Hello, My name is Mark and I am currently an undergrad of Carson Dunlop home inspections course. I took these pictures today of a house under construction. They are pictures of plumbing in a bearing wall. The plumbing has completely cut the top and bottom plate of this bearing wall. I confirmed that this wall was supported in the crawl by a bearing wall to foundation. As you can see in the pics the floor joists (above) are bearing onto this wall. I think this is a significant structural issue. I wanted to run these pics by everyone and get their opinion. Thank you.
What Bearing Wall??
This plumber really had it in for the carpenter.
Yikes
Ah …on second thought nobody will no ounce the drywall go’s up.
That’s it…Where’s the damn architect when you need them?
A simple lack of planning and coordination.
They do it everytime.
What is wrong with a 2" x 6" wall?
Reinforce it now with,
http://www.tamlyn.com/index_files/PlatesandBrackets.htm
http://www.strongtie.com/ftp/fliers/F-REPRPROTECT07.pdf
Marcel:) 
Every time?
Nothing:D
Thanks for the lknks Marcel.
I’m sure those plumbers will be back tomorrow to put the strongties on on.:sarcasm:
Marcel has the answer, and that reinforcement should be made a part of the plumber’s contract by the General Contractor. It has very little to do with the architect, who is not responsible for the techniques of construction; that is always the responsibility of the general contractor. We don’t know, in fact, if someone is planning to install the reinforcing plates that Marcel refers to, or not. It isn’t a critical issue until it’s about to be covered up without reinforcing.
You haven’t lived until you’ve seen one or two floor joists completely cut by a plumber and left hanging with no support. There ain’t no reinforcing plates available to deal with that.
Mark:
In our area of NS, the AHJ would want to see metal straps on both sides of the top plate to maintian the tensile strenghth of the bearing wall as it ties the exterior walls (wind loads) to other major framing. Plus another stud by the pipe to pick up the load from floating end of the cut doubled top plate.
Quite a simple fix. Used to have to do it fairly often when we were installing HRV’s/ERV’s with 4" individual room supplies and wall stack (3.25" x 10/12").
They all do!!!
Last year I installed an HRV in the retirement home for a gent who works the contractors’ counter of the local building supplies store. He hired a butcher (no crap…see him every week at the local grocery chain store) who does plumbing on the side. I called the owner one day to tell him to call the local inspector about a fix for the 4 substantially cut joists for the horizontal run that was part of the 3" soil/waste run from the upper level bathroom. A butcher he was!!!
Thanks Marcel.