Can this wall be load bearing? (Loft Conversion)

[Billy Matthews]

Hello everyone!

First time posting as I just wanted to get a few opinions on something.

OK, so I have started a loft conversion, all done properly, with architect, structural engineer and building control.

Without boring you all with the small details of the build I have some internal walls that are all brick and are sitting on top of a raft foundation that is 10-12" of solid concrete.

I need to install some flitch beams that run the length of the bungalow to take up the new floor joists an to support the roof. These flitch beams are going to be sitting on Universal beams over the front and back windows and the architect wants pad foundations to be put in 4 locations inside the property to take the weight of the flitch beams as the building inspector said the walls are not load bearing if they were I would only need one post going up.

Although the walls are not currently being used to take any load this doesn't mean they are not strong enough to do so dose it?. I have had the feeling from the start that they are over calculating everything to cover their backs as 4 different builders have said it's all overkill.

I will attach some pictures of the wall, if anyone has an opinion on weather this wall can take a load that would be brilliant.
I don't really fancy digging out 4 60x60x90cm holes through 12" deep concrete if it's not necessary.

Any and all help is much appreciated.

Regards,
Billy

 

[^woody^]

No internal walls on an unthickened raft can be considered load bearing.

 

[^woody^]

I don't understand why pad foundations under a wall are being requested. What's the beam layout and relationship with the internal wall?

 

[Billy Matthews]

Thank you for the reply!

The whole issue surrounding the internal walls is that the flitch beams are going to be going over the top of them and I have been told that they need support in the centre and as the walls are not load bearing they will need reinforcements where the flitch beam crosses over, this can be done with Pad and posts with vertical 80x80x6mm hollow tube or big steel beams going from the external wall to centre wall, but this option meant taking two courses of brick work off the top of 3 internal walls and having boxing around the steels otherwise it would increase the floor level significantly. (Something we really didn't want to do).

My argument is that the floor joists can easily be ran from the external wall to the centre load bearing wall with no issues but the flitch beam still needs to support the roof and needs some support in the middle.

I am just trying to find a solution that doesn't involve either digging huge foundations through 12" of concrete or having 3 huge steel beams put in.