New Steel Beam - How To Box In?

[EViS]

We will be taking out a load-bearing wall and installing a steel beam. We have a couple of questions:

1. Do we need to secure the beam into the pad stones, or will it's sheer weight be sufficient to prevent if from ever slipping off the wall?
2. How do we box the beam in? Is the usual process to fix timber studwork to the beam, if so, how do we attach this to the beam?
3. Do we rest the upstairs floor joists onto the steel beam, or lay a timber 'wall plate' on top of the steel beam for the floor joists to then screw into?

ps. Building Control will be involved for this job and we have had an engineer specify the size of beam.

Untitled

• EViS
• 13 Jan 2013
• 1

 

[limerockconstruction]

Hi,

1) I would use a sika resin grout, or similar, and then make sure you build the ends in.
2) Timber studwork is pretty standard - we often get the throat predrilled with holes to enable us to bolt a timber in either side of the throat, some people literally wedge timber noggins in the throat....
3) Have done both before - if there is an existing joist framework upstairs which has already been built in, then I would be tempted to go up underneath without the wall plate.

 

[noseall]

Hi, 2) Timber studwork is pretty standard - we often get the throat predrilled with holes to enable us to bolt a timber in either side of the throat, some people literally wedge timber noggins in the throat....

Throat = Web.

 

[EViS]

Perfectly explained, thanks! Two final questions:

4. In terms of getting the floor joists tight on the beam, would you wedge underneath the beam where it is supported on the wall (and bring the entire beam up off the brickwork and flush to the joists), or wedge any gaps between the floor joists and the beam?

5. Some people seem to use steel plates/offcuts, others use slate as wedges. Which is best in terms of easiest to get hold of and cheapest?

 

[kjacko]

Hi,

2) Timber studwork is pretty standard - we often get the throat predrilled with holes to enable us to bolt a timber in either side of the throat, some people literally wedge timber noggins in the throat....

That's what i did, the wedges then give something for the pb to be screwd/nailed to.
BC were happy with this.

 

[limerockconstruction]

4) I would be tempted to go up under the joists flush, but this depends on how level the floor above is! If your house is pretty old they may well be untrue and so your second specified method would be fine.

5) Either is fine! I guess if you are buying a steel beam it would be much easier to ask your fabricator if he had any shims laying around, he probably will chuck them in for free.

Good Luck!

 

[EViS]

Another query that popped into my head. Do most people bed the padstones on mortar, and wait until the following day before installing a beam of this size to prevent its weight from squeezing all of the mortar out whilst it's slid in and spacers are hammered inbetween everything?

Or get everything done in one day and keep all of the props (and some additional props under the beam) in place for 2 or so days?

 

[noseall]

Another query that popped into my head. Do most people bed the padstones on mortar, and wait until the following day before installing a beam of this size to prevent its weight from squeezing all of the mortar out whilst it's slid in and spacers are hammered inbetween everything?

Or get everything done in one day and keep all of the props (and some additional props under the beam) in place for 2 or so days?

Depends how easy it is to access the space under the beam.

We often get the beam in place, acro prop it (which allows you to wind the beam exactly level) then bed the pads below the beam. It can be difficult sometimes to get the pads to sit hard against the beam so we occasionally have to bash in a piece of cement slate into the gap, before winding the props down.

In your case, we would get the beam under the joists then wind the beam up so that it touches all of the joists whilst still being level. If the odd joists is reluctant to sit or is slightly under sized the we would pack under any that are not sitting.

Then fit the pads under the beam.

If we are building new stuff (without interference from above) then we would laser and mortar bed the pads level and drop the beam onto the pads once the mortar has set.

 

[kjacko]

Again, when i did mine, i used slate seconds from a local shed to pack the beam level both above and below it (in case some joists didn't sit flat), before loosening the acro's.
And again, BC were happy with this method.
This was all done 18 months ago, so hopefully, regs haven't changed if you decide on this method.