Trouble with council over my structural calcs!

[tony1851]

You misunderstand the purpose of limiting the widths of openings in a wall, which is to maintain lateral stability.

The post at H will contribute nothing to lateral stability, so that openings F and I really need to be considered as one.
It's too early in the morning for me to do the maths, but I would guess that the combined width of all the three openings exceeds the maximum 2/3 proportion.

The fact that your SE says that the post is only taking 15% of its maximum load shows that he doesn't understand either.

 

[^woody^]

I can't understand what's going on here. Surely the concept is that the SE designs a [practical/cost effective] solution and the client does not do all the work or even worry about it?

 

[kcseb]

I can't understand what's going on here. Surely the concept is that the SE designs a [practical/cost effective] solution and the client does not do all the work or even worry about it?

I agree: anyway the calcs justifying lateral stability went to the Council and hooray, they have signed them off! They're happy now