Thread: Wood shims for a steel beam

Having a house built. There were some foundation issues along with a lot of cosmetic defects on the foundation. The concrete company did a poor job all around. They also made the beam pockets about twice as big as they needed to be. Attached are photos of the builder's solution. Is this normal or even to code?

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Originally Posted by Dan Westbrook

Having a house built. There were some foundation issues along with a lot of cosmetic defects on the foundation. The concrete company did a poor job all around. They also made the beam pockets about twice as big as they needed to be. Attached are photos of the builder's solution. Is this normal or even to code?

Hi Dan,

Wood can take a lot of pressure, so it depends on what the load from above is. It certainly does not look right. If it were me, I would have the structural engineer of record take a look and design an appropriate repair. You could take a look at the plans and specifications to see if there were any notations for that connection as well.

Is it just me and my eyes, or does that look like 'solid' concrete facing with an interior fill of lightweight or even Styrofoam concrete fill?

There seems to be a very even perimeter of 'solid' concrete facing surrounding a blotchy white and gray speckled fill?

It looked that way on my phone so I waited until I got to my computer ... and it still looks that way.

If so ... what is that beam bearing on - the thin 'solid' concrete facing ... then that fill?

Originally Posted by Jerry Peck

Is it just me and my eyes, or does that look like 'solid' concrete facing with an interior fill of lightweight or even Styrofoam concrete fill?

There seems to be a very even perimeter of 'solid' concrete facing surrounding a blotchy white and gray speckled fill?

It looked that way on my phone so I waited until I got to my computer ... and it still looks that way.

If so ... what is that beam bearing on - the thin 'solid' concrete facing ... then that fill?

Solid concrete. They used styrofoam blocks to create the void for the pocket while pouring. They chiseled out the styrofoam. What you see is just the remaining styrofoam reminence.