Structural query on removing a masonry wall and lintels

[Feebs]

My sister recently removed a structural wall in her ground floor apartment and I am very concerned about the workmanship.

She trusted her builder to work out the size of the steel lintel which supports a masonry wall on the first floor above and above the first floor - is a standard pitched timber structure and slate roof.

The new opening/lintel spans about 3meters clear and extends over a masonry wall at either end by about 130mm.

I am an architect and was not involved in the work at all at the time and only now assessing it.

I have noted that there is a crack spanning from the each end of the steel lintel up to the ceiling away from the steel diagonally.

The brickwork supporting the steel lintel ends is victorian and not in good shape and also built onto thick timber joists.

There is no way the steel can extend further into the brickwork, and so I have come up with the following solutions for the builder:
1) reinforce or rebuild the existing masonry wall/column underneath the steel lintels to include a padstone at top
2) widen the masonry wall/column so that the steel has at least 150mm wide support at either end.

Would appreciate any advice on this!

Thanks in advance.

 

[russ_watters]

Welcome to PF!

As an architect, you know the potential physical and liability risks in this undertaking. For those reasons we can offer no advice but to contract with a licensed structural engineer in your area.

Thread closed.