6 Floors

Construction and Materials – III (AR-351)
Lecture # 6 (Week 8)
Floors (Types and Construction Methods)
Department of Architecture and Planning, NED University of Engineering & Technology,
Karachi
Course Facilitator:
Fariha Tahseen
E-mail: fariha_tahseen@yahoo.com
Lecture – 6: Floors (Types and Construction Methods) Fall 2020 (Online Teaching)
Floors
The surfaces with their necessary supports which provide accommodation to
the users to live at different levels in a building are called floors.
Components of a Floor
1. Sub-Floor
2. Floor covering or paving
1. Sub Floor
The lower portion of a floor structure consisting of beams, slabs, rammed earth etc to provide
necessary support to the floor covering is known as sub-floor.
2. Floor covering or Paving

The upper portion of a floor structure consisting of base, under layer and topping is called
floor covering or paving.
Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 2
Essential Requirements of a Floor

 Adequate strength and stability
 Durability
 Adequate fire resistance
 Sound insulation
 Damp resistance
 Thermal insulation
 Easy Cleaning and maintenance
Important Technical Terms

1. Base Course: the prepared surface on which the floor topping
or under layer is laid, is called base, and the layer of material provided for
this purpose is known as base course.
2. Under layer: the layer of material provided in between the base and floor
topping is known as under layer.
3. Topping: the topmost layer of a floor provided over the under layer or over
base course in the absence of under layer is termed as topping.
4. Floor finish: the top surface of a floor is known as wearing surface or floor
finish.
Ground Floor
The floor constructed at plinth level of different buildings are
called ground floors
Since a ground floor rests directly on the soil when not accompanied by a
basement floor, its base usually consists of the following two layers;
a) 4 inch thick layer of coarse sand over consolidated earth

b) 4 inch thick layer of lime concrete (1:4:8) or lean cement concrete. This
layer of concrete is known as base concrete.
Sometimes, rubble filling also known as hard core consisting of gravel pebbles
or dry bricks having 2 to 4 inch thickness is provided over the sand.
The purpose of providing a layer of coarse sand is

to prevent rising moisture due to capillary action and to
prevent dampness in the building through the floor.
The purpose of rubble filling or hard core is to increase

the strength of the base of the floor. The object of
providing lime or cement concrete base is to have a solid
bed or base for floor covering.

Types of Ground Floors

1. Brick Floors
2. Cement Concrete floors
3. Tile Floors
4. Flagstone Floors
5. Terrazzo Floors
6. Mosaic Floors
7. Timber Floors
8. Linoleum Floors
9. Rubber Floors
10. Cork Floors
11. Asphalt Floors
12. Glass Floors
13. PVC Floors
1. Brick Floors
 The floor having its topping consisting of bricks is known as

brick Floor.
 These floors can be easily constructed and repaired.
 This type of floors provide a rough surface.
 They can easily absorb moisture from the surrounding areas
and may cause dampness in the building.
Suitability:
 These floors are suitable for courtyard paving,
 Wood stoves and fire places (for being non combustible)


2. Tile Floors
 The floor having its topping consisting of tiles is called tile

flooring.
 The tile used in a tile floor may be of any desired quality, shape,
thickness and colour.
 Easier to clean, maintain and repair.
Suitability:
Where a high class finish is desired
All sort of indoor spaces
Types of Tiles:
1. Ceramic
2. Porcelain
Ceramic Tiles
• Available in red body and white body
• Available in 2 skins or layers
• Manufactured with clay at low temperature
• Must soak in water before use
• Generally used for Facing Wall and in flooring where foot fall is lesser
• Are always glazed
• Lesser durable
• Less expensive
Porcelain Tiles
• Available in white body only
• Available in full body
• Manufactured with clay + stone powder + iron particles powder at high
temperature
• Can be directly used
• Generally used for Floors and in commercial areas
• More durable
• More expensive


3. Flagstone floors:
The floors having its topping consisting of stone slabs is known as
flag stone floor.
These floors are suitable for godowns, ware houses and out door
spaces.



4. Cement concrete floors

The floor having topping consisting of cement concrete is called a
cement concrete floor.
Advantages
1. Concrete floors are hard and durable
2. They provide a smooth and non-absorbent surfaces
3. They are more fire resisting
4. They provide a more sanitary surfaces as they can be cleaned or washed
easily.
5. They are economical as they involve less maintenance cost
6. They can be finished with a pleasing appearance
Types of concrete floors
 Non-monolithic or bonded finish concrete floors
 Monolithic finish concrete floors



Non monolithic or bonded finish concrete floors:
The cement concrete floor topping having not laid monolithically with the base
concrete is known as non-monolithic or bonded finish concrete floor.
In this type of concrete floor, topping is laid on the third day of laying the base
concrete.
Monolithic finish concrete Floor;
The cement concrete floor having its topping consisting of 1 inch thick concrete
(1:2:4), laid monolithically with the base concrete is known as monolithic finish
concrete floor.
5. Terrazzo Floors
The floors having their topping consisting of terrazzo

finish are known as terrazzo floors
 Consists of a wearing layer of terrazzo mixture, about half inch

thick
 Laid on under layer of cement concrete (1:2:4) about 1.5 inch thick
 And a base course as in cement concrete floors
 A special aggregate of marble chips is used in the wearing course
(topping) which is exposed to view by grinding the surfaces.
 These floors are more expensive than cement concrete floors


The terrazzo mixture consists of
 1 part of white, grey or colored portland cement

 1 ½ parts of marble chippings which should be of 3 mm
gauge.
After dry mixing only that much quantity of water is added,

which gives a fairly dry but a workable mix

Methods of Construction of Terrazzo Floors

 Preparation of surface of sub grade (earth filling is leveled, well watered and
rammed)
 Laying of sand layer
 Laying of base concrete
 Laying of under layer (1.5 inch thick layer of cement concrete (1:2:4) )
 Fixing of dividing strips (the metal strips of aluminum, brass, copper or glass,
etc are inserted in this layer (3 inch above finishing level) before the
concrete gets hardened).
 Laying of topping of terrazzo mix
 Grinding (after a day or two, when the terrazzo mixture has hardened
sufficiently, it is ground by hand or with a grinding machine in the presence
of water
 Corborundum brick of 60, 80, 120, 320 and 500 grade are used in first,
second, third and fourth grinding respectively.
 Finishing the final Surface (oxalic acid with water is added to surface which
is then polished with a superior quality of floor polish)

Corborundum Bricks
Made from silicon carbide, they’re popular with builders
for smoothing stonework, concrete floors or removing mould
marks on cast concrete. Rubbing blocks are also widely used by
stone masons when working on headstones, monuments and
other stone ornaments. We stock a variety of densities and mixes
to suit any and all purposes.

6. Mosaic floor
The floor having its topping consisting of mosaic tiles or

small regular shaped marble cubes, square or hexagonal,
embedded into a cementing mixture is known as mosaic floor

A method of laying mosaic tiles is by using a thin layer of

latex reinforced mortar available in market as ready to
use in which various polymers are used for binding purposes


7. Timber Floors
The floors having their topping consisting of wooden members
(strips and planks) are known as timber floors.
1) Strip Floors: the timber floor having its topping consisting of long narrow pieces or strips
of wood is known as strip floor
The strips are usually 1 inch in thickness and 2 to 4 inch in width. They are thin and are jointed
together by tongue and groove joints.
For constructing strip floor, the fillets are placed 2 ft apart.
Then strips are nailed to them
2) Plank Floor: the timber floor having its topping consisting of wooden boards or planks is
known as plank floor.
The boards are wider than strips, which are also jointed together by tongue and groove joints.
The planks are usually 1 to 2 inch in thickness and 8 inch to 1 ft in width.
Method of constructing Timber Floor

There are two methods
1) Dwarf Walls are built
2) Concrete Base is prepared
Dwarf Walls:
Earth is leveled and consolidated
Layer of lean concrete about 4 to 6 inch thick is laid and compacted
(to prevent damp rising)
Based on required span following floors are built;

a) Single wooden floor
b) Double wooden floor
c) Triple joist wooden floor

a) Single Wooden Floor (4m span):

 A layer of bridging joists is provided at suitable distance along
shorter span
 Over bridging joists timber planks are placed in tongue and groove
connection

b) Double Wooden Floor (4m to 7.5m):

 A layer of bridging joists is placed at right angle to other joists
known as binders.
 The binders are placed along the shorter span of the room with their ends
resting on concrete pads or stone blocks

c) Triple Joist Wooden Floor (7.5 m above)

 In this type of floors, intermediate supports, known as girders, are provided
for binders.
 Thus, this type of floor consists of girders, binders, bridging joists and floor boards.
 Girders are generally provided at a center to center distance of 3m.
 Binders are staggered and connected to girders by tusk and tenon joints, to decrease overall
depth of floor.
 The ends of girders rest on walls on concrete templets



Concrete Base
 Over a concrete base, wooden battens, known as fillets,

are embedded into the concrete at suitable intervals.
 To increase the hold of wooden battens, galvanized metal floor

clips are used which are set into concrete base, about 0.75 m
apart before it becomes hard.
 As an alternative to nailing of battens, the surface of each batten,

coming in contact with the concrete, is treated with an
application of bitumen or asphalt mastic.
8. Linoleum Floors
The floor having its topping consisting of linoleum of plain or printed variety is
known as linoleum floor.
Manufacturence
 Linoleum consists of a mixture of linseed oil, cork dust, wood flour and
pigments.
 The linseed oil is oxidized to have a tough, rubber like substance which is then
mixed with other ingredients.
 The resultant plastic substance is applied by hot rolling on a suitable backing

of some fabric such as canvas.


Method of fixing:
 These floors are provided with timber or concrete base.
 It is then cleaned of all dust, dirt, chemicals etc
 Unroll the sheets or place the tiles over a mastic adhesive and press to
remove any folds.
Properties:
 Such a floor is resilient, attractive, durable, cheap and can be cleaned easily.
 Waxing and varnishing the surface would give a longer life and help in
cleaning the surface easily.
Suitability:
Residential ,office, shops, and floors of road transport vehicles, railway coaches
and ships.
9. Rubber Floors
The floor having its topping consisting of rubber sheets is known as
rubber floors
Manufacturence
 Manufactured from pure rubber mixed at high temperature with fillers such
as cotton fibre, granulated cork or asbestos fibre etc and the pigment of
desired shade.
 Rubber tiles of suitable size and thickness can also be used in place of rubber
sheets.
 This type of floor is attractive, noiseless, durable and can be easily cleaned
 But it is costly and non resistant to fire, oil and grease.
 They are constructed in the same manner as linoleum flooring.



Suitability:
Suitable for use in shops, offices, theatres, public libraries and other
places where noiseless floors are desired.
They are mostly used in regions having cold climate as they are not
suitable for tropical countries like India, Pakistan.

10. Cork Floors:

The floors having its topping consisting of cork carpets or cork tiles is known as cork floor.
Manufacturence:
Cork carpets or cork tiles are manufactured by compressing cork shavings in mold to a
thickness about 12 mm and baked subsequently for effective cementation.
Method of Installation:
 Check the floor before starting the installation. It should be at flat as possible with a
maximum of 1/8inch variation, otherwise concrete or leveling should be applied.
 Same as adhering Linoleum tiles to concrete or timber base.
 Once all the planks have been installed apply a polyurethane protection coat so it can last
longer.



Suitability: Used in situations and places where noiseless floors are

desired.
Advantages:
 It has natural insulation properties that can help reduce heating costs.
 Cork floors are naturally fire resistant and don't release any toxic gasses or
chemicals when burned accidentally.
 It can be a very durable material if properly maintained.
Disadvantages:
 There's a limited palette of colors to choose from.
 It must be sealed every five years to keep its waterproof characteristics.
 It can be stained by oil, dirt, and spills if not properly protected, so it is not
the best floor to have in a kitchen.
 Sharp objects can puncture or damage cork flooring surfaces.
11. Asphalt Tiles:

 Smooth-surfaced floor covering made from a mixture of asphalts or synthetic resins,
asbestos fibres, fine aggregate, sand or crushed rock screening, pigments, and mineral
fillers.
 It is usually about 1/8 or 3/16 inch (about 3 mm or 4.8 mm) thick.
 Asphalt tiles are nonporous, non absorbent, moisture proof, resistant to oil and grease spots,
acid proof, nonflammable, fairly low in cost, and easily maintained.
Method of installation
 A 10 mm asphalt or bitumen layer or asphalt saturated felt is first spread before laying the
tiles.
 Asphalt mastic is heated and laid on concrete base.
Suitability: ware houses, factories, schools, parking lots.



12. Glass Floors:

The floor consisting of structural glasses fixed in a frame work is known as glass floor.
The structural glasses are available in the form of tiles or slabs of about 6 to 15 mm thickness.
Method of Installation
 The frame work is constructed to suit the situation so that it can withstand the load expected
over the floor.
 The glass tiles or slabs are then fitted in position in the pattern as desired.
Suitability:
In interior design depending on need and situation.



13. PVC Floors

The floors having its topping consisting of PVC sheets or tiles are known as PVC floors.
 PVC sheets are available in 1m, 1.5 m and 2 m width.
 PVC tiles are 300, 600 and 900 mm square in size.
 The thickness of these sheets or tiles varies from 1.5 mm to 5 mm
Manufacturence
Thoroughly blended composition of thermoplastic binders, fillers and pigment.
Method of Installation:
Installed in the same manner as linoleum or rubber floors.
Suitability:
Suitable for shops, offices, residential and for railway coaches.



Basically, they are wooden, PVC or MDF boards running along the base of an
Skirting interior wall. Skirting boards can be screwed, nailed or glued onto the walls.
They are usually 5 to 15cm high and can be either stained or painted and they
can be either carved with moulding or flat.
Purpose of Skirting Boards

1. Act as decorative element in floor finishing
2. Cover the junction of floor and wall
3. Conceal and hide electric wiring
4. Help to mop the floors without soaking the wall plasterboard.
5. Provide a barrier between the walls and furniture.
MDF Skirting Board Oak Skirting Board
Pine Skirting Board

Oak Veneer Skirting Board

From;
Building Construction
By;
N.L. Arora and B.R. Gupta

6 Floors

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Construction and Materials – III (AR-351)

2. Floor covering or Paving

Essential Requirements of a Floor

Important Technical Terms

a) 4 inch thick layer of coarse sand over consolidated earth

The purpose of providing a layer of coarse sand is

The purpose of rubble filling or hard core is to increase

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 6

Types of Ground Floors

 The floor having its topping consisting of bricks is known as

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 8

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 9

 The floor having its topping consisting of tiles is called tile

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 12

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 13

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 14

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 15

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 16

4. Cement concrete floors

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 18

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 19

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 20

Non monolithic or bonded finish concrete floors:

The floors having their topping consisting of terrazzo

 Consists of a wearing layer of terrazzo mixture, about half inch

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 23

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 24

The terrazzo mixture consists of

 1 part of white, grey or colored portland cement

After dry mixing only that much quantity of water is added,

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 25

Methods of Construction of Terrazzo Floors

 Laying of sand layer

 Laying of base concrete

 Laying of topping of terrazzo mix

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 27

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 28

The floor having its topping consisting of mosaic tiles or

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 29

A method of laying mosaic tiles is by using a thin layer of

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 30

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 31

Method of constructing Timber Floor

Based on required span following floors are built;

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 33

a) Single Wooden Floor (4m span):

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 34

b) Double Wooden Floor (4m to 7.5m):

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 35

c) Triple Joist Wooden Floor (7.5 m above)

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 36

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 37

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 38

 Over a concrete base, wooden battens, known as fillets,

 To increase the hold of wooden battens, galvanized metal floor

 As an alternative to nailing of battens, the surface of each batten,

 The resultant plastic substance is applied by hot rolling on a suitable backing

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 41

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 42

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 45

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 46

Construction & Materials III (AR 351) – Fall 2020 47