Hi all,
I'm building a roughly 7m x 4m timber-framed garden workshop/office. There's a big tree next to it and trying to avoid more digging/ pouring concrete etc so for foundations/plinths/piers was going to use either swift plinths (https://swiftfoundations.co.uk/swift-plinth-plus/) or ground screws but then got given 15 scrap rsj's which I was thinking to use instead. They are roughly 155mm x 155mm and steel is between 6mm and 8mm thick. Each is between 1.2-1.6m long.
I was going to do very shallow mot type1 to lay them level on and then put some kind of thin plastic barrier and timber base/frame on top.
The soil is London top soil with clay maybe 70cm below from memory. Was going to use 2x6 treated timber for base with the 15 rsj's at around 170cm intervals. Is this a crazy idea? Should I bother cleaning and priming steels or leave the rusted surface and assume the rust won't eat through enough to be a problem for tens of years? Any guidance very appreciated.
I'm building a roughly 7m x 4m timber-framed garden workshop/office. There's a big tree next to it and trying to avoid more digging/ pouring concrete etc so for foundations/plinths/piers was going to use either swift plinths (https://swiftfoundations.co.uk/swift-plinth-plus/) or ground screws but then got given 15 scrap rsj's which I was thinking to use instead. They are roughly 155mm x 155mm and steel is between 6mm and 8mm thick. Each is between 1.2-1.6m long.
I was going to do very shallow mot type1 to lay them level on and then put some kind of thin plastic barrier and timber base/frame on top.
The soil is London top soil with clay maybe 70cm below from memory. Was going to use 2x6 treated timber for base with the 15 rsj's at around 170cm intervals. Is this a crazy idea? Should I bother cleaning and priming steels or leave the rusted surface and assume the rust won't eat through enough to be a problem for tens of years? Any guidance very appreciated.
