Box frame encased in concrete.

[Liko]

Hi

Seeking some advice. Had a box frame steel beam put in for a new extension.

A trench was dug for the bottom beam.
The top beam was lifted higher into the floorboards to create more head room.

The base beam has been filled with concrete.

There is no way 100mm of concrete can fill the top of the beam to create an encasement.
Also doesn’t appear to be any wire mesh.

Do I need to call building control to check ?

The structural engineer plans suggest the base beam should be encased with 100mm concrete with a wire mesh.

Any advice.

Thank you.

 

[John D v2.0]

Call the se, explain what's been done, if it doesn't meet the spec and isn't acceptable then ask the builder to redo it properly

 

[^woody^]

Call the builders and tell them "What's the f'king point of having a f'king specification of you are not going to f'king build the f'king thing properly."

Alternatively, explain what the hell is going on with this "steel frame beam, bottom beam, top beam, filling the top of the beam, encasing the beam" contraption, because I'm non the wiser.

 

[Liko]

Call the se, explain what's been done, if it doesn't meet the spec and isn't acceptable then ask the builder to redo it properly

Do I need a revised plan, so that we are covered if there are any structural faults.

 

[John D v2.0]

What kind of cover are you after? Just get the SE to write it down so that everyone is clear what is being accepted.

 

[^woody^]

Have you got a photo or a diagram to show us what's going on there?

I'm not clear what you are describing, as some beams require concrete for strength and other may just require it for protection.

 

[Liko]

Structural engineer plans note

Provide305x305x97UC bottom beam to box frame, laid along existing rear wall, below ground floor level.

Bottom beam to be wrapped in D49 wrapping mesh & encased in 100mm concrete surround.


The ground beam is down to the existing foundations so it’s not supported on brickwork it’s on solid concrete,
If it is wrapped it in concrete it would be over the original floor level,

Building control have no concern about wrapping it in mesh as it has been mass concreted it in.

 

[John D v2.0]

Did the builder put any mesh at all? It does look like they misunderstood the wrapped and encased bit thought it meant 100mm of concrete top to bottom rather then all around. I'm wondering if there is some mesh hidden in there somewhere.
Either way it certainly doesn't meet the spec so the builder and se need to input to work out what was done and what needs doing if anything next.

 

[John D v2.0]

Ps we had all sorts of trouble with things not getting built right, some were ok, dsom were not really as good but should be ok, and some had to be redone properly. Luckily the architect was able to talk the right language and focus on the biggest issues.

 

[^woody^]

Beams within the ground tend to be required to have concrete encasement to protect against rusting, rather than for strength. But this is one for the person who specified it to answer.

Seriously though, I would be having words with the builder as to why it's not done exactly as specified. With building, lots of things can be "near enough" and still be acceptable, but the structural engineering design is not one of these.

As an aside, that's an unusually massive beam. What is this frame supporting and how wide is the opening?

 

[Liko]

Length is 7.15 m

Think the beams were pushed up into the floor boards.

Stanchions were not measured on site but by the plans.

They were trying to do us a favour by pushing the top beam up.
But didn’t account for longer stanchions.

 

[noseall]

Stanchions were not measured on site but by the plans

Massive WTF!