Supporting I-Beams in Basement

Tim_from_Trim

Im trying to help my sister with her house in Donegal. She has a big basement that is supported by Ibeams. I think one of the spans could be close to 16' (maybe more) When we found the I-beams they were covered in rust. When it rains bad - it can come through the ceiling. There is stone patio installed on the roof of the basement (you can see from the photos.) I was told that there was not DPC (Damp Proof Course) installed under the stones. Also when it rains a fair bit of water can sit on the patio so the slope is not great. Look - probably best course of action is to rip out the whole patio and install it again - but this wont be done. I need to find the best solution to a bad situation. So there are two problems - some water is coming through the ceiling down to the basement & this water is rusting the I-Beams.

We scraped the I-beams and painted what we could see with rustoleum. I sealed around the sliding glass door with expansion foam and installed some Trim to slow the water coming in. We dug out some of the old mortar around the stones and replaced and areas that seemed to be lacking mortar. I think all of these will help but i have some more questions and certainly appreciate any advice.

1) Is it worth placing columns or posts in the center of the I-Beams to support them and increase their life span? Is installing a post or column a job for an structural engineer? They are going to say is probably a good idea - put the post in the center of the beam, etc. Do i need an engineer for this? My questions are - Where would one buy post or columns for this application? How do i know that the post is actually taking up some of the weight? Would you attach it to the I-Beam? Is the ground below the basement where the post is sitting on - reinforced concrete or just a mixture of sand & cement?

2) Lets say we fill all the joints in the patio above the basement or as much as we can. - Is there a clear sealing product that could be painted or rolled onto the whole patio that might slow the water intrusion? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks - Tim

PS - The photos are missing the gutter & flashing but I installed a new one and sealed it.

The Continental Op

I'm not sure there is that much to worry about? Its a garage/workshop so you can accept a bit of rain coming through. The engineering is an old style steel, concrete beam and infill slab. If you can't stop some water getting through then you are going to have to put up with a bit more rust. What I'd consider is spraying the areas that are more difficult to get at with Owatrol Oil spray.

rodmn2377

https://dampstore.ie/product/hydra-flex-flexible-tanking-membrane/

i had a lad who damp proofed my basement and he recommended this stuff for putting on bricks or paths, he said it was the best stuff he ever used when it came to stopping water getting throught block work etc... it might help on the patio above that garage... ya paint it on and it drys in and seals the blocks... we put it on the lower block work that is just above the where the basement meets the house as he thought there water bridging the walls and then getting to the roof of the basement... ya can see the water running off this area now when it rains instead of soaking into the blocks... it seems to have worked...