THE COLLEGE OF ESTATE MANAGEMENT POSTAL COURSES Floor Structure and Contents e Introduction © Learning objectives e Floor structures Functional requirements e Ground floor construction «Suspended floors Timber Insitu reinforced concrete Precast concrete Steel and composite floors Selection criteria « Floor finishes Functional requirements Sub-floor Selection of floor finishes e Ceiling finishes Functional requirements Selection of ceiling finishes « Platform floors + Summary 6.95 © The College of Estate Management 1995 8012THE COLLEGE OF ESTATE MANAGEMENT POSTAL COURSES Floor Structure and Finishes Introduction This paper identifies and describes some typical floor structures used in commercial and industrial building. It explains the reasons for their selection and discusses the types of finish which might be appropriate for specific purposes. You will recall that several types of floor structures were described in the paper on ‘Framed Structures’, and reference to this paper is recommended. On completion of this paper you should be able to: 1 Discuss the functional requirements and selection criteria relating to floor structures and finishes, Identify a number of alternative floor constructions. 3. Describe how such floors are constructed. 4 Select and describe suitable floor and ceiling finishes for specific commercial and industrial purposes. 3 8012[A variety of floor finishes atthe entrance toa shopping arcade 8012THE COLLEGE OF ESTATE MANAGEMENT POSTAL COURSES Floor Structure and Finishes Floor structures Funct nal requirements The functional requirements of floor structure will vary depending upon whether we are considering a ground floor or an upper suspended floor. In general the functional requirements for a floor are: 1 To have adequate strength and stability and to be capable of carrying the loads to be imposed upon it without undue deflection. To have adequate fire resistance commensurate with the needs of the building. 3. To have adequate thermal resistance depending upon the nature of the occupancy of the building. 4 To have adequate sound insulation dependent upon the occupancy of the building. 5 To provide adequate resistance to damp penetration (ground floors only). Note: In the following notes and on the sketches which accompany them, various finishes to both floor and ceiling are shown. These finishes are more fully described later in the paper. 8012Floor Structure and Finishes Ground floor construction The earlier level of this course dealt with timber, insitu concrete and precast concrete suspended ground floors for domestic buildings. Since each of these techniques is equally applicable to commercial and industrial buildings, these notes will concentrate mainly on the larger, more heavily loaded ground floor constructions, using only insitu conerete. Figure I shows a typical insitu concrete floor to a large industrial building, possibly a workshop or warehouse. Notice that the concrete is likely to be thicker than that used in domestic construction ~ 200-300mm is not uncommon — and that the concrete is almost certainly going to be reinforced, probably with mesh reinforcement. Note the use of an isolating membrane, which is equivalent to the damp-proofing membrane in domestic construction and helps to prevent the ingress of moisture; but perhaps, ‘more importantly this membrane allows the concrete to move without dragging on the hardcore base. In large floor construction this movement is very significant, since expansion and contraction can cause severe cracking of the concrete. ‘You will see from the sketch that both expansion and contraction joints would normally be incorporated ina very large ground floor to take up thermal movement. There are further details of similar expansion and contraction joints in a later paper entitled ‘External Works’ Bearing in mind the properties of concrete ~ that is, the initial shrinkage due to drying, followed by’thermal movements of expansion and contraction } a large floor should be constructed using the alternate bay method illustrated at Figure 1b. In this diagram the floor finish is shown as a hard durable surface of granolithic concrete, laid as a thick screed Remember that the screed must also be laid in bays and suitably jointed to allow it move in sympathy with the concrete structural floor. - ‘The method of construction of this floor would be as follows: + Excavate to formation level and compact by rolling or other suitable method. + Place and compact hardcore or other fill material, and blind with sand, pfa, or similar. + Set up formwork to slab edges and to the construction bays, incorporating expansion or contraction joint materials. + Place damp proof membrane immediately before concreting (but note that the membrane will have to be continuous beneath the joint construction). + Cast concrete and consolidate by tamping or vibration. (A power float finish may be used if a finishing screed is not being used). + Ifan integral screed is specified, then this must be placed before the concrete slab achieves, its final set. Otherwise, the screed should be placed at a convenient time when subsequent damage is unlikely. + Arrange for the curing and protection of the concrete, and for striking the formwork at the specified time intervals, 6 8012Floor Seructure and Finishes FIGURE 1{a) Ground floor construction 76mm granitic seraed \Non-setting sealer ” 200mm concrete 2omm compressible filer board f; /Mesh reinforcement (50mm cover) 75 ane peaiatey Sand or RA Diinaing | s00 Bat Polythene isolating 302m sub-base in ‘membrane inva layers (insulation not required) Non-seting sealer ‘Steet stanchion Isolating joint 2b Foundation industrial floor 7 8012Floor Structure and Finishes FIGURE 1(b) Bays cast rst Init bays yy Dowel cap, end filled with Hot or cold poured compressible material ‘sealer 2mm wide (Max bay size 4.5m x 6m) Chequer board construction ‘Surtace groave Sfommwide, sealed it _lntuced crack wnecessary = oo Compressibie fier. and SoMMNthNek Dowel bors 20mm dia oard Zomm thick © Soom, Jong @ 300mm Contres ("9 bar to be Expansion j conte il a fo bes Tied transverse control joint Solution! 0mm song Go = —— standard Po i 5/7 ~ J ‘Standard mesh Longitudinas (Tre bars 12mm dia jot x 900mm fong at 600mm centres Longitudinal joint Induced crack si eS ong @ 300mm centres (halt Barcoaied with debonding compound) Crack inducer Free contraction joint 8012Floor Structure and Finishes Suspended floors As mentioned above, those domestic floors which have been dealt with at an earlier level of the course are equally applicable in commercial and industrial buildings, provided the floor spans are relatively small. However, this paper assumes larger spans. 1 Timber If timber is to be used for a suspended floor then large spans can only be achieved by introducing beams of other materials, normally steel, to which the timber can span. The use of timber could prove to be very expensive if very large sections are necessary. The double floor illustrated in Figure 2 identifies the principles of this type of construction. Note that the steel beams carrying the floor may be primary or secondary, depending upon the nature of the floor spans. The floor finish in this case is tongued and grooved chipboard, which would be suitable for relatively light loads (for example in an office building) and the ceiling finish is traditional plasterboard with a skim coat of plaster. The requirements for fire protection and sound insulation have not been specifically considered. (Additional fire protection and cavity barriers may be necessary.) Method of construction + Place and secure primary beams. + Place secondary beams and secure to main beams. * Place timber joists at correct centres, and trim for openings. ‘+ Insert herring-bone or solid strutting as required, + Cut, place, and secure floorboarding. + Ata later stage in the construction (after services have been installed), fix plasterboard and apply skim coat of plaster. 9 8012Floor Structure and Finishes FIGURE 2 Suspended floor: ber Covering (otuminous felt) Procast coneret to end of steel beam ppadstane on brick pier ‘Metal joist hanger —Se tt cavity | Cram waite |. - —_ J = aston doists” J Trimmer {| joist Trimming + Housed poise | ~stairwelt Internal ~ Universal “Precast cone. wails beam’ padstone Glued tongued & C ‘grooved chipboard pie ~ Common ots foo 5 Fraried bracketing ~ ites” Pit required Plasterboard ceiling Sibeam easing ‘eiayers 10 8012Floor Structure and Finishes 2 Insitu reinforced concrete A large number of different forms of construction are available using insitu concrete. Figure 3 illustrates two basic types of plane floor: + an insitu concrete floor supported on downstand beams which span between the frame columns; * an insitu concrete plate floor which is free from downstand or upstand beams. Ineach case notice that a fairly high concentration of reinforcement is required in order to carry the tensile stresses. At this point it is worth reminding ourselves that concrete is very strong in compression but very weak in tension, and when a construction such as afloor orbeam is placed under load, the structure will bend such that the upper part of the member is in compression and the lower part is in tension. (Over the supports this is reversed.) The changeover from tension to compression occurs at the neutral axis (the plane at which stress is zero), Clearly in reinforced conerete only the concrete above the neutral axis is performing any useful structural work, the conerete below the neutral axis is merely holding the tensile steel in the correct position. In the case of a plate floor, since no beams are used to carry the floor, the beams have to be incorporated within the floor depth, and you will see that very heavy reinforcement is required on the line of the columns. It is also apparent that as the span of the floor increases, so the thickness of the floor must increase quite considerably. This is accompanied by a significant increase in the dead-load being carried by the building ‘To overcome this problem, floors may be designed to reduce the volume of concrete below the neutral axis. This can be achieved by concentrating the steel reinforcement in narrow bands, such as shown in Figure 4. The typical tee-beam floor illustrated at Figure 4a is very deep, allowing very large spans to be covered, but uses relatively little concrete. (The Waffle grid floor is simply a two-way spanning tee-beam floor.) The hollow pot floor illustrated at Figure 4b is another example of reducing the weight of the floor by replacing some of the concrete with a lighter material, but not reducing its structural strength. In this case, the hollow clay or hollow concrete pots are spaced to allow reinforcement to be placed between them. Reasonably large spans can be achieved this way with only low volumes of concrete being involved. Although these should not be classified as insitu concrete floors, Figures 4c and d illustrate the same principle. Precast concrete beams are used to support infill ‘pots’ of lightweight ‘material, achieving the same effect as a hollow pot floor. The construction illustrated is for a ground floor, but the identical method can be used for upper floors. nN 8012Floor Structure and Finishes FIGURE 3(a) Suspended floor: insitu reinforced concrete Brick cladding ‘Main reinforcement Insulation Bars ‘Alternate rods Granted up SS hoas —— Surrups at Gesigned centres Rods Reinforcement tied FS wierd re PS sernnenes me” 2S 7 Main rods ‘Distribution rods Solid reinforced concrete floor with r/concrete beams Distribution reinforcement, Reinforcement tied with annealod wire af ach intersection Principal reinforcement. Solid reinforced concrete floor with steel beams 12 8012Floor Soructure and Finishes FIGURE 3 (continued) Beam wiath Slab reinforcoment Alternate bars cranked up at Supports feolumns) Slab of constant thickness Plate floor 13 8012Floor Structure and Finishes FIGURE 4(a) Reinforced tee beam floor 8012 4Floor Structure and Finishes FIGURE 4(b) Hollow pot floor Boarding Concrete topping Pots may be omitted “zg ‘lose to beam to Improve shear strength Rough boarding Reinforcement Hollow pot floors 15 8012Floor Structure and Finishes FIGURE 4(c) Finishes Precast prestressed Concrete joists Beam casing ot shown Precast joist floor Method of construction * Erect falsework supporting structure (usually scaffolding). + Install formwork for floor if required; (Note that downstand beams may be cast in advance of the floor slab, in which case the formwork may be installed in two stages). * Ifa tee-beam floor, place the void formers on the base formwork (other methods can be used!). In the case of a hollow pot floor, carefully place the pots on the formwork + Place and secure the reinforcement; + Cast and vibrate the concrete using day joints as necessary, and prepare surface for subsequent finishes, 16 8012Floor Seructure and Finishes FIGURE 4(d) General Beam and block suspended flooring systems aro growing in popularity in domestic construction on sites with ‘normal’, as well as ‘difficul’ conditions ‘The use of 100mm Celcon Standard or Hi-Seven Blocks in such floors offer the following distinct advantages over dense concrete blocks: + their low thermal conductivity enhances thormal insulation, + thoir lightness reduces deed load, beams to span further, or lighter beam sections to be used (in some ca of sleeper walls can be reduced), and + because Celcon Blocks are about one-third the weight of dense concrete blocks, they can be handled and placed with greeter ease and speed. BBA Certificate No 90/2467 endorses their use for this purpose. Domestic garage floo ‘When constructing domestic garage floors, 2 screed should be used of 80mm thick concrete of ‘minimum compressive strength 20N/mm. Reference should be made to beam manufacturers with particular regard to beam ‘spacing and the need for reinforcement. ‘Thermal insulation When Celcon Standard blocks are used as infill in suspended beam end block ground floors a U value of 0.045 Wim'k or better ean be achieved where the floor, exposed on four edges, has the following minimum dimensions: ‘+ 13m x 13m of 10m x 18m and has 2 SOmm dense screed finish, + 12m x 12m oF 9m x 16m and has 2 Somm lightweight screed finish, + 6m x 6m or 5m x 8m with a chipboard finish ‘and 20mm of insulation with a thermal conductivity of 0.035 WimK or less, These figures are a rough guide only to@ complex subject. Celcon's Technical Services Department will supply detailed information Courtesy: Celeon lowing the ‘the number - ) Insulation Al joints in beam and block floors shouls first be grouted, this being an integral part of these: flooring systems. Celcon blocks can be easily cut to provide infil pieces and to accommodate viees. Asis common with these floor systems care should be taken to avoid overloading the floor construction. Planks should be laid across the joists before stacking materials, Further details can be obtained from the BBA Certificate No 90/ 2487, For clarity the Coleon Vaeckay has been omitted 7 8012Floor Structure and Finishes 3 Precast concrete By using precast concrete, particularly in framed structures, very large spans can be achieved. The precast concrete may either be standard ‘off the shelf” units or may be specially designed and fabricated for a particular task. Figure 5 gives examples of four types of precast concrete floor units which are, or have been widely used in construction. Notice in each case how the weight of the units is kept as low as possible by reducing the volume of concrete used in their manufacture, Notice also that the units may be either reinforced or prestressed. Generally speaking, to eliminate the possibility of individual precast units deflecting relative to the adjoining unit, precast concrete floors are normally covered with a structural screed on to which further finishes may be applied. In these examples a plastered ceiling has been shown, which often represents the simplest form of construction. Method of construction + Once the structural frame has been completed and is safe, the precast floor units are simply lifted into position. In some cases the units need to be secured to the frame or to each other, and continuity reinforcement positioned. * The structural screed, or infill, is normally applied quite soon after placing the units. ‘+ Finishing screeds and ceiling finishes are applied much later in the construction programme. 18 8012Floor Structure and Finishes FIGURE 5 Suspended floo recast concrete Gover to top Nange.as Screed regulations Inonstructional) aoa mndmuity Precast concrete Z Fina concrete Gontinuty Preset concrete Citing plaster filing Universal beam eae Beam unrapping Cross section Longitudinal section . Screed for finish nonstructural _— Tasitu concrete filing Precast, concrete nts Z Continuity AP reintorcoment Universal beam Precast ‘concrete tints ‘Stirraps Reinforcement 19 8012Floor Structure and Finishes 4 Steel and composite floors Particularly in steel-framed structures, the use of profiled steel sheets spanning between the beams and covered with a layer of structural concrete can prove an effective form of construction for industrial buildings. Figure 6a shows such a construction. Construction which uses profiled steel sheet and concrete is normally referred to as composite construction. The steel effectively carries the tensile stresses and acts as formwork for the concrete. The concrete requires only anti-cracking reinforcement, Figure 6b shows a steel floor which simply uses chequered plate or mesh, spanning over secondary steel beams both as the floor structure and finish. Such a floor would be used in an industrial building such as an engineering workshop or factory, or where access only to plant installation is required. Method of construction + Asabove, the structural frame must be complete and safe, then the steel plate or sheets can be placed and secured either by welding, bolting, shot, or pop riveting + Inthe case of profiled sheet, the centres of the sheets need to be propped to produce a camber so that the application of the concrete does not produce a sagging effect. + Reinforcement, anti-cracking mesh and concrete are placed and cast once suitable edge formwork is in position. FIGURE 6(a) Suspended floors: composite floor decking 20 8012Floor Siructure and Finishes FIGURE 6(b) Steel floors der [SBF SE round head serew ver i Hook plate Spin Exploded detail of oo adustable haang lp “—L—— ip plate ‘Hole for 6mm aia sutching boft Diamond pattern grid flooring Chequer plate or mosh Tepered Welded or bolted to Steel joists 21 8012Floor Structure and Finishes Selection criteria Considering only the structural element of the floor, the most important consideration is the span, The span in turn will be dictated by the nature of the frame and the requirements of the suspended floors would only be used where there is a specific requirement for this type of construction. Insitu concrete floors would generally be used when an insitu concrete frame is being used, although an insitu floor might be used with a steel frame where it is an essential part of the structure, Precast concrete and steel/composite floors would be used primarily with steel frames, but where faster construction is required, and the frame allows, they can be used with concrete frames. Special care should be taken when the floor under consideration is a separating floor between different occupancies, in which case the noise and fire resistance requirements may dictate the type of floor which has to be used. Floor finishes Functional requirements The functional requirements of floor finishes are: 1 Tobe durable in terms of wear and disfigurement, resulting from the use and loading on the floor. 2. To provide reasonable levels of noise insulation/absorption, and fire resistance. 3. To resist chemical or other spillage which might result in industrial or commercial use. 4 To provide a level of comfort and aestheti which the building is to be put. acceptability commensurate with the use to 5 To be relatively easy to maintain. Wear and disfigurement ‘The amount of wear, and hence disfigurement, to which a floor finish is subjected depends mainly upon the volume, intensity and weight of traffic, but also upon the nature of the traffic and the nature of the contact surface (whether it is polished or dirty). In considering durability we must look not only at the types of traffic passing over the floor (anything from a crawling. baby to a forklift truck) but also at the effects of moving furniture and stacked goods. 2 8012Floor Structure and Finishes Wear disfigurement will be greatly influenced by the presence of grit or other abrasives brought in or generated within the building. Substantial reductions in wear can be achieved by the use of ‘grit traps’ at building entrances (a small carpeted or matted area is very effective). Its interesting to note that chipboard, provided the edges are protected, can have better resistance than concrete screeds! Noise and comfort Soft, non-resilient surfaces tend to be less noisy and more comfortable than hard surfaces; by the same token soft materials tend also to be warmer or more thermally efficient than do resilient materials. Visual comfort is reflected in the aesthetic effects which the floor finish achieves and remains largely a matter of personal choice. Surface friction or slipperiness is a matter of concern particularly in commercial and industrial buildings. The coefficient of friction will be determined by the material itself (use of non-slip aggregates) or by the nature of the surface (use of indentations). Remember that surface friction can be severely changed by the presence of water or the indiscriminate use of polishes. Resistance to chemicals or other spillage In industrial buildings the floor finishes must be capable of coping with the accidental spillage of chemicals used within the building, without severe deterioration of the floor finish. Maintenance The life of any floor finish can be increased provided adequate and correct cleaning and maintenance are carried out on a regular basis. The correct cleaning and protection procedures should be carefully specified and included in the user manual. particularly important to observe the correct cleaning method where there are changes in the floor finish which would require different treatments. There are many examples of a floor finish being destroyed by incorrect treatment, The selection of the floor finish may be considerably influenced by the ease of maintenance; thus heavily trafficked floors may have a tile finish which makes local replacement relatively easy. Sub-floor The life of the floor finish is markedly affected by the quality of the sub-floor. The finish should be laid on a true, level surface, free from surface irregularities and with adequate structural strength. (The British Standard requirement is for a maximum tolerance of 10 mm in 3 m.) 23 8012Floor Structure and Finishes FIGURE 7(a) Preparation for various types of floors Wood or steel floated surface depending on “flexibility of finish Screed separating layer or clean Rough surface Structural floor Very flexible fnish Asphalt or pitch mastic (min 16 mm) Tamped surface Structural floor tae Pst ahesive and grout Hard tile Expansion stip Bed 13 mm (but thinner than tle) a Separating layer Screed or power-floated concrete Hard tile : Semi-dry 4:1 sandicement; max 75 mm, min | #——_19-mm (38 mm is average), may be laid t0 falls ue ‘note: expansion joints go right down to Rloated surface cae surface Structural floor = Sheet or tile finish a, Bed of mortar laid within 3 hrs of concrete ~ 13 mm thick: note: expansion joints not required except above those in structure —— Conerete sill green when bed is laid 24 8012Floor Structure and Finishes FIGURE 7(b) 50x 75mm batten bedded in brtumen Floor boerding a TET TELA Insulation (27mm) Conerate floor ‘500mm [Chord more TUTTTTOOT TTTOT TOTTI — fsa?" Bare. s Concrete et rite 5 Greed Concrete ° Selection of floor finishes Inthesenotes only the floor finish is dealt with since structural, thermal and noise considerations are dealt with elsewhere. However, Figure 8 illustrates how the Building Regulation requirements in respect of the insulation of floors may be achieved. 25 8012Floor Structure and Finishes FIGURE 8 Building Regulation insulation requirements a7 Insulation turned up 1 i _Battens 78 G boarding i= — Paper covered glass woo! “=. Reinforced concrete * ‘ormmineral wool quit He. Plaster Floor finish Waterproot “~¥, building paper oO RC. Moor raster Quilt turned up at ‘edge of floor fied to tens T. G boarding not Boarding ~ fixed to joists: Fibre glass quit Layer of clean dry Sand or Slag wool ° coats of gypsum plaster '9n expanded metal lath Sound insulation of floor 8 G boarding nailed thro’ insulation 18 G boarding 2 layers of fibre board Cort or ‘luck together strawboard Brnaied to joists Ground tioor joists on plates @ sleeper walls < —~T6 6 boarding pattens nailed to joists uit of glasSwoot,rockwoo! reel grass Improved thermal insulation of suspended ground floors Skirting Floor covering Heating elements Cement and ~ Groune Sand sereed Ea Dec. Epended Re Fr ]~ ap membrane pohstyrene |p. e-sConerete * Bp membrane | m1 tbrnadiup and ee SSE ieee 2 252 Alt Hardcore i Wait Thermal insulation for under-floor heating (ground floors) 26 8012Floor Structure and Finishes Selection of floor finishes ‘Materiat_ | Properties | Colowrand | Application Laying | Surface treatment and pattern ‘mainvenance Parquet and_| See wood block | Pater elaborate | Suitable for Fixing of parquet | Usual cleaning is composite | timbers. jometic patterns flooring where » [sections is by steel | with damp cloth and parquet sre possible. rich decorative [pins and hot glue, | soapless detergents panels Colours vary from] effect is required either vo a level and | if necessary - not Most White pinky | and where proper even timber sub- | soap or alkali hardwoods brown for beech, | maintenance and |foor, ora prefab- | cleaners. ean be used. torich brown to’ | cleaning willbe | fricated timber-base ‘The more fold for sive. panel. These ar then decorative mahogany. Should not be [secretly nailed 10 ‘ones are used in positions |joists or batens ‘normally used where severe [through the lower tip for the surface abrasion i likely fof a groove round blocks. The the sides of each base is Panel, anda cross sormally of fongue is glued softwood in between panes board or Alternatively, may plywood form be bedded on hoe bitumen on a cement and wand scred Wood block | Resitien. | Colours sce | As shove Laying is usually on] 1 Final sanding is ‘or wood strip | durable, warm, | above, ‘cement and sand | done after the blocks {quiet and good | Pattern of laying: fered: or are laid appearance. | brick pattem (@) dipped and | 2 Wax polishing, The Basket (diagonal, skimmed in ho pitch] raditionaltretment square or open) orbitumen 1/6in. | isto “body in” and Herringbone thick: polish with wax, (quate single or (@) bedded in cold | 3 Floor seats witha double). mastic adhesive ona vepotbleoil base are screed: quite commonly used. (6) bedded on an_| The il penetrates the Under layer of pitch] wood, oxidises and mastic or mastic | hardens. Maintenance asphalt with a | consists of sweeping Special adhesive, | and wiping with » Corkexpansion | damp cloth or mop. strips are advisable | Silicon polishes are across all edges of | clsimed to give a floors and especially | non-slip finish, it variation in hhumiaity is key: y Piywood/ | Propenies are | Colours vary with | Woods commonly [rites ae laid on a | Any unevenness at Chipboard | generally as for | wood face used for wearing” |steeLtzowelled | joins should be Kinds waich | other wood | vencer weneer are oak, fscreed with Tightly sanded down, have a floors. Tendency} Appearance of | birchand ash.” frituminous adhesive | A transparent filler hardwood face | for edges to | rai is effected by| and pinned it ean be sed with open veneer are | chip. More | rotary cating, lncessary train The surface sible stale than most] Square tes may Thick sheets can be | should be teated with nop-laminated. | be laid with xed as chipboard. | floor seal timber floors. | direction of grain Thin sheets should | Clessing normally is Good wearing | alternating to give nave plywood under | by wiping with With domeste | checker pater, oor damp cloth and teat if well ‘ceasional further mainiined. applications of set. Cork tites | Hard wearing | Colourranges | Cork Moors in | suay laid on a | Surface is finished by Hydaulicaly | (especialy igh | from honey to | themselves have | seci-irowelled | fine sanding and wan compressed "| density grade), | warmand dark | good sound Screed with polish. Cleaning is) granulated | very eesiien | brown, The cork | insulating Iituminous adhesive | Sweeping and fork bonded | quiet and warm.| granules when — | properties not tongued and | polishing. with aatral | May be polished give a grooved tiles shoul bark resins | damaged by | pleasant textral be pinned a comers, under heat. | ‘sileto" high | appearance heels or badly designed metal furniture 2 8012Floor Structure and Finishes ‘Materiai | Properties | Colourand | Application Laying | Surface treatment and pattern maintenance Linoleum [Hard wearing, | Colours: large | Mainly used for | Laid as eork carpet. Usual cleaning is Powdered | resilient. quiet | range of colours | commercial with damp cloth and cork, pigments] and warm. More| and markings. | premises such as soapless detergents fnd mineral | dense and less Shops and offices ‘necessary — not filers with | absorbent dan soap or alkali oxidised" |-corkearpet. | through whole cleaners. Tinseed oil and Resists weak | thicknese resins on jute | acids oils and PVC sheet | similar Colours: very | Has high resistance | Laid generally as | Cleaning: wiping Polyvinyl | properties o | good colour range| to abrasion and. | linoleum, wth a darn clot is chloride with | Tinoteum but | and variety of | indentation ‘usualy sufficient filers and | very resistant to| marking. Pain or | Cigarette bums pigment | allehemicals, | inlaid. Matt or | harm some grades. Oils, alcohol cc gloss surface and probably tougher. Rubber tiles. Good wearing | Wide range. | Mainly areas where | Laid on smooth | Cleaning with non Cat from sheet| properties, very | Moulded tiles | noise reduction is even base costed abrasive soap, polish ormoulded, | quiet resists | may have raised | important with adbesive also | with dry cloth sometimes | weak acids. | patterns of dots applied to bottom with integral te to avoid and edges of tiles: fibre slipperiness when aid with heavy reinforcing, wee ‘manual pressure ‘Thermoplastie| Generally good | Colours: wide | Special grades are_| Usually lad on | May be treated with les wearing range available | made with higher | steclrowelled | water emulsion ‘A composition qualities, either plain or | resistance v0 cement sereed with | polishes. ‘of asbestos | moderately | marbled differen chemicals, | bituminous ‘Cleaning is by fibre, mineral | quiet. warm and silsete adhesive ‘washing with soap fillers, resistant (0 or deterpents. thermoplastic | grease els, Dinder and | Weak acids and pigments for | alkalis. colour, ‘Thermoplastie| Properies | Colours sas | Greater flexibility. | Laid as Cleaning as for vinyl tiles. | generally as | thermoplastic | makes this more | thermoplastic ile, | thermoplastic ils. Asabove but | thermoplastic | (above) but | suitable for use on Rather ester to with v vinyl | tes above) but] including much | boarded floors keep clean chloride | more flexible | brighter colours. } lable vo move, appearance polymersas | end improved binder nd ualies, Asphatt | Good wearing | Consistent plain. | Easy to repair. | Laid hot on ‘Trowelled toa fine Jointiess | and moderately | colour usually red] Normally harmed | moderately trac | finish with fie sand Mastic asphat | quiet and warm. | to dark brown or | by ols and grease. | concrete sub-foor. | or stone dust, composition | Various grades | dark grey Special resistant | Mastic asphs dressing if matt thmineral_| available Polished or matt | grades made blocks ae re surface is required aggregates | Resists water | surfaces, ‘melted, spread and | Clean with soap and (sully rock | and vapour trowelled by hand. | warm water. Special asphalt) | pressure polishes on. neste | Good wearing | Consistent plain | Quatives of oor | Any sigid and dry. | Flor should be dintess Mixture of bumed magnesite ‘wood andior mineral Fillers and magnesium chloride ‘olution properties if Droperly mixed dnd lid Moderately ‘warm, rather hard and noisy Resists oils bat harmed by most chemicals and by water colours: fir range including buff and depend very much on the exact mix Used and ‘workmanship in laying, generally used in ightly loaded areas only. subsflooe i, Suitable. Spread nd finished with trowel oiled oF waxed to protect against Surface damp, Cleaning by sweeping and further applications ‘of wax polish o- linseed of 28 8012Floor Structure and Finishes ‘Material | Properties | Colourand | Application Laying | Surface rearment and pattern ‘maintenance Granolithic | Good wearing | Normally gry. | Widely wed for | Usually aid on | Finished with steel, Jointiess | properies i wet} but pigmented | induswial floors and | concrete sub-foor, | towel jst before mix Portland | mixed and aid. | cements may be | heavy loading. Also| Levelle, trowelled | hardens, Cleaning coment and | Inclined to dust. used. Appearance | used asa finish for | and then damp- | normally by washing fine hard stone| Rather cold and | generally dull. | concrete stir, cured for 7 days | and serubbing with chippings. | nosy. Harmed ‘warm water and soap by ollsand acids. tor scouting powders ‘Terrazzo tiles Good wearing Various colour of Entrance lobbies Plastic mix sla ‘The floors finished intless | qualities, natural marbles" | sed toilet Sey |e White or ited [Surface resistant | varied by fecommodation, [Onsemedon, | when st by robbing Portland {to water Rather | pigmanted ‘orrolled level. | stone io expose and Jezment and cold. had and | Sements. Textaral sal octane | Spa marble noisy Sppeatance varies dividing sips | Voids are made good with size of shouldbe used | with neat cement. hippies. except to avoid | Cleaning is with Shrinkage cracks. | alkaline cleaner and cccasonally scouring powders ‘Terrazzo les | Asierrazzo | As terrazzo ‘As above ‘Bedding sight on | Tiles ar ished im Terrazzo | (above) bute | (above). The concrete subefloor | the works ~ similar to facing as | durable and less | appearance ofthe ‘with 31 sand and_ | teazzo (above). above) on | liable to crack, | oor is very much Cement mix.No | Cleaning as above. concrete” | being sect bythe dpm needed. Packing bydrautically size of joints and compressed” [colour of jointing and atrial specified. factory controlled Concrete tiles | Good wearing | Wide range of | Minty usedin | Bedding as for | Cleaning is by Coloured | quantities. | colours~ plain | kitchens, store and terrazzo tiles | wathing or serbbing cements and | Surface resisan| textured and | workshops. (above). Care mast | with ho water, fineharé- | to water Rather| marble. Colour be taken of staining} scouring powders or wearing | hard oid and | depends on by cement of | soda ezrezaes. | noisy. Not | pigmented cement jointing material, slippery except | rather than ‘highly aggrepate polished ‘The appearance Dimeasionally | often improves smore constant | With wear than clay es Cay quarry [Very good | Colours range Quarries are wsully Joins ae fed with ties wearing qualities] between buf re, Tai onabed of 3:1 | 11 cement gout and Ward burat especially red | purple-brown and sand and cement on| the floor cleaned pressed, fandbluc ties. | blue. The green’ sereed of | immediately with Urefined clays | Rather hard cold} sppearance ofthe the same mis. They | sand or sawdust A tmosty from [and noisy. Resin} oor is afected by can also be laid | lnseed-it dressing Nonh Wales fois, acids, water} width of joints, Sraighton to | should be applied and snd heat but | No dpm needed concrete on a stiff | when dy Staffordshire. [may be harmed bedofthe same | Cleaning is by by atkatis. mix washing with soft Tiles mas be well | soap and water, Wax soaked in water” | pollshes may be before laving | applied Plain day tes | Very zo0d | Good vary of | Parcutarty useful | Laying [As for quarry ties Pressed’ | wearing natural clay | for heavily sabstanatly | exceptthata slur of refined Gualities, Rather colours availabe, | tacked areas. | the same at guary | neat cement is used slays fired | har, cold and | Surfaces either tes. for jointing hetween | noisy: Resist | smooth ribbed or 000°C and [els water, heat | zrooved or 1200°6."" | and’ most acids | subbed, and alkalis, 29 8012Floor Structure and Finishes ‘Mareriat | Properties | Colourand | Application Laying | Surface treament and pattern ‘maintenance ‘Vitreous clay [Extremely good] Good range of [Used foroors [Laid ina bed of | Neat cement grout 10 tiles wearing colours include fearing heavy cement mortar. | joints Refined clay [qualities and | whit, green, grey, [traffic or in| Cleaning generally plusealcium impervious to [blue and deep red. ifficult with damp cloth with fiintand oils alkalis and Surfaces smooth, environments, smd detergent. feldspar, fed Jmost acids. ribbed grooved or [such as kitchens, stover studded aboratories and Ta00re workshops. Marble [Generally hard-| Wide range of [Mainly used for | Laid in a cement and| Clean with warm slabs wearing colours include [the more sand bed on level. | water anda non: Cut from | qualities white, cream, [prestigious served, caustic detergent natural depending on | grey, blue-black [buildings rock kind of marble. J and black, with Rather cold, | veins or eibbons of hard and noisy. | various colours. armed by | Surfaces may be acids but resis | polished, sanded oils, alkalis and or mat water. May | Sizes up to 980 x become 900 x 19 thick slippery when Extremely [Colours range [Used when good | Laid in weak bed of | Brush of dirt and haré-wearing. from green wo blue fappearance with cement and sand | lean with warm Ratercold, to purple-black. very hurd-wearing | mortar concrete sub- | clean water. hard and noisy. |Surtace may be properties and | floor Mostly from fImpervsious to [smooth savn or minimum of| North Wales, fwater but Jas split lapkeep are Cumbria and_|stained by ois. | Sizes generally required Lancashire 375 x375x 25 but larger sizes avaiable fExcemely | Thefloorhas [Mainly wed for | Laid ona concrete | The surplus bedding hard-wearing |textured pater jindustial sb-flor ina sf? | material is spread, and resistant to | from the slots in fpurposes where | bed of cement. sand | over the surace with To swe see! [impact the face in Jexita heavy wear | and gait (1:2:172). | a broom. Floor is sheet impervious to |forming the forimpactare | The tiles are amp-cured for 3 oils, water and | anchors. ike. buttered on the | days and should not weak acids. | Plates normally underside with grout| be used for 3 days, 300 x 300 mm, and tapped into the. | The floor is cleaned bed so that it by washing or extrude through the | serubbing slot. 30 8012