Beam and block or wet pour....advice pls!

[spike66k]

Me again, another weird question I hope you can advise on.
Two storey extension (5m x 4m footprint). Digging out the foundations today and my builder says " don't think a crane can drop the concrete floor joists in the garden, we are gonna have to change to a poured floor"
I have 3m hedges around most of the garden, and a couple of very large trees with about 10m gap between them. The gap also includes the local pavement ! Who do I ask...a Crane company or a concrete floor company, to come and have a look? Do concrete floor companies do their own "craning"?!
I'm on the Bucks/Oxon border, any recommendations of companies great fully received.
Thanks,
Spike

 

[mfarrow]

I used LiteCast last year. Their beams are the lightest in the industry, and I could carry them (at a push) myself on a 3m span.

 

[noseall]

Who do I ask...

Firstly - your architect.

If your architect says you have options then go for a solid concrete floor. He may suggest conferring with BC in which case ask for a visit.

My thoughts are that if the architect has drawn a B&B floor then there are specific reasons for doing so. As for the practicalities of moving the floor beams - you and your builder will have to figure this one out. Why was this not queried at the pricing stage?

I don't know if this helps but we did a B&B job a couple of years ago that involved large, (craned) floor beams. Rather than go for the large beams, we built a sleeper wall mid-span so that we could use smaller (easily portable) beams. This was not easy as the foundations were going down 8 feet!

All this was discussed with the customer at the pricing stage. I'm one of those weird builders who actually looks at drawings and queries stuff with the customer and architect.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

nosey you freak!

 

[noseall]

nosey you freak!

 

[jeds]

As noseall - beam and block floors are normally specified for a reason. The decision to change to solid should be made by somebody who understands the original design/specification.

 

[spike66k]

Thanks for that chaps.
I went for the pour in the end, as the access for the crane was impossible ....apparently!
I appreciate your reply greatly.
Colin

 

[charliegolf]

Out of interest, how did you get the wet stuff in if you couldn't walk beams round the back?