Patrick

Just found it when looking for piling depths calculations. Found a Pile calculator on this site : https://www.calqlata.com/proddetail.asp?prod=00071 They selling all sorts of calculators on this site. Might be of use to someone else as well.

Me too ? ✌️

Sounds good, but for 5£k I can put a regular sprinkler system in. Point is, I just don't have 5£k for a sprinkler system. Neither do I have 3k. So trying to find a solution that cost me between 0£-900£.might not be possible.but I was told around 2-3 times every step of the build so far that "this is not possible and this is just how it is/how much it costs" and it happened exactly once that this was actually true. I ll keep you all updated.

My mum has entire bathroom from timber. Made by a local joiner. Who knows what he's doing. But then again, that's in Germany. So you better stick to the previous advises ?

That is the main issue here, that the Pump can not get within 45m of the house. At least thats what they say. (at normal high risers , you can still park the fire engine in front of the building) @Mr Punter makes sense what you say . They didnt give a reason, just said no, only acceptable method would be sprinklers . I would have to come up with a scheme that works and present it to them basically. My Buidling Control officer currently looking into this. He s more helpful than our local fire guys here. Quotes for sprinklers run from 3.5k up to 10k . And the cheaper ones all need seperate water supply and so on.... which will be another extra 1.5-2.5k. So I am really keen on avoiding this, but understand the issue they will probably have with a pump.

Ok, @PeterW s idea - 90mm pipe dryriser = not acceptable @Mr Punter s idea - enhanced smoke detectors = not acceptable I came up with another solution A permanent on-site Fire Pump , in an outbuilding far enough away from the House, serviced annually to make sure it works in an emergency like this: https://www.waterpumpsdirect.com/Honda-WH15-Water-Pump/p6629.html I written a little Leaflet of how this would work, let s see if it s acceptabl;e to them . ?

? Ja.

True. It s just for using the full thickness of the beams. Talking about the t-shaped panels, that sit in between the beams all the way, not the ones that wrap under it. Only bonus is that it needs less insualtion on top, so "thinner" floor. but you re probably right, for the sake of 5-10cm

Trying it on here now. I am looking to buy any block and beam floor insulation. The stuff that is t shaped, fits in between the beams. The manufacturers of these insulation panels (tetris, jablite, readytherm.....) do not sell the insulation separately but only in combination with buying the concrete beams. So they only selling the complete floor system. I m trying to get around that as I can get many parts of the floor for cheap or free( e. G. The concrete beams would be close to free, the top layer of the on top insualtion, very cheap). If anyone on here should have : - connections to block and beam insualtion -leftovers from own block and beam floor -option to order more infill panels for their own block and beam floor Please get in touch. Would be massively appreciated.

@willbish AFAIK , in general it is often acceptable to have an outside bat rooster box. They call them bat bricks or something like that and it sits within the outer wall. Just if you want to get around this issue.

OK. I thought I hold back on this topic since loads on here are more clever then me. But maybe some readers here have a similar problem with the long explanations, just like me. I always find a short YouTube video much more easy to understand than a 1/2 page written on the same topic. And sometimes I feel right stupid on here for not understanding a word, but then... Maybe some others are the same, so this might help understanding the ventilation issue :

Oh yes, there is definetley a case for screwpiles there . Even I have to admit that the cheapest option is NOT ALWAYS the best (it really took something for me to actually write this , you wont here this too often from me_) ?

yes, true, but i almost guarantee that a driven pile will be anywhere between 30-50% cheaper. thats what i meant .

I looked very long into screw piles. I think the same then you. They might be a decent idea if they where cheaper, but atm in UK they are just silly expensive and your much better off doing driven. Also H&S, plus mortgage/insurance/BC rules mean you need specialist contractor to help drive screw piles in (unlike US, where you can get away with installing them yourself with a 3t digger and a drill attachment). Had a look at ordering the screws themselves and they are fairly reasonable in price. Not much different then driven piles, material wise. But rules and regulations stopped me and when you look for screw pile contractors, you talking BIIIIG £££££. I also think that driven piles are a bit more solid than screwed, as concrete is much more difficult to fail then metal. I would always trust a RC pile to last 100years over a metal pile.

@Big Jimbo It s done like this

@ProDave Sorry to disappoint. It s my English. I meant :" Der Panzer is da" and that s what Google translated.

+1 on all the others. I was thinking long and thoroughly about timber ground floor as I have a issue with access and anything lightweight is a massive bonus. But it's just too much of a risk. I understand that 1000s of victorian houses have suspended timber floors which lasted centuries and that with treated Web joists or ibeams, they should be fine for moisture, but with concrete you get a tested system. There is a reason why most (not all) foundations are build from concrete nowadays. It's quick, easy, solid and cheap. If you have decent access there really isn't any benefits of suspended timber ground floors. It's not much cheaper and by the time you make it work (e. G. What you say, put a screed on top) like a concrete floor, you probably level with costs, and apart from price there really isn't any great benefit in timber ground floors.

@SteamyTea Yep, I'm not piling for no reason. ?

Considering that about 90%of my neighbours are this lot : I think I will deal with their complaints in the afterlife.

I feel you. I'm the same. I pm you my piling contractor number, give him a bell. You might be a little bit far out for him but worth a try. He certainly will do as much or as little as you want and is Used working with difficult customers (me) Local piling companies always more value then the national ones.

@PeterW As far as I understand, this would need plumbing into the outside stopcock parallel to the mains water supply. Same as as sprinkler system supply (just with saving the expenses of professional services and the additional costs of a sprinkler system) Or did I misunderstand this?

@Big JimboDoing everything BUT the piling . Got cold feet at the end as I dont have any good access. I m not sensitive on insurance and structural reasons, but if i hired a Rig and it tipped over (as i have a little bit of slope) , no chance i would get that ever up again as I can not get heavy machines on site . This was the final nail in the coffin for my DIY piling plan. Savings are to be made elsewhere now. For example the Ring beam ?

Very Brief one. The Piling Rig arrived. Finally . https://tintabernacle.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-tank-arrived.html Piling next

Ok. Crap . I thought I can get around this somehow, but today, Fire services and BC told me that they do not agree to my "45m to all points of the house "calculation and that i would need to provide "an alternative compensatory feature" .... "Typically this would be by providing a domestic sprinkler system throughout the property". I am really really keen on avoiding this, started the argument about their measurements already, but probably going to loose it. Anyone knows any other "alternative ....features" that work out cheaper, or is sprinkler system already the (very expensive) cheapest . Another bullshit topic t i have to read myself into now ? .

Just like with most other things, stay far away from English ?