With the main steel beam in place, we can start reinforcing the top of the brick wall with the concrete ring beam that our structural engineer is calling for.
The main reason for this concrete beam is to help stiffen the top of the brick wall from the lateral roof forces that want to push those walls out (typical in all pitched roofs). Because I want to open up the space, we've removed all the ceiling joists which used to brace the walls against the push of the roof. The other reason for doing this ring beam is help consolidate the top courses of brick together. Because the roof has been in such a state of disrepair, the top courses of brick are barely holding together due to water damage, so i would like to tie them all together.
A concrete beam is made up of concrete (sand, cement and water) and steel reinforcing bars - know as rebar. Several days ago I ordered the rebar along with rebar straps (know as links here) that had to be custom bent. The straps tie together the long steel bars and help provide additional strength to the final beam.
Before any steel can be put in and concrete poured, the guys had to make space for the beam - they did this by removing and cutting out bricks that were in the way. Once that was done, they installed the rebar and then put up the plywood formwork which helps keep the liquid concrete in place before it dries. Once it dries, the plywood is removed and you have a concrete beam!
It may sound easy, but this process took much longer than expected and our Polish crew was rather unhappy that it took them over a week to finish the ring beam.
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| Delivery of the steel rebar |
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| The bricks removed and cut at the top of the brick wall. |
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| The steel rebar links |
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| The assembled rebar "cage" |
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| The finished concrete beam |
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| The concrete ring beam with the steel beam in the foreground |
