# Point Load - LVL Beam Install, Load Bearing Wall



## zif01 (Aug 12, 2011)

The house is 24x32 ft. In the basement, there is a beam that runs down the centre of the house (32ft long) with 12ft spans on either side. There are teleposts every 8 feet (so 5 support points - foundation on each side then a telepost every 8 feet).

On the main floor above, there is a supporting wall that runs directly on top of the beam below. This wall supports the roof above, stick built with roof rafters overlapping and resting on top of this wall. 

My question is:

I am removing an 11 foot section of this main floor wall. I plan to use 2 x 1-3/4" x 11-7/8" LVL for a beam. This may actually be over kill, but that is besides the point. At one end of the beam, the supporting post will be directly above one of the basement teleposts. I plan to add blocking to the floor between the beam and new post, but it otherwise transfers weight straight down, post on post. Since the beam is 11 feet, and my posts downstairs are 8 feet apart, on the other end I will have my beam support coming down 3 feet off the nearest basement telepost. 

Based on the information provided, will the basement beam need additional support for this point load above it? I believe the basement beam is 4 2x12's. I'm dealing with a pretty standard home - no crazy roof structure or long floor spans, everything has been looked at expect my understanding of the weight from this new point load finding it's way to the foundation. Is blocking on the side in question with the post resting on the basement beam mid-span ok? Or do both ends need to be post on post?

This write up is basically the exact same project, but they don't cover the beam support downstairs (and I think this home has a steal I-beam instead of lumber). Anyway, it's pretty similar to my circumstances if you'd like more insight.

http://www.oneprojectcloser.com/preparing-for-load-bearing-wall-removal/

Thanks!


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## iminaquagmire (Jul 10, 2010)

You need an engineer. Nobody can safely tell you if what you propose would be a problem without pictures or being physically on site. A lot of variables exist such as dimensions and layouts of the affected rooms, your location, roof structure, post specifications, and beam specifications.


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## Daniel Holzman (Mar 10, 2009)

This is actually a pretty complicated structural problem, given the offsets, and the replacement of distributed loads with point loads. I had a very similar situation when I took out about 11 feet of wall in my kitchen and replaced it with a steel header supported on posts. The posts carried down to a main beam in the basement.

You need to check at a MINIMUM the following:

1. Bending moment and shear in the main basement beam
2. Buckling of all posts
3. Connections between posts and main beam, and posts to header
4. Capacity of header in bending

Depending on geometry, there may some other calculations required. This problem is much too difficult for standard tables. Your engineer will be happy to earn their money doing the calcs.


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