Switching load-bearing wall - allowed to modify existing construction drawings?
Hello!
We are about to demolish and replace a load-bearing wall (4 meters on the ground floor of a 1 1/2 story house), and in connection with this, I have a couple of interesting questions.
We have asked an engineer to draft the construction and material, and we have decided to place an HEA 180 beam in the ceiling to support the intermediate floor, and this is placed on 115x115 laminated wood columns that are hidden in the walls on each side. However, the columns are somewhat too wide and will protrude 1-2 cm from the wall on one side, which isn't very aesthetically pleasing.
I spoke with my good friend, who is also a cabinet maker with many years of experience, and he can build laminated wood columns in ash with the dimensions 90x90, a construction that he claims will be at least as strong as 115x115 laminated wood in spruce/pine. Thus, the columns can be completely hidden in the walls.
My question now is how to handle using different columns than what is specified in the plans? Is it okay to make a note on the plans and refer to a new strength calculation (which we will produce based on the new material)?
Thanks for your input!
Lisa
We are about to demolish and replace a load-bearing wall (4 meters on the ground floor of a 1 1/2 story house), and in connection with this, I have a couple of interesting questions.
We have asked an engineer to draft the construction and material, and we have decided to place an HEA 180 beam in the ceiling to support the intermediate floor, and this is placed on 115x115 laminated wood columns that are hidden in the walls on each side. However, the columns are somewhat too wide and will protrude 1-2 cm from the wall on one side, which isn't very aesthetically pleasing.
I spoke with my good friend, who is also a cabinet maker with many years of experience, and he can build laminated wood columns in ash with the dimensions 90x90, a construction that he claims will be at least as strong as 115x115 laminated wood in spruce/pine. Thus, the columns can be completely hidden in the walls.
My question now is how to handle using different columns than what is specified in the plans? Is it okay to make a note on the plans and refer to a new strength calculation (which we will produce based on the new material)?
Thanks for your input!
Lisa
Hi, I don't think I would personally bother to change the existing design documentation.
(But it can be done, of course, but why does your furniture maker think ash is better? Is it just because it's a harder type of wood? Does he have any idea if it also has a better E-module?)
Can't you instead add an extra gypsum board on one side, making the wall thicker, more soundproof, and giving it a more solid feel?
Or simply let the glued laminated column be slightly visible on both sides?
I personally let the glue-laminated columns extend about 5mm into the rooms, outside the gypsum boards. Then I paint the column white and let the wallpaper run towards the column. I somewhat like when a bit of the house's construction peeks out here and there.
(But it can be done, of course, but why does your furniture maker think ash is better? Is it just because it's a harder type of wood? Does he have any idea if it also has a better E-module?)
Can't you instead add an extra gypsum board on one side, making the wall thicker, more soundproof, and giving it a more solid feel?
Or simply let the glued laminated column be slightly visible on both sides?
I personally let the glue-laminated columns extend about 5mm into the rooms, outside the gypsum boards. Then I paint the column white and let the wallpaper run towards the column. I somewhat like when a bit of the house's construction peeks out here and there.
I think you should ask the designer about reducing from 115 to 90, not rely on a cabinetmaker. He probably goes on the fact that Ash is harder (?). But a column with compressive load primarily risks buckling, i.e., bending under the load, which is largely determined by the ratio between cross-section and length of the column. That is, the geometry of the column is very important.
As to whether a 90x90 column is adequate, I have no opinion, but I would not dare deviate from the designer's instructions.
As to whether a 90x90 column is adequate, I have no opinion, but I would not dare deviate from the designer's instructions.
Thank you for your feedback!
The choice of ash is motivated by the fact that it is a significantly harder/tougher type of wood than spruce and should reasonably withstand more load. Of course, we need to check the load-bearing capacity with the engineer to get it confirmed.
Otherwise, the suggestion to let the pillars extend a few centimeters is okay, alternatively adding a layer of gypsum to reduce the protruding part.
I just spoke with the company that will deliver the HEA beam, they recommended, for example, placing the beam on steel pillars that can be completely hidden inside the wall.
There seem to be many solutions to the intervention we are planning to make.... ??
But again, is it allowed to deviate from the drawings by adding information/attachments about how it was done, or must the drawings be redone from the beginning?
Lisa
The choice of ash is motivated by the fact that it is a significantly harder/tougher type of wood than spruce and should reasonably withstand more load. Of course, we need to check the load-bearing capacity with the engineer to get it confirmed.
Otherwise, the suggestion to let the pillars extend a few centimeters is okay, alternatively adding a layer of gypsum to reduce the protruding part.
I just spoke with the company that will deliver the HEA beam, they recommended, for example, placing the beam on steel pillars that can be completely hidden inside the wall.
There seem to be many solutions to the intervention we are planning to make.... ??
But again, is it allowed to deviate from the drawings by adding information/attachments about how it was done, or must the drawings be redone from the beginning?
Lisa
Hello. There should probably be tables for that sort of thing from timber "manufacturers" that indicate the load different columns of various types of wood can handle (classification etc.). So if you replace something with something else, it should be sufficient to include these as attachments or as references. The important thing is that it states the load the columns must at least withstand on the original drawing. Alternatively, use the load that the 115 column can handle.