Pier Stress Calculations Required?

[Mary Hinge]

Hi,

We are about to take down a wall that divides a kitchen and a breakfast room, and have got builders lined up etc. I've had a look and the joists above the rooms are actually continuous and not joined above the wall that is coming out. However the total span is 7 metres, so obviously we are going to need to put in a steel where the wall used to be. This is an Edwardian house, and the wall that is coming out does not support anything other that the joists above (the interesting thing is the adjacent room has a clear span of 6 meters that is not supported in any way!)

One end of the steel will be on a 12" external wall, the other on a 4" internal so the internal side will need a pier for sure.

Anyway the builder has someone with the software to do the proper beam and padstone calcs, and print them out for the building control people etc. He has however warned me that depending on the council surveyor, they may want to see "pier stress calculations" which he won't have, in which case it could delay everything while we get them sorted using a structural engineer (at my expense).

The builder put me in touch with a firm that can handle all the building reg parts on behalf of the council, and if necessary do the beam, padstone and pier stress calcs. The downside is this will cost me =A3600 vs =A3100 of just going via the council and hoping they don't want pier stress calcs. Obviously I would like to save =A3500 if possible :o)

Can anyone tell me what pier stress calcs are, and what the chances are of the council person wanting to see some?

Cheers,

MH

[dg]

I have never had to do any calcs for piers in similar domestic work. As long as the pier and any concrete pad foundation is properly specified, then it should be OK.

Even so, if you went for the =A3100 option, a separate calcualtion for the pier should be much less than =A3500.

Do you actually need a pier though?

dg

[Mary Hinge]

Thanks for the reply :o)

I think it's safe to assume that we will, the internal wall is only a single brick thick, and the Edwardian construction means that there is very little in the way of foundations, plus more mortar than brick in some areas!

Admittedly you *might* get away without a pier on that side, neighbours up the road with almost the same house as ours simply had the steel sitting on a lintel set into the internal wall. However this also means disruption to the other side of the internal wall, which I am keen to avoid if possible. Also not sure if the neighbours work went through building regs anyway.

Cheers,

MH