Bricks under steel - is it safe?

[MrSmith100]

Hello all - I'm getting a kitchen extension done by a builder and was looking at the packing under the steels. See attached pictures. These bricks/blocks sit on a pad foundation of 1m and will be encased in concrete and then bolts drilled in.

It seems to me that the bricks/blocks could potentially crumble under load and that the pad should have been higher. I know some packing is common but this looks excessive and I'm concerned over time could lead to some sort of movement as the bricks crumble.

Any thoughts or advice most welcome.

thanks

 

[Lower]

Have you asked if those blocks are temporary?

 

[MrSmith100]

I thought they might be temporary over the weekend and asked that this morning and was told that they would stay and be covered in concrete.
thanks

 

[^woody^]

I thought they might be temporary over the weekend and asked that this morning and was told that they would stay and be covered in concrete.
thanks

In which case, that column will be temporary!

Its not just the vertical load, but the bolts to stop it rocking. There is no way he can get a proper fixing with that bodge.

 

[Mottie]

He must be winding you up? Surely he's going to fill that trench with concrete to the height of the bricks (having first removed the bricks) and bolt to it?

 

[MrSmith100]

Thanks Woody. My concern exactly. Although he is saying that the entire hole will now be filled with concrete all around the bricks along with the bolts up to the level of bottom of the vertical steel.

Still doesn't seem right to me.

 

[Mottie]

Still doesn't seem right to me.

It’s not. Don’t let him do it.

 

[^woody^]

You must surely have an engineer's detail for that, and the builder must have priced for building in accordance with the details provided to him. So the simple thing would be to say "Build it as instructed".

 

[MrSmith100]

Fair point about the engineer details. I only have the plans as supplied by the architect and they just say "foundations built to engineers design" and are held by the design/build company we are using. I will add this to the query I have with them on this whole issue.
thanks for the feedback.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Tell him you will take a picture and send it to building control to ask their advice..........

See how quickly he sorts it out.

Andy

 

[Notch7]

Hello all - I'm getting a kitchen extension done by a builder and was looking at the packing under the steels. See attached pictures. These bricks/blocks sit on a pad foundation of 1m and will be encased in concrete and then bolts drilled in.

It seems to me that the bricks/blocks could potentially crumble under load and that the pad should have been higher. I know some packing is common but this looks excessive and I'm concerned over time could lead to some sort of movement as the bricks crumble.

Any thoughts or advice most welcome.

thanks

The builder has made a c@ckup

pad or steel column is wrong

laying concrete on top of the already cast pad wont be acceptable -that means there is a day joint. Its common for a steel to be bolted or cast in the concrete pad for lateral stability. Addong concrete on top wont allow that.

you need to see the engineers design and compare it to that.

 

[tony1851]

Totally wrong. For one thing, blocks laid flat only have 50% of the compressive strength of the blocks laid upright.
Apart from that, the concrete to be poured around the base will have no supporting effect whatsoever; the column will continue to be supported by the blocks alone until such time as it will gradually punch through the base.
Those pics show what must win the competition for c***up of the year.

 

[MrSmith100]

Thank you gents for the feedback and advice. When I went back to site the blocks and bottom of steels had been concreted over. However, I had my photos and the building/design main contractor has asked the sub contracted builder to break it out for building control and engineer sign off. One unhappy builder but I need that sign off by the engineer
thanks again.

 

[Mottie]

Well done. I’d be interested in hearing what the main contractor instructs the subbie to do. Keep us informed.

 

[Notch7]

One unhappy builder

one stupid builder

fancy taking such a short cut

Its obvious what happened: steel gets to site, builders puts it in place...."oh bolox lads, somefink is wrong, how can we get away with this"

Lucky you took pics whilst it was exposed.