saveasteading

It is almost solid timber!

Noted. It doesn't need that though unless it's a wet mix or not able to dry properly because of conditions. On s and c screed do you cover in polythene to cure first?

All very interesting. 75 days is just silly. Based on 1mm per day I think. An industrial slab can be 200mm. I've had client's consultants want 200 days ' drying'. They didn't understand that most of the water becomes chemically incorporated and not much evaporation is necessary. That's unless it is still being rained on. And some of the advice on screeds seems contradictory. "Scrape off laitence because it is loose. But don't wait too long or it gets too hard?"

That's rather extreme. I can't lay bricks well, most bricklayers don't understand structure or insulation. What annoys me is when they are too arrogant, or just dim, to do what they are told.

As I described above, using joists as the webs of a beam, and ply above and below as flanges. Needs an SE. I've done that to upgrade an old floor that was bouncy, Not very likely. The load is very concentrated so you need a brick pier or steel column, plus extra footing. before going too far...can you get 6m joists in there and up into place?

Care to give us any lessons learnt, or an overview? A photo would be great too, but understood if you don't want to.

My misreading was that clay is rather older than that. 120 year old foundations though. they tend to be about 2 ft deep at most. By the time you do trial pits and check the wall out too, then new foundations etc, I think you might just go with timber or engineered joists. This needs building regulations. With timber onto wall plates the bco might accept it by inspection, plus the load tables for the joist spec. If you have an Engineer then he could look at adding plywood top or bottom to make the floor into one huge slab....and the joists depth would reduce.

That would be pretty standard, but the walls need to support the steel. Padstones. Possibly wall reinforcement. Possibly more foundation. Are these existing walls?

It reflects energy. It doesn't have to be visible to us for the shinyness to continue. But it needs an air gap...or it is pointless. It doesn't follow that I think this is necessary of a good choice here. @Clennls what is driving you in this direction? There are perfectly well proven mainstream products.

Comes in 100m lengths, so most projects will have 80m left over....I certainly have.

"Exit interview" with the family. What would you do differently? "No pir between rafters, only mineral wool squeezed in tight." We had already iterated to half and half because 100pir was hopeless. Better 100mm of well fitting fibre than 100pir with lots of gaps.

Yes. A straight competition. I've used John James once and it will have been on price. But I remember the service was good too. I think they were 7m or so spans and I compared them also with rolled steel (Z) joists. The video of manufacturing is impressive ...stunningly efficient. Yes. You have to cut holes. Much lighter than a solid timber but still very heavy. The span tables give lots of options on price v depth v weight.

Try James Jones. Timber flanges and osb webs. Their website has an interactive span calculator

We will regard this as a test. My hunch is of being declined.

I'd have to check, but there is some distance rule (25m or 40m??) whereby ssen etc have a sudden jump in price for their bit. We put in a duct from the source pole to a new kiosk, and uk power joined them. Thereafter it became all ours, trench and cable. The kiosk is on someone else's land, but all formally agreed. It saved many £k.

You mean that a standard form of contract was agreed, just never formalised?

One of these. 12mm dia might do it and they are supposed to grab hold behind, though it works better for the demonstrator than for me.

I've been amazed at how poor some "site managers" are. Management was a mystery to them...they sat in the cabin and passed queries through to head office. Very bad value but every big site needs a babysitter with a first aid cert.

Does the contract show a retention? You might be stuck on this one, but hold tight on everything else that isn't done or right, peehaps including some contingency as prev mentioned.

The project has been payment in arrears throughout hasn't it? Same applies now. Finish thd job and get paid. You know them. Would they return to do the certificate after final payment? Your turn to advise of small claims court looking like the only way?

I am out of touch but i think the money is very good at the top and you stay in a nice cabin much of the time. But you are right that there is more to it. For the big projects, relocating so often, and at some stage the family says no. I wasn't ever taught management but on big jobs you absorb it. Plus my first important role was character building (sixer). That doesn't help the OP at all, and i don't know what can?

I've got some of that mouldable stuff (just in case) but forgog about it anf never tried it. I could maybe model it as as a tube with a groove and a screw hole. First I will see if a masonry fixing will fit. One of these new Fischer ones. That sounds tooeasy.

I'm told that Chartered Civil Engineers mostly move into managament outside of the industry. Is that inherent or due to learning how complex civils management is? It probably doesn't apply to Materials Engineers, working indoors. It is just management, but with the weather and new people all the time. Lists of tasks, on a programme. Getting materials on time, Access, health and safety. And mostly: people management. Awkward, know-it-all people. Keep trades in a linear process, not interacting, and all will be well.

Blocks down, keep the ties in place, break off snots and remove, repoint the brick inner face. Hand the bricky a picture of how it should be. build block with insulation. Does that mean that the insulation is tight to the blockwork and a gap to the brick?

Can't see it but I may try. May see is the right size of child is prepared to put an arm in there. Otherwise I need to make one. Plasticine for a mould. Anyone know if there is a plastic that will then squeeze in and harden sufficiently?