Load transfer question
 

Hi guys,

I just wanted to see if you could help me clear something up. When you have a load bearing wall or beam lets say on a first floor that load needs to be transferred down to the foundation, correct?

Yes, that is correct.

Now on a second floor the joists can only span so far before they need a beam so how exactly would that work as far as transferring that load all the way down to the basement?

The second floor joists usually bear on a central load bearing wall that transfers the load to a central girder of laminated wood or steel in the basement, through the first floor joists the inner ends of which set on said girder. The girder sets in a pocket in the foundation on its ends, and on steel concrete filled pipe supports (Lalley Columns) that set on and transfer the load to footings poured below the basement slab.

Kapeesh?

The second floor joists bear on a centrally located bearing wall, rather than a beam? Now that load must be transferred to the first floor so, another load bearing wall must be position directly below the second floor bearing wall, correct? That load is then transferred to the basement beam? All lalley columns must sit on a footing, correct? Then concrete is poured over the bottom of the column?

the second floor joists either sit on a load bearing wall or could bear to a beam also, depends how it was built.
if there is a bearing point at the top of the house there should be a weight transfer path directly below it all the way to the footing. that path may be directed horizontally to different load points at intervals down through the houses' structure via beams.

Another question I have is for trimmer studs which support the beam. If one or even both of those trimmers are not sitting on an exterior wall then they need to be taken all the way down to the basement, right? How exactly would you do that with 2x4's and how would you attach the trimmers to the basement floor?

there's a multitude of variables to achieve what you are asking. please describe more (pics) of what it is you are trying to do. it seems that hypothetical has become hypo-real...

These are just hypothetical questions. Can I just get your take on what I asked cause I can't find the answer online.

without actual detail I cannot give info. direction of joists in relation to support loads, size of joists, size of beam, what is being held up etc...

we can talk about load paths all day but that is as far as it goes without sizing and spans in relation to load path

what im asking is when you have to bring the trimmers from a first or second floor all the way down to the basement do the trimmers just sit on the basement floor?

no sir. the load needs to be placed on footing in the basement, in essence it does sit on the basement floor but there needs to be a footing (footing size determined by load) underneath of the load. a basement floor is a slab and can only hold its own weight, not the house above it...

right but wood should not be touching concrete so how would you attach the trimmer studs to the footing?

in the basement section use lally type columns, wood would not work as good in the basement.

ok and how would you attach the trimmer to the column?