PDA

View Full Version : Corrugated Metal



Mike Schulz
07-06-2009, 05:20 PM
Front porch is somewhere around 5'w x 4L
The corrugated metal for the pour of the porch concrete has rusted paper thin and falling apart. Question is is the metal for support or just the pour. Is it required to have re-bar or mesh in the concrete for support for this setup. Can just concrete without re-bar or wire mesh of some sort support itself?
Back in 87 where lucky if any code was followed. Tree stumps in crawl spaces, decks bolted to structure with no flashing's, composite siding cut to the roof with no clearance, etc.

I attached one stump picture that the wood is gone and tunnels are left through the ground from the roots. There was three stumps and many collapsed sink holes.

Ron Bibler
07-06-2009, 05:29 PM
It would help if you had a front top view.

But from what i see thats a mess and need to be inspected and corrected. you have a dead air space with excessive moisture condition along witht he rust condition.

Best

Ron

Mike Schulz
07-06-2009, 06:15 PM
The moisture condition is another issue and is being addressed. You can see by the first picture the perimeter of the concrete is supported by the corbel brick. Here is the top view.

Ron Bibler
07-06-2009, 06:39 PM
I don't known about things back your way mike but out in Ca. we have a lot of older homes that have been constructed out of just about anything they could get there hands on back in the WW2 Time and for some time forward. thats what that looks like to me. I would call it out for further inspection and correct as necessary.

How thick would you say that cap is? and is it sitting on top of the Blocks?

Best

Ron

Mike Schulz
07-06-2009, 07:17 PM
Where I took the picture from is the closest I got to it. That's all I need is something to fall in on me from probing around. I'm guessing it was 3" to 4". I suggested a contractor since there was multiple things like cut through girder for plumbing, mold on floor joist (yes I say "MOLD") sink holes at piers, etc.

Still would like to know if the metal needs to be there at all. I have inspected homes built in the 50's and earlier that had large poured concrete porches on temporary plywood and upright 2x4's. Most not removed and most rotted away and the concrete was intact and self supporting. But I am sure there was plenty of steel reinforcement in the concrete.

Thanks for the comments Ron.

Ron Bibler
07-06-2009, 07:25 PM
No the metal was just a form. it can come out and should not be part for the structural supports.

Best

Ron

Gunnar Alquist
07-06-2009, 07:51 PM
Where I took the picture from is the closest I got to it. That's all I need is something to fall in on me from probing around. I'm guessing it was 3" to 4". I suggested a contractor since there was multiple things like cut through girder for plumbing, mold on floor joist (yes I say "MOLD") sink holes at piers, etc.

Still would like to know if the metal needs to be there at all. I have inspected homes built in the 50's and earlier that had large poured concrete porches on temporary plywood and upright 2x4's. Most not removed and most rotted away and the concrete was intact and self supporting. But I am sure there was plenty of steel reinforcement in the concrete.

Thanks for the comments Ron.

Mike,

If reinforcing steel was used and if the steel was properly spaced/placed, then the porch slab could be self-supporting. However, as you have already surmised, there is no way to really know without breaking out concrete. 3-4 inches is a bit on the thin side for a self-supporting slab. I would have expected at least 6 inches, even with something that small. However, a lot of older self-supporting slabs around here are in the 4 inch range.

John Kogel
07-06-2009, 08:53 PM
Methinks the corrugated metal was not providing much support to start with.

Jerry Peck
07-06-2009, 08:58 PM
As Gunnar said - It depends.

It depends on things you will not be able to know during your inspection.

If done the way most are done, the metal is there for forming purposes only, *IF* (see Gunnar's post for the *IF's*) ...