Structural steel support for rear extension of residential property

The Client

The Brief

The Challenge

Two challenges for us to meet:

1. Manufacturing and installing a structure strong enough to support a two storey house
2. The logistics of getting the RSJs – each weighing 3.5 tons – in place. (Craning the RSJs wasn’t an option given the site was a gated residential area in Chelsea.)

For Challenge 1, we made several site visits, measuring and planning the project together with the structural engineer to ensure we calculated both size and weight requirements precisely. Having satisfied the strength of our structure, we addressed the stability issue back in our Stevenage workshop by welding anti-twist plates onto the RSJs. The brickwork sat on top, and was bolted to, these plates restricting any movement by the steel structure and building combined.

We solved the accessibility challenge by sourcing robust trolleys to ferry each RSJ onto the property before using a block and tackle to hoist them into place.

Regulations & Safety Considerations

• Manual handling weight limit (20 kilo). We used a variety of techniques to manoeuvre the RSJs into place including block and tackle, lifting equipment, bogie system, skates and rollers
• Scheduled in major lifting sessions on site, having barriered off the whole area

Timescale