hey just wondering what one would do in this case…i have an old building built with steel trusses encased in concrete and some type of corrugated metal form. The toilet drain pipe sits proud of the floor by the height of elbow the flange is connected to…the floor was built up with six inches of concrete (mud bed) for the tiles to sit on..there is a six inch step UP into the bathroom as a result of this…i would like to cut this truss so that i can lower the toilet drain…there is a view of the same scenario but from the basement and looking up at another persons suite…i am on the second floor so it would be hard to repair this truss.
http://s676.photobucket.com/albums/vv126/billybatts_2009/toilet%20hell/
Replies
I would absolutely consult a structural engineer.
With wood frame structures, a competent builder can sometimes make the same judgment call an engineer would. Not always, but there are prescriptive rules in play that can be quite useful and effective.
But when it comes to a reinforced concrete structure, I would not trust anyone without a PE stamp and big liability insurance policy.
Just my opinion.
Jon Blakemore
RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
it's funny i was using the plumber that the condo uses and he and his guys were scratching their heads about how to do this job, we even brought in a civil engineer and he said it would be cost prohibitive to lower the drain...then i called the plumber that i usually use and he told me to get a 'back outlet' floor mounted toilet sheeesh so now i dont have to cut into the floor as the toilet flange is mounted on the wall and gets piped about 12" to the stack
http://www.craneplumbing.ca/db/pdf/38370%20Back%20Outlet%20EL%2012%20.pdf
here is the toilet, basically every company makes one like it
Are you sure thsat's concrete? Looks like spray-on fireproofing. used to contain asbestos "back in the day". Done properly, you could cut out the metal deck between two joists and install new deck at a lower elevation supported by two new joists. but cutting the top of an exisitn joist is a job best left for a plumber with a big butt crack and a sawzall.
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
definitely concrete...thanks for your interest
Man, that's ugly. Where is it? Chicago?
Winnipeg....sometimes they call it 'chicago of the north' haha
Man, I thought I'd seen just about every type of structure, but that is something else..
Looks pretty worn out......
Any idea exactly HOW old that building is? I couldn't agree more about getting an engineer to come take a look. Hopefully that doesn't open a big ol' can of worms about the structural integrity in general.
1912