STEEL OR WOOD ? NEW DORMER ROOF RIDGE BEAM & RAFTERS

[Nicetoseeyoutoseeyounice]

I am making this enquiry on behalf of a friend.
SUMMARY
Currently dormer house with 3 beds & bath upstairs.
New dormer windows to be fitted to front only to allow full ceiling height and altering the complete pitch of the roof.
The plans are for steel ridge beam and rafters but my friend want to know why do these have to be steel, hugely expensive, the existing ridge beam is wood, can this not be replaced with new wood beam?

 

[wrightwoodwork]

It doesn't it could be something like a glulam beam can't say what the price difference would be, but contact TRADA they will be able to point you in right direction and as long as it meets eurocode 5 for timber structure then it can be used. It's just most engineers in this country are only trained in steel and concrete so do not understand timber engineering. Glulam beams can be designed to have clear spans of over 150m

 

[tony1851]

the existing ridge beam is wood, can this not be replaced with new wood beam?[/u]

Is it in fact a ridge beam or just a ridge board?
There is a crucial difference.

 

[Nicetoseeyoutoseeyounice]

This is actually a ridge beam, the one at the very peak of the roof. This can come in one huge section, lifted with crane, or 2 sections and joined, does anyone know the name of the box things that join these 2 pieced together.