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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    3

    Question Fitting/packing steel beams- please help.

    Greetings all.

    I'm not sure it comes under the heading of "woodworkforum", but you guys seem to have your head around all things building, so here goes:

    Construction type; Double brick, tiled roof, single storey, about 60 years old.

    I'm joining my back window and back door, and putting in a bifold door. The gap will be spanned with 200PFC with flat plate welded to top and bottom for the brickwork(Beam weight; 192Kg). It will bear 230 at either end, and sit across both leaves of the wall. (The internal leaf is the load bearing wall and will have 4 original courses of brick above the beam. The outer leaf is not load bearing and will have 2.5 original courses above beam).

    All advise is most appreciated;

    A; Because the courses of the inner and outer leaves do not line up horizontally, what can I use to get them level to hold the beam (split half bricks with mortar/ steel packers)?

    B; The reason they were originally adjusted to not be level, is so the window pushes out against the outer brick, and was plastered in on the inside; Should my new beam sit at the level dictated by the courses of brick in the outer leaf, or the inner leaf?

    C; What can I use to pack the small gap that will be left between the top of my new beam and the bottom of my original bricks, and also under the ends of the beam (remember it is 192Kg of beam plus house). I was thinking that "No More Nails" stuff dries pretty hard, but some of you guys may cringe??

    Thanks in advance for your advise.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Seven Hills, NSW
    Posts
    159

    Default

    You want it to bear on the load bearing wall.

    I would use mortar pads top and bottom.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Adelaide South Australia
    Posts
    76

    Default

    Strange. In my
    experience
    the external leaf of a double brick wall is the load bearing one.

    If the external is face brick and the internal is plastered then for looks I would try to have full brick courses on the outside and pack the steel lintel with a mortar bed to suit.

    Some pictures of where it is going would help.
    Don't force it, use a bigger hammer.

    Timber is what you use. Wood is what you burn.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Victoria
    Posts
    412

    Default

    You need to use small steel packers to get the right height, and once it has been secured, grout underneath with structural grout.

    Tools

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Sydney
    Posts
    3

    Thumbs up Thank You All

    Guys,
    Thank you all very much for your help.
    I have held it in position with acrows, and packed in a few small steel packers for longer term insurance. I then used structural grout to pack in under it. The grout is brilliant, I would use that again.
    My house is still where it was a week ago, so I must have got it right.
    It's great to have the benefit of your advise; THANKS again to you all.
    (BTW, it is the internal leaf that is structural).

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