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Kevin Sc · Guest

Floor trusses

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I am currently bidding a project for a agriculture equip dealer.
inside their steel building we need to build a show room 23x48 on top of the ceiling will be parts storage and a conference room and on top of the conference room will be more storage. my Question is this: Where can I find information about floor trusses spans and loads, I am thinking around 250 # +psqft. And what spacings and size material should I use for supporting walls?

Joe Ca · Guest

Re: Floor trusses

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Kevin,

This should all be on your plans.

Bill Rob · Guest

Re: Floor trusses

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How can you bid (assuming there are other bidders) on a project without these details?

This would be the classic disaster waiting to happen.

Unlless, of course you are willing to design the project and risk either having your design used without copensation or take the job based on price and have the details changed increasing your costs and leaving the bid the same.

Danger!!!

Bill R

Bob La · Guest

Re: Floor trusses

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The architect should have them available. Call the person who drew the plans and ask for a spec book or a copy of the page that shows all of the loading information. If you can't get this information, DO NOT BID THIS PROJECT!!!!!!!
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If you don't love what you're doing, then you're doing it for the wrong reason.

Kevin Sc · Guest

Re: Floor trusses

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That is the problem the owner expects the contractors to design and plan it for him. I do not believe he realises the liability that he has placed on the contractors. At this stage of the game I do not want to hire an engineer with not having the contract, My thought was to try and get a close estimate and then explain to him my costs are subject to engineers approval and changes accordingly. and if not pass on the project.

Bill Rob · Guest

Re: Floor trusses

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"pass on the project."

Unless you have nothing else to do.

Remindes me of the contractor who won the lottery.

When asked what he was going to do now, he replied.
"I guess I'll keep on contracting until the money is all gone."

Bill R

Joe Ca · Guest

Kevin,

Your wasting your time. There's no liability on you at all. Your not the Architect and you can't design it. If they want to hire a Design/Built Company and you really want to bid the job the right way than recommend and Architect and if he gets the job than hopefully you can get it also because anyone who thinks that they can guess at the structural design of this building and bid a big Commercial job like that with no plans is a fool.

I've been handed plans before that have no framing detail and I tell them to have the Architect give them the framing detail that tells me what size every single piece of wood or structural beam and hardware that goes into the project before I bid it.

How can you know what your labor will be without seeing what size beams you will need and the work involved to put them in. At least with a set of plans with no framing detail I can get an Idea of what the labor will be from past expierience but I still want the framing plans. In your case you have nothing, just thin air to look at and come up with an estimate based on nothing or some thoughts of what guys might have used in your situation boefore but it all means nothing.

James Eggert · Guest

Re: Floor trusses

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Kevin
I am a design/build company and you are in over your head. That's not an admonition, just a fact because the owner is playing a game. See who can do something and make it stand; the only one who wins is the one who makes a mistake or is so knowledgable they can bluff their way in without the proper design.

I had a client once, repeat client, who wanted to do some serious interior remodeling, things like adding a second floor over the lr but no posts, of course, adding a bathroom in the same area, large skylights, etc., etc....she couldn't understand that I wanted to be paid as a consultant and designer to prepare her documents for the project! She didn't want to pay me until she knew what it would cost, and I wouldn't do it for nothing because I would still have nothing if it was too much or she just decided the whim was gone and no longer wanted to do the project.

You see, in client's minds it's ok if we spin our wheels, because they expect the freebie estimate. But when there is no level playing field, how can you generate an estimate?

By the way, you're "thinking 250#/sq.ft, how do you know what others are "thinking". Where did this number come from? I have two projects under development, one for a 15k# backhoe on a suspended concrete floor and one for a 25k brand new John Deere tractor on a similar floor, and it's 32' across. I don't guess...why would you?

I would pass and spend your time with your family!
__________________
Take Care

Jim

dsdwitt · Guest

Re: Floor trusses

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How could you possibly think you could give a proposal for a project without plans? Let alone an open bid project.

phillip · Guest

Re: Floor trusses

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A cubic foot of steel weighs in at about 490 pounds

I would only build this structure with an engineering design....

Sweep · Guest

Re: Floor trusses

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Taking your loading of 250 lbs/s.f., a wood structure spanning 23 ft would require 16" deep LVL's @ 6" o.c. This is not a carpenter job! It might be done with a composite concrete/metal deck on a steel frame or on reinforced CMU walls. I would recommend a concrete flat-plate or waffle slab with big round exposed columns. Then the walls could be glass. The old Boston Army Base had such a structure and 2 1/2 ton trucks were stored on five floors. They were driven down the corridors and chickenwire was used for partitions. It was so big it was ruled "outdoors" so you had to wear your hat and salute.

Of course, only a local structural engineer could give you enough information to price this project and he would ask for a layout and well defined uses, no hand waving allowed. Even then, the engineer should work directly for the owner or the owner's architect. Don't get caught in the middle of it.

Brad S · Guest

Re: Floor trusses

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Kevin
This is a commercial structure and it probably won't go wood. I would see this as structural steel frame with composite deck. If you still want the job, you could attempt to ball park the costs with a steel fabricator and then hire an architect and structural engineer to firm up the design after you get the job.

jrsavoie · Guest

Re: Floor trusses

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You might look into concrete walls & parking garage planks. We completed a similar project rated at 180#s sq. ft. Ours was 36' x 36': 12' cieling: 12" walls with a lot of rebar. large enough footings to carry the wieght.