Steel beam in ground

[HåkanAxelsson]

I'm thinking of building a plant/conservatory room and can't cast a foundation, so my question is:
Could one weld a frame in U/I-beam that rests on a sand bed and then lay paving stones around it?
Would the beams rust away?

 

[Immobil]

Eventually they do, largely depending on how coarse the material is for them. A good surface treatment prolongs their life.

 

[HåkanAxelsson]

Quick response

What timeframe are we talking about then?
I think the material thickness will be 4-6 mm
What kind of surface treatment? Anti-corrosion paint?

 

[topmount]

The problem is that the steel expands when it rusts and will explode the concrete, better then with a wooden frame

 

[HåkanAxelsson]

Not planning to have a cast slab but a steel frame with welded angles to the standing posts (wood) and then fill the frame and around it with "loose" paving stones.

The frame would be ~ 8x3.5

 

[topmount]

I would rather lay a frame of stone to which you then attach a beam, this way the entire greenhouse is raised above ground moisture. You will not succeed in rust-proofing a construction in raw iron with welded angles. The beams won't rust away, but the weld seams are worse. Steel and good paint also become easily expensive.

 

[HåkanAxelsson]

Was probably this I wanted to hear - thought it was a bad idea from the start
Will have to be a cast frame then instead

 

[sixten88]

I think it's a good idea if you get the beams at a very good price. However, keep in mind to insulate them as they conduct heat very well. If you take, for example, hea150, they will probably last on the ground for 15-20 years.

 

[roli]

...If you take for example hea150, they will certainly withstand being on the ground for 15-20 years.

That beam will be difficult to get a hold of, as it simply doesn't exist...

 

[sixten88]

That beam will be hard to find, as it simply doesn't exist...

So true, but something like a hea160 or similar.

 

[byron v2]

Would guess that solid steel beams last at least 80 years. Probably longer.

Cast iron pipes for buried sewage often last 70 years plus