I am a general contractor doing a kitchen remodel project. It is a structural tile or hollow tile building and we need to remove a bearing wall and install a steel beam, I am meeting with my mason and steel contractor Friday, but wanted to ask if there is anybody who worked with this product before and any conciderations to keep in mind, as I am not experienced in the method at all. The wall we are removing is running parralell with the floor joist, making temporary shoring even harder.
Hollow tile / Structural tile
anthonyadam13
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I am a general contractor doing a kitchen remodel project. It is a structural tile or hollow tile building and we need to remove a bearing wall and install a steel beam, I am meeting with my mason and steel contractor Friday, but wanted to ask if there is anybody who worked with this product before and any conciderations to keep in mind, as I am not experienced in the method at all. The wall we are removing is running parralell with the floor joist, making temporary shoring even harder.
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What the heck is a hollow tile building? 
Must be an old building. I'm pretty sure they were used before they started using block - meaning instead of multiple wythes of brick.
I never laid them I'm not that old, but they were in one of our "textbooks" when I was in apprentice class (long time ago ) and our instrucor said "think block when you read tile"
Dave
I never laid them I'm not that old, but they were in one of our "textbooks" when I was in apprentice class (long time ago
) and our instrucor said "think block when you read tile"Dave
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They are like Lay's potato chips. You can't have just one. If you try and remove one, you will be removing a lot of them. They are brittle and have very high bond strength. Cut the perimeter of whatever you want to remove.
They are still available in this area, but they are not cheap.
They are still available in this area, but they are not cheap.
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Depending on the use, they may be laid with the cores running horizontally or vertically. In some countries, for partition 4" thick tile walls that are laid with cores vertical. They cut a chase out with a hammer a few days after the wall is laid and then plaster over, so they can be tough.
I had a architecturally designed unique quality home that had 10" thick clay tiles laid with the cores horizontal (10' high walls). Stucco on the outside, full 2x4 for holding the lath and a plaster over that with a 1/6" "china coat". It even had a few bootlegger/police bullet holes from the prohibition/Dillenger days in the stucco around a door and a couple of windows. I bought it when it was 50 years old and there was not a problem with anything structural or any cracking. About 30 years later is is still pristine. - I would like to buy it back, but the price is out of sight.
Clay tile construction can be very strong and tough. You absolutely must know the direction of the cores.
No matter what loads and materials, as far as demolition, remove as little as possible and make sure you have access to replacement units (can be tough and costly) and then proceed as you would with any non-bearing wall.
I had a architecturally designed unique quality home that had 10" thick clay tiles laid with the cores horizontal (10' high walls). Stucco on the outside, full 2x4 for holding the lath and a plaster over that with a 1/6" "china coat". It even had a few bootlegger/police bullet holes from the prohibition/Dillenger days in the stucco around a door and a couple of windows. I bought it when it was 50 years old and there was not a problem with anything structural or any cracking. About 30 years later is is still pristine. - I would like to buy it back, but the price is out of sight.
Clay tile construction can be very strong and tough. You absolutely must know the direction of the cores.
No matter what loads and materials, as far as demolition, remove as little as possible and make sure you have access to replacement units (can be tough and costly) and then proceed as you would with any non-bearing wall.
Terracotta hollow blocks are normally used for partition walls here, although in some parts of Europe they are often used for external walls.
The ones here usually have dovetailed grooves in as a key for the plaster.
When putting a steel beam on top we have to put concrete padstones under the steel, and also normally build a pier from engineering bricks tied into the blocks.
To prop up the wall you might be able to get these into the joints.
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You might however have to go upstairs and put needles through the wall and wedged to the floor, and then prop the joists from underneath to take the weight of the wall.
The ones here usually have dovetailed grooves in as a key for the plaster.
When putting a steel beam on top we have to put concrete padstones under the steel, and also normally build a pier from engineering bricks tied into the blocks.
To prop up the wall you might be able to get these into the joints.
You might however have to go upstairs and put needles through the wall and wedged to the floor, and then prop the joists from underneath to take the weight of the wall.
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Hollow tile
If it helps, the tiles/blocks are running vertically. The plan as of now is to cut a angle iron in from one side before removing the lower wall and then seating the I beam under the angle iron. The angle will be run past any of the post ends so that the walls that is remaining holds the weight till we get the beam seated and posts installed. Open to feedback.
If it helps, the tiles/blocks are running vertically. The plan as of now is to cut a angle iron in from one side before removing the lower wall and then seating the I beam under the angle iron. The angle will be run past any of the post ends so that the walls that is remaining holds the weight till we get the beam seated and posts installed. Open to feedback.
I've never used that method of wall support, so I don't know how good it is. It sounds like a good idea. It depends on how much weight the angle iron is going to support and whether there is any point loading.
Are you using slate or dry pack to fill in between the RSJ and the wall?
Are you using slate or dry pack to fill in between the RSJ and the wall?
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I understand dry pack, but what is slate? Wedges?
As you guessed it's pieces of roofing slate knocked in as wedges. Works well and does not shrink.
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