Steel Support I Beam Wrong Way?

[Croboy]

We have an extension above garage and steel beam looks like this. Is this sometimes the case?

 

[^woody^]

No never the case. Well except this case.

 

[frutbunn]

No, only came across this once before and in spite of the calculations and very extensive engineers detail the owner/diyer couldn't be convinced it made any difference as it was still the same size steel beam, I changed jobs two days later and after much abuse I passed it over to one of my colleagues to follow up.
It should also be fire protected if it is supporting a floor above.
Its not just been put in place to use with a hoist by any chance, I have 3 steel beams in my garage just for using a block and tackle for lifting engines/body tubs etc.?

 

[Croboy]

Hmm im not sure to be honest. Does seem strange but i dont know how else the extension is supported. Its been there 20+ years but the surveyor noticed it. Not sure if it needs to be swapped round ‍

 

[tony1851]

I do them like that all the time; why bother about it.....?

 

[^woody^]

After 20 years, it can probably be left.

The only thing similar ive worked on is on a massive cold store warehouse where we were building partitions between steel frames and beams were on edge and used as channel guides for the walls top and bottom. But each beam had a wall below it.

It looks look its been placed like that to follow the rafter/joist underside. What's above it?

 

[Croboy]

A bedroom

 

[Tigercubrider]

Lifting beams are normally I beams not H beams because the lifting gear frequently used the beam as a rail for a dolly. Or the hoist is attached on dogs, meaning the greater the load, the tighter the grips

 

[^woody^]

A bedroom

No above the beam, whsts the beam supporting?

 

[frutbunn]

Lifting beams are normally I beams not H beams because the lifting gear frequently used the beam as a rail for a dolly. Or the hoist is attached on dogs, meaning the greater the load, the tighter the grips

Thats how I've got mine set up, runs the full length of the garage, you can lift the front of a TR7 of the deck with it and a full Morris Minor shell. But I've seen some laid the other way, but they just put a chain around the steel and hooked the block and tackle on it.

 

[tony1851]

No above the beam, whsts the beam supporting?

Maybe it's supporting the outer skin of a first-floor set-back wall, and the builder thought it would be safer using the upturned beam as a channel to seat the brickwork in?
Would be interesting to know the reason as it's so unusual.