More Engineered Beam Issues? 1

[XR250]

This is an 8 ft. span, 3 1/2x9 1/4 beam in the crawlspace of a 2 year old home. It supports 12 ft. trib of floor framing (trussed roof). There are some cracks in the sheetrock near this beam.
1) What material is this? It looks like crap. It appears to be one 3 1/2" wide ply. Kinda looks like an LVL. Could it be LSL? It has no markings.
2) The beam appears to have slight sagging in each span. I did not have a stringline with me, however.
3) It also appears to be crushed slightly at the edge of each support.


No way this should be sagging at this span with only 12 ft. of mostly floor dead load.
My guess is that it was put up soaking wet which temporarily weakened it and it has shrunk a bit as well.
The owner states the cracks have not worsened in a year.

Thoughts?

 

[SWComposites]

maybe it sat outside for a long time; looks degraded; any there is lighter color where there looks to have been a strap

 

[XR250]

Yup.
Damn tract builders!

 

[TRAK.Structural]

Looks like LSL to me.

 

[RontheRedneck]

Might possibly be LVL that sat out in the weather for a long time. Hard to tell from the side.

Any chance of getting a pic of the bottom edge?

 

[Tomfh]

Looks like PSL. Not quite as decrepit as the porch one that was posted a couple of months back, but not great either.

 

[ANE91]

Pick test can tell you a lot about the wood’s integrity. I keep a flathead screwdriver on hand for this purpose.

any there is lighter color where there looks to have been a strap

Agreed

Looks like LSL to me.

Disagree. This looks nothing like an LSL. A pic of the end grain should confirm. This looks a lot like an old timber beam, from the before times. The lack of a grade mark tells me it’s old af. Google reclaimed wood. People today pay top dollar for this look. Strong as hell but super flexible (compare the MOE to sawn lumber). Refer to ICC 400.

 

[Harbringer80]

Agreed that it's a PSL. I don't think it looks that bad. If it had sat out in the rain for too long I'd expect a lot of twist but it looks straight enough. Cracks in the gyp board are more likely linked to the crappy piers than the beam.

 

[phamENG]

from the before times.

do we have a Silo fan in the house?

Those don't look like adze marks. They look flaky like a PSL, though the angle and lighting make it tough to tell. Agreed with Harbinger that those piers look a bit sketch. Who does bricks below with hollow block as the top course?

 

[Greenalleycat]

Is this really the quality of a 2yo house in the US...it's rubbish... Brick piles? Packed bearers? No connections piles to bearer? Whatever the heck that bearer is even made of?

Is this standard practice??

 

[jerseyshore]

Disagree. This looks nothing like an LSL. A pic of the end grain should confirm. This looks a lot like an old timber beam, from the before times. The lack of a grade mark tells me it’s old af. Google reclaimed wood. People today pay top dollar for this look. Strong as hell but super flexible (compare the MOE to sawn lumber). Refer to ICC 400.

Looks like a typical PSL beam that is very dried out. LSL gives off the plywood "chippy" look and is ultra ultra rare when it comes to beams.

Definitely looks older than 2 years, but if it sat outside and then dried out it could definitely give off this look. You'll get noticable shrinkage when that happens even if it is PSL.

Is this really the quality of a 2yo house in the US...it's rubbish... Brick piles? Packed bearers? No connections piles to bearer? Whatever the heck that bearer is even made of?

Is this standard practice??

Brick & block combos are certainly common in older homes that are piecemealed together. In new-ish construction that is a bizarre setup.

What's with the brick in the piers w/ the block on top, but then a reverse for the exterior foundation?

 

[XR250]

Might possibly be LVL that sat out in the weather for a long time. Hard to tell from the side.

Any chance of getting a pic of the bottom edge?

 

[XR250]

Pick test can tell you a lot about the wood’s integrity. I keep a flathead screwdriver on hand for this purpose.


Agreed


Disagree. This looks nothing like an LSL. A pic of the end grain should confirm. This looks a lot like an old timber beam, from the before times. The lack of a grade mark tells me it’s old af. Google reclaimed wood. People today pay top dollar for this look. Strong as hell but super flexible (compare the MOE to sawn lumber). Refer to ICC 400.

Not a chance with a tract builder. Also, it is like 40 ft long.

 

[XR250]

Definitely looks older than 2 years, but if it sat outside and then dried out it could definitely give off this look. You'll get noticable shrinkage when that happens even if it is PSL.

That is my thought.

 

[XR250]

Is this really the quality of a 2yo house in the US...it's rubbish... Brick piles? Packed bearers? No connections piles to bearer? Whatever the heck that bearer is even made of?

Is this standard practice??

Very much so for tract houses. .
I typically only specify dimensional lumber for crawlspaces as I see too many issues with I-joists and engineered beams. They may have used brick on these piers because they had a bunch leftover from the perimeter walls. Most piers are 16x16 CMU in my area.
Why do you need a connection to the pier?

 

[XR250]

Agreed that it's a PSL. I don't think it looks that bad. If it had sat out in the rain for too long I'd expect a lot of twist but it looks straight enough. Cracks in the gyp board are more likely linked to the crappy piers than the beam.

There is nothing wrong with those piers.

 

[phamENG]

There is nothing wrong with those piers.

Sorry, XR - I disagree. Granted, they may have grouted those blocks, but I doubt it somehow.

R404.1.9.1 Pier cap.​

Hollow masonry piers shall be capped with 4 inches (102 mm) of solid masonry or concrete, a masonry cap block, or shall have cavities of the top course filled with concrete or grout. Where required, termite protection for the pier cap shall be provided in accordance with Section R318.

 

[XR250]

So the cap IS grouted and is bearing on brick - which has a higher compressive strength than the grouted CMU . Tell me again how this will be an issue with a load of maybe 6k?

 

[phamENG]

So the cap IS grouted

There we go. I've never seen a tract builder actually do that. So kudos to them. Though the lack of termite protection is a little questionable.

 

[XR250]

Honestly, I have never run into a pier on a modern house that did not have a grouted or solid cap. In the old days, they would put a termite shield on top of the pier. Have not seen that in over 20 years though.