Help techie 'Q' re RSJs and padstones any SE's out there

[n0v1ce]

We have had a few issues with our building contractor and architect technician re a fully width single story extension (6m wide x 2.8 m deep)

1) Technician did not supply structural calculations to building control (BC). He originally specced RSJs at 2no 203x133x30kg UB
2) In absence of calcs builder went ahead and put in larger RSJ 2no 254x146 UB . Is this larger size / weight an issue ? Crack has appeared on floor above extension?
3) Tecnician now supplied calc (retrispectively after they were inserted by building contractor). Calcs are virtually unreadable and no evidence of sign off /certification from a chartered structural engineer and from the little fragment I can decipher relate to the original specs rather than the beams that actually went in???
4) Very confused by all this feel I am swimming in treacle - will BC control be able to sign off calcs with no indication of whether an appropriately qualified person produced them and also confused by the fact that the calc relate to plans and not the actual RSJ inserted by builder??

Help please

no vice novice

 

[wavetrain]

Well I am a novice too, but I have found BCOs to be be very aproachable and if I were you I would telephone him (or her - has anyone come across a female BCO?) this morning and tell him all you have written here and ask him to pop over to the site and see you.

IMO your concern should be to whether your house is being or will be damaged by the work done so far, not if you can get it signed off only for your house to fall down a year later.

 

[Static]

254x146UBs is stronger so no issue there..
As far as calcs go then anyone can do calcs and submit them, SEs tend to come with PI insurance so any mistakes means they wont lose their house and family dog in the law suit.. if the Arch Tech is willing to bet his home on some scrappy calcs thats his loss..

 

[^woody^]

A tip for homeowners ..... I would worry about employing an SE who promotes having PI to cover to any mistakes he will make

Just don't maker the mistaker!

A tip for anyone who wants to design beams and not have PI cover ....... rent your house don't buy

Back OT, I am very interested to know how you can get a crack in the floor above the beam on a single storey extension

 

[Static]

A tip for homeowners ..... I would worry about employing an SE who promotes having PI to cover to any mistakes he will make

Just don't maker the mistaker!

If insurance isnt there for errors im at a loss as to its point.. so your saying only employ designers who dont have insurance as they will never make a mistake.. thats some seriously poor advice..

 

[^woody^]

No what I said was I would worry about employing an SE who promotes having PI to cover any mistakes he will make

ie "its OK, use me as when your house falls down I have insurance cover"

That's no good to the homeowner left with a pile of rubble and a five year legal battle for compensation

It would surely be better not to make the mistake in the first place, and no SE or anyone else should be making any mistakes on domestic work in any case .... or he really is incompetent

Competency and not insurance is the thing to be looking out for when engaging anyone

It was also a tongue-in-cheek post not advice, so be careful to check all the detail to prevent future claims