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Basement support post failure

28K views 15 replies 9 participants last post by  Red Squirrel 
#1 ·
Tonight was interesting! My wife's grandparents came down to spend the night with us and my daughter wanted to take a picture of all of us, so we huddled together in the middle of the living room floor. Between the 5 of us there was about 800lbs and a few seconds later we hear a loud BOOM and the floor shakes. My first thought was what the heck just broke or snapped down in the basement?! I was thinking beam failure but then when I went down to look I recalled that we have a few adjustable hollow steel support posts in addition to the permanent 6x6 wood posts. There happened to be one directly beneath where we were standing and it had a few inches at the bottom where it was rusted out, so our combined weight on top of it caused the bottom to totally give out and it dropped a couple inches. Right now I can't tell how much the floor went down, or if it did significantly at all. Below are some pictures.

The first picture shows the post as I saw it when I first went downstairs. It was still standing vertically however it was about 1"-2" below the floor joists. I could see the bottom was rusted and had blown out due to our weight.

The second picture shows a view of the pole after I laid it down - badly rusted.

The third picture shows another beam identical to the one that just failed, located parallel to this beam about 8ft over. You can see how bad this one is rusted also yet somehow when the other failed this one remained...for the time being.

The fourth picture shows one of the three main support posts which are 6x6's that go into the floor. The hollow steel supports are just sitting on the basement floor. These seem to be in fair condition and I'm not worried about them. There is also a large chimney in the center of the house which also serves as a main support.

So of course my question is, what do you think I should do? We just bought this house in Dec 09' for $12k knowing that it needed some work. After reading numerous online articles and posts, it seems that most people will just suggest me to 'talk with an engineer'. I respect that advice as it is ultimately the best thing to do. I would also respect any comments you may have on the situation. If you have any other questions about the setup I'd be glad to provide more information. I believe these three hollow steel support posts were put in place for sagging, although I can't say for sure. Thanks for any input.
 

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#7 ·
Another question while we're at it...

The picture below shows the main 6"x6" wood support posts under the main support beam (3 2"x10" boards). Amongst all the clutter you can see the evenly spaced posts. They are spaced about 7' apart starting from the foundation wall however on the far end where I'm standing to take the picture, the gap between the last post and the foundation wall is about 11'. Do you think there should be an additional support for this big of a gap? It appears like there may have been one at one point in time based off a square shaped concrete patch in the floor, but I don't know for sure.
 

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#10 ·
You absolutely need an engineer to evaluate the framing system and supports. While they are doing the work, ask them to determine if the steel support posts are rated for permanent use, or are (as I suspect) rated only for temporary support, and not intended for long term use.

As previously noted, the posts are clearly in an odd location, and without a detailed investigation by a competent professional, there is absolutely no way anyone on this forum, or anywhere else, can tell you which beams are overloaded, which posts are suitable, and which joists are OK.
 
#15 ·
It looks like a previous homeowner was trying to get the bounce out of the floor. I'd be more worried about why it rusted out and whether that also means any of the 6x6 posts have any rot. Your picture looks like one might. Nowadays the 6x6 would be set in a simpson connector that lifts the 6x6 off direct contact with the concrete. Does your basement periodically flood?
 
#16 ·
I'm no expert, but I would think, if something that can be affected by moisture is to be put in a permanent location, there should be some kind of barrier between it, and the floor. A small piece of vapor barrier or something. Basement floors have a bit of dampness to it which will eat at metal, and wood. Wood will eventually rot, metal will rust, as seen.

And yeah very odd location for a support, it may not even be needed.
 
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