What size RSJ

[ducey99]

I am wanting to knock down a supporting wall & fit an RSJ. The wall is 8.5 foot long, what length & thickness do I need to use or are there more complicated calculations that need to be taken into account. Also do the council need to be informed?

[Golden Shred]

It is not possible to advise you through Answerbank. You may need concrete padstones to provide bearings for the ends of the RSJ if the walls and foundationsare strong enough to take the extra weight. You may have to needle and prop the wall above. Packing and grouting between the RSJ and the bottom of the supported wall needs to be considered. You should get a scheme from a local building surveyor or structural engineer (but not a builder). You must notify your Building Control Officer.

[Oneeyedvic]

When we knocked through a wall, we spoke to building control who gave us the telephone numbers of a couple of structural engineers who worked out what size we wanted. We got a RSJ locally and had our builder pick it all up.

Whilst it did cost a couple of hundred quid for the engineer, we knew it was done correctly, and if the wall were to fall down, we would have a comeback.

Also, if you don't contact building control, you will come into all sorts of problems when you come to sell your house.

[buildersmate]

Agree with the above - you must do it properly. Building Control application will cost you about �200. Structural Engineer calculations will cost about �150.