beam calculation = rsj

[roygbiv86]

i have been in my victorian semi for 30 years. the previous owners removed the original stove and chimney breast from the kitchen to open it up to include the scullery (total span 3.9m). the chimney was removed throughout the 3 storey house. on first floor above where stove and chimney were is a brick wall between bathroom and office(3m long brick 3m high) this rests on two mated 8" x 2" timber joists. the brick wall supports a small showeroom above in the loft space (converted during the 1940s). on the first floor the brick wall mates onto a stud partition at right angles that forms a corridor to the bathroom. its been like that since i moved in and has not moved to the best of my knowledge. are the two wooden joists strong enough? if not what sort of rsj would i be looking at 6" x 6" x 4m span????
any help with a ball park figure purely for information would be useful. yes i do plan eventually to get a structural engineer to look at it but money tight at the moment. also how much typically would i pay a builder to install rsj? thanks for any help
dave

 

[noseall]

probably get away with a 7"x 4" r.s.j.

2 men, 2 days................£500. min.

materials.......................£250 ish. min.


even with your descriptions, a site visit is the only way a tradesman can familiarize himself with the logistics, materials and amount of labour costs, to compete such a job.

 

[roygbiv86]

i am getting a structural engineer to look at it and do the calculations for me this coming week. i was hoping to not exceed 7" so that i can leave pipework as is. if a 7" will not do is it at all possible that two 7" rsj bolted together will do?
also at one end it goes over internal load bearing single brick wall. on outside wall (solid double brick) will i need to get builder to create support pad of 6"??

thanks for any more advice - i am hoping to be forarmed with ideas before structural engineer visits. how accurate are there calculations on girder size typically?

thanks for any help

 

[Deluks]

i am getting a structural engineer to look at it and do the calculations for me this coming week. i was hoping to not exceed 7" so that i can leave pipework as is. if a 7" will not do is it at all possible that two 7" rsj bolted together will do?
also at one end it goes over internal load bearing single brick wall. on outside wall (solid double brick) will i need to get builder to create support pad of 6"??

thanks for any more advice - i am hoping to be forarmed with ideas before structural engineer visits. how accurate are there calculations on girder size typically?

thanks for any help

They like to overspec slightly to cover their arses. You might have to insist he works it out to the nearest, erm, whatever it is they work it out to.