Foundation pads after steels

[VictorianModern]

Hi all

I'm having an extension built and knocking through the back wall. My builder has put two vertical steels and one horizontal steel to hold up the top floor of the house - a goalpost if you like

My question

in the structural engineers drawings, it states the the two vertical columns should be on a 1m2 concrete pad each.

But my builder has put them on the original house foundation that’s only 300mm wide and around 300mm deep.
Currently the column sits on a steel plate that my builder has put on top of the original foundation.

I went out there earlier and I can physically get my hand underneath about 80mm of the steel post, where it isn’t fully on the original foundation

This concerned me, as it’s holding the house up. But My builder assures me it’s fine and says he will pour concrete around it after, once he’s ripped the current floor up

Does that sound ok? And is that possible?

 

[Deleted member 281264]

Take some photos

 

[John D v2.0]

I doubt it, when we had ours done the SE came to inspect and found no real foundation so he specified a 1m deep pad 600x600 or so.
I know a lot of it is belt and braces at someone else's cost, but it's not something you want to skimp on.

 

[VictorianModern]

Take some photos

See below.

 

[VictorianModern]

There you go. Photos from below floor, one above. These steels - along with several acrows are current holding the entire house up.

 

[robinbanks]

I know a lot of it is belt and braces at someone else's cost

And if you want to rely on their insurance when it falls down, you need to have built it to the drawings they drew..

No point hiring an SE if the builder is going to play at it with his intuition

 

[Dereekoo]

House load will never be transferred to underlying ground by just putting some mass concrete around/on top of the existing foundation, refer back to the SE or expect future settlement/cracks

 

[VictorianModern]

So to be clear, in your guys opinions. It is not possible to retrospectively put a concrete pad underneath an already erected steel column?

I will of course now speak to my SE and maybe the BI. As builder told me he has signed it off.

 

[Dereekoo]

So to be clear, in your guys opinions. It is not possible to retrospectively put a concrete pad underneath an already erected steel column?

I will of course now speak to my SE and maybe the BI. As builder told me he has signed it off.

Anything can be done, just like they stabilised the foundation under the Leaning Tower of Pisa but not without some extensive temporary works to support the steels as they excavate for the new foundation. If the BC has signed it off then since they have eyes on the ground and know what loads are involved then things may not be as bad as it looks.

 

[VictorianModern]

In all fairness he told me the BI had approved it. But the steels only went in 5 days ago and the BI last visited 10 days ago. So unless he pre approved his method - I’m not sure how to interpret that.

 

[Dereekoo]

In all fairness he told me the BI had approved it. But the steels only went in 5 days ago and the BI last visited 10 days ago. So unless he pre approved his method - I’m not sure how to interpret that.

He may have decided that current foundations were adequate but then he would be taking on design responsibility, best ask him the question

 

[John D v2.0]

And if you want to rely on their insurance when it falls down, you need to have built it to the drawings they drew..

No point hiring an SE if the builder is going to play at it with his intuition

In all fairness he told me the BI had approved it. But the steels only went in 5 days ago and the BI last visited 10 days ago. So unless he pre approved his method - I’m not sure how to interpret that.

I think hearsay from the builder about the building inspector - even if you heard it directly from the building inspector, you would be wise to listen to robin's point above.

 

[VictorianModern]

Spoke to my builder again tonight and he genuinely looked at me like I was crazy. He assured me that it would be correct when he's finished. He explained he had to doit this way, because he has to remove the existing internal floor.

He invited both the SE and BI to check it to reassure me. He also added trgart the BI would have to sign it off anyway.

He honestly thinks i'm mad, he is a very established builder in our area!

Thoughts?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Seems like he's got the noseall builder astonished 'how dare you' look down to a T! Get your SE and Bi to inspect.

 

[Dereekoo]

Fine, get the SE and BI to reassure you, issue solved. Don't understand what the internal floor as to do with it as this would need removing whatever he did, also thought he said BI had already signed it off. Keep us informed of eventual outcome