ideas for second storey

[sundancewfs]

We are in the structural planning stages of our renovation/extension. I'm looking for ideas on beams to support the upstairs. the floor plan will be 8m x 7.5m clearspan and the walls will be ICF construction for both levels. Beams that spring to mind, but I'm not sure of the appropriateness of, are; Hebel, enginneered glulam, wood trusses, the chipboard webbed trusses, steel trusses, steel beams, or a poured concrete floor. Any others anyone can suggest? Pros and cons?

[john0]

hey mate, any advice given would be speculation, without detailed plans i couldnt recommend anything. Maybe one of the building designer/engineers might have some ideas. Just a thought..shouldn't you allready have detailed plans drawn up?

[sundancewfs]

For concept planning?....
We have a floorplan and a overview. Now I'm kicking around ideas for construction style. If I had a detailed plan already, I wouldn't be asking for input on the various second storey floor options....:)
Anyone have a two storey house? what is your floor made from? does it flex? whats the sound and heat transfer like? how easy was it to put in place services? did you do it yourself? would you choose a different style? how easy was it to fix flooring to? etc etc....

[pharmaboy2]

ply I beam joists are usually most cost effective, but the details of what you are trying to do is vastly important. For instance, is this cape cod type, are you adding a 2nd story to existing? Is it freestanding - what sort of ground situation are you in, ceiling height to match, space for stairs etc.

All these things effect what you are going to use as to whether a steel bearer can be used under or end of joists, part way across the span. is the building termite proof?

While you do have to start somewhere, the somwhere is the floorplan, and how it connects with existing structure and what heights and clearances you have to use - then you start figuring out what the most cost effective solution is.

eg - if floor thickness can only be 250mm for those spacns - you are going to need a steel frame, if its 300, then truss like solutions might get there. anything that comes to std will not bounce.