×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Beam bearing on piers

Beam bearing on piers

Beam bearing on piers

(OP)
I'm biding on a remodel/rebuile of a small historic house (1200 SF).  The architect has specified brick faced piers on foundation pads with rebar and tie downs.  The pier is to be constructed by laying the brick in an open box shape and filling it with concrete.  The bricks will have tabs that extend into the area filled with concrete.  Fine and good to this point, but the house beams (three 2x10's) will sit on the  edge of the pier, mostly on the brick.  The joist are hung on the beam, and there is no other bearing on the pier except on the brick edge.  This seeems like it should have a bearing plate, a bond brick into the center or something.  I questioned this but was told it was fine.  Any comments or suggestions?

RE: Beam bearing on piers

I'd make some written documentation of your question(s) and conversation with whomever said it was good and make sure to copy everyone involved, or maybe submit an RFI.  If you are questioning it I think you should document that you have done so.

I don't think we can say if it's right or wrong necessarily, since we are only on the internet, but you can at least cover yourself just in case.

RE: Beam bearing on piers

Some bricks don't like being buried... in particular if water is present.  Might consider using concrete to 6"above grade.

Dik

RE: Beam bearing on piers

(OP)
Thanks, I do need to get it on paper.  The bricks piers sit on a concrete foundation and would be above ground.  It just seems like the load is on a brick veneer, which isn't entirely true because the brick sits on the concrete.  Intuition isn't always right, but it's dangerous to ignore it.  Maybe it's OK, but it's not the best way. I've been an engineer too long, made too many mistakes, had too many things go wrong, so I'm a "belt and suspenders" believer.

DR

RE: Beam bearing on piers

I don't like it. I have not seen a pier poured that way. I would have some questions about the pier holding itself together during the pour. The 2x's should bear on the Concrete not the brick, especially if the brick is common instaed of structural.I would put a flat 2x for a form and extend the concrete slightly above the brick, pitched to drainand bear on a sleel plate.

RE: Beam bearing on piers

(OP)
Thanks DRC1,
Thant's a good sugestion.  I hadn't thought about the pier holding together during the pour.  Even a switch to structural brick would be an improvement.  It is common now, to make it look historic.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources