Load-bearing of brick vault

Österby · 27 Sep 2016 at 9:41 PM

Hello,

I have a brick arch that comes up in the floor.... 😊

Room under renovation with exposed floor joists, buckets, a stool, and a shovel. The walls are partially finished with visible radiator and windows.

What kind of load-bearing capacity can be expected in masonry arches? I have no idea how many layers of bricks have been used, but the current joists have been resting on the arch for 130 years or so.

Is there any clever way to figure out the number of brick layers and thus try to determine some form of load-bearing capacity?

I'm thinking of laying a new floor system but the building height on top of the arch is no more than 5-6 cm. So the question is whether I should simply continue to let the new joists rest on the arch itself.. I don't have many other options really. I'm planning to lay a glued-together wood floor on top of the new joists.

Thx!

Rowah · 27 Sep 2016 at 10:27 PM

To even begin to answer your question, you need the span = wall to wall. The thickness of the brick and the rise = the difference between the highest and lowest point of the arch. https://goo.gl/images/dXLxyx

Österby · 28 Sep 2016 at 7:14 AM

Interesting, I can't access some of the measurements, such as the thickness of the tegel.

Jarlingar · 28 Sep 2016 at 7:17 AM

Looks like some standing bricks, so most likely double brick in the vault.

That's also how it has looked in the dozen buildings I've seen with brick vaults.

Österby · 28 Sep 2016 at 7:20 AM

Ok, thanks. I'm leaning towards it being quite safe if 2-3 beams rest on the valvet.

Stefan1972 · 28 Sep 2016 at 8:42 AM

what is the question really? Do you not think that it will support your new floor if you leave it as it is or what? For heaven's sake, you must not remove any of the old ...

Österby · 28 Sep 2016 at 8:56 AM

What are you talking about? What am I not allowed to remove? Old rotten beams will be replaced with new ones. As I initially wrote, the question is whether I dare to simply let the beams (the new beams) rest on the brick vault, which I'm inclined to do because it feels stable, and the old beams have been there for 130+ years, which suggests that it will hold...

camaro1969 · 28 Sep 2016 at 9:02 AM

I guess the vault holds for 30 tons... AT LEAST!
In other words, you don't need to worry if you don't see that it's broken, or other signs of cracks.

The shape like a bridge/arch is well-tested through millennia.

SBH · 28 Sep 2016 at 9:04 AM

Sad to tear out those beams.

Österby · 28 Sep 2016 at 9:05 AM

Good, thanks, then I don't need to worry about any 100kg in body weight gathering around the dining table... 😊

camaro1969 · 28 Sep 2016 at 9:19 AM

if you tear out all the beams, maybe you can try to place a joist right over the top of the arch, meaning not a beam right in the center but 30 cm out to each side if you use cc60 (cc600 if someone wants to be picky)
then you get a bit more material in the beams if you only had a few cm in the middle..

Österby · 28 Sep 2016 at 9:19 AM

@SBH, yes it hurts to remove old beautiful things, the beams that aren't too decayed maybe I'll leave them in place.

Jarlingar · 28 Sep 2016 at 9:24 AM

You can build a tank workshop on that arch..

Österby · 28 Sep 2016 at 9:34 AM

😁 maybe I'll rethink and make a traktorgarage there instead then...

Stefan1972 · 28 Sep 2016 at 1:25 PM

Österby said:
What are you talking about? What can't I remove? Old rotten beams are replaced with new ones. As I initially wrote, the question is whether I can simply continue to let the beams (the new beams) rest on the brick vault, which I'm inclined to do because it feels stable and the old beams have been there for 130+ years, which suggests it will hold..

Yes, it almost sounded like you intended to remove the old and replace with new just for the sake of it. Some don't like old things at all and want to straighten up and make everything neat, so the old stuff happily goes.