Poured Foundation Thickness

[bxkubota]

I am getting ready to start a two story 22' wide by 26' deep garage with a suspended slab on the top floor. The exterior will be brick and the local steel beam manufacturer said I would need inch and a half decking and four 12 40lb beams to span the 22' across in addition to another beam with a brick ledge for the header above the bottom floor garage door. My foundation contractor is going to pocket the beams in the 9' poured walls but the brick ledge only will give 6 inches of wall for the beam to be supported on. Is this acceptable or do I need to have him bump out the walls at each of the four beam positions to make the wall thicker?

 

[wssix99]

You need to check with your wall engineer. It depends on the beam, bearing surface, load carried, etc.

I'm building a similar arrangement and have to put extra reinforcing in the walls and make them thicker under the beam - but I'm carrying the load of a 3 story concrete wall directly on top of the beam.

 

[bxkubota]

I looked at the walls of my house tonight in my basement garage and see the builder used an 8" beam on a 6" wall with the 4" brick ledge on the exterior and my house has two floors supported with this set up above it. I was hopefully looking for an engineer or someone who has a similar set up chime in on the specs my builder gave.

 

[kbs2244]

You need to pay an engineer for this.
You cannot just go by what a house has been built like.
A house is just a big empty box.
A few cars on a garage floor will exceed that weight in no time.
The engineer will need a real world list of what is going to be on the floor.

 

[CNGsaves]

Location . . . country ??

Any pictures ??

 

[bxkubota]

Latrobe PA is the location. Going to consult with an engineer on Monday. I will report back and do a photo array of the build once I get started. Thanks

 

[bxkubota]

I did get specs from another steel carrier and he spec'd out four 12-19lb beams with the same decking. So I am definitely getting an engineer to draw it up. Those beams are half the weight of the other steel carrier's specs and the same price was quoted.

 

[HemiMan]

Check with your local building inspector or inspecting service because I think you may find that a set of sealed and signed plans may be required. Of course you can also ask the engineer you are going to meet.