Framing questions

[UK4X4]

1 I need to have 4 (2x6) or an 8x8 post to support my ridge beam front and rear.

How do you transision between the floors ? or the post needs to go from basement wall all the way up ?

ie you could frame below and the upper deck with a cut out space and then swing the post up into its position or if its a built up do you stick a few together to clear the upper floor and add in new lengths as you go.

Or do you simply frame the post below and another one above !




2 I need to have steel posts in the basement and to make all the joists full width i wondered if there was an issue stepping 1 beam above another above the steel ?

[Don_P]

The ridge support column can run from foundation to first floor and then from floor to ridge. You do need to block solid underneath the post in the floor system so that there is at least as much bearing material in that area. The gable wall and that post should be checked by your engineer. The column is long and slender and the wall is subject to wind loading, in other words the column is subjected to an axial, end load, from the ridge and a bending load from the wind. This stresses it much more than if it took either load alone.

Assuming the steel post checks, stacking the beams can work if you check for compression in the bearing areas of the beams. The lower beam is probably the most critical, check the bearing area at the steel beam seat and where the upper beam sits on it. Your engineer may draw something that would carry the lower beam on the side of the steel column and then continue up to support the upper beam to keep the load of the upper beam off the lower one. Shrinkage of solid sawn members stacked can be a problem. LVL's do have higher compression perpendicular to grain numbers than solid sawn lumber and don't shrink appreciably.

[davidj]

The ridge support column can run from foundation to first floor and then from floor to ridge. You do need to block solid underneath the post in the floor system so that there is at least as much bearing material in that area. The gable wall and that post should be checked by your engineer. The column is long and slender and the wall is subject to wind loading, in other words the column is subjected to an axial, end load, from the ridge and a bending load from the wind. This stresses it much more than if it took either load alone.

I had a similar situation in my cabin at the loft end where it was platform-framed like this.  My drawings specified that the first floor post had to go from the sill plate to the top plate, and the second floor post from the first floor top plate to the bracket holding the beam (i.e. I didn't use blocking).  I did this by laying down the subfloor, then cutting a hole for the post.  I put the post in and temporarily braced it.  I framed the walls with studs missing at the post location and attached the walls to the post using the top plate when I tipped them up.

Don't forget this means your posts are a foot or so longer than your studs.

[UK4X4]

Thanks for the input- it answered my questions- my framing book is still in the container on its way from Qatar !

"Your engineer may draw something that would carry the lower beam"

he's been fired !

after 2 months I never got what I asked him for in the first place.

But he did review all my beams and columns and provide the engineered sheets for the structure

he did not complete the dwgs- so I'm doing it.

Only issue is I'm now 2 months behind and the build season is short at 8500ft

[MountainDon]

Ya ought to be in time for the rains.