RSJ & Padstone Concern

[rossbardon]

Hi,

I am hoping someone will put my mind at ease.

I have had a load bearing wall removed today (by professionals not myself). The job has been done properly, plans, calculations, building control application etc...

The wall removed was a single skin wall, and the opening is 2m wide. The RSJ required and fitted was a beam 152 x 89 with 220mm load end bearings on 3 course of engineering bricks.

Building control have been today and 'inspected' (if thats what you call it) and have said it all looks fine, but when I inspected the beam tonight I noticed there is a tiny air gap (and by tiny I mean 1 mm maximum) between the beam and the padstones. Now the beam is still acro'ed up, so is this normal? Or should the padstone be uptight against the beam already? Obviously my concern is when the arco's are taken out in 48 hours the beam level will drop 1mm, and this will cause structural damage to the house?

I should add that the beam is fitted up against the timber joist (which may has some flex?) as this is a 1930's house and the wall upstairs is offset from the load bearing wall downstairs.

 

[geraint]

that air gap is there for expansion......

saves your wall cracking...

 

[rossbardon]

Expansion of what? The drying mortor?

So when they drop the acro's Wednesday the whole house won't fall down on me?

 

[geraint]

Expansion of what? The drying mortor?

So when they drop the acro's Wednesday the whole house won't fall down on me?

no....

it will fall down on the person releasing the acrows...

so no need to worry....

 

[xr4x4]

I dont know how building control can say somethings ok when it's not finished...!!!!!

Normally slate is used to pack in the gaps.

The rsj should be tight.

 

[geraint]

I dont know how building control can say somethings ok when it's not finished...!!!!!

Normally slate is used to pack in the gaps.

The rsj should be tight.

building control have only checked the calcs...most would not even recognise the size of the steel... let alone the bearing etc. ....

 

[rossbardon]

Building control want to see the RSJ before it is boarded up, i.e. the steel is in place with the pad stones, which is the stage that it is at now.

To be honest I was shocked at the amateur approach of building control. One look, from the floor level, "yeah that looks ok". Then off they go. The whole cost of the process is £400 for building control and it appears you get very little for that money.

But most importantly now, it is not correct that there is currently a tiny gap between the acro'ed RSJ and the setting pad stones? & I need to raise this with the builder before those acro's come down I guess.

I am still suspect it has something to do with deflection of the timber joist which is on the top of the wall (because I have an offset load bearing wall upstairs). But what do I know!

 

[geraint]

Building control want to see the RSJ before it is boarded up, i.e. the steel is in place with the pad stones, which is the stage that it is at now.

To be honest I was shocked at the amateur approach of building control. One look, from the floor level, "yeah that looks ok". Then off they go. The whole cost of the process is £400 for building control and it appears you get very little for that money.

But most importantly now, it is not correct that there is currently a tiny gap between the acro'ed RSJ and the setting pad stones? & I need to raise this with the builder before those acro's come down I guess.

I am still suspect it has something to do with deflection of the timber joist which is on the top of the wall (because I have an offset load bearing wall upstairs). But what do I know!

EXACTLY.........

 

[geraint]

Building control want to see the RSJ before it is boarded up, i.e. the steel is in place with the pad stones, which is the stage that it is at now.

To be honest I was shocked at the amateur approach of building control. One look, from the floor level, "yeah that looks ok". Then off they go. The whole cost of the process is £400 for building control and it appears you get very little for that money.

But most importantly now, it is not correct that there is currently a tiny gap between the acro'ed RSJ and the setting pad stones? & I need to raise this with the builder before those acro's come down I guess.

I am still suspect it has something to do with deflection of the timber joist which is on the top of the wall (because I have an offset load bearing wall upstairs). But what do I know!

and to deflect that size beam over 2 metres.....

 

[noseall]

Building control are not arbiters of quality.

Their remit extends as far as to establish the correct steel size, the end bearings and the padstones.

Their eyes may have wandered as far down as the brickwork beneath and that is about it.

A 1mm drop is not going to make any difference at all. Besides, how do you know the builders are not going to insert a shim?

 

[b1llt]

lol