EP0139798B1

EP0139798B1 - Dry-laid floors

Info

Publication number: EP0139798B1
Application number: EP83306564A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Ian Haugh Sparrow
Original assignee: Trent Jetfloor Ltd
Current assignee: Trent Jetfloor Ltd
Priority date: 1983-10-28
Filing date: 1983-10-28
Publication date: 1987-08-12
Also published as: ATE28912T1; DE3372997D1; EP0139798A1

Abstract

The floor is composed of parallel spaced beams (11) having flanges (12) and blocks (13) of polystyrene foam which are laid on the flanges to bridge the gaps between the beams. Boards (26) are laid on the polystyrene blocks, and are supported by the blocks, which form load-bearing members of the floor. The blocks may have flanged portions (14) extending over the beams, so as to provide heat insulation.

Description

This invention relates to a dry-laid floor, i.e. a floor of the type in which wet concrete or the like is not used for the basic supporting structure, but components are laid in a preformed state.
Dry-laid floors have been known for centuries and it is still common practice to lay wooden boards across joists to form such a floor.
Where a heavy load-bearing floor has been required, e.g. in factories, it has been in common, however, to lay solid floors using wet concrete.
In more recent years, suspended floors have been laid on concrete or steel beams. A reinforced concrete raft is often cast in situ on such beams by means of shuttering laid between the beams. An example of a floor of this type is illustrated in GB-A-2 053 313. Parallel beams of inverted-T shape are provided and panels are laid between the beams, supported on the flanges defined by the cross-piece of the "T". Wet concrete is then laid on the panels and on the beams and allowed to set. The ends of the panels adjacent the beams are bevelled to form a triangular section gap between each end of each panel and the adjacent upright wall of the corresponding beam. This gap fills with concrete to form concrete columns along the beams to support the concrete raft.
In this prior art patent specification and in FR-A-2 160 729 and: FRA2 202 211, the panels, which form shuttering, are left in situ and are made of material with good heat insulating properties, foamed polystyrene being preferred. The foamed polystyrene supports the unset concrete during construction of the floor, but has no supporting function in the completed floor. The contribution to the art provided by FR-A-2 202 211 is the provision of flanges on the polystyrene panels to extend below the beams to insulate them. GB-A-2 053 313 also insulates the beams from underneath by providing foamed polystyrene insulating members around the underside of the beams.
It is also common practice to provide dry-laid floors supported by beams. Slabs of concrete are dry-laid on the beams. Heat insulation in floors of this type has been provided by means of sheets of foamed polystyrene laid on the slabs and beams, with a surface covering of wooden sheets. The wooden sheets spread the load, in use, and avoid local damage to the polystyrene layer. The polystyrene layer is thin and has no support function.
Foamed polystyrene is extensively used for insulating purposes in both dry-laid and wet-laid floors. It is always used purely for insulating purposes in the finished floor. The present inventor has now made the surprising discovery that it is possible to use foamed polystyrene members for load-supporting purposes in a floor. This enables a dry-laid floor to be constructed without use of concrete slabs. The floor is, therefore, much lighter than conventional floors, much easier to lay and much cheaper and the supporting members also provide inherent excellent heat insulation properties.
The present invention provides a floor comprising parallel spaced beams, a multiplicity of foamed plastics blocks extending between the beams and having upper surfaces lying in a plane above the top surfaces of the beams, and an upper layer laid on the blocks and supported on the beams, characterised in that the blocks have portions which extend over the top surfaces of the beams to form a continuous layer over the beams and the upper layer is indirectly supported on the beams by means of the blocks.
The distance between block support surfaces of adjacent beams is, preferably, not more than 900 mm and, advantageously not more than 600 mm. The depth of each block above the support surface is, preferably, not less than 80 mm and advantageously, not less than 100 mm.
Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view of part of a dry-laid floor according to the invention;
Figure 2 shows how an edge of the floor may be finished;
Figure 3 shows a modification of the finishing of the edge of the floor;
Figure 4 shows a modification of the floor illustrated in Figure 1;
Figure 5 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a part of a dry-laid floor according to the embodiment of Figure 1; and
Figure 6 is a diagrammatic sectional view of part of another embodiment of a dry-laid floor according to the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 5, the floor is shown to comprise parallel, spaced beams 11, only two being shown. The particular beams shown are made of reinforced concrete and are basically of inverted T shape, with the bars of the T defining flanges 12. Closed-cell foamed plastics blocks 13 are laid in alignment between the beams on the flanges 12, so as to bridge the gap between the beams. Each block 13 is a close fit between the beams. The blocks have no reinforcing elements or reinforcing fillers.
Each block has opposite edge flange portions 14 which extend over part of the top of each beam 11. On the opposite side of each beam, other blocks 13a, 13b have flange portions 14a, 14b, which butt against the flange portion 14 to define a continuous planar upper surface. Panels of wood 26 are laid on the blocks, with a thin plastics sheet between the wood and the blocks (not shown in Figure 1) to serve as a vapour check.
In this particular example, the distance between the flanges 12 is about 800 mm and the total width of each block, including the flange portions 14, about 900 mm. The depth of each block is about 140 mm, with about 40 mm above the top level of the beams.
At the edges of the floor, special edge blocks 20 of foamed plastics may be used (Figure 2). In these blocks, the flanged portion 21, on one side, is extended to cover the whole of the end beam 11.
An alternative arrangement is shown in Figure 3, where the flange portion is omitted at one side and the block 23 has a rebate 22 instead. The rebate, which effectively extends over the beam 11, may be filled with a foamed plastics panel (not shown).
Figure 4 shows an alternative, similar to the arrangement of Figure 1, but in which the block 30 extends to the bottoms of the beams 11. This defines a flat lower face 31, together with the bottoms of the beams, which may be finished to define a ceiling.
The blocks need not terminate flush with, or above the bottom surfaces of the beams, but may extend below the beams.
It is also envisaged that instead of the blocks being covered with wood, a concrete or other screed may be laid on the blocks.
The blocks of expanded foamed plastics are preferably composed of polystyrene, but other foamed plastics may be used, e.g. polyurethane.
The beams need not be flanged and may, for example consist of wood or steel, although prestressed or reinforced concrete is preferred. Figure 6 shows an alternative embodiment comprising beams 111 without flanges and having top surfaces 112. The blocks 113, 113a, and 113b, are laid on the top surfaces with their end faces substantially in contact to define a thick continuous foamed plastics layer over the beams. An upper layer 126 is laid on the blocks.

Claims

1. A floor comprising parallel spaced beams (11), a multiplicity of foamed plastics blocks (13, 13a, 13b) extending between the beams and having upper surfaces lying in a plane above the top surfaces of the beams, and an upper layer (26) laid on the blocks and supported on the beams, characterised in that the blocks have portions (14, 14a, 14b) which extend overthetop surfaces of the beams to form a continuous layer over the beams and the upper layer is indirectly supported on the beams by means of the blocks.

2. A floor according to Claim 1, wherein the blocks consist of foamed polystyrene.

3. A floor according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper layer includes boards (26) laid on the blocks (13, 13a, 13b).

4. A floor according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the beams (11) are constructed of reinforced or prestressed concrete.

5. A floor according to any preceding claim, wherein the beams have flanges below their top surfaces, the blocks seating on the flanges and having upperflange portions (14, 14a, 14b) extending over the top surface of at least one of the adjacent beams (11) and arranged so that the blocks form a continuous planar upper surface, on which the upper layer (26) is supported.

6. A floor according to any preceding claim, wherein the distance between adjacent flanges of adjacent beams is not more than 900 mm.

7. A floor according to Claim 5, wherein the said distance is not more than 600 mm.

8. A floor according to any preceding claim, wherein the depth of each block above the flanges is not less than 80 mm.

9. A floor according to Claim 7, wherein said depth is not less than 100 mm.