Sorry if the quotes come out screwy, it won't let me use 'multi quote'!
All of the timber kit frame folks have a trade only catalogue, "designing" is akin to ordering a Chinese takeaway - with a little garnish/detail to suit.
Why am i not surprised... Geared up for mass production of characterless properties for the mass housing markets of Barrett, Wimpy and the likes!
The original photo seems to have gone AWOL.
I can't expand the drawing enough to read it. Sorry.
Sorry i had a re-shuffle on Photobucket to send links to the Architect/Engineer etc. ill reinsert that link shortly and add some more photos like i promised in my first post!
I cant upload directly to here as the files are too big, is there any other way to get a good image hosted that allows for full zooming?
There seems to have been changes to the design from the kit drawing. There is a two storey space at cross of the tee on the drawing that seems to have been floored in.
Since Structural Engineers don't normally do heating schemes it looks as though Scotframe would have designed the structure and would have been aware of any structural changes. Did they erect the kit?
There have been no structural changes between the kit drawing and the actual construction (to my knowledge... but i'm gonna go check now!)
Any structural changes i can only attribute to being the transfer between the original Architects/Engineers plans and the Kit manufacturer's design so that it could be fabricated by Scotframe! If that makes sense?
The only changes that we have made is to the internal wall layout and even then strictly limited to non-load bearing stud. I assure you the full height space is the Stairwell and that has most certainly not been floored over
.
As for the Engineer on the Architects side of things, It was the same engineering company 'Fairhurst' that dealt with the structural side and the emissions, thermal values, did the SAPS report and stated the heating system that was to be installed! I would assume they just has specific departments and specialist engineers to suit...
However that could explain why the original heating system they specified was as follows:
x2 independent water heating systems!
No.1 - Range (12kw to water) with 300L store cylinder for DHW
No.2 - Free standing batch feed wood boiler (20kw water only) with 300L store cylinder for CH
House size 156 m2 - 1.5 storey
Since the Rayburn 370sfw range that we intended to fit is no longer being manufactured we swapped to a different 17-19kw (to water) wood only Lincar range and now need to install a 500L store as per manufacturers guideline. (which isn't an issue space wise, but just load wise for the supporting joists)
This is one simple way of getting rid of sagging, The wire cable follows the noggins to each end of the 24ft span. There are threaded bars attacked to each cable and a large 100mm x 10mm square washer which overlaps the pressure point that the noggins exert on the joists, The floor is sheeted in high quality ply, screwed down. When pressure is brough to bear on the cables by tightening the nuts on the threaded bars, the floor rises in the centre by some 50 mm. Then it is left to settle for a few weeks and very carefully lowered back on to it,s bearings keeping the cable taunt.
As an afterthought, a 2 x 1 baton was screwed to the underside of the noggins for extra strength,, (My forklift used to drop a ton+ up there), The floor is 24ft x 13ft)
I have a John Broadwood and a French overstrung up there still,,but in the beginning, before I began storing my electrical gear up there, The sound from these instruments was unbelievable. I am profoundly deaf but still enjoy music but the experience of playing on that empty floor was simply unearthly.
As for M woods joists, there is simply no way round it, Even to construct those trimmers,the chippies needed to errect a support frame..When they removed the frame the lot would have sagged there and then. Proper support is needed for trimmers,filch beams, RSJs,etc. There is no way around that.
Personally i've only seen that done once before, very similar to the photos but if i recall steel ferrules were used where the cable ran through each joist.
It's a simple and elegant fix, just like using a truss rod in a guitar neck!
I don't think a support frame was used when the joiners fitted the trimmers... i believe at best there was nothing more than a liberal use of 4x2 props! Put it this way they turned up on site as usual and within 2 hours they were fitted with no sign of temporary support structure being removed and then the floor went down the same day (glued and screwed).
