XR250
Structural
- Jan 30, 2013
- 5,270
I have a project where a 10-year-old exterior 3 1/2x16 PSL beam is sagging. The beam spans 18’-8” and supports 10 foot span floor joists. The beam is measured to be sagging 11/16”. I calculated it should be sagging no more than 5/16” supporting dead load only using a modulus of 1.4E6 per Weyerhauser and including a long-term creep factor of 2. I do not know who actually manufactured this beam, however. I probed the beam and it does not appear to be rotten. As such, I assume it is pressure treated,
About 15 other beams in this townhouse community are sagging similarly.
The sagging echoes what I have seen in other exterior treated engineered beams and have heard anecdotally from other contractors.
I don’t want to be the guy to condemn this beam and then have all the other townhouse owners calling me about theirs. How would y’all proceed? I’m leaning towards doing nothing.
About 15 other beams in this townhouse community are sagging similarly.
The sagging echoes what I have seen in other exterior treated engineered beams and have heard anecdotally from other contractors.
I don’t want to be the guy to condemn this beam and then have all the other townhouse owners calling me about theirs. How would y’all proceed? I’m leaning towards doing nothing.