RSJ siting problem

[Edd1056]

Hi - I am in the proces of buying a house and have come across a problem
The sitting room is 4m x 3.7m (width 3.7)
There is a wood been running across the ceiling which is resting ontop of some homemade cupboards. My intention was to remove these cupboards but we have found out (when we went to look around the house) the end of the cupboard is brick - rather confusing why someone would build a 3ft long brick wall at the end of a wardrobe so We got a builder out who said that the wood beam is a struftural support beam for the ceiling and the wall is keeping the beam up and which inturn is supporting the ceiling/floor joists. The wood beam is about 3.2m with .2m resting on the wall - the wall is about 3ft

When we looked under the flooring above the brick wall we could see the joists were notched around the wood beam and the wood beam rested on the brick wall.

The builder said if the wall was to be removed we would need an RSJ to span the 3.7m - ok I am happy with that - a faff but I understand the need for the structual support beam once the wall is out as the wood beam would just collapse.

My question is how on earth do they get a beam in through the window then turned around when the room is 4m and the width is 3.7m? my first guess is that its not possible hence why there is only a 3.2m support beam and the reason for the stupid 3ft brick wall in the sitting room.

Further dimentions (approx)

Room 4m x 3,7m
Brick wall about 1m long
Distance of brick wall from window about 1.5m

Presume the RSj comes through the window - but then how would it be turned?

Any info apprecaited.

 

[^woody^]

You tend to find that room diagonals are longer than its width

Or cut the beam in half

 

[rssteve]

I think he means the beam will be longer than the 2 supporting walls. I guess you would knock through one wall to slide in, then slide back into the other wall. Or as above get the beam supplied in 2 pieces.

 

[^woody^]

I think he means the beam will be longer than the 2 supporting walls

Yes that can be a pain, but engineers have to allow for gravity.

 

[tomfe]

I think it must just be magic, either that or they make one hole deep enough to get two times the bearing into.

 

[Edd1056]

thanks - I just presumbed it had to be one huge piece

 

[cjard]

As others have noted, you either bring a beam in on an angle, insert one end to e,g, 500mm then drag it back so that it sits on 250 each end (for where a wooden beam cannot be cut) or have it made in sections and bolted together (common with steel)

You could also bash a hole in the wall at one end and feed it in; you're going to be smashing a large amount of the rest of the surrounding area up, so there's no need to focus on bringing anything through an existing opening when the trades (plasterer etc) to make good again will be on site anyway