RSJ Help needed

[wacomuk]

I am in the proses of buying a 1950's bungalow which needs total renovation. We want to change the layout completely as its not been thought out well (dark corridors etc)
We also want to create storage space in the loft
We need to remove all the walls, 2 of which support the purlings.
The purlings are timber 9x3's
The span from gable to gable is 8.2 meters. could i replace the old 9x3 purlings with 1 4x12 RSJ ?
The bungalow is a corner plot so there is plenty of space to feed the RSJ in to the roof space

we know building control will need calculations but i just want to know if this sounds possible before we spend money on a engineer

 

[DSA]

Possibly yes, possibly no. I assume you mean 9x3 and 4x12 inches. Units are essential and not something that can be avoided!

Why not employ an Engineer to size up the steelwork appropriately - something will almost certainly be possible. I don't see the point of this question.

 

[wacomuk]

I assume you mean 9x3 and 4x12 inches.

I don't see the point of this question.

you assume right. i am sure the roof would have caved in long ago with 90mm by 30mm purlings

the point of this question was for me to gain some info from people who are more experienced with roofs than me. i don't want to waste my time and money paying an engineer to come out to tell me flat no that wont work

 

[^woody^]

You don't pay for an engineer to tell you that it won't work. You pay for him to design something that will.

Any loft conversion is possible

 

[wacomuk]

i think i have come to wrong place for help
Thanks anyway

 

[^woody^]

No you haven't, but what you may not realise is that to design a beam, you have to provide a lot more information, and then someone has to spend an hour or so calculating the beam to check if it will do its job.

If you were expecting someone to just say "yes the beam will do" or "no it won't do" then you have expected too much, and you would be unwise to act on such a reply from a forum

 

[wacomuk]

i just want to know if this sounds possible before we spend money on a engineer

this is what i was after knowing.

i just wanted to know if one RSJ with no supporting walls was plausible
i thought someone on here may have done something similar and could tell me yes or defiantly no. If it was a defiant no then i could re-gig the plans to incorporate a supporting wall or column

 

[Shytalkz]

Hi

I'm an SE and you're asking a lot to get a sensibly sized (and weight of)beam in a domestic environment to span 8 odd metres; the exact solution that would be given to you by the SE depends, among other things, on spans, layout that you want upstairs and down, availability of load-bearing positions, headroom restrictions and so forth.

 

[wacomuk]

thanks for the info, i thought it might have been asking alot maybe a re-think of the layout is in order

 

[Shytalkz]

...and then someone has to spend an hour or so calculating the beam to check if it will do its job...