Structural Engineer In/Near Edmonton Alberta

There are many reputable companies in the Edmonton and Calgary area, but your problem is unique and they may or may not have experience in solving similar issues. I do not believe that it is necessary to jack the upper floors in order to correct the problem, but the solution needs to be determined in conjunction with your contractor who knows his limitations better than I.

This is just an idea, but it might be worth a try. If possible, pull out only a small section at a time of the old subfloor. The wall above will sag a little bit, but you could shave the upper surface of the new subfloor so that it slides under the wall. Work like this around the perimeter. When done, the walls might sit 1/16" or so lower than before.

Alternatively, you might be able to jack or pry up short sections of the wall so that full thickness new subfloor can be inserted. Either of these ideas is a guess without seeing a cross-sectional drawing, which might not be available anyway. Good luck!

Personally, I think maybe you have the wrong contractor. He seems to be over his head. Maybe looking for another contractor to be a GC on the job with your contractor (if you have a relationship with him/her) She/he can save face and all win in this situation. There are times we encounter issues we've never dealth with and need the help from others that have. If all else fails, give a call to Mike Holmes.

I agree, you have a contractor issue here.

I don't see it as a contractor problem at all. He seems to know very well what should be done to effect full and proper repairs. It is the lift he can't calculate, which is not normally a general contractor issue. He is however wise enough to know that if he just plunks down a screw jack or two the jacks will probably punch right through the concrete foundation when the full weight is applied. So how large a plate should be placed under the jack to distribute the weight? That is a question for an engineer, no? Is there a better way to carry out the lift? Or is there another way to install the floor that will meet all the necessary building codes? All questions for a qualified engineer? But when a guy shows up claiming to be a structural engineer and says the original construction was substandard because he measured a 2 x 6 and found it wasn't exactly 6 inches wide? I gotta wonder. By the way this guy has quoted that he will do what we require for $1,500.00 while another much larger firm has quoted me $12,000.00 without even visiting the site. Somewhere between those numbers is probably the correct amount.

Should be able to leave existing sub floor in place and place new 6x2 ( 140 x 45 c.c.a. treated pine ) alongside by putting in on the angle ( diagonal ) between the joists and putting one end the wall and then pushing the joist across to the existing one. Then simply moving the other end into the other wall.

Doing one joist at a time it will all work out easier than you think.

Try a building contractor first.

Obviously i haven't seen the job so i'm quite possibly all wrong but do look at the task with my suggestion in mind.

Jim.

Call Mike Holmes in Toronto.

if you contact Apegga, they should be able to help. (lists of members etc...)

this is the Associaton of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophyicists of Alberta.

chris

Further to Chris 288 Looks like you may need to refer to a structural / civil engineer, try the Alberta division of the Canadian Institute of Engineers, [or its equivalent - whatever it is ] which may have a more broad membership. Otherwise the yellow pages... / Google !

its equivalent is... Apegga.

but there is this Consulting Engineers of Alberta.

chris

I hear you...

there is lots of those around alberta....

It would seem that your 1st priority should be to find the source of the moisture, and the second would then be to contract for the correction of the moisture source, with the third being to correct the subfloor condition, preferably in conjunction with the second priority...

Also, it would be most helpful to see relevant details/drawings of the existing construction/conditions, if available...

In any case, I hope the contracting, investigation, design, and construction can all be completed while the weather permits. Good luck...

1st is an unsealed bathroom, I know it, the contractor knows it, but the owner of that unit denies it. Thats why I see a law suit coming and will probably need expert testimony. (Its a long story)

2nd, we will see to it that the bathroom is properly sealed and caulked and that bill will also be passed on to the owner.

The photos are of the bottom of the second floor platform wall.

Yes, thanks for the pics. They clarify a lot, but not everything...

They clearly show substantial damage to the (second-floor-base-plate/first-floor-top-plate) due to water and/or dry-rot/other...

Whether or not that is a bearing wall, or just a partition wall, the structure probably needs some serious re-construction.

Does the deteriorated wood feel damp, or spongy to the touch? The apparently dry ends of the vertical studs in contact with the (rotting?) horizontal plates would seem to indicate that any moisture is traveling horizontally in the regions shown, and that the source is elsewhere...

Is the wall shown actually the back side of an exterior wall, with some kind of horizontal sheathing or lapped planking, on the windward side of the building? If so, then it could be that a seam has opened enough to let a trickle of water in during wet conditions, which would then just collect along the plates, and slowly rot them away. Water seeping in from the end of the plates would probably not have such a visible effect so consistently along so much of the wall, unless it has been leaking for a relatively long time. Approximately how old is the building?

Is any residual wetness visible on the other side of the wall, which ever kind of wall it might be?

In any case, it would probably be financially justified, in the long-run, to open up more of the wall, if only to find out where the deterioration actually does stop, and may start, from...

In any case, good luck with the project, take the trouble to seek out reputable experts, not just convenient or affordable ones, and please get back to CR4 with the results...

Hi Apothicus,

I work for AECOM, we have a couple of offices in Edmonton and at least one in Calgary. There may be someone in one of those offices that can help. I do mostly hydraulics and hydrology related work in Cleveland, Ohio so I am not as familiar with our structural folks but you could try them.

Good Luck

Dan