Structural calculations incorrect.

grgoclare

Hi,

I've had some structural calculations done knocking through my kitchen dining room. The opening will about 6 metres. I have paid the structural engineers for their calculations but now I have realised they have the opening down at 4.5 metres! Clearly this will mean the steal beams are incorrectly sized etc.

I'm not sure I trust my structural engineer anymore. Do I get him to re-do the calculations? Can I demand my money back given that he has effectively given me a useless/dangerous set of calculations?

Le_Kirk

I would be talking to the structural engineer and asking him what he/she is going to do to correct his/her mistake - assuming the mistake did not lay with you and you clearly conveyed your requirements to the engineer.

Aylesbury_Duck

As above, talk to the engineer. You said the opening "will be about 6 metres" whereas your engineer has said 4.5 metres. Is it possible that the engineer has taken into account the circumstances and recommended the opening is 4.5m or cannot be wider than that? You may want a 6 metre opening but if it cannot safely be achieved then perhaps that's the reason for the difference?

I might be totally wrong, but it's another perspective on it.

EachPenny

Aylesbury_Duck wrote: »

Is it possible that the engineer has taken into account the circumstances and recommended the opening is 4.5m or cannot be wider than that?

I would think this is certainly a plausible scenario - spanning 6m might require a beam of such depth that it would require ducking under every time you walk from kitchen to dining room. Alternatively, parts of the existing wall may need to be retained to provide lateral support to other walls.

OP, you need to politely ask the engineer to explain the calculations, is it a misunderstanding of your requirements, or is the engineer saying 4.5m is the maximum you can have without other (major) work.