Frame Cracks & Cuts on Beam

Lplate · Apr 07, 2024 3:05 pm

Good day. Have been building my first new house in Melbourne, and the builder has been making very slow progress, especially, just allocated 4th Site Supervisor for my house, and makes difficult to sync with Site Supervisor... Just completed lockdown stage, and made a major payment to the builder.

Lately, Have noticed cracks on the frame beam as below photo (and there is crack on the top of the same beam).

Recently, I asked my site supervisor to review, and advised me these are not structure beams, and does not need to repair or replace it.

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Also, there are 2 cuts on frame beams as per below image (next to above beams). Site Supervisor advised these beams could have "incorrect bends", and needed to cut beams to make them straight.

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Would it be worth to replace these beams with new one? Any thoughts/advise about these frame defects?

Thanks.

gommeqld · Apr 08, 2024 4:53 pm

Seems to me you need to promptly get your own building certifier or inspector to check these and other future issues.

BuildingandLegal · Apr 08, 2024 10:25 pm

The cuts in the vertical studs are whats referred to as crippling the stud. It is an old method of straightening the frame, when there is too much to plain down.

AS1684.4
6.2.1.1 Straightening of studs (crippling)
Common studs may be straightened by crippling with saw cuts and cleats, as shown in Figure 6.1. Up to 20% of common studs, including those in bracing walls, may be crippled.
Studs at the sides of openings and studs supporting concentration of load shall not be crippled.
NOTE: Studs may be planed provided the minimum size remaining is not less than the minimum design size required; for example, a stud of 90 mm depth may be planed down to 70 mm depth if the minimum design depth required is 70 mm.
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Those studs look to be 90mm, so your chippy can cut 90mm/2 = 45mm deep maximum it looks to be deeper than that!
The second part is YES, you can cripple BUT you must put the cleats on either side like a splint (600mm long MINIMUM)

The top image, the frame is out of alignment, the chippy has bashed the bottom of the end stud to get the frame to line-up with the hall frame, in doing so he has moved the gang studs but the nails through the base didn't move and split the wood.

Both are defects and need to be rectified prior to plastering.

Craig

BuildingandLegal · Apr 08, 2024 10:35 pm

Re; get your own building certifier or inspector to check these and other future issues.

You can't get a certifier to inspect another's work. Yes, you should get a building inspector, because if you are seeing this then your supervisor hasn't called the chippy on it. But don't just look for the cheapest inspector you can find, because that's what you are getting, an inspector that gets to your site and gives you 1.5 to 2 hours max and will only report on the ones found in the allotted time.

building-expert · Apr 09, 2024 5:12 pm

This should not happen, when the timber arrives on site, bent studs should be separated to be cut for noggings and blocks.
The studs should never be bad enough to require cutting.
Just laziness
Last time a framer cut my studs I fired him.