Support Beam cleats

[Bresch952]

So I am working on building a room in the basement in Colorado with heavy clay soil. The Stantions go 60' + down and there are four support beams going across sections of the basement. The builders placed 45* arms as photo'd from the main floor into the support beam itself.  Can I knock these out? Or are they there for the main floor of the house to move with the shifting of the foundation.   Thank you in advance!!! 

[HiltiWpg]

They can't be structural, they are barely resting against the floorboards.

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[KnarlyCarl]

If your foundation is shifting, you have a much bigger problem! 

[comp56]

I almost bet money they were put there so the beam wouldn't move until the concrete set....

[Bresch952]

Thank you very much, I am from New Jersey and never had to deal with clay soil or floating walls. This is the first time Ive had to deal with it. Appreciate it, and anyone else who wants to validate this beyond this post, Id appreciate it.

 

[JimboS1ice]

I they were wooden beams I'd say they were braces to prevent torsion but I beams shouldn't have that issue, comps suggestions sounds about right they don't even look attached to the beam


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[JMG]

Colorado  is known for having issues with clay, specifically bentonite. The builders are generally pretty good with foundations around the Denver area. I lived there for about five years back in the early eighties. One of the details in combating the soil movement in the area is pouring a "floating" concrete floor in the basements. There are generally expansion gaps along the edges at the foundation walls to keep the floors from applying pressure on them when they move up or down. Generally the biggest problem you will find is that the floor itself moves quite a bit and will have noticeable cracks in it. If there really is a problem with the foundation itself shifting then someone screwed the pooch when they poured it and you should have it inspected by a licensed inspection firm.

 

As far as those blocks go, if they are the only ones along the beam, then they were probably just preliminary locator blocking when the joists were first installed over the steel support beam. If you are worried about it, just drive some screws down into it from the top of the bottom runner before removing them.

[regopit]

I have never seen bracing like that on engineered I joist. I have seen crush blocks placed in the webs before. I would say if it is not caring anytime of load  from above I would go along with what JMG said.

[ordoro]

Hello! I found this oldish thread and wondering if you had gotten to any final resolution on it. I am finishing the basement on a two year old house in Colorado and have a very similar situation. There is an I-beam running across the width of our basement and there are wooden braces at both sides running to the joist above on two places, both right next to the steel columns that add support to the I-beam. The joists are all nailed onto the I-beam through a wooden strip that sits in between and I can't imagine these small strips of wood are doing much. They are not attached to the floor and are attached from the side to the web of the joists and just sitting on the lower runner of the I-beam. Clearly they were put there to prevent sideways movement on the I-beam but I'm guessing that was temporary for construction. Any confirmation or thoughts? Would love to remove so I can avoid extending a soffit an extra couple feet. 

 

Thanks!