RSJ Bolt or Weld

[maax555]

Just a quick query on RSJ. Looking to remove a kitchen wall and replace with RSJ (178 x 102). I will be getting calculations off structural engineer, but just wanted a little additional advice. So the RSJ will be in two parts. One around 2m, with a longer one at around 3m coming from roughly midway of the 2m RSJ. What is the recommended way to join, welding or bolting. I have seen cost for 5m of RSJ is around £200. What would be the cost for this to bolted or welded as mentioned above (roughly). Just trying to get a handle on price to do job. That would be remove 3m wall (with door way under, remove adjoining 1m wall, replace with RSJ cover, plaster and remove all rubbish. I can provide pics id any help. Just a rough estimation would be great.

many thanks

 

[jj4091]

No idea of costs but a friends structural engineer insisted on welded joints on his project.

 

[stevie888]

Each job is different but generally welding is best restricted to the shop with bolted joints used on site. Sometimes there is no realistic way to avoid on site welding but then 'elf & safety rears its head and many BCs will insist on welders who are coded for site work to be used (often hard to find) not to mention the inherent fire risk and the difficulty of getting a decent weld in awkward locations.

We did a design and build several years ago where the client wanted a vaulted ceiling on a T shaped structure with a glazed gable on the outrigger necessitating a steel frame, Sizing the steels for the valleys was OK but any attempt to come up with a bolted joint failed so we simply built the walls. got lengths of the right section and the woodbutchers got their mitre gauges out and we trimmed and test fitted the end until we had enough contact areas to weld the thing in situ. I actually tacked them myself with my old 13A stickwelder as that was safer than trying to prop them up but we had a pro in to do the proper welds.

Interesting that you quote a size before the SE has done his stuff as a 178 seems pretty big for those spans.

I'm reading a T configuration? Easiest by far is for 1 beam to simply sit on top of the other there is then no fabricating and no worries of misalignment.

 

[maax555]

Each job is different but generally welding is best restricted to the shop with bolted joints used on site. Sometimes there is no realistic way to avoid on site welding but then 'elf & safety rears its head and many BCs will insist on welders who are coded for site work to be used (often hard to find) not to mention the inherent fire risk and the difficulty of getting a decent weld in awkward locations.

We did a design and build several years ago where the client wanted a vaulted ceiling on a T shaped structure with a glazed gable on the outrigger necessitating a steel frame, Sizing the steels for the valleys was OK but any attempt to come up with a bolted joint failed so we simply built the walls. got lengths of the right section and the woodbutchers got their mitre gauges out and we trimmed and test fitted the end until we had enough contact areas to weld the thing in situ. I actually tacked them myself with my old 13A stickwelder as that was safer than trying to prop them up but we had a pro in to do the proper welds.

Interesting that you quote a size before the SE has done his stuff as a 178 seems pretty big for those spans.

I'm reading a T configuration? Easiest by far is for 1 beam to simply sit on top of the other there is then no fabricating and no worries of misalignment.

Interesting, yes a T config. Builder estimated that 178 would be max size needed. So the 3m RSJ coming off the middle of the 2m RSJ can sit on top without any kind of fixing or do you means its easier as it can be done on site. I guess this way fixing holes can be drilled through so would be a cheaper option if allowed by the SE?