Expert: Veto Varma - 10/2/2007

Question
sir,
i have a house in andrapradesh. which had ground floor and first floor. now i would like to construct a single room on the roof (penthouse) . but the problem my house not framed structure. all the foundation piles (9feet below the ground) are terminated on ground beam level.
but we have provided lintel beams throught walls. and walls are 9inches clay bricks and bonded  by cement mortar

my question whether i can construct a single room on second floor or not ? please reply as soon as possible. thanks in advance

and waiting for ur reply
by
raju

Answer
Hi Raju,

As you have said it is a load bearing wall arrangement. To assess it properly I need to know what is the condition of wall now and how old it is. Assuming everything is in order, it seems walls can take the extra load of room on top. But you have to align the penthouse walls to load bearing walls and probably bond beam is a good idea. I suggest to use local engineer and find out about it.

Foundation capacity depends on soil condition there. You have beam and pile system for foundation. This arrangement is good but the depth of the piles and size of the beam matters for load carrying capacity. I suggest again to consult local engineer for that.

Regards
Veto