Barn Support Beams

[schmism]

eddie your talking about a shear strap....

check out the uplift specs on the large post connectors (upwards of 6K lbs)

but your version is this (technicall a "holddown")
Simpson Strong-Tie | Cold Formed Steel: S/HDS & S/HDB Holdowns

or a "strap tie holdown" (again part of the shear wall ancor systems)

like i said there are about a million diffrent versions that do essentally the same thing

 

[Egon]

Adjustable steel support columns are frequently used in house construction to support the beams to which floor joists are attached.

 

[khd]

I'm with Nat.....is there a problem with current that has to be dealt with? i.e...you have developed a new water problem that is jeopardizing the post bottom? Unless you're about to start driving heavy equipment around the posts they'll never go anywhere. There is so much weight on the posts and rock foundations that if left undisturbed they will be fine.

If you must change it keep in mind that it is a mortise and tenon frame you are about to jack up to take the load off each post so carefully consider the entire frame and the effects of doing so, i.e. braces, the girt that the post is supporting is huge and supporting some very large floor joists and each are tied to others who are in turn tied to others. Not that it can't be done, just consider how each is tied to the others. Also, the post is mortised into the girt so if you remove it, how are you going to get it back together after you pour a new footing. The peg shown in the picture near the light is in the lower third to half of the post's tenon so you have alot of tenon to get back inside the girt. I doubt you can or would want to jack the girt enough to acomplish this. Nor would you want to cut off the tenon. Keep in mind: the frame was designed to be put together on the ground and then raised.

Also, without getting carried away, there is a special way to remove pegs without destroying the mortise and tenon especially if they are draw bored. You will also have to have appropriate pegs to replace what ever you take out.

Here is a link to a thread on removing pegs: Um on second thought, I'm not sure you can post links to other forums here even though it isn't a tractor forum so if you want the link pm me.

Here is a link for new pegs:
NORTHCOTT WOOD TURNING

Don't let me discourge you....just consider what is about to be done and make your descisions acordingly. I'd hate to see you end up with problems.

Regards,
Kevin

 

[bones1]

Very good assessment.Everyone was focused on the bottom repair but the top could be a real challenge here.You can't just lift one post at a time.Maybe you could support the weight and remove a lower section of the post,add footing and piece the column back together with a new section and a steel collar or plates .

 

[barticus73]

Thanks for all the great information so far. My real concern is with the post in pic #3. You really can't tell from the pic, but only about 1/2 the post on the bottom is in contact with the foundation. Realy, the rest of the posts are fine. In this post (pic 3), would there be alternatives to build up the foundation without disturbing the post? I really hate to pull the posts because of the length of the tenons plus they are fitted so well right now.

 

[barticus73]

Adjustable steel support columns are frequently used in house construction to support the beams to which floor joists are attached.

Egon, actually, I did use one of these heavy duty models to 'add' a post where there was previously no support at the one end of the beam. Thanx for the suggestion.

 

[Egon]

From the looks of the pictures I'd say some floor material has been removed since the original construction.

Using others comments:

I'd consider:
Not removing original support.
Empty loft if possible
place several temporary suppot columns on either side of post. Note that they should be far enough away to allow for working space and also not cave in the new support base hole.

Dig,form and pour new base finishing about one inch below existing beam
after the support is cured fill in with epoxy grout. There are other ways of doing this using short adjustable steel supports.
Wait till all is cured, remove temorary support's and do the next one.

Use a high strength sulphate resitant portland cement with air entrainment.

 

[Parfleche]

Hello,
I have been in construction all my life and did trouble shooting for large commercial construction companies for years. If that thing was ok for 1oo years it should be fine. On the one post that is not totally on the "rock foundation" just marry another post to the back side of it where the rock bearing point is and run it up under the beam or along side the beam. You can bolt them together. Use large cast washers on the bolts. If it is 10 feet tall three or four 1/2 inch bolts with the large washers should do it. If you have to go up along side the beam run a bolt through the post and the beam to secure it at the top. Also earlier some one posted a simpsom hold down (HD) and other Simpson tied owns. You could actually use an HD or other type strap (LT or LST) by roto-hammering a para-bolt in the rock its self, thus tying the rock foundation to the all the post. A small HD should be fine, get one that uses a 1/2, 5/8, or 3/4-inch bolt by 7 to 10 inches long. When using the roto hammer don't force it down but just let the weight of it "drill" the rock other wise you may split the rock.

If you go with the married posts you do not need to marry the same dimension post to it. If that is a 10x10 a 6x10 or even a 4x10 post will be enough. 8x8, a 4x8 or 6x8 will be enough. The above would be the quickest fix and will definitely help you sleep at night. It should only take an hour or two not counting picking up materials.

Of course these suggestions are just that, anything you do is at your own risk. If I was with in a hundred miles of you I would stop by but I am out here in green Washington!

Everything said and done that is a beautiful barn, I think I would baby it too!!!!

Best Regards,
Steve

 

[Dandy]

It appears as though the existing stone base pads are floating on grade. Not bearing down below frost. You may have an issue by placing one or two of the piers below frost in that when the building heaves up in winter the new pier foundations located below the frost line will remain. I would recommend simply jacking-up the current beam slightly, pulling the column up with it and then relocating the stone base pad where it was originally placed, centered with the column. Alternatively you could replace the stone pad with a concrete (precast or poured-in-place) pad on grade.

In my experience with jacking-up a beam to replace a column, I used a 30 ton bottle jack to jack-up the beam slightly and had a two pre-cut to length temporary colums placed on either side of the column after jacking. This took the load off of the column and allowed me to pour a new pad and pier.

If you wanted to place the piers below the frost line, I would recommend that you do all of them, following Eddie's recommendations. I would also verify that the perimeter walls are below the frost line.

 

[Tim_in_IA]

A house jack is just a large screw with a base. They work great for heavy loads. Actually screw jack and house jack may be synonymous:

Screw Jack at Southern Tool Catalog