Garage Loft/Storage

[bigc]

Hi all,

I want to build a loft/storage area in my garage. One side of the garage is double brick and the other side is single brick with columns 1600 apart. The width of the garage is 5100. I was looking at using 300-360 deep I-joists such as hyjoist at 600c with red tounge flooring.

I would prefer to have shallower joists by using some c section or similar. A lot of suppliers seem to have stopped using span tables. Is their an easy way do determine spans of state limit capacity tables. Smorgon has one for their lightsteelbeams (lsb) however they charge approx $33/m for the 200 deep beam.

Any ideas or an easy to follow formula for the capacity tables?

What would you use and how would you connect the ledger/bearers to the brick walls and could the joists be connected to the sides of the ledger/bearers or would they be better on top?

[journeyman Mick]

Welcome, BigC (any relation to SilentC? )
The following advice is worth every cent you pay for it.

............Any ideas or an easy to follow formula for the capacity tables?.........

Easy formula to follow:
a)Is it structural?
b)Could it affect the integrity of the rest of the structure?
c)Could it's failure cause injury or worse to occupants/bystanders?
If you answered "no" to all the above questions then go ahead and do what you like, and/or listen to any advice you may get here.
If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions then go to question "d"
d)Are you a structural engineer with professional indemnity insurance?
"Yes" = go ahead and work it out.
"No" = pay one to do it for you.

................What would you use and how would you connect the ledger/bearers to the brick walls and could the joists be connected to the sides of the ledger/bearers or would they be better on top?

I'd be looking at "C" purlins, bolted to the brickwork/piers with chemical anchors and the joists attached to them in the same plane, with brackets. But I'd run this all past the engineer first. Alternatively the timber "I" beams probably sitting on a steel angle or channel bolted to the brickwork. The suppliers may be able to give you some "rule of thumb" spans so that you can work out your most economical option before you go to the engineer.

Mick

[bigc]

Journeyman Mick,

Good advice on something I had been on the verge of doing and you have likely pushed me over the edge into consulting one.

The good old days of heading of to the steelyard and chucking a few numbers around with a consenus once three of you went yep are fairly well gone I suppose. Maybe for the better although I'm sure I always over engineered.

[OBBob]

Hi BigC ... I agree with above, it actually doesn't cost very much to have an engineer approve your design and if you have to get council approval they would probably require it anyway.

Something that helped me was the Hyspan Software, which will calculate the beams you require etc. You can get it at http://www.timberbuilt.com.au/softwa...nit/index.html then run your designb past the engineer who will check the calcs.

Hope it helps.