ASHP installation done wrong? Or storm blew the house down?

[Scarletpimpofnel]

After reading this thread - https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

I saw this video showing the recent storm blowing down a house. To me it looks like the ashp has been bolted on a weak wall next to a window high up where (1) the wall isn't as strong as at ground level and (2) the ashp is more likely to catch the wind. Add to that at 19seconds in you can see lots of services (heat pump pipes?) entering the building with bricks removed instead of drilling holes. None of it looks well engineered to me. Has this poor ashp installation caused this collapse rather than the storm? Just curious.

https://news.sky.com/video/moment-historic-red-bri...

[smokey mow]

That’s nothing to do with the ASHP in my opinion.

The failure appears to start much lower down and the number of acro props inside the building suggests that it’s having some work carried out.

Most likely cause would be either an issue whilst underpinning or poor propping of the brickwork whilst installing a beam to a new structural opening.

[Silvanus]

Is that not an air-conditioning unit?

[Simpo Two]

Silvanus said:

Is that not an air-conditioning unit?

It's a huge a/c unit, and wouldn't have helped.

[Scarletpimpofnel]

smokey mow said:

That’s nothing to do with the ASHP in my opinion.

The failure appears to start much lower down and the number of acro props inside the building suggests that it’s having some work carried out.

Most likely cause would be either an issue whilst underpinning or poor propping of the brickwork whilst installing a beam to a new structural opening.

Yes good point re the props. I just can't help but feel that huge a/c (I said ashp but others have said a/c) on that wall (window one side, no weight of bricks above to stop it moving, weight of a/c creating a turning moment on the wall wanting to pull the wall outwards, extra wind load.... none are helping.

[smokey mow]

Scarletpimpofnel said:

Yes good point re the props. I just can't help but feel that huge a/c (I said ashp but others have said a/c) on that wall (window one side, no weight of bricks above to stop it moving, weight of a/c creating a turning moment on the wall wanting to pull the wall outwards, extra wind load.... none are helping.

There’s about 20 courses of cavity brickwork above the unit and then the wall plate and roof bearing down on that which is more than adequate. There’s also at least 700mm between the corner of the building and the window opening which again is plenty.

Also note that it was the side gable wall that rotated outwards and not the wall which the a/c unit was fixed to.

The only obvious thing I see wrong in the videos is a lack of lateral restraint between the walls and the floor joists that run parallel to these.

I say this as a chartered building surveyor and engineer of 20years.

Edited by smokey mow on Monday 27th January 17:05

[Silvanus]

Chances are it was in pretty poor condition and may have had structural issues, it was cordoned off and scheduled for demolition.

[kambites]

Having a big box hung off the wall certainly wouldn't have helped, but if the wall was in decent condition it would have been fine - that's an entirely normal way to mount the external unit of an air-to-air heat pump. Pretty much every house in Eastern Europe has a load of those things hung off the walls like that.

[dmsims]

A rear extension was taken out to build a sunken courtyard. They’d excavated large parts of the to the rear of the building, exposing the basement completely.
The plan was to reopen as a surgery in a refurbished building

[Scarletpimpofnel]

Thanks all. It just didn't look right to me having such a large a/c so high up an old wall but it seems that was no issue at all.

[TA14]

Silvanus said:

Chances are it was in pretty poor condition and may have had structural issues, it was cordoned off and scheduled for demolition.

It wasn't scheduled for demolition.

[Simpo Two]

TA14 said:

Silvanus said:

Chances are it was in pretty poor condition and may have had structural issues, it was cordoned off and scheduled for demolition.

It wasn't scheduled for demolition.

It says 'A cordon was erected around the building with plans for a controlled demolition before it collapsed'.


The word 'historic' makes it sound important when clearly it was just a decrepit pile. But it gets more views I suppose.

[TA14]

Simpo Two said:

TA14 said:

Silvanus said:

Chances are it was in pretty poor condition and may have had structural issues, it was cordoned off and scheduled for demolition.

It wasn't scheduled for demolition.

It says 'A cordon was erected around the building with plans for a controlled demolition before it collapsed'.

The word 'historic' makes it sound important when clearly it was just a decrepit pile. But it gets more views I suppose.

Not scheduled for demolition before the building work began. Partial controlled demolition may have been the only option at that stage. In a conservation area and may have to be re-built as original.

[Cow Corner]

If it wasn’t due for demolition, let’s hope somebody competent had designed those temporary works…