Notched girder repair--how to?

[Jeffery L. Haynes]

Is the distance between the girders 6 ft (that typical) and are the girders a 2x10?
Where is the notch in relation to the closest pier?

[Larry D. Kage]

Originally Posted by jfunderburk

What is a "sealed" repair?

...an engineer's sealed letter of repair.

[Bill Smith]

Originally Posted by mcyr

Depending on where the notch is and extent , one can use a flitch plate bolted to the beam.

A jack is installed under the mid-span of the weakened beam and create an upward camber of about 1/4", caution needed to not over camber.

A 1/4" thick flitch plate same size in depth of the girder or beam is installed on one side or two sides depending on the stregth required to make the repair. 5/8" 307 bolts are used to bolt through the plates and beam in an alternate pattern and the jack is removed.
Size of notch and span affected determines the length of the flitch plate.

Adding an extra member on each side of the beam will also work, but the ends of the sisters should land at a lolly column support on each end to be effective.

Hope this helps.

That is good stuff Marcel - Thanks

[Bruce A. King]

You have to remember that a "good" repair for a cut girder on a one story house may be a "bad" repair if the same damage and same repair is on a two story house. House plans would be necessary, but in their absence, most engineers would specify a repair that was overkill enough to handle whatever loads might be on that beam.

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Originally Posted by jfunderburk

It helps Marcel and I appreciate it. But it still a little vague.

"One or two sides"? How do you determine whether one or two.

What is the length of the plate beyond the cut?

Can the repair be done when the cut is in the middle 3rd of the girder?

Got any photos/illustrations?


I'm still struggling with this issue and lean toward: if there is no pier, then an engineer has to design it.

Joe, there are different installation methods of flitch plates, sometimes they are sandwiched inbetween multiple beam built up girders.

What I was talking about is something like the pictures below where the beams are overspanned, and broke in the middle due to a hole drilled for a light.
I also have a string to show the deflection, if you look close. The beam is also over spanned, framed in the wrong direction and broken at the light.
This is what I done to fix it.



Those beams were 5x8's but were spaning 23 '. Built by log cutters that did not have a clue and been there for 25 years without the collapes. Thank god they were smart enough to get rid of the water bed they had upstairs.
I had asked for 1/4" plates 10" long, but brought me 5/16" plates by 8' which were to short for me. But still work and the sag remained at 3/8".

That floor was sagging 1-1/2" strong.







Hope this helps understand how it works.

Determining size, length, and bolt pattern comes from years in the field.

[Tim Spargo]

How do I fix a incorrectly notched girder or beam???

How ever the SE tells me to ... or I'll just replace the beam/girder/lintel. Common sense doesn't always apply to this stuff...

Something to keep an *eye out for*: If you are in a garage with a room built above it AND there is a beam that looks like it might have been in the way of a garage door opener install... many times you will find evidence of patching in the drywall surfaces covering the beam. I've caught this several times this year alone. Once you start looking for it, you'll start to find it. It's not comforting when you can plow an awl through what should be a 6 x 14

[Jeffrey R. Pope]

The problem with those plates, Marcel, is that the original reason for the notch was to accommodate plumbing of some sort. With those plates, the plumbing cannot remain.

The same (or very similar) "technique" can be used on the underside of the beam or girder to allow the plumbing system to remain in place.

Originally Posted by tspargo

If you are in a garage with a room built above it AND there is a beam that looks like it might have been in the way of a garage door opener install... many times you will find evidence of patching in the drywall surfaces covering the beam.

I find this all too often - especially up there in Land-scatter

[Joe Funderburk, CMI]

Thanks to all. Marcel, nice photos. I'll follow-up later and let you know what happens...maybe with photos.