Not all external walls are suitable retaining walls. Whether your extension wall can retain ground depends on the retained height, wall type, and soil. Here’s how to assess it.
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Steel Column Levels: What ‘Ground Floor Level’ Actually Means
Advice Centre
Column levels on structural drawings can be confusing when the column extends below finished floor level to its foundation. Here’s how column levels are described and who confirms the final level.
Steel Column and Post Connections: Which Type Is Right for Your Project?
Advice Centre
Steel columns and posts connect to beams and walls in different ways. Here’s a summary of the main connection types, when each is used, and how to confirm which applies to your design.
Column Supported on a Steel Ground Beam: Picture Frame Foundation
Advice Centre
When a pad foundation would cross a boundary, a picture frame arrangement uses a concrete-encased steel ground beam to keep all structure within the property. Here’s how it works.
How Do I Fix a Steel Column to the Wall?
Advice Centre
Steel columns alongside masonry walls need lateral restraint fixings. There are two accepted methods — welded frame cramps or bracketed wall fixings — both providing out-of-plane restraint and load sharing.
Retaining Wall Design: Client Information and the Enquiry Process
Advice Centre
Retaining walls involve more variables than standard structural elements. Here’s what information PorthouseDean needs to provide a quote and proceed with design.
Small Retaining Walls: Design vs Guidance — Which Approach Do You Need?
Advice Centre
Not all small retaining walls need bespoke engineering calculations. Here’s how to work out whether your wall falls within standard guidance or requires a designed solution.
UB or UC Steel Column Wall Fixings: Full Detail
Advice Centre
Full specification for fixing a UC or UB steel column against a masonry wall — both construction methods, temporary bracing requirements, masonry standards, and weld/bolt grades.
UC or UB Steel Column Base Plate Fixing Details
Advice Centre
Steel columns need a base plate to transfer load into the foundation below. Here are the two foundation types used, how base plates are fixed, and the material specification.
Wall Ties With Inadequate Embedment Depth: Options and Standards
Advice Centre
When wall ties are too short for the actual cavity width, they don’t meet the embedding requirements. Here are the applicable standards and your options for rectification.
