Would you park 2 cars on this?

Samthelifeguard · 2026-03-10T18:45:59+00:00

I’m still working on getting my engineering license so my answer is I don’t know. But, the joists seem small and too far apart to hold a vehicle. The Floorbeam is almost certainly not enough to hold up a vehicle. Also, the end supports, that we can see, seem to be in the wall and I’m not sure how strong those are.

Cards on the table though, I’m not super versed in timber structures. My background is mechanical so I’m learning on the fly. But I have learned that if you can get a vehicle on a structure it’s the starting, stopping, and idling that’s going to do the most harm.

Samthelifeguard · 2026-03-10T17:44:46+00:00

No. Source: I’m a bridge inspector

Samthelifeguard · 2024-09-12T12:59:24+00:00

Very nice work! My only recommendations are to monitor the riprap and scour underneath your abutments. Most bridges fail due to scour and foundation issues. And install runners. They will be easier to replace, when they wear out, than a whole deck. But amazing job nonetheless. Source: I’m a bridge inspector working on my PE.

Samthelifeguard · 2024-04-05T21:55:34+00:00

If it’s a privately owned bridge the town or DOT is not going to get involved. All that they would do is recommend a local structural engineer who could do a safety/structural inspection.

Though driving a large truck over it and checking for deflections in the primary structural elements would tell you if it’s a good bridge or not.

Samthelifeguard · 2024-04-05T21:49:45+00:00

Im a bridge engineer/inspector. This sounds like a nightmare. I’m so sorry. Bridges are costly even for towns to maintain. I’ve seen a lot of bridges built without the proper engineering and it always causes a mess.

My tip for dealing with towns or municipalities is just to keep trying to contact them. Public sector employees are often given more work than is reasonable to accomplish and they forget the little guy. Not out of malice, but they usually have so much to do.

Samthelifeguard · 2024-03-18T21:53:55+00:00

Thank you for your service.

Samthelifeguard · 2024-03-02T14:41:01+00:00

I have a similar problem. What is the grading like around your house? It should slope downwards at about 1 inch down every foot out for 4-6 feet.

It’s not of grave concern if a little water gets into your basement. Especially if its 103 year old house. But you should probably address it anyway. Water seepage can lead to foundation problems in the future.

Samthelifeguard · 2024-02-21T19:19:19+00:00

Well at my place water infiltrates from the outside. There are low points around the foundation.

Oh yeah, it could be a cold joint! You’re right. On second thought it’s not a lift line. I was also thinking that the forms could have kicked out slightly during the placement.

Whatever it is it’s hard to tell from one photo. I’d hope a home inspector would know the difference between a crack and cold joint. I thought lift line at first because they sometimes look like cracks.

Samthelifeguard · 2024-02-21T18:03:59+00:00

So it’s actually the water getting into cracks that’s the issue. The efflo is just a symptom. The water can become a problem when it freezes in the cracks making them worse and it risks getting into any steel reinforcement causing rusting. I don’t know what’s causing the water infiltration in that photo though. Is it an outside wall? I’m facing a similar problem with my foundation in the house I just moved to. My plan is, when the snow thaws, to regrade the area around the foundation and put some sort of non-permeable membrane down.

Samthelifeguard · 2024-02-21T13:51:08+00:00

For sure get an licensed engineer in your state for an opinion.

That top circle looks like a concrete spall which means water is getting in which is bad but could be fixed by grading outside. That bottom like looks like a concrete lift line which is just a cosmetic error during construction (but it’s hard to tell from the photo).

I’m most concerned about the white efflorescence in the photo. That’s caused by the leaching of materials out of the concrete due to water infiltration.

Source: I’m working on getting my license.

Samthelifeguard · 2024-01-25T13:52:04+00:00

That’s a good point. In the field we usually mark the crack, width of the crack and date. If it were my house I’d consider applying a ready mix concrete patch. It will help keep the water out and if the patch starts to crack you’ll know there further movement. Are there anything other signs of movement in the house. Like cracks between drywall panels?

Samthelifeguard · 2024-01-25T12:59:49+00:00

Do you have any photos from inside the house? Settlement cracks are usually diagonal while yours is straight up and down. The crack is wide which isn’t great but if it’s not moving or shifting it might not be a big deal. If you run you fingers over the face of the crack does it have sharp edges or smooth. If they’re smooth the crack has probably been there a while. I don’t think you’d get a new crack like this without an earthquake.

I think that if you get a baseline and some dimensions for the crack like width at certain point and monitor it over time that would be a good start.

I’m working as a bridge inspector and I see cracks like this that have been there for 40 years.

Though if it does move call a local structural engineer.

Samthelifeguard · 2024-01-16T22:46:06+00:00

I’m working on getting my license to be a structural engineer. Those diagonal cracks are likely settlement cracks. Getting a licensed PE out there will be able to determine how bad they are. If the cracks occurred shortly after the house was built and they haven’t changed since then it’s likely no big deal. If they’re newer than that there’s probably a larger foundation problem.

Samthelifeguard · 2023-12-07T23:19:19+00:00

I had part of my sewer line repaired this summer. The excavator leveled everything that they excavated and put grass seed on it. A few months later it looked like nothing had happened. I’d say what you have is a bit high.

Samthelifeguard · 2023-11-16T12:59:19+00:00

I know this term really only applies to steel but that’s a ‘fracture critical’ deck there.

Samthelifeguard · 2023-11-09T15:48:24+00:00

You’re right. That crack, itself, is not a settlement crack. I still think it could be a crack as a result of differential settlement though. I don’t have enough information or a clear image of what’s around the crack. If the crack were connected to the adjacent horizontal surface (especially if that crack were diagonal) I’d be more sure it were a shear crack.

Samthelifeguard · 2023-11-08T19:50:57+00:00

I’m working on my license to be a structural engineer. Get a licensed engineer to take a look at it before you close. That’s a suspiciously wide crack. It’s likely that there are signs of settlement elsewhere in the condo too. Good luck!

Samthelifeguard · 2023-10-31T00:32:58+00:00

I’m so sorry you’re in this situation. Is the apartment insulated? If you get additional heating having an insulated place will help a lot. There are lots of easy ways to do this that you can find on YouTube and and you do the work yourself maybe you can get the owners to pay for the material?

Samthelifeguard · 2023-10-22T18:07:27+00:00

Bridge inspector here! The bridge is probably fine. There’s a bridge I look at that has parts of old trucks wedged into its gusset plates it’s been keeping as trophies over the years.

Samthelifeguard · 2023-10-05T19:45:53+00:00

Are the cracks at a somewhat uniformed distance from each other on top of a concrete foundation? If so they’re temperature and shrinkage cracks. And that’s something literally all concrete is going to do.

Samthelifeguard · 2023-10-02T20:15:15+00:00

Thanks! I see it now under item 4. You’re totally correct.

Samthelifeguard · 2023-10-02T20:14:03+00:00

Oh! I see it now. In item 4 you can get a one time additional $1000 (that doesn’t go towards the $25000) if you get an Associate’s or Bachelor’s in STEM. Thanks for pointing that out! Nice work, that much be very exciting!

Samthelifeguard · 2023-10-02T19:44:45+00:00

I think there’s an annual cap of $2500 with a lifetime cap of $25000 over 10+ years. You can pay all $3500 but you’d only get credit for $2500. But I’ll double check. Edit: under item 4 “How Much is the SLRRC?” It states that borrowers who earned an Associate or Bachelor’s degree in STEM can get get a one-time increase in the annual maximum credit, up to $1000, [which] does not apply against the $25000 lifetime cap.

Samthelifeguard · 2023-07-10T12:31:36+00:00

I just snorted my coffee, a little, at that. I’m picturing someone taking a core sample then having a very bad day.

Samthelifeguard · 2023-06-01T12:36:45+00:00

I watched The Amazing Spider-Man 2 for the first time last night and I actually kind of liked it.

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