What foundations for beam floor

Question

Hi All,

We've got the builders in, we don't have an architect or project manager ov erseeing the work, and our experience with a lot of this stuff is that we'v e seen it on Grand Designs or 100K House or whatever.

Anyway, to the latest question........

The builder is today building block work walls on which he will res beams, and I think these will have gaps between for blocks to drop into (or the be ams may just be butted up together (which is how a previous extension at th e front of the house appears to have been done)). He is going to leave a v oid underneath the middle of the beams which will be vented via air bricks.

Anyway. a question I said.............

There don't appear to be any footing for the block walls. Is that normal? Allowed("Soil" is heavy clay)?

TIA

Chris

The Natural Philosopher · Accepted Answer

It depends. Its normal to put in a bit of concrete so as to allow for slight bed movement, then the work will be concrete blocks up to damp or thereabouts

What is ctirical is how deep the whole sehbang starts below damp. Usually a meter or so in clay.

Andy Burns · Answer

I'd expect either trench fill or strip foundations for the block work,  with the inner leaf supporting the T beams, any sign of Mr Building  Inspector to give the nod?

John Rumm · Answer

Footings can be made from blocks - so if they have dug down to a solid base level, then arguably that will be ok.

(normally engineering brick or dense concrete blocks would be used for sub ground applications)

cpvh · Answer

Thanks guys.  This isn't filling me with confidence. I will try and give the BCO a call. Cheers Chris

Andy Burns · Answer

Inspection regimes vary around the country, buy you can get a flavour of  the stages from these search results

What foundations for beam floor

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