An RSJ carries the load that a removed wall or a widened opening used to carry. The size of the steel, its bearings and the padstones under it are decided by a structural engineer, not by a builder's judgement. We appoint the engineer, build to the calculations issued, and coordinate the building control application and inspections for work in Esher.
Who signs off a steel beam in Esher
Building control for Esher is provided by Elmbridge Building Control Services Limited, known as EBCS. EBCS describes itself as the first building control mutual in the country, and it works from 53 to 57 High Street, Cobham, Surrey KT11 3DP. We make the application and book the inspections around the programme, so the surveyor sees the bearings and the beam before anything is closed up.
EBCS accepts full plans applications, building notice applications and regularisation applications for work already carried out. For a beam, a full plans application puts the engineer's calculations in front of a surveyor before the wall is touched. If a previous owner took a wall out without approval, regularisation is the route that brings the work back onto the record.
What the beam bears onto in older Esher terraces
Bearing is set by what the existing wall is actually built of, which is why the age of the house matters. Elmbridge records Park Road as closely packed mid to late 19th century houses, with a long terrace of two storey houses on the west side. In a house of that age the engineer decides whether padstones, a spreader plate or a rebuilt pier is needed, and we build to that decision.
In a terrace the beam may bear into a party wall. That brings the Party Wall etc. Act into the programme, and notice has to be served on the neighbour before work starts. We are contractors, not party wall surveyors, so we plan the dates around your notice rather than serving it for you.
Beams in two and three storey houses
The taller the house, the more load arrives at the beam. Elmbridge records that larger houses in sub-area ESH02 are between two and three storeys, with attic storeys lit by dormers or rooflights. A used attic above an opening changes the loading, and the engineer sizes the steel for the real load path rather than for a standard span.
Ground conditions where a beam lands on new foundations
Where a beam transfers load to a new pier or pad, the ground under it decides the depth. Elmbridge's own conservation area appraisal states that the underlying geology of Esher is London Clay. Clay of that kind moves with moisture, so the engineer sets the depth from a trial hole on your plot, and building control inspects the excavation before it is filled.
- Ceiling and floor levels resolved where the beam sits below joists
- Temporary propping and staged, controlled demolition
- Structural engineer's calculations arranged and followed
- Steel columns, base plates and bolted connections
- Beam boxing, fire protection and plasterboard encasement
Trusted RSJ and Steel Beam Installation in Esher
We are a contractor, not a structural engineer, and we never produce calculations. We appoint an engineer, build to the design issued, and coordinate the building control application and inspections with EBCS so the beam is signed off rather than argued about at sale. Temporary support goes in before anything is cut, and you deal with one point of contact from the first survey to the completion certificate. GS Renovation Ltd is fully insured, registered in England, company number 14611254, and rated 4.9 from 31 reviews on MyBuilder. Quotations are free and without obligation.
- Levels and deflection checked before the props come out
- Site left safe and secure at the end of every day
- Free, no-obligation quotations
- Steel sized to the engineer's design, never guessed on site
- Restricted London access planned before the steel arrives
- Rated 4.9 from 31 reviews on MyBuilder