Removal of the Load Bearing Wall - Calculating Dead and Live load of the Roof
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10-03-16, 02:54 PM
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Removal of the Load Bearing Wall - Calculating Dead and Live load of the Roof
Hey guys,
I have a question regarding load calculations for proper beam size in order remove a load bearing wall.
Here is some context: I live in Ottawa, Ontario, my house is a 1960s, single storey bungalow, attic is unused space, and only contains insulation material. Roof is ashphalft shingles with a 5" over 12" slope. The wall that I want to remove separates a kitchen from a living room and is 8 feet long, the total size of the living room with the kitchen is 22 by 24 feet. At this point the ceiling and the roof is supported by a 3-ply 2x8 lumber beam which spans 24feet and sits on 3 support posts (3 ply 2x4s), one of them is inside of this wall. In the attic about 5-6 (4-5 feet in length) trusses sit on the current beam.
What I want to do is to remove this wall completely to make the living space open, this implies having no posts in the middle of the 24' span, I want the new LVL beam to sit on two reinforced posts at each end of the beam, I know that this is possible since my friends did the same project (their house is identical to mine in terms of a model) last year and their plans were approved by the city, so I am pretty much taking the same approach, but I would like to know how to perform live and dead load calculations which I can submit to the city with the proposed drawings. The building official at the city told me that if I can determine how to read and calculate the load under the Ontario Building Code and propose proper drawings, spans, beam sizes and loads, then I don’t need an engineering report which costs $1100, based on few quotes that I got.
Could anybody give me an advise as to how to calculate the dead load and the live load in order to properly size the beam. Also, since I live in Ottawa, the snow load needs to be factored into the calculations as well.
Thank you in advance.
Alex
I have a question regarding load calculations for proper beam size in order remove a load bearing wall.
Here is some context: I live in Ottawa, Ontario, my house is a 1960s, single storey bungalow, attic is unused space, and only contains insulation material. Roof is ashphalft shingles with a 5" over 12" slope. The wall that I want to remove separates a kitchen from a living room and is 8 feet long, the total size of the living room with the kitchen is 22 by 24 feet. At this point the ceiling and the roof is supported by a 3-ply 2x8 lumber beam which spans 24feet and sits on 3 support posts (3 ply 2x4s), one of them is inside of this wall. In the attic about 5-6 (4-5 feet in length) trusses sit on the current beam.
What I want to do is to remove this wall completely to make the living space open, this implies having no posts in the middle of the 24' span, I want the new LVL beam to sit on two reinforced posts at each end of the beam, I know that this is possible since my friends did the same project (their house is identical to mine in terms of a model) last year and their plans were approved by the city, so I am pretty much taking the same approach, but I would like to know how to perform live and dead load calculations which I can submit to the city with the proposed drawings. The building official at the city told me that if I can determine how to read and calculate the load under the Ontario Building Code and propose proper drawings, spans, beam sizes and loads, then I don’t need an engineering report which costs $1100, based on few quotes that I got.
Could anybody give me an advise as to how to calculate the dead load and the live load in order to properly size the beam. Also, since I live in Ottawa, the snow load needs to be factored into the calculations as well.
Thank you in advance.
Alex
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10-03-16, 06:15 PM
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The Live, Dead and Snow Load requirements should be provided to you by the city, maybe a flyer or info sheet. The city is setting the standard you must meet.
Once you have the requirements, you use those numbers to select a beam based on span tables.
The calculations are not DIY, especially with 2 beams intersecting. However, you can probably come real close to figuring what you need based on span tables.
The structural calculations shouldn't cost too much. I've paid $150 or less.
To save engineering costs, you must prepare all the drawings. Normally that's a floor plan, beam details, and quite a few detail drawings like joist to beam connections.
The engineer can look at your drawings and do the calculations/stamp the drawings without even visiting the house. It takes only about 30 minutes.
Once you have the requirements, you use those numbers to select a beam based on span tables.
The calculations are not DIY, especially with 2 beams intersecting. However, you can probably come real close to figuring what you need based on span tables.
The structural calculations shouldn't cost too much. I've paid $150 or less.
To save engineering costs, you must prepare all the drawings. Normally that's a floor plan, beam details, and quite a few detail drawings like joist to beam connections.
The engineer can look at your drawings and do the calculations/stamp the drawings without even visiting the house. It takes only about 30 minutes.
