the same taper front and back at the bottom, and on more than one pillar if the form design were re-used.

The fact that it's the same curve top/bottom, starting from the same point relative to the mid-point, and that it's dead-straight across the center portion gets me, though - that makes it 'feel' more intentional, as though whoever made them wanted them that way.

cheers

Jules

[Jules]

The pockets idea makes sense if they were intended for some application where they could be replaced, but does (or did) anyone really do construction like that? I suspect there'd be significant wear around the top of the pocket from vibration etc. if it were a bridge environment (rail or otherwise).

cheers

Jules