On Tue, 25 Aug 2009 08:53:26 +0000, pete wrote:

On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:10:37 -0500, Jules wrote:
On Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:46:20 +0100, Peter Crosland wrote:
Sounds like you need the services of qualified structural engineer to advise
you.

Quite possibly - although what would they do (purely out of curiosity)?
Would they cook up some 3D model of the structure, take samples of
materials and weigh, and work it out from that? I'm intrigued by what the
exact process would be... (mainly because I'm surprised anyone can give an
exact answer without a truly enormous - and perhaps impractical - amount
of work, although I'm sure a reasonable estimate based on a few
calculations and a lot of experience could be attaioned)

Well, you don't need a precise answer - what you need is a "not less than X"

Indeed.

answer and then to get provision to support "X" (taking into account how
the load is distributed, how to go about raising / supporting it without
adding undue stresses) and all the elfin malarkey, too.

Thankfully no elfin ******** where I am, but yes, I do need to worry
about exactly where to jack / support. Currently the weight for the
damaged section is distributed between the wall's framework (which has
rotted at the bottom, but still appears to be resting "solidly" on the
ground) and on one of the primary beams which runs the length of the
barn.

I suspect I'll end up supporting that beam (just to be on the safe
side) then jacking it as close to the end wall as I can*. I'm actually
tempted to use a 3 ton truck jack, purely because I can then run the
handle through a hole in the wall (the cladding will all be replaced
anyway) and jack it from outside. Being right next to a floor jack whilst
jacking it up makes me a little jittery :-)

* it's a 6x6" beam made from three 6x2" boards - but whoever made it
put the overlaps all within a couple of feet of each other. It's bent
around this point as the wall's sunk, and remains to be seen whether
it'll bend back the other way when things are jacked up.

For a wooden structure that's 60 years old, with little weather
protection, and which has apparently seen very little maintenance during
its life, I suppose it's amazing that it's still standing at all. The fact
that it's such a wreck make it more of an interesting DIY project, though!
:-)

cheers

Jules