rising floor...
rising floor...
(OP)
I looked at a house built in 2007, where there appears to be a growing hump in the first floor. Floor joists (TJIs) run parallel with a CMU wall that has a little wood stem wall above it and is in place of a TJI at that spacing location. The wall below doesn't line up with the wall above, of course. The TJIs are level - they don't appear to be deflecting much at all, according to my 4' level - but there is a definite upward hump over the length of the stemwall/CMU location. There is no obvious movment of the wall, or cracking in the CMU, or swelling in the stemwall, that could be seen from below in the unfinished basement space. We don't have swelling soils around here.
Anyone have any idea what's going on with this?
Anyone have any idea what's going on with this?
Please remember: we're not all guys!
RE: rising floor...
Can you post a plan of the floor framing system with the miss aligned stacked walls showing too?
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)
RE: rising floor...
Please remember: we're not all guys!
RE: rising floor...
RE: rising floor...
Please remember: we're not all guys!
RE: rising floor...
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)
RE: rising floor...
Have you set up a laser level and checked the bottom chord of the TJIs for deflection. Not noticeable to the naked eye on the bottom is still enough for a noticeable hump in the floor above.
RE: rising floor...
Now - what do I tell them to do about it? I'm considering stiffening the floor trusses, perhaps jacking them with a beam.
Please remember: we're not all guys!
RE: rising floor...
Please remember: we're not all guys!
RE: rising floor...
If the answer to both of those questions is no, then I would look at providing supplementary wood members on either side of it, and removing the cmu wall.
If either of those answers is yes, then there aren't really any feasible options. It's a poor design layout.
RE: rising floor...
Cheers, folks, and thanks for the help.
Please remember: we're not all guys!
RE: rising floor...
Or, if the floor joists can tolerate it, add a transverse beam supporting the TJI's at midspan, framing to the CMU wall footing and whatever beyond.
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)
RE: rising floor...
This is all of course subject to seismic and stability detailing depending on the location.
RE: rising floor...
Seems that the CMU wall below has a small stem wall on top of it, that is now load-bearing.
Can the "little stem wall above" the CMU wall be removed to temporarily (permanently?) 'de-load' the floor system at this location and be rid of the 'bumb'?
RE: rising floor...
Please remember: we're not all guys!
RE: rising floor...
RE: rising floor...
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)