Project: Suspended slab support for load-bearing wall removal
Location: Liverpool, NSW
Sector: Commercial refurbishment
Client: Demo Bros
Services Provided: Temporary works design, supply, installation
Equipment Used: Legend 50T Modular Propping, Legend 100T Modular Propping, structural steel header beams, hardwood sleeper packs
Project Overview
Demolition contractor Demo Bros needed to remove load-bearing walls at ground level of a building in Liverpool, NSW, while the suspended concrete slab above remained fully loaded. Before any wall could come out, the slab loads had to be transferred onto a new temporary load path.
Legend Hire supplied and installed structural steel header beams supported by Legend 50T and Legend 100T Modular Propping Systems, bearing onto hardwood sleeper packs. With the load path established and verified, Demo Bros could punch through and remove the load-bearing walls safely, with the structure above stabilised throughout the works.
The Challenge
The ground floor walls scheduled for demolition were load-bearing, carrying the suspended concrete slab and structure above. Removing them without an engineered temporary support system would risk uncontrolled deflection or progressive collapse.
As on many projects, access was the defining constraint. The structural steel header beams had to be brought into an enclosed ground floor space, through existing openings, around live services, and beneath restricted ceiling heights, then lifted and landed accurately in position tight against the underside of the structure. There was no scope for craneage from outside; every beam had to be manoeuvred and installed internally.
The Solution
Legend Hire designed a temporary load path that picked up the slab loads before any masonry was removed.
Structural steel header beams were positioned hard against the underside of the suspended slab, spanning across the walls marked for removal. Working in the confined interior, our installation team used a compact material lift to raise and land each beam, eliminating the need for external craneage.
Each header beam was then supported on Legend 50T and Legend 100T Modular Propping Systems, selected to match the calculated loads at each support point.
The props bore onto stacked hardwood sleeper packs, spreading concentrated prop loads across the existing ground-floor slab. Once installed, the system was loaded to engage the headers and confirm load transfer, and punch-through points were set out on the walls so demolition could proceed in a controlled sequence.
Throughout installation, Legend Hire coordinated directly with Demo Bros to sequence beam placement and propping around their demolition program.
Equipment Used
- Legend 100T Modular Propping System: high-capacity props at primary header beam support points
- Legend 50T Modular Propping System: props at secondary support points
- Structural steel header beams: spanning the walls scheduled for removal, transferring slab loads to the props
- Hardwood sleeper packs: engineered load spreaders distributing prop loads into the ground slab
The Outcome
With the temporary load path established and verified, Demo Bros safely removed the load-bearing walls with the suspended slab fully supported throughout. Structural loads were transferred and managed as designed, the confined-access installation was completed without external craneage, and the demolition program proceeded without delay or incident.
Frequently Asked Questions
Steel header beams were installed beneath the slab and supported on engineered props, transferring loads to a temporary load path before demolition began.
Determined by engineering assessment of the slab and structure loads; Legend Hire’s modular systems cover 10T to 100T+ per prop.
They spread concentrated prop loads across the supporting slab or ground, preventing overload or punching failure at the bearing point.
Punching failure occurs when a concentrated load, such as a prop, pushes through a concrete slab. It happens when the load applied over a small contact area exceeds the slab’s punching shear capacity.