Hello everyone, I urgently need some help. While drilling a core hole for an exhaust vent in the knee wall, I accidentally cut through two reinforcement bars. Now I’m worried that this might affect the structural integrity. Can I chisel out the old reinforcement and reconnect it with new reinforcement using bonding mortar? Here are some additional details: the hole went through two layers – the lower half in brick, which I suspect is hollow brick, and the other half in reinforced concrete. The drilling was done close to the floor. That means the bare concrete floor is just below 6cm (2.4 inches) of screed. Unfortunately, I don’t have a structural calculation, only the drawings from the building permit / planning permission application. I have attached them, with the drilling location marked by a red cross. So far, there are no cracks or damage near the drilling. Thank you in advance for your support!
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Mist3rium19 Aug 2025 09:00These are 12mm (1/2 inch) rebar. I am concerned that exposing the rebar further might worsen the situation and cause cracks. Can you tell me the name of the tool?
What you haven't shown a picture of is the drill core; I don't see any reinforcement here. And in my assessment, you haven't drilled through any ring beam, but through the brick wall below.
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https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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MachsSelbst19 Aug 2025 14:31Well, he must have had some reason for cutting through the reinforcement. Have a structural engineer take a look at it. It was already careless to start drilling without proper assessment... are you even allowed to do that without the consent of the other parties involved? It would be even worse to try and fix it without inspection, and then in winter, with significant snow load, the roof might suddenly give way or something along those lines...
If it were your own single-family house, that would be different. You can do whatever you want there, but from what I understand, you live in a building with 8 or 10 units? They have a say in this if you are drilling through load-bearing parts and then patching it up...
If it were your own single-family house, that would be different. You can do whatever you want there, but from what I understand, you live in a building with 8 or 10 units? They have a say in this if you are drilling through load-bearing parts and then patching it up...
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Mist3rium19 Aug 2025 15:07I’ve received feedback from an acquaintance who works in construction. It’s probably a ring beam that distributes the loads from the stairwell, as there is only a window front in that area. He said it’s not a big issue because the ring beam is still supported well enough inside my apartment. He also mentioned that there should be enough steel reinforcement in the ring beam anyway. What are your thoughts on this?
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ajokr202519 Aug 2025 15:29Ask a structural engineer. The roof rafters rest on them.
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