Concrete walkway suggestions

[Lee&Nik]

My intension is to build a concrete walkway along an outside wall of my barn as its inside floor level is about 5ft high off the outside ground level (on a slope). I will build a  supporting wall 4ft out from the building approximately 4ft high which will also allow garden storage below once the walkway has been suspended between the wall and building.

 

My question is… what flooring systems are best and available to do this job that will allow slabs or tiles to be laid on the walkway, also the best way to tie into the existing building wall? Ie, wall plate on pylons or fixed into the building wall and how to achieve this?

 

Hope that is clear as mud?

 

I had thought of small block pylons or partition the storage below the path and then place a RSJ along the building wall? but still nee to tie into the original wall to ensure the wall/path does'nt move away from the barn.

[Lee&Nik]

just done more research,  are Block and Beam systems used in France and would this be a viable solution?  are the beams cut to length or ordered to length? 

[Albert the InfoGipsy]

Beam & block is common in France, but may be overkill for what you want. One option would be something like Rectolight, which is a lightweight system that you put in place then lay concrete over the top. You would need a single beam running between the inner & outer walls , supported every few metres by a transverse wall. Theres a video showing it in use here:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x32z4f_rectorlignt_tech

There's a write-up here:

http://congres-untec2007.inscription-online.com/evenement/15/rector-rectolight.pdf

By the way, beam is 'poutrelle' and block (or other infill like Rectolight) is 'entrevous'. The French are seriously into concrete as a construction material and there are lots of other lightweight concrete flooring systems.

[Lee&Nik]

Albert the InfoGipsy,

what a great system, looks so easy to work with! ill definatley be using it for sure. 

Thanks for taking the time to paste the links very helpfull,  a picture paints a thousand words!

Cheers, Lee

[Lee&Nik]

the next question is what would be the best way to tie all this into the stone wall and the easiest way to fix the Beams to the main stone wall?

Ta Lee

[Albert the InfoGipsy]

If you have a transverse wall (at right angles to main wall) every 3-4 metres you just plonk the beams on top. You'll need them anyway for the central (2 ft from main wall) beam. This avoids putting an extra load on the original wall and I wouldn't even tie the new structure into it.

I will say that I'd probably do the whole thing in wood personally!

[Lee&Nik]

do you mean wood shuttering then concrete over it?  or wood as in decking?

i ask as after concreted i plan to lay some nice slabs over it to finish it off.

[Albert the InfoGipsy]

I'd build the whole thing in wood -- no concrete except possibly for footings. That's just my preference. It's partly taste and partly my comfort zone when it comes to DIY.

I do stand by my suggestion of keeping your new structure separate from the existing building and I'd suggest using a thin layer of polystyrene (e.g. ceiling tiles) between the deck concrete and the old wall. Once everything is set you could remove the polystyrene. That would also avoid any possibility of puddles forming against the house wall.

[Chris Head]

I'm with Albert, the project suggests a great opportunity to use Oak framing and planking...the benefits being the complete flexibility of design, its organic appearance...and being Oak, its longevity and grace speak for itself. Give it a thought eh? Good luck.

[BIG MAC]

you could of course form an oak frame plate it from above in floor boards  then lay a membrane turned up the wall into which you resin fix starter bars tied into rebar mesh same at other end then cast a slab in situ LAID TO FALLS away from the house.

1. Looks like Oak from below

2. Is structural if you choose to create 'pockets' in masonry (making sure reinforcement goes in and has a minimum 50mm cover)

3. Can be tiled

4. Robust

5. sheds water

6. Will accept railing fixings etc.

A slot formed by the removal of a polystyrene upstand would create a water trap rather than provide any real benefit and would compromise a mechanical joint, expanion would go other way on the oversail.

[Albert the InfoGipsy]

Big Mac said

<A slot formed by the removal of a polystyrene upstand would create a water trap rather than provide any real benefit and would compromise a mechanical joint, expanion would go other way on the oversail. >

My preference when adding a modern concrete structure to a traditional stone building would be to actually keep them separate. In other words there would be no mechanical joint and the walkway would be free-standing.  The idea of the polystyrene is to provide a spacer all the way down, so removing it would leave a gap that's open at the bottom. Even if the polystyrene was left in place it is weal & compressible enough to effectively isolate the two structures.

I agree that a properly laid concrete deck would have a fall away from the house, but I've seen far too many cases where this has not been done properly.