RSJ column - replace

[BrumDad]

Hello all
Looking for some help, in searching your contacts please.
We brought a house earlier this year, and it’s had some extensions & conversions, as a result we have a concrete column in the middle of our room (approx 50cm x 100cm) which support 2 or 3 RSJs.
I’m sure it will be too costly to remove, but was wondering if it could be replaced by a smaller more decorative metal support. Does anyone know a company that could do that?
Thanks in advance

 

[Jameshow]

Hello all
Looking for some help, in searching your contacts please.
We brought a house earlier this year, and it’s had some extensions & conversions, as a result we have a concrete column in the middle of our room (approx 50cm x 100cm) which support 2 or 3 RSJs.
I’m sure it will be too costly to remove, but was wondering if it could be replaced by a smaller more decorative metal support. Does anyone know a company that could do that?
Thanks in advance

re you sure it's concrete and not s brick pillar??

How about a old cast iron pillar from a reclamation yard if it suits the property?

Otherwise a steel tube with plate welded to each end cannot see it needing to be more than 150mm diameter??

Whatever you do you need a structural engineer to calculate loads...

 

[BrumDad]

re you sure it's concrete and not s brick pillar??

How about a old cast iron pillar from a reclamation yard if it suits the property?

Otherwise a steel tube with plate welded to each end cannot see it needing to be more than 150mm diameter??

Whatever you do you need a structural engineer to calculate loads...

hhhmmmmm yeah it could be brick, it’s plastered and I don’t fancy ripping it off until I have some who knows what they are looking at. Yeah a steal tube was the type of think I was hoping for.
I’m in Birmingham, do you know of a company that can design the steal tube and have an engineer to do the calculations?

 

[DBC]

Not telling you how to suck eggs or anything but if you replace that column with something else think about getting your building consent in order or you risk having bureaucratic grief if you ever sell your house.

 

[Garden Shed Projects]

Speak with a local structural engineer or architect and they can advise on who does this kind of work in your area. Not a massive problem but you need a professional company with the right insurances to do it. Good luck.

 

[Sawdust=manglitter]

As a structural engineer I’ve surveyed and designed a few similar types of projects in the past, but there are countless variabilities which can affect a possible solution. So it would be prudent to get in touch with a local qualified structural engineer to come and do a site survey and advise you on what solutions are possible for your particular case. Be warned that the works may end up being fairly extensive

 

[Sandyn]

I would just get a good plasterer to convert your square pillar into a round one and add some fancy metalwork to make it look like a old metal support. It would be larger than you hope, but in 6 months time, you won't really be bothered. No structural engineer or planning permission required. Alternatively, you could get a good interior designer to incorporate the pillar into the room design. Replacing it seems like a huge amount of hassle. I could understand if it eliminated the pillar, but you will probably end up with a similar sized steel tube. It sounds too small for a brick pillar considering what it's doing. Possibly it's a reinforced concrete pillar, or even a disguised steel pillar?

 

[dizjasta]

Hi. Why not contact your Local Authority to check if building regulations approval includes the pillar you mention. Full details of the construction may be available and resolve the matter.

 

[Lons]

If those sizes are correct, 50cm x 100cm ( 1/2 x 1 metre ) it's more than a pillar it's a substantial structural support wall, most likely brick possibly with concrete padstones under the RSJs and without seeing pics it is highly likely in my experience to be awkward and expensive to alter, definitely as suggested it requires the advice of a structural engineer and by law needs building regs inspection and approval. Depending on where the "2 or 3 RSJs" are seated any other structure in steel has to be large enough and carefully designed to carry the load fully and without deflection.
Unless it is really a major problem If it was mine I'd think twice and would have done so even before I retired from my building business.

 

[Jameshow]

Any pics?!!

 

[Jones]

A structural engineer is needed then any competent builder could do the work. If a number of ub's are supported off the same wall it's unlikely the ends are fixed together so an engineer would need to design a system of joining all the beam ends then put in a column to support them. Depending on the set up it could get prohibitively expensive.

 

[Jameshow]

A structural engineer is needed then any competent builder could do the work. If a number of ub's are supported off the same wall it's unlikely the ends are fixed together so an engineer would need to design a system of joining all the beam ends then put in a column to support them. Depending on the set up it could get prohibitively expensive.

I had a beam put in, in 2008 cost £500 for calcs.

I cannot see it costing more than £1k.

And the cost of steel post with welded top plate and bottom I doubt would cost much more than same??

Would need to be sure of going ahead to remove plaster and see what's going on...