What is a Wind Post?

[Oldsteel]

We are at the tender stage and our groundworker's quote for putting in the foundations included a £1000 section for the installation of the base plates for 'wind posts'. I asked my structural engineer whether he thought these were necessary and he had no idea what they are! I googled it and it seems they are some kind of steel post to help prevent wind damage? In any event we are not building on a clifftop so can I assume they are not required?

[PeterW]

A wind post is a steel that is  placed vertical in a long wall that has no other buttressing to stop it bending or flexing under wind load. It will be bolted down to the foundations and is only used when the walls are in excess of a certain distance. The SE would need to have designed it  in so they should know about it !!

[Carrerahill]

It is just a type of vertical reinforcement for masonry, sort of like an independent structural column for wall ties - but can also have flanges or other means of connection to the masonry.  Depends on the wall makeup, loading etc. 

 

Who spec'ed them?

Edited October 30, 2019 by Carrerahill

[ProDave]

Our SE initially specified Wind Posts, 4 of them in each corner of the TF.  It looked to make the foundations a lot more complicated with a reinforced concrete cast upstand for them to bolt to and it looked like it would have some thermal bridging implications.

 

So I questioned him as I had never seen that in a domestic timber frame before.  His answer was because we have no brick or block outer skin, the building needed more racking strength than a normal timber frame.

 

He came up with an alternative solution which was to use two layers of OSB with staggered joints to give a stronger racking layer and that is how we have built it.

 

Talk to your SE to find out why he specified them and ask him for alternative solutions.

[Triassic]

Who specified wind posts? If not you, the architect or the SE. you don’t need them. The groundworker might be trying it on and charging for something you don’t need and won’t be fitted !?

[scottishjohn]

never seen any on TF houses built here ,as you say its probably  only needed on bigger than the normal size house  and if its going to be rendered and not brick outer skin 

[Oldsteel]

These were not specified by the SE, or the architect. They just popped up in the GW's quote. We have standard block/cavity insulation/stone 300mm wall construction on a 200m2 house. The GW put one at each corner. 

[ToughButterCup]

A wind post? Easy.

Any post written by @Nickfromwales.

?

[joe90]

Ask the GW why its in the quote!

Edited October 30, 2019 by joe90

[Oldsteel]

Thanks Joe90, of course but forewarned is forearmed!

[ProDave]

The GW should be working to the designed drawings, not making it up and adding his own "features"

[Mr Punter]

I have had wind posts specified quite often.  Used to support and strengthen masonry.  The ones I have had just bolt down to the foundation with expansion bolts, so not really a £250 each job!

 

I have fitted 13 of these on my own in less than a day.

[mvincentd]

 I have them due to straight sections of wall separated by full height windows...so walls not turning corners are less stable.

[Oldsteel]

@mvincentd .. walls not turning corners are less stable. This makes sense in the context of our design! 

[Ferdinand]

11 minutes ago, Oldsteel said:

@mvincentd .. walls not turning corners are less stable. This makes sense in the context of our design! 

@mvincentd if you keep an eye out for garden walls that are say 6ft high, you will see that they have thicker piers or columns in the straight sections which do the same job.

 

Equally if you go out after a windstorm you can see the characteristics of weaker ones which may have blown over.

 

F

Edited November 4, 2019 by Ferdinand