Lecture no.

18
Floors
Compiled by: Dr. Tauha Hussain Ali
Professor, Department of Civil Engineering
Mehran UET, Jamshoro
Floor

The surfaces with necessary supports

which provide accommodation to its
users to live at different levels in the
building.
Functional Requirements

1. Strength
2. Stability
3. Resistance to weather and ground
moisture
4. Durability and freedom from maintenance
5. Fire safety
6. Resistance to the passage of heat
7. Resistance to the passage of sound
Strength

 The strength of a floor depends on the

characteristics of the materials used for the
structure of the floor, such as timber, concrete or
steel.

 It must support safely the dead load of the floor

and its finishes, fixtures, partition and service loads.
Strength

 Precast concrete block and beam flooring

offer an economical and quick alternative to
timber floor.

 For wider spans and heavy loads, reinforced

concrete floor are used.
Stability

 The floor should have adequate stiffness to

remain stable and horizontal under the
dead load of the floor structure, service
load, live load etc.
 The stability depends on the characteristics
of the concrete used.
 Upper or suspended floors are supported
by walls or beams and should have
adequate stiffness to minimize deflection
under load.
Resistance to weather and
ground moisture

 The ground-floor should be resistant to the ground water while

the other floors should be resistant to the weathering actions.
Durability and freedom from
maintenance

 All floors should be durable for the expected life of the building
and require little maintenance or repair. The durability and
freedom from maintenance of floor finishes will depend on the
nature of the materials used and the wear to which they are
subject.
Fire safety

 Suspended upper floors should be constructed as to provide

resistance to fire for a period adequate for the escape of the
occupants from the building. The national periods of resistance
to fire, from ½ to 4 hours, depending on the size and use of the
building, are set out in the building regulations.
Resistance to the passage of
heat

 A floor should provide resistance to transfer of heat where

there is normally a significant air temperature difference on the
opposite sides of the floor; this would include any building
which was heated, but would not include some external
buildings, such as garages.
 Resistance to the passage of
sound

 Upper floors that separate dwellings or separate

noise from quite activities should act as a barrier to
the transmission of sound. The comparatively low
mass of a timber floor will transmit airborne sound
more readily than a high mass concrete floor.

 The sound absorption of a floor can be improved by

introducing a soft absorbent material such as carpet
or felt.
Resistance to the passage of
sound

 When up grading existing buildings, sound

insulation can be improved by filling between

timber joists and sealing voids, or by

constructing a floating floor, or suspended

floor.
 FLOORS

 The floor of a building immediately above ground is

known as ground floor

 Various types of floors which are commonly adopted

in residential or public buildings

 Each type of floor has its own merits and there is no

single type that could be suitably provided under all
conditions
FLOORS (Types)

 Mud Floor
 Mooram Floor
 Brick Floor
 Tiled Floor
 CC Floor
 Mosaic Floor
 Marble Floor
FLOORS (Types)

 Timber Floor
 Asphalt Floor
 Terrazzo Floor
 PVC Floor
Points to Consider in Choosing
Floors

 Should be cheap (cost wise)

 Easy to clean
 Noiseless
 Good Appearance
 Free from Dampness
 Fire-resistant
 Low maintenance cost involved
Mooram Flooring

 Merits
 Cheap
 Smooth, hard and fairly impervious surface
 Easy in construction
 Sufficiently long life if properly maintained
Brick Flooring

 Merits
 Durable and sufficiently hard
 Cheaper than cc, wooden or mosaic flooring
 Non-slippery
 Easy repairable
 De-merits
 It is absorbent
 PVC Flooring

 Merits
 Non-absorbent
 Easily repairable
 Pleasant appearance
 Durable
 Permits quick laying of floor
 Resistant to wear and tear

 De-merits
 Costly (initial and maintenance)
 CC Flooring

 Merits
 Non-absorbent
 Easily repairable
 Smooth and Pleasant appearance
 Durable
 Permits quick laying of floor
 Resistant to wear and tear
 Economical

 De-merits
 Needs more technical attention
 Cannot be satisfactorily repaired by patch work
Thank you !!