Bedding steel beams onto masonry

[Peter500]

I need to install a steal beam for a large garage opening (approx. 5.2m span). The brickwork is single skin (215mm wide) and the beam will have a shelfplate. In the general notes from the SE docs it says that the beams should be "bedded onto a dry/level mortar bed".

I've never seen a beam on a mortar bed, but as my bricks are banana shaped, I think it would be a disaster if the was no bed of mortar as there would only be a few tiny points of contact. I'm wondering how this bed is done. Is it a dry mix (i.e. minimal water so that it doesn't crumble) and then is it like screeding a thin (1mm) bed over the bricks before placing the steel on it?

 

[blup]

Build up in new brick plus padstone and mortar on top, like this guy

Blup

 

[Peter500]

I don't want a padstone as it'll look awful on the outside

 

[blup]

If its a single skin but 215mm overall width, maybe some space to clad with brick or your chosen finish.

Blup

 

[Peter500]

If its a single skin but 215mm overall width, maybe some space to clad with brick or your chosen finish.

Blup

I really want to do what is in the SE design, partly because I've already built everything up to the steel height. I don't want to knock it all down and start again. It's flush with the existing house, so cladding would make it stick out

 

[blup]

The mix shouldn't be too dry, you have to be able to trowel and bed it, so as thick as will take out the curve in the brick, and offer a flat mortar bed for the lintel.

Blup