Pocket beam at window opening

[useftanz]

Hi everyone.

I have a pocket beam is in a 5 story building near a window opening, with significant cracks and spalling in the surrounding masonry. the wall is stone wall. is removing the section thats being sheared off and replacing it with new limestone and high bonding agent would a good fix?

thank you,

 

[lexpatrie]

Something like that. I think a lot of folks would form the area up and get concrete in there, with dowels as needed into the existing and epoxy/special inspection.

I'd be curious as this kind of tearout looks to me like it's some kind of thermal shortening ripped the bearing connection out of the stone. Or it's a shear crack. But a redesign you'd want to have the steel able to slide maybe 1/4" each way so it can move during thermal expansion or contraction without involving the connection, or it may recur. You need to restrain the steel in the other direction so the lintel doesn't eventually drift off the support in the plane of the picture.

 

[XR250]

I'd be adding a channel at the jamb of the opening. Trusting an attachment to the existing stone is sketchy IMHO.

 

[JAE]

I was just going to suggest what XR250 says. A vertical steel channel backed up to the wall and under the beam with a small cap plate.

The channel could be possibly epoxy bolted into the wall along its vertical length. Not sure what's on the bottom there but the channel could possibly have a welded-on base plate to bear on a slab as well if there is one.

 

[gte447f]

What the heck is a pocket beam?