Using neighbours Steel beam calculations

[Jamespf1]

Hello,

I am wanting to open up my kitchen into my living room. I will require a steel beam and therefor require a calculation and building control to pass it.

my neighbour has done the same project and has the calculations. We have the extract same floor plan up stairs and down stairs. We have the same roof and structurally the same house.

Is it legal to use his steel beam calculation and complete the same work he did. Then follow this up with building control to pass the work?

many thanks

 

[Dereekoo]

Can't see it being not legal but the original SE will not have any professional responsibility for the calculations as his contract/duty of care is between him and your neighbours work

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Won't it have the neighbours address on it? It's safe (from a structural point of view) in principle, assuming the layout is the same but who's responsibility would it be if not? And that's where Building Control will come from. If you doctor the address that is at best highly unethical and I imagine illegal.

I'm not sure you would actually have the copyright on the drawings/design either, the design has been provided by the engineer for use at a particular property, I suspect the homeowners have no right to allow the calcs to be used by anyone else except for that address.

 

[mrrusty]

There are two issues here - you need some sort of justification for BC to demonstrate that the beam is correct. BC just need to be satisfied the structure meets regulation. In my latest project (on a building notice), BC never even asked to see the calcs - it was so normal/straightforward, he'd seen it 100's of times before - just signed it off. Also in my case, the (un-needed) calcs were done with online software checked by my C.Eng MICE son (who didn't have PI for this, but I was more than happy the calcs were correct).

You only need professional insurance if you want to be sure you have someone to blame if the calcs are wrong and cause a problem. If BC are happy, this is unlikely. I would say if it's all straightforward, just use them but don't hide the fact they are calcs from the neighbour for an identical structure. You won't have any come back, but is that actually a risk? Of course, BC might not be pragmatic, and insist you get your own done.