Thread: Another Beam Question

Trying to get my head around this .

So, you're saying that the house roof was cantilevered over the top of the verandah (ie. no support at the verandah extremity) and a stud wall has since been erected on the open sides of the verandah to effectively enclose it as part of the house? I have seen cantilevered roof trusses before, but not often!

The trusses are supported by a beam along the top of the verandah posts.

Does this mean that this then became a load bearing wall when the verandah was built in??

There are several critical questions that need to be answered FIRST before any calculations can be made.

Far too complicated and drawn out to do here in a series of posts.
Please PM me your phone number and I will gladly help you out.

There are some critical issues involved which will dictate the final result.

Got some time to have a measure up today.
The posts are in fact 100X100 - still hardwood! on 2100 centres

Bottoms of posts are 130 above the concrete footings and still sitting in gal. stirrups.

The supporting beam is a 175X65 LVL and is checked 33mm into the posts.
The wall is a load bearing wall. I talked to the bloke next door as he is a builder ( I'd forgotten that)

I put a deck out from the house in this area and one end of the joists is supported on the LVL.

I may be wrong but it looks to me as id 180UB18.1 from One Steel will do the job.

Mate next door said just bolting supports to the existing posts and standing the new beam on those should do the trick.

Originally Posted by artme

Got some time to have a measure up today.
The posts are in fact 100X100 - still hardwood! on 2100 centres

Bottoms of posts are 130 above the concrete footings and still sitting in gal. stirrups.

The supporting beam is a 175X65 LVL and is checked 33mm into the posts.
The wall is a load bearing wall. I talked to the bloke next door as he is a builder ( I'd forgotten that)

I put a deck out from the house in this area and one end of the joists is supported on the LVL.

I may be wrong but it looks to me as id 180UB18.1 from One Steel will do the job.

Mate next door said just bolting supports to the existing posts and standing the new beam on those should do the trick.

Looks like you have your answer

I wont bother ringing you now

If steel is the way you are going it may be easier to use a 180 x 75 PFC (parallel flange channel), that way you have a flat side that you can also bolt directly to your posts.
Secondhand steel sections are often available at demolition places and metal recyclers at much more attractive prices than new steel. Could be worth checking if there is anything in your area.

Thanks aldav!! I was actually thinking second hand.

I have rechecked those One Steel tables and they are for non load bearing wall, so my assumption may be incorrect.

In any case, if I go either way would that be a case of a double beam, as it were?? And if so could the steel
beam be of smaller size?

Would the fact that the steel beam is on the inside of the post, and therefore not directly under the wall, and so
be effectively canter levering the load make any difference?

Cheers, artme.

Assuming I understand the mechanics of what you are trying to do, if you have a look here (http://www.buildwithstandards.com.au...s/ATM/SSIH.pdf) at the section titled "Lintels Supporting Roof and Floor" on page 16 you should find the information you need. I wouldn't be doubling structural steel to achieve the required load bearing capacity. Something that far from the 'norm' would need to be designed by an engineer.

You should also have a look at the fixing information in the later pages of that document. I would not be just bolting the structural steel to the posts as it would not provide adequate bearing on the posts. I don't think you need to be concerned with the offset of the structural steel to the bottom plate of the wall as it should be within acceptable standards. In any case you will be attaching the existing timber beam to the structural steel beam won't you?

Structural changes like this often involve a lot more than initially meets the eye. You may be well advised to contact rwbuild and seek his advice. He did offer after all and he would seem to be a man of considerable experience in these matters . As anyone giving advice here has not actually seen any photos or drawings of what you are working with it would be unwise to proceed unless you are absolutely sure you can achieve the required structural integrity.

Hope this helps.