pushing beam up into joists

[jjb]

Hi guys, I've got a continuous i-beam (7"Dx3.75"W) running the length of my basement. There is a 10' span between 2 steel posts which is a headroom issue, and I'd like to push it up into the floor joists.

I think the general procedure for this is:
1) add temp load bearing walls on both sides of existing beam
2) cut, remove desired section of existing beam (no point/wall loads directly above it)
3) weld a ~7"x1/2" plate the length of the cut beam to support joist ends
4) cut 3.75" wide vertical channels out of floor joists to accept mod'd beam
5) put up mod'd beam, support with new posts into existing footings (now 4 posts total, 2 per footing)

So my questions:
Any need for a structural engineer or is this as straightforward as it appears to me?
Are there any easier/better ways to do this?
Any major steps that I missed?

Thanks,

jjb

[Cole]

So my questions:
Any need for a structural engineer or is this as straightforward as it appears to me?

Always, get a engineer to look at it.

[Sweep]

If I understand the situation correctly (a big if), and IF the floor load is a typical one, after supporting the joists, I would cut out the beam, cut back the joists leaving a 3 3/4" gap between their ends and put two 1 3/4x9 1/4 LVL's above the existing steel beams lapping as much as possible over the steel at each end. Secure the joists with hangers and tie everything together so the steel beam is well braced laterally. Even better get one LVL 3 1/2" wide.

An engineer must check it out because I don't know the true load on the LVL's and the steel beam might have been designed as a continuous span over multiple columns. Now that the remaining portion is discontinuous (simple span), it might be undersized. This might be unlikely but I don't know about the other spans so I can't advise you. I know that designing something over the phone never works like you think it will, so be even more cautious about designing over the internet.

If you use the original beam, connections at the ends and at the joists will be difficult.