Steel Posts

[Steve A. Rinner]

Is there a top or bottom to steel posts? I have always seen them and installed them with the screw portion at the top. A local builder has began installing them reverse (with screw portion at the floor). Does this matter? I inspected a home last week that had some one way and some the other.

Thanks

[Michael Larson]

Originally Posted by srinner

Is there a top or bottom to steel posts? I have always seen them and installed them with the screw portion at the top. A local builder has began installing them reverse (with screw portion at the floor). Does this matter? I inspected a home last week that had some one way and some the other.

Thanks

I see them both ways.

Do you have a picture?

[Steve A. Rinner]

Thanks

[Buck Hartley, CMI]

They do not appear to be fastened correctly.

[Marcel R. Cyr]

Originally Posted by srinner

Is there a top or bottom to steel posts? I have always seen them and installed them with the screw portion at the top. A local builder has began installing them reverse (with screw portion at the floor). Does this matter? I inspected a home last week that had some one way and some the other.

Thanks

Hi. Steve, hope you are well and fine.

This may help you a bit.


I write-up screw type jacks or posts as "temporary supports." So it doesn't matter to me which end is up, it needs to come out after a permanent support is installed.

IF YOUR INSPECTOR IS NOT USING THERMAL IMAGING, YOU'RE NOT GETTING THE WHOLE PICTURE

Jeff Pope
JPI Home Inspection Service
Santa Clarita CA
(661) 212-0738
http://www.MyInspector.net




Good article on the subject.

[Article contents removed at the request of copyright holder. See http://www.octoberhome.com/articles/...ustcolumn.html for full article.]

SIDEBAR
Aren't these columns called lallys? Well, yes. I've heard that term used a lot. Lally columns or lolly columns are terms that are widely used in my area (Hudson Valley, NY) for any steel column. The terms also appear in various construction dictionaries. Originally a Lally Column was a proprietary name for the concrete filled steel column invented by John Lally. Many people feel that the term should only be spelled “Lally” and that it should only be applied to concrete filled steel columns. Perhaps they're right. But, of course, language is fluid and in this case the popular use may have become the accepted use.

Marcel

[Michael Larson]

Here is a quick guide to inspecting steel columns and temporary jack posts.

http://www.octoberhome.com/articles/...ustcolumn.html

After you've noted whether the column before you is a permanent or temporary column, inspect for permanent column restraint which is required for compliance to the ICC-ES criteria, the CCMC and the IRC. That is, the bottom plate must be permanently connected to a concrete footing with embedded anchor bolts or by the complete encasement of the bottom base plate in concrete. The top plate must be secured to the supported load.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by srinner

Thanks

OMG, they pre-cut the concrete floor to control cracking.......never have seen that in a house up here!!!

[Steve A. Rinner]

Great info! Thanks for the help.

[Bob Elliott]

Make sure those are the right size bent nails.

[Bob Elliott]

Thanks Marcel and Mike
Good information to note book

[Scott Widick]

Wow, this could be called out on allot of inspections.

[William J. Decker]

See it all the time around here. Bad repair contractor or just the owner wanting to save the cost of a strucural engineer.

Not a permenent support, for temporary kacking purposes, only.

[Greg Keene, CPI]

During a draw inspection the builder was on site - he had these columns in the house - so I asked him - he said the architect drew them into the plans and as long as they were schedule 40 posts, they were acceptable - anyone heard of this - usually I call them out but that confused me - Comments?

[Tom Yeager]

What terrifies me is that they are all sitting on a "pre-cut" or joint of some kind. Shouldn't they all be on their own pier? (not the best example photo, but it is short notice.)

[David P. Valley]

Originally Posted by tyeager

What terrifies me is that they are all sitting on a "pre-cut" or joint of some kind. Shouldn't they all be on their own pier? (not the best example photo, but it is short notice.)

They should be sitting on a properly sized footing. Yours does appear to be placed on a buried footing. No footing...it gets written up.

I concur with William.

Not a permenent support, for temporary kacking purposes, only.