Structural Engineer needed or standard USB size?

[If in doubt...]

Hi,

Have converted 2 previous more complex garages in own homes and got Structural guy in to do beam calcs and all went through regs no prob.

Now considering my son's house and much more simple in just taking out red highlighted bit approx 5 foot wide, wall is thermalite with minimal loads above.

Will I need to get SI in to do calcs or is there a standard Beam size that could be used for this that regs guy will be happy with? Been a few years since my last one so not sure if they want to see calcs.

Cheers

 

[noseall]

Hi,

Have converted 2 previous more complex garages in own homes and got Structural guy in to do beam calcs and all went through regs no prob.

Now considering my son's house and much more simple in just taking out red highlighted bit approx 5 foot wide, wall is thermalite with minimal loads above.

Will I need to get SI in to do calcs or is there a standard Beam size that could be used for this that regs guy will be happy with? Been a few years since my last one so not sure if they want to see calcs.

Cheers

View attachment 415151View attachment 415152

Use proprietary Catnic type box lintel.

 

[stevie888]

Many Builders' Merchants will advise the size you need for simple cases like this.

 

[If in doubt...]

Thanks all - I was hoping there would be a middle route. I'll go see some merchants in the week.

I've always used USB's but will check out the lintels, makes sense if they are more readily available.

Thank you.

 

[thomp1983]

Catnic will do you a free lintel schedule if you send them the required details

 

[Dereekoo]

Middle route is calculate the load the beam will need to take and then calculate what the bending moment will be and select a suitable sized 2m long UB from https://www.steelforlifebluebook.co.uk/ub/ec3-ukna/buckling-resistance-s355

 

[If in doubt...]

Thanks all. Now I've looked closer I'm wondering just how little load there might be on that wall. Below shows the 1.5m wide opening (green lines) I'm looking to cut out and the red lines shows the run of the plasterboard fixings - so if they are direct in to floor joists up above this could well be a freestanding wall?. Or might they be fixed in to cross battens and therefore the wall is supporting the joists?

I need to get up there and remove a section of the plasterboard to see whats going on but in the meantime if anyone recognises the way this might have been built then any pointers appreciated.

Cheers

 

[^woody^]

Some councils will accept standard UBs in common loading situations without the need for calculation. You need to ask them what their policy is.

In that image, the screws imply that the joists are parallel to the wall, and in the absence of anything else above it, it won't be load bearing.

 

[Dereekoo]

Why not just look in the room above and see how the floor boards/sheets are screwed down?
If the joists do not induce any loading on the wall then all the beam the has to take is the weight of 15 of those blocks plus weight of plaster (assuming its a single skin wall)