wedge supporting rim joist

[mnicholet]

What do you think of these pics? It appears as the foundation wasnt formed high enough for the floor joists to be level when the foundation stepped up. So, in the pics there is a sill plate, wedge(s) another 2x4 and then the rim joist. This is a new home. Thanks.

[rshuey]

I have never in my life seen an "engineered floor system" built like that. If there is need for a STEEL shim now and agin, ok. But that is horrid. No matter how and at what rating the beam was designed, those 2 x 4's just became the weakest link.

Scary.

[Richard A. Hetzel]

What wedges in can easily wedge back out again...unless the wedges are nailed, but still...if it were a project of mine, I would demand solid blocking, not wedges.

[David P. Valley]

It would have been much easier to simply add rods and then install forms to the existing foundation and pour additional inches of concrete

Was the builder smoking the good stuff?

[Kenton H. Shepard, CMI]

Can't tell from the photos... what Richard said, but if it's only a short distance I wouldn't call it a defect likely to lead to early failure. I'd call it out as poor quality construction and mention that this situation usually calls for solid shims- an additional 2x plate plus/or layers of plywood of proper thickness.

If it did lead to failure, how would it fail? I only see one wedge and even if it fell out, there's a rim joist on edge resting on the sill plate. Loss of the wedge wouldn't really cause a problem.

Ugly though. Not executed in a workman-like manner.