Cem77: Thank you for your response. Can that beam withstand all outward force according to the arrow in the image? The wall will be 3.5 meters high up to the upper wall plate (read length of lever arm), and the loft opening is 6.5 meters long. How do you solve the notches that need to be made in the sill and wall plate?
 
  • Graphic showing a structural beam in a wooden frame wall, with a red arrow indicating outward force direction. Met rafter and sill plate highlighted in green.
Robert141 said:
Cem77: Thanks for your response. Can that beam take all the outward force according to the arrow in the image? The wall will be 3.5 meters high up to the upper plate (read as length of the lever arm), and the loft opening is 6.5 meters long. How do you solve the notches that need to be made in the sill and upper plate?
We probably need to ask someone else for help with calculating the appropriate dimensions :D First, we need to know the lateral load that might need to be handled. Then it's just a matter of calculating it as a beam rigidly fixed at the lower end with a point load 3.5 meters up. Maybe it might be appropriate to use two beams instead of one to be able to reduce the dimensions?

I would solve the notches by simply cutting the sill on each side of the beam and attaching it to welded-on ears on the beam. A bunch of screws should pull it all together quite stiffly? If you use two beams, you could also weld a beam or hang a glulam beam between the posts to make it even more stable?

The problem is that the wall on the other side also needs corresponding rigidity to stay in place? It also stands freely and must take the roof's load. Therefore, it should be easiest to make the entire construction from bolted beams where the trusses at the opening are made of metal? Then the construction would be like any larger warehouse or machinery hall and quite easy for a structural engineer to calculate.

Can't you request the building permit drawings from the municipality for the house in the picture to see how the construction is solved? :) Maybe a sneaky way, but what wouldn't you do as a DIYer to solve a problem :).
 
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Good idea, I'll check with building permits :)
It's true that the other side also needs a similar solution since it is practically weakened due to the loft opening. Ideally, I want to find a good solution that doesn't give me problems with transporting heavy material to the island. Metal beams are not really optimal from that point of view. But I appreciate your thoughts and I am constantly learning about the forces acting from the roof.

Another solution could be to place flat steel or steel bands diagonally over the wooden beams, especially on the gables from the ridge beam of the long wall down to the sill. Does anyone have experience with this?
 
Hi!
I'm now in the same situation that Robert141 was in almost 6 years ago.
The house I'm designing is 12.3m x 7.5m with a loft at one end covering about one-third of the area.
Open floor plan with an open space up to the ridge throughout the house. What connects the house on the long sides is at the loft, but the rest of the walls.
Is it possible to solve? How did it go for Robert141, or has anyone else faced similar challenges?
Any tips?
 
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