Commercial Floor Systems

We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.

-Winston Churchill
CAST IN PLACE
• Cast in Place
Ready-mix concrete poured in forms on-
site
• Cast-in-place concrete is transported in an unhardened
state, primarily as ready-mix, and placed in forms.
• Ready mixed concrete is proportioned and mixed off the
project site.
• The concrete is delivered to the site in a truck agitator
(often incorrectly called a “cement truck”) but can also be
delivered in a non-agitating truck.
• Specialized paving equipment may be used to mix and
spread concrete for pavement
TRUCK AGITATOR
 USES

• Most foundations and slabs-on-ground

• Walls, beams, columns, floors, roofs
• Large portions of bridges, pavements, and
other infrastructure.
WHY CAST IN PLACE?
• Cast-in-place concrete is the material of
choice for slab-on-ground and foundations
because of its long-term durability and
structural support. It is also used in all
types of buildings for either structural
support as beams and columns, as well as
for floors, walls, and roofs.
PRECAST
• Precast Concrete is a construction
product produced by casting concrete in a
reusable mold or "form" which is then
cured in a controlled environment,
transported to the construction site and
lifted into place.
• There are many different types of precast
concrete forming systems for architectural
applications, differing in size, function and
cost.
• Precast architectural panels are also used
to clad all or part of a building facade free-
standing walls used for landscaping,
soundproofing and security walls and some
can be Prestressed concrete structural
elements.
• Stormwater drainage, water and sewage
pipes and tunnels make use of precast
concrete units.
SLAB
 What is Slab???

“A flat piece of concrete, typically used as a

walking surface, but may also serve as a
load
bearing device as in slab homes.”
 FUNCTION

 Provide a flat surface

 To support load
 Sound, heat and fire insulator
 Act as a divider (privacy) for the occupants
 Upper slab became the ceiling for the
storey below
 Space between slab and ceiling can be used
to place building facilities
 Classification of Slab

UPPER FLOOR

GROUND FLOOR
TIMBER FLOOR

PRECAST FLOOR
SOLID FLOOR
REINFORCED CONCRETE FLOOR

SUSPENDED GROUND FLOOR

Characteristic of Ground Floor

 Simple design
 Load will be supported by the ground
 Less problem related to distance of span
 Choice to construct solid floor or
suspended ground floor will depends on
nature of the building and site condition
 DESIGN CONSIDERATION

Among the design function that need to be taken

in consideration for construction of ground floor
slab is
• The provision of a uniform, level surface
• Sufficient strength and stability
• Exclusion of dampness from inside of building
• Thermal insulation (max.0.45 W/square metreK
• Resistance to fire
Solid Floor
Solid Floor / Non Suspended Floor

 Constructed using concrete

 Doesn’t use timber so there will be no
decay
 Solid floor need other finishing
 Construction Of Solid Floor
1) Clear the construction area
2) Remove topsoil / unsuitable material (225 mm)
3) Compact and level the soil
4) Place hardcore and compact it
Hardcore plays the role to fill in any small pockets
that have formed during oversite excavation in order
to provide a firm base for placing concrete bed and
to help spread any point loads over a greater area.
5) Place Damp Proof Membrane
6) Prepare formwork
7) Prepare lean concrete (50 – 75mm) in
order
to ensure the reinforcement didn’t touch
the ground.
8) Place Reinforcement Bar to increase
strength
9) Pour concrete (1:2:4) with thickness of
(150mm) and level it.
10)Place concrete of (25-50mm )
thickness .
(rendering process)
BEFORE

AFTER

Topsoil Is Stripped
Rebar Used For Slab Construction
Pouring concrete
Concrete Slab Finishing
Screeding is the process removes excess concrete and
brings the top surface of the concrete to proper grade.
SUSPENDED GROUND FLOOR
 SUSPENDED GROUND FLOOR
 A ground floor need to be suspended under the
following condition:
a) domestic buildings on sloping sites where
more than 600mm depth of infill would be
required
b) where the bearing capacity and nature of the
ground different from one part to another
c) where the ground is shrinkable clay,
expansive material or unstable soil type.
 Suspended floors / slab is fixed some
distance above the ground.
 There are 2 types of suspended ground
floor such as
a) Suspended timber ground floors
b) Suspended precast concrete floors
Suspended Timber Ground Floor
 Suspended Timber Ground
Floor
 it has some flexibility and will accept nail
fixing (solid ground floor can’t use nail)
 Under side of ground floor must kept dry to
prevent fungus attack
 Susceptible to dry rot and draughts but it can
be avoided if the floor is designed correctly.
 Adequate ventilation under the floor and
correct positioning of dampproof courses can
keep the under floor area and timber dry.
 Space beneath the suspended timber
floor is
ideal for running electric cables, water
pipes
and gas pipes
 It’s more expensive form of construction
than concrete floor
 Cheaper than precast concrete flooring
system
Precast Concrete Floor
PRECAST CONCRETE FLOOR

 Advantages of Precast Concrete floor is

a) Doesn’t need formwork
b) Time taken for concrete to cure in the
formwork can be eliminated
c) Better quality control
d) Doesn’t need many workers as in in-situ
concrete construction
e) fast completion of construction project
 long spans available with precast concrete flooring
systems reduce the number of secondary beam
required and maximize the column free space.
 Fire resistance ratings normally between 1 & 2
hours
 Among the things that need to be considered
before considering any system of precast concrete
flooring are:
a) maximum span f) Sound insulation
b) nature of support g) Thermal insulation
properties
c) weight of units h) Fire resistance of units
d) thickness of units i) Speed of construction
e) Amount of temporary support required
 There are many types of precast
concrete
floor such as :
a) Precast Hollow Floors
b) Composite floors
 Precast hollow floor units are available
in a variety of sections such as box
planks / beams, tee section, I beam
sections and channel sections.
 Composite floors are combination of
precast units and insitu concrete.
Precast Hollow Slab
 Precast Hollow Floors
 more economic compared to in-situ floor
due to reduction in volume of concrete
used, weight of reinforcement and size of
foundation.
 cheaper than composite
 in-situ concrete is not required
 Units are self centering so, no need
temporary
support
 Construction period is shorter
Composite Floors
 Composite Floors
 combination of precast units and in situ
concrete.
 precast units that are usually prestressed /
reinforced with high yield bars are used to
provide the strength of the floor with the
smallest depth practicable
 At the same time, act as permanent formwork
to the in-situ topping that provides the
compressive strength required.
 Composite floors will act in the same manner as
in-situ floor so it can be designed for more
complex loadings
 Reinforced Concrete Slab /
Floor
 In- Situ construction
 Flat Slab
 Flat Plate Slab
 Waffle Slab / Honeycomb Floors
 Beam Floor Slab
• 1. Flat slabs
• Flat slabs are highly versatile elements
widely used in construction, providing
minimum depth, fast construction and
allowing flexible column grids
FLAT SLAB
 BENEFITS

• Flat slabs are particularly appropriate for

areas where tops of partitions need to be
sealed to the slab soffit for acoustic or fire
reasons.
• Flat slabs are considered to be faster and
more economic than other forms of
construction, as partition heads do not
need to be cut around downstand beams or
ribs.
• Flat slabs can be designed with a good
surface finish to the soffit, allowing
exposed soffits to be used. This allows
exploitation of the building’s thermal mass
in the design of heating, ventilation and
cooling requirements, increasing energy
efficiency
 FLAT SLAB
 Increased slab shear resistance
 This system provide relatively a flat ceilings
(reduce finishing cost)
 Low storey heights due to shallow floor
 Medium span with light loading
 Spans 20 to 40 ft
 Live load > 100psf (garage, warehouses)
 Reduce slab displacement
 FLAT SLAB
 Reduce slab displacement
 Increased slab shear resistance
 This system provide relatively a flat
ceilings (reduce finishing cost)
 Low storey heights due to shallow floor
 Medium span with light loading
 Spans 20 to 40 ft
 Live load > 100psf (garage, warehouses)
FLAT PLATE SLAB
 FLAT PLATE SYSTEM
 Simple construction
 Flat plate construction can minimize storey
height (piping, wall cladding, elevators etc)
in areas with absolute height restrictions.
 Low storey heights due to shallow floor
 Spans < 20ft (residential & light commercial)
 Flat ceilings (reduced finishing cost)
 Have the simplest formwork
 Least labor costs
 Can be applied for short to medium
spans
with light loadings
 Also reduce building weight and
effective
area of wind loads
WAFFLE SLAB
 WAFFLE SLAB
 Used as alternative to an in-site flat slab or a
beam and slab suspended floor
 This is because it requires less concrete, less
reinforcement and can be used to reduce the
number of beams and columns required with the
resultant savings on foundations.
 Moulds are very strong, lightweight & capable of
supporting all the normal loads encountered in
building works.
 Spans >30 ft
 Use prefabricated standard forms
 special moulds are placed at certain distance
 skilled workers are needed & need less steel
 SLAB DESIGN

 One Way Slab

 Two Way Slab
- Require less steel
- Few two slabs built in the area of high

labor costs
- Suitable for minimizing deflections
One Way Slab

BEAM
Two Way Slab
 SLAB FAILURE :
CAUSES & EFFECT
 TYPES OF SLAB PROBLEM

Damp Or Wet
Cracking Of The Slab
Floor Slab

Cold Floor
 CRACKING OF THE SLAB :
CAUSES
 Poor construction techniques and
practices
 Differential / Uneven settlement
 Inadequate structural strength of
concrete
 Improper placement of reinforcing &
mesh
Cracking Of The Slab
 Damp or Wet Floor Slab :
Causes
 Moisture migration through the slab
 Poor site drainage
COMMERCIAL FLOOR
SYSTEMS
Commercial Floor Systems
• Ground Floor
– Slab-on-Grade
• Elevated Floor
– Precast Concrete
– Cast-in-Place Concrete
• Concrete Floor Design
– Load-Span Tables
Commercial Floor Systems

Courtesy Carolina Concrete Masonry Association

Commercial Ground Floor
Slab on Grade Courtesy TexAZ Commercial Park

• Cast-in-place
concrete slab
poured directly on
the ground
Courtesy Isle of Palms, SC
Recreation Department

• Reinforced with
steel bars and/or
welded wire fabric
(WWF)
Welded wire fabric (WWF) is
placed before slab pour
Commercial High Rise Floors
Elevated Floors
• Floors above the ground
• Typical construction
– Precast Concrete
– Cast-in-Place Concrete
No permission
Precast Concrete Floor
• Formed and cast off-site
• Transported to the site
• Installed in the structure
Hollow Core Precast
• Typical Shapes floor panels

– Hollow core
– T or Double T

Double T Precast slab

 Precast Concrete Floor

Courtesy Portland Cement Association Courtesy Eric Fisher

Using precast concrete floors can reduce both

construction cost and build time.
Cast-in-Place Concrete

Concrete floors are

formed, reinforced,
and cast in place.

©iStockphoto.com
 Cast-in-Place Concrete Floor

Cast-in-place floors
provide flexibility in
building shape.
Concrete Floor Design
Concrete floors are designed to carry a given
applied load over a span.
Load = The force that is applied to the floor
– Typically expressed as pounds per square foot of floor.
– Example: 150 psf
Span = The distance between supports
Concrete Floor Design
• Structural engineers often use load-span tables to select structural elements.

• Based on the applied (superimposed live) load and the span, you can choose the floor design that requires the least amount of materials.

Span

Load
Concrete Floor Design Example
PROBLEM: Choose the most efficient composite floor
slab to span 8ft 6in. and carry an applied load of 220 psf.
Span
Applied load
must be less
than tabulated
load

Choose the smallest slab depth that will carry the load.
Use a 3.5 inch slab on Deck Type16 (16 gauge metal).
Concrete Floor Design Example
Be sure to check the Allowable Unshored Clear Span.
Concrete Floor Design Example
• Avoid shoring – it adds to the cost of
construction.

• The number of spans is the number of

unsupported lengths between supports.

• Use more spans to reduce slab thickness.

1 SPAN 2 SPAN 3 SPAN

Concrete Floor Design Example
Span

The Allowable Unshored Clear Span for all cases is

greater than the span and therefore does not affect the
design.
Concrete Floor Design Example

Using the technical information available from the decking

manufacturer, specify 6 x 6/W1.4 x W1.4 Welded Wire
Fabric reinforcement for the 3.5in. slab.
Keystone Project Floor Design

(Superimposed live) load = 150 psf

Span will depend on system chosen
Commercial Floor Systems
• Ground Floor
– Slab-on-Grade
• Elevated Floor
– Precast Concrete
– Cast-in-Place Concrete
• Concrete Floor Design
– Load-Span Tables
References

Ching, Francis D. K., and Cassandra Adams. Building

Construction Illustrated, 3rd Edition. (2000) New
York: Wiley.
Ramsey, Charles George. Ramsey/Sleeper architectural
graphics standards. (2000) New York: John Wiley.
Image Sources
• Tilt Up Concrete Association. http://www.tilt-up.org/
• iStockphoto. http://www.istockphoto.com/index.php
• TexAZ Commercial Properties, LLC
• Carolinas Concrete Masonry Association.
http://ccmaonline.com/about-carolinas-concrete/about-us.htm
• Isle of Palms Recreation Department, Isle of Palms, SC
• Portland Cement Association.
• Eric Fisher, Hamilton Heights High School, Arcadia, IN
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