Floors are defined as the flat leveled surface which is provided in a building, in a

structure for living purpose to step our foot on it and to store furniture and
capable of supporting occupants in a building. Wood, stone, metal can be used
as a material for flooring. They divide the buildings into different floors.
Floors above the plinth level (45cm to 60cm above the plinth level) is known as
ground floor and above floors or floors at each storey above ground floor are
called upper floors. The top most floor is known as terrace (It will be exposed to
atmosphere, sun, wind, rain), storey constructed below the ground floor are
basement (it is provided below the ground level).

Two Essential Components of floor:

1. Floor base: Lowest layer just above ground surface is compacted with
moorum or sand fill. There is a second layer just above the floor base which is a
sub floor of lean cement concrete or lime concrete which is given to provide
rigidity.
2. Floor Covering or Flooring: Finally the floor finish is laid on the top of the
sub floor which is known as floor covering.
Essential Requirements of the Floors:
 Adequate strength and stability
 Adequate fire resistance
 Sound insulation
 Damp resistance
 Thermal insulation
Factors Affecting Selection of flooring:
 Initial cost: Marble for residential building comes costly.
 Appearance: Pleasing appearance- desired color effect and
architecture.
 Cleanliness: It can be easily cleaned, non- absorbent.
 Durability: Resistance to wear, temperature changes, decay with
time hence long life is desirable.
 Sound insulation: Less or no noise when users walk on it.
 Thermal insulation: For comfort of users.
 Fire resistance: Upper floors require more safety.
 Smoothness: Should not be slippery.
 Hardness and maintenance
Types of Upper Flooring
1. Flagstone Flooring on Steel Joist: ( Types of Flooring )

Flagstone Flooring
on Steel Joist

 These are cheap and easy form of floor construction.

 Width of room not greater than 3. 66m, rolled steel joists of small
sections are placed at 30cm to45cm center to center along the width
of room.
Flagstones should be 38mm thickness.
Light weight concrete, lime concrete or moorum or mud are used to
fill the space above flagstone, so that consolidated thickness filling
lies 13mm above flanges of joists.
 Tiles of flagstone are laid above the filling and desired floor is
achieved.
 Bitumen or paint coating is provided over steel joists to protect it
from rusting when filling material is lime concrete.
 Steel beams span the width of room and spaced 2. 4m to 3m apart
Flagstone Floors Resting on Steel Joists
It is a modest and simple type of floor construction. On the off chance that the width of
the room isn’t more than 3.66 m., moved steel joists (R.S.J’s) of little sections are divided
at 30 to 45 cm., focus to focus along the width of the room, 38 mm., thick flagstone of
width equivalent to the middle to focus dispersing of the joists are put on the lower spines
of the moved steel joists (R.S.J’s). Portion over the flagstone is then loaded up with light
weight concrete, lime concrete, moorum or mud and so forth., so the consolidated
thickness of filling lies around 13 mm., over the ribs of joists. At long last, tiles, concrete,
flagstone or some other wanted kind of ground surface can be laid upon the filled
material. On the off chance that lime concrete is utilized as filling material, the steel joists
are shielded from the rusting or destructive action of lime by giving a tirade of concrete
around them or by applying a layer of bitumen or paint on the outside of the joists.
In the event that the most brief range of the room surpasses 3.66 in its dimensions, the
littler steel joists are upheld by greater moved steel joists or steel light emissions
structured sections. The steel bars range the width of the room and are dispersed at 2,4 to
3 m, separated.
Steel Joist and Stone or Precast Concrete Slab Floors

Stones are available in several parts of the country and therefore, this flooring is used for
economy and ease in construction. This type of floor is quite general in locations whereas
flag-stones or stone-slabs are readily available in spans of 1 to 3 metres and widths 30 to
60 cm. While stone slabs are not available, precast concrete slabs could be used. The slabs
are placed at the lower flange of rolled steel joists (RSJ), specially whereas plain ceiling is
need, though in this case the bearing to the slabs is small (Figure 5(b)) Or else, the slabs
could be supported on the upper flange of RSJ through inserting huge stone bedding plate,
called suboti among the flange and the slab (Figure 5(c)). While the slabs are placed on the
lower flange, of joists, the space among the top of the slab and top of RSJ is filled along
with lime concrete or light weight cement concrete, after encasing the steel joists totally in
cement concrete so in which they do not get rusted. On the top of it, regular flooring is laid.
 Figure: Stone Slab Floor Supported on Steel Joists

The spacing of the rolled steel joist is depends upon the length of available stone slabs. The
joists have the clear span equivalent to the width of the room (Figure 5(a)). The bearing of
joists on the wall should at least be equivalent to depth of the joist, but in no case less than
half the width of the wall. It is better if bearing is remain, just equal to the width of the wall so
in which eccentric load of the wall is eliminated. A bed plate is given below each end of the
joist, to suitably distribute the load to the wall. Stone slabs are available in lengths of 1 to 3
m, if the width of the room is slightly less than this value, stone slabs could be directly
supported on the walls, without using steel joists. Like a construction is quite cheap.

In a multi-storeyed building, floor made at level with the plinth of the building is
known as ground floor. • If building is provided with basement or underground
storey, its floor is known as basement floor. • Top-most horizontal or sloped
structure, covering the rooms from the top is known as roof. • All the
intermediate floors are known as upper floors. • An upper floor is basically a
principal structural element and the general structural design of a building will
greatly influence the choice of the type of floor. • Upper floors are supported
either on the walls or on columns ; they have, therefore, the major problems of
strength and stability. • The structural design of upper floor has to be such as to
support the loads set up by the use of building, in addition to the self weight and
the weight of partition etc…