is a structural engineer absolutely necessary?

[munchingB]

i have a drawing for an extension that complies with all building regulations as demonstrated in the approved document A. i have had my partners brother, who is an architect in poland, do the calculations using british load tables.

so, for a pretty straight forward single storey extension build im hoping that its the building control officer who will be there to oversee the build and see that it adheres to building regulations.

so no need for a structural engineer?

is this right?

cheeers neil

 

[^woody^]

What specifically do you think an engineer will be needed for?

 

[munchingB]

thats exactly what i wanted to hear! )

i keep reading people using a structural engineer to sign off on drawings...but with no specific issue-not like therw was a wide wide opening, load bearing wall removal or steel beam building etc..just standard builds, so i started to get the impression that the building control guy will expect drawings to have passed through another £300+ bill.

hope that makes some sense.

 

[tony1851]

)

i keep reading people using a structural engineer to sign off on drawings..

This is a common misunderstanding; structural engineers don't 'sign off' anything; they just provide the calcs for the council's engineer to check.

If your work is straightforward, Building Control should not be asking for structural calcs.

 

[munchingB]

thanks to you both and thats sort of how i imagined it to be.

as much as i want to keep the red tape to a minimum i dont want to walk head on into it by asking too many questions to people who work for local authority that like to slam your brakes on so that they can triple check everything in a jobsworths manner..
i dont even know if the small calcs that we have are even necessary, just for universal beams over large doorways and windows on a single storey extension, but they are there anyway.

i dont suppose it matters that the drawings have been finished by a polish architect working to british regulations then as long as our small calculations are up to scratch.

thanks for the untangling : )

 

[garyo]

I've produced all of my own drawnings and submitted them to building control. Joists and roof members were all done to current published span tables, doubled up and trimmers as specified, and cavity wall lintels according to Catnic's published advice, over wide windows and patio doors.

BC then asked for calcs on the only two interesting/obvious beams in the construction - one supporting an entire floor and another that may have been supporting a significant chunk of the roof.

Gary

 

[chapeau]

i have had my partners brother, who is an architect in poland, do the calculations using british load tables

I thought these new fangled european tables were OK now? They allow you to use far stronger European steel so the beam can be half the size of a British one and your house still doesn't fall down.